While both teams already qualified for the London 2012 Olympiad there is a certain amount of pride at play. For Canada's women this is an opportunity to declare that they deserve to be in that top tier of teams challenging for Gold or Women's World Cups. With the Great White North hosting the 2015 Women's World Cup it is matches like this and their second straight 20k+ crowd that demonstrate that they are a top nation in the women's game.

After qualifying for the 2012 Olympics by defeating Costa Rica in the semifinal, the U.S. WNT has just one more task at hand and it won't be an easy one. The Americans will face Canada in the championship game of the tournament in front of a crowd expected to be more than 20,000 screaming Canadians at BC Place on Sunday evening.

Photo by Stephen Brashear/ISIphotos.com

The CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament has been a breeze so far for the U.S. women's national team, which has outscored two overmatched opponents by a combined 27-0 margin. Things should be a bit more competitive in Tuesday's final group match.

Hey look, it's Krazy George! Cracked.com ran an article titled "5 Sports Fans Who Ruined Sports" and coming in at number 4 was Krazy George. What did Krazy George ruin? Apparently the sanity of head coaches of most sporting teams.
According to the article Krazy George invented "The Wave" at a 1981 American League championship game between the New York Yankees and Oakland A's.

FC Politehnica Timişoara forward Tosaint Ricketts (UW-Green Bay) scored his third international goal as Canada thumped St. Kitts and Nevis 4-0 Tuesday night in Toronto to close out the second round of CONCACAF World Cup 2014 qualifying.

Ricketts, 24, played the full 90 minutes in his first start for the national team and closed out the scoring with his 88th-minute goal for the Canadians, who had clinched a spot in the third round of qualifying with a 0-0 draw with St.

Lauren Sesselmann (Green Bay Notre Dame) set up Robyn Gayle's 88th-minute winner as the Canadian women's national team slipped past Colombia 2-1 on Tuesday night in Guadalajara, Mexico, to advance to the championship game of the Pan American Games.

Sesselmann served a free kick into the box that Gayle chested down and finished to send the Canadians to a rematch with Brazil in Thursday's final at Omnilife Stadium.

FC Politehnica Timisoara forward Tosaint Ricketts (UW-Green Bay) earned his seventh career cap Tuesday night, playing the final 20 minutes of Canada's 0-0 draw against Puerto Rico in a CONCACAF 2014 World Cup qualifier at BMO Field in Toronto.

The Canadians (3-0-1) need just one point from their final two matches in Group D to advance to the third round of qualifying, which will include Mexico, the U.

While Sporting KC was on the road in Salt Lake, LIVESTRONG Sporting Park was in use by the US women's national team. In their first game since the World Cup this summer, the women drew over 16,000 fans to LSP last night for the first game of their celebration series. The US got the first goal of the game off of an Abby Wambach penalty after a hand ball in the box on Canada.

FC Dallas scored an early goal to take control of their CONCACAF Champions League match against Tauro FC, but never could find a second goal, leaving the door open for the visitors to grab a valuable draw.

That's what Tauro did, when Luis Moreno converted a penalty kick drawn after a clumsy Ugo Ihemelu challenge just before halftime.

By Alan Duffy

Fulham 1-1 Blackburn Rovers Premier League 11 September 2011

Steve Kean's Blackburn Rovers picked up their first point of the new season at Craven Cottage, courtesy of a superb strike from Ruben Rochina on 32 minutes. The creator of that goal, David Hoillet (one of the few Canadians playing at a high level), would have to be stretchered off later on, after clashing with Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer.

Tickets went on sale today for the 2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualify being held at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, Canada from Jan. 19-29.
If you live in the Northwest, that's would be awesome if you could come. If you don't, and you still come, well that's one way we define a great fan of the U.

Canada's quest to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup has started off in fine fashion.

After beating St. Lucia convincingly on Friday, the Canadians topped Puerto Rico by a 3-0 scoreline on the road behind goals from Iain Hume, Simeon Jackson and Tossaint Ricketts to take early control of Group D on Tuesday.

Tosaint Ricketts (UW-Green Bay) scored his second career international goal Tuesday night, putting the finishing touches on Canada's 3-0 road victory over Puerto Rico in a CONCACAF World Cup 2014 qualifier in Bayamon.

The 24-year-old Ricketts earned his sixth cap, coming on as a sub in the 84th minute.

On Saturday, the U.S. and CONCACAF all learned their opponents in upcoming World Cup qualifying and just what the road to Brazil 2014 will look like.
Some got a favorable draw while others didn't. And still others were handed a somewhat difficult task.
Group A: United States, Jamaica, (likely) Guatemala, (likely) Haiti.

Although Canada is considered by many to be America North, there are actually many cultural differences between us and our neighbors to the north. To promote understanding between supporters of the New York Red Bulls, and the Toronto Football Club and their fan base, I'd like to share this piece that should help us all understand and appreciate Canadians just a little better.

We have the first blow out in a tightly contested Women's World Cup. Les Bleus overwhelmed Canada with their pace and superior passing leaving the defense and Erin McLeod in goal in sixes and sevens.

Emily Zurrer, Candace Chapman, and Desiree Scott all had nightmare performances.

The second set of games got underway from Group A as a crowd of more than 50,000 came out to cheer on the home squad in Frankfurt. France and Germany each got a win to secure a berth in the quarterfinals.

Sinclair shows her disappointment as France celebrates their big win.

France thumped Canada 4-0 today in Group A of the 2011 Women's World Cup, a result which sees the Canadians exit the competition with a whimper having lost their opening tie 1-0 to hosts Germany.

Damn. France dropped the hammer on the Canadians. Thieny scores a brace with Abily and Thomis also knocking in one each. So how dominating were the French? Well, Canada had 7 shots for the entire game... and none on goal. Possession was pretty much split, but the Canadians were forced into a physical type game just to try to keep the French from racking up even more goals.

Kaylyn Kyle is easy on her feet

The French were impressive against Nigeria with their short passing game initiated and controlled by Louisa Necib and Camille Abily. Their in form striker Marie-Laure Delie was able to make a 56' breakthrough with the match's only goal.

Today, they take on Christine Sinclair and Canada.

By Chris Wright

More action from the Womens' World Cup now, in which Frankfurt forward Kerstin Garefrekes shonks a nailed-on sitter up, up and over das crossbar during Germany's opening group tie victory over Canada...

Das...war complete and utter scheiße.

France 1-0 Nigeria

Nigeria elected to sit back for the first 20 minutes, respecting the French attack. France still created a number of opportunities, but could not get a final touch in the box to produce the goal.
Nigeria should have been up 1-0 when Oparanozie's good run on goal down the right side ended with a shot rolling wide.

The Women's World Cup got off to an entertaining start today s holders and hosts Germany beat Canada and France beat Nigeria.

Germany, winners of the last two World Cups and strong favourites this time around too, got their campaign off to the perfect start when Kerstin Garefrekes headed home after 10 minutes.

We're in the midst of a difficult stretch around these parts, and around any parts involving Liverpool. There's no actual news to counter the steadily-flowing river of bullshit aside from the youth international competitions we've used as methadone, there's few fixes to be had. I suppose we can look to the opening of the transfer window on July 1st as some sort of false dawn for all the pants-tightening Mata news your little heart can handle, although I think we all know that in reality, July 1st is just another day to end up drunk and alone.

Tosaint Ricketts (UW-Green Bay) came on as a sub in the 73rd minute, but Canada was eliminated from the CONCACAF Gold Cup after a heartbreaking a 1-0 loss to Panama on Tuesday night at Livestrong Park in Kansas City, Kan.

The Canadians would have advanced to the quarterfinals with a 0-0 tie, but Luis Tejada scored in second-half stoppage time to end their tournament.

Welcome to the New England Revolution vs. Toronto FC live game thread! Tonight marks the Revolution's second match of a three-in-seven run and a welcome return home after a heartbreaking trip to New York last weekend. This will be New England's first encounter with new Toronto head coach Aron Winter's Dutch 4-3-3 system that plays similarly to what Steve Nicol has insisted he is trying to implement in Foxboro.

Good morning everyone. Another week of MLS action is in the books with a 2-2 draw for the Sounders this Saturday against our rivals to the north. Even diehard supporters of the Vancouver Whitecaps will admit they were a bit lucky to come away with a tie. You won't often see a no-look goal like Eric Hassli's in MLS.

Bobbo will undoubtedly field a similar lineup to the 2-0 result over Canada, especially after receiving news that the 23 is fully healthy, including Jermaine Jones, who asked off the field late against the Canadians. It wouldn't surprise me to see Ream get a breather, since he's now played full 90's against both Spain and Canada.

Well, thank God we rested our starters against Spain. I don't know what would have happened otherwise.
Canada was waiting four years for that? All that righteous indignation, for nothing. I wonder why they didn't call up Dwayne De Rosario.
Anyway, now that the tournament has started, it's important to remember that group games mean nothing outside of (1) results and (2) making sure no one gets injured.

The U.S. rebounded from its terrible display against Spain at the weekend to beat Canada 2-0 in their opening Gold Cup match. Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey were the U.S. goal scorers.

The U.S. pressured Canada from the start as Bradley and Jones dominated the center of the pitch. So it was no surprise when the U.

The United States and Canada face off tonight (8pm, Fox Soccer Channel) in their opening matches of the 2011 Gold Cup and the excitement surrounding the match is building.

The Americans come in as Gold Cup co-favorites with Mexico, and have never lost a Gold Cup group stage match.

Liberally stolen from CBC and Chris Young/Canadian Press. Sorry but this is beautiful.
I need a forum for this and I'll keep it brief and do my best to tie it into our beloved Robins (that's TFC folks).
The match was an electric affair where a combination of sublime luck and timing earned a draw against relentless pressure and natural skills.

The U.S. men's national team will take on Spain on Saturday in a rematch of their 2009 Confederations Cup semifinal (won by the United States, 2-0), and with Spain fielding a strong squad, the Americans will need their strongest possible team to hope for another upset.

With the U.

With Houston yet to play today, the Philadelphia Union suddenly have the second most prolific offense in the East (tied for second most in all of MLS).

The Union scored six goals against a hapless Toronto FC defense. Gabe Farfan opened his account in the 2nd minute and nine minutes later Justin Mapp doubled the lead.

Support Local Soccer

IMS friends Ben Rycroft and Duane Rollins from Canadian Soccer News had this piece on the CSN site the other day.

This is a really nice video that was put together at a local bar in Toronto called the Football Factory. I think Canadians should be behind their team.

Sadly "The Ali Gerba Dip" didn't make the cut
Happy Victoria Day! As Canadians enjoy their first long weekend of the summer and celebrate what American soap actress Victoria Principal did for this country, many will crack open a big box of our national dish - the donut. From the Cod Fritters of Newfoundland to the Marijuana Glazed of BC, Hosers love their fried dough - especially the Tim Hortons type.

Photo by Brad Smith/ISIphotos.com

When the United States and Canada meet in their CONCACAF Gold Cup group stage opener in Detroit on June 7, one of the Canadians' key contributors might not be there.

New York Red Bulls manager Hans Backe told reporters on Monday that he expects Canadian international midfielder Dwayne De Rosario to skip this summer's event.

Jonah Freedman lays out four solid points as to how to get MLS players and teams more prepared to compete in the CONCACAF Champions League on a regular basis. While it is true that the USA through MLS is a solid #2 in the region, some of this comes from being good but not great.The top teams of Honduras and Costa Rica have historically better than those in MLS (except this year).

After building BMO Field into a fortress in its first couple years in MLS, the Canadians' home field doesn't quite carry the mystique it once did, at least not for the Black & Red. It was only last year when Toronto faced D.C. at BMO Field and the Canadians were in a must-win situation. D.C. had only pride to play for while Toronto was in the thick of the race for the playoffs.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

The United States Under-20 national team begins its quest to book a summer trip to the U-20 World Cup in Colombia tonight with its opening match of the CONCACAF championships against Suriname (8 p.m, ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes).

Thomas Rongen's charges will face Panama on April 2 in its other group-stage match before potentially advancing to the quarterfinals, where the winners all qualify for the World Cup.