The QSF’s executive committee unanimously passed a motion on Friday to comply with the international governing body of soccer, FIFA, which allowed male players in Canada to wear head covers, said Brigitte Frot, QSF executive director.

The QSF had banned the turban in 2012 and upheld its ban at the beginning of June, despite an April 2013 CSA directive that instructed all provincial soccer associations to allow players to wear turbans. In response, the CSA removed the QSF’s membership rights to the national soccer body. The CSA reinstated those rights on Saturday.

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Which one are you?

Or maybe you answered “D”: None of the above.

In which case, you’re hearing the New Zealander loud and clear.

“(Our) performances have been really good and we just haven’t gotten the points that we’d like,” Nelsen said ahead of Saturday’s game in the U.S. capital.

Two teams taking up space at the bottom of the MLS table are set to battle it out to regain some level of respectability.

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We talked TFC, turbans and Canada’s women’s national team.

THE FAN 590′S SOCCER SHOW

A starter through the first month of the season, Dunfield, 31, only recently returned from an injured PCL that saw him miss close to two months.

Upon his return, however, the writing was on the wall.

“We just had better options that progressed further on,” TFC head coach Ryan Nelsen said following Thursday’s training.

He mentioned Matias Laba, Jonathan Osorio and Jeremy Hall as currently being better options in what’s quickly becoming a crowded central midfield at BMO Field.

“We really like Terry, a guy who gives everything,” Nelsen said. “But with the emergence of so many young players progressing so well … we had to make a really tough decision.”

In the end, though, the decision couldn’t have been clearer.

Dunfield was never going to play over Jeremy Hall, who Nelsen’s praised endlessly throughout the early portion of the season.

Further, the addition of Matias Laba undoubtedly sealed Dunfield’s fate.

“The last couple of games we’ve bossed at central midfield with who we’ve got,” Nelsen explained.

When it came to mentioning who the Reds might bring in to fill Dunfield’s vacated space, the New Zealander became a bit more guarded.

After the Toronto Sun asked Nelsen where the Reds might look for players, he was fairly broad in his description.

“The world,” Nelsen quipped. “This world.”

As the laughter died down, he offered a bit more insight into TFC’s player search, mentioning his recent trip to Europe and head scout Pat Onstad’s recent voyage back to Argentina and Uruguay as potentially bearing fruit.

“We’ve lined up the guys we want. If we can get 3-4 players we’re trying to get we’ll be very close,” Nelsen said, reiterating that he thinks his roster is closer to finding success than some might think.

“When we do pick a player, we want to get it right. The history (at TFC) hasn’t been that great.”

Most importantly, Nelsen said, TFC’s new front office is completing its due diligence to be sure they don’t handcuff themselves with bad signings moving forward.

“We don’t want to hamstring the team with a bad signing,” Nelsen said. “He has to have good character, everything needs to be considered. Character, mentality and he has to want to win league titles here. It’s not just about getting the best player on a CV.”

TRAINING NOTES

Nelsen confirmed to the Sun that Robert Earnshaw’s deal at TFC has been extended to the end of this season. Earnshaw’s loan from Cardiff City was due to expire on July 1 … Darren O’Dea is questionable for Saturday’s game at D.C. United due to illness. Nelsen said the Irish international felt ill following Tuesday night’s friendly against Spain in New York … Danny Califf’s mysterious absence from training continues. Two weeks ago it was illness. Now, a back issue. All this amid numerous trade rumors involving the embattled centre back … Danny Koevermans seems to have recovered in time for the weekend. After a minor back injury kept him out of full training earlier this week, the Dutchman could see time in D.C., but likely only in a substitute’s role … Richard Eckersley is expected to remain sidelined for at least another two weeks due to the hamstring injury he suffered in early April.

But the future, he said, hopefully won’t look the same.

In early March, the Reds were flying high following a resilient 2-1 win over Sporting Kansas City at a rockin’ Rogers Centre.

Although nervy to the end, Eckersley, and the rest of TFC’s embattled back four, were instrumental in seeing out that game.

That was then.

“It was enjoyable to be part of that, us winning in the 86th minute,” Eckersley recalled, drifting back to a time when things were a bit sunnier.

Eleven games and no league wins later, this is now.

“It feels very panicked,” Eckersley said of TFC’s tendency — almost a routine at this point — to concede late in games.

MORE WITH ECKERSLEY AT TORONTOSUN.COM

“This was a difficult decision to make but our midfielders have been playing well, and there are young players to develop and find minutes for. We felt this was the best decision for both the club and Terry moving forward,” said TFC head coach Ryan Nelsen. “On behalf of everyone at Toronto FC, we’d like to thank Terry for his contributions to the club and wish him well in his future endeavours.”

Dunfield, 31, was originally acquired in a trade with Vancouver Whitecaps FC on July 14, 2011. Dunfield made 56 combined appearances in MLS league play, CONCACAF Champions League, and the Amway Canadian Championship, while adding six goals for Toronto FC.

At 20, TFC’s Toronto-born midfielder is already saying all the right things.

That said, even Osorio, as grounded as he might be, becomes a bit wide-eyed when reminded of what he has accomplished in his first season as a pro.

“Honestly, I have no words for it,” Osorio told the Toronto Sun.

On top of standout performances, Osorio’s three goals, all game-changers, earned him a call-up to Canada’s national team last month.

Six months ago, he was without a job.

“It’s unbelievable how that happened,” Osorio said. “It went from me being patient, waiting for a whole year to sign a first-team contract, to knocking all of those goals down.”

Rewind things six months.

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“That is what prompted my response in the heat of the moment. It is sad that people are inclined to write these incredibly negative comments, but I am not going to focus on them moving forward.

“Racism has no place in our beautiful game and we all need to come together to make sure no players are subjected to this kind of treatment in stadiums or on social media anywhere in the world.  That said, the majority of fans have been extremely positive and I appreciate their support.”

Leroux, who was born in Vancouver, B.C., to a Canadian mother and an American father, changed associations from Canada to the USA in 2008 and since then has endured abuse both verbally and in social media. The racial slurs to which she referred in the tweet occurred during the 2012 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Vancouver in January of 2012 and revolved around her father, who is African-American. At the time, she chose not to address them.

Since the match yesterday, she has received a significant number of tweets that contained racial slurs, and her tweet this morning was in response to the last year and half in which such abuse has occurred more frequently.

The Canadian Soccer Association is a proud supporter of fair play and respect in sports, and will not tolerate discrimination on or off the pitch. We would also ask of all Canadian soccer fans that they hold themselves to these same standards when enjoying the beautiful game.