Jump to content

  • Articles

    Manage articles
    Show all categories
    Guest
    Last week, Canadian Soccer News reported on the TSSL's ongoing fight with the TSA over fees, it's desire to leave and referees.
    The story has taken another turn this week and in the interest of following through on the reporting, we are posting the latest press release from the TSSL without additional comment.
    You can read it after the jump.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    OSA bans refs from working with TSSL
    Guest
    The Vancouver Whitecaps will be looking for their second win of their inaugural season today as they host the Philadelphia Union at 7pm at Empire Stadium.
    The Whitecaps have set a single season record for their current winless streak of 14 games. They will be looking to sneak a couple goals past one of the stingiest defences in the league. Stinginess is a funny term, concept, idea... whatever... it's just funny to try and call Philadelphia anything other then a dirty team. They are currently leading the league in fouls per game at a solid 14.2 fouls each match. Anyone who remembers the first match against Philly will remember the hack fest hosted by Danny Califf and Carlos Valdez at PPL Park.
    According to MLS.com Faryd Mondragon made 3 saves last time these two clubs met. I was a bit surprised to see that, they must have happened in that boring spell where I fell asleep. It's a real pity too because Mondragon is old enough to be your Dad (Happy fathers day Dad!) and I can't recall seeing all that many highlight reel saves from him thus far this year with the Union.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] While Danny Califf is the heart and sole* of this team providing a spark from the back line, they do have the ability to tickle the twine with a couple offensively gifted players. Sebastian LeToux and Danny Mwanga have the ability to put the ball in the net occasionally and the club as a whole is leading the league in goals from outside the 18 yard box, so Joe Cannon beware!
    Philly have brought in a new striker this week by signing a washed up 33 year old Serb named Veljko Paunovic. This signing is a bit of a head scratcher as he has only notched 13 goals since 2004 and has in fact been retired since the end of the 2009 campaign. His claim to fame is having made his debut with Partizan as a 17 year old.
    Can Hassli keep from getting booked? Will Danny Califf finally break someones leg with a reckless challenge?
    Either way it should make for a fairly dramatic game with Philadelphia trying to reach the playoffs in just their second season and the 'Caps in desperate need of a second victory.
    *sole for his clinical studs up challenges. man I crack myself up sometimes.
    Guest

    Your daily gold: Day 14

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Each competition day during the Gold Cup I will be providing a round-up of all that is noteworthy and interesting in our wacky little confederation championship.
    Below the jump, day 14
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Results:
    No games played since end of group stage. On positive note, Canada undefeated over since Tuesday.
    Performance of the day
    John Beals, baggage handler at YVR
    Despite the Cauncks playing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final, Beals selflessly helped to secure Terry Dunfield’s checked luggage Wednesday night in record time.
    Thanks for the condescending attention (mainstream media article of the day)
    The New York Times as an informative and engaging look at the line-up choices facing the United States heading into its quarterfinal against Jamaica.
    In spite of the less than inspiring performance in the group stage the US is still set-up well to advance to the final against Mexico. Many Americans have suggested that Jamaica is the favourite tomorrow, but it seems unlikely that the Jamaicans are thrilled that their “award” for winning the group was the USA.
    Mexico is not having the same consternation. They remain the runaway favourites heading into the knock-out stage.
    What about the Canucks? (Canadian news of the day)
    The Winnipeg Freep’s Jerrad Peters took time away for his bat cave (<-- inside Twitter joke) to critically evaluate Stephen Hart following the disaster that was Canada’s tournament.
    What’s on tap for today?
    The Mexican side of the quarterfinal draw:
    Mexico v Guatemala (8 p.m. EDT)
    Costa Rica v Honduras (5 p.m. EDT)
    The Costa Rica v Honduras match will be telling. Both countries can lay claim to being No 3 in CONCACAF, but neither has had a strong tournament as of yet.
    Guest

    Cause and effect

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Judging is easy -- thinking less so.
    Thinking requires effort and nuance. Judging is just asks for primal reaction and trite clichés. So it was Wednesday night as millions of Canadians watched the city of Vancouver react to losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final by rioting on the streets well into the night. It was easy to turn the night into a morality play and distance yourself from the actors. Far more difficult was to see how the behaviour being played out on out TV screens is within all of us given the right circumstances.
    That said, there is no need for me to recap what happened here as the images of burning cars and looting hockey fans has been burned into our memories. Nor, is this the place for an evaluation of why it happened, or if it could have been prevented – this is neither a hockey site, nor a place for serious social commentary (at least away the football pitch).
    However, there is a word that has been thrown about in the aftermath that should draw the attention of football fans. That word, of course, is hooligans.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Although on one hand it`s good – a concrete example that it isn`t the sport that causes bad behaviour, but rather the choices of the participants, is not a bad thing. Well, it might be good news If there was any evidence that the media or public will remember that lesson the next time two drunks get into a fight at a MLS game that is.
    However, on many other levels it`s not good at all. Suddenly the public is not in the mood for any type of behaviour from large groups of sports fans that goes beyond Go Team Go. That might especially be the case in Vancouver, where the Southsiders have already faced a certain amount of pushback from the team`s front office. Problems in Toronto are less pronounced, but there is a growing frustration amongst the supporters groups that the front office is less willing to let them do what they do now than it was a few years ago.
    To be clear, this is not to suggest that the Whitecaps and TFC are suddenly going to ban singing and flag waving because a bunch of young men in Trevor Linden jerseys burned a few police cars. However, the dynamic between front office and supporter`s groups in MLS is always one that walks a fine line. Take one look at how teams are marketed and you`ll realize that they want the groups with a bit of an edge. But, they are always just a little nervous.
    Supporter`s groups don`t need to be lectured about the need for self-policing and self-restraint. They understand those concepts because they understand that they are always being judged by the actions of others.
    Again, hooligan -- the word just doesn`t fit when it`s applied to other sports, even when the behaviour of the fans does.
    A little more than two years ago I was part of a large group of fans that traveled to Columbus to watch TFC`s second game of the 2009 season. As most would remember, that game ended in confrontation. No, it wasn`t a riot – nor even close to being one – but the reaction of the Columbus Police on the day and the Toronto media a few days later, said a lot about how this sport and its fans are perceived.
    We`re nutters, never more than a few moments away from destroying all that society holds dear. And that`s why it`s imperative of those that stand in supporter`s sections to be aware of the power of the mob and the potential it holds. I know as well as anyone that supporter’s rarely (very rarely) cross the line, but I also know as well as anyone that it can be easy to get caught up in the spirit of the moment.
    Soccer fans simply can’t cross the line – ever. Unfairly or not we are held to a higher standard. There can be 200 fights at a NFL game, but one visible arrest at a MLS game will always get more press.
    Take Wednesday: Imagine for a moment that the events happened after a Whitecaps game. Then, there would be no one outside of the game trying to make the argument that the perpetrators “weren’t actually fans.” No, the problem would be very much labelled as a soccer fan problem.
    And that’s why hockey’s shame could be soccer's problem.
    Guest
    Today, we're joined by the head coach of the Seattle Sounders Sigi Schmid to talk about their upcoming game against Toronto, the re-build he went through in Columbus and how it mirrors Toronto's own efforts and his thoughts on the transfer window, Freddy Montero's play and what positions they're targeting to replace.
    We'll also set up Toronto's game against Seattle, talk about the Canadian Women's National team chances at the World Cup expand a bit on the NASL going to Ottawa.
    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/2540/23942/jun172011final.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
    We're back, at long last, and what timing! We delve into the men's team's performance at the Gold Cup, and the women's team's (imagined) performance at the upcoming World Cup. We also introduce the CanMNT drinking game, Grant refers to "undercooked chocolate bananas" and we sear several images into your head including Chuck Blazer, panda bears and purple silk shirts.
    Also! We introduce our Umbro Canada jacket contest! Listen to the podcast (or read below) for details on how you can win a brand-new Canada dale jacket.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    We've got six clues coming out (in the form of easy questions -- well, easy if you've been paying attention) in the next week. Clue number one is within this episode of the podcast, with the remainder coming out via our Twitter feeds (see the right-hand side of this page), our Facebook page and a post here on CSN. Compile your six answers and fire them off to canadiansoccerguys@gmail.com; if you're the first to collect all the treasure, the jacket's yours!
    Treasure hunts are fun, and the jacket is pretty sweet. So good luck!
    Click here for Episode #32: The CanMNT Drinking Game (mp3)
    Click here to subscribe to the Some Canadian Guys iTunes feed
    Guest
    As records go, it’s not much of one. Still, with three straight results on the road – Colorado 0-0, L.A. 2-2 and last night’s 0-0 in New England – Toronto is on the cup of equalizing its record for its longest undefeated streak on the road. From July 1 to July 15, 2007 (nasty little road trip that was, wasn’t it) the mighty Reds went four straight without losing away from BMO Field.
    Included in that was the club’s first road win ever on the concrete in Salt Lake City. It was about 200 degrees if memory serves. Danny Dichio scored and it looked like anything was possible.
    It turned out that anything was possible, but that not everything is something you should wish for.
    Regardless, on June 25 Reds’ fans that like to find the positives in things can look to that road game and hope that the modest record can be equalled. Their opponents that night?
    Salt Lake City.
    OK, so it’s best to find something else to focus on, but still...
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]The point is that, as I’m said in this space over and over again, this season is all about the small victories. Wednesday night was a small victory. You can nitpick over things, sure – what the hell was Winter doing with the subs? Where did the first half energy go? Scoring would have been nice! – but overall the game was a nice little Wednesday night -- all that was missing was the trip to Bed Bath and Beyond.
    Having wallowed in the negativity that is the Canadian National Team all week it was nice to have something positive, even if it was just a little bit positive. Does a point in New England propel TFC back into the playoff race? God, no, but that’s hardly the point.
    The point is that players like Doneil Henry stepped up and that the Reds closed it out when the legs got weak and they found a point playing on the road on a short week. Baby steps, you know.
    Football is a grind and over the course of a season the pretenders are identified and exposed. However, the beauty of the game is that every 90 minutes offers the chance at redemption, or, at the very least, self-respect. It’s a slow progress, but every so often the evidence is there – maybe things aren’t as hopeless as it feels.
    As my colleague Ben Knight would say...Onward!
    Guest
    By: Alyssa Ally
    Carolina Morace has selected the 21 players she feels are fit and ready to take on the world in Germany at the Women’s World Cup. Injury rumours were put to rest and few surprises were made as the roster was announced today.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Worried fans breathed a sigh of relief when Candace Chapman’s name was listed among those selected. It had been reported three weeks ago the back line staple had injured her foot while training with her WPS club, Western New York Flash. As one of the more valued defenders with her athleticism and deep familiarity with the powerhouse teams, she will be vital to running Canada’s backline.
    Steph Labbe, who also experienced a recent injury scare, spent five weeks rehabilitating her knee after tearing the posterior cruciate ligament. She was cleared by doctors just a couple of weeks ago and will now take part in her first Women’s World Cup.
    Completing their own comeback trail are Erin McLeod and Kelly Parker, who are now both considered fully fit. McLeod who injured her knee in February 2010 and made her return in January 2011 at the China’s Four Nations Tournament has been working out the kinks ever since. But with Parker, who recovered from her foot injury in April, there was still some lingering doubt she would make the final cut. With her WPS club, Western New York Flash, Parker barely got any playing time. She was then traded to Atlanta where she saw slightly more minutes. But it wasn't until June when she rejoined her Canadian teammates in Rome for their final preparation matches was she was able to solidify her place with a combination of rehab and a full schedule of playing time.
    The exclusion of veteran defender Melanie Booth is the biggest eyebrow raiser. After competing at the World Cup in 2007, she was cut this time around while 21-year-old, Chelsea Stewart got the green light.
    This team features Canada’s youngest World Cup squad yet with an average age of 25.5. Nine women will experience soccer’s biggest tournament for the first time while Maple Ridge native, Karina LeBlanc will participate in her fourth World Cup and Captain Christine Sinclair will play in her third.
    Canada opens the tournament versus the host nation Germany on June 26th. They’ll then go on to play France on June 30 and finish off group play on July 5th.
    Women’s World Cup Squad
    Goalkeepers:
    Karina LeBlanc | Unattached
    Erin McLeod | Unattached
    Steph Labbe | Pitea IF, Sweden
    Defenders;
    Emily Zurrer | Vancouver Whitecaps
    Candace Chapman | Western New York Flash, USA
    Rhian Wilkinson | Lillestrom SK Kvinner, Norway
    Marie-Eve Nault | Ottawa Fury
    Robyn Gayle | Vancouver Whitecaps FC
    Chelsea Stewart/M | Vancouver Whitecaps FC
    Midfielders: Kaylyn Kyle | Vancouver Whitecaps FC
    Diana Matheson | Lillestrom SK Kvinner, Norway
    Carmelina Moscato | Unattached
    Kelly Parker | Atlanta Beat, USA
    Sophie Schmidt | Vancouver Whitecaps FC
    Desiree Scott | Vancouver Whitecaps FC
    Brittany Timko/F | Unattached
    Forwards:
    Christine Sinclair © | Western New York Flash, USA
    Melissa Tancredi | | Vancouver Whitecaps FC
    Jonelle Filigno | Rutgers University, USA
    Christina Julien | Ottawa Fury
    Jodi-Ann Robinson | Vancouver Whitecaps FC
    Alternates: GK: Rachelle Beanlands D: Melanie Booth F: Chelsea Buckland F: Brooke McCalla
    ___
    Alyssa Ally writes about the Canadian Women’s National team, the WPS and women’s soccer in general. You can find her stuff at cdnwomenssoccer.blogspot.com
    Follow her on Twitter at @cdn_chica
    Guest

    Women's roster revealed

    By Guest, in It's Called Football,

    The Canadian Women's National team announced their roster for the Women's World Cup today.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Goalkeepers: Karina LeBlanc, Erin McLeod, Steph Labbe,
    Defenders; Emily Zurrer, Candace Chapman, Rhian Wilkinson, Marie-Eve Nault, Robyn Gayle, Chelsea Stewart/M
    Midfielders: Kaylyn Kyle, Diana Matheson, Carmelina Moscato, Kelly Parker, Sophie Schmidt, Desiree Scott, Brittany Timko/F
    Forwards: Christine Sinclair ©, Melissa Tancredi, Jonelle Filigno, Christina Julien, Jodi-Ann Robinson.
    - Filed by Alyssa Ally
    Guest
    By: Nathan Terlesky
    With two games in five days (both against 2010 finalists no less), FC Edmonton showed some composure on the pitch. Losing 1-0 against Carolina and beating the snot out of Puerto Rico 3-0, Edmonton showed that they can stand with the best in the league. However, as is the usual result in soccer, it was not without some losses.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The injury bug bit Edmonton hard. Within a few weeks, the club lost a stellar backup (some would argue that he should be a starter) in Lance Parker. With a defensive player of the week under his belt, and an unquestionable role as backup to Rein Baart, Lance Parker was called in to mind the netting for Edmonton against Carolina. Unfortunately late in the game, he was forced to punch away a ball, and landed awkwardly on his arm, causing a compound fracture. Parker was released from the hospital yesterday and was able to attend some of the game. While his season is most likely over, the club believes that Parker will stay in Edmonton for the remainder of the season, and has even brought his mother up to help care for him. Talking to club officials last night, the team is also very optimistic about his rehabilitation skills, and expect him to return in the same form as before when he is fully healed.
    That being said, Paul Matthijs will also be missing the rest of the season, as he requires surgery on a hernia. While Paul Hamilton demonstrated skill and composure in the back line against Puerto Rico, the veteran Dutchman will be missed for his ability to mentor the young Calgarian.
    On a positive note, there are several rumours floating around the club about returning players. Chris Lemire, injured in a reserves game, is close to coming back, and appears medically cleared. Lemire broke two ribs and punctured a lung when pressing for a goal, but was in good spirits and appeared hungry to get back on the pitch for the Eddies after the game Wednesday night. Kyle Yamada also suffered an injury and has not been seen since hurting his ankle against FC Tampa Bay, but was at the game and is reportedly not on the injured list for Edmonton. Yamada has been a key ingredient for Edmonton in its offense. Alex Semenets is listed as day-to-day, and hopefully will be making his return to Edmonton as well.
    ___
    I have always been interested in the culture that goes on in sports fans, and was able to be a part of a legacy for FC Edmonton last Friday. While Edmonton missed several good chances to draw against Carolina, there was an incident in the later moments of the game which will enter into Eddies lore. For those who don’t know, Carolina appeared to score a second goal late in the match, but the play was mysteriously stopped by whistle from outside the field of play. The incident, in the greatest soccer tradition, has become known to the Edmonton Supporters Group as the “Whistle of God” and has caused an official warning and a no whistle rule to be put into effect by the club. It may not have been the most controversial moment in sports, but to a fledgling team and supporter group, it was something that we can identify with, and be proud that we have an incident that we can stand behind.
    Guest
    Canada's worst kept soccer secret will be made public very soon. Canadian Soccer News has learned that Monday the NASL will announce the addition of another Canadian team to its ranks.
    NASL commissioner David Downs will be in the Canadian capital to meet with owner of the Ottawa Fury John Pugh and his investors to introduce Ottawa as the newest NASL franchise at a press conference.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It is unclear at this point what will become of the Ottawa Fury PDL team but CSN sources confirmed that Ottawa will join the league in 2013 and will play out of Landsdowne Park.
    For those that don't know the Fury, they've been a stalwart for developing young talent over the last few years and their connection to the community is exactly what makes them so valuable at the D2 level.
    Hamilton, with the backing of the CFL's Hamilton TigerCats owner Bob Young, and was also believed to be joining the league in 2013, is no longer a certainty. League sources tell CSN a falling out has occured between Young and the league and his plans to bring a D2 franchise to Steeltown have stalled.
    CSN will have more details as they become available and will have either David Downs or John Pugh on the Monday edition of It's Called Football
    Guest

    Your daily gold: day 10

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Each competition day during the Gold Cup I will be providing a round-up of all that is noteworthy and interesting in our wacky little confederation championship.
    Below the jump, day 10
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Results:
    (sigh)
    Canada 1-1 Panama
    USA 1-0 Guadeloupe
    Canada we’ve talked about. As I wrote last night, they got what they deserved after playing the last 10 minutes scared.
    It’s been interesting to see the similarities between the fall-out after Canada “only” beat Guadeloupe 1-0 and yesterday’s American result. The Yanks’ fans have pretty much reacted as hysterically as the Canucks did.
    Guadeloupe is not that bad people.
    Performance of the day
    Jozy Altidore (United States of America)
    Sure the Americans only had one goal, but what a goal.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSgii83h4nI
    Thanks for the condescending attention! (Mainstream media article of the day)
    For Americans, Landon’s goal against Algeria seems 1,000 years ago...
    What about the Canucks? (Canadian news of the day)
    But at least they aren’t Canada.
    What’s on tap for today?
    Long, sad flights home for the Canadian national team
    The quarterfinals go Saturday and Sunday.
    Costa Rica v Honduras
    Mexico v Guatemala
    USA v Jamaica
    Panama v El Salvador

    Your daily gold will return Friday
    Guest
    We aren't really in the habit of publishing press releases without comment, but with the women's World Cup less than two weeks away we'll make an exception. The CSA is inviting Canadians to show their support to the women.
    Release below the jump:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Canadian Soccer News will also be a go-to stop for Canadian fans looking to keep up with the women with multiple daily updates.
    Guest
    Today, we break down Toronto's individual performances against New England, give some kudos to Doniel Henry for a strong game, give some jeers to another player for some stupid plays and debate how long the Toronto brass will give Aron Winter to compete his re-build.
    We'll look back on Canada's Gold Cup performance, talk about where Canada goes from here with Stephen Hart and what the strategy should be going into World Cup qualifying.
    All that and we'll talk about NASL going into Ottawa and what Monday's announcement will mean for Canadian football.
    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/2540/23892/jun152011final.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
    Bowing to pressure from well-reasoned, totally-not-reactionary fans of the men's national team following a disappointing group-stage exit from the Gold Cup, the Canadian Soccer Association has relieved head coach Stephen Hart of his duties, and hired Guus Hiddink and Jose Mourinho to share the position.
    "Guus and Jose have both been clamouring to get on the Canadian bandwagon for a while now," said one CSA official. "We figured this would be the perfect time to allow both of them to fulfill their coaching dreams."
    The official said Hiddink's international pedigree, along with Mourinho's success at the club level, would ensure that never again would the opponent be able to clumsily bumble a ball over the goal line during stoppage time. When asked how, exactly, the two would get along, and how they would share duties, and how the CSA found the cash to afford the two well-regarded managers, the official grinned and waved his hand slowly in a "calm down"-type motion.
    "Come on now, we've got unlimited human and financial resources at our disposal," he said. "Fans know that. Why else would they expect instant, wholesale change to our entire organization?"
    Along with new managers, the team will also see a radically reshaped roster heading into World Cup qualifying in September.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Mere moments after the Hiddink/Mourinho tandem had been finalized, longtime on-the-fence Canadian-born players David "Junior" Hoilett and Jonathan de Guzman both revealed via Twitter that they were pledging their allegiance to the Canadian national team.
    "Oranje whut?! Nah really, whut the f, Dutch! Scarborough represent!" tweeted the younger de Guzman.
    Meanwhile his older brother, Julian, issued a stunning press release: "I want to announce that, as many Toronto FC fans have suspected, my performance for the club side thus far has had nothing whatsoever to do with a serious leg injury, the adjustment to a different league on a different continent, or the pressures of performing in my hometown. I really just have been screwing with you all. But thanks to today's news, you can all expect a return to the form I showed in La Liga four years ago, effective immediately. Thanks."
    His former Toronto FC teammate, Dwayne De Rosario, reacted to the announcement via Twitter in a rather cryptic manner.
    "Ukraine versus England in UEFA U21 championship," he tweeted.
    The CSA also announced its introduction of a mechanized physiological timeshifter. One CSA researcher -- or at the very least, someone wearing a white lab coat -- said the machine is capable of "making crucial adjustments to the DNA structure of a human being, essentially allowing one to 'shift' their age several years forward or backward."
    The gentleman in the white lab coat noted that experimental testing had already been conducted on Craig Forrest and Jason deVos, with future subjects including Alex Bunbury, Dale Mitchell, Paul Peschisolido, Tomasz Radzinski, Keven Aleman, Russell Teibert and Ethan Gage.
    When asked why all of these measures hadn't been implemented prior to the Gold Cup, the CSA official noted: "The people have spoken. They want to reach Brazil 2014. We've been sitting on these hundreds of millions of dollars and this dubious one-man time-machine technology for years now, and figured, what the hell, might as well use it now."
    What happens, then, if Canada fails to qualify for the next men's World Cup?
    "Pffft," the official scoffed. "That's impossible. We've left nothing to chance. High-profile manager, high-profile players, manipulation of human DNA... there's literally no way we won't make it."
    Neither Hiddink nor Mourinho returned phone calls from The Reserve Squad, while the fellow in the white coat cut short his discussion of Canadian soccer to distribute ice cream cones to screaming children.
    .
×
×
  • Create New...