19 May 1996
Canada U-23 falls 0:1 to Mexico in the CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying championship final. Canada finishes second and advances to a playoff with Australia.

19 May 2003
Canada wins 4:0 over England in a Women’s International Friendly match at the SoccerPlexe in Lachine, QC. Andrea Neil and Kara Lang each score a pair of goals. Neil becomes the second player to make her 75th appearance for Canada.

19 May 2006
Canada wins 2:1 over Brazil in a Men’s U-20 International Friendly match at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, AB. Birthday boy David Edgar scores the opening goal in the first half while Will Johnson scores the winner in the second half.

21 May 2005
Canada is eliminated from qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Peru 2005. Canada falls 0:2 to host Mexico in its final group match at the 2005 CONCACAF Men’s Under-17 Qualifying Tournament in Culiacán. Mexico not only qualifies for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, but goes on to win the world tournament with a 3:0 win over Brazil in the 2 October 2005 championship final.

22 May 1995
Canada wins 2:0 over Northern Ireland at the 1995 Canada Cup in Edmonton, AB. Paul Peschisolido scores both goals for Canada. Randy Samuel sets the national record for appearances, his 62nd match to surpass the previous record held by Mike Sweeney (61). On the same day, Canada’s women’s national team falls 1:2 to USA in a friendly match also in Edmonton.

22 May 2003
Canada wins 4:0 over England in a Women’s International Friendly match at Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa, ON. A Canadian record 19,000 fans are in attendance to cheer Canada on to victory (the record is surpassed three months later in Edmonton just before the FIFA Women’s World Cup USA 2003). Andrea Neil (two), Christine Latham and Kara Lang score for Canada.

23 May 2008
Canada falls 1:2 to Australia in an away Women’s International Friendly match in Sydney. Kara Lang becomes the 10th player to make her 75th appearance for Canada. Lang is also the second player to score in the milestone 75th match, cutting the Australian lead with Canada’s lone goal in the 55th minute.

24 May 1999
Canada wins 2:0 over Mexico in a Women’s International Friendly match in Vancouver, BC. Goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc posts her first clean sheet in just her second match (her first as a starter).

24 May 2010
Canada falls 0:5 to Argentina in a Men’s International Friendly match in Buenos Aires. The match, played in front of 66,000 fans at Estadio River Plate, serves as a send-off match for Argentina before the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. Canada’s Pat Onstad makes his 58th and final appearance for Canada (a national record). Teenaged substitute Adam Straith, meanwhile, makes his first-ever appearance for Canada.

25 May 1988
Canada wins 1:0 over Chile at the Matthews Cup in Toronto, ON. Ian Bridge scores a controversial goal in the 90th minute after goalkeeper Marcos Cornez and John Catliff collide in the air from a Mike Sweeney free kick. Bridge knocks in the loose ball to send Canada into the Matthews Cup final. It marks Canada’s second victory against a South American nation at the international “A” level. Goalkeeper Craig Forrest makes his debut for Canada, posting a clean sheet in the process. Ian Bridge scores the lone goal for Canada.

25 May 2005
After falling behind 0-3 in the first 15 minutes, Canada comes back to win 4:3 in a Women’s International Friendly match against Denmark. Christine Sinclair scores two goals, including the game winner in the 83rd minute.

25 May 2009
Canada falls 0:4 to USA in a Women’s International Friendly match at BMO Field in Toronto. Martina Franko makes her 55th (and final) appearance for Canada.

27 May 2000
Canada wins 1:0 over Trinidad and Tobago in a Men’s International Friendly match in Toronto. The match is played in front of a pro-Canadian crowd of 8,870 fans at Varsity Stadium. Jeff Clarke scores the lone goal in the win. Kevin McKenna makes his debut for Canada.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Richard Hastings 18-May-1977 (Prince George, BC)
David Edgar 19-May-1987 (Kitchener, ON)
Robbie Aristodemo 20-May-1977 (Etobicoke, ON)
Bill Millar 20-May-1950
Doug Muirhead 20-May-1962 (Galt, ON)
HOF – Don Petrie 22-May-1922
Frank Crawley 22-May-1894
Bruce Twamley 23-May-1952 (Victoria, BC)
Bruce Miller 23-May-1957 (Vancouver, BC)
Lisa Hathorn 23-May-1982 (Beaconsfield, QC)
Ashley McGhee 23-May-1979 (Burlington, ON)
Sara Paul 23-May-1992 (Calgary, AB)
Harold Hansen 24-May-1946 (Vancouver, BC)
David Phillips 25-May-1966 (Calgary, AB)
Alyscha Mottershead 25-May-1991 (Brampton, ON)
HOF – John Buchanan 26-May1939
Pasquale De Luca 26-May-1962 (Edmonton, AB)
Mike Klukowski 27-May-1981 (Oshawa, ON)
Clare Rustad 27-May-1983 (Salt Spring Island, BC)

Canada faces USA at home on 3 June in Toronto in a Centennial Match (a Men’s International Friendly), Cuba away on 8 June in Havana in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, and Honduras at home on 12 June in Toronto in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Tickets to Canada’s 2012 home matches are available via ticketmaster.ca or by phone at 1.855.570.7500, with full information available on CanadaSoccer.com. Group discounts are available via marketing@soccercan.ca or 613.237.7678.

All 22 players selected by head coach Hart have previous experience with Canada’s national team, including teenager and rookie midfielder Samuel Piette and second-year fullback Ashtone Morgan. Dwayne De Rosario is the most experienced player in the group, having been part of the national program since 1997 and having already made 66 appearances at the international “A” level. De Rosario is also Canada’s all-time co-leader in goals scored with 19.

De Rosario is also Canada’s last tie to its 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup victory, while both he and Kevin McKenna were members of Canada’s FIFA Confederations Cup team at Korea/Japan 2001. De Rosario and McKenna are both taking part in their fourth cycle of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

Also on the squad are Simeon Jackson and Josh Simpson, currently Canada’s two active leaders in consecutive matches. Jackson has played in 18 consecutive Canada matches since May 2010 while Simpson has played in 16 consecutive Canada matches since September 2010. They are both joined on the Canadian squad by recent Player of the Month winners Atiba Hutchinson (April) and Olivier Occean (February and March), who in fact followed Jackson (January) on the monthly honour list.

From the goal out, Canada’s squad features goalkeepers Milan Borjan, Lars Hirschfeld and Kenny Stamatopoulos, defenders David Edgar, André Hainault, Ante Jazić, Mike Klukowski, Nik Ledgerwood, Kevin McKenna, and Ashtone Morgan, and midfielders/forwards Julian de Guzman, Dwayne De Rosario, Iain Hume, Atiba Hutchinson, Simeon Jackson, Will Johnson, Issey Nakajima-Farran, Olivier Occean, Pedro Pacheco, Samuel Piette, Tosaint Ricketts and Josh Simpson.

For full coverage of Canada’s road to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, fans can follow all the news at CanadaSoccer.com. Fans are also encouraged to connect with Canada’s national teams via twitter.com/CanadaSoccerEN, facebook.com/CanadaSoccer, flickr.com/canadasoccer, and youtube.com/CanadaSoccerTV.

CANADA
keepers
1- GK- Lars Hirschfeld | NOR / Vålerenga Fotball
18- GK- Milan Borjan | TUR / Sivasspor
22- GK- Kenny Stamatopoulos | SWE / AIK Fotbol

defenders
2- D- Nik Ledgerwood | GER / SV Wehen Wiesbaden
3- FB- Mike Klukowski | TUR / Manisaspor
4- CB- Kevin McKenna | GER / FC Köln
5- D – André Hainault | USA / Houston Dynamo
15- CB- David Edgar | ENG / Burnley FC
19- LB- Ashtone Morgan | CAN / Toronto FC
21- D – Ante Jazić | USA / Chivas USA

midfielders
6- M – Julian de Guzman | CAN / Toronto FC
8- M – Will Johnson | USA / Real Salt Lake
11- M- Josh Simpson | SUI / Berner Sport Club Young Boys
13- M- Atiba Hutchinson | NED / PSV Eindhoven
14- M – Dwayne De Rosario | USA / D.C. United
16- M- Pedro Pacheco | POR / CD Santa Clara
20- M- Samuel Piette | Unattached / sans club
23- M- Issey Nakajima-Farran | AUS / Brisbane Roar FC

forwards
7- F- Iain Hume | ENG / Preston North End FC
9- F- Tosaint Ricketts | ROM / FC Politehnica Timişoara
10- F- Simeon Jackson | ENG / Norwich City FC
17- F- Olivier Occean | GER / SpVgg Greuther Fürth

A stunning volleyed finish from Eric Hassli in second-half stoppage time denied Toronto FC their first-ever victory in Vancouver after Ryan Johnson gave The Reds the lead midway through the second half. Though the first leg ended in exciting fashion, Whitecaps FC will be disappointed not to be heading to next week’s decisive second leg at Toronto’s BMO Field with an advantage, as the Southern Ontario outfit have the upper hand of an away goal at the midway point of this two-leg final. Whitecaps FC’s undefeated home record versus TFC now extends to six matches (2W-0L-4D), while The Reds extended their unbeaten run in the ACC to 12 matches (7W-0L-5D) with Wednesday’s result.

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Toronto Scores Away Advantage
VANCOUVER — Eric Hassli’s 90th-minute howitzer ensured a 1-1 draw for the Vancouver Whitecaps against Toronto FC at BC Place on Wednesday, meaning the Amway Canadian Championship finals are all square at the halfway point of the series.

Toronto must have thought they had the first leg won, after a 66th-minute headed goal from Ryan Johnson — off Julian de Guzman’s pinpoint cross — looked to be enough to give the Reds a slender advantage to take back to BMO Field.

But the ‘Caps big French striker, Hassli, had other ideas. The substitute smashed home a powerful volley from an Alain Rochat cross in stoppage time which left Milos Kocic helpless as he watched the ball crush the back of the net.

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VANCOUVER, BC — Continuing their pursuit of a first-ever Voyageurs Cup title, Vancouver Whitecaps FC (2W-0L-0D in ACC) host Major League Soccer rivals Toronto FC (1W-0L-1D in ACC) in the first leg of this year’s Amway Canadian Championship (ACC) final on Wednesday evening.

The Blue and White will be a determined side in this two-leg final series, as Whitecaps FC have come close to winning the ACC title on a couple of occasions. They advanced to this year’s final after getting past North American Soccer League side FC Edmonton in the semifinals. The ‘Caps host a TFC squad that are looking to put a woeful start in MLS aside by claiming a fourth-straight Voyageurs Cup title. Though they have played in Vancouver before, the first leg will be TFC’s first-ever match on Bell Pitch at BC Place.

AMWAY CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP
As in 2011, this year’s Amway Canadian Championship has been contested by four Canadian clubs – Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal from MLS, as well as Edmonton from the second-tier NASL. The tournament will consist of a home-and-away semifinal stage followed by a home-and-away championship final series. The semifinal pairings were based on the final standings of the four clubs in their respective leagues last season. Three-time defending champions Toronto FC are the top seed, while last year’s runners-up Whitecaps FC are the second seed after The Reds finished above Vancouver in MLS in 2011. FC Edmonton are the third seed after finishing above MLS expansion side Montreal Impact in the 2011 NASL standings, as the Quebec club were part of North America’s second division last year.

In the semifinals, Whitecaps FC defeated FC Edmonton 5-1 on aggregate following last week’s 3-1 victory in the second leg at BC Place. The other semifinal series saw Toronto FC defeat Eastern Canadian rivals Montreal 2-0 on aggregate following a 2-0 second-leg win at Toronto’s BMO Field last week. The two-leg championship final between Whitecaps FC and Toronto FC will be played this Wednesday night and Wednesday, May 23. As the highest-seeded team, Toronto FC opted to play the first leg in Vancouver and the decisive second leg at their BMO Field home.

During the final series, if both clubs are level on aggregate over the two games, the ‘Away Goals’ rule will be used to determine the series winner (ie: the club that scores the most goals on the road over the two games). If the ‘Away Goals’ rule does not produce a result (ie: both teams have scored the same number of goals at home and away), then two 15-minute periods of extra time will be played at the end of the second leg. If, during extra time, both teams score the same number of goals, the visiting team will win the series on the strength of the number of ‘Away Goals’ they have scored in the extra-time period. If no goals are scored during extra time, the series will then be determined with a penalty shootout.

The winner of the 2012 Amway Canadian Championship not only claim the Voyageurs Cup title and the bragging rights as Canada’s top club, they will also represent Canada in the 2012-13 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League, where they will play the top clubs in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The winner of the 2012-13 CONCACAF Champions League title will then represent the confederation at the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco.

WHITECAPS FC
A sense of anticipation has surrounded Whitecaps FC regarding this latest opportunity to be crowned Canadian champions. The heartbreak of 2009, and in particular last year’s final against TFC, should serve as motivation for Martin Rennie’s squad over this two-leg series. Starting the final series at home, the onus will be on Vancouver to earn a positive result and take that advantage to Southern Ontario next week. This scenario will likely see the ‘Caps play an attack-minded line-up in search of goals this Wednesday night.

There is also a sense of redemption that Vancouver will want to claim with their performance in the first leg. Saturday’s humbling defeat at New England Revolution in MLS left a bitter taste in the mouth, so the chance to put that loss right gives Rennie’s side the motivation to display their qualities on Wednesday night and this weekend against Cascadia Cup rivals Seattle Sounders FC at BC Place.

Whitecaps FC are without goalkeeper Brian Sylvestre (knee) for Wednesday’s match, while striker Atiba Harris (quad) is listed as questionable.

TORONTO FC
2012 has been eventful – if not turbulent – for Aron Winter’s side. With a 0W-8L-0D record, TFC earned the dubious distinction of having the worst start to an MLS season in league history. Their current plight may have been the reason behind Monday’s coaching staff changes at BMO Field. Former Toronto FC captain Jim Brennan becomes Winter’s new assistant coach, with Bob de Klerk moving upstairs to the role of technical manager. Director of player development Paul Mariner will take a more active role on the pitch, occasionally coaching the team’s strikers, in addition to his regular responsibilities at TFC.

For all of their MLS woes, TFC have found a silver lining in other competitions. Last year’s Voyageurs Cup success led to a remarkable run to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL). Though their CCL journey was ended by Mexican powerhouse Club Santos Laguna, The Reds are looking at their two-leg semifinal success over Montreal Impact as a turning point, with TFC now undefeated in 11 ACC matches (7W-0L-4D). In fact, the last time TFC lost a Canadian Championship game was to Whitecaps FC at Swangard Stadium on June 2, 2009. The Reds will have striker Danny Koevermans available for the first leg following a spell on the sidelines with an adductor strain.

TFC will be without goalkeeper Stefan Frei (leg), defenders Miguel Aceval (hamstring) and Dicoy Williams (knee), as well as striker Nicholas Lindsay (knee). Former German international Torsten Frings (shoulder) will also miss Wednesday’s first leg.

HEAD-TO-HEAD
Wednesday’s match will be the 11th all-time meeting between Whitecaps FC and Toronto FC. Before their two clashes in MLS last season, the first six meetings came in the first three editions of the Canadian Championship when Vancouver was a North American second division club. Since 2008, Whitecaps FC have amassed a 3W-3L-4D record versus TFC. This includes an undefeated home record of 2W-0L-3D versus The Reds. Both clubs met in preseason on March 3, as the ’Caps defeated TFC 1-0 in the championship final of the 2012 Disney Pro Soccer Classic in Orlando, Florida.

There are several player connections between Whitecaps FC and Toronto FC. ‘Caps midfielder Russell Teibert was a member of TFC Academy before joining Whitecaps FC Residency in 2008. Rennie’s assistant Carl Robinson spent three seasons as a player with TFC, where he was twice named the club’s Most Valuable Player. The Reds roster includes centre back Adrian Cann, who won a United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL-1) title with Whitecaps FC in 2006, while Vancouver native Terry Dunfield spent parts of 2010 and 2011 with the Blue and White.

HOSTING TORONTO CLUBS
TFC’s recent visits to the Lower Mainland make them the seventh different Toronto-based club to have played in Vancouver in Canadian professional soccer history. Whitecaps FC have a favourable all-time home record against teams from Canada’s largest city, having amassed 24 wins, six defeats, and seven draws between 1975 and 2011.

In the North American Soccer League days, Vancouver recorded nine wins and four defeats at home to Toronto Metros-Croatia and Toronto Blizzard between 1975 and 1984. The Canadian Soccer League era of 1987 to 1992 saw the club register six wins, one defeat, and two draws against the CSL’s Blizzard at Swangard Stadium, while in the American Professional Soccer League, the club claimed two home wins over the Blizzard in 1993 and one home victory over Toronto Rockets in 1994. Between 1998 and 2006, Whitecaps FC hosted Toronto Lynx, with Vancouver claiming four wins, one defeat, and two draws versus the former USL-1 club.

The State of Analytics: Understanding the information ‘firewall’
Last week in this column, I focused on how the analytics movement in football will follow a slow, evolutionary rather than an overnight revolutionary path in changing how we understand the sport. Part of the reason for this is—as is almost de rigeur to point out in these discussions—soccer is not a bat-and-ball sport. Team interaction is fluid, positional duties on the pitch are not static, and it’s much more difficult to discern meaningful statistical data sets and accompanying algorithms than in is in Major League Baseball.

That, in a nutshell, is the main reason why so little is known in wider soccer circles about soccermetrics, and what—if anything—they can tell us about the game that the general public, i.e. the fans, didn’t know before. It’s expensive to collect the bulk of useful soccer data, and so it’s in the logical interest of companies to sell their data sets at a competitive price to interested clubs, who, at least up until now, have done the bulk of in-depth data analysis ‘in-house’. As performance analysis improves—both in terms of data collection and in the identification of useful metrics—the cost of the information and the importance of maintaining secrecy will increase, leaving the average fan out in the cold.

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