SUNDAY NIGHT SHOW

Sunday night on Full-Time: Vancouver's Soccer Show will feature, as always, some Whitecaps talk. The Whitecaps and Impact are not playing in the USL next season (subject to change) and we'll get to the bottom of that. What's the latest, what's the news, what's going to happen? Meanwhile, down the I5 in Seattle, the Sounders will be in the muddle of their two leg playoff series with Houston and we'll connect with Seattle midfielder Freddie Ljungberg (see picture above). We'll talk playoffs, Sounders, Premier League, Swedish hockey players and perhaps underwear modelling.

It all gets going at 12 midnight (due to a Vancouver Canucks hockey game) on the TEAM 1040 in Vancouver. You can also listen online at www.team1040.ca

Canadian men add Poland to European schedule

Courtesy of the CSA:

The Canadian men’s national team has announced that it will face Poland on 18 November in Bydgoszcz, Poland. The match will kickoff at 17:00 local time (11:00 ET) in the northern Polish city.

Combined with the match against Macedonia on 14 November in Strumica (also a 17.00 local kickoff – 11:00 ET), Canada will have played 8 competitive matches in 2009. Under interim head coach Stephen Hart Canada has compiled a 4-1-1 record in 2009, including a strong run to the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-final stage.

The 56th ranked Polish side finished fourth in 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifying South Africa™ UEFA Group 3. Despite this disappointment, Poland has enjoyed a rich soccer history having participated in seven FIFA World Cups, finishing third at FIFA World Cups, in Germany 1974 and Spain 1982. Poland along with neighbours Ukraine will stage UEFA Euro 2012™.

Canada and Poland have faced each other three times in their international history, with Poland winning all three contests. Toronto has twice been the venue for Canada – Poland matches, including the most recent contest between the two nations, a 2:1 Polish victory on 15 July, 1998. Canada’s only match on Polish soil took place in Warsaw on 31 October 1974, a match Poland won 2:0. The first meeting between the two sides, a 3:1 Polish win, occurred one year earlier on 1 August, 1973 again in Toronto.

Note: The November 14th match against Macedonia has been moved from Skopje to Strumica.

NO USL FOR IMPACT AND WHITECAPS

Whitecaps and Impact have opted out of USL... the full story from TSN is here.

You can catch Whitecaps el presidente Bob Lenarduzzi on with our midday show here.

THE VANCOUVER RELEASE

After failing to win the USL-1 title and a Nutrilite championship, the Vancouver Whitecaps have started to make some off-season moves. Returning the Whitecaps this season is the team captain Martin Nash. Nash will enter his 10th season with the ‘Caps in what may likely be his last as the club will move to the Major League Soccer in 2011. I suggest and hope that if Nash continues his career in soccer following next season, he would make an excellent assistant coach with the MLS squad.

Meanwhile, leaving the Whitecaps are USL-1’s leading goal scorer Charles Gbeke, defender Lyle Martin and midfielder Vicente Arze. All those players were released on Thursday. On Friday, the ‘Caps released goalkeeper Diego, defenders Michael Ndubuisi Onwatuegwu and Marco Reda, as well as striker Aaron Wheeler.

The Whitecaps look like with the release of Gbeke, they are going young and fast next season. It appears Marlon James will be back, but it’ll be a chance for Marcus Haber to continue his rookie of the year performance in the sophomore season, plus a great chance for Dever Orgill and Randy Edwini-Bonsu to prove themselves.

The one thing the Whitecaps will need to improve on next season is defense and that it not lost on the Whitecaps management. With Nash returning, it’ll be interesting to see who will play alongside him. Ethan Gage had a tremendous year last season, before falling back into the residency squad this season. This season, Kenold Versaille, Nizar Khalfan and Tyrell Burgess have all been given an opportunity to play in the middle of the park in 2011.

One this is for certain, there will be a lot of players playing to make an impression, which could mean good things for the fan. Guys are going to be creative, energetic and fighting to make a Major League Soccer team here in Vancouver.

Montreal v Vancouver

Okay, so I've been getting a bit of stick for saying prior to the post-season kicking off that I didn't think the Whitecaps were going to be around very long in the USL-1 the playoffs. I freely admit that I thought they would have been out in the first round. I did offer this though, "I hope the Whitecaps prove me wrong and make a run." And so they have, all the way to the final, and I have been getting the comments ever since, including some of the players and staff of the Whitecaps giving me a bit of a hard time. Now as we prepare for the 2nd leg of the final, the Whitecaps are down by a goal and looking to make it back to back championships. Standing in the way, are the Montreal Impact. Surprisingly, I made this prediction in my season preview and in the April edition of Free Kick Magazine. The key phrase, "If the Impact can put it all together, Montreal will be a strong candidate for 2009 USL-1 Champions" and low and behold, they may be crowned champions in just a few short days. Ofcourse, I never would say I told you so, as I admit I am wrong as much as I am right... but I do like the fact that I did predict Montreal would do well. In that same issue and in this preview, I do say that the Whitecaps have no hope of title glory and they will have a struggle during the season. So while I was right on the Impact, partially right on the 'Caps, it should be a tremendous final leg on Saturday. The best part, regardless of which teams wins, is that a Canadian team will claim the title.

On a side note, Rohan Ricketts told me at the start of the season that "I would bet my house that we'll be in the playoffs." Can I still claim that he owes me a house if they miss the playoffs or because he's no longer with the team, it's sorta null and void?

-TG