Jump to content

  • Articles

    Manage articles
    Show all categories
    Guest
    Today, we were supposed to be joined by esteemed reporter Andrew Jennings but it would seem the world has up and swallowed him, so we'll try to re-connect in the days ahead to discuss the latest foibles by FIFA and what the latest Chuck Blazer allegations could mean for our region.
    But we'll be joined by Ben Knight to update on his ongoing investigation into the Canadian coaching scene, discuss the news that Scarborough teen Fraser Aird looks ready to join the Scotland youth ranks and of course, break down Toronto FC's win over Real Salt Lake.
    The archived show is now up.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Watch CSN in the days ahead for that interview with Andrew Jennings.
    <embed src="http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/FlowPlayerLight.swf?config={embedded:true,videoFile:%27http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/download/2540/25080/aug152011final.mp3%27,initialScale:%27scale%27,controlBarBackgroundColor:%270x778899%27,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>
    Guest

    Aye, the boy is Canadian

    By Guest, in It's Called Football,

    Fraser Aird, the Scarborough teen who signed with the Glasgow Rangers Academy in February and who would have been the only talent Canada had at the U-17 level with a pro-contract, has been called to represent Scotland.
    Aird, whose both parents have Scottish lineage, was recently overlooked being called into the Canadian U-17 camp and now is expected to accept the invitation to represent Scotland at the youth levels. Thanks to FIFA's recent rule change about capping at the youth levels, this is a move that won't preclude him from representing Canada later in life but it certainly doesn't bode well given his family lineage and where he now plies his trade.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    He is scheduled to report to camp at the end of the month when Scotland will play a series of three games in Austria.
    While talent at Aird's age is not guaranteed to reap future rewards, it's not exactly like Canada has a wealth of disposable talent in the pipeline to play with.
    Given the rumours earlier this year about Oscar Cordon, another heralded young Canadian talent said to be considering his options after not being selected to his national team, perhaps it's time that the Senior Men's coaching staff started taking a larger role in managing the youth level selections. Otherwise the politics of selection at the youth levels will continue to effect the long term development on the senior side.
    Guest
    TFC fans will be able to watch their team live on Thursday, after all.
    After initially posting the match to their schedule, then shuffling it off to tape-delay hell, Rogers finally decided* to stick with their original plan and show Toronto FC's group stage opener in Panama live on Setanta Sports.
    The match had been shuffled around Rogers' family of networks, causing dismay amongst many TFC supporters. Last Thursday night, Setanta's website had the match listed as a live broadcast. The following morning, the match had been replaced on Setanta's grid by a UEFA Champions League re-run, instead showing up on Sportsnet ONE's schedule as a tape-delayed broadcast.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    In today's all-knowing information age, a tape delay of a Canadian team from a Canadian broadcaster was not going to cut it, and many made their displeasure known. Whether the voices made a difference will remain unknown, but in the end they got what they wanted.
    As a bonus, Setanta is on free preview until mid-September, and thus should be available to most people.
    * As of this writing, the Setanta online schedule still shows a re-run of Bayern v. FC Zurich during the timeslot in question.

    Rudi Schuller contributes Toronto FC and Canadian national team content to the 24th Minute. He manages the Euro File here at Canadian Soccer News, and is MLSsoccer.com's beat writer for all things concerning Canada's men's national teams. Follow Rudi on Twitter, @RudiSchuller.
    Guest

    The Pizzolitto transcript

    By Guest, in It's Called Football,

    Canadian Soccer News has obtained a copy of the transcript from the recent Nevio Pizzolitto hearing.
    Pizzolitto was before the CSA disciplinary committee to answer to allegations he had spit on a fan following the conclusion of the NCC game between the Whitecaps and the Montreal Impact.
    He was eventually found not guilty of committing an act that brings disrepute to the game.
    Canadian Soccer News has been advised to avoid further comment on the subject now that the process has concluded, but we do encourage you to read the transcript and make up your own mind on the events of that day.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The unedited transcript.
    Guest
    These are the moments from Toronto FC's 1-0 win over Real Esteli. All photos are courtesy of Chris Hazard at Hazard Gallery.
    He is shooting for Canadian Soccer News this year - at least until one of the major daily newspapers gets wise and takes notice of one of the best soccer photographers in Canada.
    You can purchase these and other photos here.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]




    Guest
    These are the faces from Toronto FC's 1-0 win over Real Esteli. All photos are courtesy of Chris Hazard at Hazard Gallery.
    He is shooting for Canadian Soccer News this year - at least until one of the major daily newspapers gets wise and takes notice of one of the best soccer photographers in Canada.
    You can purchase these and other photos here.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]





    Guest

    Robbie Keane to LA Galaxy

    By Guest, in Euro File,

    The rumours have swirled furiously all over the Internet over the past few days, but it seems to be a done deal now. Several reports have Robbie Keane joining the LA Galaxy from Tottenham Hotspur on a 2.5 year contract.
    Keane will take Juan Pablo Angel's place as LA's DP striker. Angel has been incredibly ineffective for the past year after tearing up the league from his debut in 2007 through the first half of 2010. The Colombian is said to be considering two options for his immediate future: joining the Philadelphia Union (and old friend Faryd Mondragon), or retirement.
    To land Keane, Los Angeles had to open up their wallets. The Galaxy are reportedly set to pay the Irish star $4.5 million for each of 2012 and 2013, with a pro-rated amount for the duration of this year. Those salary figures would make Keane the fourth highest-paid player in MLS*, behind new teammate David Beckham ($6.5 million) and New York duo Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez ($5.5 million each).
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    To put things more into perspective, LA are paying their three designated players over $13 million combined. Clearly, they are making a push to win a championship this year with Beckham in the final year of his landmark deal.
    * Numbers for recent DP signings Torsten Frings, Danny Koevermans, Frank Rost, Freddy Adu and others are still not yet available to the public, although none are reported to be as big as the Keane deal.
    Guest

    Celebrating Simeon Jackson

    By Guest, in Euro File,

    It’s expected to happen today, but even if it doesn’t it’s only a matter of time. Seven years after only non-league Rushden & Diamonds was willing to have a look at a raw 17-year-old , Simeon Jackson is on the verge of making his Premiership debut.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It’s an incredible story and one that more Canadians should be celebrating. At 15, Jackson uprooted himself to chase a dream that really only he believed in. He was rejected by Gillingham (hardly Barcelona that) as a youth but never gave up. Rather than mope when only non-league options presented themselves, Jackson got down to business. He scored an incredible 40 goals in 88 appearances for Rushden & Diamonds, a feat that made the Gills reconsider. Thirty-five more goals, including three vital markers during the Gills League Two promotion playoffs in 2009, lead to another upgrade to newly promoted Championship side Norwich City in 2010.
    All he did there was score the goal that clinched the club’s return to the top flight.
    Now 24, Jackson has already scored 88 goals in England and become a cult figure at no fewer than three clubs.
    Since he’s Canadian, a hockey comparison: This is a 17 year-old that was forced to play semi-pro for a Senior B team in 2004 that somehow worked his way up to be a top 6 forward for the Columbus Blue Jackets – no one is betting against a trade to the Vancouver Canucks soon enough.
    Every time it’s suggested that Jackson has found his top level he finds a way to show us otherwise. This already incredible story could have more chapters yet.
    About the only area that you can point to and suggest that he’s failed to surpass expectations is in his international pay. With just two goals for Canada so far, Canadian fans are hopeful that he can step it up in this fall’s World Cup qualifying. As the Canadian arguably playing at the highest level right now it’s vital that he do so.
    But those are worries for another day. Today should be all about celebrating what is a rare feel good story in Canadian football.
    Guest
    The Vancouver Whitecaps are preparing to take on D.C. United in America’s capital tomorrow, as they look to build on last week’s 4-2 win over the Chicago Fire.
    It’s the first time the Whitecaps will play since the club announced that Carolina RailHawks coach Martin Rennie will be taking the helm next season.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    While the players have been saying all the right things to reporters throughout the week about maintaining effort levels under interim coach Tom Soehn, it will be interesting to see how that knowledge impacts the team’s on-field performance in a game situation.
    There are a couple of factors that could aid the ‘Caps before a ball is even kicked, however, as D.C. must function without head coach Ben Olsen on the touchline. The former American international will be sitting in the stands after his outburst against Toronto FC during their 3-3 classic last weekend.
    There’s also the matter of D.C. goalkeeper Bill Hamid’s red card from last week, which means United will have to play with one of Steve Cronin or rookie Joe Willis. Cronin would normally be the obvious choice, but his shaky performance after replacing Hamid last weekend means there’s some doubt about who will get the nod between the sticks.
    One clear advantage United will have is the form of Dwayne De Rosario. The Canadian international is in electric form, having scored five goals in his last two matches for the club, most recently scoring a hat-trick against Toronto FC last weekend, and there's no individual in the league right now who is anywhere close to as potent.
    As for personal storylines, Tom Soehn is returning to the club he led to Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and MLS Supporters Shield trophy glory in a three-year spell as head coach. He’ll be looking to pull one over his old player Ben Olsen (though he will be suspended) and Chad Ashon, his former assistant.
    Another Whitecap with connections to the club is goalkeeper Jay Nolly, who made a winning return to the lineup after being frozen out by Soehn following former coach Teitur Thordarson’s dismissal.
    “It would be great [to win in Washington],” Nolly told Canadian Soccer News after training earlier this week. “It was a good year for me, it was a great learning experience. I didn’t play much but I learned a lot. To come back a little bit wiser and hopefully get a start, hopefully we can keep this good feeling going.”
    On the injury front, Alain Rochat did not travel with the team, meaning some sort of change at the back is likely to take place. Jay DeMerit could come in as a straight swap after playing 45 minutes in a 2-1 reserve league victory over the Seattle Sounders reserves, but it is unlikely he will last the full 90.
    Mustapha Jarju has joined his teammates in D.C. after a 3-0 victory over the Democratic Republic of the Congo in an international friendly on Wednesday, but given his travel and lack of match fitness it’s a good bet he’ll start on the bench and come on at some point in the second half.
    __
    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
    Toronto FC’s Champions League game Thursday has been bumped to tape delay. Originally, the game was scheduled to play live on Setanta, but the schedule was changed at the last minute.
    TFC fan are reacting with anger and frustration. Fan blogger Tim Drodge attempted to start a Twitter hashtag (#BigRSNFail) for fans to voice their displeasure. Other fans have been sending messages to Sportsnet directly chastising them for their decision.
    The official Twitter feed for the network (@RogersSportsNet) appeared to be caught off guard, suggesting that the game would be seen live on Setanta. When told that it was removed from the schedule, he or she replied that they would look into it and report back. The author confirmed that the main network and SportsNet One could not show the game live because of “previously arranged commitments to baseball.”
    CSN has asked for clarification and will update this story if any is received.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest
    Home at last.
    After a road trip that felt like forever (it's only really been 17 days), TFC return to the sometimes-friendly confines of BMO Field on Saturday night. For a number of Toronto players, the match will be the first opportunity to actually play as a Red at home after a frantic past couple of weeks traveling the continent.
    In addition to the return to the lake shore, Toronto are coming off an increasingly rare week in which they've had no games scheduled, a seven-day stretch during which the players will have hopefully refreshed both physically and mentally.
    Incoming are the 2009 MLS Cup champs and 2011 CONCACAF Champions League runners-up Real Salt Lake, a team that's stumbled recently but seem to be rounding back into the form that has made them one of the most feared sides in MLS.
    And just in time to face Toronto.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    RSL have, at times, looked a shell of their former selves after losing the CONCACAF final in a most painful way. The weight of that loss seemed to visibly hang from the shoulders of every Salt Lake player in the subsequent weeks and months, and while the results were still largely positive, they were hardly the dominance that we'd become accustomed to from late 2009 onward.
    The loss of talisman Javier Morales in the early going surely didn't help, as it just seemed another blow against a side that still reeling from the knockout punch delivered by Humberto Suazo of Monterrey in that ill-fated continental finale.
    Still, the Utah club is a deeply talented and superbly-organized team, and after a mourning period that stretched from early May to late June, Jason Kreis' side have bounced back to the tune of four wins in their past seven league matches.
    Most recently, they dismantled the faltering Red Bulls 3-0 at Rio Tinto, the type of dominant performance that was more often seen in 2010, and -- perhaps more importantly -- an end to a two-game slide in which Salt Lake looked decidedly average.
    It's the fact that RSL have looked decidedly average very recently that gives Toronto hope in this match, as the Reds are still a patchwork crew looking to gel into something resembling a cohesive unit.
    There have been moments, especially in TFC's suddenly talented midfield, where the Reds have shown just what they can do when going forward. The back line is, as always, a disaster waiting to happen, but Toronto's new-found ability to actually score goals seems to be enough to keep them in games these days.
    An interesting stat was floated around recently that shocked quite a few: Real Salt Lake have never scored a goal at BMO Field in MLS play. If you add in the 1-1 deadlock in last year's Champions League group stage, RSL have still only scored once in five total appearances at 170 Princes Blvd.
    If history were to hold true, then Toronto should be able to pull off something positive on Saturday night.
    If.
    --
    Injuries: It's being reported that Stefan Frei has a mild knee injury and will likely be rested against RSL, meaning that Milos Kocic will get his first league start of 2011.
    After Kocic's blunder versus Real Esteli back in July, Aron Winter went right back to the second-string keeper the following week in Nicaragua in order to allow him to regain some lost confidence. That seems like a sound move now.
    On the other side of the ledger, hulking centre back Jamison Olave is still questionable for Salt Lake. He's been out since the All-Star Game, and was in doubt to travel to Toronto this week. Olave's possible absence is a like-for-like in regards to Frei's ailments, as each are arguably their respective club's best defender.

    Toronto FC v. Real Salt Lake
    Saturday, August 13, 2011. 7:00pm EDT.
    BMO Field. Toronto, ON.
    Watch: GolTV 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 manages the Euro File here at Canadian Soccer News, and is MLSsoccer.com's beat writer for all things concerning Canada's men's national teams. Follow Rudi on Twitter, @RudiSchuller.
    Guest
    As I wrote yesterday, round two of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying could offer Canada with a unique opportunity. Rare, is a competition where the Canucks are so profoundly favourites to advance as that round will provide. So, it’s reasonable to assume that the Canucks will get the full nine points in the first three games, making the final three games friendlies in all but name.
    If that happens, it will give Stephen Hart an opportunity to have a good look at some younger players. Although the coach is right to say, as he did on the Fan 590 last month, that WCQ should be taken seriously regardless of the circumstance it would be foolish to lean on the A-side if advancement was assumed. That’s especially the case when the games would offer a chance to give the u-23 side some time ahead of the Olympic qualifiers.
    With a HT to Dino Rossi, six young Canadians we’d like to see during qualifying.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Kyle Porter – The 21-year-old looked to be out of options after Vancouver failed to offer a contract. However, after landing on his feet with FC Edmonton he’s been a key player during Edmonton’s surprise 2011 season.
    Kyle Bekker – A Boston College stand-out and perhaps Sigma Elite Training Center’s best prospect, Bekker is a player that a lot of clubs have an eye on. He’s trained with TFC this year.
    Andrés Fresenga -- A “hyphen” player (he’s also eligible to play for Uruguay) with some promise. Other nations cynically cap tie players, why not Canada?
    Russell Teibert – A young Canadian getting some MLS minutes for the Whitecaps. It’s a no brainer.
    Randy Edwini-Bonsu – With four goals in eight appearances in Finland it’s hard not to get just a little bit excited.
    Doneil Henry – One of the few good stories out of TFC this year, the academy graduate has flourished under Aron Winter.
    Those are our six picks, let us know in the comments section if you think we’ve missed anyone.
    Guest
    In this special Interview Only edition of It's Called Football, we're joined by the soon-to-be head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps Martin Rennie to speak about why the Whitecaps were his first choice, his philosophy for football and why the differences between MLS and NASL are paramount.
    The archived show is now up.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <embed src="http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/FlowPlayerLight.swf?config={embedded:true,videoFile:%27http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/download/2540/25026/martinrennieintervewfinal.mp3%27,initialScale:%27scale%27,controlBarBackgroundColor:%270x778899%27,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>
    Guest
    With Jamie moving on to a new gig at Sportsnet Magazine, this is the end of Some Canadian Guys as we know it. To mark the occasion, we present our final podcast. It's our longest show ever... though that really just means more time for schlocky sentimentality, loud profanity and ridiculous anecdotes about Grant's time in South Korea.
    We do talk about World Cup qualifying, Junior Hoilett's future and the upcoming Premier League season, and we do a perfunctory round of promotion/relegation. But really, it's just one final round of us yammering bullshit at each other from the confines of the "Some Canadian Guys studio".
    To everyone who's followed and supported the show, we appreciate it. Hopefully we provided sufficiently useful audio wallpaper for your commute to work. Grant and Squizz may (or may not) put out audio productions of some variety in the future. But as far as the full shows are concerned, this is it. Merci, au revoir, allez les rouges.
    Listen/Download -- Episode #34: A Farewell To Us (mp3)
    Some Canadian Guys Talking About Soccer on iTunes (show archives)
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest

    No Canada today. No problem.

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    For the fourth time since Stephen Hart took over as manager of the Canadian national team the Red and White did not play during a FIFA break. In total, Canada has played 11 times in 15 international breaks since Hart’s appointment.
    At the time of his hiring, Hart told me that he had received a commitment from the CSA to play during a majority of breaks. Previously, the CSA had failed to book friendlies, which resulted in the country dropping down the FIFA rankings and struggling to come together quickly when it did play.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Hart understood how important getting enough games would be. “I wouldn’t have taken the job if I didn’t think (that they would schedule enough friendlies)...maybe 85 per cent of FIFA dates,” he told me.
    A high ranking CSA official sent me an unsolicited e-mail suggesting that Canada would play between 30 and 35 games before the start of the qualifying cycle (in the interest of fairness, at the time the cycle was understood to be starting in 2012).
    It’s been much better than in the dark years of the early 2000s, but we still aren’t quite hitting the targets set. Canada has played on 73 per cent of international dates and has played a total of 14 games (including the Gold Cup). Even if we play in every window until next summer (when the cycle was thought to be starting) we will only hit 23 games. So, the 30 game promise might have been a little ambitious.
    Should Canada have played today? It’s never a bad idea to schedule a game, but there are political factors at play that need to be considered. With several Canadian players in a battle to find regular playing time in Europe right now, a strong argument can be made that it would have been counterproductive to uproot them from training camps to play a one-off friendly against Jamaica. Sure, it would build familiarity ahead of the Sept 2 World Cup qualifying kick-off, but the level of competition there is such that missing this window should not be much of a factor.
    Even when WCQ gets going this fall, Canada will need to be careful in making its selections. Since it is a qualifier, the clubs have no choice but to release the players, but they do have every choice in whether to employ the player once he gets back from playing. It’s important sometimes to remember your place in the footballing world. Canada’s place is at the back of the kitchen begging for table scraps. We aren’t anywhere close to being able to play the heavy in club-country negotiations and it does no one any good to have our players blackballed at the club level.
    It must be stressed that the three countries up against Canada in this round are mostly made up of semi-pro players. It’s the perfect opportunity to work some depth.
    In a best case scenario Canada will grab the full nine points from its first three games. If they do that, then the rest of the round could offer a great opportunity to get the u23 player pool some preparation ahead of next year’s Olympic qualifying. It’s unlikely the u23s will get much more than a week’s camp heading into the Olympic qualifiers, so that might be its only opportunity to play meaningful games before chasing a spot in London (and keep in mind that Canada was one win away from going to Beijing).
    To bring it back to the original topic, there are exceptions to any rule and today might be an example of that. Yes, it’s always nice to see Canada play, but no one should be too upset that the Canucks didn’t hit the pitch today.
×
×
  • Create New...