Jump to content

  • Articles

    Manage articles
    Show all categories
    Guest
    Emotions should be running high for tonight's matchup as the Seattle Sounders travel up the I5 with their massive travelling support for the final match at Empire Field, and possibly the deciding game in the Cascadia Cup series.
    Seattle come into this game reeling from a mid week loss to CS Herediano of Guatemala, where they dominated their opponents late but we're turned away at every opportunity by some fantastic goaltending from the Central American side. The Sounders last regular season game was a 3-0 demolishing of a resurgent DC United squad. Despite the loss of Steve Zakuani early in the season the Washington club have managed to best their seasons points total record (51), their regular season goals scored record (46), and have tied their franchise mark for wins in a season with 14. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Another high water mark was set by Midfielder Mauro Rosales this year as he surpassed teammate Freddy Montero as the player to have recorded the most assists in a single season with 12 helpers. Fortunately for the Whitecaps the Argentine playmaker strained his MCL in last weekends tilt with DC and will be unavailable for coach Sigi Schmidt over the next 2-4 weeks. Another key player that will be out of action this game will be Swedish defensive midfielder Erik Friberg who has a Hip Flexor issue to deal with before he returns to the lineup for Seattle.
    It will be interesting to see how Schmidt takes tonights game with respect to it's importance in the grand scheme of things for this year. His squad will be playing 3 games in the next 8 days and will be travelling all over hells half acre.
    A win tonight would clinch Seattle a playoff spot with several games remaining. It would also secure them the Cascadia Cup as the team with the best head to head record between the Vancouver-Portland-Seattle trifecta. This could also amount to an opportunity to run out some players who might not normally get a chance to play as they are facing the worst team in the league.
    Expect the Sounders to push the play up the wings on the counter attack and try to cross the ball into the box as the Whitecaps struggle to get back into position. We saw this strategy work quite well last week for the LA Galaxy and the Sounders are likely to try and continue the trend. Alain Rochat will be missing from the back line as he serves a one game suspension for receiving his 5th yellow card caution on the season.
    His presence will surely be missed as Jordan Harvey has continued to struggle at left back since his move over from Philly. Twice last week he was caught in the middle of the pitch with Jay DeMerit having to chase Harvey's man out wide. Harvey seemed to lose sight of his check for just a fraction of a second and then the ball was in the net.
    Freddy Montero is a shark inside the box and will have a field day with the Vancouver defence if they are not on their game. It will be a fun game to watch as Seattle will likely take up more then the 500 tickets allotted to them by Whitecaps F.O. The Caps should be up for this game since it is their last chance to pull any kind Silverware and they will want to beat their rivals on their home turf.
    Expect emotions to be high as the Whitecaps look to close out Empire on a good note.
    Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Seattle Sounders FC
    Empire Field, Vancouver British Columbia
    Kick Off @ 7:30 pm
    Watch on TSN
    Listen on The Team 1040 am
    Guest
    If any one word could perfectly describe TFC's 2011 MLS season, it's "inconsistency."
    In fact, the Reds have been "consistently inconsistent" for much of Aron Winter's ambitious rebuild, as players got familiar with the in and outs of the famed "system" and coaches learned the intracacies of this crazy little league.
    Players were shipped in and out at a rate that would have made Mo Johnston look positively steadfast in comparison, as the technical staff tried to find the right pieces for their vision. Whether you agreed or disagreed with the philosophy, the system took precedence -- and that led to some very ugly moments for a franchise that was way too familiar with them.
    And while things appear to be turning around for Toronto now, it's far too early to call the rebuild a success.
    It could be worse, though. They could be Chivas USA.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It's a harsh statement, especially when a quick glance at the standings shows Chivas two points above TFC. But a deeper look tells a different story, one of a club whose history is not too different from Toronto's.
    Both clubs entered MLS with tons of promise, both on and off the field. Granted, TFC has largely outshone Chivas on the business side of things, but on the field they've been pretty similar over their short histories in the league.
    Just like the Reds, the LA-based club had a putrid time out of the gate, and haven't really done much since. Sure, they've had a cup of coffee in the playoffs, something that TFC supporters would kill for at this point in time, but they've hardly done anything of note otherwise.
    This year, the Goats looked to revamp under rookie head coach Robin Fraser, just like TFC did with Aron Winter. Chivas actually looked half-decent for much of the first half of 2011 -- "half-decent" in the MLS world where even mediocrity challenges for a playoff spot --and as of a month ago looked far beyond Toronto in the rebuild race.
    Led by former Red Nick Labrocca, Chivas played attractive, attacking football. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, but for the most part it was sufficiently middling to create visions of the post-season for hard-suffering fans of LA's other team.
    Then August hit. One early win aside, the Goats were godawful from then on out, bringing back memories of 2005 when they were the doormat for all challengers. Fraser's troops are mired in a six-game winless streak, the most recent four games of which they've lost.
    Even Labrocca, the MLS All-Star and feel-good story of 2011, has gone cold.
    And now they host a resurgent TFC side who have worked their way up to middling -- a meteoric climb from the bottom-feeding sieve of a team that were shamed on so many occasions earlier in the season.
    While neither will seriously challenge for a playoffs spot this year, the way the teams are ending their respective seasons may give us all a glimpse of what to expect from them in 2012.
    Or, they can lay a stinker that neither set of fans will want to remember. This is TFC and Chivas USA, after all.
    --
    Notes:
    - Despite having to cross the continent to play in this match, Toronto may actually have the travel advantage over their hosts on Saturday night. Both sides played mid-week fixtures -- Toronto against Tauro on Tuesday, and Chivas at DC on Wednesday, and both flew out to Southern California on Thursday afternoon.
    - Chivas have very few injury concerns at the moment, with only Heath Pearce and Paulo Nagamura hobbled with ailments (and Pearce should be good enough to go).

    CD Chivas USA v. Toronto FC
    Saturday, September 24, 2011. 10:30pm EDT.
    Home Depot Center. Carson, CA.
    Watch: GOL TV Canada, MLS MatchDay Live
    Listen: Sportsnet Radio FAN 590, FAN590.com
    Rudi Schuller contributes Toronto FC and Canadian national team content to the 24th Minute. He is MLSsoccer.com's beat writer for all things concerning Canada's men's national teams, and has contributed to Goal.com and other soccer media. Follow Rudi on Twitter, @RudiSchuller.
    Guest
    It somehow eluded everyone, but apparently Torsten Frings will be forced to sit when Toronto FC hosts Pumas UNAM next week in a crucial CONCACAF Champions League match.
    Frings picked up a yellow card in stoppage time of TFC's 1-0 win over Tauro FC last Tuesday, and was also cautioned during the August 25th replay versus FC Dallas. As a result of the two yellow cards, Frings will be suspended when the resurgent Mexican side visits BMO Field on September 27th.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Per the CONCACAF rulebook:
    6.29 Any player to accumulate two single yellow cards in two different matches in the CCL is suspended for the following game. Thereafter, each time a player accumulates two single yellow cards in two different matches, he will be suspended for the following game with the exception that single cautions will be eliminated at the end of the Group Stage and at the end of the Championship Round.
    The same rule kept the Toronto's German captain from the group stage opener in Panama, after he had accumulated two cautions in the preliminary series versus Real Esteli.
    3:49pm EDT UPDATE: Both Terry Dunfield and Mikael Yourassowsky are also suspended for the match against Pumas, as both players also picked up their second caution of the competition in the Tauro game.

    Photo: Chris Hazard / Hazard Gallery


    Rudi Schuller contributes Toronto FC and Canadian national team content to the 24th Minute. He is MLSsoccer.com's beat writer for all things concerning Canada's men's national teams, and has contributed to Goal.com and other soccer media. Follow Rudi on Twitter, @RudiSchuller.
    Guest
    Today, we're joined by FC Edmonton defender Alex Surprenant to talk about the expansion club's trip to the NASL playoffs, FCE's tale of two seasons and who they would rather face in the NASL playoffs.
    We'll also talk about what we've liked and disliked from the Herdman era women's national team, look at Toronto v Chivas and argue about if the club will run a B squad out and what the motivations are behind that.
    The archived show is now up.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <embed src="http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/FlowPlayerLight.swf?config={embedded:true,videoFile:'http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/download/2540/26025/sept232011final.mp3',initialScale:'scale',controlBarBackgroundColor:'0x778899',autoBuffering:false,loop:false,autoPlay:false}" width="400" height="25" scale="fit" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>
    Follow us on Twitter to get updates on guests and when the next show is.
    If you're having trouble with the player you can download episodes from iTunes here.
    And download episodes for other devices here.
    Guest
    In Canada's second game on North American soil under Carolina Morace, back in 2009, the team was outmatched against the Americans, barely registered a dangerous chance on goal and lost 4-0.
    On Thursday night, in Canada's second game on North American soil under John Herdman, the team was outmatched against the Americans, barely registered a dangerous chance on goal and lost 3-0.
    So that's progress, I suppose.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]


    Had it not been for a number of outstanding saves by Karina LeBlanc in the first half and Stephanie Labbe in the second, the score line could easily have been higher. As it was, Canada -- without veterans Christine Sinclair and Candace Chapman -- came away from the two-game "celebration series" against their cross-border rivals with a 1-1 draw and a 3-0 loss, in front of a pair of raucous, pro-Yank crowds in Kansas City and Portland.
    That the pair of friendlies was labelled a "celebration series" for the hometown girls -- a few months removed from their runner-up finish at the Women's World Cup -- tells you all you need to know about what was expected here. The U.S. ran out a near full-strength lineup in both games, including talismanic striker Abby Wambach (three goals in the two games) and budding superstar Alex Morgan (who potted an injury-time stats-padder in the second game), while Canada's lineup was more experimental.
    Herdman admitted to Nigel Reed prior to the series that the team was essentially picked for him by his support staff, considering he hadn't had met some of the girls, or even seen them play. Still, being the self-flagellating masochists that Canadian fans are, there's likely to be some amount of hand-wringing about two more losses for the women's national team, coupled with another tumble in the FIFA rankings (down to #9, from #8).
    Clearly, then, it's time to fire Herdman. What, too soon? OK, then how about this?
    That was Herdman, prior to the series against the U.S. Ewww, physical play! That sounds like route one, ugly boot and chase! Pellerud redux!
    Yes, former head coach Even Pellerud's name has become almost a punch line in Canadian soccer circles, hearkening back to some ostensibly bygone era where hoofing the ball up the pitch in the hopes that Sinclair could get on the end of it was the only approach. However, whatever the merits or flaws of his tactics may be, Pellerud did lead Big Red to a fourth-place finish at the 2003 World Cup, and a fifth-place finish at the 2008 Olympics.
    Then, when he departed, we all -- supporters, media and players -- got wrapped up in the Morace cult of personality, touting as she was a beautiful, possession-oriented style that would supposedly take the Canadian team to the next level. For a while, in low-level competition, it seemed to be coming together. The team was fit, the passes were crisp and the goal production was coming in a variety of ways.
    Then, on the big stage, the team froze. Zero goals from open play in three World Cup games, and zero points, proved that while you could take the girls out of the physical, direct game, you couldn't take the physical, direct game out of the girls.
    And this is where Herdman comes in, left to pick up the pieces of Morace's reign quick enough to have the team ready for Olympic qualifiers on home soil in January of next year. Considering the circumstances, then, a 4-1 aggregate loss to the #1 team in the world, in front of their boisterous supporters and without a pair of key long-time contributors, is really nothing to sneeze at.
    No one, Herdman included, believes the team should embrace an outright return to a direct style that relies on physicality. So the "Pellerud redux!" claims don't -- or shouldn't -- have any legs. Indeed, the universal plaudits heaped upon France at the World Cup show that a flowing style (the sort that Morace had, perhaps, envisioned that Canada was capable of) is the present and future of the women's game.
    But Herdman is still largely working with a collection of players who just experienced the two-year roller-coaster under Morace -- and a few who remember the successes under Pellerud.
    So his comments to Noel Butler this week, about what to expect going forward, hit just the right note:
    As we found out at the World Cup, Canada isn't -- or at least, isn't yet -- the team that Morace hoped we could be. And the passage of time has shown we can no longer be what Pellerud wanted us to be. So what does Herdman think we ought to be?
    "There's no point in me sitting here as a coach and describing my vision and philosophy," Herdman told Butler. "Because at the end of the day, it's (the players) as a group that are going to play the games."
    Considering everything this team has learned, experienced and absorbed over the course of the past several years, perhaps it's time to find out -- conclusively -- just what kind of team Canada is, and can be.
    The next chapter gets written against Costa Rica in Canada's opener at the Pan Am Games on Oct. 18.
    .
    Guest
    The Impact are travelling to Atlanta for its last regular season game in 2nd division tomorrow night against the dead-last Silverbacks. A win would not necessarily put Montreal in the playoffs as they need the help of a rival in the Carolina Railhawks, who will be hosting Minnesota the same night.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Impact have enjoyed a somewhat regular training week and will be building on the good performances of the past weeks. They will need to improve their form on the road, after having dropped 4 points in their last 2 games in Fort Lauderdale and Puerto Rico. Had they won just one of those games, they probably have control over their destiny and not hope for another team to put them in the playoffs. Then again, we would also need to look at quite a few awful results this season.
    Coach/Technical director Nick De Santis will perhaps be going for a similar lineup and formation that won the last two home games against Carolina and Edmonton. The 4-4-1-1 has been working effectively, in which Sinisa Ubiparipovic has excelled, sitting just behind the lone striker. Coming on the wing, Ryan Pore, Di Lorenzo and/or Mignane Diouf have been quick to help the attack. Having missed last week’s game due to suspension, we may see Simon Gatti and perhaps captain Nevio Pizzolitto rejoin the starting formation. The Impact have conceded just 2 goals in their last 5 games, both coming in back-to-back road games.
    Last week’s Starting XI:

    Bush
    Kreamalmayer - Knowles - Camara - Billy
    Di Lorenzo - Lowery - Westlake - Pore
    Ubiparipovic
    Montano


    Minnesota are going in their game against Carolina full of confidence despite having only won one of their last 5. However, the Stars have yet to lose to the Railhawks this season (1 win, 2 ties). Carolina has been in a slump of their own, suffering three consecutive 1-0 losses. The team hasn’t really been showing the form that they had at the beginning of the season, but that can be explained by the fact that they won the league title with 4 games remaining in the season. Throughout the 28-game campaign, it's fair to say that the Railhawks have been in a different class.
    Here are the possible scenarios for Saturday night :

    Montreal win, Minnesota win : Minnesota goes through with 36 points, Montreal stays in 7th with 35.


    Montreal tie, Minnesota win or tie : Minnesota goes through with a minimum of 34 points (if tie, 36 if win). Montreal will have 33 points.


    Montreal win, Minnesota tie or lose : Montreal will overtake 6th spot with 35 points, Minnesota will be on 33 points if they tie or remain at 32, if they lose.


    Montreal tie, Minnesota lose : Both teams will have 33 points and seen as they are equal on the head-to-head as well (2 wins each in regular season), we’ll have to go to goal differential. Montreal goes through with +4, Minnesota has −3.


    Montreal lose : Game over. Should Montreal lose, Minnesota will go through no matter the result they pick up in Cary, NC.
    This leaves the Impact faithful watching not one, but two mediocre streams on Saturday night. And this time, they'll have to cheer for two teams, including one that beat the Impact in last year's playoff return-leg semifinal.
    Oh, and one last thing. Should Montreal lose this game, they will still be joining the MLS next season.
    Atlanta Silverbacks - Impact Montreal (NASL Live 3) and Carolina Railhawks - NSC Minnesota Stars (NASL Live 2) will both be played at 7:00 pm on Saturday, September 24th.
    Guest

    Salgado Europe Bound?

    By Guest, in West Coast Soccer Podcast,

    Omar Salgado to Europe?
    The 18 year old’s decision to apply for a Spanish passport, and thus make himself more appealing to the European market, has made some headlines recently.
    One line from Ives Galarcep’s article on the subject for Fox Soccer’s website in particular caught the eye, in which he wrote, “In fact, it isn’t a stretch to call Salgado the MLS player most likely to make a winter transfer move.”
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Well, is he really “the MLS player most likely to make a winter transfer move?”
    The Vancouver Whitecaps don’t seem ready to give up on the No. 1 pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft just yet.
    “They’re all hypotheticals, all those articles,” interim head coach Tom Soehn told Canadian Soccer News after training on Thursday. “What we’re going to focus on is making sure we continue to develop Omar on and off the field and make him a better soccer player and a better professional.”
    The player himself though, who acquired the passport through his Spanish grandfather, wasn’t so quick to pour cold water on the speculation.
    “Hopefully something happens,” Salgado said, when asked of a possible European move. “If not, I’m concentrated here on the Whitecaps and establishing myself as a starter.”
    Salgado has routinely mentioned his eventual European ambitions in interviews, so that’s not news, but his decision to take out a passport and his clear dissatisfaction with his lack of playing time this season has added a sense of urgency to the situation.
    “Right now I’m here with the Whitecaps and I’m looking for a starting spot and I haven’t got it,” Salgado said. “I keep fighting and fighting, and it’s frustrating and more frustrating every day, but I have to keep being patient.”
    As in MLS, European leagues have caps on foreign players, so the passport would make him a more appealing signing. The fact he wouldn’t need a work permit doesn’t hurt either.
    “It opens a big market for me as a player,” Salgado said. “It helps me out a lot, because I won’t be a foreign player over there, and hopefully one day I can play over there.”
    The question increasingly seems to be whether that “one day” will be sooner rather than later.
    __
    Martin MacMahon is a broadcast journalism student at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. He covers Vancouver Whitecaps FC for a number of soccer websites.
    Follow him on Twitter: @martinmacmahon
    Guest

    The suits

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    There is a feeling amongst some TFC fans that the great squad rotation debate is one that has already been answered.
    And the answer came not from the guys wearing thin red ties on the sidelines, but rather by those in expensive suits in the luxury box (likely eating a prawn, possibly in sandwich form).
    The coaching staff would not be so dumb as to prioritize MLS play over the allure of a mid-March trip to Central America. MLSE (sorry, M£$€), however, they might dictate things in an effort to manipulate Toronto sports fans out of more money. See, season ticket renewals came out this week and the suits are clearly worried about how many butts they can cram into BMO next year. Since only the great unwashed in the south end care about the CONCACAF thing and the Rosedale types in the important seats can't spell CONCACAF then there is no point trying to win that silly tournament against CD Cruzpumas of Tauro (or something like that anyway).
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Putting aside the absurdity of the MLSE-is-calling-the-shots-on-the-pitch argument (half the problem during the Mo Johnston years was that there weren't any suits that had the ability to second guess things. There are no Tie Domi's getting contract extensions with the Reds because they drink with the BOD), there is really just one reply to that:
    WHO CARES IF MLSE WANTS TO MAKE MONEY OFF TFC???
    Was 2006 that long ago?
    Do people really take for granted the profitability of a soccer team in this country. Do yourself a favour and do a YouTube search for "Toronto Lynx.".
    As supporters you don't want the team's ownership to take advantage of you, but you do want the club to make some money. Making money allows you to buy strikers from PSV and former German internationals. It also lets you spend gob loads of cash on 17-year-old fullbacks from Brampton.
    Teams that make money tend to spend more and teams that spend more tend to win. Basic stuff, that.
    So we should damn well hope that MLSE is concerned about renewals and that the coaching staff is cynical enough to appreciate the importance of optics. Crapping the bed -- even on the road against Chivas USA -- will always look bad and smell even worse. And, that's something everyone understands, even if their suits cost less than your first car.
    Guest

    Sober Second Thoughts: Real priorities

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Two wins in four days. It rarely gets this high for the Reds. Sure, you could look at the way they got the results and you could nitpick, but why would you do that?
    Six points in two different competitions and suddenly you can see the end of the long, dark, terrifying tunnel this club has been stuck in for the majority of its existence.
    The results, combined with some help elsewhere, also put the club back in one competition – the CONCACAF Champions League – and, although not likely back in a playoff race, at least off the foot of the table and half way close to somewhat respectful. You can talk about ifs now – if they hadn’t blown the 2-0 lead against Chicago, or allowed the 89th minute equalizer against San Jose, they would be in a playoff race (still outside, but in it).
    The moderate success – refreshingly mediocre as a previous CSN column referred to it – has reopened an old debate. Should the club prioritize those North American nights over what will likely be meaningless points? Within the core of the hardcore support the answer is clear – they should, no questions asked. The CCL represents a chance for legitimate competitive success, whereas the regular season is made up of glorified friendlies.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It’s not so clear whether those outside of that minority feel the same way. Consider the evidence:

    There were 12,000 less people at the midweek game than at the regular season game
    When TFC tried to include CCL tickets in this year’s season ticket package there was a major pushback by ticket holders outside the supporter’s section (it actually was the most consistent complaint at the non-Supporter’s Groups town hall meeting)
    The 2012 season tickets do not include CCL games, but rather give fans an option of adding everything (including, possibly, a big name friendly).

    It’s easy for supporter group fans to become insular, but the reality is that the club needs to meet the needs of all its fans. And, it seems that the majority of fans would rather see the club do well in MLS play. You can’t read their minds, but it might even be seen as disrespectful for the club to mail it in.
    There is another reason why giving up on any game is foolish. After five years of a losing culture, TFC cannot give up any opportunity to try and change its losing attitude. For sure, some kids should be mixed in, but to full on give up? What kind of message does that send? It can’t and shouldn’t be tolerated.
    Instead of looking at the remaining MLS games as glorified friendlies, fans should see them as an extended pre-season for 2012. TFC knows how to lose. The long-term health of the club is dependent on them learning how to win.
    And, that’s far more important than an outside shot at playing in the CCL quarterfinals.
    Guest

    Making the same mistakes

    By Guest, in It's Called Football,

    Learn from your mistakes, or you are doomed to repeat them.
    A month ago, Toronto found itself in nearly the exact same position it finds itself today. They had an MLS game on the weekend, an important Champions League game three days later and a good chunk of travel in between. And, as they have all season, they played each game as though they were ignorant of the next.
    Toronto strolled into Columbus, played their starters, picked up some injuries, won a meaningless cup and then made the trek down to Ol' Mexico way. Of course, on tired legs, tonnes of travel and short those key players, they got pasted by Pumas, in one of their worst performances of the year. The loss didn't put a nail in their Champions League coffin but, given this was Mexico, they did wake up naked in the desert with a few questions to be asked.
    Namely, why had Toronto gone balls to the wall to win a cup that looks more like a waste bin than something clubs aspire to?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Especially, if you consider, they had to know a resurgent Pumas, in Mexico no less, were not going to be an easy test and that a result there, even a point, would have put them in good shape for the rest of the competition.
    Perhaps, Toronto was assuming they couldn't get a point in Mexico, even with their best 11. Perhaps, they have more belief in their depth at this point than most. Perhaps, even, they are just content to ride out this season, knowing that any real success isn't likely to come until next.
    Of the three, I'd wager the last has the least validity. But it's a bet I'm only content to lay after I see what they do in Chivas this weekend.

    First, lets dispel any myth that they have a hope in hell of making the MLS playoffs. As it stands presently, Toronto is seven points back of the last playoff spot, held by Portland. Toronto has five teams to climb over just to reach Portland, four games in which to do it and most of the teams they need to climb over have a game in hand on them. So, even if Toronto were to win out by beating some admittedly pathetic teams - three wins between the four of them over a combined 20 game span - they would still be counting on a Portland squad that hasn't lost in five and is looking as strong as any team heading into the playoff stretch.
    And, if you're still in the 'ya, but' camp, consider that two of Toronto's four remaining games are on the road - where they have but a single, albeit sparkling, win all season.
    So, that brings us back to this weekend. Toronto will once again travel to Mexico, some of you still know of it as California, to take on Chivas in a game that means nothing. They'll then travel back to Toronto to face arguably, when they play their starters, one of the best teams in the CONCACAF region for a game that still means very much. TFC needs at least a point to stay alive. If they lose and Dallas wins (as they should) against Tauro, Toronto is out and we can all prepare for one of the quietest months BMO Field has ever seen.
    A point, a scrappy little point, and they're alive.
    But, make no mistake they can not do both. In fact, there is no point in trying to do both. And if Aron Winter and company go ahead and play their best 11 in Chivas - ignoring the obvious realities of travel, squad health and quality of opponent - then there will be serious questions to be asked about what their priorities were this season. And more importantly, as a manager, if he is capable of learning from his own mistakes.
    Guest
    Following the surprising and likely unprecedented move by Turkey's football association to ban men from attending the games of troublesome teams, Toronto FC has made a similarly shocking proposal of its own.
    "Fly them in, set them up at a hotel somewhere and let 'em loose at BMO," says an internal email by a TFC team official, obtained and/or fabricated by The Reserve Squad. "Maybe that's what those North Patch Sector guys need -- a good kick in the ass."
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The message went on to suggest that, as Toronto FC limps towards another unremarkable season without a whiff of the league playoffs, the once-overwhelming fan interest has sputtered.
    "What, 10,000 against Tauro? And over the weekend against Colorado, what? Did the 'supporters' forget to set their alarms? lol," the email read.
    "I mean, we can only have the PA guy say 'a new BMO Field record!' so many times till someone catches on, right? We just need to bring in these guys from Galatsorry or Fenderbach or wherever, put a few beers in 'em and just, y'know, get the rest of the stadium going a bit."
    The email lamented that the reputation of "best fans in MLS", once proudly touted as a selling point of the TFC experience, has been bestowed upon supporters in other towns.
    "We need to catch up to those fuckers in Seattle and Portville, and these Turks are the way to do it. And don't worry about the logistics; we'll shoot them right up the 'waiting list' LOL"
    The TFC official's email ended with a signature featuring the animated dancing baby made popular on the television program Ally McBeal.
    One BMO Field security official, speaking on condition of non-existence, confirmed that preliminary plans are in place to accommodate the incoming Turkish fans.
    "I don't think they really have any idea what they're getting into. They want to put the different club guys right next to each other. No separation, no nothing. They're going to kill each other. Literally. Human beings will end the lives of others for the sake of a fuckin' game."
    The official was asked what the security plan would be.
    "Ha, beats me. I ain't sending my crew up into that shit. Let the cops deal with it. Choppers, tasers, whatever they need. Then maybe those visitors won't come anymore. Worked in Columbus, didn't it?"
    Calls to the Turkish embassy in Ottawa resulted in a voice mail. Later calls to Istanbul Grill in Toronto resulted in a half-dozen lamb kebabs.
    .
    Guest
    Tonight, the interview we had lined up fell through but we wanted to get something up for you guys anyways. So, we're joined by Ben Knight to break down Toronto's performance against Tauro, how the new roles of Torsten Frings and Ashtone Morgan have changed TFC's attack and defence and what Dallas' loss to Pumas means for TFC in their Champions League hunt.
    We'll set up the scenarios for Toronto's advancement in the CCL.
    The archived show is now up
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <embed src="http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/FlowPlayerLight.swf?config={embedded:true,videoFile:'http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/download/2540/25988/sept212011final.mp3',initialScale:'scale',controlBarBackgroundColor:'0x778899',autoBuffering:false,loop:false,autoPlay:false}" width="400" height="25" scale="fit" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>
    Follow us on Twitter to find out about next week's guests
    Guest

    We're number 87! We're number 87!

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The September men's FIFA rankings were released today, and Canada has jumped 15 placess from its spot on the previous list.
    Buoyed by comfortable wins -- on the scoreboasd, at least -- over minnows Puerto Rico and St. Lucia, the Canadian team is now back in the double digits after having dipped into the lowly 100's for a brief period.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Stephen Hart's side is now officially eighth in CONCACAF, and if all goes according to plan, the team will improve upon its standing when the next rankings list is releaded in mid-October.
    If the expected happens and Canada defeats the St. Lucians and Puerto Ricans again, how high do you think the team will climb in the next rankings? High 70's? Is a spot in the 60's a possibility?
    For the full FIFA rankings list, click here. (For those interested, the women's rankings will be released on Friday)

    Rudi Schuller contributes Toronto FC and Canadian national team content to the 24th Minute. He is MLSsoccer.com's beat writer for all things concerning Canada's men's national teams, and has contributed to Goal.com and other soccer media. Follow Rudi on Twitter, @RudiSchuller.
    Guest
    Author’s note: A year ago, Nick Dasovic was interim head coach of Toronto FC. He has also coached for the Vancouver Whitecaps, and Canada.
    A native of Vancouver and holder of a UEFA A-coaching licence, he has a unique outlook on the many significant challenges facing Canadian coaches.
    ---
    CSN: Nick, it seems to me, from all the people I’ve talked to, that one of the biggest obstacles for Canadians who want to be coaches in professional soccer is the sheer lack of jobs in Canada. And as you’ve held a lot of those jobs, I’m interested in your perspective.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    ND: Soccer’s still not a mainstream sport here. I mean, it’s getting there, but with only four professional clubs that can only employ a maximum of ten to twelve coaching staff, that right away limits the opportunities to get jobs. Now, if you look at it based upon European soccer, or if we’re in Canada, hockey infrastructure, where you’ve got your junior leagues here and then your AHL and all the rest of it, there’s places for coaches to get their feet wet and learn the trade. Unfortunately in soccer here, it’s not the same thing. It just is what it is, until we get more professional clubs. Like back in the CSL days, when we had ten, twelve teams at one point. That gave ten, twelve head coaches jobs, and say twenty-four assistant coaches jobs, and goalkeeper coaches and then managers, etcetera. It was a way not just to develop the players, but obviously the coaches.
    CSN: Remind me where you are in your own coaching qualifications.
    ND: I’ve had my UEFA A-licence now for the last six years. I am now pursuing my pro licence, which is the top of the top ones.
    CSN: So obviously you are ambitious to stay in this business.
    ND: Absolutely. I’m not just ambitious to stay in the business. I’m ambitious to keep learning. When I was doing my A-licence back in Scotland, I can remember one of the coaches saying that getting you’re a-licence doesn’t mean you’re a good coach. It gives you the opportunity to become a good coach, because without qualifications, you just cannot go forth and interview for jobs. You need the pro licence to coach in the Premiership. Now that might be ambitious, but it’s not just about going and getting another certificate. It’s about going and learning. Starting in January, this year, I’ve been participating in the UEFA pro-licence, which is based in Scotland, but we’ve been to the U-21 championships in Denmark, we’ve been to headquarters in Switzerland. We’ve talked to people who have gone through exactly what we’re going through as young coaches. So you learn a lot, and that’s what I’m really there for is to learn. Now, in the case that there’s no jobs available and I don’t find a coaching job, I’ll still be better for it. It’s part of life, but I just don’t want to sit around and be stagnant, and be happy with what certificates I have.
    CSN: That’s well said. I’ve had difficulty finding anyone other than Ray Clark (CSA director of player and coach development) who has good words about the Canadian A-licence. Do you have any thoughts on the program here, what it focuses on, and how useful it is?
    ND: You know, to be honest, I think first and foremost any coaching licence – any coaching course – gives you something. It’s what you take out of it, and how much you take out of it. When you go to a coaching course, while you’re on there, you can ask any questions you want. They’ll give you as much information. I think if there’s enough feedback from coaches that are on courses during the time they’re there, or even after, I’m sure they would also try to listen and try to dictate the course to what the coaches want. But getting back to the CSA, I don’t know what their course entitles because I’ve never taken it. Back in the eighties, I took what they called the C-licence or something. When I went to play professionally in Scotland (for St. Johnstone), I decided to taking coaching courses there, and they just suggested I start from scratch. I went right from the beginning in Scotland to, right now, hopefully, to the very end, because I wanted to be consistent in what I was doing. So I stayed with it, and then when Dick Bate was the technical director of the CSA, he said that since I had my A UEFA, I did not need to get any Canadian certificates at that point in time.
    CSN: You have had an inside look – from a coaching position – at two of Canada’s professional teams, and also the national team. Let’s start with the national team, your experience and how you felt that all went.
    ND: For me, the coaching experience started while I was still playing for the Whitecaps. Dale Mitchell got the U-20 job, and he asked me if I would come along. I was with Dale, all together, for six years – particularly in youth development for five of those years. Three world championship tournaments, one top-eight finish where we lost to Spain, beating Mexico, beating the U.S., winning qualification – we had a great time with Dale. I thought we had some really good success. It’s a different type of job. It’s definitely not day-to-day training. It’s more or less get together once every eight to ten weeks for ten to fourteen days, do your coaching and then the rest of it is basically watching DVDs, and scouting if you can possibly do so. But again, with the limited budget the CSA had, we couldn’t just continually go out and scout. A lot of it was done via DVDs. It was a great start to coaching, and I really enjoyed my time with the group that we had. It was a good learning point – going to World Cups and getting to the quarterfinals and playing in Brazil. And then we moved on to the men’s World Cup team and the Olympic team. The Olympic team was a very short job. I thought the boys did really well. We were very close to qualifying, but I learned a lot about myself and about coaching. The World Cup team was a bit of a disappointment, but the one thing I take away from everything I do in any job I have is to sit back and reflect on what I did right, but more importantly what I thought I did wrong, and what I would do differently next time.
    CSN: You played in Vancouver, both with the 86ers and Whitecaps, and found yourself coaching there as well. Obviously, the professional league game is different from the national team experience.
    ND: I didn’t spend a lot of time playing in Vancouver. I spent my last three years playing there just because I had decided to leave Europe and come back to Canada to raise a family here. Most of my professional playing time was spent in Europe. I spent more time professionally in Toronto than in Vancouver, oddly enough. I was what they want to call an assistant playing-coach in Vancouver. They didn’t want to play me as much, but I ended up basically being a player. I did very limited coaching. I became the Whitecaps’ reserve-team coach, which I was really pumped about, because it would have been my first job. But you know, you go to training sessions and you get six or seven guys out maximum. It wasn’t a great experience at that time, just because I has a lot of college kids and they were studying, etcetera. It’s still something you could put on your resume, but unfortunately I didn’t get a lot out of that one for myself.
    CSN: And then, of course, Toronto FC comes along, and that’s the opening of the door to Major League Soccer in Canada – the highest level of soccer here since the NASL folded in the eighties. You joined them a couple of years in as a youth-team coach. What were your feelings coming into the TFC job?
    ND: This came on the heels of our Olympic team failing, but I also thought that in failing, we actually did quite well. And then this opportunity came up to go to Toronto. When it was presented, I wasn’t reluctant at all. I was very much gung-ho for going there, giving it a go, and being involved with the top flight of football in Canada. I went there with great vision, wanting to do things. At the same time, though, I came in and had to work with people I didn’t know – John Carver and Chris Cummings and that group. I got on with them very greatly, but in the beginning, it’s difficult to be involved with a group that don’t know you that well. That’s one big thing you sit back and learn what you would do differently, what you would do better. One thing I don’t really want to get involved with again is being put onto a coach, rather than him picking you. Unfortunately for me, I was kind of put onto John Carver – and Preki. Maybe I wasn’t their first choice, and right away it doesn’t cause a great, great … you know, I had nothing against them. We all worked well together, but it’s difficult sometimes to start that process. You look at assistants and head coaches down the road, and they always worked together. They have an understanding. It was a learning experience in that way, too, to see how to deal with things. I look back, and I learned a lot. There are things I would definitely do differently, as an assistant coach. But, again, I loved my time in Toronto. I really did. And I was sad the day when I had to leave – obviously it came to a point where I had to leave – but I enjoyed my time thoroughly there. I learned a lot in Toronto. They were very good to me – the organization and Maple Leaf Sports – very good. I couldn’t say one bad little thing about the club.
    CSN: A year ago, you were the interim coach of TFC, and you were there on the sidelines making all the decisions, all the calls, all the lineups. This was your first time in charge of a top-flight club. How was that experience?
    ND: Again, it was a good experience. It came out of nowhere. I wasn’t expecting it. I was actually back in Vancouver when it all kind of went down. I flew back into Toronto, summoned by the club, and was basically having breakfast at home in Vancouver on a Monday, and Tuesday I was flying to Salt Lake ion a charter flight with the team as a head coach! That first road trip was quite successful. We got beat badly by Real 4-1 in the first game, but we beat Houston and then tied Cruz Azul in Mexico. It was a nice little start to the process. It went relatively well, speaking of how much time we had – myself and Danny Dichio, who was the assistant at the time – to turn things around, per se. We thought that in the ten games we had, we got the boys turned around and playing some decent football. But once they called in Jurgen Klinsmann, we knew that the writing was on the wall.
    CSN: Ray Clark had some strong words about that. He felt that Canadian teams should be hiring Canadian coaches, or at least giving them a chance somewhere on the staff. Did you hear from the Montreal Impact at all?
    ND: I was never, ever contacted by them, which is the disappointing part. I had a history there. We won the first-ever A-League championship there, and I was part of that team. I’ve got strong ties to the whole Impact organization. I thought at least a phone call would be kind of interesting, but nothing ever came of it. That’s just the way it goes.
    CSN: Did you pursue them at all?
    ND: I’ve obviously got an agent that works for me, and I think maybe there were a few phone calls made, but there’s no communication from the club, and I’m not the kind of person who knocks on guys’ doors. But at the end of the day, there’s only a certain amount of coaches in Canada that have coached at a higher level. They know who they are. If they want them, they know how to get a hold of them. But that’s just the way it goes. I had a great time there, and I wish them the best. I hope they do really well in MLS.
    CSN: This whole gig sounds pretty frustrating.
    ND: Everybody keeps asking me what can we do? What about Canadian coaches? I think the bottom line is: the people you have to ask are the people who make the decisions. The people who run Toronto FC, Montreal, Vancouver and Edmonton. I grew up in this country. It’s funny because I was born here, and my parents came from Croatia. When I grew up, I wasn’t a “Canadian.” I was a Croatian-Canadian, because that’s the way it was where I grew up in East Vancouver. I had to become “Canadian” by actually leaving the country and going to play soccer in Croatia, and become a “Canadian” out there. It’s kind of a backward system. I think, in Canada, Canadians aren’t respected amongst their own people. That’s just the bottom line. I played in Canada. I got cut by two teams when the CSL started. I couldn’t make it. But I went to Croatia and ended up signing for Dinamo Zagreb, one of the most storied clubs in Croatia. Then I get called into the Canada team. I didn’t get respect until I went away. And I think – unfortunately for me – my life is going full-circle where it looks like, to get a coaching job, I’ll have to leave the country again.
    CSN: Coaching jobs around the world tend to be revolving doors to some extent. What are your plans? Where do you want to take all this passion you have, all these qualifications you have, and try to really make a name for yourself in the world of soccer as a coach?
    ND: To be honest, right now, I don’t know. Again, if you’re a hockey coach in Canada, in the NHL, you’ve got some past experience and then you go make a few phone calls to Europe, I think you could pretty much get out to Germany or Switzerland pretty easily, I’m imagining. I don’t know, because I’m not sure how that thing goes. Unfortunately, as a Canadian soccer coach, it’s going to be tougher. It’s tough to be a Canadian player and go to Europe, let alone being a coach. There’s possibilities, and you’ve got to be realistic about your starting point being somewhere lower, which means can you sacrifice the family again, can you sacrifice financially to do it? I know a lot of individuals that are like me, but when you have an idea and a dream and a vision, you want to carry it right through to the end, no matter who says you’re not going to do it. Whether it’s you want to prove somebody wrong, or whether it’s you want to live your dream, I don’t think I’m ready to listen to people here who say there’s no chance for Canadian coaches. I want to make it right for myself, and hopefully get out of here.
    Also in this series:
    - Ray Clark interview
    - Alex Chiet interview
    - Charlie Cuzzetto interview
    - Frank Yallop interview
    - Ron Davidson interview
    - Rafael Carbajal's vision
    - Some preliminaries
    - Canadian coaching: a new CSN investigation
    Guest
    embargoed, not done yet
    Back on March 16, I posted a speculative piece about the five members of Toronto FC whose performances I was particularly interested in seeing during the 2011 season. They weren't going to be the best players on the squad, but for one reason or another, their presence on the roster intrigued me.
    So with TFC's season now essentially (if unofficially) over, I'd like to take a look back at how those five players did in a Reds uniform. Methinks you're going to notice a bit of a trend.
    Jacob Peterson: "Considering that he survived the (annual off-season roster purge), Aron Winter and company must see value in him."
    Value indeed. Trade value, that is. Peterson was bundled with a couple of others in a trade with San Jose in July that netted Ryan Johnson.
    Alan Gordon: Traded to San Jose. In the Ryan Johnson deal.
    Nana Attakora: Traded to San Jose. In the Ryan Johnson deal.
    Oscar Cordon: Traded to Sa... no wait, that ain't right. Traded to Vancouver? Nope, that was Keven Aleman. So where did Oscar go? After a promising preseason and four appearances early on in the MLS campaign -- leading some (myself included obviously) to believe he could catch on with the Reds in 2011 -- the 18-year-old Academy product hasn't seen a whiff of the senior side in months.
    Instead, Ashtone Morgan and Matt Stinson have emerged as the two Academy graduates who look likeliest to challenge for a full-time spot with TFC on a go-forward basis.
    Cordon has, instead, been chugging away with the reserve squad -- though if Twitter is to be believed (and really, why wouldn't it be?), he's currently busy getting his high school diploma ("So bored! I need to graduate this year" was his clarion call on Sept. 13).
    Gianluca Zavarise: Massih Wassey? Err, no, Zavarise. Some injury troubles (as befall all athletes at this level) and some staying-with-the-big-club troubles confined the 25-year-old Canadian to 12 appearances with the senior side, none of which produced anything that I can immediately call to mind.
×
×
  • Create New...