Canada in the World Cup

Coming on the back of a good game between the US-Canada in the Gold Cup, which baring some incompetent referring, should have gone to extra-time, there has been an increase interest in the Canadian national team. As one of the few Canadians here, I am probably more immersed in than most. As a player I worked with Steven Hart, who coached us at the Gold Cup, and have played for my club at nationals (U-15) and sat on the bench (keeper) for my province at nationals (U-16). Because of that I feel I have some insight into the youth system in Canada. And as a fan I have seen all our men's games for the past many years, and almost all of our
youths, U-17, U-20.

I'm into it, I care about our men's team, but I don't see us making the World Cup any time soon, despite the fact that in CONCACAF there are 1.5 spots open to mediocre teams. Here's why.


1) Priority. Qualifying for the World Cup is not a priority. I think making the World Cup would do wonders for the sport in the country. Forget the fact that we would lose all our games and not score a goal, it would raise interest. Canada's priorities are spread evenly among the youth, the women, and the men. As director, I would stop at nothing to qualify for the World Cup.

2) Coach. No disrespect to Dale Mitchell, Steven Hart, or Frank Yallop, but those guys are not going to get us to the show. The only time Canada has achieved any real success was when we won the 2000 Gold Cup. And guess who are coach was? Holger Osieck! This guy was the assistant under Franz Beckenbauer when Germany won the World Cup in 1990. He came in, he knew what he was doing, knew what he had to work with, and used it to win. But by 2003 we didn't like him and sacked him. Canada needs a good foreign coach, the best money can buy.

3) Treatment of players. Most of our training camps are in Vancouver. Our players are coming from Europe. I recall Radzinksi saying they wouldn't even fly him first class. Vancouver is too far, too many time zones. Train in Montreal or Toronto, shorter flight, less time zones.

4) Best players leave. Our team is so bad our best players leave, everyone knows Owen Hargreaves (who was cut by youth teams in Calgary) but there is also Jonathan De Guzman. A great young player for Feyenoord, linked with Chelsea at one point. And he's going to choose Netherlands over Canada. He'd rather be a bit player for Netherlands than a star for Canada.

5) Friendlies. We don't play enough, especially at home. Since May 2000, we have had two home friendlies (Honduras and Jamica). Unbelievable.

6) Incompetence. For over a year we had no national director or national team coach. When we did hire, we hired the basketball director, and we hired the under 20 coach. Total incompetence.

7) Away form. Because of the difficulties and treatment we get in Central America, we are never going to win any real qualifyers down there.

8) Can't score.
2006 qualifyers- 6 games, 4 goals.
2002 qualifyers- 8 games, 2 goals.

9) Too nice. In 2000 I went to a qualifyer in Edmonton between Canada and Trinidad and Tobago. Leading up to the game, we allowed the visitors to train on the pitch. Our team was forced to train on a bumpy high school field.

10) Refs. Might not believe this one, but Canada gets fucked by the refs more than any team, club or country, that I have ever seen. We always get some twat from El Salvador or whatever and they fuck us. I doubt anyone here saw it, but Oct. 9, 2004, away to Honduras. Drew 1-1 knocked us out of qualifyers. Canada should have walked off the field the referring was so bad.


What could we do to qualify? Play our games way up north, the coldest, windiest town in Canada. And play on the bumpiest, rockiest field around.
Make life tough for visitors like they do for us. Delay their flights, hold them up at immigration, provide poor accomodations and food, lose their training balls. I won't go as far as throwing piss jugs and batteries at them, but treat them like they treat us. It's impossible to win when we visit Honduras, make it impossible for them to win when they visit us.

 

Canada gets the worst from the refs? Oh, how the rest of the world laughs and laughs and laughs.

But seriously, Canada needs to get their federation in order and take the national team more seriously. Qualifying for the WC isn't out of the question based on talent alone; the issue for now, to me, is simply organization. Once Canada can consistently qualify for the WCs, then talent and development will arise as the priority.

 

My dad the Canadian half of me is not really a soccer fan but is a sports fan in general and formally a sports journalist has long told me of the incompetence of Canadian sports federations and associations, particularly the CSA. He dosen't have alot of knowledge of it, but he seemed under the impression that it was run by crusty old british types who refuse to change how they do anything and hold ridiculous grudges against players and others. Don't know if thats the case or still is. Either way incompetent they are.

That said, the other CONCACF federations don't exactly look to be model examples. Look at T&T at this point! Hopefully they can pull it together, Canada are underachieving if they're not in the running for a spot.