What I predict the Whitecaps can do, not what they will do...

This is all just speculation, but here's what I can see the Whitecaps doing with regards to their Residency Program. As mentioned before, Whitecaps President Bob Lenarduzzi told Full-Time, "it is an important aspect of our club. What we are discussing with the league is their current model and how we can continue to pursue our desire to develop players."

I know the Whitecaps would like to keep their Residency Program. At this, the MLS doesn't have anything in place that would support it, so in order to get into the MLS, they may have to get rid of it. But would they actually get rid of it? Here's what I see happening in my hair-brained scheme... Victoria will move into the USL-1 in 2011, taking over the spot previously held by the Vancouver Whitecaps, and in doing so, will also take control of the residency program (although still run by the same group of people that had been controlling it before).

Both the Victoria Highlanders FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC would benefit, building talent from within while growing soccer in the province of BC. The model is obviously working, just look how many Whitecaps were on the U-20 Canadian squad. So there's my hair-brained scheme. Would it work? who knows... but it's worth exploring.

Portland approves that stadium plan

It was a long tiresome day in the city of Portland as they endlessly debated the stadium issue, but in the end, with a 3-2 score, I mean vote, city politicians approved the stadium plan. So what does this all mean? It means that Portland will likely be announced as the 18th or 17th franchise in the MLS, with Vancouver being the other 17th or 18th franchise.

Vancouver and Portland will set up a nice little rivalry with Seattle and they can re-create the Cascadia Cup that was so successful in the USL-1 days. It also allows Portland to try and build a solid rivalry with San Jose. Vancouver will build on the rivalry with Toronto FC as the two Canadian franchise and a national TV deal.

Rumours are that St. Louis will then gladly accept a USL-1 franchise. I guess that's better than no professional soccer at all.

Meanwhile, pure speculation has Victoria, BC landing a 2011 USL-1 team which formerly inhabited Vancouver. More on that later.