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    Guest
    Author’s note: Chris Billings was president of the Alberta Soccer Association until he was ousted in a boardroom uprising last spring. There are now, for all intents and purposes, two competing ASA’s, with Billings heading one and ASA 1st vice-president Mario Charpentier in charge of the other.
    Good morning, Mr. Billings:
    As I believe you may already know, I’m a writer with canadiansoccernews.com. I’m conducting a series of conversations on the subject of CSA governance.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    I have some questions, based on things I have been told – both in public and in private – which I hope will offer you a chance to shed some light on what is obviously a tricky and unfortunate situation.
    Canadian Soccer News is a new website, designed to be the hub of soccer journalism and discussion for the entire country. Any response from you will be considered on the record, and will be published on the site in full.
    As we have already seen, the conversation will continue whether you choose to respond, or not. I certainly feel we will be significantly farther ahead if you can add you voice to the ongoing discussion.
    I can be reached directly – benknight103 at yahoo.ca.
    The questions:
    1) Your brief term as ASA president has certainly stirred up a lot of accusations and controversy. Is there anything you feel you could or should have done better?
    2) Was your support for the proposed CSA governance reforms a factor in your removal?
    3) As far as you know, did anyone from the CSA apply pressure to have you removed?
    4) Should provincial association heads have any role on the CSA board, helping Canada qualify for the FIFA World Cup?
    5) It has been suggested that everyone involved in the ASA dispute should step aside, and an entirely new board be selected. Your thoughts on this, please?
    6) How well, in your opinion, is the ASA serving Alberta soccer at present?
    Your insights will be very helpful at this point, sir. I look forward to you adding your voice to the discussion.
    A similar letter will be posted for Mike Traficante next Monday (Dec. 20).
    Onward!
    Related:
    Alberta: Bound
    An open letter to Mario Charpentier
    Guest

    Typical Tevez; typical reaction

    By Guest, in Euro File,

    Typical City!
    For years the blue half of Manchester has felt a certain perverse pride in that old adage. Whenever Manchester City does something wonderful -- and there have been some
    spectacular performances in its history -- the club then turns around and coughs up the proverbial hairball. One step forward, one stumble down a 300-foot ditch back.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    So it stands to reason that literally hours after City went joint top of the table (behind on goal differential and with all its rivals holding games in hand, but work with me here for the sake of the analogy) it comes out that the club's most important player, Carlos Tevez, has put in a written transfer request.
    Yep, typical.
    The case of Tevez is a fascinating one. Although many feel that he is a mercenary in the truest sense -- how do you cross the great red blue divide otherwise -- he does seem to be sincere when he says that he just wants to be close to his family in Argentina. That's problematic, as Boca Juniors can't likely afford £30 million, but getting fair market value is not on the top of City's need-to-do list. The nightmare for the Citizens is that he wants to move to a club in southwest London that isn't Fulham. If that's the case the City experiment might be doomed.
    That would make a lot of people happy. Once a loveable underdog of a club, City are now widely hated outside of Manchester. It's felt that they are ruining the game with their spending and every slip up is reported on with glee.
    SEE! YOU CAN'T BUY A CHAMPIONSHIP!!!11! the football press screams after every pushing match in training or sideline spat between manager and player (because that type of thing never happens at other clubs you know). The noise has reached a nearly unbearable point with this latest news. It's bound to become even louder as the January window draws closer.
    It's completely irrational of course. The majority opinion on City is not based on ration, but rather emotion. This idea that you can't buy a championship is absurd. Money absolutely buys trophies (and love and happiness for that matter). If anything City's money has made the Premiership more interesting because the top four is no longer as predictable.
    I suppose this would be a good time to disclose to those unaware that I inherited a lifelong burden of supporting sky blue. However, that doesn't mean that I can't understand the frustration that people have with the money that is spent. Still, it would be nice if there was some consistency in the criticism. Why is Spurs held up as a wonderful story of a little club that overcame long odds to qualify to the knock-out stages of the Champions League (after spending about £100 million in 18-months) while City is killing the game?
    I don't expect many will have a good answer to that. What I do think an answer will be found for is the question of what to do with moody Carlos.
    The City experiment will continue and will eventually find success regardless of what happens to Tevez. Yes, it would represent a set-back if he really does force his way out in January, but Tevez seems to change his mind every hour. It would be surprising if he didn't finish the season at City. After that maybe it's best that they let him fly.
    They can afford to replace him after all.
    I'm still looking for a name for my weekly European column -- and no I don't plan on writing about City every week!
    Guest
    According to a note in a Montreal Gazette blog post by the Impact's Nevio Pizzolitto, the Voyageurs Cup is in for a significant format change next season. Instead of the plan we've seen in the past couple years where each Canadian team plays each other team in a home and home series, the format's apparently going to change to semi-finals, where the top-ranked team (defending champion Toronto FC) and the fourth-ranked team (newcomer FC Edmonton) face each other in one clash and the second (Vancouver) and third (Montreal) teams from last year face off in the other semi-final.
    The winners would then apparently play in a one-game final.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    This is obviously a loss from a couple of perspectives. For one thing, it's quite possible that Montreal and Toronto might not play next season. If Vancouver loses to the Impact, they'd still face TFC in MLS action, but if either Montreal or Toronto comes up short, they wouldn't get to face each other at all. That's unfortunate for what's become an excellent burgeoning rivalry, and it also might make it more difficult for both groups of supporters to attend road games; the trip from Ontario or Quebec to Alberta or B.C. isn't as easy as just driving from Montreal to Toronto or vice-versa.
    From Edmonton's perspective, this is an awful way to kick off their involvement in the Voyageurs Cup. I don't think they can argue with being seeded fourth, considering that they weren't even around last year, but a one-game semi-final means they have to beat Toronto FC on the road to advance to the final.
    That's going to be a tough task. It's not impossible, but the odds are certainly against them.
    Perhaps more significantly, though, they're not going to get a Voyageurs Cup home game, which is quite unfortunate. I know from covering Vancouver over the last couple of seasons that there's been significantly more media interest around the Cup games against Canadian squads than regular Division 2 matches against American teams, and I'd venture there's been more fan interest as well. The current format if expanded would have given Edmonton three home games against marquee opponents; the proposed one would give them none.
    If everything goes according to this plan, Vancouver and Toronto might be the teams with the least to complain about. By finishing second in the Cup standings last year, this proposal would seem to indicate that the Whitecaps would host Montreal in a semi-final. Thus, they not only get a guaranteed home game against a fierce rival, but they also avoid the other MLS side until the final. Toronto's matchup isn't as notable, with them taking on newcomers FC Edmonton, but on paper at least, it provides an even easier path to the final.
    From this corner, this idea doesn't seem particularly strong. The Voyageurs Cup has provided some of the most exciting Canadian soccer over the past few years, and it's drawn nationwide interest in a way regular league games against American competition haven't.
    Drastically reducing the number of Voyageurs Cup games from six to three while adding a new team doesn't seem like a logical move. The change to a real championship game is a positive, as the Cup's no longer going to be decided by a game where one team has nothing at stake (Vancouver fans should appreciate that), but I'm not sure it's enough of a positive to cancel out cutting half the games.
    Sure, there's always fixture congestion and that, but these games have been some of the highlights of the season. Sacrificing them doesn't seem like the right move from here, especially when there were so many other ways to do this. Squizz looked at several possible ways to tweak the format earlier this year; it's notable that he didn't mention this plan, and pretty much every idea he proposed (except the joking one to just hand TFC the title) looks better than this.
    Guest

    CSL taking a new path

    By Guest, in It's Called Football,

    The Canadian Soccer League held a number of board meetings yesterday to discuss where it's going and where it's been.
    News leaked out a week ago that the league would be splitting its teams into two divisions next season. That was discussed further at the weekend meetings but the divisions were not finalized and are expected to be by year's end.
    But the big question hanging over the CSL continues to be the sudden departure of its now former commissioner Dominic Di Gironimo.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Sources have told Canadian Soccer News that a rift developed over the past year between Di Gironimo and a number of owners who felt as though the league was expanding too quickly.
    Di Gironimo was behind the push to expand to Kitchener, Pickering, Erin Mills and Ottawa in 2011 and was a major backer of the movement to explore expansion in B.C.
    Those owners, some members of the CSL equity board, grew concerned at the decrease in territory expansion meant for their teams - with more teams meaning they would have less players to draw on. It also became clear, that while the league was considered financial stable, that some on the equity board were using the fears that tend to come from rapid expansion to justify dragging their heals on decisions.
    None of the owners that the Canadian Soccer News spoke to this weekend were willing to offer any on the record comment but their general sentiment reflected those statements given by the league:
    League official Pino Jazbec has taken over the duties of commissioner for the 2011 season. Jazbec held the chairman position for the the Ontario Indoor Soccer League and sits on two of the OSA's league management committees.
    Guest
    With one full season played since the 2010 draft it’s possible to begin to evaluate how teams performed. Although the true strength of the draft can’t be found until several years later, it is possible to get an idea of which teams were winners and which were losers right from the get-go.
    In part one of an ongoing series that CSN will be undertaking between now and the 2011 draft we will attempt to quantify draft performance by clubs. Ultimately, we will aim to rank each MLS team on their all-time draft performance.
    The formula will look at the average amount of games a player drafted in each round played. Using that number as a base of what should be expected a team’s draft pick is given a +/- number – i.e. if the average games played was 15 and the draft pick played 20 games he will be given a +5. If a team did not draft in the round it is considered to have generated zero games played and will be given a minus number reflecting that .
    The higher the number a team receives the better it is considered to have drafted. Ties are broken first by the amount of plus players drafted and then by the highest plus drafted.
    The results of the 2010 draft after the jump:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The average first round draft pick in the 2010 played 14 games for the team that selected them. In the second round it dropped to 5.93. The third round saw an average of 5.18 games played per pick and in the final round the average was 3.5. For the purpose of this exercise we will round the numbers off to 14, 6, 5 and 4.
    No ranking system is perfect, but what this tries to do is place a value on a resource and then evaluate whether the club got what it was supposed to. As we move forward “home run” picks and bombs will have more of an effect on the +/- ranking. That’s fair because the value of the lost resource grows each year.
    The rankings for 2010 are:
    1- New England +22

    Zack Schilawski +11
    Seth Sinovic +11
    Zak Boggs +3
    Jason Griffiths +1
    Adam Welch -4

    2- New York +19

    Tony Tchani +13
    Austin da Luz -14
    Tim Ream +24
    Conor Chinn E
    Irving Garcia -4

    3- Dallas +12

    Zach Loyd +10
    Andrew Wiedeman -6
    Jason Yeisley E
    Eric Alexander +12
    Dane Saintus -4

    4- Philly +10

    Danny Mwanga +10
    Amobi Okugo -3
    Jack McInerney +3
    Toni Ståhl -5
    Kyle Nakazawa +9
    Brian Perk -4

    5- Chicago +6

    Corben Bone -9
    Kwame Watson-Siriboe +4
    Drew Yates -6
    Steven Kinney +8
    Sean Johnson +9

    6- Chivas -3

    Blair Gavin +2
    No 2nd round pick -6
    Kevin Tangney -5
    Isaac Kissi -5
    Ben Zemanski +15

    7- Kansas City -3

    Teal Bunbury +12
    Olukorede Aiyegbusi -1
    Nick Cardenas -5
    Mauro Fuzetti -5
    Ofori Sarkodie -4
    Chris Ross -4

    8- Galaxy -7

    Michael Stephens +8
    No 2nd round pick -6
    No 3rd round pick -5
    No 4th round pick -4

    9- DC United -9

    No 1st round pick -14
    No 2nd round pick -6
    No 3rd round pick -5
    Jordan Graye +16


    10- Toronto -18

    No 1st round pick -14
    Zachary Herold -6
    No 3rd round pick -5
    Joseph Nane +7


    11- Seattle -18

    David Estrada -11
    Mike Seamon +2
    No 3rd round pick -5
    Jamel Wallace -4

    12- Salt Lake -18

    Collen Warner -4
    Justin Davis -6
    Chris Schuler -4
    Kris Banghart -4

    13- San Jose -21

    Ike Opara -3
    Michael Thomas -6
    Steven Beitashour -4
    Justin Morrow +1
    Andrew Hoxie -5
    No 4th round pick -4

    14- Colorado -29

    No 1st round pick -14
    Andre Akpan -5
    Ross LaBauex -1
    Chad Borak -5
    Chris Cutshaw -4


    15- Houston -32

    No 1st round pick -14
    No 2nd round pick -6
    Samuel Appiah -3
    David Walker - 5
    Euan Holden -4

    16- Columbus -36

    Dilly Duka -11
    Bright Dike -14
    No 2nd round pick -6
    No 3rd round pick -5
    Kwaku Nyamekye -4
    Shaun Francis +8
    Othaniel Yanez -4

    We will look at 2009 (and the combined 2009-2010 rankings next week).
    Guest
    It’s Called Football had the opportunity to speak to the Canadian Soccer Association’s General Secretary Peter Montopoli on Friday. The entire interview will air on Monday but after receiving a deluge of requests yesterday we’ve decided to give you a brief preview on what to expect.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Peter Montopoli on what kind of political support, if any, they have in trying to win the right to host the Women’s World Cup.

    Montopoli on using the Women’s World Cup to build a legacy of football infrastructure in Canada. On provincial reps vs unaffiliated reps and what he’d like to see in a new governance model
    We’ve purposely left out some of the best stuff here, including: Lots more on the governance model, Canada bidding for the Men’s World Cup in 2026, on having medal aspirations for the women’s side, what the CSA is asking of the present bid cities and who they are. Be sure to tune in Monday at 10 pm EST to hear the whole interview with the CSA’s most powerful man, General Secretary Peter Montopoli.
    Guest
    Pierce already did a great job of breaking down the Whitecaps' signings of Terry Dunfield and Greg Janicki to MLS contracts, as well as Vancouver's decision to move on without Willis Forko, Simon Thomas and Luca Bellisomo, but the Bellisomo decision in particular might show us something about the future of soccer in Canada.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]The debate around if the CSA should sanction further Canadian teams in D2 American leagues or focus on trying to start their own national league has raged quite a bit lately, and you can make a case for both angles. However, if you're trying to argue the Canadian teams in American D2 leagues side, Bellisomo might just provide you with an excellent case in point.
    Bellisomo had been with the Whitecaps since 2008, spending much of that first season with the residency team but taking on larger roles with the first squad as time went on. In 2009 and 2010, his versatility proved tremendously useful to an injury-racked Whitecaps squad, and he spent plenty of time in central defence and midfield while also making appearances at wingback and and up front. To me, he never looked like a particularly dazzling player, but he demonstrated solid tackling form and a good understanding of the game and showed a fair bit of potential at times. From this vantage point, his skills may have been best used as a defensive midfielder, covering for forward forays from Martin Nash or other players. He made plenty of decent passes, won a considerable number of balls in the air and generally looked like he belonged as a starter on a good Division II team.
    That's part of the problem, though. It's pretty obvious that Bellisomo probably wouldn't be a good MLS starter at the moment, particularly in midfield. He might fit in better in central defence, but despite their limited roster at the moment, the Whitecaps already have that part of the back line reasonably solidified with Jay DeMerit and Janicki; Mouloud Akloul also looks likely to perhaps earn a MLS contract, and it's quite possible the team may be looking at others from outside as well. The wingback slots also already have some strong players in Wes Knight and Jonathan Leathers, and Bellisomo's skill set isn't really a great fit for that position; he's more of a defensive-minded tackler than someone with the ability to make explosive runs or deliver stunning crosses. His versatility might make him an interesting player to keep around in case of crisis, but his ability to make an impact off the bench is limited, as is many defensive players. Ultimately, Bellisomo is a good player, but probably not quite good enough for MLS at the moment.
    Given that, it's hard to blame the Whitecaps for axing him. Bellisomo is 24, so not exactly over the hill, but it's not like he's a pure prospect either. It's also not like he has jaw-dropping skills but needs the patience or football IQ that develop over time; I'd argue he's already strong in those departments. There's certainly some ways he could improve, but the Whitecaps have already seen what he can contribute, and they've come to the conclusion that that isn't enough to earn him a spot on their limited MLS roster at the moment. You can take issue with that if you like, but I doubt many would even bat an eye if it wasn't for his local roots and Canadian passport.
    Getting rid of Bellisomo might suggest that the club's policies on developing and playing Canadian talent might not be as strong as some would like, but to me, it's more indicative that their focus at the moment is putting out an MLS roster that's ready to compete from the get-go. Bellisomo might offer some minor help towards those goals at the moment, but his chief value on the roster would be if he improved dramatically down the road. The Whitecaps likely are going to have some prospects on their final roster, but they apparently think they can find others with a higher chance of developing into solid MLS players than Bellisomo. From this corner, it's tough to disagree.
    However, that doesn't mean that Bellisomo is a write-off as a player. He's shown in the last few seasons that he can be a solid contributor at the Division II level. What position he plays and whether he's a regular starter or not probably depends on the squad, but he certainly can add value to a Division II team. If he winds up with one (or the equivalent of one overseas) and is able to secure regular playing time, there's a decent chance he can improve his skills. If he gets enough experience and develops sufficiently, it's possible he could play for an MLS squad, a decent European team or the Canadian national team. The two players the Whitecaps did offer contracts to should give him some hope; Janicki started in the PDL and then USL-2, after all, and Dunfield bounced all over the place before coming home to Vancouver. You never know how players are going to turn out; Bellisomo could be a valuable contributor for someone right now and perhaps a pleasant surprise down the road.
    The problem is that his options at the moment aren't exactly staggering, though. For Division II at the moment, the Canadian NASL teams are FC Edmonton and the Montreal Impact (who will only be there for one year before moving to MLS themselves). Either could perhaps be a possibility, but that's only two alternatives. There are also plenty of American teams at both the NASL and USL Pro levels, but USL Pro seems like a step down and American NASL rosters won't necessarily be easy for a Canadian to crack (particularly when there are plenty of talented defenders coming out of NCAA soccer; they might not have Bellisomo's current skill and experience, but they have potential of their own and might be more attractive for an American franchise to develop). There's the CSL, but I'm not sure it really offers much development potential for a player who already has Bellisomo's experience. There's Europe, but spots there aren't always the easiest to land, and a lot depends on if Bellisomo can find a team that's the right fit for him. There's a decent chance he'll land on his feet somewhere, but the odds aren't necessarily in his favour.
    Obviously, not all Canadian players are going to be able to crack a MLS roster either immediately or as a developmental prospect. Division II can play a valuable role in developing those players, as both the Whitecaps and Impact have shown over the years, and that level of play can be an excellent spot for players like Bellisomo to find a home. Further Canadian teams in American Division II leagues certainly wouldn't feature entirely Canadian rosters, but it's in their interests to try and bring along homegrown players (just as it's in American D-II teams' interests to try and bring along American players), and the more Canadian teams there are at that level, the more homegrown prospects will be developed. If Bellisomo's able to find another good spot with the current setup, that's great, and an eventual high-calibre Canadian league might offer even more opportunities for players like him. More Canadian teams in American D-II leagues would certainly provide more chances for those like Bellisomo, though, those who at the moment are good but not quite enough for MLS.
    Guest

    Whitecaps Cut Three

    By Guest, in West Coast Soccer Podcast,

    As reported earlier today by Duane Rollins, The Whitecaps signed 2 of their standout players from last year. USSF D2 Defender of the Year Greg Janicki and fan favourite Terry Dunfield. However, that was just the tip of the iceberg here in Lotusland. As the sun dropped behind Vancouver Island and the air got cooler, 3 players had their MLS Dreams dashed.
    The Vancouver Whitecaps made it official this afternoon that Luca Bellisomo, Simon Thomas, and Willis Forko will not be running around Empire Field this summer. Or in Simon's case, forming an ass shaped groove in the bench.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Luca being cut is a bit of a surprise, but also not a huge shock. He is too old to fit into the homegrown player range designated by the league last month. That would mean that he'd potentially be taking a roster spot away from a more established pro who might see more time on the field, but still have his salary count against the cap. Bellisomo was one of the teams leaders in minutes played, and among the league leaders in fouls. I'm not sure if that's really all that glamorous a stat, but it will be something he can cherish for the rest of his days. He's a good Canadian Boy (although he was born in South Africa) and getting more minutes with another Second Division squad is probably the best thing for his progression as a professional. In all reality he was never going to start in the MLS. Best of luck in your future endeavours kid. You gave it your all and that's all anybody can ask. Thanks for the memories.
    Willis Forko on the other hand... his most memorable moment with the club was a crappy header that he almost sent past Jay Nolly, in the first round of the playoffs. A left footed player who plays on the defensive back four, Willis never seemed to click with Teitur's tactical approach. While Forko was fairly capable on the defensive end, we failed to see the offensive flair that Teitur values so much in his outside fullbacks.
    Simon Thomas... what can I say about Simon Thomas... I think the only time he got any action this year was in the Supporters Shoot-Out against the Timbers Army. He did manage to stop 2 of their shots that actually made it on net. The only reason he even got in there was because Dan Pelc had a hissy fit and wouldn't do it. His departure isn't a huge surprise he didn't really bring a whole lot to the table. He's young though, and hopefully he took some notes while under the top keeper in the league, but realistically he was a back up keeper in the second division. If Jay Nolly was lucky to get a contract then Thomas had no chance in hell. Hopefully he goes back to the Island and gets some first team minutes with the Highlanders.
    Guest

    Caps add two more

    By Guest, in West Coast Soccer Podcast,

    As expected, the Vancouver Whitecaps added two more players from their NASL roster to the MLS side for next year.
    Canadian international and former Manchester City youth stand-out Terry Dunfield was signed along with Greg Janicki. Dunfield is a midfielder while Janicki is a defender. More D2 signings are expected.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    With the moves there are now five players that have been "promoted" to the MLS side. It appears that the Whitecaps are going to rely on their former D2 players far more than Portland will or Seattle did. It should prove to be an interesting experiment, especially for those in Vancouver that have long argued that the difference between mid-level MLS players and mid-level D2 players is not that great.
    Guest

    What the Hall is CONCACAF doing?

    By Guest, in Some Canadian Guys,

    No matter their culture, language or background, fans of the beautiful game worldwide are united by a common bond, a clarion call that echoes through their very footballing souls:
    "Come on, ref!"
    Yes, every supporter, everywhere, takes umbrage with what the on-field officials are doing on any given day. Here in CONCACAF, though -- a confederation helmed by corrupt clowns like Jack Warner and Chuck Blazer -- we're often inclined to believe that poor refereeing decisions go beyond mere human error or incompetence, into the realm of high-level conspiracy theorizing.
    Sure, nowadays, I wouldn't put anything past FIFA and its member organizations. But -- with a hat tip to Occam and his razor -- the more likely reality is that the refs in CONCACAF just aren't that good.
    "Well, that's even better!" you may think. "Rather than trying to undo entrenched corruption and negligence, all we need to do is find new, better refs!"
    It's not that easy. In fact, it's quite bloody difficult.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Y'see, high-level referees don't just materialize out of thin air. To think that they can is to think that all you need to do to help your sad-sack, dateless friend is to tell him to "be more confident". Sure, it sounds easy enough. But if he has no job, hasn't gotten laid in a year, doesn't have clothes that fit properly and has an intrinsically low sense of self-esteem, he's not gonna just roll out of bed one day with a sudden burst of confident zeal.
    In order to be fit for World Cup qualifying or other important matches, refs must go through the arduous building process -- the dozens of futile job interviews, the dozens of unsuccessful dates, the wardrobe overhaul, as it were -- before they're ready to be considered for such important duties. That takes years and years of work for an individual referee (though not, hopefully, for your sad-sack pal).
    Even then, if a ref builds themselves up by working their way through the ranks, and gets their chance in a big game, it could all be undone by a crucial error once they get that chance. Or, in Sad-Sack McGee's world, he finally has things going swimmingly when, for reasons unbeknownst to him, he starts telling his co-workers about his new girlfriend's urinary habits. Yeah, watch that house of cards come down in an instant.
    So with this in mind, it's heartening to see that CONCACAF is at least trying to fix the problem, hiring longtime international ref Brian Hall to become the new director of referee administration. The optimist would say that this is a step forward, and that the American (with 15 years of international experience, including a World Cup) will use that pedigree to help guide the continent's refereeing program in a positive direction. He could be Mystery to the Sad-Sack McGees of the CONCACAF reffing world.
    The cynic would say that this newly-created position is just a way for Chuck Blazer to give a compatriot of his a cushy patronage appointment where he moves papers around for a six-figure salary. (I have no evidence that Blazer and Hall even know each other, but again, this is CONCACAF we're talking about, so the cynical instinct can be forgiven, methinks.)
    Either way, ideally this appointment will help CONCACAF move towards a higher, unified standard of officiating throughout its member organizations over the medium and long term. But what it won't do is suddenly change things at next year's Gold Cup. Canadian players and fans will still be treated to the same rotation of beloved faces brandishing the whistles and flags, and we'll still be forced to endure, as Gerry Dobson would put it, "the way it happens, time in and time out for the Canadian team."
    But even if it does, let's remember that referees -- even long-time CONCACAF referees -- are people too:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86AJje3ElDc
    Guest
    It's Called Football is joined by Pat Nearing, the head coach of Dalhousie University and the president of the CIS coaches association, to discuss their plans for getting CIS players into the MLS Superdraft, development routes they are presently exploring with the USL and what kind of support and interest they are receiving from Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps in that fight to gain equality with the NCAA.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <embed src="http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/FlowPlayerLight.swf?config={embedded:true,videoFile:%27http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/download/2540/21174/patnearinginterviewfinal.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

    Every club has its price

    By Guest, in Euro File,

    The last domino has finally fallen.
    Today, FC Barcelona announced that it was for modern football... er... selling advertising space on its renowned blaugrana jerseys.
    The new renters of the prime real estate? None other than the Qatar Foundation, a non-profit organization that was formed "to bolster education, science and development of the tiny gulf state."
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Catalan club had for decades famously refused to sell space on its shirts, while competitors raked in millions of dollars by sporting the logo of whichever company was the highest bidder. Barça even went one step further in recent times, allowing UNICEF to be the first third-party logo ever to be placed on its jerseys, and actually paying the charity for the right to do so.
    Barcelona’s financial vice president Javier Faus said that the $200 million (U.S.) deal with the Qatari outfit will not eliminate its existing arrangement with UNICEF... unless of course it cannot be done. In other words, if the Qatar Foundation doesn't approve of Barcelona's proposed "combined" UNICEF/QF logo design, then the money wins out.
    It always does.
    Guest

    The backstage dance begins

    By Guest, in Onward Soccer,

    Well, the “who” and the “why” remain elusive.
    So, let’s chat this morning about the “what.”
    There’s a back-channel deal being done to keep at least a few provincial soccer association presidents as voting members of the Canadian Soccer Association’s board of directors.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Depending on how far this goes, it could either be a canny piece of politics – or the gutting of recent rising hopes for a simplified, streamlined, professional system for helping Canada qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
    Most likely, the final truth will fall somewhere in between.
    To be clear, my nervousness about this is not meant as any kind of slight to the people who head up the provincial and territorial SAs. There is good and important work to be done there, from basic administration to simple communication to the ever-crucial need for better systems of player development.
    But as we see in Alberta right now, nightmare political webs can be spun if too much power collects in a single spot. And it must also be noted that a revised, national-team-focused CSA would have very little in common with any local provincial agenda.
    The CSA’s Constitution Committee surprised everyone last spring when they suggested dropping the provincial reps entirely, replacing them with four regional representatives who would span the country, but have no direct ties to the provincial associations.
    I got ripped for my naïveté by a dear friend last night. His basic point was that no matter how “independent” these regional reps appear, they’ll still be cozily snuggled up in bed with at least one provincial SA. “What difference is it really going to make?” he challenged.
    Well, naïve or no, I think the difference could be huge. The present system has the association heads literally serving two masters. They sign off on two different constitutions, and have governance responsibilities on two different – perhaps competing – levels of the game.
    Most clearly see themselves as their province or territory’s presence on the national board, and are there to primarily promote local agendas. And they have virtually no significant insight into how to run, shape and guide a professional national team.
    As long as they are there – in such suffocating numbers – I fear any reasonable reform will be subject to layered provincial interest-backing.
    And it’s all so unnecessary.
    Local clubs tell the provinces what to do, and the provinces can hold up any and all progress in Ottawa. The bottom guides the top, and there is – as has been the case for years – no clear direction from the CSA.
    Yes, this hugely over-simplifies things. No political web is ever that simple. And only a rare political deal is ever truly sensible – and clean.
    I get a strong sense what’s really being discussed is a simple compromise, where the “regional reps” will, in fact, be provincial presidents. If true, their number of seats – and ultimate influence – will be cut considerably. Even a hard-line CSA skeptic like myself concedes there would be progress in this.
    But why this is happening is an intriguing question. Even with Alberta and Quebec opposing governance reform at last spring’s CSA AGM, the Constitution Committee proposals were tentatively passed. To have to broker a new deal now suggests other provinces have since moved into the “No” camp. I’ve been told as much backstage, but don’t as yet have thorough confirmation.
    So once again, those of us who care passionately about Canada’s national teams are left wondering exactly what kind of CSA will emerge when the final package goes to a vote next spring?
    - Will the apparent progress achieved under general secretary Peter Montopoli produce a better system for getting Canada onto the big stage?
    - Will local infighting – such, again, as the malignant mess in Alberta – keep all our most glorious footballing memories firmly stuck back in 1986?
    Again, I’m looking at you, Mario Charpentier. The questions are only beginning.
    (Alberta columns resume Monday.)
    Onward!
    Guest

    CSA governance amendments under way

    By Guest, in Onward Soccer,

    Canadian Soccer News has learned that negotiations are under way to alter the Canadian Soccer Association's proposed governance model.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The changes would include a limited number of boardroom seats for provincial soccer association presidents.
    The original plan -- tentatively approved last spring -- called for all association presidents to be replaced by four unaffiliated regional reps.
    Much more to follow.
    Guest

    No respect for Hutch and Christine

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The awarding of Canada's athlete of the year is always controversial. Selected by a small panel of sports media elites the selections often feel like lectures about who Canadians should support, rather than who they do support.
    Olympic athletes almost always win in Olympic years. In 2008 the committee went one step further with the white liberal guilt and gave it to a Paralympics athlete. Depth of field arguments rarely hold water as a gold medallist in trampoline (for instance) seemingly gets more attention than Steve Nash (Nash only won one of the two years he was voted the best basketball player in the best basketball league in the world. Basketball is likely the second most popular sport in the world).
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    There was a 13 year period without a hockey winner. Hockey. In Canada. You may be aware that us Canucks do all right in that sport. The idea that for 13 straight years there was a better athlete in Canada than the best hockey player is ludicrous. Lately the voting committee has felt the pressure and has tried to consider all athletes, whether they are rich pros or hardworking Olympians a little more equal. Sidney Crosby has won two of the last three awards and will be in the running this year as well after scoring one of the biggest goals in Canadian hockey history (it's No 3 in case you are wondering) in Vancouver.
    The debate of pros versus (Olympic) Joes is especially loud this year as in addition to Crosby there are a couple other big names that deserve to be considered -- NL MVP and Sports Illustrated cover boy Joey Votto would be my pick, but NHL playoff MVP Jonathan Toews will get some attention too.
    Who won't get any attention that should are two soccer players - Christine Sinclair and Atiba Hutchinson. A soccer player has never won the award (two shooters, two wheelchair racers and a harness racer have).
    As stated, I'd pick Votto. What he did this year while playing at the highest level his sport offers is impressive. However, it's also impressive being named the MVP of a European soccer league and being one of the top 10 women's soccer players in the world.
    It would be nice if the committee would recognize both players -- who excel at a sport played by millions more than play hockey -- by including them in their final debate. The fact that Hutchinson wasn't even included on a list produced by the Toronto Star this week for readers to vote in an online poll says a lot. Sinclair is the better bet, but she'll need a champion on the committee.
    Hopefully a soccer player can break through and win this before they go back to another synchronized swimmer.
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