Full-Time: Whitecaps v TFC match recap and review

In their second match of the 2010 Nutrilite Canadian Championship on Wednesday evening, Vancouver Whitecaps FC (0W-0L-2D) had to settle for a disappointing goalless draw with Major League Soccer (MLS) club Toronto FC (2W-0L-1D) at Swangard Stadium.

Mike Martignago, Tyler Green and Marc Weber from the Vancouver Province broke down the match. Listen to the Full-Time midweek podcast here.

You can also follow Full-Time on twitter here.

Photo courtesy of Bob Frid

Whitecaps v TFC preview podcast

Vancouver Whitecaps FC host Toronto FC in the 4th day of Nutrilite Canadian Championship action. TFC look to clinch the title with a win, but standing in their way are the Vancouver Whitecaps. The 'Caps look to stay alive with a win or draw.

A full preview is available with the Full-Time podcast with Tyler Green. Featuring interviews with head coach Teitur Thordarson along with Whitecaps players Martin Nash, Marcus Haber, Jay Nolly, Greg Janicki, Wes Knight and Marlon James. On the Toronto side of things, Head Coach Preki shares his thoughts along with former 'Cap Adrian Cann, Canadian
international Dwayne De Rosario and Chad Barrett.

You can listen to the podcast preview here.

The other Full-Time host, Mike Martignago and the Province's Marc Weber will recap all the action Thursday night.

Follow Full-Time: Vancouver's Soccer Show on twitter here.

CONCACAF Champions League Sched

Two-time runner-up Cruz Azul of Mexico will face Panama’s San Francisco in the Preliminary Round of the 2010-2011 CONCACAF Champions League while the Los Angeles Galaxy and Puerto Rico Islanders also will square off when the third edition of the tournament begins in July.

The draw conducted Wednesday by deputy general secretaries Ted Howard and Italo Zanzi at the confederation’s New York headquarters set the Preliminary Round pairings and matchups for the Group Stage.

Other Preliminary Round matches will have the Mexican Clausura runner-up -- either Santos or Toluca -- facing San Juan Jabloteh of Trinidad, Costa Rica’s Brujas facing Joe Public of Trinidad, the Canadian champion – either Toronto FC or the Vancouver Whitecaps – against Motagua of Honduras, and Xelaju of Guatemala against a Central America club.

The Seattle Sounders will face an as yet-to-be determined Central American side in the Preliminary Round, while Marathon – a quarterfinalist this past season – will take on Tauro FC of Panama.

Two berths originally were allocated to El Salvador, but FIFA has suspended the country due to governmental interference in the federation’s affairs. The government has until June 8 to comply with FIFA’s non-intervention requirements or its teams will be barred from international competition, including the Champions League – and its berths will be reassigned.

CD FAS already has qualified with one of El Salvador’s berths, and the second would go to either Aguila or Metapan.

Cruz Azul reached the finals in the first two years of the Champions League, losing to fellow Mexican sides Atlante in 2009 and Pachuca in May. This is the third consecutive season Cruz Azul has been forced into the Preliminary Round and is one of six teams to qualify each year since the Champions League was inaugurated.

In the Group Stage, MLS champion Real Salt Lake will lead Group A with Arabe Unido of Panama, the Cruz Azul-San Francisco winner and the winner between the Canadian champion and Motagua.

Group B will consist of the Columbus Crew, Municipal of Guatemala, the winner between Jabloteh and Toluca/Santos, and either Brujas or Joe Public.

Monterrey will head Group C, potentially the most difficult, with Costa Rica’s Saprissa, the Seattle-Central America 12 winner and either Tauro or Marathon. The Mexican Clausura champ, either Santos or Toluca, will top Group D with Olimpia of Honduras, the Galaxy-Islanders winner and the Central America 11-Xelaju winner.

The tournament will begin July 27-29 with the first leg of the Preliminary Round and the second leg a week later. The winners will advance to the Group Stage, the first round is set for August 17-19.


PRELIMINARY ROUND
(Host of first leg listed first)
Central America 11 vs. Xelaju (GUA)
Brujas (CRC) vs. Joe Public (TRI)
San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) vs. Santos-Toluca (Mexican Clausura runner-up)
San Francisco (PAN) vs. Cruz Azul (MEX)
Los Angeles Galaxy (USA) vs. Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR)
Tauro FC (PAN) vs. Marathon (HON)
Seattle Sounders (USA) vs. Central America 12
Toronto-Vancouver (Canadian champion) vs. Motagua (HON)

GROUP STAGE
Group A
Real Salt Lake (USA)
Arabe Unido (PAN)
San Francisco/Cruz Azul winner
Toronto-Vancouver/Motagua winner

Group B
Columbus Crew (USA)
Municipal (GUA)
San Juan Jabloteh/Santos-Toluca (Mexican Clausura runner-up) winner
Brujas/Joe Public winner

Group C
Monterrey (MEX)
Saprissa (CRC)
Seattle/Central America 12 winner
Tauro/Marathon winner

Group D
Santos/Toluca (Mexican Clausura champion)
Olimpia (HON)
Los Angeles Galaxy/Puerto Rico Islanders winner
Central America 11/Xelaju winner

English Premier League TV rights in Canada

Rogers Sportsnet, TSN2 and Setanta Canada have come to terms on a multi-year agreement that will give the three networks Canadian broadcast rights to exclusive England’s Barclays Premier League (BPL) matches over the next three seasons.

Barclays Premier League is widely regarding as one of the top soccer leagues in the world and is also one of the most-watched. Made up of 20 member clubs, the English-based league includes some of the most popular teams in the world of soccer such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and more.

TSN2 will feature the early Saturday morning matches, (7:30 a.m. ET/4:30 a.m. PT) and the Monday afternoon matches, (3 p.m. ET / 12noon PT). The remainder of the schedule will be shared between Rogers Sportsnet and Setanta Canada. Details on the Barclays Premier League broadcast schedule for the three networks will be confirmed in August.

More on this on Sunday evenings show with our regular feature: What's On Setanta with Marketing Manager, Andy Shapiera.

EA Sports 2010 FIFA World Cup game giveaway

Full-Time: Vancouver's Soccer Show is giving away copies of the new EA Sports 2010 FIFA World Cup game for the Xbox and PS3. If you want to win a copy, it's quite simple really because there are two ways to win, and here they are:

#1: Email your name, telephone number, country you are cheering for at the 2010 World Cup and platform (xBox or PS3) to fulltime@team1040.ca and then listen Sunday nights between 9-11pm on the TEAM 1040. If you hear your name called, you have 2010 seconds (that's about 33 1/2 minutes) to call in and claim the game.

#2: Simply listen to Full-Time: Vancouver's Soccer Show every Sunday night between 9-11pm on the TEAM 1040 and we will give you the cue to call and be caller #10 to win the game.

So those are the two ways to win... we also have other fun ways to win those games. Simply by following Full-Time and Tyler Green on Twitter for updates.

If you win, you also pick up a Full-Time supporter scarf.

Ballack forced to call off World Cup

German captain Michael Ballack will not be able to play at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. This is the result of an MRI scan performed this Monday in Munich.

The tomogram showed a torn interior ligament and a partial rupture of the syndesmosis ligament of his right ankle, which for the time being will have to be immobilized and put in a cast. Ballack will then wear a specially designed shoe for two weeks. German team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt said, that according to today’s diagnosis, Ballack can look forward to a complete recovery, but that a minimum eight weeks will be required before the German skipper may consider returning to regular training.

Montreal & MLS - together at last?

Montreal Impact have called a press conference on Friday, May 7th, 2010 for a major soccer announcement. The anouncement if strongly believed to be that of Major League Soccer coming to Montreal in 2012. One year after Vancouver and Portland join in 2011. Montreal could have been one of the franchises in 2011 if it had not been for the dispute between Joey Saputo and Don Garber. Montreal will be the 19th franchise in MLS.

Sidenote... it would have been interesting to see if Montreal was in fact one of the franchises in 2011... which one, Vancouver or Portland, would have been sidelined for yet another year?