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    Guest
    With the first overall selection in the MLS SuperDraft the Vancouver Whitecaps have selected US U-20 budding star Omar Salgado.
    The former member of Mexico's National Youth Development program recently decided to heed the call of his homeland and decided to join the USMNT U20 Player Pool. His decision made him immediately expendable to his club Chivas de Guadalajara, who are notorious for only fielding players who are of Mexican decent and able to play for the National Squad.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Salgado had a trial with the Whitecaps in the middle of last season, but when the club tried to sign him to their USSF D2 roster, they hit a snag in his paperwork that dealt with his age and transferring between 3 nations in one season (or something along those lines). He almost immediately went and continued training with the Portland Timbers.
    Due to the same restrictions with regards to Salgado's age, it is likely that the young striker will be loaned out to an American club until his 18th birthday, when he is finally eligible to play in Canada.
    The signing of Salgado is a clear indicator that the Whitecaps brain trust is sticking to their game plan of developing young talent for resale to European Clubs. He joins a club that already has several highly rated prospects waiting in the wings with Ethan Gage (Canadain U-20 Player of the Year 2010), Bryce Alderson (Canadain U-17 Player of the Year 2010), Russell Teibert (2009 U-17 Canadian Player of the Year), and Cody Arnoux (Everton Youth, and Wake Forrest University), all on the clubs books for the West Coast club.
    Guest
    After playing the entire match in a 7-0 FA Cup shellacking at the hands of Chelsea on Sunday, and then again in a 1-0 Carling Cup win over Arsenal on Wednesday, Jaime Peters logged 180 minutes at rightback against the cream of the English crop in the span of three days.
    From what I've read his performances were... acceptable. Or at least as acceptable as any performance that's part of a 7-0 loss can be.
    So I say again: Jaime Peters needs to play at rightback for Canada against Greece on February 9. Not Paul Stalteri, not Adam Straith, not Nana Attakora and unfortunately at this moment, not Chris Pozniak either.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Peters has appeared one way or another in 19 of Ipswich Town's 24 Championship matches this season (1,112 minutes), six times in the Carling Cup and once in the FA Cup.
    No one is going to nominate him for the Ballon d'Or, but if the main criterion for national team selection is whether a player is playing, then he's the man. As for those names mentioned above, Attakora is in the offseason, Stalteri now very rarely plays for Borussia Mönchengladbach (and by very rarely I mean he simply doesn't) and Adam Straith isn't getting enough minutes at club level but would do in a pinch. Some supporters have argued for Chris Pozniak, who plays rightback regularly for Haugesund in Norway, but the issue for the soon-to-be 30-year-old Pozniak is that the Norwegian league doesn't start again until March 19.

    *******


    Junior Hoilett scored his first goal of the season and turned in a man-of-the-match performance for Blackburn in an 1-0 FA Cup victory over Queen's Park Rangers. The titillatingly titled Wild Blackburn Rover blog had this to say about his performance:



    Hoilett has started Blackburn's last two Premiership matches as well as the FA Cup tilt. It's a shame he says he won't be with the national team against Greece.
    Other Canadian notables:
    Josh Simpson scored in a 3-2 Turkish Cup loss against Beşiktaş, and if my calculations are correct that brings him to nine goals for Manisaspor this season in all competitions.
    Pedro Pacheco came on as a sub (61st minute) for the second time in the last month as Santa Clara lost to Desportivo Aves. He's had seven appearances as a sub in the Portuguese second division this season. I'm not sure that makes him Canadian national team material, but the options are currently limited in terms of defensive midfielders that are actually playing.
    More European leagues return from their winter breaks next week, so keep watching for this column every Wednesday afternoon. Or like this week, Thursday afternoon.
    Photo credit: Jean Farrugia
    Guest
    Former US youth player Teresa Noyola has decided to leave the American system and represent Mexico internationally. The Stanford product is not doing it for patriotic reasons, but rather because she has philosophical differences with the tactics the US team plays.
    Her words:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Although many of us can agree with the underlying reason for her decision this is still a pretty weak justification for turning your back on a federation that has invested time and energy into developing you as a player. If this was a men’s player this would be major news. Since it’s not – and since Noyola was a borderline prospect – it will likely go by with little fanfare.
    It shouldn’t. It’s frightening to see how easily players make decisions like this. One gets the impression that Noyola decided to represent Mexico much in the same way she shoes to go to Stanford. It wasn’t an exercise in pride and honour but rather a cost-benefit analysis.
    This is not to say that she doesn’t have every right to do it. She does. The rules are what they are. This isn’t an issue of legality, it’s a test of character. To me, Noyola has failed.
    There are legitimate reasons to switch countries. Unfortunately the FIFA rules don’t allow for it to happen. If a player immigrates to a country and settles there then most of us can understand that they might feel a connection to their new home and want to represent it as thanks for the life it gave them. In the 1980s, the hockey player Peter Stastny decided to represent Canada in a Canada Cup using that very reason. Canadians loved him for it and no one thought twice about his choice.
    Why FIFA doesn’t use Olympic rules to determine eligibility is beyond me. If you area citizen of a country you should be able to represent it. If you’re not, you shouldn’t.
    The other side to this story is that Noyola is right. The US does fall back to long ball tactics far too often and it’s why Germany has overtaken them as the best women’s football team in the world. As the World Cup draws nearer we will likely revisit this issue. Today, however, we will simply shake our head at Noyola’s decision.
    Guest
    Join us for a live chat/blog during the 2011 MLS SuperDraft.
    We'll be co-hosting the chat with Match Fit USA, meaning we should get a decent continent-wide discussion going. The draft kicks off at noon ET, but we'll be live roughly 15-30 minutes prior, so feel free to drop by early.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The first round 2011 MLS SuperDraft is live on GolTV Canada (and ESPN2 in the U.S.). The remaining rounds will be streamed live on MLSsoccer.com.
    <iframe src="http://www.coveritlive.com/index2.php/option=com_altcaster/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=edfb1b10e6/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=edfb1b10e6" >MLS SuperDraft 2011</a></iframe>
    Draft results
    First Round
    1. Omar Salgado (Vancouver)
    2. Darlington Nagbe (Portland)
    3. Perry Kitchen (DC)
    4. Zarek Valentin (Chivas USA)
    5. Zac MacMath (Philadelphia)
    6. A.J. Soares (New England)
    7. Kofi Sarkodie (Houston)
    8. Michael Nanchoff (Vancouver)
    9. Jalil Anibaba (Chicago)
    10. CJ Sapong (Kansas City)
    11. Will Bruin (Houston)
    12. Rich Balchan (Columbus)
    13. Corey Hertzog (New York)
    14. Victor Estupinan (Chivas USA)
    15. Justin Meram (Columbus)
    16. Paolo Cardozo (Los Angeles)
    17. Bobby Warshaw (Dallas)
    18. Eddie Ababio (Colorado)
    Second Round
    19. Jeb Brovsky (Vancouver)
    20. Michael Tetteh (Seattle)
    21. Juan Leone Cruz (Seattle)
    22. Chris Taylor (Portland)
    23. Michael Farfan (Philadelphia)
    24. Stephen McCarthy (New England)
    25. John Rooney (New York)
    26. Demitrius Omphroy (Toronto)
    27. Servando Carrasco (Seattle)
    28. Cole Grossman (Columbus)
    29. Bryan Meredith (Seattle)
    30. Tyler Lassiter (New York)
    31. Chris Korb (DC)
    32. J.T. Murray (Kansas City)
    33. Anthony Ampaipitakwong (San Jose)
    34. Hector Jimenez (Los Angeles)
    35. Charlie Campbell (Dallas)
    36. Colin Givens (Colorado)
    Third Round
    37. Bilal Duckett (Vancouver)
    38. Guillermo Cortes (New York)
    39. Steven Perry (New England)
    40. Jon Okafor (Chivas USA)
    41. Levi Houapeu (Philadelphia)
    42. Ryan Kinne (New England)
    43. Matt Gold (Toronto)
    44. Junior Burgos (Toronto)
    45. Jason Herrick (Chicago)
    46. Konrad Warzycha (Kansas City)
    47. Alex Caskey (Seattle)
    48. Bernardo Anor (Columbus)
    49. Joao Plata (Toronto)
    50. Joe Willis (DC)
    51. Davis Paul (Chicago)
    52. Jarad van Schaik (Salt Lake)
    53. Scott Gordon (Dallas)
    54. Alan Koger (New England)
    Guest

    Ontario Speaks (Video)

    By Guest, in Onward Soccer,

    In case you missed it, Ben Knight has interviewed the Ontario Soccer Association President, Ron Smale, on the status of the reform process currently underway at the Canadian Soccer Association. Today, we bring you the video of that interview.

    In it Smale argues that he and all provincial and territorial soccer association presidents should immediately be removed from the CSA Board of Directors in order to avoid "serving two masters" -- the Provincial Association and the National Association with their oft conflicting agendas.

    And it's a position that makes him the only Provincial or Territorial Soccer Association president currently opposing the amended, watered‐down version of reform now being considered by the CSA Board.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    You can read the transcript of this interview here
    Guest
    Today, we're joined by Ives Galarcep (Fox Soccer) and Travis Clark (DC beat reporter) to get a last minute update from the draft. Both writers have been covering the combine and will have all the latest info on potential trades, who is looking to make moves and what players are going where.
    We'll also get into all the stuff we missed over the holidays, update some of the transfer and contract news that is starting to break now at TFC and Vancouver and discuss where we think each club is going.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <embed src="http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/FlowPlayerLight.swf?config={embedded:true,videoFile:%27http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/download/2540/21497/jan13.2011final.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
    The Canadian Soccer Association and Vancouver Whitecaps FC have announced today that Randy Edwini Bonsu, Kyle Porter, and Philippe Davis, will be heading to the desert oasis that is Grande Sports World in Arizona for a National Training Camp.
    They will be making the trip as representatives of the Canadian U-23 team that will be holding camp in preparation for the 2012 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Coach Tony Fonseca's squad will be in Arizona from the 13th until the 22nd.[PAGE][/PAGE][PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    While neither Porter or R.E.B. have contracts with the Whitecaps first team it would appear that they are still being considered members of the club. One would have to think this bodes well for them sticking with the club at least on a reserve level.
    In a bit of a surprising move Caps defender and Canadian Under 20 player of the year winner Ethan Gage was left off the squad.
    The Whitecaps are still pretty hush hush on whether or not the team will in fact be going to Grande Sports World as earlier rumours had suggested.
    Here's the full roster for the camp-
    GK- Adam Janssen | USA / Long Island University | Toronto, ON, CAN
    GK- Michal Misiewicz | POL / Polonia Bytom | Calgary, AB, CAN
    D- Nana Attakora | CAN / Toronto FC | Toronto, ON, CAN
    D- Sean Hart | USA / Schulz Academy | Toronto, ON, CAN
    D - Fabrice Lassonde | GER / FC Ingolstadt 04 | Mont-St-Grégoire, QC
    D- Eddy Sidra | | Edmonton, AB, CAN
    D- Curtis Ushedo | USA / University of Alabama-Birmingham | Mississauga, ON, CAN
    M- Kyle Bekker | USA / Boston College | Oakville, ON, CAN
    M- Philippe Davies | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Longueuil, QC, CAN
    M- Derek Gaudet | | Bayside, NS, CAN
    M- Michael Pereira | USA / Providence College | London, ON, CAN
    M- Cesar Santamaria | SLV / CD Municipal | Regina, SK, CAN
    F- Reda Agourram | CAN / Impact Montréal | Montréal, QC, CAN
    F- Randy Edwini-Bonsu | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Edmonton, AB, CAN
    F- Sherif El-Masri | SIN / Home United FC | Scarborough, ON, CAN
    F- Carl Haworth | CAN / FC London | Barrie, ON, CAN
    F- Evan James | USA / University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Mississauga, ON, CAN
    F- Kyle Porter | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Mississauga, ON, CAN
    F- Dane Roberts | USA / Furman University | Ajax, ON, CAN
    F- Babayele Sodade | USA / University of Alabama-Birmingham | Windsor, ON, CAN
    Are you as suprised as I am by Ethan Gage's absence? Does R.E.B. deserve the invite after very limited action over the last year?
    Guest
    Welcome to this week's edition of Don't Fight The Laws, in which I combine my years of being a referee with my years of being a smartass to provide my answers to your questions about the Laws of the Game, controversial decisions and other odds and ends relating to referees and what they do.
    Got a question? Send it over to canadiansoccerguys@gmail.com. But for this week, we have the following...
    Sometimes a ref doesn't make an offside call when a player is off but is not a part of the play. How is this determined? Also, if a player steps over the touchline, can he use this as a tactic to avoid an offside call?[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] -- Kill The Ref
    I'm a bit leery about answering a question from someone using a moniker like "Kill The Ref"... but I'll chalk it up to a "Die Bart Die"-esque misunderstanding, and we'll proceed.
    Being actively involved in play is necessary in order for an offside offence to occur. An attacking player can sit around discussing Middle East politics with their opponent's corner flag for 90 minutes, but so long as they're not interfering with the ball or any opposing players, they're doing no wrong (as it pertains to the Laws of the Game, anyway).
    All players are prohibited from intentionally leaving the field of play without the referee's permission (with the exception of normal circumstances where the players have the ref's implicit permission, e.g. retrieving the ball for a throw-in), so if a player left the field to attempt to circumvent the offside rule, they would be punished with a yellow card. But what I'm guessing you're really curious about is Ruud van Nistelrooy's goal against Italy at Euro 2008:


    The goal created plenty of controversy -- yet despite the hyperbole from the commentator in this clip, the correctness of the call was backed up by the likes of Italy's head referee at the time. Panucci, though he was off the pitch, was ostensibly closer to the goal line than van Nistelrooy; therefore, there were two defending players nearer to the goal line than van Nistelrooy; therefore, legit goal.
    The hubbub caused FIFA to add the following clarification to the Laws of the Game: "Any defending player leaving the field of play for any reason without the referee’s permission shall be considered to be on his own goal line or touch line for the purposes of offside until the next stoppage in play. If the player leaves the field of play deliberately, he must be cautioned when the ball is next out of play."
    That applies whether the defender is bundled into by their own goalkeeper (a la Panucci) or if they're stupid enough to try enhancing an offside trap by intentionally sauntering off the field. The point is, the ramifications for offside are the same regardless of the player's intent as it relates to being off the field; the only variable is whether the player faces any punishment for leaving the field to begin with.
    How much contact between players is too much contact? How does a ref draw the line between allowing a player to force an opponent off the ball, and calling a foul for a hockey-style body check? (I mean, if a player leaves their feet and leads with their elbow, a la David Myrie's debut for the Union, obviously they've crossed the line, but how can a ref consistently call subtler infractions?) -- CasualSoccerFan
    Again, I'll lead off by addressing your Internet handle: No one who can easily cite a particular instance of physical aggression by some random Costa Rican playing for an MLS expansion team is a "casual" soccer fan. Just sayin'.
    As for your question, defining "too much contact" is like defining "too many drinks". It really does vary each time, depending on the situation -- meaning, there's no complex formula involving velocity and whatnot burrowed away in the Laws somewhere (trust me, I've checked). The only guideline refs are given in determining a foul vs. "normal physical play" is in Law 12, which states that charging or pushing an opponent becomes a foul if it's done "in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force."
    There are supplemental guidelines laid out as to what constitutes "careless", "reckless" and "using excessive force", but as with many other Laws, this one's up to the discretion of the referee, who can take into account any number of factors, including the situation in the game, the recent history of the player in question and where the ball is on the field.
    The type of game itself is also important; I'll delve into my personal experience for an example. I've found myself calling subtler infractions more strictly when dealing with, say, teenagers in a house league, since they often need to be told by the ref what rule it is they're actually breaking. On the other hand, most participants in adult leagues become annoyed if the ref perpetually whistles for ticky-tack calls, so a more deft touch is necessary in these circumstances.
    No matter the situation, player management is key -- the players need to know what the ref is, and isn't, calling as a foul, and he/she needs to attempt to do so with as much consistency as possible. Failing to be consistent, as a referee, is like being that guy whose moment of falling-off-chair inebriation is never predictable from one pub night to the next. And nobody likes that guy.
    As a defender in a beer league, the offside rule, strictly called as is can burn way too many calories. Chasing a guy down who the one central ref is planning on blowing dead seems crazy. I keep telling the young refs in our league to be more vocal, manage the game (blowing the whistle for a foul with no signal of which way just added to the clash of egos that happens in beer leagues). Are refs taught to be non-verbal? I'm not going to turn around to look for a raised hand (or stand there with my own up) while I'm chasing some "thinks he's fast" 20-something. -- coppercanuck
    I'm not going to take issue with your username, coppercanuck. Seems good enough. The "canuck" part obviously has my seal of approval, while "copper" is solid and mysterious -- do you mean the metal, or the colloquial term for a police officer? What's your connection to the metal/police angle? So many questions.
    Instead of answering those, I'll answer yours which, for recap's sake, is "Are refs taught to be non-verbal?"
    Though it's been eons since I got my refereeing certification, I think I can safely say the answer is no. In fact, it's quite the opposite. In directing young refs, one of the main points I attempt to get across is that communication is critical in both preventing problems before they arise, and effectively defusing situations when they do occur. Then again, most of the refs I'm mentoring are officiating munchkins who are only twice the size of the ball they're kicking, so the communication issue isn't really as relevant.
    In terms of your situation, it's likely a matter of, as you say, young refs being in over their heads. Think about it. How many fellows are there in your league, 40- or 50-something, no-nonsense blokes from the "old country" who know every single thing there is to know about football, and have no problem whatsoever ripping the piss out of some snot-nosed 20-something Canadian wanker who thinks he's hot shit because he has a whistle? It can be intimidating, and many young officials (even those with solid knowledge of the Laws) can clam up, for fear that opening their mouths will make the situation even worse.
    (Oh, and if you're telling the refs to be more vocal, etc. during the course of the game, you might be making things worse, because what you perceive as being friendly, constructive criticism could -- through the haze of exhaustion -- be perceived as just another personal attack on the ref's authority and credibility.)
    Not to mention, calling offside from the middle of the field is fucking impossible. I haven't the slightest clue why anyone thinks it's reasonable to ask any referee, at any level, in any competition, to correctly judge offside without the help of assistant referees. But it ain't. It's essentially the equivalent of asking a driver to recite a poem, written on an index card, being reflected in the rear-view mirror, as he attempts to navigate a snowy mountain road... while piranhas are biting his genitals.
    So, what to do? Well, if you're gonna try to help the ref, talk to him before the game. Make friends with him. Let him know you and your teammates aren't going to rip his head off (even if you are). At the same time, realize that mistakes are going to happen, and that offside calls are never going to be predictable. Then, with all the extra calories you burn chasing down those youthful punks, you can treat yourself (and possibly the ref) to an extra pint afterward.
    Just don't fall off your bar stool. Nobody likes that guy.
    Guest
    <i>MLS Talk</i> has an interesting piece up suggesting that Derby County midfielder Robbie Savage <a href="http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/robbie-savage-headed-to-vancouver/11390">may join the Whitecaps</a> this coming season. It may just prove to be idle transfer speculation, but it is based on a <i>Daily Mirror</i> <a href="http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Transfer-news-Robbie-Savage-set-to-quit-Derby-for-Vancouver-Whitecaps-of-MLS-in-American-League-Exclusive-article671407.html">piece</a> that not only talks to Savage, but presents him as "set to quit". Here are the key quotes from him:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <blockquote>Vancouver Whitecaps have targeted the veteran midfielder and MirrorFootball columnist to be the face of their new Major League Soccer franchise - and want him to start immediately.
    Savage said: "The presentation they made to me was brilliant. To be honest, it blew me away.
    "I am fully committed to Derby and seeing out the end of my contract there but Vancouver have asked whether they will release me so I can be ready for the MLS season starting in March.
    "Derby have got a big decision to make and if they say I can go, then so have I."</blockquote>
    The other thing reinforcing this move, as the <i>Mirror</I> piece goes on to point out, is the connections between the Whitecaps and Derby. Most importantly, Jeff Mallett—one of Yahoo!'s founders and a part owner of baseball's San Francisco Giants—has sizable ownership interests in both teams.
    Savage could be a very nice addition for the Whitecaps. He's reasonably well-known thanks to stints with Manchester United, Crewe Alexandra, Leicester City, Birmingham City, Blackburn and Derby, and he would provide a selling point to get local fans of English soccer interested in the MLS team. More importantly, though, his playing style would make him a good fit; Savage has always been known as a tough-tackling midfielder, and for a while <a href= "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbie_Savage">he held the distinction of picking up the most yellows</a> in the Premier League. That kind of hard-tackling defensive presence in the midfield has always been a focus for head coach Teitur Thordarson, and the current roster <a href="http://www.whitecapsfc.com/roster">isn't exactly loaded</a> with those guys, especially considering Martin Nash's move into a scouting role and Luca Bellisomo's departure.
    Savage's age (36) is a bit of a concern for sure, but he's shown he can still play at a high level this year in the Championship, and he probably has at least a couple more seasons in him. If the <I>Mirror</i> report is true and Whitecaps have in fact made him a detailed presentation, it's obvious they have plenty of interest in him, and he certainly seems to reciprocate that. The question now will be if they're able to come to a deal with Derby to let him move.
    Guest

    Qatar* World Cup, 2022

    By Guest, in Some Canadian Guys,

    *And Bahrain. Maybe the U.A.E. Possibly Kuwait. Yemen, maybe? Anyone else?

    Remember when Qatar, with its promises of awesome stadia and an air conditioned country, won the 2022 World Cup. I do: I was pretty pissed about it. I got all in a harangue, and complained for weeks. It was upsetting.
    Somehow – and I really don't know how this happened – in all that kerfuffle, I didn't even notice that Bahrain, the U.A.E. and Qatar's fellow Gulf states had submitted bids, too, and that those bids had been thoroughly scrutinized, researched, validated and voted upon. Strange, I know, but it must have happened, because FIFA keeps talking about how these other countries are going to be hosting World Cup matches.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    All jokes aside, this whole thing has gone from ridiculous to, well, hugely more ridiculous. Through a dubious-at-best voting process, FIFA awarded Qatar the tournament. Then it emerged that Qatar's showpiece technologies (specifically, the air conditioned stadiums) were more theoretical than real. In response, FIFA said "well, we'll just have it in the winter," a huge "fuck you" to, well, everyone. By changing the World Cup to winter – which wasn't part of Qatar's bid – FIFA is saying, "we didn't really think this Qatar thing through, but we're going to do it anyways, and you can't stop us." The headache of wrangling the schedules of European football to accommodate the Qatar World Cup will be severe – and probably won't be much appreciated in England (and, to some degree, Spain and Portugal), who are already pissed at FIFA for the debacle surrounding awarding Russia the 2018 finals.
    (As a side note, Don Garber must be at turns livid and relieved with the idea of a winter World Cup: sure, it won't conflict with the MLS season, but after years of FIFA complaining about the sanctity of international dates, Garber was actually prepared to move MLS's season to accommodate an American World Cup. Suddenly Qatar comes in, and FIFA is more than happy to reschedule the World Cup itself. I'd love to be a fly on the wall the next time Garber gets a tsk, tsk from Geneva over an FC Dallas v. DC United game on a FIFA date.)


    And, now, worst of all, the prospect of Qatar sharing the World Cup with its neighbours looks like a very real possibility. I wouldn't fault the Australian, American, Korean and Japanese soccer federations for dropping out of FIFA altogether over this. It's absurd – five countries spent years, untold man-hours, untold millions of dollars and untold greasy moments in the company of FIFA executives building comprehensive bids for the World Cup. To get to the final vote, they did all the work, filed every form on time, dotted all the I's, crossed all the T's, jumped through all the administrative hoops. Then, in the end, the were denied by a through severely dubious vote. Now the get to hear that World Cup matches will be hosted – and all the associated financial benefits enjoyed – by countries that didn't submit a bid at all.
    And why? Well, if you ask FIFA, it's to broaden the impact of this landmark tournament in the Arabic world. Which, of course, is horsecrap. I'd say it's got a whole lot more to do with the fact that, again, they didn't really think this whole Qatar thing through, and the reality of hosting the world's biggest sporting event in continental Asia's smallest country is sinking in.
    Guest

    Hamilton Stadium, part 354

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Talk of Hamilton’s stadium plans are beginning to sound like a fable about a boy and imaginary wolves. There is a lot of talk, but little action. Meanwhile the deadline for getting a viable plan in place looms nearer and the possibility of bringing a new stadium to the city (and the soccer team Bob Young promises with it) grow less and less likely.
    The latest plan – to refurbish the current stadium – goes to a vote today. If Hamilton City council approves the plan (and it’s next to impossible to know what that body will do) then the proposal will go to the Pan/Am Games committee who will decide if it’s appropriate.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Meanwhile the nearby suburb of Burlington has informed Young and the Ti-Cats that they would like to build the stadium in that jurisdiction at the redevelopment around the Aldershot Go train station (which would make it a straight 40 minute shot to downtown Toronto by commuter train).
    Even though Burlington is very close to Hamilton there is an optics issue with moving the CFL Tiger-Cats there. Hamilton is a historical team and the move to Burlington may only be 10 minutes away, but it would completely change the market the team operates in. Currently the Ti-Cats consider the area west and south of Hamilton to be part of their catchment. People in Burlington moved there from Toronto to get the kids into better schools.
    What’s confusing about this plan is that the Tiger-Cats have long suggested that the current stadium is unworkable from a redevelopment perspective. If you’ve been to the stadium it’s hard to argue. It actually reminds many of an old school English football ground. It’s in the middle of a decidedly working class neighbourhood and there isn’t a lot of room for growth. However, the Cats now say they can and that they can even add a “sports centre of excellence and soccer academy.”
    Again, I’ll believe it when I see it, but rock on. Clearly a soccer academy in Hamilton would be very good news for Canadian soccer and a NASL club attached to that academy even better news. The possibility of a TFC-Hamilton rivalry is mouth-watering and would actually be enhanced by Hamilton holding a D2 chip on their shoulders.
    But, again, we’ll believe it when we see it.
    Guest
    Sources close to TFC are suggesting that contract talks with Adrian Cann and Nana Attakora have stalled.
    Both players are looking for a long-term extension to their deal, but are unhappy with the base salary offer from TFC.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Cann made $65,322 last year, while Attakora was on a league minimum of $40,000. Cann is out of contract, while Attakora could play the 2011 season and leave on a free transfer. It’s unclear what the specifics of the current offer from TFC is, nor what the players are looking for.
    Attakora and Cann logged the most minutes of any TFC defenders in 2010. They were the lowest paid centre-back paring in the league.
    Amongst defenders that were first or second in minutes played for their club last year the average salary was $135,611.50 with a median salary of $127,446.43. Chad Marshall was the highest paid of the group at $320,000) with three players, including Attakora, making the league minimum.
    The full list:
    Chad Marshall ($320,000.00), Jimmy Conrad ($244,000.00), Jamison Olave ($240,000.00), Heath Pearce ($207,500.00), Wilman Conde ($200,000.00), Michael Orozco Fiscal ($200,000.00), Bobby Boswell ($190,000.00), Marvell Wynne ($171,750.00), Drew Moor ($162,388.89), Ramiro Corrales ($160,625.00), Shavar Thomas ($159,375.00), Omar Gonzalez ($157,000.00), Nat Borchers ($147,500.00), Michael Umaña ($144,312.50), Cory Gibbs – ($128,142.86), Todd Dunivant ($126,750.00), Jason Hernandez ($125,000.00), Kevin Alston – ($124,000.00), Andrew Hainault ($123,125.00), C.J. Brown ($100,560.00), Roy Miller ($99,996.00), Mariano Trujillo ($94,500.00), Leo Gonzalez, ($72,000.00), Andy Iro ($71,110.00), Adrian Cann ($65,322.00), Jair Benitez ($63,250.00), Julius James ($61,460.00), Taylor Graham, ($57,750.00), Jordan Harvey ($56,250.00), Jordan Graye ($40,000.00), Tim Ream ($40,000.00), Nana Attakora ($40,000)
    Clearly, Attakora is underpaid. Cann too was solid and likely deserves a bump. The question is what’s appropriate. Although what TFC got from the two players was much better than what fans have come to expect from the club at centreback one must be rational in making salary decisions. The harsh truth is that neither player is irreplaceable.
    Attakora is young and still has some upside. Something a little above the league average would be worthwhile if you could lock him in for three or four years. Let’s say $130-$150,000.
    Cann is a good pro, but has less upside than Attakora and would be easier to replace. The league average of $120-$130,000 would be fair.
    The panic response is to look at the amount of players TFC has under contract and give them what they want. That’s how the Reds got into the mess they were in last year.
    Signing Attakora and Cann is important, but not as important as it is to keep salaries in line with what’s appropriate.
    Guest

    Ontario speaks

    By Guest, in Onward Soccer,

    Author’s note: Ron Smale is the president of the Ontario Soccer Association – a man who fervently believes he and all provincial and territorial soccer association presidents should immediately be removed from the board of directors of the Canadian Soccer Association.
    This being Canadian soccer, of course, that now makes him the only provincial or territorial soccer association president currently opposing the amended, watered-down version of reform now being considered.
    And he’s not about to change his mind.
    (And how’s this for on the record? The OSA filmed our entire interview, and put it on their website.)
    Here, then, is one frank and informative discussion about the future of Canadian soccer:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    ---
    Last year, the CSA Constitution Committee shocked everybody by coming up with a very sweeping reform package that, among other things, removes provincial presidents from the CSA board of directors, and cranks up the qualifications for those that remain. Ontario, I believe, supported this?
    Correct, Ben. Yes.
    Since then, recently, we found out (and it took some digging to find out) that the formula has been tinkered with, so that there are now seats for three provincial presidents. Alberta and Quebec, who opposed this before, are now in favour of it – and Ontario is against it.
    That’s correct. We’re maintaining the position that was originally presented back in the May AGM of 2010, that no provincial presidents should be sitting on the board of directors of the CSA, and that it’s time to make this reform, and move forward to move the game of soccer in Canada in a very strong direction – whereby, in our perspective, the best people in soccer will be governing the game at the national level.
    Don’t you feel – as much as I completely agree with that sentiment – that might weaken Ontario’s position in the overall structure of Canadian soccer and the way it’s governed, by not having yourself (or whoever has your job) on the board?
    I don’t believe it will weaken our position at all. I don’t think it weakens the nation at all. If anything, it strengthens the nation. From my perspective, there is a component of the new structure – which we motioned for and was approved in May – called the Membership Forum. And in that forum, there is representation from all the provinces. They will meet twice a year with the new CSA board – with six elected and six appointed members and the president – and any domestic issues that happen to be within the provinces will obviously be conveyed up. I mean, at the end of the day, if you’re not happy with the people who are operating an association, there’s a democratic process to go through to change people, change the rule, change the structure. We’re very confident that the structure that was proposed is the best for the game of soccer.
    The other argument that is made is because the Canadian Soccer Association is funded almost entirely by player-registration fees, the provincial presidents should be on the board to have a say in how those fees are spent.
    Again, I don’t agree. From my perspective, we as a provincial body need to be doing our best to support our national athletes. I’m talking about athletes who are dedicating four and five days a week to showcase our country across the international market, across the international venue. As such, I firmly believe, and I have full confidence that the thirteen persons that are elected to this board would do a very, very good job. And I know, as a president of the Ontario Soccer Association and anyone who follows after me will have a voice. You go into these things with trust. You go into these things with confidence. And I have no concerns whatsoever, and my board and membership supports me in this role.
    Now, as the horribly convoluted situation in Alberta evolves, and the links between it and the Canadian Soccer Association become plain, the urgency for reform becomes that much clearer. But the argument that I do sometimes hear is that – even in this compromised form – still going from twelve provincial presidents to three … wouldn’t that be an acceptable compromise?
    Not from my perspective. We believe there needs to be a complete separation of the provincial component from the national component. I would be concerned that maybe the three individuals involved – the three provincial bodies, whichever those bodies are – may get stuck in the process of what I’ll call good governance, good decision making. The other comment I’ll make is that the current model is a policy board model – which is very, very important to us – where operations is managed by staff, and policy, strategic planning and finance is managed by the board. I would want to see this clarity maintained. And I’ll also say that as a provincial president, in the short term that I have been connected with the board of the CSA and the OSA, as a servant to the game of soccer, I can only serve one master. I cannot serve two. And when I sit at the CSA board level, I need to be looking at the game from a national perspective. Some presidents will tell you they can do both. I don’t believe that’s possible. There needs to be a separation, but at the same time, there needs to be good links of communication between the provincial associations and the national body.
    Now I know that we Canadians, we’re very polite and we don’t like to discuss each other’s business, and what happens over there is not what happens over here. But the situation in Alberta, which, briefly: You have a pro-reform president in Chris Billings who is suddenly – and very conveniently from the anti-reform point of view – removed from office by his first vice-president, Mario Charpentier, with – minimum! – help from Mike Traficante, the director-at-large at the CSA, and I’m told other CSA people are involved but I haven’t had them all identified yet … Can you tell me, from your perspective and your belief in the game and your experience – what the heck is going on in Alberta, as far as you can tell?
    Well, Alberta obviously is going through some difficult times. I am not here, nor am I prepared, to speak to that issue. I would respect that if I was in a situation here in the province of Ontario, and we were going through some type of issue with respect to how we’re governed or how we’re structured, that people would have the courtesy and respect to allow us to deal with that. My position is I am going to not comment on the situation in Alberta. Alberta will work its issues out with its membership. It will work its issues out with those who feel they can lead the association forward. And, again, I go back to the comment that we in Ontario will stay in the position that we are with respect to reform, and move forward that way.
    We’re left in the intriguing situation that, because of the knock-on effects of the Alberta mess, you as a pro-reform president in Ontario are now – near as I can tell – the only provincial president who is currently against the reform package as it stands at the moment. THAT must concern you.
    It does concern me, and my comment to that situation is that I believe we [the full CSA board] will be meeting February 4, 5 and 6. There will be a board meeting on the Friday evening, and we’ll be into the Special General Meeting on Saturday. And there is more opportunity for us, as presidents, to discuss this whole issue of a compromise model that was presented back in the month of October. I’m hopeful that people will really look at what we proposed and what was approved. I’ve heard the comments that there’s been external pressure put on some groups or associations and/or presidents, and I’m hoping that all the presidents from across the country will start thinking of the athletes. That’s where our focus should be. It should always be on the athletes, and making the best decisions for the athletes. And I’m not saying that presidents like myself are not good people. We are. But you need the separation, whereby there are no conflicts of interest; there are no issues that I need to be concerned about when I’m making a vote or I’m approving something or I’m disapproving something at the national level, because I fear it’s going to have a negative impact on my provincial association. I need to be able to work at that level, and be able to make those decisions knowing I’m doing this for every single athlete, from the east coast to the west coast to the north.
    And I absolutely agree that is where the focus ought to be. But if you and the other presidents find yourself talking about a situation where at least one – and maybe more – high-ranking directors of the CSA have directly intervened in a provincial organization, deposed a president, and recalibrated an entire board’s political standing to try to oppose a reform you support? Again, absolutely! I’m with the players! But this is in the way.
    I understand. And as I said, I’m confident that people will reflect. I’m confident people will come to the table knowing the decision they make is critical to the growth of the game of soccer in Canada. And, personally, I can’t do anything with respect to changing a person’s mind, other than saying “Look, these are the pros and these are the cons that I see in the two models. In the compromise model – I’ll use that term – which was the one that was proposed moving forward, again you still have that provincial presidential impact. And that needs to be removed. As such, we’re going to hold firm. I’ll be in discussions with my peer group at the CSA level, and we’ll see where it all falls out at the end of the day. If people at the end of the day decide they’re going to support the [compromise] reform, then they’ll support the reform. And at the end of the day, as a provincial body and a provincial association, we’ll have to respect that. That’s the bottom line. We’re going to respect. We’re not here to submarine; we’re not here to throw up a huge barrier. We’re here to provide our input, and provide our best knowledge and our best issues going forward. To the provincial presidents across the country, I want to say: Look at Canada’s golf association. Look at our Rugby association. Look at the skating association. All those groups have moved in the last two to three years with changing their governance structure. And those structures do not include representation from individual provinces. Their governance structure is people who are dedicated to the national vision, the national strategy moving forward. We’re communicating with our groups; I’m communicating with presidents across the country. We’re still having what I would call honest, candid discussions. I’m looking forward to this February meeting because, as I’ve said – and I think they understand and they believe – this is a watershed moment for the game of soccer. Soccer, we’ve had our struggles, and I’ve heard lots of finger-pointing and I’ve seen lots of people making jabs at individuals personally who are in associations and/or the CSA or whatever the case may be, and I would like us to really get together as a group, and say to ourselves “This is the best way to go.” And I’m confident that we’ll get there.
    How important is governance reform at the CSA level to our men’s national soccer team ever qualifying for the FIFA World Cup?
    I think it’s critical. Under the new model that we motioned for and was approved at the May AGM of 2010, that model is basically twelve of the finest people in Canada, who can take the game and move it forward – with no strings attached: west-coast issues, east-coast issues, central Canadian issues. And I think it’s critical to our development, what we’re going to need in the next eight-to-ten years, to put into place, put into gear all those resources that we require. We’re going to need all those resources and dollars that are required to finance and promote national-team play. So from my perspective – it’s critical! And you may ask me the question “Well, what do you think will happen if, in fact, it doesn’t go through?” Well, I’ll be there to do what I can as a representative of the province of Ontario, but more as a national rep to say “Okay, what are we doing moving forward?”
    Ron, thanks very much. That’s great.
    All right. Thank you.
    (Onward!)
    Guest
    Canadian Soccer News has learned that the serious knee injury suffered by Nicholas Lindsay, for which he will undergo season ending surgery Wednesday, was the result of a snowmobile accident suffered over the holidays.
    Several sources within the national team program and around the club today confirmed for CSN that the U-20 prospect and Toronto FC winger had been riding with friends when he was bucked from the back of the machine, tearing his ACL and MCL.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    As most professional clubs require players to sign agreements that they will not participate in hazardous activities away from their jobs, it does raise questions about what this young professional was doing on a snowmobile that day.
    However, Toronto FC has declined specific comment on the injury but did say “we are fully aware of how the injury occurred” and denied involvement in circling an earlier story that suggested he had slipped on ice.
    I’m not about to throw an 18-year-old under the bus - the next year is going to be hard enough. And those around the player who did speak to CSN today repeatedly stressed the quality of his character – both as a professional and as a person.
    If there is a silver lining in it for Lindsay it must be, that as a professional, his club has not deserted him.
    It bares reminder, players have been dropped for far less in the world of football (Adrian Serioux anybody?) and frankly, after a lack of judgment like this, he’s lucky to still be under contract.
    Guest

    A slow news day update on DeRo

    By Guest, in It's Called Football,

    I've gotten a lot of mail and PM requests this week to update on where things stand with Dwayne DeRosario, Celtic and Toronto FC.
    Well, there isn't a lot to update from last week. He's still there. He's still not signed. And, no, he's still not talking.
    But, we aim to please, and our friends at STV were nice enough to grant us permission to distribute a brief video of DeRo training and their sports reporter, Grant Russell (follow him on Twitter) gave us a few choice quotes to work with.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    And how is he doing? Toronto FC said last week that they expect him to be back in the city before camps opens, and with his time running out at Celtic, that appears ever more true.If he does end his trial on Friday, without a contract offer, the focus quickly shifts back to Toronto and his ongoing re-negotiation efforts here. Will he get what he wants? Or are the walking papers inevitable?
    Like I said in the title - it's a slow news day.
    _________
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