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    Guest
    By now, you should have seen the Eric Hassli goal that is the early favourite for MLS goal of the year and discussed it to death with your friends.
    But if you haven't, or even if you have, here are a more few things to love about it.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]


    1. The flip to himself over the defender. Even without the goal, it's a tremendous move to pick up the ball in the run of play (on a shitty turf no less) and turn it into an opportunity. The timing and precision was simply brilliant.
    2. Unlike a similarly lauded strike by Philadelphia's Carlos Ruiz earlier in the year, yes, Hassli really did mean to do it. After Ruiz's goal, he copped to the fact that his left footed volley might have been a little lucky, but if you watch the positioning by Hassli, the way he pivots off his planted foot, there is clearly no doubt he had every intention of putting it on goal. That's not to say it wasn't without a little bit of luck, it's not often that you'll find Casey Keller napping like that, but you have to love the confidence of a striker willing to have a go from anywhere.
    3. The importance of the moment. With just over five minutes of regular time left in the game, the Whitecaps trailing 2-1, Vancouver's supporters in attendance en mass for Cascadia Cup glory, the strike couldn't have come at a better moment. His celebration wasn't half bad either. The strut of someone who knows they just did something spectacular and a simple salute to his bench and teammates as if to say 'I got this.'
    But what do you think? What did you like about it? Was it the best goal of the year? Or overrated as some are suggesting today.
    Guest

    Your daily gold: day 8

    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 8
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Results:
    El Salvador 6-1 Cuba
    Mexico 4-1 Costa Rica
    Before I go into the rank, allow me this caveat: If Canada can’t beat Panama the Canucks don’t deserve to make the quarterfinals. I want Canada to be in a must win situation. That’s what is best for the development of the team.
    That said, the format is completely unfair. Any time there are quarterfinal spots for the best best third place finishers it is. Both Cuba and Grenada are considerably weaker than Guadeloupe. That puts group C at a disadvantage.
    On a more positive note, it was impossible to be a bit of a fan of what Mexico was doing. This team is playing with a fire I haven`t seen in years. Despite it being a blow-out it was impossible to take your eyes off that game last night.
    Performance of the day
    Keilor Gamboa Navas (Costa Rica)
    Rather than name the entire Mexican side, let`s go the other way...The only reason Mexico didn’t hang 10 on Costa Rica was because its keeper showed up.
    Thanks for the condescending attention! (Mainstream media article of the day)
    Other than Mexico’s strong start the biggest talking point in the Gold Cup so far is about Bob Bradley’s future as manager of the US. Today, ESPN looks at the question of whether it’s time to take him behind the shed.
    What about the Canucks? (Canadian news of the day)
    There are literally no new articles as of this writing (8:55 a.m. EDT). Let’s take a moment and reflect on that.
    You can, however, read about the UEFA U21s on TSN.
    Welcome to Canada.
    What’s on tap for today?
    Guatemala v Grenada
    Honduras v Jamaica
    Technically Grenada could help Canada. They won’t though.
    Jamaica takes the group with a win or draw, Honduras takes it with a win.
    Guest
    Univision, the network that owns the Spanish-language broadcast rights to the Gold Cup in the U.S., said the audience for Mexico v. El Salvador topped out at 6.8 million viewers on June 5.
    Networks employ various methods to report audience numbers. Usually a broadcast's average number of viewers is used for comparison, which we can assume is probably a million or two lower than the almost seven million the company trumpeted in its press release.
    Still, that's pretty damn impressive. By comparison, Game One of the Stanley Cup finals pulled in about 4.5 million viewers on average for NBC.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Of course the NBA Finals is thumping both competitions, drawing 18.3 million viewers for Game Five and probably more for Game Six. But the interesting thing about Gold Cup television ratings is how Mexico matches boost the averages. Univision grabbed 940,000 viewers for the USA-Canada match on June 7, and says it averaged 1.4 million viewers for the tournament's first six games.
    The other thing to keep in mind with these numbers is that while ABC is attracting 18~20 million viewers for basketball from an overall U.S. population of 310 million, Spanish-language networks generally attract viewers from the roughly 35 million Americans who speak Spanish at home.
    Despite being ignored by mainstream media in Canada (and in the U.S.) this tournament is big business. Univision was the second-most watched U.S. network in primetime on Sunday June 5, thanks to the Mexico game. It's huge value for advertisers looking to target the Latino demographic.
    The Gold Cup does not appear to enjoy even remotely as much success on English-language television in the U.S. I couldn't find any numbers for this edition of the tournament (usually a sign that they aren't great), but Fox Soccer Channel said about 270,000 households watched the U.S.-Mexico final in 2009. That's a slightly different measuring stick, but I would say it translates into about ~500,000 total viewers.
    Anyone who's watched this tournament on television can see that the only games sold out are the ones involving Mexico. Or perhaps the ones played before a Mexico match as part of a doubleheader. The strong television numbers simply underline the fact that this tournament is designed for and primarily watched by Mexican immigrants in the U.S. and their Spanish-speaking children. The entire draw is basically rigged so that the U.S. meets Mexico in the final, which is what Mexican fans desperately want.
    It actually reminds me of the "World" Junior Hockey Championships, in that only one set of fans cares so passionately about the outcome.
    The interesting question for me is what this all means for the future of the tournament. Really, it's a question that's also central to the future of soccer in the U.S. Hell, if you ask this guy it could even be balled up into a larger question that's central to the future of the country. Will the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of today's Mexican and Central American immigrants remain passionate soccer fans, or will they dissipate into the masses watching basketball and American football? And less importantly but still interesting, will we see a Mexico-U.S. Gold Cup final 30 or 50 years from now in which American supporters actually outnumber the Mexican ones?
    Guest
    You know they won, right?
    Yes, it was a frustrating 90 minutes. In the live blog I was running I wrote that we were 10 minutes away from a Voyageurs meltdown (without a goal) in the 15th minute. It pretty much went to form.
    But, you know they won, right?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    And, it didn’t even involve a coin flip (for newer fans, Canada advanced to the 2000 Gold Cup knock-out stage after winning a coin flip. They went on to win the tournament). What it did involved was a terrible call from the official who fell for Ali Gerba’s terrible dive. I guess he figured a man that big couldn’t possibly fall down unless he was fouled.
    DeRo converted the penalty for his 16th career international goal, edging him one above the man who drew the call in the race for the all-time mark, which will likely fall during the World Cup qualifying.
    If you were surprised by the result you haven’t been paying attention. Guadeloupe has always been a frustrating opponent – they beat Canada in 2007 remember – and when they went down to 10 they were bound to park the bus. The Cauncks have never been all that good at breaking down that type of game. They did enough yesterday and that should be enough for the fans.
    It’s not, of course. In a spectacular display of cognitive dissonance, Canadian fans have convinced themselves that the only acceptable result against a country like Guadeloupe is something that might resemble Spain.
    Thing is, this is Canada we’re talking about. The Red and White need to learn how to win before it can learn to win pretty.
    Supporters will likely be more forgiving Tuesday against Panama. A win in that game and Canada could find itself top of the group (that’s the least likely outcome, but still possible). Obviously, the prevailing thinking now is that we’re screwed. Panama is too skilled, too fast, to Latin, too something for Canada to have any chance whatsoever. They did, after all, just pull off one of the Gold Cup’s greatest upsets in knocking off the US 2-1.
    They also barely hung on to beat 10-man Guadeloupe 3-2, allowing both goals while the Islanders were down a man.
    See, Panama’s not Spain either.
    The bottom line is that Canada needs to learn how to win the big games. Tuesday is one of them. The Gold Cup (really) starts then.
    And if Canada wins no one is going to care that they struggled to beat Guadeloupe.
    Guest

    Your daily gold: day 7

    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 7
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Results:
    Guadeloupe 15-0 Canada
    Panama 2-1 USA
    Wait, what? Canada won 1-0??? I wouldn’t know it from the reaction. (More in Sober Second Thoughts, part 1 above).
    As for the USA result...yeah, didn’t see that coming. And it has made a mess of the group. Panama needs only a draw against Canada to win the group. The Americans are going to need to win and hope for Canada to get a result.
    CONCACAF, the tricky guys they are, have arranged it so that even if the US falls to second in the group it still won’t cross over into Mexico’s side of the draw though.
    It would be nice to be in a confederation that wasn’t so transparent about its motivations, wouldn’t it?
    Performance of the day
    Panama – the whole team.
    Every aspect of the Gold Cup is set-up to ensure the best possible odds of a USA v Mexico final. That Panama put a bit of doubt in that is brilliant (unless you’re one of the 20 or so per cent of CSN readers that are American. Sorry guys.)
    Thanks for the condescending attention! (Mainstream media article of the day)
    We’re going a bit outside the box today.
    Grab some popcorn and read the game day thread on the BigSoccer US men’s forum.
    What about the Canucks? (Canadian news of the day)
    Gerry Dobson sums up the despondent feeling of (the real) Canucks* Nation.
    What’s on tap for today?
    Group A finishes with Cuba and El Salvador up first and Mexico and Costa Rica finishing up.
    The best result for Canada would be an unlikely Cuban win or draw. Actually, Canada would almost clinch a quarterfinal place if that were to happen (would only need a draw by USA against Guadeloupe regardless of its result against Panama).
    If, as expected, El Salvador wins it will force Canada to get at least a draw against panama to make sure it finishes above the Central Americans. Canada is currently a -1, with El Salvador a -5 so it would seem likely that Canada would finish ahead if both end up on four points.
    Or Canada could go through the front door and beat Panama. Crazy, that.
    * hockey reference/Vancouver dig
    Guest
    Ali Gerba is a big, strong guy. So it was a bit surprising to see the ease with which he went down in the 49th minute of Saturday's match against Guadeloupe. The ensuing penalty kick was dubbed "controversial", "questionable", "soft" and all sorts of other euphemisms often used to gloss over the insinuation that the player cheated.
    They flopped. They simulated. They took a dive.
    None of us knows what was in Gerba's mind, or whether he was cynically attempting to win a penalty kick. But one way or another, he got it -- and the resulting goal ended up being the difference between a win and a soul-crushing loss for his Canadian side.
    As despicable as many find it to be, the sad reality is that diving -- with troublesome frequency -- actually works. So as the Gold Cup churns along and World Cup qualifying against CONCACAF opponents comes closer, fans of the Canadian team once again find themselves confronting an existential quandary:
    Should our players dive?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Anyone who's watched Canada play for any amount of time doesn't need to be told that our squad has, on more occasions than we'd care to recall, been on the receiving end of controversial/questionable/soft calls, borne out of an opponent's unabashed willingness to hit the ground as if they were shot at the slightest contact. Hell, our entire World Cup 2010 qualifying campaign took a serious hit when Patrice Bernier got sent off against Honduras following a flop by Amado Guevara.
    We lost the game 2-1, and our chances of making South Africa were pretty much shot to hell. As for Guevara, I'm sure he slept soundly, knowing full well that no matter how "virtuous" (or not) his actions were, they helped get the exact result he and his countrymen wanted: A win.
    Do Canadians need to stop being the nice guys? Do we need to take a more hardened, win-at-all-costs attitude?
    If one's mindset is that qualifying for the World Cup is not only the most important thing, it's the only thing, then it's tough to argue against a tactic that is demonstrably effective, whether it's good sportsmanship or not. History has shown that CONCACAF referees will seemingly bite on a wide variety of simulation tactics. If our goal -- our only goal -- is to defeat other teams that unapologetically employ those tactics, one could argue that it would be preposterous for us to handicap ourselves for the sake of abstract concepts such as "fair play".
    Then again, if we believe that sport has some societal meaning and worth beyond hoping that the team we support has the chance to clutch a trophy, or reach a specific point in their competitive existence, then a refusal to "play down to one's opponents" when it comes to diving certainly brings with it a sense of virtue. There are plenty of people who fervently believe that it's better to lose with honour than to win without it.
    Surely all can agree that, in an ideal world, this wouldn't be an issue, and Canada could trash its opponents without needing to resort to deceiving the referees and tapdancing around the periphery of what's good and righteous on the field.
    But at this juncture, that's not the reality. Our CONCACAF opponents will do whatever it takes to get to the World Cup.
    Will we?
    Or, more importantly, should we?
    Guest
    Join us starting at 5:45 EDT for a full night of live blogging as we follow four games, including two that have special meaning to Canadians.
    CoverItLive below the jump.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <iframe src="http://www.coveritlive.com/index2.php/option=com_altcaster/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=c7839dbaf4/height=550/width=470" scrolling="no" height="550px" width="470px" frameBorder="0" allowTransparency="true" ><a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=c7839dbaf4" >Soccer Day in Canada!</a></iframe>
    Guest
    On two occasions in the past week and a half, the most sustained round of singing for the men's national team has come after the final whistle.
    Earlier this week, a gaggle of red-and-white-clad cross-border interlopers let loose with a 10-minute loop of a French-language chant as they marauded through the concourse of Detroit's Ford Field, amidst hundreds of amused, bemused and confused American onlookers.
    And last week, following the Canadians' dramatic draw with the visiting Ecuadorians, a similarly extended loop of the simple-but-effective "Canada! (clap clap clap)" ditty -- sans clapping -- was being belted out by a lone fan heading northward on foot from Toronto's BMO Field.
    The fan, interestingly, was a young girl, no more than eight years old. The girl, even more interestingly, was wearing an Ecuador jersey.
    Such is the wacky, ever-evolving nature of support for Les Rouges as the march towards 2014 continues.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The little girl was by no means the only individual with split loyalties on the night. A few aged Ecuadorian gentlemen at a post-game pub borrowed Canada scarves for photo ops and pledged to support their nation of residence the next time out. And, of course, following Terry Dunfield's thunderous opening goal, television cameras captured a woman waving a Canadian flag which was clutched and shaken fervently (and supportively) by a nearby Ecuador fan.
    Then again, six days later, the Voyageurs found themselves with some conflicted allegiances of their own. Jovial pre-game banter with a half-dozen "Gwada" supporters morphed into some full-blown "Guadeloupe! (clap clap clap)" noise-making in Ford Field's section 118 during the Gold Cup double-header's warm-up bout between the small French protectorate and Panama.
    Canadian soccer supporters are sometimes guilty of self-congratulatory navel-gazing, it's true. But while the idea of supporting local soccer is hardly groundbreaking stuff, those willing to invest emotionally in their hometown/nation teams can be forgiven for their excitement at seeing our nation finally -- in very small increments -- catch up to the rest of the footballing world.
    Perhaps the most telling element has been the evolution of Canadian support from a mere abstract idea into an actual community. Now, in fairness, in the last few years that's been a function of most of Canada's games being played in a concentrated area (Toronto, Montreal, Detroit). But the Ecuador friendly and the sojourn to Michigan drew Canadian support from not only southern Ontario but Quebec, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland -- and that's just among the folks I spoke to.
    We are small in number, sure. And the geographic reality of the nation will likely prevent the formation of any sort of cohesive, coast-to-coast community of supporters. But each time Canada plays, each time I see familiar faces, each time a new story (on- or off-field) is added to the collective memory, that sense of community grows. And the great thing about a sense of community is that it's contagious.
    Because, after all, this community is not restricted to people who read this site, or who post on the Voyageurs' message board. It's open to one and all willing to don the red and support the Canadian side -- whether it's a quartet of fellows who crossed the border on a whim, decked out in red, or a young girl willing to cheer on the local side so long as they aren't playing the country of her parents.
    The time for shrinking away and hiding is done. The time for feeling sheepish about supporting our national team, or attending a game, is done. There will always be detractors, doubters, "haters" (in the young people's parlance). But the time for allowing their criticism, their sarcasm and their petty spite to dictate our actions... it's also done.
    There's a reason that some of us tend to write about the supporters almost as much as the game itself. It's because we are supporters. Sure, we take a critical and analytical approach to the team; anyone who'd call me a mindless cheerleader surely isn't paying close enough attention. But while we are, yes, just some Canadian guys writing about soccer, we're also some Canadian guys with a purpose. Never have we hidden our aim to, in whatever small way, help the growth of the game in this country and, by proxy, affect the performance of our national teams in a positive way.
    We think that, through our efforts (on this site and elsewhere) we're achieving that, in some small way. And it comes with your help. It comes with the help of everyone willing to unapologetically label themselves Canadian supporters, as we do.
    Why does any of this matter? Ask a player. They'll tell you about how meaningful it is to have a 12th man, to know that the personal and professional sacrifices they make to represent the country are being appreciated.
    The players aren't obligated to salute the supporters at game's end. But there they were, vigorously thrusting their arms skyward in unison at BMO Field, and offering subdued (though heartily reciprocated) plaudits to the assembled supporters at Ford Field. The looks on their faces show that they care. The looks on the faces of those in the stands could confirm that we do too.
    Mission 2014 is building its momentum and we, as Canadian soccer supporters, aren't going anywhere but forward.
    Guest

    LA v. TFC Preview: Against All Odds

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    To say Toronto FC are underdogs tonight in LA is a massive understatement.
    The Galaxy are riding high atop Major League Soccer this season, sitting on 30 points -- a full seventeen more than the Reds -- to lead the league. The Galaxy have lost just twice in 16 matches so far in 2011, an enviable record that TFC could only dream of.
    Plus, Toronto are on the road. We all know how awful they are on the road.
    So let's just give LA the three points and call it a night, yes?
    Not so fast.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    If anything, this looks like the ultimate banana peel game for the Galaxy, one in which they should win easily over a much lesser opponent, but instead they play a stinker and the plucky visitors nick a point or three.
    Let's be clear here, Toronto will likely lose this game. But there are also many reasons that they could steal a result, and since we like to look at all possibilities here at CSN, let's delve into why the Galaxy need to be sharp when they face off with an awful TFC side tonight.
    First off, the absences. Both teams are missing players to the CONCACAF Gold Cup right now, but while Toronto's Julian de Guzman and Dicoy Williams are big losses, they don't compare to the impact that Landon Donovan's and Donovan Ricketts' (and Juninho's) absence have on the G's squad.
    Landycakes is who he is, perhaps the best MLS player ever. And he's leading the league in scoring right now, his absence leaving a giant hole up that the rest of his Galaxy teammates quite frankly cannot fill.
    Juninho is not, obviously, taking part in the Gold Cup, but the Brazilian will be missing the match to get married back in his home country. The midfielder is a big part of LA's attack, frequently launching bombs from 20-25 yards out that test opposing keepers. His absence eliminates a ton of creativity from a Galaxy offence that doesn't have much outside of Donovan and David Beckham.
    On the back end of the pitch, Ricketts is among the top goalkeepers in the league, and is certainly LA's clear number one. His replacement, Josh Saunders, is a steady, backup-calibre netminder who is prone to the occasional brainfart. There's a reason Saunders has never won a starting job for a winning team in MLS, despite being in the league for nearly nine seasons.
    The second reason LA needs to be on their game tonight in Carson is simply because they haven't lost a match in MLS since May 1, meaning that -- by the laws of Major League Soccer parity -- they are due for a crap result.
    Last week against visiting DC United, the Galaxy looked well on their way to that crap result, suffering from Donovan's absence and not having a clue what to do in the attacking third of the field. Luckily for them, DC had even less ideas on the attacking front, and a 0-0 draw was the final tall --, a below-par result for a soaring LA side that had won the previous four matches.
    LA's defence is never going to give teams many chances, and Toronto can only expect perhaps a couple of good scoring opportunities as Bruce Arena's side will try to lull them to sleep. But without Donovan Ricketts as the last line of defence, and without Landon Donovan sparking the attack, a couple of opportunities may be just what TFC needs to steal something out of this match.
    Or, Toronto plays like they usually do on the road and they set a new low for embarrassing away performance. It could go either way.

    Los Angeles Galaxy v. Toronto FC
    Saturday, June 11, 2011. 10:30pm EDT.
    Home Depot Center. Carson, CA.
    Watch: GolTV Canada, MLS MatchDay Live
    Listen: FAN 590, FAN590.com
    Guest

    Your daily gold: day 6

    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 6
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Results:
    Jamaica 2-0 Guatemala
    Honduras 7-1 Grenada
    Jamaica and Honduras will have it out on the final day, with Honduras needing to win to take the group and Jamaica needed either draw or win to take it. Jamaica has clinched a quarterfinal berth.
    Honduras could technically finish third, but currently have an eight goal advantage over Guatemala.
    Guatemala will need to spank Grenada well and good and hope that one of the third place teams have a worse goal differential.
    Performance of the day
    Demar Phillips (Jamaica)—His brace lead the way to Jamaica’s win.
    Thanks for the condescending attention! (Mainstream media article of the day)
    It’s not all that condescending, but here is the US preview of the Panama game.
    I do, however, dream of a day when the bloody tournament isn’t explained in every mainstream article about it.
    What about the Canucks? (Canadian news of the day)
    And...the wire report coming out of Stephen Hart’s press conference yesterday
    What’s on tap for today?
    Canada v Faux French
    USA v Panama
    Guest
    So far it’s a push for those that wagered on the will Cuba get more goals than defections line, despite rumours to the contrary yesterday.
    If any want to make a run for freedom they will likely only have one game left to do so. The Cubans are on 0 points and a -10 after a pair of 5-0 loses. It seems farfetched to think that the quarters are a possibility.
    What isn’t farfetched is Cuba in the semi-final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. Due to an idiotic decision by CONCACAF to use FIFA rankings from before the confederation championship – and that the FIFA rankings are, well, idiotic – Fidel’s boys are somehow seeded sixth and, therefore, are receiving a bye into the semi-final round.
    The mind boggles.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]The main reason they are in such a good position is the rankings used came immediately after the Caribbean Cup. As a qualifying tournament for a confederation tournament the CFU event is considered a major for the purposes of giving FIFA ranking points. In other words, Cuba got more points for beating Dominica in the Caribbean Cup than Canada gets for beating Belarus in Europe and much more than it does for playing the 2004 European champions to a tough 1-0 loss on the road.
    Playing in the piddly qualifiers really helps the rankings. Nine times out of ten the worst thing that comes from an inaccurate FIFA ranking is having to put up with halfwit sports writers making jokes about Canada being ranking between the Republic of Chad and Laos. This time though, the repercussions are more serious. Canada must play six more games than Cuba (along with the USA, Mexico, Jamaica, Honduras and Costa Rica) to get to Brazil.
    In case you’re not aware, the 2014 cycle will see 10 teams play home and home ties to eliminate the five worst CONCACAF teams. Then six groups of four will be drawn. Only the top team from those groups will advance to the semi-finals, which see three groups of four, with the top two from each going to the hex.
    Canada is seeded seventh and, as such, will be the seeded team in its quarterfinal group. Although it is more than fair to suggest that we deserve nothing if we can’t negotiate the minnow round, there is one booby-trap team the Canucks will want to avoid.
    There is a one in six chance Canada will pull Guatemala. That’s the one team that could (shouldn’t, but could) make Canadian fans discover a new low point.
    The one good thing about this format is that the semi-final groups seem much less likely to be set up to draw a super Group of Death like in 2008. Assuming Canada goes through, it will be in with one of Mexico, USA or Honduras from pot A and one of Costa Rica, Jamaica or our friends from Cuba.
    So, a 1 in 3 chance to actually catch a break. I’m not holding my breath either.
    Guest
    Canada plays Guadeloupe on Saturday night, the second game for both teams in the 2011 Gold Cup. In a transparent attempt at mimicking current trends in Internet writing, I compiled a list of 10 interesting things about Guadeloupe to provide Canadian supporters with a deeper understanding of the Caribbean country ahead of the match.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Interesting thing 1
    Ah ha! I've already slipped one by you in the preamble. Guadeloupe is not a country at all. It's a French overseas department. That means it uses the euro and belongs to the European Union, rendering meaningless any xenophobic chants you planned to yell at the television about how "our Loonie is worth more than your (insert currency here)."
    Interesting thing 2
    Guadalupe was controlled by Sweden for 15 months in the early part of the 19th century as part of the Anglo-Swedish alliance of 1813. Here's where I insert a lazy reference to the hockey-related rivalry Canadian supporters could play on. Because although I've never been to Guadeluope, I'm sure the influence of Swedish rule remains strong in its daily culture, and that hockey fans in Canada are dying to care about this match if only they had the proper excuse.
    Interesting thing 3
    About 450,000 people currently reside in Guadeloupe. That means there are about 440,000 more competent French-speakers on this small chain of islands than in all of supposedly bilingual English Canada. This also means that Ali Gerba, Andre Hainault and Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault will have the inside track in taunting the Guadeloupe players.
    Interesting thing 4
    Canada supporters who read "Interesting thing 1," then ran back to the drawing board and concocted a xenophobic chant about Guadeloupe's embarrassing lack of Nobel Prizes in Literature will once again be pounding their desks in frustration. Technically, each place can claim one winner, but to use a hackneyed soccer metaphor, Guadeloupe wins on penalties. Guadeloupe native and poet Alexis Leger won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1960, while Canadian-born Saul Bellow turned the trick in 1976. But considering that Saul Bellow spent most of his life in the U.S., Canada laying strong claim to him would be like Winnipeg clinging desperately to Neil Young, even though he fled the prairie city as soon as he could and every notable achievement in his life came after he left.
    Interesting thing 5
    If Guadeloupe were a country for whom its best passport-holding footballers aspired to play, and if time machines were something that actually existed, well then the Gwada Boys would be limbering up to hand Canada a serious hiding. Footballers that count the islands either as their place of birth or the place of birth of their parents include Thierry Henry, William Gallas, Lilian Thuram, Louis Saha, Pascal Chimbonda, Jonathan Biabiany and Ronald Zubar. Also, their 1-0 semifinal loss to Mexico in the 2007 Gold Cup is at least equally impressive as Canada's controversial capitulation to the U.S. at the same stage of the same tournament. And if we're just ramming a bunch of facts into one to save space, it should also be noted that Guadeloupe beat Canada by a score of 2-1 at that same tournament.
    Interesting thing 6
    Guadeloupe boasts a rich culinary history, with local Creole seafood specialties mingling amongst French, African and East Indian influenced dishes. In fact, one tourism website that appears to be sponsored by a consortium of local restaurants said Guadeloupe is "one of the true culinary capitals of the Caribbean." Canada on the other hand, boasts no culinary history. Yes, I fully admit that contemporary Canadian cities contain some of the most stunning and richly diverse food choices you'll find anywhere in the world. But historically the approach to eating involved taking basic British meals and making them more practical. The results aren't exactly an orgy in your mouth.
    Interesting thing 7
    One of Guadeloupe's main exports is rum. Now, I'm sure that compared to say, minerals, crude oil or semiconductor chips, rum does badly at being an economic backbone. At the same time, I strongly suspect that any country whose economy relies even partly on the production of rum will be more fun than every place in Canada I have ever visited.
    Interesting thing 8
    Now we're scraping. According to Frommers, if you find yourself in a tight spot in Guadeloupe you can either call 17 or 590-89-77-17. I'm not sure if these are simply two different emergency response services or one is for calls that are more urgent. Either way it seems they should be streamlined somehow.
    "Quick! Call 1-7! I was swimming and something bit my arm!"
    "Damn, no answer!"
    "Wait!... What's the second one?... It'll come to me assuming I don't lose consciousness first due to rapid blood loss... Ah! 5-9-0-8-9-7-7-1-7!"
    Interesting thing 9
    Francky Vincent is considered to be the most successful solo singer Guadeloupe has ever produced. According to Wikipedia, his most notable single is Fruit De La Passion and he is known for his "sexually explicit lyrics, brutal outspokenness and charming smile." Canada's most successful solo singer is Justin Bieber (or at least he probably is, I'm scared to actually do the research). He is known for his brutal lyrics, sexually explicit smile and charming outspokenness.
    Interesting thing 10
    Since Guadeloupe is not actually a country, it can't compete in the World Cup. As depressing as it sounds, beyond making the French national squad the Gold Cup is about as big as it gets for these guys. So if you, like me, despise every other squad in Concacaf, you could do worse than pining for Guadeloupe to nab third in Group C and miraculously knock Mexico out of the tournament in the quarters.
    Guest

    CSA, CWNT agree to terms

    By Guest, in It's Called Football,

    Clear the way to Germany.
    The CSA announced today that it has resolved the outstanding compensation issue with the women's national team, agreeing to terms for 2011 and 2012.
    The announcement comes one day after the CSA confirmed it had come to terms with Women's head coach Carolina Morace.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    CSN will have reaction to the move later in the day
    Guest
    It's that time of year already. On Saturday, the Vancouver Whitecaps travel to Qwest Field and take on the Seattle Sounders. While the rest of Canada's soccer community will be focusing on the national team's tie with Guadeloupe in Tampa, on the west coast all the attention will be on Sounders - Whitecaps: the second game, and first for Vancouver, of the 2011 Cascadia Cup.
    The Cascadia Cup isn't the sort of tournament most of the soccer world would take notice of. Heck, it's not even a proper tournament: just a table of results from regular season games used to award what is, frankly, a rather homely trophy. However, in Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland, Cascadia Cup games are as important as anything on the calendar.
    The Cup has been fought for since 2004 in the old A-League, survived through 2009 and 2010 between Portland and Vancouver exclusively, and is now played for in Major League Soccer. The teams have risen in stature a little bit, but if the 500-strong Vancouver contingent traveling to this game or the passionate show Sounders and Timbers fan put on in the first leg are any indication, the Cup has remained just as important.
    I do mean the Cup, not merely the rivalry. Of course the three-way fight between Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver is the greatest soccer derby in North America. Yet the Cascadia Cup, the trophy and competition itself, are almost as important.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Why do we care about the Cascadia Cup? At heart, it's a superfluous physical prize to a natural rivalry. Seattle and Portland are rivals in everything and Vancouver, while definitely the third wheel, is a traditionally strong team that's played some bitter games. They're close enough that travel is easy and all three clubs are using up their entire away allocation for the six games.
    So why put any merit in the competition itself, rather than just enjoying the war? A Seattle - Vancouver game at Qwest Field is important whether or not there's a piece of brass on the line. New Vancouver fans won't have a problem working up a hate for the Sounders but why worry about the Cascadia Cup? Toronto FC fans may care about Columbus but I'm not sure I've ever seen one crave the Trillium Cup as an end in of itself, though I'm open to correction on that point. Why should Vancouver be any different?
    It's the Cascadia Cup's history which makes it important as more than just a symbol of Cascadian rivalry. The trophy shares similar roots to the familiar Voyageurs Cup: it was purchased as a trophy by the supporters' groups to have a trophy to hand out at already-raucous games. Unlike the Voyageurs Cup, the Cascadia Cup has no meaningful official status and no prize attached beyond bragging rights. Bragging rights can be pretty important, though: Portland is two-time defending champion but turned the trick without the Seattle Sounders participating and some Seattle fans will furiously state that those two trophies "don't count." So will some Vancouver fans, actually; being humbled two years running will do that (but both years, the Whitecaps got their sweet revenge in the playoffs).
    In the past, I've railed against Vancouver neglecting any symbolism of their past more meaningful than a "Since 1974" on the back of their shirts. The Cascadia Cup is one of the most vibrant, palpable symbols of that past. It is the totem of a rivalry that is already redefining Major League Soccer. It's a salute to the old supporters of all three clubs who stuck with their teams through the worst years of the A-League and whose support allowed their sides to get into MLS.
    This competition probably won't be that competitive. On form, Seattle is going to sweep Vancouver off the field. You see if that diminishes the supporters' enthusiasm for the Cup. If Portland fails to repeat, watch the Timbers Army when they hand the Cup to the victor and tell me if they don't care.
    Enjoy the game, enjoy the tifo, enjoy the rivalry. But make sure you also enjoy the little symbols, like the Cascadia Cup, which remind us that soccer wasn't invented in 2007 and that, no matter how corporate and modern the sport is getting, the grass roots still make all the difference.
    Guest
    Today, we're joined by Rudi Schuller, who is on site in Tampa Bay for the Canada game, to help set the scene there, talk about the USA game and touch on the Mexico incident.
    Then we're joined by Canadian national team striker Tosaint Ricketts to talk about what went wrong in the USA game, what the mood is around the team and what he's expecting out of Saturday's match.
    Between all that we'll set up Toronto's chances against LA, talk about the Cascadia rivalry as Vancouver gets set to take on Seattle and discuss the latest news on the women's national team agreeing to the compensation issue.
    The archived show is now up
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
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