Vancouver Whitecaps' rise has been one of the surprises of the MLS season so far
The Vancouver Whitecaps celebrate after a goal by forward Daniel Ríos against Minnesota United during the second half of an MLS soccer match Sunday, April 27, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Adam Bettcher)
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Toronto Sun
3 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
With a year to go, FIFA World Cup countdown begins for ambitious host Canadians
'This is exactly what we wanted out of this calendar year ... To try to get as many opponents that will challenge who we are, what we do.' Get the latest from Rob Longley straight to your inbox Canada's Alistair Johnston, left, and Argentina's Alexis Mac Allister battle for the ball during a Copa America semifinal match in 2024. AP Photo Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. It was for too early for a dress rehearsal and, with the main course still 12 months away, not yet appetizer time, either. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account But when Canada's men's national team convincingly defeated Ukraine 4-2 at BMO Field this past weekend, it certainly was an opportunity to unofficially launch the build to what by any measure will be the biggest year for elite soccer in this country. One year from Wednesday, the largest FIFA World Cup in history will kick off with a pair of games in Mexico. The following night, the other two host nations — Canada and the United States — lift the curtain fully with games on their own respective soil. For coach Jesse Marsch's Canadian side, the debut in the world's most-watched sporting spectacle begins with a Toronto date against a yet-to-be-determined opponent. An automatic qualifier as one of the three host nations, Canada's second consecutive World Cup appearance — and just third overall — the opportunity to advance (and win a game for the first time in the event's history) is a tantalizing possibility. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. While a year may seem far in the distance with plenty of construction left to be done both at BMO Field and its surroundings, and considerable building to take place on Marsch's ambitious roster, the host squad's win to kick off the four-team Canadian Shield held some palpable significance. 'The final destination, which is the World Cup, is what is important,' Canadian midfielder Stephen Eustaquio said following Saturday's convincing triumph over the European visitors. 'The games from now on are going to be very tough. We have strong opponents coming up. We're going to be in Europe. We're going to play in the States. 'Basically this was a very good test for next year.' While still a glorified friendly, the 4-2 win over Ukraine — a team positioned five spots ahead of them at No. 25 in the latest FIFA world rankings — certainly was an opportunity for Canada to take their first strides at forging an identity. Marsch made it clear that preparations over the next 12 months will be critical in establishing a style that will stand up against opponents from different corners of the globe. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The opposition in the Shield, a four-game glorified friendly (two for each participating country) dressed up as a tournament, were meant to replicate the diversity in style the Canadians are likely to face 12 months from now. 'This is exactly what we wanted out of this calendar year and this tournament,' Marsch said. 'To try to get as many opponents that will challenge who we are, what we do. You can grow from these situations. 'We all play a lot of matches against opponents in our region. But looking ahead to the World Cup, it's now imagining types of opponents you could be getting from all around the world and what those games feel like, what those opponents play like, the tactical nuances. For our players to experience what it is like to play in these types of games is important for our overall development.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Even with the low stakes and a roster injected with a handful of players light on international experience, some observers referred to Canada's opener as a statement win. It was the first time in the relatively short Marsch coaching era that the team had scored four times in a game and it was Canada's first victory over a European foe since 2011. In the second match on Tuesday, Canada faces Ivory Coast. The competitive intensity will ramp up later this month against more familiar competition when Canada competes (and will hope for a deep run) in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. In group play, Marsch's squad will face No. 75 Honduras on June 18 at BC Place then shift to Houston for games against No. 90 Curacao on June 21 and three days later facing No. 81 El Salvador. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Canadian Shield may not have a 'championship' game, but it was an ideal environment for Marsch to get an early feel for his talent and to get the year-long roster-building process started. 'The challenge was to see (whether we) could understand our roles and could we commit to all the ideas of what we're trying to establish and who we are as a team and deliver a kind of performance that we could be proud of,' Marsch said of the win over Ukraine before a BMO Stadium crowd of 20,145. 'And I think we did that. 'There's big competition for spots and guys are going to have to show that they're adapting and that they're ready.' With the 12-month countdown now under way, here's a look at what awaits in the buildup to the global sporting spectacle. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The expanded Cup configuration bumps the field to a record 48 teams (16 more than in Qatar 2022) which means there will be a whopping 104 matches played (40 more than the previous time) over the six weeks it will take to crown a champion. For the initial action, there will be 12 groups of four countries with the top two from each advancing, as well as the eight best third-place teams. From there, it's elimination games all the way to the final. That means the last two countries standing will have played eight matches when they're done — three in the group stage and five high-intensity knockout contests. Once the field and schedule is set, FIFA intends to make it as easy as possible for fans to navigate the distance between venues by trying to keep groups in a cluster of geographically handy cities. Canada, of course, is an exception, going from Toronto to Vancouver. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. With three days between matches, fans will have the opportunity to travel and players will have plenty of time to recover. Also of note: It's the first time in World Cup history that there will be three host nations. PLAYED IN CANADA There will be 13 matches contested in Canada — seven in Vancouver and six in Toronto. While Toronto gets the historic debut for Canada's opener, Vancouver's BC Place will be home for its second and third group play matches on June 18 and 24, respectively. The Canadian venues each also will have a Round of 32 knockout contest and Vancouver, with its greater seating capacity, also getting a Round of 16 date. Construction at BMO Field will bump the capacity to 45,000 for its Cup dates while BC Place has room for 54,000 spectators. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As an added bonus for Vancouver, if Canada wins its group, it would stay in the city and (cart way ahead of horse here, given it has never won a World Cup game) should it advance, Marsch's squad would also play the Round of 16 match on home soil. OTHER VENUES There will be 16 stadiums in use, including the two Canadian sites and three in Mexico, which will also play host to 13 contests. The tournament opener takes place at Mexico's historic Azteca Stadium which will become the first facility to have three World Cups contested on its famed turf. That leaves 11 U.S. venues, all of them vast structures that serve as home fields for NFL teams. The semifinals will be played in Dallas (on July 14) and Atlanta on July 15. The Cup final will take place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, better know as the home to both the New York Giants and Jets. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. While most of the qualifying action will take place in the coming months, 10 nations are already in, starting with the three host countries. The others: Japan, Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea and Jordan from the Asian conference, New Zealand from Oceania and the defending champions, Argentina (South America), round out that group. Various regions are at different stages in qualifying with dozens of games being played around the globe this week while Canada gets to take advantage of the latest international window in a less stressful way. Europe (UEFA) will qualify the most entrants with 16 direct spots awarded to that region. IMPORTANT DATES June 14 through July 6 – The CONCACAF Gold Cup, an important competitive prep for Canada, will be played in Vancouver and at several U.S. venues. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Sept. 1-9 – The first of three international windows in which key late qualifying action will take place. Oct. 6-14 and Nov. 10-18 are the others. December – At a yet-to-be-specified date, the pageantry and drama of the World Cup draw will take place, determining all 12 groups and establishing the degree of difficulty Canada will have to advance out of that stage. March 23-31, 2026 – The final qualifying stage. June 1-19, 2026 – Another international window in which teams will congregate for pre-Cup training and will arrive in North America for pre-Cup training. June 11, 2026 – Mexico will open the action at its massive stadium in Mexico City. June 12, 2026 – The first World Cup match played on Canadian soil will take place at BMO Field when Canada opens group play against a yet-to-be-determined opponent. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. July 19, 2026 – The World Cup final will be contested at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Read More CANADA CONTENT Much of Canada's early preparations for the World Cup will be done without it's standout superstar, Alphonso Davies, who is recovering from knee surgery in March. Davies will miss all of summer action but plans to return to Bayern Munich after the expected six-month recovery period, giving him plenty of time to prepare and be healthy to captain Canada. As for the others, the continued growth and world-class form of Jonathan David resulted in a pair of goals against Ukraine while Tajon Buchanan set up both of those and scored one on his own. With time on his side, the Canadian Shield gave Marsch the opportunity to both get an early look at some players light on national experience, but also to establish a mindset and course of attack. 'These friendlies are meant to try new guys to see who is ready,' David said following the Ukraine win. 'Obviously it's something to build on.' And more importantly from the coach's view: Setting the tone and style he'd like to see in place a year down the road. 'Understanding our roles, being disciplined to everything we are creating internally is the most important thing,' Marsch said. Toronto Blue Jays World Editorial Cartoons Movies Olympics
CBC
14 hours ago
- CBC
South Asian players from Surrey, B.C., score pivotal goals for pro teams
Over the weekend, Jujhar Khaira and Arshdeep Bains scored goals for the Abbotsford Canucks to get them into their first Calder Cup final, while Jeevan Badwal scored a pivotal goal for the Vancouver Whitecaps in their win over the Seattle Sounders. Dampy Brar from South Asian Hockey and Randip Janda from Sportsnet say the weekend will inspire the Punjabi diaspora the world over.
Toronto Sun
a day ago
- Toronto Sun
Online feud between Simone Biles and Riley Gaines takes turn with gymnast's 2017 post resurfacing
'ahhhh good thing guys don't compete against girls or he'd take all the gold medals !!' the legendary U.S. gymnast wrote in tweet. U.S. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles (left) and Riley Gaines. Getty Images, AP Photo The online war of words between Simone Biles and Riley Gaines exploded over the weekend, with the conservative critic reaching way back and throwing some heat at the gymnastics legend. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account In the midst of her ongoing feud over transgender athletes with the U.S. Olympic legend, Gaines apparently did some online digging, finding and reposting a tweet from 2017. The post appeared to agree with Gaines' side of the argument that transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete in women's sports. 'ahhhh good thing guys don't compete against girls or he'd take all the gold medals !!' Biles wrote in the 2017 tweet, which apparently was in response to the men's division results at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. The original tweet that Biles had been responding to has since been deleted. Gaines, former collegiate swimmer who tied for fifth with transgender athlete Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA women's swimming championships, also commented on Biles' post while calling out the gymnast as a hypocrite. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Oop don't you hate it when your past self completely undermines your current nonsensical argument? How has 2025 Simone reconciled with the fact 2017 Simone was a 'truly sick bully' by her own standard? — Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) June 8, 2025 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Oop don't you hate it when your past self completely undermines your current nonsensical argument?' Gaines wrote on X. 'How has 2025 Simone reconciled with the fact 2017 Simone was a 'truly sick bully' by her own standard?' Biles had referred to Gaines as a 'sick bully' for her anti-trans stance last week. The online beef between the women on Thursday, when Biles, 28, took aim at Gaines, 25, after a trans high-school softball pitcher helped win the Minnesota state championship and went viral. '@Riley_Gaines_ You're truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race,' Biles tweeted, referencing Gaines' tie with Thomas. 'Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!!' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. @Riley_Gaines_ You're truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender… — Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) June 6, 2025 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male,' she added later. Gaines responded to Biles' comments, calling them 'disappointing' and standing behind her opinion. 'This is actually so disappointing. It's not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces,' she wrote. 'You can uplift men stealing championships in women's sports with YOUR platform. 'Men don't belong in women's sports and I say that with my full chest.' Read More But that's when Gaines seriously turned up the heat, bringing up Biles' battle against disgraced U.S. gymnastics doctor and prolific sex criminal Larry Nassar. 'All the horrific sexual abuse @Simone_Biles witnessed and spoke out against caused by one man, yet (she) believes women should be forced to strip naked in front of men to validate the man's feelings,' Gaines wrote. All the horrific sexual abuse @Simone_Biles witnessed and spoke out against caused by one man, yet believes women should be forced to strip naked in front of men to validate the man's feelings. You know how many gold medals you'd have if your "inclusive" dream came true? Zero. — Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) June 7, 2025 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'You know how many gold medals you'd have if your 'inclusive' dream came true? Zero.' Biles was involved in taking down Nassar, who is serving up to 175 years in prison for molesting her and hundreds of other female gymnasts. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Olympics Canada Sunshine Girls Ontario Golf
