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    Guest
    Overall it wasn't the best year for Canadian club teams.
    Vancouver made the MLS playoffs, but it's hard to ignore the second half crash.
    Montreal was OK, but as an expansion side it always was going to be a struggle.
    Edmonton may have been the club that under performed the worst based on pre-season expectations.
    And, well, Toronto FC.
    However, there were some strong goals from all four sides. See our pick for the best below the jump and tell us which one should be named the overall club goal of the year.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Edmonton (goal at 2:10) - Shaun Saiko
    We asked the11.ca's Steven Sandor for his thought on the Eddies goal of the year -- he should know as the club's play-by-play voice he saw them all. His pick was a 25-yard rocket by the best skill player playing in Canada that most Canadian fans aren't aware of -- Shaun Saiko. The goal is at 2:10 of the video.


    Montreal Impact - Sanna Nyassi v NER
    It's rare you see an end to end run resulting in a goal. When a nutmeg is thrown in for good measure...it's a goal for the ages.


    Vancouver Whitecaps - Darren Mattocks v TFC
    The incredible athleticism shown makes one speechless – although TFC defended as well as a typical u5 team at times last year there wasn’t much they could have done here...


    Toronto FC -- Terry Dunfield v Vancouver
    ...except score seconds later
    In a middle of a season of crud Dunfield's goal reminded TFC fans of the joy that this sport can provide. Sure, there were prettier goals scored by the Reds, but none felt as good as Dunfield's extra time winner against the Caps -- made especially sweet coming seconds after the Caps players celebrated their tying goal directly in front of the TFC supporter's groups.
    Watch Dunfield's goal here.
    Guest
    On today's edition of Checking In With CanWNT, we've got defender Candace Chapman. The 29-year-old from Ajax, Ont. tells us about her decade-long journey with the national team, the importance of psychological preparation ahead of the Olympics, and the "yin and yang" element of playing in the centre of defence.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It's been a few months since the Olympics; has it all fully sunk in yet?
    I think it's always going to be special when I think about it, especially accomplishing that with a lot of the players I grew up playing with from the U19 days. It was like accomplishing something special with, pretty much, your family.
    Does having been through some of the tougher times with the team and alongside some of those players allow you to enjoy a high point like this even more?
    Oh, for sure. I remember when I started with the team, we were losing games 14-0. You see the quality of soccer just keep improving and to actually win an Olympic medal is something I'm really proud of, for the team.
    What have you been up to since the Olympics ended?
    There's been a lot of interviews, a lot of appearances. I was back in the U.S. for a little bit, now I'm back here for a couple months (in Ajax), trying to put together a couple programs for young soccer players, and also a program where I go to the elementary schools and talk about achievement. That's what I've been doing. And training.
    Is that something you find an important part of your role as an athlete, interacting with young players and passing on lessons?
    Yeah, and I think especially now that I've been getting older, it's just become a passion of mine to give back in that way.
    So the programs you're getting into would be in Ajax, then?
    It would start with a couple clubs in Ajax and then hopefully become bigger. But for now there's still the professional league in the U.S. and also playing for Canada, so I can't create something where I won't have time for it. But I want to do something when I can.
    One of your teammates said that coming into the Olympics, she felt the team had never been more prepared than you were going into the London Olympics. Would you agree with that?
    Yeah, I definitely agree with that. It was just a different culture, a different atmosphere than we've ever had with the team, and it's all due to John (Herdman's) work ethic, John's philosophy as a coach. Some of the stuff he did, we've never done before. The intensity of our meetings, the type of information that we're receiving each day before and after practice, the type of film breakdown that we were getting, and also the type of involvement that these players had on the programs and on our training and our personal reflection from each game.
    John spoke throughout the year about working on the psychological aspect of the game, in terms of turning the team around from the aftermath at Germany 2011 and bringing the team back to a point where they felt confident and ready to perform in London. Did you feel that was a big part of the prep, and a useful part?
    Oh, definitely. I think he understood exactly where we were, and also exactly where we needed to be. He did an amazing job breaking that down into achievable steps.
    This was your second Olympic experience. Personally, did you have a different mindset or approach coming into London, in terms of what needed to be done?
    In Beijing, we were all first-timers there, and I think there was a lot of nostalgia, a lot of "wow, we're at the Olympics." Of course we knew we had a job to do, but comparing that to this Olympics, where every day, before practice, when we're about to do film, there's a picture of an Olympic medal as a screensaver... it was just a completely different mindset where, we're going to the Olympics but we have a goal in mind and every single day, for months and months, it was right in our face.
    So do you now have a screensaver that has your Olympic medal on it?
    (laughs) No, I have a different screensaver... But it's always about improving, being proud of what you've accomplished but not settling for "this is it". You're always trying to become better, and clearly we can become better. A bronze medal is just amazing, but there's always that reaching for something better for the team, and also for us as individuals on the team, improving our game.
    In London, you had to leave the first game against Japan with an injury. What was going through your head at that moment; did you try to shake off the medical staff and keep going?
    I knew I couldn't keep going. I felt my calf and it kinda tore, and I couldn't run anymore, and if I can't run anymore I'm not going to stay on the field. When I went back to the locker room it was pretty devastating for me and for my teammates, the look on their faces, especially after the loss against Japan. I remember the game was still going on, and Brittany Timko went back there with me. She's been there since the beginning, and it was really hard for both of us.
    But that's what's so great about our team now, it's not just me. Even though I had to work really hard to get ready for the U.S. game and actually get into the last game, it was always a focus on us, and what we could accomplish and what we're going to accomplish. It's not just two weeks, it's months and months, and years and years. Especially for the girls who were alternates and came on and actually started to play when a couple of us got hurt. And the girls who sat on the bench. They're not substitutes.
    It was just such an amazing culture that John brought to the team. Of course you want to play, because you're competitive and that's what brought you to the next level, but it's just a family, and we wanted to accomplish something great together.
    It was remarkable to see some of those players who were able to step into those roles -- Marie-Eve, Robyn and Lauren stepping in or playing new positions. Were you giving Robyn and Lauren some tips of the trade in the centre of defence in that tournament?
    Oh yeah. Every day I was there telling them great job or telling them what I saw. I didn't withdraw myself at all. I couldn't be on the field, but I was there mentally, ready to help out in any way I could.
    Carmelina Moscato said when Lauren stepped in at centreback, she yelled a lot of things at her that she didn't mean. When it came to helping Lauren and Robyn adjust to centreback, was it a bit of a "good cop, bad cop" thing with you and Carm?
    (laughs) No no, not at all. Carm's just totally intense, it's nothing like "good cop, bad cop". She's just an intense person. When you play alongside each other it's more like yin and yang. I'm really calm and she can be really intense. It's just her personality and that's just my personality, and we work differently in terms of talking to players around us during the game.
    You've been involved in WPS for a few years so it must have been disappointing to hear that it was ceasing operations. But what about the new professional league, are you hoping to be involved in that?
    Yeah, for sure, I'd like to be involved again. I love playing soccer. I'm really fortunate to be able to do that as a career. Hopefully I get picked up again.
    You mentioned playing in the U19 Championships back in 2002 with some of the players that are still on the team with you; now we're looking ahead to the 2015 Women's World Cup. It would kind of be perfect symmetry for you to compete at both of those tournaments. Are you looking that far down the road, or are you taking things as they come?
    Of course that's in my mind. What an amazing opportunity that would be. That would be it for me for Canada, though, if I made it to that. But right now I'm just trying to take it one step at a time and make myself as prepared as I can for each camp and each tournament that comes our way.
    I think what's so great about John is that he's trying to develop future players, and also the expectations that are on current players, it's about never settling. The type of training environment that he's created is really intense and it's going to be great for players coming in, and it's really going to test players who are there. So I'm excited about 2015, but I think looking that far ahead would be a mistake. I need to prepare myself for each camp and each tournament right now.
    You talk about John's impact and focusing on the youth in the system. He's been meeting with the U20 and U17 head coaches to formulate a plan going forward for the program. How important is that, having that sense of consistency between the senior team and the youth teams?
    It's extremely important, especially with the system we play, the way we play, the way we train... if it wasn't consistent, it would be a really big jump to go from a youth team to the way that we train as a senior team now. So I think having that consistency is a definite benefit for players moving up through the system.
    The news just came out (Nov. 29), that the finalists have been announced for the FIFA year-end awards, and Christine wasn't in the top three for players and John wasn't in the top three for coaches.
    (incredulous laughter)
    What do you think of them not being recognized?
    ... nothing surprises me anymore.
    Looking back at 2012, if you could sum everything up, what would you say?
    It's just a remarkable journey where individuals really became a team.
    .
    Guest
    Famously Sigmund Freud was said to have said that ‘Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.’ The meaning being that you can occasionally get caught up in trying to find hidden meaning in something and miss what’s plainly obvious.
    That’s the case with the 2012 World Performance of the Year. There really could only ever be one winner.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Lionel Messi.
    The man has scored 91 goals in 2012.
    Ninety-one goals.
    That’s astounding.
    Debate about his place amongst the greatest players in history will continue forever (as those kind of debates go), but few can deny that this was a special year for a special player.
    A player that is only just 25 years old -- he’s just now entering his peak years. We all should rejoice that we are football fans living while he is playing. Few, if any, have ever put the ball in the back of the net as well as he does.
    Words don’t really do him justice, of course. So, sit back and watch.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qXrltgfrrqw
    Guest
    On today's edition of Checking In With CanWNT, we've got defender Lauren Sesselmann. The 29-year-old, originally from Marshfield, Wisconsin, tells us about how she ended up with the Canadian team (and how she fit in), the importance of versatility in the modern game, her aspirations as an actress and which CFL team she might consider supporting.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    What have you been up to since the Olympics ended?
    I am in Green Bay, Wisconsin, that's where my family lives. I've been here the last couple of months. I was coaching at UWGB, the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, the D1 school here. I was helping out there as an assistant. I've been doing private lessons and just training. And I've also been doing a little bit of acting.
    Stage acting? Screen acting?
    Screen, film. I'll be in my first film coming up here in a few months.
    What kind of movie is it? What kind of role do you have?
    I'll be the main lead, and it's like a horror-drama type thriller movie. Yeah, we're just getting everything put together for it, and I'm going to be doing it when I have a couple weeks off in between January and February, between tournaments. So, trying something different, something fun.
    Is that something you'd aspired to do for a while, or is it a situation that just came up?
    It's kind of something I've gotten into in the last two years. I met the producer that has taken the movie on, it was her production company. I met her through soccer, she's a huge soccer fan. We got to talking, I've done a few things here and there with her. It's just something fun to do. I've always been into musicals and stuff like that. It's something I'm interested in, but soccer is definitely the #1 thing right now, but maybe that will take me somewhere after soccer is over.
    If they make a sequel to Bend It Like Beckham, I'd imagine you'd be getting a call from the casting director, then?
    (laughs) You know, I would definitely love to do that.
    Do you have any role models within the world of acting?
    I wouldn't say people I look up to, though I did have the chance to meet Susan Sarandon a couple of months ago when we were in Toronto. We were there for the men's game (World Cup qualifier), and we went out one night and had the chance to meet her, and I just think she's incredible. I've watched all her movies. Just seeing people act on screen, that is not an easy job. It's a lot of work to perform, and I think it's just kind of cool to see, and it's an inspiration to see people become different characters on screen.
    Going to the Olympic Games -- if someone had said to you, five years ago, that you'd one day be an Olympic medalist, and an Olympic medalist for Canada, what would you have said?
    You know, I probably would have been like, "Yeah, I will be there!" but probably also would have laughed. It's something I've always aspired to, something I've always dreamed about since I was a little girl, but I never knew as I was getting older if it was going to become a reality. I actually reached out to Canada, probably about four years ago, when Carolina (Morace) was the coach. I was playing in WPS and I said, "Hey, I'd like to play for you guys some day, here's some footage and can you watch me, keep an eye on me?"
    I didn't really know if maybe I fit the U.S. or Canada. I grew up watching both of them. My father was born there, and I loved the girls on the team and everything. When the opportunity came after a few years, when John (Herdman) came into the picture and he was looking for new talent, the opportunity came at the age of 28. I started late, but it's everything I've dreamed about.
    The team seems like a very tight-knit group. You came into the team in late 2011, having not previously played for Canada. What was it like coming into that locker room, and trying to become part of that unit?
    I was really nervous going into my first camp, when we were doing the USA camp. I didn't know what to expect. I had played against a couple of the girls in the professional league and in college. I didn't really know how they were going to accept me. ... I know there's a lot of girls who live in America, there's another American on the team but she's lived in Canada for many years. So I didn't know what they were going to think.
    But since Day 1, they accepted me right away. It was awesome. They didn't treat me like an outsider at all. They were like, "What can you bring to the table? You're going to help us make a better team." So I was very happy and I made a lot of new friends and we became very close, so I'm very lucky.
    Was there any sort of test of your "Canadian-ness"?
    I would have to say Karina LeBlanc, she asked me a lot of questions. But they also helped me, they taught me a lot, just so if anybody asked, I would be very Canadian. I would know the answers to everything. I got teased a lot about the national anthem, but little did they know that I did know it. But they liked to tease me about that kind of stuff.
    So you've got all the words to O Canada down pat now?
    Oh yeah, down pat. I'm good to go. Yep. You put me on the spot and I'll know it.
    You were a striker early in your career but you were converted to a fullback, and that seems to fit into John Herdman's system. He likes to have fullbacks that get involved in the attack. Did having a skill set that fit into the team's system also help you adjust and find your spot?
    Yeah, when I was going into camp I had no idea what to expect. I told them I'd been a forward, in college I was a forward, in the pro league I played pretty much anywhere. I didn't know what he wanted, but he said, "I want a left back, because we don't have a lot of left-footers on this team." And I'm like, "I'll try it; I've never done it, but I'll try it." I just started working on it, doing extra training on the side to really understand the position.
    It seems to be the new thing that a lot of people, especially on the U.S. team, they've done it too, converting forwards into fullbacks. It's kind of the new generation type of fullback, being able to get more into the attack. Look at Kelley O'Hara, she's played amazing at left back after being a forward her whole life.
    It's been crazy, because I had to step into the centreback role in the Olympics, I was so nervous because I've never played there before. It's kind of nice to be able to play different positions because then I know John can use me wherever he needs to.
    When I spoke to Carmelina Moscato, she said that situation was all about players doing what was necessary for the team, and she also said she yelled a lot of things at you that she didn't really mean. Was that what it was about, looking at the players around you and saying "We've just got to get this done, one way or another"?
    I always told myself, go into things with an open mind. Wherever someone wants to play you, you put everything you can into that position. When I found out, the day before, that I was the one that was going to step into that role, I was extremely nervous. A couple months prior to that, he tried me at centreback and I just wasn't grasping the position, I wasn't doing well. So I went back on the left.
    So when he said, "you're going to play centreback", I was like, gosh, I really need to get that confidence up. Being with Carm, being with Chappie and Emily, they were there 100% to support me, and to help me with anything. Even the fullbacks that surrounded me, were always talking to me. Erin and Karina back there, it's amazing the support system you have. I spent endless amounts of time with Carm, going over footage and trying to take in anything I could before stepping on the field.
    Is it fair to say, then, that versatility is one of the best traits for a player to have in the women's game?
    Yeah, definitely. I train a lot of kids, especially around the area here, and I always tell them it's good to play different positions. It's funny because I actually think that maybe I could have been a defender my whole life, maybe I fit in better there. But it's so good because a coach never really knows what they need or what they want. My physical strength helped me in my role as a defender, and I think that's why John wanted me to play defence. So I think that vesatility in huge and I try to instil that in the players I coach.
    It's just like acting, in a way -- you need to show you can play a number of different roles and not get typecast.
    Exactly.
    So stepping out on the field in the semifinal, with Canada on one side of the field, the U.S. on the other. How did that feel, psychologically, to you, with Canada and the U.S. facing off in a game of that magnitude?
    It was awesome. We played them a couple times throughout the year leading up to that point. You know it's always going to be a good game when we play them. I think this team has come together so much this past year and has grown so much that when you go out there against the U.S. you think, "we can beat them, we're just as good as them, we're just as good as the #1 team." I love being able to play against people I've played with, I've played against or were inspiring to me as I grew up. I always think it's such a good game when we play the U.S., people always look forward to us playing each other.
    But I love playing for Canada, I love the team and I love where this team is headed. So I'm extremely happy to be a part of it.
    Are you already looking ahead to the 2015 Women's World Cup being played on Canadian soil?
    Oh yes. I think it's going to be phenomenal, especially for my family who lived in Canada for many years, my dad grew up there. It's a part of him and it's a part of me now. I've grown to love all the fans we have up there. You just want to do so well for the country, and to have the World Cup there is amazing.
    I have so many friends, Americans, who are already like, "we want to see you up there, cheering you on, Canada is our new team we're rooting for." I think people really fell in love with our team over the Olympics. So I think that 2015 is something I have my sights on. Hopefully I stay healthy. We'll see what happens, but that is definitely my goal.
    The fates of the U.S. and Canada are very closely linked, as we saw the folding of WPS early in 2012, but now there seems to be hope again with the launch of the new domestic league. How important is it for players to have that domestic option in North America?
    The last couple years, the WPS was the best league in the world for people to come in and play with and against the best. It's going to be a great stepping stone to get, especially, more Canadians in it and more Mexican national team players as well. It's going to be great for the future of soccer.
    To have 16 girls being able to come and play in the strongest league will help us individually to become much stronger and more competitive in the international play. It's amazing, and I'm looking forward to it. It's great for all of us to be role models for the new generation, so I hope it all works.
    You've got to be a Green Bay Packers fan, right?
    Ooooooh yeah, I own part of the team! We're the only team that the whole city owns.
    There's a team in the CFL with a similar setup, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, they're publicly owned too.
    Oh yeah.
    So, you're fully Canadian now, you've got to have a CFL team. Do you think you might support the Roughriders since they're publicly owned too?
    Ummm, yeah, I guess I would. I've watched a couple of their games. Somebody I went to college with plays for them. I still can't get over the fact they have goalposts in the middle of the end zone, but I still like watching the CFL. But I still love my Packers.
    Looking back at 2012, if you had to try to sum up the year, what would you say?
    It's been an amazing ride, that would be the best statement to describe it. We've won three medals in the last, what, eight months. It's crazy. That's the most medals Canada has won. I think it's been an amazing ride and I look forward to the future of this program.
    So that amazing ride will continue for the Canadian team, you think?
    That is definitely a hope. The bronze medal is the most surreal thing ever, and once you have a taste of it, you want more. So we hope to do even better next time.
    .
    Guest
    Everyone has his or her own idea of what it means to be Canadian. However, there are some similarities to how Canadians view themselves that can be seem in the sports heroes we gravitate towards.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

    We typically like players that play with a little edge (Being polite all day leads to a lot of pent up aggression)
    We want our players to play by unspoken codes of good sportsmanship (no divers or whiners allowed)
    BUT we’re OK if our players lose it and lash out physically at opponents (blame Don Cherry)
    Given the choice between lunch bucket hard workers that bleed for the cause and highly skilled players that lack some ill-defined sense of passion we pick the plumber every single time (often irrationally).

    Basically we want all of our athletes to be third line left-wingers for the Calgary Flames. Even our gymnasts (Kyle Shewfelt won a gold medal in Athens, but he gained Canadians respect for competing in Beijing 11-months after breaking his leg) and rowers (See Laumann, Silken: Rowing bronze medals) must meet that criteria to be truly loved. We're an odd bunch. Must be the cold.
    In Canadian soccer there has never been a better example of a player that exemplified all of those attributes than the captain of our 1986 World Cup side, Bruce Wilson.
    So, we have re-named the What if Soccer was Played on Ice Award the Bruce Wilson Award.
    After watching the Canadian men’s national team lose 8-1 in Honduras we’ve never needed another Wilson more. Luckily we have one on the female side of the equation in Melissa Tancredi
    Tanc bleeds (figuratively and, sometimes, literally) for the Maple Leaf. She was the glue to the bronze medal team and she
    (which is a bit of a Canadian fantasy, actually).Like last year the runner-up was Terry Dunfield (and one year Dunfield will win this thing), but in 2012 it was no-brainer.
    Whereas Christine Sinclair is a national treasure, with skills that we can only dream of ever having, Tancredi is one of us – someone you’d have a beer with while watching the game.
    And, for that, we raise our glass of Labatts 50 up and toast her: Don’t change Tanc (and Carli Lloyd probably deserved it – not that we’re admitting anything)
    Guest

    Timewasting: A Caps Christmas

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    Merry Christmas from all at AFTN.
    Santa Steve Pandher has been very busy putting together this special Whitecaps Christmas video for everyone with the help of <a href="http://www.jibjab.com/holidays" target="_blank">Jib Jab</a> and of course his special worker elves of Gershon Koffie, Young-Pyo Lee, Darren Mattocks, Russell Teibert and Matt Watson.
    Enjoy some #FestiveFun everyone.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]


    <p>
    Guest
    The competition for the Villain of the Year was a two-villain race. In the end, it came down to which of the two individuals had a bigger pan-Canadian impact, which is why the worthy second place finisher has to settle for the runner-up spot.
    However, his strong regional appeal has forced us to also recognize the silver medal winner in the Villain of the Year category …
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Paul Mariner.
    HOOFBALL! SHORTS!! OBSCENE GESTURES!!!
    In Toronto there is no greater villain than Mariner. Amongst his many detractors he is blamed for pretty much everything wrong with Toronro FC (and that’s a long list). The act of simply not blaming Mariner for something is viewed as supporting him and runs the risk of getting you shouted down.
    He’s said to be tactically inflexible and outdated, to be ruining the TFC Academy by moving it away from the Ajax-influenced system set-up by Aron Winter, of hating fans and challenging them to fist fights, manipulating Winter’s firing to his own advantage, squeezing out Canadian players and for the lack of a white Christmas in Toronto.
    He also, indisputably, lost a lot of football games. That, more than any other thing, is the biggest factor in the hatred directed at him.
    But, as many non-Torontonians like to point out, Toronto is not Canada and Mariner isn’t viewed in the same way outside of the 416 area code.
    However, everyone from coast to coast to coast of this peaceful and loving nation wanted to string Christina Pedersen up by her ankles and let the wolves eat her following the Olympic semi-final against the United States.
    And, you’re right…I might be understating the hatred Canadians had for her.
    The Norwegian referee is a swear word in Canada still. In the long and infamous history of crap calls that go against Canada, Peterson’s u-5 worthy, 6-second violation call tops the list. And, that’s even if the US had not scored off a penalty that came off another borderline call she made off the free kick that shouldn’t have been given in the first place.
    Good, God how does a referee at the bloody Olympics make that call???
    Sorry, lost my ability to be objective for a moment there. Pedersen did that to everyone in 2012.
    Hell, she’s even more hated than Paul Mariner. And, that's saying something.
    Guest
    An eventful 2012 is nearly over. There’s been highs, there’s been lows, successes and failures, and generally the feeling that the Whitecaps have something good to build on even further in 2013.
    Pierce Lang and myself are joined once again by AFTN writer <b>Steve Pandher</b> to pick over the bones of this year in part two of our three part podding extravaganza.
    This episode we take a look back at the months of May to August, when the Whitecaps good start started to slowly become a distant memory, there was more Voyageurs Cup failure and Martin Rennie’s squad merry-go-round was in full effect.
    With this being our last show before Christmas we also look at some Crimbo related football songs and finish off with a nice festive ditty from the only rock band to feature a former East Fife player as their lead singer – that we know of anyway!
    Have a listen and Merry Christmas everyone.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    You can listen to this week's podcast (and the previous ones) on iTunes <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/westcoastsoccerweekly/id491781299" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a> or download it for your later listening delight <a href="http://westcoastsoccerweekly.podbean.com/" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a> or have a listen below.
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    Guest
    On today's edition of Checking In With CanWNT, we've got central defender Emily Zurrer. The 25-year-old from Crofton, B.C. tells us about battling through the "toughest" year of her career (and what she's learned from it), the importance of playing on home soil and, of course, froyo and waffles.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    So, you've had a few months to think about it... "Emily Zurrer, Olympic medalist." How does that feel? Has it fully sunk in?
    Not quite, say it a few more times... Just kidding. No, I think it has and it hasn't. I mean, sometimes I forget the enormity of it all until I am reminded of it when I look into a young kids fascinated eyes or shake the hands of an adoring fan. It's still crazy to me. To hold the medal and think that we actually went through all of what we went through and achieved our childhood dream is insanely awesome, and still a bit hard to believe.
    We've heard that you've been hard at work preparing your new business, Sweet Ride Fro-Yo, a frozen yogurt and waffle truck in the Vancouver area. Could you tell us a little bit about that?
    I have been dreaming about starting my own business since I started my first lemonade stand and wrote my own neighborhood newspaper as a kid. True story, it was called the Shiny Times Newspaper -- I was the journalist, writer, editor, illustrator and deliverer, with my little sister Annie tagging along at times. I think there were about four or five editions. Selenia (Iacchelli) and I have been great friends since we first started playing for Canada at age 15, and have been dreaming up ways to make money together outside of soccer pretty much since then.
    We came up with the idea this summer after London when Selenia was visiting Vancouver, and based on the growing popularity of food trucks in Vancouver and the consistent love of frozen yogurt in general, we knew it could be successful. Not only that, it was perfect for us because of the flexibility -- we could easily work it around our soccer schedule. The waffles were added to the idea a bit later because we need something that would sustain us through the colder months and that would also pair well with the froyo.
    I happened to be taking an entrepreneurship course online through Athabasca University at the time, and my final project was to write a business plan for a hypothetical business. It was actually perfect timing, as I wrote the plan for Sweet Ride, and then afterwards we used it to apply for a loan and mentorship program through the Canadian Youth Business Foundation. We ended up getting the loan, and at that point it became pretty real. It's been moving along fairly quickly since then (we just bought our truck!) and the support from everyone in the soccer world has been pretty amazing.
    Aside from Sweet Ride, what else have you been up to since the Olympics?
    Oh man. We had no idea that things were so crazy back home until we touched down on Canadian soil. We had heard things from family members and got a small gist of it on social media, but I can honestly say that we were genuinely shocked when we landed and were greeted by hundreds of screaming fans. It was awesome. I figured that most of the excitement would have died down by now, but people still stop us on the streets and at different events to tell us their own personal Olympic stories, and most commonly about how mad they were after the US game. (laughs)
    So since London, we have been lucky enough to attend a ton of events and appearances around the country. One of the best parts about the whole London experience is coming home and sharing in the excitement with everyone. It's really cool to be able to inspire young kids by sharing the medal and our story -- definitely one of my favourite things to come out of the London journey. Other than doing appearances, I have been rehabbing, training and coaching in Vancouver.
    Let's go back to the beginning of the year. You were left off the roster at the Olympic qualifying tournament, but worked your way back onto the roster for the Olympic Games. How did it feel to work your way from what must have been a low back up to a high point?
    This year for me, personally, has been the toughest of my career yet, but it has also been the most rewarding. After being left of the roster of an Olympic qualifying tournament that was being played in my hometown, I was devastated. But I realized I had two options: I could either let that situation break me, or I could use it to motivate me even more to work harder than I ever had before in order to prove myself to the coach and make the roster for London.
    I also realized that I had a great opportunity to set an example for young athletes who might be going through the same thing, albeit on a smaller scale and with less media attention. I think it's cool for kids to see that elite athletes go through challenges and setbacks too, but it's how you deal with those setbacks and challenges that will define your success as a player and person.
    You went with the team to London, but an injury unfortunately kept you off the field during the tournament. How did it feel to be in that situation, especially as you saw several of your fellow defenders also go down to injury?
    It killed me to not be on the field fighting with my teammates. Especially when Chaps and Robyn went down, I pushed even harder to make it back for our second game, and that's when I tore the hammy again. Looking back now at how long it's taken to rehab and recover, the chances of getting back to close to 100% in that short a period of time were probably slim to none. It was an emotional roller coaster for sure, but just one of many that my team overcame.
    Definitely an enormous disappointment for me not to be on the field, but it really was all part of our Olympic journey, and the feeling of winning a medal with my team overcomes any of the heartache I felt for not being able to play. This medal represents more than just two weeks -- it is the reward for years of dedication, sacrifice, resiliency and teamwork.
    With London being your second Olympic Games with the national team, how were things different the second time around? Were you able to enjoy the overall experience a bit more, or was there even more pressure?
    During my first Olympics I had to pinch myself every so often to make sure it was real. We played against China, the host country, in our second game in front of 60,000 people, and at that time it was by far the most I had ever played in front of. I was nervous but I loved every second of it.
    The second time around I think we were less distracted by the magnitude of the Olympic Games and the many distractions that come with it. We were completely focused on making it to the podium and that was it. I think it helped too that for most of the time we were playing in pretty remote areas outside of the village. We were able to completely focus on the task at hand without being preoccupied with the enormity of it all. Even so, when you walk into the stadium and see the Olympic rings that same euphoric feeling rushes through you. I doubt that will ever change.
    As for pressure, I think we felt it a little bit less than we had before the World Cup because I think people had less expectations of us after we bombed that tournament. While the support for CONCACAF was awesome, I think a good chunk of fans wrote us off after our poor showing in Germany. Luckily we proved them wrong.
    How did you feel when the new North American professional league was made official? Is it something you'd like to be a part of?
    I think it will be huge for women's soccer to have a league in North America and a great opportunity for a lot of the CanWNT to be in the same pro environment. I have played overseas a few times, and loved both of those experiences for a variety of reasons, but there is nothing more that myself and most of my teammates would like than to be able to play at home in front of our own families, friends and fans.
    While the U.S. isn't exactly Canada, it is definitely a step in the right direction and hopefully Canadian teams will join in the near future. It is really good to have the support of the CSA, and the fact that US Soccer and the CSA are working together I believe will only strengthen the league and make the potential for future Canadian teams that much stronger.
    As someone who's gone overseas to play, how important do you feel it is for players to have a domestic option in North America?
    Like I said before, it would be huge for us to be able to play at home in North America instead of having to pack our bags and go overseas every year. I think it's really important for the fans as well. It's harder to stay connected and excited about our team when we only play in big tournaments on TV every four years, or play a game at home once a year. We want to be at home playing in front of our fans! If this league is sustainable, and Canadian teams can join, that would be a dream come true.
    Given how riveted the country was with the team's performance in London, how excited and motivated are you about the prospect of playing in a World Cup on Canadian soil in 2015?
    More excited than a five-year-old on Christmas morning. The chance to play in a World Cup in your home country is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I think now we are more motivated than ever. We want to bring a gold medal to Canada and the fact that we have a chance to do it IN Canada is that much more motivating. The way the country reacted to our bronze medal run has been amazing, and we can only hope that that support and excitement carries on to 2015.
    The fact that people are still stopping us in the street to say congratulations and tell us their stories of where they were when they were watching our games in London is a good sign. I would love nothing more than to put on the jersey at home in 2015.
    If 2012 has taught you one lesson -- about soccer, or about anything -- what would you say it is?
    Oh wow, 2012 has taught me so many lessons! If there was ever a year for growth for me this would be it. It was a year full of ups and downs, but I learned and grew more this year than any other year in my life. I learned that the most important thing in life is not about the amount of trophies you win or the colour of your medal, but it's about the relationships you make and the way you carry yourself during tough times. Also to always stand up for what you believe in. At the end of the day I'd much rather be remembered for the type of person I am than any of my on-field accomplishments.
    Saying that, there is no greater feeling than being able to overcome an obstacle and achieve your dreams. I was able to do that a few times this past year, and our team did it many times. Coming from a dead last place finish in the World Cup last year to an Olympic podium finish is pretty special and made the medal that much more rewarding. If you work hard and never give up, anything is possible!
    And if you, at this point in your career, could impart one lesson to an aspiring young player, what would it be?
    Never let anything or anyone stand in your way. If you work hard and have a relentless belief in yourself through both good times and bad, anything is possible. Never give up!
    If you could sum up 2012, from a soccer perspective, in 10 words or less, what would those words be?
    The toughest and most rewarding year of my entire life.
    .
    Guest

    2012 Canadian Soccer News Awards: Preview

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Right from the Blogger.com days of the 24th Minute, I have been giving out year end awards to honour the best in Canadian soccer. At the start it was just me giving my opinion, but since 2010 those awards have evolved into a collective discussion amongst the writers at CSN.
    As December rolls around each year, we start the debate -- generally over email, occasionally over pints -- that leads to the awards being "handed out" in the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.
    The awards have evolved a little since 2008, but they have remained mostly the same. They are:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Villain of the year: The person that most made Canadian soccer fans lose their mind during the previous calendar year. The award does not have to go to a Canadian. Last year the award went to Tom Soehn.
    The Bruce Wilson Award (formally the what if soccer were played on ice award): The award recognizes that as Canadians we value certain aspects and characteristics in our players -- things that make us relate to them. Those values might be different for every person, but it's interesting that each year the CSN writers generally come up with the same nominee. The award is being re-named to reflect the man who most resembles what we're talking about (and if you're old enough to remember Wilson play you'll instantly understand what that means). Last year's winner was Eduardo Sebrango.
    The World Performance of the year: Canadian soccer does not exist in a vacuum. Therefore we take a moment to reflect on the individual that has had the biggest impact on the game worldwide. Last year's winner was collectively FC Barcelona.
    The Canadian club goals of the year: Pretty straight forward. What were the best goals (we try and balance aesthetic value and the importance of the goal) of each of the Voyageurs Cup eligible teams in 2012. Last year's winners were Shaun Saiko, Ali Gerba, Eric Hassli and Joao Plata.
    The Canadian team of the year: Goes to the national team (senior or youth) or club team (based in Canada) that was judged to have the best overall season. Last year's winner as the Canadian men's u-17 team.
    The Canadian goal of the year: The best by a Canadian playing anywhere in the world. Like the club goals we try and balance aesthetic value and the importance of the goal. Last year's winner was Christine Sinclair.
    The Canadian player of the year: Goes to the Canadian player that had the best overall year (we try and balance club and country). Last year's winner was Dwayne de Rosario.
    The Person of the Year: This is the big one. The person deemed to have the biggest positive impact on Canadian soccer over the calendar year -- it can be a player, but it isn't necessarily going to be one (their influence must extend beyond the playing surface in a significant way). Last year's winner was Jason deVos.
    Let us know in the comments who your picks are and come back on Boxing Day to find out who was the Villain of the Year.

    Guest
    On today's edition of Checking In With CanWNT, we've got central defender Carmelina Moscato. The 28-year-old from Mississauga tells us about her whirlwind few months since London, her burgeoning coaching career and her thoughts on the Canadian program's future, and whether she's been able to successfully use an imposing, Brazilian-style single name on the field.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    So, what have you been up to since the Olympics ended?
    Well basically, we arrived home Aug. 13; I remember that because it was a significant date, it was weird to wake up in your own bed after everything that had just happened. I was actually scheduled to come to the University of Wisconsin, because I had accepted the assistant coaching position a couple months prior. So I was going to leave on the 15th, believe it or not, of August, right away. No idea how I thought I could pull that off. But something interjected: my visa actually wasn't approved, for some reason. It was just a little glitch in the system. So I had to wait two weeks to get another visa approved.
    I was actually at home, almost a blessing in disguise. Although I wanted to be with the team, I needed the time to unwind. So I was back home for two weeks, enjoying the feeling of the bronze medal with family and friends... and everyone else, really. It really caught on, as we all know. It was amazing to be back in our home country after so long, just celebrating and sharing the experience with everyone.
    On Sept. 2, I packed my car up and drove myself to Madison, Wisconsin, where I've been ever since. I haven't actually left Madison, except for a couple of recruiting trips and the Caymans for an international coaching course. We went into the season, the NCAA season, my third; I coached in 2007 and 2008 with the Louisville Cardinals. We had a relatively successful year, made it to the NCAA tournament, lost to UCLA, a powerhouse.
    Now that all is said and done, after a long -- actually, short season I should say, for me anyway -- just trying to make the decision if I wanted to play still. I was here coaching. I wasn't sure. I had intended, a couple of months prior to the Olympics, to retire. That was my intention. My teammates knew that, (Canadian head coach) John (Herdman) knew that. Then everything else happened: the collective success, the individual playing time. I really hadn't played in any major tournaments in my whole career, believe it or not. But after things had kind of clicked and come together after a long 10 years, it's hard to walk away from a team that I think is only just beginning.
    So for me, as of Oct. 15, we were given our domestic program to do, in preparation for our Four Nations tournament in January. I put my name in the hat and said, yes, I'd like to continue, you have my commitment. That's what I've been doing: training every day, coaching every day, and trying to find some Carm time in between.
    You mentioned a coaching course down in the Cayman Islands. Could you tell us a little more about that?
    CONCACAF has now started to put on a series of courses, this being the first pilot course. It's a partnership with the English FA, meaning we're using the curriculum from the English teaching courses there. They're coming over, and they pick 21 coaches from the Caribbean and then two from Canada, in which they're going to continue with the particular group for another two or three courses in the future.
    It was a foundational level course, Level 1 equivalent in England, and it was basically getting everyone on the same page in terms of how we're coaching grassroots. We touched upon higher level playing, but that wasn't really the purpose of this particular course. I walked away without a certificate or license of any sort, it was strictly educational and people sharing their experiences. People from all walks of life were there, it was honestly a really enlightening and interesting experience.
    Soccer unites us, but we all go about it a bit differently.
    You said there were two Canadians down there -- any chance we would recognize the other one?
    (laughs) I'm pretty sure you would, pretty much a legend, Paul Stalteri. He was the other representative from Canada. It's the first time I've ever met him. Funnily enough, as the women's team we never really interact with the men's national team, there's no opportunity to do that. So it was really cool to touch base with somebody doing the same thing, who's basically done it all, and kind of pick his brain. Funniest guy I've ever met, by the way. Had us in stitches all week.
    It was very enlightening, really refreshing to go back. The instructor's name was Chris Dowhan, and he kind of reminded all of us of the pureness of the game. Sometimes you just have to simplify things and go back to being a kid and what you enjoy.
    You said the Olympics were the first major tournament you got to take part in with the team. How would you describe your first Olympic experience?
    I think that I've never felt -- and I think I'm speaking for the whole group when I say we've never felt more prepared to play soccer on the world's biggest stage. It was a combination of a year's work where we showed up, everything was so intentional. We all had our particular nutrition in order, we knew exactly what we needed to eat, how much, this and that. There was nothing left to the imagination.
    Tactically, I'd received comments from people saying, "Carm, you look so composed." It's the first time in my entire career anyone's told me I looked so composed! It was due to the clarity in the classroom, essentially, that John created where everyone knew our decisions, A, B, C and otherwise. He simplified the game to the extent where it's not like he made the decisions for us, we ultimately always did make those decisions, but the pictures were clear.
    Every team's scouting report that they came and presented to us was spot-on. On the day there was, again, nothing left to the imagination, we knew exactly where every player would be, when and why. To have that kind of confidence not only in your staff, but in everybody knowing their jobs on the pitch, it's incredible. I think the unity -- above all, knowledge aside and preparation aside -- I think the unity that we were able to create, having gone through everything we've gone through in the past 10 years, and knowing that for this particular moment we owed it to ourselves to put it together.
    I think we've come to tournaments in the past maybe physically prepared, maybe mentally prepared, maybe tactically prepared, but never all together. It was truly all a time where I felt we capitalized on peaking as a collective -- the staff, everyone was on board. I've never felt such unity with a group, through good times and bad, and again, that's obviously the reason I'm staying on board. I think there's more.
    He had a year with us, we have another four years. Who's to say what's going to happen in the next four years, but I have faith that if we continue to do the right work, we're going to come out pretty strong.
    You definitely needed to be composed, as you became the rock in central defence during the Olympic tournament. You had three different central defensive partners during the Olympic tournament (due to injuries). How do you keep it all together in circumstances like that?
    Well, I played with Emily (Zurrer) significantly, I played with Chappie (Candace Chapman), I had never played with Robyn (Gayle), and I sure as hell never played with Lauren (Sesselmann). So, you know what it was? I have a nature in me, when you're on that world's biggest stage ... it was to do my job, in and out. We all had known each other's stuff by now, so everybody was quite coachable. So we guided not only John, but we guided each other.
    So I said to Lauren, I may yell at you and I may say things I don't mean afterward, but let's do this. We're going to be women about it and we're going to figure this partnership out. And I really do think because that willingness was there for the team, to do the job that we needed for the team, it wasn't about personnel, it was about what the team needed on the pitch.
    Flash forward to the medal game. Diana's shot hits the back of the net. What's going through your mind at the moment, or is it all a blur?
    I've never felt anything like it. I don't think you could forget that feeling. In the moment, if I have to be honest, it was relief, because I don't think any of us had an overtime in us, physically. (laughs) I'm just kidding, we would have figured it out. But I do think it was complete joy... I don't know if I've experienced joy like that.
    If you've never won -- maybe there's a couple other countries or club teams, if you rack up some gold medals here and there, I'm sure it doesn't feel any different, every gold medal, I'm sure it feels special -- but your first, you never forget your first significant achievement on a world stage.
    Our whole goal, going into the tournament, was two things. We wanted to see our flag rise -- it was symbolic, part of our anthem, see thee rise, and then it was something that was a motto for us. And we all had to rise to the occasion. Being on that podium, regardless of the position, was an emotional moment, to see our flag rise, and that bronze represented that. And the second, probably bigger picture goal, was that we wanted to leave the sport in Canada better than when we found it. I think we played a pretty cool brand of soccer where we accomplished both.
    When you set massive goals like that, and you end up actually achieving them, there's no better feeling in the world -- (especially) to do it with a fantastic group of people.
    Speaking of leaving a lasting impact on the game in Canada, are you already looking ahead to the 2015 Women's World Cup on Canadian soil, and what kind of effect it could have?
    As a player, no. But as somebody who's an advocate for the sport in Canada and for women's soccer in general, yes. As a player you have to take it day by day. There's no doubt that your reality can change on any given day, whether it's your position on the team, your injuries, whatever. The whole reason I feel like I arrived at the Olympics was that every single day I kept it in stride. I tried not to get too high or too low -- I wasn't always successful, but that's what I needed to do to get there.
    In 2009, when (former head coach) Carolina (Morace) brought me to my first camp, if you asked me about being in the Olympics, I would have laughed at you. You never know what's going to happen.
    In terms of the impact of what it's going to do to the sport in North America and Canada, it'll inject a completely new level of passion into the grassroots -- even coaching. I hope coaches get on board and want to get certified and licensed and start teaching this game properly for our future. That's really what it's about. We want a revolving door. We want to have the next (Christine) Sinclair brewing in some little town.
    The top level's great and all, but we need a whole new generation. I'm not saying they're not there, I'm just saying it needs to be consistent. That should be our goal, going into this World Cup. We want to present ourselves properly on home soil, but I also believe in 2019 and so on, there's a huge picture here and we need to get moving as a nation. We need to start producing top players, and I believe we can.
    Is that something you see yourself being personally involved in, helping develop future generations of players in Canada?
    Absolutely. It's something in my heart more so than on a piece of paper as a goal. It's something I have to do, I feel like. I'm here at the moment, circumstantially. But big picture, at the end of the day, absolutely, I want to be home, working with who knows where, what level I'll be working with. Perhaps grassroots, perhaps the youth national team, maybe the full team. You have to set your goals, and I'll just take it in stride. But I'd like to be in Canada, affecting the game domestically, that is ultimately in my heart.
    Given the importance of young players going forward, what are your thoughts on the new North American professional league?
    I wish it the best, and I hope we can sustain it. If you're 18 years old in Canada, and if you don't go to the U.S. or overseas or wherever, whatever opportunity, there's something else for soccer players. Hopefully an education is in that path, and then an opportunity to play. There's been a generation that's slipped through the cracks because they had nowhere to go. This, perhaps, is where they can go, a high level to achieve or shoot for, that makes it all worthwhile at the end of the day.
    You can't be 22, after college, and left with, really, nothing. That happens to more people than we'd like to admit. Hopefully it's sustainable under international rules. Hopefully we'll have one day where it's not just 16 Canadian players in the league. It's a start, and it's a special start, and we'll take it. But you always hope for more opportunities for Canadians in the future.
    Back in March, on the Some Canadian Guys podcast, we were trying to get you to establish a Brazilian-style single name. You came up with Moscatinho, I was lobbying for Moscatidas. Have either of those caught on in 2012?
    (laughs) You know what, I would love to say that I did... but we could make one up right now and say that we did. You said what, Moscatido?
    You were going for Moscatinho.
    Well, Ronaldinho is one of my favourite players, so it makes sense. Let's go with Moscatinho.
    Looking back at 2012, if you could try to sum up the year in 10 words or less, what would you say?
    The game has evolved, and as women, we're continuing to raise the bar.
    .
    Guest
    On today's edition of Checking In With CanWNT, we've got goalkeeper Erin McLeod. The 29-year-old from St. Albert, Alberta tells us about sharing her experience with the next generation, learning about the true importance of teamwork, wearing different hats off the field of play and just what (if anything) the referee told her in that Olympic semifinal.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    What have you been up to since the Olympics?
    I have been doing a lot of appearances for a lot of different organizations and clubs; I've also been doing a lot of corporate speaking engagements. Really awesome. I've been a keynote speaker at a couple of those things. I've been doing a lot of speaking at schools and community centres, soccer clubs, which has been great.
    I've also done a lot of coaching, especially with West Vancouver -- I did a month-and-a-half coaching gig there. I basically coached every single one of the teams once and worked with all the goalkeepers in the club, a couple of times, which was awesome. I also set up a goalkeeper academy while I was there.
    I took a good month off after the Olympics, then I've been training in the gym, and training with a goalkeeper coach based out of Vancouver now... We've just finished our camp, seven-day camp, which involved a lot of baseline fitness testing. Just planning ahead now with the new North American league, being in touch with a lot of those clubs and trying to map out my future for the next couple of years.
    You're also involved in a program called Grass 2 Gold. Can you tell us a little more about that?
    Yeah, it's something that I'm doing with Melissa Tancredi. Basically the whole concept is we're coaching at the grassroots level, within the camp, trying to give them a taste of what it takes to reach the podium level. The camp that we're doing at the end of this month, we're inviting four U-17 national team players in, so it's also like a coaching mentorship program. We bring players in, we give them the drills, help coach them.
    With the kids that we're coaching, with the last three head coaches we've had at the national team, because Melissa and I have both been doing it that long, just (using) the strengths from each coach, a bunch of their drills. We talk about our Olympic journey, about nutrition and recovery, things like speed and agility -- all things that you have access to as a national-team player, but don't always get those resources when you're younger. I think it's important for kids to have that exposure early so they can compete and develop as much as possible.
    It seems there is a strong sense among the national-team players that it's important to share your experience and knowledge with the next generation. Why is that so important to you, personally?
    Growing up, all my role models were male. I was lucky to find pockets of training, really good volunteers and people I had access to. I sought them out. Sometimes people don't know what's out there. We've been with the national team for 10 years now. At this stage we're not like the U.S. or Germany where, when one of their best players retire, they've got someone else to fill their shoes. We're not that fortunate right now, so we have to focus on that development in this country.
    John Herdman said it in this camp: We have the second-highest participation rate in soccer in the world, behind the Americans. If we develop everyone properly, we should be one of the best in the world. That's what we want to pass along. To compete and to do as well as we did, it's addicting; you want to be able to share that with future generations. I think it's important, if we want to keep competing, we have to keep developing our players.
    Canada does have some bright prospects at the goalkeeping position; are you optimistic about the future of the program at that position?
    Oh yeah, definitely. Obviously every goalkeeper wants to start and wants to play for however long. If I didn't think I could make a difference for the next couple of years, then I wouldn't. I'm 29, I'm not a spring chicken anymore. But I know that I'm still getting better, I'm still learning, and I think the future for me looks bright with Canada.
    For a number of years now, the senior national team has had two #1 goalkeepers in yourself and Karina LeBlanc. What's it been like having that relationship with her on the national team?
    It's great. We've always been a pretty tight goalkeeper group. We've pushed each other for years. It is difficult, at times, because only one gets to play. But we've been very supportive of each other -- especially at this Olympics, we made a commitment to one another that we'd try our best to make each other at our top form, come the Olympics. I think it's a pretty cool thing that you can make that kind of commitment to your competition. I've been very fortunate to be able to train with her.
    You got the call for the first game of the Olympics, against the reigning world champions Japan. What was your mindset going into that game?
    I think in the past, I've been a nervous player. This time it was about enjoying it. With John and Simon and the whole coaching staff, I know they're the hardest-working coaching staff in the world, but we also did as much preparation as we could. Literally I've never worked so hard -- not just on the field, but off the field, watching video, going over tactics or small details. When you go into a tournament knowing you've done your homework, you know the other team, you've done everything to prepare physically and mentally, you just have to go out and enjoy it. That's what it's all about.
    Does the fact that this was Canada's second Olympics in women's soccer allow you to relax a bit more?
    It's funny, I actually think at the first Olympics, we didn't have that much pressure. We were just happy that we had a team sport participating. This time it was different. We had a meeting with the Olympic Committee in January right after we qualified; they basically, indirectly, told us we were the "golden girls".
    We were expected, I think, from the beginning to do very well at the Olympics. They put a lot of time and money into our team, so expectations were a lot different, but because we were so well-prepared, I think we felt less pressure going into this game.
    A teammate of yours said she considered the game against Sweden to be the team's most complete performance of the tournament. Would you agree with that assessment?
    For me, I think the U.S. game was the game... I've been on this team for 12 years, and I've never seen some of these players play like that. Against Sweden, we rallied and we didn't give up and we got better and better as the game went on, and we found confidence and belief in ourselves as the game went along. I think that was the beginning, when we started to click, because after that every game was a different class. I can agree that was the game where we started to be really connected.
    You wrote after the Olympics, about the semifinal game against the U.S., "Earlier in my career, I would have been angry with officials, I would have been livid with the competition, I would have been furious with myself." What has changed for you that guided your approach and reaction?
    To put it bluntly -- before this year, I was kind of a selfish player. It was always about me. This year I really bought in, and really wanted to make my commitment about the team first and me second. I felt after that game that everybody on the team knew that I gave it absolutely everything that I had, and that's all you can do. In the past, I wouldn't have included the team, I wouldn't have felt the team's support.
    The fact that after that game nobody blamed me for a second, it just proved that we really were a team -- and as much as I had changed and was behind them, they were 100% behind me as well. In that sense, that's how it was so different. No one looked at Marie-Eve (Nault) after the handball, nobody blamed anyone. I know we were emotional after the game, and we kinda said some things about the refereeing. But the fact that we didn't sell each other out, and didn't blame anyone on our team for a second, it spoke to how we are a team.
    To clear up any lingering confusion for fans -- what, if anything, did the referee say to you prior to that moment in the semifinal?
    The linesman, at half, did say "hurry up your kicks". I assumed she meant goal kicks. Every time I take a goal kick, I set it pretty quickly and I'm ready to go. I never thought that it would be for the ball from my hand, because no one ever gets called for that, right? So the thought didn't even cross my mind.
    I remember one time I was on the ground and I saw her doing the "hurry up" sign, so I hurried up, and then the next time, I got called. I got it from the linesman, I never got any sort of official warning from the head referee. She never carded me or anything. It could have been done differently, but I did also have the ball for longer than six seconds in my hands, so...
    Goalkeepers have a way of seeing the big picture on the field, so perhaps you're the best one to ask: Did you get a sense of just how big the team's Olympic journey was, both for you guys and for the fans back at home?
    You know, first of all, it's kind of like a bubble, you don't really know what's going on in the outside world. We made a pact as a team to ignore social media during the tournament, so we didn't really know how many people were following or watching. I think I got a sense of it after that semifinal game. I remember going back to my hotel room and I had I don't know how many Facebook messages, and my Twitter account went crazy -- not just me, every single person on the team.
    Apparently one in three Canadians saw that game, or parts of that game. It's kind of a hard number to wrap your head around. But coming back and doing speaking engagements across the country, every time I ask who saw the game, everyone puts their hands up. It's been really overwhelming, and really an incredible thing not just for women's soccer but for soccer in general in Canada, that that many people are paying attention.
    Your website is split into the athlete, the speaker and the artist. Do you think it's important for athletes to maintain these separate identities?
    Yeah, definitely. Soccer is what I do, it's not who I am. I definitely think it's important, because as wonderful as playing soccer is, you can only play it for so long. At some point in my life, I'm sure, just like a lot of other players, you want to be known as what you do or are passionate about what you do afterwards.
    I think you have to build on that as well, because as athletes I feel that we have access to a lot of people and resources and education. We're very fortunate in that sense, so I think you take advantage of those opportunities when you're still playing so that when you are done, you have other opportunities.
    You're one of the players still with the national team who took part in the 2002 U19 Women's World Championships on Canadian soil. What would it mean to you to be able to play on home soil again in 2015?
    I think it's an absolute honour and privilege, especially after the support we got in this tournament, to be able to do that in my lifetime. I think the cool thing is that we're actually getting better as a team. To do it on home turf, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so I think we're all really excited about it and just pleased that the CSA has been really behind this, and I hope it has a ripple effect in this country, that we have a stable soccer culture moving forward.
    Looking back at all that's happened in 2012, how would you sum it up?
    The biggest thing I've learned this year is when you put the team first, and you put everything you can into a team, every individual becomes better and stronger and, I think, a better person. You can tell, even now in camp, that we have this bond that we'll have forever. That's what makes a winning team. There's tactics and all those things, but I think because we have that, we're always going to succeed. That's, I think, what I'm most proud of.
    .
    Guest

    Predicting the 16

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    In the next few weeks, John Herdman will start the long process of naming his 2015 World Cup roster.
    It seems absurd, but the naming of the 16 players that will grab one of the desired fully professional roster spots in the National Women's Soccer League is of vital importance to 2015. To select the 16 players, Herdman must project forward and guess what players will be key parts of the team two summers from now.
    It’s not as easy as you might think. Several of the bronze medal-winning players are on the downside of their career and Herdman will face a tough task in deciding which ones will still be valuable on the wrong side of 30. You can almost guarantee that at least one player will be left off that will ruffle feathers and cause fans to question the decision.
    Other factors must be considered. Herdman said that he wanted to both reward past play and project future importance when selecting the players. To that end, some roster spots will be held for younger players – perhaps even some with limited to no caps as of yet.
    However, he also must name players that have a reasonable chance to play significant minutes. The CSA will want to maximize its investment and will not be happy to pay a player to sit on the bench.
    Complicating that will be the fact that Canada has not produced a lot of good young players since the Bronze Generation broke through in 2003. Many of Canada’s better young players still have college eligibility and therefore will likely be left to finish their NCAA career.
    Below the jump we predict what players will get the call.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The sure thing:
    Christine Sinclair (32 in 2015)
    Sinclair will be one of the players the league markets around and will be the face for Canadian soccer for a few more years. She’s probably the only absolute lock to get one of the 16 slots.
    The pretty sure things:
    Kaylyn Kyle (27), Sophie Schmidt (27), Desiree Scott (28)
    All three players have played significant roles in the past and project to be in their peak years in 2015. This represents the core of the World Cup side and it seems highly unlikely they won’t be in the new league.
    If they want to be there:
    Emily Zurrer (28), Erin McLeod (32), Diana Matheson (31), Carmelina Moscato (30)
    All four would be welcome, but all four have options elsewhere. If they want to take the risk of leaving a stable club environment to come “home” to play in a start-up they will likely get a chance.
    No long-term deals:
    Jodi-Ann Robinson (26), Brittany Timko (30)
    Both are part of the scene, but it’s unclear whether they can still be in 2015. A one-year chance to prove themselves at a pro level seems fair, but hard decisions might be needed once some of the more promising college players start to graduate.
    A bit too late?
    Karina LeBlanc (35), Lauren Sesselmann (33), Candace Chapman (33)
    All three can play now. Will they still have the legs in 2015? That’s the type of tough decision Herdman is going to have to make.
    If you’re counting, you’ll note that only 14 players are listed. The other two slots should go to younger players that are yet to fully be on the radar -- or, alternatively, as a legacy “thank-you” to an older player that we know won’t be around (Kelly Parker?) in 2015.
    Herdman will need to have an understanding of what the turn-over will be for those spots. Politically, it might make sense to leave a couple spots available for players like Jonelle Filigno or Chelsea Buckland to use in 2014, rather than giving a slot to a player for a year and then pulling it.
    Regardless, there are some tough choices ahead for Herdman.
    Guest
    On today's edition of Checking In With CanWNT, we've got goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc. The 32-year-old from Maple Ridge, B.C. tells us about spreading the Olympic excitement to as many people as possible, the importance of keeping things light in the locker room, the special responsibilities of being a goalkeeper and who's got the higher vertical leap, her or John Herdman.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It's fitting that you're in an airport as you're speaking to me (Vancouver Airport, Nov. 30), since it seems like you've been all over the place since the Olympics ended. Where are you headed now?
    I'm heading out to Fort Lauderdale, and then I'm going to do a camp in Ottawa and Nova Scotia with Christine Sinclair, Diana Matheson and Rhian Wilkinson. Our goal is to get across the country to do camps around and give kids a chance to meet us and interact, and be coached by us.
    Our goal right now is just to try to get across to as many kids (as possible) and to allow them to just dream big and tell them that we have a medal but we started with a rare dream. In the beginning it was a little different than everyone else, but now we want more girls to have the same dream that we had, to understand the work ethic that it takes and the commitment that it takes.
    It's so rewarding for us, too, to be able to give back and see the reaction from the young girls -- and it's not only the young girls, it's the parents. It's so many different people. I just had a man, in his 50s, I was sitting down at a coffee shop earlier today, and he sat down and he got emotional immediately. He said, "I just want to thank you, you're inspiring so many people." It's not just the kids anymore. It's pretty incredible for us to know this is the level of what it is now. It's unbelievable. We're just living out a dream every day.
    I get the sense you're a person who takes the athlete's status as a role model very seriously. Is that fair to say?
    Absolutely. I remember growing up, I had my role models. I remember meeting somebody -- I won't say any names -- I was like, "oh my God, I get to meet them!" I asked for an autograph and they were rather rude, and it destroyed me. Then I remember, by the same token, meeting somebody and they were so friendly and warm and kind, and it changed me. I think our entire team sees that, and our goal going into the Olympics was to inspire a generation, inspire a nation.
    Who were some of your role models growing up?
    My parents, first. Hands down. Growing up, you see people overcome obstacles and continue... I get emotional every time I talk about my family, because they've had such a successful impact on me. I remember Steffi Graf was my tennis superstar. There were athletes, but there were also everyday people like my teachers. People always ask me, "who would you say had the biggest impact?", and I think everybody had an impact in different ways. But I'd definitely say my parents, my family.
    So with everything you've done and everywhere you've been since the Olympics ended, could you even try to estimate how many people have laid hands on your medal by now?
    (laughs) Well, I'm one that likes sharing my medal around, as you may see from Twitter. The thing is, I see it as -- everyone has their opinion -- but I see it as, we won this for the country, and it wasn't for us to hold onto. The reaction you see from people when they actually hold the medal and they're able to touch it, that's priceless. Again, it's not just the kids, it's so many different people, in different walks of life; you don't know why that moment is so powerful to them, but it's powerful.
    I'm comfortable speaking, as you may know, so if you put me in front of 50 people or 2,000 people it's all the same to me, I'll just tell my story. I couldn't tell you, though -- thousands and thousands of people, probably.
    So, no problems getting the medal through security today, then?
    You know what, it always goes through and they're like, "what's that?" and you're like "uhhh...", and then they're, "oh my God!" It never really gets old because it's really just a genuine reaction of people when they see it, and it's incredible.
    The Olympic qualifying tournament being hosted in Vancouver, how much of a boost was that for you personally, preparing for the Olympics right in your own backyard in B.C.?
    You know, people always say, "what's been your highlight?" Obviously the Olympics are a highlight, but you have to look at the qualifiers because it's us playing in front of our friends and family. I remember looking up when the national anthem was playing, and there were my parents, and there was my first coach, and there are friends that I played with 15 years ago... now I'm aging myself. But there's so much history in that moment, because you always remember who you played for, but when they're standing right there and you can see tears in their eyes and how proud they are, that makes it that much more special.
    For a few years now, it's been a 1 and 1A situation with you and Erin McLeod in goal for the national team. What's it like being in that kind of situation with a player like Erin; does it drive you to be more competitive?
    Absolutely. Most people are like, "how do you guys get along?" We get along awesome, fantastic. I have so much respect for her, I think, because we want to be the best. We want to help the team. That's where we separate ourselves from a lot of other competitors. The selection's made, I've done everything I can do, she's done everything she can do, and this is the decision by John on who is the best player for the team on this day.
    She's a great goalkeeper and every day in practice, we won't take days off. It's not because we're fighting. Every day is a battle for who is going to play tomorrow, but we want to make each other better and that's what makes us unique and makes our relationship so great.
    That fits with everything we've heard, that the national team is a very tight group. Within that group, it's fair to say you're one of the ones that helps keep things loose, with KK Cam being the biggest example of that. Do you do that specifically to try to keep things light, or is that just a natural offshoot of your personality?
    Well, it's exciting to me. A lot of people see the goofy side because I think that's just my personality. I just always want to have fun; when you stop having fun, that's a problem. It's an honour representing your country, but there's so much pressure that comes with it. People need to break it. One of the things was our team learning to handle the pressure the right way.
    There's also a very serious side of me, which I'm sure some of the girls have spoken about. I'm not always joking around, there's a time and place for everything. It's about finding a balance, when we're so close. Because I am the oldest on the team and have been around the most, there's a lot of experiences there that I love being able to share with the girls, but then I also like to show them that one bad practice doesn't determine who you are. It's who you are on a consistent basis.
    Being a goalkeeper, especially, you have to have those moments of intensity where you chew your teammates out for one thing or another, right?
    Absolutely, but there's always a time and place. You have to be able to be, if you're a leader or an experienced player, be able to see what the player needs and wants at that time. People who just yell at something at the worst possible time, you're just tearing down somebody's self-confidence. So it's also about recognizing when and where. But as a keeper, they get to see the game, they get to appreciate the game and see when things are on and off. So you can't just be yelling because you don't want to lose the power of your words within the team.
    I hate to dredge up bad Olympic memories, but as someone who's played for a number of years now, I have to ask: have you ever been called for holding the ball for more than si...
    Nope, never.
    I didn't even finish the question!
    Well, I know where it's going. Fifteen years since I got on the senior national team, never have I been called for that.
    Alright then. So after everything that went on in the semifinal, and given the team's recent history against France, can you describe what you were feeling when you saw Diana's shot hit the back of the net?
    Oh my God... It was just weird. You were so happy, but you wanted to cry, but you were like, "wait, the game's not necessarily over", and then you're just jumping with your teammates. We were just jumping. I think I probably jumped on John too. It's just one of those things where the game wasn't really going in our favour. There were crossbars, they were missing sitters, then you turn around and of all people, it's D. It's so fitting, because she's such a strong person on the team. A lot of people don't get to see that side of her.
    There were so many different emotions, it was so powerful. To say I was happy is so understating what I truly felt, but it was one of the greatest moments of my life.
    Who would you say has the higher vertical leap, you or John? Because he can get up there.
    It depends on the moment. I have a little bit on him in terms of the ups, on the height, I'm a little taller than he is. But I tell you, in that moment, when D scored, I don't even know, I couldn't even tell you where everybody else was, I can tell you everybody was elated.
    What's next for you?
    Body willing, I'd love to do another cycle. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that. Seeing a great physiotherapist, keep it going. There's this guy from Fit To Train, his name's Behnad, and he's like, "you know, you've got four more years here, so you've got to change some of your habits, and what your body thinks is right." It's like learning to walk again. Sometimes you've got to go back to go forward. All these nicks and knacks I got from the Olympics, that can't continue to happen.
    So it's safe to say you've got your eyes on 2015?
    Absolutely.
    Are you hoping to be involved in the National Women's Soccer League?
    Hoping to. That's where I've been professional for the last 10 years, so I was hoping that it would work out, and the fact that our association is on board is fantastic. And hopefully leading into 2015 we'll have a team here in Vancouver, and across the country.
    Do you think the involvement of the CSA, USSF and FMF will give this league more staying power than WUSA and WPS had?
    Every time there's something new that's been tried, it's unfortunately failed. Obviously these associations have a history of running a successful program, so that's only going to help. Plus, the schedules will work with national team games and things like that. So hopefully it works out perfectly.
    If you could try to try to sum up 2012 in about 10 words, what would you say?
    Proud to be Canadian.
    .
    Guest
    An eventful 2012 is nearly over. There’s been highs, there’s been lows, successes and failures, and generally the feeling that the Whitecaps have something good to build on even further in 2013.
    Pierce Lang and myself are joined by AFTN writer <b>Steve Pandher</b> to pick over the bones of this year in the first part of our three part podding extravaganza.
    This episode we cast our eye over at what’s been happening in Whitecapsland in the last few weeks and take a look back at the months of January to April, when hope sprang eternal, silverware was won and records were set.
    Have a listen!
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    You can listen to this week's podcast (and the previous ones) on iTunes <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/westcoastsoccerweekly/id491781299" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a> or download it for your later listening delight <a href="http://westcoastsoccerweekly.podbean.com/" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a> or have a listen below.
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