Marco Vélez was seen on the bench for both Islanders-TFC Champions League games. Although he did not play for the TFC, his participation with the Islanders in the group stage of the CCL is unlikely.

According to Concacaf Champions League rules:
#5.3 Once having been properly inscribed on a Roster List for one Team, in any Phase, a player may not be inscribed on the Roster List for any other Team in the CCL in the same season of competition, in any Phase.

Yesterday, the same newspaper published an article where the Islanders DT Colin ‘General’ Clarke confirmed the Puertorican team is seeking to get Vélez on loan from TFC to relieve the team’s regular central defenders John Krause and Nigel Henry for the remainder of the USL season.

[Translation from Spanish Text:] “We need depth in that position and we do not have it. The players have played a lot and there are many hits and injuries there, so we have to reinforce to enter the final phase of the (USL) season”, said Clarke.

Marco Vélez played for the Islanders between 2005 and 2007 before been transfered in 2008 to the Toronto FC. Vélez was captain of the Puerto Rico National team lead by Colin Clarke that saw action against the Dominican Republic and Honduras in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

Vélez played in the 1-0 win over the Dominican Republic on March 26, 2008 and in the 4-0 loss in Honduras on June 4, 2008. Vélez was ejected (two yellow cards) from the match in Honduras and was unable to play in the 2-2 draw against Honduras in the return leg in Puerto Rico one week later.

So far in the 2009 MLS season, Marco Vélez has played as a defender in 15 games (8 as starter) for the TFC for a total of 780 minutes, has 3 shots (2 on goal), has commited 5 fouls and suffered 7 fouls. He has received one yellow card this season.

In 2008 Vélez started in 23 regular season games for the TFC for a total of 1,973 minutes, scored 2 goals out of 6 shots (4 on goal), commited 23 fouls and suffered 5 fouls. He was cautioned 3 times, and red-carded twice.

Marco Vélez scored (22′) his first MLS goal on May 1, 2008 at home in a 1-1 draw against the New York Red Bulls. He recorded his second goal (72′) on the road on October 11, 2008 in a 2-2 draw against FC Dallas.

On May 27, 2008 Vélez scored (72′) on the road in the opening game of the 2008 Nutrilite Canadian Championship against the Montreal Impact in what proved to be the game winning goal in the 1-0 TFC victory.

This time there would be no miracle finish for TFC, as they could manage only a scoreless draw on the return leg against the Puerto Rico Islanders, and Toronto FC was bounced from the Champions League, making the Canadian Champions the first MLS club eliminated from the CONCACAF tournament.

Additionally, the first ever USL vs MLS two-leg tie between representatives of the two leagues goes to the USL.

Toronto FC looked worse than the last time these two teams met, looking kind of tired, listless and disinterested; Puerto Rico, by contrast, looked better, taking more shots and actually having the edge in possession in the first half.

Throughout the 2nd half (even with Toronto’s goalie joining the attack in extra time and with the Islanders a man down) Toronto could not put the ball in the net and as a result, TFC earns the distinction of becoming the first MLS team ever eliminated by a USL team from the Champions League.

After improbably scoring six times in one game to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League, Toronto FC bowed out of the tournament without scoring a single goal.

Toronto FC’s first foray into international competition is over as they couldn’t get past the USL sides.

Here’s are the Toronto FC CCL-wannabee scores against all the first squad USL teams this year (Canadian Championship & 2009-10 CCL [excluding the B(or C)-team fielded by Montreal Impact in the TFC 6-1 fake miracle]):

TFC vs Vancouver Whitecaps – 1:0
TFC vs Montreal Impact – 1:0
TFC @ Vancouver Whitecaps – 0:2
TFC vs Puerto Rico Islanders – 0:1
TFC @ Puerto Rico Islanders – 0:0

TFC vs USL – GF: 2, GA: 3, GD: -1

The big Orange Darth Vader tifo (above) and Bill Gaudette (below right) say it all: (Islanders) I am your Father! (to the TFC [and the MLS]).

The hero for the island squad was undoubtedly goalkeeper Bill “The Wall, The Saint” Gaudette. The Islanders move on to the group stages of the CONCACAF Champions League and owe this triumph largely to the heroics of goalkeeper extraordinaire Bill Gaudette, whose saves proved decisive while keeping TFC scoreless in both legs.

Kendal Jagdeosingh (the Islanders’ goal scoring hero at BMO field in the first leg) was given a red card at the 88-minute mark to put the Islanders down a man. The reason for the flag was not visually apparent.

The Puerto Rico Islanders now have an alltime international record of 7-1-2 [W-T-L] at home. With the scoreless draw, the Islanders mantain their 15-7 goals lead against CONCACAF opponents at “la Islandera”:

1. 0-1 loss against W Connection (TRI), 2007
2. 3-1 win against Hoppers (ANT), 2007
3. 1-0 win against San Juan Jaboleth (TRI), 2008
4. 2-1 win against LD Alajuelense (CRC), 2008
5. 2-1 win against Tauro FC (PAN), 2008
6. 3-1 win against Santos Laguna (MEX), 2008
7. 0-1 loss against Municipal (GUA), 2008
8. 2-1 win against Marathon (HON), 2009
9. 2-0 win against Cruz Azul (MEX), 2009
10. 0-0 tie against Toronto FC (CAN), 2009

Toronto FC gets buried at the JRL cemetery as the first CONCACAF team ever to tie the Islanders at home. Here are the CONCACAF video highlights of the 1-0 and 0-0 that saw TFC buried among other greats that fell at JRL.

The Islanders will join Group C where it will face either Cruz Azul again or Herediano of Costa Rica, as well as another team from Major League Soccer, the MLS Cup winners Columbus Crew, and Saprissa of Costa Rica. Cruz Azul won the first leg of its Preliminary Round series against Herediano 6-2.

Unlike the beer throwing hooligan fans back in Toronto, the TFC fan-delegation that traveled to Puerto Rico for the game proved that there can be friendship in defeat between rival fan groups. They were very decent and enjoyed a few post-game Medallas with the Islanders’ Bravada in celebration of the friendship under the bridge of the Tren Urbano (Puerto Rican Subway) next to the stadium.

Still smarting from a heartbreaking decision against the Columbus Crew last weekend, Toronto suffered another major setback Wednesday night with a 1-0 loss to the visiting Puerto Rico Islanders in the first game of their CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round series at BMO Field.

Kendall Jagdeosingh turned 270 degrees near the line to the right of the goal after chasing a free kick by Jonathan Steele in the 67th to score the only goal of the match as the Islanders defeated Toronto FC 1-0 on the road.

It was the first game ever between a USL side and an MLS team in CCL history. The USL now leads 1-0-0 the MLS in the Champions League head-on series.

Toronto FC is now on the verge of elimination in CONCACAF’s showcase club tournament at the hands of the USL-1 Puerto Rico Islanders. The Islanders will take a 1-0 lead home to Juan Ramón Loubriel stadium in Bayamon (a.k.a. Central American Cemetery), where special arrangements are been made to bury the TFC among other prominent adversaries like Santos Laguna and Cruz Azul from Mexico, CD Marathon from Honduras and Liga Alajuelense from Costa Rica, among others.

It’s worth noting that the Puerto Rico Islanders have an alltime international record of 7-0-2 [W-T-L] at home, and that NO CONCACAF opponent has ever scored more than a single goal at “la Islandera”:

1. 0-1 loss against W Connection (TRI), 2007
2. 3-1 win against Hoppers (ANT), 2007
3. 1-0 win against San Juan Jaboleth (TRI), 2008
4. 2-1 win against LD Alajuelense (CRC), 2008
5. 2-1 win against Tauro FC (PAN), 2008
6. 3-1 win against Santos Laguna (MEX), 2008
7. 0-1 loss against Municipal (GUA), 2008
8. 2-1 win against Marathon (HON), 2009
9. 2-0 win against Cruz Azul (MEX), 2009

On a separate note, Toronto native Dwayne De Rosario elected (¿¿¿really???) to surrender his spot in the MLS all-stars starting 11 so that he could play for Toronto FC against the Puerto Rico Islanders on Wednesday night. But his presence didn’t help in the TFC loss. BTW: The MLS all-stars fell to Everton 4-3 in a penalty shootout (1-1 tie at end of regulation time).

Scoring Summary:
1. PRI: K. Jagdeosingh (C. Arrieta) 67′

Cautions:
1. PRI: B. Gaudette 79′
2. TFC: C. Robinson 84′
3. PRI: S. Jones 90′

Puerto Rico Islanders Lineup:
B. Gaudette (GK), J. Krause, C. Arrieta, N. Henry, S. Jones, D. Gargan, J. Marcelin, N. Delgado, S. Gbandi (A. Rivera 90′), J. Steele (K. Veris 82′), K. Jagdeosingh (N. Addlery 73′)

Subs not used: Behonick (GK), Villegas, F. Noël, J. Hansen

PRI Coach: Adrian Whitbread (Assistant Coach)

Toronto FC Lineup:
S. Frei (GK), N. Garcia, M. Wynne, J. Brennan, E. Gomez, D. De Rosario, C. Robinson (D. Dichio 85′), S. Cronin, C. Barret (O. White 74′), A. Gerba, P. Vitti

Subs not used: Edwards (GK), M. Velez, Serioux, Sanyang, Gala

TFC Coach: Chris Cummins (Interim Head Coach)

Referees: H. Cruz (CR), A. Azofeifa(CR), M. Ramirez (CR), S. Petrescu (CAN)

Attendance: 20,758

The quest for regional club crown kicked off Tuesday night (July 28) as Mexico’s Pachuca overwhelmed Jalapa (Guatemala) 3-0, and the disappointing MLS’ers D.C. United salvaged a 1-1 draw against El Salvador’s Firpo.

Islanders Head Coach Colin ‘General’ Clarke played the underdog card against TFC: “We were underdogs last year, but it was a new tournament, and we were a bit of an unknown to people. People didn’t know what to expect. Now, the secret’s out. There are no surprises.”

Toronto FC is shaking off a disappointing 3-2 loss to Columbus by gearing up for the Islanders, who lost themselves 4-2 to the Vancouver Whitecaps in their last match.

Both Toronto and Puerto Rico have issues heading into the clash. Toronto will miss Honduran international midfielder Amado Guevara (bruised ribs in Saturday’s 3-2 loss at Columbus), Canadian international defender Adrian Serioux (also injured in Columbus), and defender Nana Attakora (previous hamstring injury). The Islanders will be without Head Coach Colin Clarke on the bench due to his expulsion from the title match of the CFU Club Champions Cup in May.

Tonight it’s the first USL vs MLS match in CONCACAF Champions League history, and the Puerto Rico Islanders are the chosen ones to defend the USL Pride!

TFC is going down…

The Islanders will face Toronto FC on July 28th in Toronto for the 1st-leg; and they will play the return leg in Bayamón on August 4th.

They said it couldn`t be done. It had been generally conceded that there was no chance that Toronto FC could win the Nutrilite Canadian Championship by defeating the Montreal Impact by four goals Thursday night.

Well guess what??? Toronto FC won by 5!!!

Toronto, which had only won one game by four goals in its history, needed a four-goal victory at Montreal or hand the title to the Vancouver Whitecaps and miss out on the Champions League for a second straight year. Incredibly Toronto defeated Montreal 6-1 to win the Canadian Championship and to clinch Champions League berth.

“Tonight’s result is extremely disappointing,” said Impact President Joey Saputo. “The players wearing the Impact jersey have to show pride and they did not tonight. Even though the match had no significance, we can’t hide our heads in the sand. This is not the way this club should perform in front of our fans, in our stadium. Being first and foremost a fan, I know that this is not acceptable.”

The 2009 Nutrilite Canadian Championship ran 6 May to 18 June in Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver. Toronto FC won the championship with nine points and a +5 goal differential, jumping ahead of Vancouver Whitecaps FC (nine points and +4 goal differential) on the final day. The Impact de Montréal finished last with no points in four games.

Toronto FC’s Dwayne De Rosario was selected the most valuable player of the 2009 Nutrilite Canadian Championship. De Rosario sparked Toronto FC’s unbelievable victory to claim the Canadian championship. He scored three goals – the first hat trick in the competition. He finished with three goals and one assist in four games.

The USL’s Vancouver Whitecaps and the MLS Toronto FC are still on the run for the 2009 Nutrilite Canadian Championship.


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Vacouver leads Toronto in the Nutrilite standings 9 points to 6, while the defending 2008 Canadian Champion Montreal Impact (0 points in the tournament) is already eliminated.

The Montreal Impact has very good chances of spoiling Toronto FC’s CCL hopes for a 2nd year in a row. To win the Canadian Championship, Toronto FC needs not only to beat Montreal, but to beat them by at least 4 goals! Otherwise the Whitecaps will win the Championship on goals differential.

Toronto’s fate will be decided on June 18th in Montreal, Quebec. The 2008-09 CCL quaterfinalist Montreal Impact has struggled in the 2009 USL season, where they are in 6th place with a 3-2-4 [W-T-L] record, and have yet to score in three loses in this year’s Canadian Championship.

Should the Islanders defeat the Canadian Champion in the Preliminary round, the Puerto Ricans will play in Group C of the 2009-10 CCL, with an opportunity for revenge against the Mexican Cruz Azul (should they defeat Herediano from Costa Rica in the premifinals). The MLS Columbus Crew and Costa Rica’s Saprissa complete the group.

Group C
Columbus Crew (USA)
Saprissa (CRC)
Cruz Azul (MEX)-Herediano (CRC) winner
Canada Champion (Toronto FC or Vancouver Whitecaps)-Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR)

The 2008-09 CCL Semifinalist Puerto Rico Islanders had a very promising 2-2-0 [W-T-L] start this season, defeating both Canadian USL teams (Vancouver Whitecaps & Montreal Impact), then struggled losing 3 of their next 4 games (including one loss to the Whitecaps), and are now 4th in the USL standings with a 4-4-3 record.

The Puerto Rico Islanders and Vancouver Whitecaps rivalry that has been brewing since last year’s USL final is almost set.

Pierluisi also told us that the Islanders are working on a collaboration agreement with an important Soccer School in Argentina to open the possibility of player transfers between the two organizations.

“Clarke is currently discussing the option with several players from the 2008 team edition to return next year, and the Islanders’ management trusts to have a well prepared team for both the 2009 USL season as well as the next round of the CONCACAF Champions League“, said Pierluisi.

Pierluisi also said that the team is already making arrangements to play a friendly in Puerto Rico with the Toronto FC, most likely around March 14th. Additionally he said that there are advanced talks under way to hold a separate set of MLS friendlies with DC United. The DC team should be in Puerto Rico for a whole week in February before the Islanders’ Champions League quarterfinals compromise on February 26th at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium in Bayamón.

DC United, the winners of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (over the USL-1 Charleston Battery), also participated in this year’s CONCACAF Champions League, but was eliminated as they finished fourth in Group A play. The Toronto FC finished 2nd in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship, two points behind the USL-1 winner Montreal Impact, who is playing alongside the Islanders in the Champions League.

The Islanders finished in 2nd place in Group D play, accomplishing their mission to move on to the quarterfinals. The Impact did the same, finishing 2nd in Group C and also qualifying to the quarterfinals.

The pairings for the knockout CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals round and the route to the finals will be set with the draw on Wednesday December 10. The Islanders get to play either of the Mexican teams Atlante FC or Pumas UNAM; or the Group of Death’s (group A) winner CD Marathon from Honduras.

Who will be the Islanders opponent in the quarterfinals? Vote in our poll.

At the same time the USL welcomes two new teams to the 1st division in 2009, the expansion team Austin Aztex FC; and the USL-2 Champions Cleveland City Stars, who got promoted to the 1st division.

The Aztex will kick off its inaugural season in the USL-First Division at Nelson Field in downtown Austin. Nelson Field seats up to 10,000 fans and features a new field turf pitch installed in 2007, as part of a $2 million renovation project. Krenzler Field is the new home of the Cleveland City Stars and just reopened this past fall after undergoing a $2.9 million renovation that has transformed it from just a soccer field to a year-round multi-use sports complex.

The two 1st division Canadian teams, the Montreal Impact and the Vancouver Whitecaps, are both reconsidering their bids to join the MLS, and are questioning the ridiculous MLS $40,000,000 USD franchise fee. They both should be back in the USL in 2009. Just 3 years ago the Toronto FC paid a $10,000,000 USD franchise fee to join the MLS, still ridiculous.

The overated MLS might be considered by some to be the United States’ “1st Division”, but recent history in the CONCACAF Champions League proves otherwise.

The USL must do a better marketing job, nobody argues that. They need a face lift–not on the field–as the league has done an outstanding job of growing quality on the field. But, they need to retool from a marketing standpoint.

With the addition of the Aztex and the City Stars, and the deletion of the Sounders and the Silverbacks, the TRUE 1st division! maintains a total of 11 teams for 2009, including the returning teams: Puerto Rico Islanders, Vancouver Whitecaps, Montreal Impact, Rochester Rhinos, Charleston Battery, Minnesota Thunder, Carolina Railhawks, Miami FC Blues and the Portland Timbers. Another team, the Tampa Bay Rowdies is scheduled to join the 1st division in 2010.