POV-FS Xmas Drinks – Details

    Going ahead with the get together, Wednesday, December 21st at The Duke of Gloucester – 649 Yonge St. 2nd Floor. It’s a nice central location, easily accessible, and footy friendly.

POV–FS Xmas Drinks

    I’ve toyed with the idea of trying to put on a Christmas drinks meet up for footy fans in the Toronto area. A chance to get together, have a drink or two, watch a few matches, and talk; to meet new people and chat with old ones.

    It’s incredibly short notice, but Wednesday the 21st is looking like a possible date. There will be ten hours – back-to-back - of EPL and it’s far enough away from the holidays that it will not interrupt any family time.

POV-FS - On the Road - England – Post-Mortem and Thanks

    Back home and with some time for reflection under my belt I realize it was quite a tour of the various strata of English Football. A sample of action ranging from the Premier League down to the FA trophy between to Non-League sides; from the glory of Old Trafford and the Emirates, to the historic and well-loved City Ground and Brisbane Road.

POV-FS - On the Road - England - Day Twelve & Thirteen: Tourism & Home

     Monday (December 5th)  marks the last full day of the excursion abroad; there was a faint hope of finding tickets for the Fulham-Liverpool match at Craven Cottage – one of the grounds I really wanted to go see – but it proved fruitless.

    Seeing as I had avoided doing the whole tourist thing for the majority of the trip I gave in to the urge to ride a tour bus around the historic districts of London.

A Quick Glimpse – JDG2, Europa League, & Movember + Editor's Note

POV-FS - On the Road - England - Day Eleven: Bus to a Potential Giant-Killing

Terrace

    With limited action available in London on Sunday, there was some consideration given to hopping on the train to attend a match somewhere else, but I had had enough of trains and running about. There was one match within reach however, as non-league side Sutton United were in search of a cup upset hosting Notts County in the FA Cup.

POV-FS - On the Road - England - Day Nine & Ten: The Away Pub Experience and off to the Orient.

The Ticket Office of Brisbane Road

    Having spent Friday on the mend - my cold has come back with a vengeance - I was as chipper as could be come Saturday morning and ready for a full day of football.

    After a quick Tube ride over to East London, the plan was to catch the early match on tele - Newcastle v Chelsea - before taking in an FA Cup match between Leyton Orient and Gillingham.

POV-FS - On the Road - England - Day Eight: Back to London & The Blizzard Launch.

    Up in the morning, quick pack and off to the station for an early train back to London.

POV-FS - On the Road - England - Day Seven: Old Trafford Upset

The view

    Having been up so late and traveling for much of the pervious day, Thursday morning was a write-off. A quick snack in the hotel room - some cheese and bread procured at the Xmas market previously mentioned, a rest then we're off.

    A short, but ram-packed ride on the Metrolink - I have never been so crammed into a mass-transit as I was then - to the area surrounding Old Trafford.

POV-FS - On the Road - England - Day Five & Six: "Oh, Gary Gary!"

Home End

    Quiet day of rest and reflection on Monday; Manchester is a cool town. Staying right near the city centre, by Picadilly Gardens, very busy all day long.

POV-FS - On the Road - England - Day Four: Euston Station, the Train Journeys North

Partially Obstructed View at Gigg Lane

    Up early this morning, a spot of breakfast in the dining room of the hotel - beans with breakfast is just odd, but I do love the colour of an egg yolk here - then a quick jaunt over to Euston Station.

POV-FS - On the Road - England - Day Three: "One Nil to the ... Oh Wait"

Grand & New

    Today, being Saturday, was the occasion of the first match of the trip.

    Still feeling a little rough, I spent most of the day relaxing and catching a bit of sleep before taking the Underground to Arsenal.

POV-FS - On the Road - England - Day One & Two

Apologies for the lack of activity the past week - I had a few pieces in the works, but could not find the focus to get them done.

My attention was diverted by a trip; a big one at that. Not one for travel, I've boldly flown across the pond for a football-themed vacation of sorts.

Left Pearson on Thursday night, arrived at Heathrow Friday morning. Planes are evil; a cruel compressed mass of humanity; my ears are still popping. Marched through the snazzy, sideways lounge to face our situation. As if that wasn't bad enough I picked up a cold prior to embarking that hit me like a ton of bricks upon arrival.

Other than a paucity of bears at Paddington station and lack of equilibrium due to some inner-ear issue it's been wonderful.

I haven't seen proper wallpaper in a long time; dinner at a nearby pub actually witnessed a lady bid farewell with a proper "Cheeri-O". NB: Hot English mustard great for blocked ear canals.

Back to the football. Match one - Saturday afternoon Arsenal vs. Fulham at the Emirates.

I'll try an update postmatch.

First Person View - MLS Cup Final Preview – Late, Long-form and Long-winded.

    The boys over at Waking the Red asked me to contribute to an MLS Cup Preview, as I began writing I realized I had way too much to say to fit into the proper format, so I decided to expand on my points with a longer, sister-post.

First Person View - Canada – Progression, Perspective, Patience, and Positivity

     Many words have been written on Canada’s World Cup campaign thus far. Some are optimistic, a few more are not; all thought Canada underperformed. Some saw value, others were disappointed in the players, the coach, the support; anything you could point a finger at really.

    Let’s break it down a bit and see how to make sense of all the noise surrounding the six matches played, and how things are shaping up for the next round due next summer and fall.

From a Different Point of View – 3rd Week of November Edition

Some Things You May Have Missed From the Last Week

Beyond POV-FS – "MLS: Twelve Points, Twelve Matches, One Left" at The Shin Guardian

    New column up, hosted by my friends at The Shin Guardian, looking over the story lines that have arisen from the first twelve playoff matches, while looking forward to the MLS Cup Final this Sunday.

    MLS: Twelve Points, Twelve Matches, One Left.

First Person View - St. Kitts and Nevis versus Canada – In Three Bites

    A terrible performance on the night, but lost in the storm of negativity was progression to the next round of qualifying and having a celebratory homecoming return fixture on Tuesday.

Suit Up! –Ashtone Morgan and Matt Stinson on the National Team

    Should Ashtone Morgan take the field for Canada in these next two qualifying matches, he will not just be carrying the banner for his nation, but also for the Toronto FC Academy.

From a Different Point of View – 2nd Week of November Edition

Some Things You May Have Missed From the Last Week

First Person View – Dwayne De Rosario for MVP

    There has been much debate – both domestically and in the wider reaches of the league – as to the merits of De Rosario’s campaign for Most Valuable Player. His capture of the golden boot – as top scorer - despite a season stricken with living out of suitcases and forgetting teammate’s names, is truly a laudable achievement, but should it earn him the prestigious award?

MLS Weekly Review – Playoff Edition – Semifinals (Conference Championship) – Of Conference Champions Decided, Moving on to the Cup, a Clash of Takers, some Canadian Content, a Honduran Finish, Penalty Kicks Revisited, Off the Wood, Connect Again & Irish Eyes Are Smiling.

    The final two matches in the lead up to the MLS Cup Final took place on Sunday evening as the Conference Champions were decided. The East was won first, a technical duel and contest of strength between home side Kansas City and Houston. The West followed; a run-and-gun meeting between hosts Los Angeles and Salt Lake. Six goals, one devastating injury, a penalty kick, some woodwork being struck, another goalmouth defensive header, and the final pairing are set.

MLS Weekly Review – Playoff Edition – Quarterfinals: Second Leg – Night Two – Of Leaving as You Came, Familiar Territory, Experience Gained, Words Turned to Action, the Golden Ageless Midfielder, & Home Sweet Home.

    The final two quarterfinals ties were decided on Thursday night, as both Houston and Los Angeles took one-goal leads back home where they hosted Philadelphia and New York respectively. Four goals, two home wins – without any further handbags or red cards, two more teams see their season’s end, while the four teams to contest the semifinals (conference finals) are set.

From a Different Point of View - 1st Week of November Edition

Some Things You May Have Missed From the Last Week

MLS Weekly Review – Playoff Edition – Quarterfinals: Second Leg – Night One – Of a Storm Brewing in Kansas City, the Luck of Champions Gone Bad, Weathering the Early Onslaught, a Decisive Clearance, Emerald Hope Ignited, & Farewell to Two More.

    The first two return legs of the quarterfinal pairings took to the field on a dark, wet Wednesday night. A matter of chance granted the viewers the two matchups closest to having been decided, with Kansas City holding a two-goal advantage returning home, while Salt Lake carried a three-goal lead into Seattle. Four goals – one a penalty; both home sides victorious, seven bookings from seventy-one fouls, one spectacular game-saving clearance, and a final clean sheet for Kasey Keller.