Young Canadians put on show as Caps tie Orlando

Two Canadians made their marks in different ways when the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Orlando S.C. Lions played to a draw Saturday night.

Cyle Larin, a 21-year-old Brampton, Ont., native who has become a fixture with Canada’s senior men’s team, stole the show as he headed home the 50th-minute goal that gave struggling Orlando a tie.

"It's so important for Cyle to come back here, he's so proud of being Canadian," said Orlando interim coach Bobby Murphy, whose struggling team improved to 4-5-10. "He stepped off the plane last night and said, 'the air is so much better here.' I'm happy for him."

Meanwhile, Whitecaps midfielder Alphonso Davies, 15, drew the biggest cheers when he subbed into the game in the 77th minute. The Edmonton product, who was born in Liberia, became the youngest player to suit up in Major League Soccer this season and third-youngest player in league history.

 “I wasn’t that nervous,” he said. “Yeah, they’re a good MLS team but there’s just a ball and you go out and play, have fun. I wasn’t really nervous coming on the field.”

Davies almost scored on a shot from distance three minutes after subbing on. The ball went just wide of the left post after Orlando goalkeeper Joe Bendik dived in vain. He also had some sound defensive moments as the Whitecaps (8-8-5) avoided a loss after a poor start.

Davies showed that he is still adjusting to the physical play in MLS, but should be able to handle himself against men with considerable professional experience, especially after he puts on some more muscle.

“Definitely, I felt like I (was) being overpowered, because they’re much stronger and bigger than me,” said Davies, who made his professional debut by playing for the Whitecaps in the Canadian championships. “Coming in the game at that time, the coach expects me to make a difference. I tried that but, unfortunately, (the ball) didn’t go in the net.”

The coach, Carl Robinson, continued to downplay Davies’ play, because he is still of high school age.

“Obviously he was brought on to try and affect the attacking end of the pitch and he did that,” said Robinson. “But let’s not get carried away.”

However, it is clear that the Caps are grooming Davies for bigger things after signing him Friday to a contract that is guaranteed through 2018 and contains options for 2019 and 2020. Simply put, Davies was too good to stay with Vancouver’s USL team.

Now, the question is: Can the youngster handle the rapid changes going on in his life?

“It has changed big time, because now I want to go out and have fun with my friends, and then take in, also, that I’m playing at the MLS level and represent the club,” he said. “I can’t really go out and fool around and cause trouble anymore.”

But he and Larin gave Canadian soccer fans reason to hope that, in the future, they might cause trouble while playing together for the national senior men’s squad.

Johnson steals show, helps Canadian soccer grow

A Canadian played the role of villain as Toronto FC stole the Voyageurs Cup from the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday night.
As 19,376 Vancouver fans were on their feet, chanting and getting ready to celebrate what they thought would be a successful title defence,  Will Johnson's last-second goal gave TFC the 2016 Amway Canadian championship. The away goal was the tiebreaker after Johnson knotted the two-leg, total-goals series 2-2 on aggregate.
"Every time you dodge a bullet down here, you think: Maybe we will get a chance, and we did," said Johnson, a Toronto native who suffered a fractured leg on the play and is expected to miss six weeks. "Fortunately, it went in and it worked out. I'm not sure you can put it into words and describe it."Actually, the goal defied belief, but it was not that difficult to describe. Vancouver goalkeeper David Ousted and central defender Kendall Waston collided as they both went up for Tsubasa Endoh's lob into the box. Ousted dropped the ball and Johnson fired it high over Vancouver players into the net.
"You just take a chance," said Johnson. "When the ball was in the air, I had a good feeling it might bounce. ... I just wanted a look. I just put my foot through it, tried to connect well."
He literally gave Vancouver's title hope the boot in the fourth and final minute of added time as all goals came in the second half.
Johnson nullified nice goals by Vancouver's Nicolas Mezquida, who put home a header in the 47th minute, and defender Tim Parker. Mezquida scored only two minutes after coming on for injured Canadian midfielder Russ Teibert (quad strain) at the start of the second half. Parker was in front of the opposition for a rare time after a Vancouver corner-kick was cleared and Caps midfielder Matias Laba sent the ball back into the Toronto penalty area.
Vancouver goalkeeper Ousted blamed himself for the loss after Waston did not hear him call for the ball.
"Not what we wanted to happen," said Ousted. "I cost us that one. I cost us the championship. It's heart wrenching ... Do I have to come (out of the net) on that one. Definitely, I do. If you want a 'keeper that is going to stay on his line and not take responsibility, I'm not your guy. That's my ball. Should I punch it? Maybe. I would make that decision again. It's my ball. If I hold it, its over. That's the job. Some days that happens, and one mistakes can be the difference."
Ousted called the loss devastating, underscoring a unique irony of this Canadian championship competition. Clearly, Canada's MLS teams place less emphasis on winning a Canadian title, because the competition falls in the middle of their league season, adding to a busy week. So coaches routinely start players who would other wise be backups.
But Ousted's comments, and devastation, underscored the fact that players still hold a Canadian title close to their hearts, even if they are not from Canada. As Teibert's emotional reaction after Vancouver claimed its first title in 2015 indicated, Canadian players treasure a national championship even more.
Even coaches, who use the contests for the dual purpose of developing young talent and building a championship culture, can get pretty emotional, as Toronto's Greg Vanney and Vancouver's Carl Robinson confirmed Wednesday.
"It's just a huge swing emotionally," said Vanney, referring to TFC being behind and then pulling out the win. "For me, I let loose for a second (after Johnson's goal) and probably did something stupid. But then I pulled myself together and realized that Will, one of our key guys, was on the ground. I didn't realize he took a bit of a knock when he hit that ball."
Countered Robinson:  "I'm absolutely gutted for the guys, because they gave me and the club and the organization absolutely everything. We deserved to win, but we didn't win."
The Reds claimed their fifth Voyageurs Cup since 2008, the most by any team, while the Whitecaps placed second for the sixth time, also a record. But the real winner was Canadian soccer. The game offered another example that Canadians can stand out at times against international-calibre talent.
The entire competition showed that Canada is starting to develop quality young talent on a wider, if not reasonably consistent, basis. And, young Canadians are playing at the highest level in North America earlier. Vancouver's 15-year-old midfielder Alphonso Davies, an Edmonton native, was a revelation as he shined at times against Toronto and Ottawa in the semi-final series.  
Granted, many more of these examples are needed and, arguably, Canadians might not have stood out as much as they did last year, when Teibert was chosen the most valuable player of the competition. But more than 19,000 fans still bothered to show up for a mid-week game, and the entire Canadian championship competition exceeded 100,000 in attendance for the first time, according to a Soccer Canada spokeswoman. That accomplishment may not seem like much in comparison to European Cup and World Cup single-game crowds.
But for a country whose men's team has not qualified for the World Cup since 1976 and is still marred at times by the effects of original North American Soccer League's troubles, 100,000 fans represent progress. And, it also shows that soccer enthusiasts are starting to care about a Toronto-Vancouver rivalry, which helps to grow the game.
"(Wednesday's result) probably adds another level to (the Toronto-Vancouver rivalry), for sure," said Johnson, who helped the Portland Timbers win their first MLS Cup last season before he was traded to Toronto. "Vancouver is a great team. For us to come in here and get thee result we need is no small feat. We are proud of that. It will add fuel to the fire. It's good for the sport. This was a good Canadian soccer match between two good teams. There (were) a lot of good Candian players on the field, too.
I was proud to be part of it."
Perhaps more importantly, Johnson's never-say-die effort gave a lot of people, including players and fans, a reason to be proud of Canadian soccer. In the grand scheme of things, that is a good thing for a country whose men's program has been lurching along for 30 years since its last World Cup appearance. Truth be told, Canada's men's side might not get back to the World Cup anytime soon, but Wednesday's game and others in the Canadian championship competition showed that the chances of qualifying might, just might, be stronger in coming years than it has lately.
And save for the feelings of 19,000-plus Whitecaps supporters, it did not hurt that a Canadian stole the show in a national final that featured players from all over the world.

Musings on Canucks, Stamkos, Torts and Treliving

Random thoughts heading into this weekend's NHL draft and the July 1 free agency opening ...

Canucks will make a good draft pick

The Vancouver Canucks stand to gain from the draft, because they can't do much worse than they have in past years. It also helps to have the fifth overall pick, which should land Pierre-Luc Dubois from Cape Breton of the QMJHL. Dubois showed his offensive upside by recording 99 points during the regular season. He also stood out during the Top Prospects game in Vancouver, where he scored a goal and added two assists in Team Orr's 3-2 victory over Team Cherry. From there, he averaged a point per game in the playoffs with 12 points in as many post-season contests.
Other advantages: Dubois, a Sainte-Agathe-des-Mont, Que., native who turns 18 on Friday, can play both centre and wing, has size (six-foot-three and 200 pounds) plus nastiness (112 penalty minutes) and, therefore, fits the profile of a power forward that every team covets. The only question is whether the Edmonton Oilers will upstage the Canucks and take him with the fourth-overall pick instead of American prospect Matthew Tkachuk of the OHL's London Knights, who plays left wing. But even if the Oilers take Dubois, the Canucks stand to prosper, considering that Tkachuk, the son of formerly NHLer Keith Tkachuk, produced 107 points in the regular season and added 40 -- yes, 40 -- points in the playoffs as the Knights captured the Memorial Cup.
Either pick is a no-brainer and, barring unforeseen events, will land a spot in the Vancouver lineup next season, furthering a youth movement (if not a rebuilding program) under competent, but increasingly criticized general manager Jim Benning. While Benning might deserve criticism for failing to land talent at the trading deadline, he has succeeded in steadily injecting youth into the lineup -- whereas former GM Mike Gillis failed miserably.
The selection of Dubois or Tkachuk will make up for a shortage of Canuck draft picks this year due to past  moves. But the lack of picks will be relatively moot, considering that the Canucks will still be able to stock some young talent for future years. Unlike in 2015-16, the Canucks will not shuffle their roster next season, because holes have been filled after all of the juggling that occurred. If Dubois or Tkachuk become long-time core players as expected, any poor picks by Benning will be forgotten, if not forgiven.

Benning has money to spend

Benning can also make up for any struggles at the draft when the free agent frenzy begins July 1. Whereas the Vancouver GM is unlikely to swing a significant draft-day trade, he has a chance to make a splash in free agency. Simply put, the Canucks have money to spend -- just under US$10.5 million at this point and potentially more if they buy out the contracts of wingers Chris Higgins and/or Alex Burrows. Chances are that at least one buyout will occur.
If both are bought out, Benning would have an additional US$7 million to play with, according to NHLnumbers.com. Add a slight US$1-million boost in salary cap, and he has up to US$18 million at his disposal. He only has to dedicate a small portion of that cash to restricted free agents Emerson Etem and Linden Vey, and the latter is in danger of being let go for nothing or traded for a draft pick.
Potential high-end signings include Vancouver native Milan Lucic from Los Angeles, Loui Eriksson from Boston, Mikkel Boedker from Colorado and Kyle Okposo from the New York Islanders, among others.
Lucic is a seemingly good fit because of his hometown roots, grittiness and scoring ability, but the prediction here is that he will sign elsewhere. Although he has expressed interest in playing for the Canucks, they are likely not his first choice. He has been subject to some off-ice abuse from fans during past returns to Vancouver, and a source indicates that he is not keen on facing the pressure of being a hometown boy on a team in a Canadian market. He might also be looking for more money -- in excess of US$6 million -- than Benning is willing to pay.
Eriksson, a 30-year-old Swede, is a good fit because he has played with Henrik and Daniel Sedin during international competitions and would likely slide seamlessly into a dressing room culture that revolves around the twins. He is also a good all-around player who can score, producing 63 points with the Bruins in 2015-16.
Boedker, 26, has been criticized for a lack of defensive proficiency, but would likely improve under the guidance of Canucks coach Willie Desjardins and assistant Perry Pearn. More importantly, Boedker produced a career-high 61 points in a 2015-16 campaign split between the Avalanche, who acquired him at the trading deadline, and Arizona Coyotes.
Boedker's age definitely appeals to the Canucks, because he would be a rare top free agent who could stay for upwards of a decade. Also, having played in the west, he is used to arduous travel, and would likely be keen to receive some mentorship from fellow Dane Jannik Hansen, who has become a model professional and two-way player.
Okposo, an American, might find it more difficult establishing links to Vancouver, but he would appeal to Benning for obvious offensive reasons. He is a high-scoring right winger, of which the Canucks need more.
Okposo recorded 64 points with the Isles in 2015-16 and has produced no fewer than 51 in the past three seasons. During that time, he has accumulated a respectable 184 points. His age, 28, also makes him a potential long-term fit.
Troy Brouwer, a versatile 30-year-old winger who scored 18 goals for St. Louis last season en route to posting 39 points, might be a darkhorse candidate to sign with the Canucks. A Vancouver native, he would provide a strong physical presence and leadership while being popular in the community. He also tends to stand out in the playoffs. 

Lightning losing leverage on Stamkos

With the draft set to begin Friday, the Tampa Bay Lightning could be missing the boat on a large return for pending unrestricted free agent Steven Stamkos.
It appears increasingly unlikely that Bolts GM Steve Yzerman will be able to re-sign the superstar captain, who could fetch as much as US$12 per season on the free agent market. But the Lightning have yet to swing a trade that would give a club the exclusive right to negotiate with Stamkos until July 1. Several teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, are likely willing to trade assets for such a chance, and the draft serves as a deadline for increasing the ante.
If Yzerman does not trade him before the draft, the return to Tampa Bay is likely to be less, because clubs would have a shorter period in which to negotiate with Stamkos.
The most likely scenario for Stamkos to shift teams before July 1 could  involve a sign-and-trade deal whereby a club works out a contract with him before determining trade components with the Lightning. Rules allowing players to talk to prospective new teams before July 1 also create the possibility of other sign-and-trade deals. But, in most cases, they are not likely to occur. Stamkos would be an obvious exception, if he agrees to such a move.

Torts quote of the day

This year's draft has not been held yet, but you can already bet on one quote to come from Columbus coach John Tortorella. No matter who the Blue Jackets take, Torts will say :"He's going to block shots."
The old-school coach has a weird fixation on shot-blocking that, one might argue, contributed to an injury to Daniel Sedin in 2013-14. Hence, Finnish winger Jesse Puljujarvi, the most likely Columbus pick at No. 3 overall, had better be prepared to block shots like he never has before -- and, perhaps, wear Kevlar socks to protect the backs of his legs.
Puljujarvi is a seemingly good fit with the Jackets, because GM Jarmo Kekalainen is a fellow Finn and, theoretically, should help the teen feel comfortable adjusting to the pros. It always helps to have a compatriot when you're far from home, especially in the case of the soft-spoken Puljujarvi, who hails from a small town in Finland and faces an adjustment to on-ice and off-ice life in the U.S. Having said that, it will be interesting to see whether Puljujarvi sticks with Columbus in 2016-17, because Tortorella has a preference for deploying veterans. Some might call it a bias.

Plenty of goalies available

Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving will have plenty of goaltenders to ponder, via trade or free agency, as he addresses his team's most pressing need.
Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury, who lost his starting job to rookie Matt Murray, as the Penguins overcame a slow season start to win the Stanley Cup, is an obvious trade candidate. The same might be said for either, or both, of high-paid Dallas goaltenders Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi. Detroit veteran Jimmy Howard is another possibility, but he and all of the above candidates have expensive contracts. Several low-priced free agent net minders could also peak Treliving's interest, for both starting and backup duty, instead.
The free agents include: James Reimer (San Jose), who tends to produce good stats despite having endured a porous Toronto defence for several seasons, and Carter Hutton (Nashville), who excelled while replacing an injured Pekka Rinne a couple of seasons ago but has struggled to get out of his shadow since then. Jonas Gustavsson (Boston), who appears to have overcome some health woes, might also be of interest based on plenty of NHL experience. Meanwhile, Anton Khudobin (Anaheim) a third wheel behind league-leading Ducks goaltenders Fredrik Andersen (since traded to the Maple Leafs), and John Gibson, could merit Treleving's attention, along with Jhonas Enroth (Los Angeles).
With the expansion draft a year away and GMs seeking a return on assets instead, several other trade-worthy goaltenders could also be in play this weekend. For instance, Ottawa might be inclined to part with Craig Anderson or Andrew (the Hamburglar) Hammond rather than lose one for nothing to Las Vegas. And, Jonathan Bernier could also move from Toronto after losing his No. 1 job to Andersen.
So Treliving will be in a good negotiating position.

 

Whitecaps prodigy Davies evokes contrasting comments from coaches

Paul Dalgleish was full of praise, but Carl Robinson was not.
The subject was 15-year-old midfielder Alphonso Davies, who made his first-team professional debut for the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Amway Canadian Championship semifinal series against the Ottawa Fury.
Davies stood out in the second leg last Wednesday (June 8) as the Whitecaps posted a 3-0 win to take the series 3-2 on aggregate. The Edmonton product put a shot off the post, made some nice runs and served up a couple of nifty passes as the Caps atoned for a humiliating 2-0 loss in Ottawa in the first leg. 
Not bad for someone who usually plays in the developmental USL circuit.
"He’s a real exciting talent," said Dalglesih. "He’s brilliant, for 15 years of age to do that. At 15, I couldn’t even look people in the eye. And he’s going out and taking men on, and looking absolutely magnificent. Listen, the Vancouver Whitecaps is a great organization. They produce top young players, as you can see with the results of their academy and the Whitecaps FC 2 team this year."
Dalgleish had no trouble singing such praises even though he was bitterly disappointed with the loss. And, then he kept going.
"He’s the shining light," added Dalgleish. "He’s the cherry on top of the cake. I think everybody in Canada  must be excited at the prospect of him playing for the national team for years and years, because with the ability he’s got he should go on to do big things, not only for Vancouver but for the national team as well.”Based on the reaction of approximately 18,000 fans at B.C. Place Stadium, Whitecaps and Canadian men's national team fans will will be excited to see more of Davies in the future. But Robinson, the Whitecaps coach, is not in a hurry to suit him up with his Major League Soccer squad on a regular basis. 
First, of all, the MLS collective bargaining agreement will prevent him from doing so, because Davies can only play a limited number of games at the top level. (Although one never truly knows with the murky and convoluted MLS contract legalities and roster rules.)
Also, it is debatable whether Davies, who looks similar to Kekuta Manneh at times, but runs less fluidly, likely because he is still growing, could handle regular play in MLS. The circuit is highly physical and Davies was knocked around by Fury players who toil in the second-tier North American Soccer League.
But, ultimately, Robinson is proceeding cautiously with his young talent.
“He did okay (against Ottawa)," Robinson understated. "Listen, I’m a big advocate of young players as you all know, and I don’t like it sometimes when players get built up. And, I say to you media guys that I know very well: The reason that I don’t like it is because when you build them up, you knock them down. I don’t want that."
In other words, Robinson does not want Davies to let early success go to his head, because young players will often make mistakes, which can effect their confidence over the long term if not managed correctly. Accordingly, the Whitecaps did not make Davies available to the media after clinching a chance to defend their 2015 Canadian title, against Toronto FC.
"It’s important that he keeps his feet on the ground," said Robinson. "He’s a young kid, he’s got natural ability, we know that. He’s one of a number of younger kids we’ve got (in the organization) that we think have got incredible potential. But it’s potential. There’s so many players that have potential that don’t fulfill it. I wanted to give (Davies) a chance because I thought that he was ready, and he didn’t look out of place."
But with Robinson calling the shots, Davies faces a long battle before he can gain a regular place with the Whitecaps in MLS.
 

Rivero shines in disappointing Whitecaps effort

The Vancouver Whitecaps had several causes for concern Saturday – but, for a change, Octavio Rivero wasn’t one of them.

Rivero’s goal in the 52nd minute gave the Vancouver Whitecaps a 1-1 tie with the Houston Dynamo before a sellout crowd of 22,120 at B.C. Place Stadium, sparing the home side a huge embarrassment.

Rivero, who has come under criticism for his lack of offence in two seasons with Vancouver, put home a a rebound off a corner-kick. He helped the Whitecaps (6-6-3) gain at least a share of third place in the Western Conference, pending the results of games later Saturday involving the L.A. Galaxy and Real Salt Lake.

Rivero’s performance was encouraging to see, considering that the 24-year-old Uruguay native has been an enigma since joining the Whitecaps for the start of the 2015 Major League Soccer season. The goal was only his second of the season. Two weeks ago, he was the subject of trade speculation, and he has struggled to stay in the starting 11 when not injured.

“He’ll be delighted with the goal, and I’m delighted for him for the goal, but his all-around performance, I thought, was excellent,” said Whitecaps coach Robinson. “I thought he held the ball up. He was a problem for their two centre backs, who are real good players, and he was a platform for our team to build. I put him in the team today. I left Erik Hurtado out, who’d done very well. I put (Rivero) in the team because he’d trained well. He’d been finishing up a number of training lately and doing extra work because he wants to get better, and that showed in his performance today.”

On the other hand, most of the other Whitecaps were not up to par for much of the game, which saw both teams reduced 10 players following a skirmish between Houston’s Alex and Vancouver captain Pedro Morales, who were sent off shortly before half-time.

The Dynamo, the Western Conference cellar dweller, entered the game deep in the doldrums after coach Owen Coyle parted ways with the club by mutual consent Wednesday. But Houston, which had lost all five of its previous games in Vancouver, controlled play at the start, keeping the ball in the Whitecaps half for about the first 12 minutes. You would never have known that the visitors had lost 10 straight road games.

DaMarcus Beasley gave the Dynamo a 1-0 lead in the 20th when he was allowed to take the ball down the left wing and chip a shot over Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted after eluding central defender Tim Parker’s attempted sliding tackle. Based on where the teams were in the Western Conference standings – Vancouver near the top and Houston at the bottom – the Whitecaps should have had a chance at a romp.

But they only looked good after Rivero’s goal turned their fortunes around.

“Great goal,” said Ousted. “I thought he found the right decision. He struck it perfectly, and I’m happy for the guy for getting that goal. He deserves it. He works so hard in this league. In the second half, he had a number of chances, so I’m happy with that goal.”

From that point on, Vancouver forced Houston goalkeeper Tyler Deric to make a number of difficult saves. But Houston also could have won, if not stymied by Ousted.

“I do feel we need to be better on a number of points, especially in the first half,” said Ousted. “We weren’t at the races. But, the second half, we can take a lot away from that performance. The work rate was up to standards, and we had the chances.”

However, even forever-positive Canadian midfielder Russell Teibert was subdued after the comeback draw. The Niagara Falls, Ont., native did not like a reporter’s suggestion that the Caps had squandered two of a possible three points, but he was not about to sugar-coat his team’s effort.

“That would be the negative way to look at it – two points lost,” said Teibert. “The positive of it is one point gained, and that could be a crucial point coming down to the end of the season. But I do agree with you in the sense that three points (are) crucial in a game like this, and we had opportunities to go out and win that game.”

But all things considered, the Caps struggled when they should have controlled the game from the outset against a vulnerable Houston side. The Dynamo’s 10-game road losing streak was part of a longer winless slide that has extended to 15 games, including ties.

“It’s been an interesting week around our camp,” said Wade Barrett, one of three Houston assistant coaches who guided the club against the Whitecaps.

Fortunately for the Caps, Rivero made Saturday’s game much more interesting for the Whitecaps than it could have been. And, he offered some hope of providing even better showings in the future.