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    Guest

    More dirt on FIFA

    By Guest, in Euro File,

    An Australian newspaper has released the details of a freedom of information search related to that country's failed 2022 World Cup bid.
    The Age reports that Australia:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

    Sought to meet a secret ''list'' of requirements created by suspended FIFA and Oceania soccer official Reynald Temarii in return for securing Oceania's vote.
    Complained that the Australian government planned to give a bottle of fine wine to FIFA official Jack Warner rather than an entire case.
    Asked Warner to select a journalist to whom he ''wanted to extend a favour'', to be offered a free trip to Australia.

    You can read the full report here.
    It seems more and more like Thursday's decision might have been the step too far that FIFA took. There is a groundswell of support for reform and, unlike past attempts, there seems to be a willingness of powerful, rich federations to stand up to FIFA.
    Next year's FIFA presidential election could prove to be very interesting.
    Guest

    Canadian leads Notre Dame to NCAA title

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Maple, Ont's Adriana Leon scored the game's only goal in the 63rd minute of Sunday's NCAA championship game as Notre Dame defeated Stanford 1-0. It was the university's third national title.
    Leon is a member of the Canadian u-20 program and impossibly well adjusted.
    You can watch highlights of the game here.
    The Irish went 20-2-2 to capture the title, defeating North Carolina, Oklahoma State and Ohio State on the way to the final.
    Leon had three goals during the season.
    Guest
    Photo by Stephanie Gunther

    The story of Emil Cohen, the Northern Secondary (Toronto) student was suspended for publically criticising his school's athletic program, has likely outlived its mainstream media cycle. The news broke, media outlets wagged their finger at the school, the school reacted defensively and then Cohen and his supporters held the required public rally to bring more attention to the subject.
    Dutifully that rally was reported on and now the traditional media waits for the next Emil Cohen to emerge. The story of soccer at Northern and an athletic program that seemingly didn't deem it necessary to support all of its student-athletes equally will not likely be talked about again.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    On a basic level Cohen's efforts were successful. He got his media face time and got to tell his story to a much larger audience that a speech at the athletic awards banquet ever would have. The question, however, is whether his actual message -- that high school sports resources should be shared fairly and equally between all student-athletes -- was heard. Canadian Soccer News has a request in to speak with Cohen. We’ll update this story with his thoughts on that if we can touch base.
    The "news hook" that caused this story to take off was one of free speech -- how can you suspend a student for speaking his mind. A fair question and worthwhile discussion (especially when the student did so as articulately and, under the circumstances, respectfully as Cohen did), but not necessarily the one that Cohen wanted asked.
    Cohen's question isn't as sexy as free speech debates. A rally for equal funding for sports teams in high school sports would not have likely drawn as big a crowd. It certainly would not have attracted hoards of media. That's too bad because it's a worthwhile discussion.
    Make no mistake, the root of everything in the Cohen case is about fairness in sport allocation. It's a battle between the mainstream of high school sports -- football -- and the fringe -- in this case soccer, but this is a situation that could have just as easily emerged in any sport that wasn't football or hockey.
    Northern Secondary School is, as much as any Canadian high school can be, a football power. The Red Knights have won two Metro Bowls, the biggest prize that an Ontario high school football team can win. The team routinely plays its home games in front of, well, a couple hundred people. If they are lucky. Toronto isn't Texas. Bluntly put high school football doesn't matter here (outside of, of course, those that are involved).
    Yet the cliché of the football player as king of the school lives on. Although many schools have moved away from expensive football programs in recent years (rugby is often taken the place of disbanded football programs), there remains an aura of teenaged coolness associated with playing football.
    It's a power dynamic that is often reinforced by school officials. Classes aren't let out early to watch a soccer game. It's still pretty common for a school to let the kids out to cheer on the football team to glory (until the second half starts and they can go to the mall without getting in trouble). The message is clear: we support our athletes, especially those athletes.
    At the rally Friday, the hierarchy of sports was clearly on display. While Cohen addressed his supporters a "counter rally" formed across the street, on Northern Secondary School property. Based on reports we've received, I hesitate to call it a rally. Rather, it was a mob of, according to most witnesses , mostly football players there to boo and heckle Cohen and those at the rally.
    Photographer Stephanie Gunther attended the rally. She says she was "quite shocked by what I witnessed at Northern."
    According to Gunther, those protesting the protest threw Clementines and water bottles into the protest. They did so while constantly heckling Cohen.
    "They also kept up taunts such as 'loser' and 'you don't even play a real sport' throughout the duration of
    the protest," Gunther says. She says that this behaviour was done in front of several adults that appeared to be teachers at the school.
    A video of the incident can be viewed on my Facebook page (I'm working on getting in embedded here, but in the meantime you can watch the video on my wall - I will accept any friend requests today).
    In the comments to the video a poster who identified himself as Emil Cohen seemed to back-up Gunther's claim.
    "The hecklers were brilliant. Attacking old woman, throwing oranges and water bottles at a peaceful protest, swearing at a CBC reporter -- all of which is acceptable in the eyes of Northern secondary. Apparently free speech is not," posted Emil Snodgrass Cohen Saturday.
    I've reached out to the Toronto School Board and to the school board trustee that governs Northern for comment. As of 11:30 a.m. Monday I have yet to hear back, but will update if I do.
    Trustee Shelley Laskin included her efforts at expanded funding for anti-bullying programs front and centre on the profile of her Web site. (Edit:Laskin responded by thanking CSN for "bringing these serious questions to (her) attention," but deferred comment to the superintendent.)
    According to the Toronto District School Board bullying is:
    The actions that were alleged to have occurred at the "counter protest" would seem to qualify as "persistent and aggressive behaviour that is directed at an individual or individuals that is intended to cause (or should be known to cause) fear and distress" to those at the Cohen rally.According to TDSB documents:
    The question, then, is why does it appear to have been accepted in this case?
    Guest
    Author’s note: Mario Charpentier is 1st vice-president of the Alberta Soccer Association. He is considered to be the man in charge of soccer in Alberta, following the deposing of ASA president Chris Billings last April.
    Good morning, sir:
    I’m a writer with canadiansoccernews.com, and I’m launching a series of conversations on the subject of CSA governance. This must – necessarily – include the current controversies at the Alberta Soccer Association.
    Related:
    Four ASA officials face suspension from the CSA today.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    I have some questions for you, designed to help us all better understand this tricky, fluid situation.
    You should know that Canadian Soccer News is a new website, designed to be the hub of soccer journalism and discussion for the entire country.
    My first Alberta story, published last Thursday, generated huge interest and well over a hundred comments and opinions from concerned individuals – many of whom are clearly quite agitated.
    I should further tell you that any response from you is on the record, and will be published on the site in full.
    If you choose not to respond, many others will. I hope you can see this as an opportunity to clarify your position on matters that extend far beyond the province of Alberta.
    On behalf of everyone involved in this ever-growing discussion, I welcome you, and look forward to your unique insights.
    I can be reached – any time – benknight103 at yahoo.ca.
    The questions:
    1) In your own words, why did Chris Billings have to be removed as president of the ASA?
    2) Was Mr. Billings’ support for the proposed CSA governance reforms a factor in his removal?
    3) These reforms would remove all provincial and territorial soccer association heads from the CSA board. Can you please clarify why you oppose this?
    4) How, in your view, can provincial-association reps help Canada’s national men’s soccer team 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? Are you working for the game, or is the game being forced to work for you?
    As I’ve said, the discussion of all these matters is heated – and ongoing. I urge you to become a contributing part of this conversation.
    Similar letters will be posted for Chris Billings (Dec. 13) and Mike Traficante (Dec. 20).
    Onward!
    Previously, in this series:
    Alberta: Bound
    Guest
    Observers of TFC have often suggested that Dwayne deRosairo is a man without a position. He doesn’t like to play up top in a traditional No. 9 role (he’s constantly drifting back into the midfield) and when he’s employed in the creative midfielder position he ends up spending a lot of time close enough to the touchline to grab a beer out of the hand of fans sitting at those over-priced sideline seats.
    So if he’s not a nine or a ten what exactly is he?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] At the risk of suggesting an oxymoron he could be what Zonal Marking recently dubbed the Central Winger. As explained at Zonal Marking the evolution of this “new” position has come from a return to formations that require a traditional magician playing a central role. For many years the No. 10 had been taken out of the game, but the move to the 4-3-1-2 or 4-2-3-1 set-up has brought the position back. Finding the a team’s Maradona has proven difficult and players that were trained elsewhere on the park have ended up being pigeonholed in.
    So you end up with a winger – Aston Villa’s Ashley Young is a good example – being lined up in the middle of the park, playing just off the striker. Just because a player is setting up in the middle of the park doesn’t mean his former winger instincts go away though. These Central Wingers tend to drift out to the flank looking for the ball.
    It’s a multi-dimensional attack option that can be difficult to defend (in DeRo’s case he might be more effective if the Reds actually had some width to begin with – as it is now, he’s the only option on the flanks and can be defended the same way a single threat could be. If you add additional attacking options wide you can then open up more space in the middle as the two players can pull the defenders out)
    Zonal Marking concludes that the Central Winger isn’t a new invention. There have been players that have played such a role for years. However, it’s pointed out that there has been an increase in the use of this type of player and it might be a trend worth watching out for. As managers start to understand the advantages of Central Wingers they may start to employ them more effectively.
    TFC as a tactical trendsetter - who knew!
    Guest
    By Jason Davis of Match Fit USA
    There’s the usual kinda of soccer disappointment - your team loses a big match, maybe to a hated rival, maybe in the dying minutes, making your soul ache for days over the “unfairness of it all” - and there’s the kind Americans felt on Thursday morning.
    The usual kind of soccer disappointment is a product of sporting chance; even if we’re positive our side is the better one, too many things can go wrong in a match. Unless it’s down to getting screwed by referee incompetence, angst is directed towards our players, our coach, or - the easiest target of all - management. If we suck, it’s probably because someone isn’t doing their job. Losing stinks, but it’s understandable, and there’s probably no shady cabal working behind closed doors to keep us down.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The special, FIFA-administered kind of soccer disappointment isn’t part of the game we love, it’s part of the distasteful business of administering it. Everyone has their hands out, transparency and unicorns exist in equal measure and when you get screwed, you get royally screwed. I don’t think it’s out of bounds to think “we’re giving the World Cup to the tiny country with lots of money but no soccer history, brain-melting summer temperatures, and laws that make the usual party atmosphere difficult to imagine” is a tough result to swallow. And not in the dodgy-penalty-in-extra-time kind of way
    Let’s lay some things out here at the top, lest anyone get the wrong idea. It was never a foregone conclusion, and we never assumed it was. Of course we were confident in the quality of the bid - hell, we have big, appropriate stadiums coming out of every orifice - but never did we think FIFA “owed” the US a World Cup, nor were we sure that FIFA would “do the right thing” (from a technical perspective). The doubt was substantial, and though I can’t speak for all American soccer fans, I feel comfortable saying we could have stomached a defeat under different circumstances.
    If we were angry before Saturday because the vote was clearly tainted and Qatar has so many issues to overcome, we’re livid after. Rotund, hirsute Chuck Blazer, the only American on the Executive Committee and CONCACAF’s number two official, might have turned his back on his home nation in Thursday’s vote (there’s just one source on this using the word “suggestions”, and Chuck is denying it, but give us our scapegoat, will ya?). Really, Chuck? Is your “friendship” with Trinidad Jack so important that you have no qualms about trading your loyalty? Or were your hands cold and you needed a few more ducats to line the pockets of your surprisingly cheap-looking wardrobe? The dagger, Chuck, she is so deep.
    Eventually, and who knows how long it will take, we’ll get over the loss of 2022 and move on. The problem, of course, is that a World Cup twelve years in the future would have given the game a sizable boost in the United States. It might not have really mattered until 2020 or so, but there’s something to be said for having the calendar highlighted.. Those tasked with selling the sport need all the help they can get. Sponsors gravitate towards big events, investment is easier to secure when there’s an anchor point.
    The “where do we go from here” question is a tricky one, partly because - like I said above - we weren’t necessarily counting on winning. Surely the boys in Chicago (US Soccer) and New York (MLS) have strategic initiatives sitting on their hard drives that are now nothing but the Digital Age equivalent of paperweights, but if they weren’t prepared for this possibility, losing the bid to host a World Cup twelve years away is the least of our concerns. We’re still running the marathon, we just know now we won’t be getting that special energy formula from the men in the FIFA vests. The best way to answer “where do we go from here” is to say “keep doing what we’re doing.”
    Because the truth is an American World Cup wouldn’t be a magic bullet. Soccer’s struggle in the United States is a cultural one, one of small strides from year-to-year and making sure to hang around long enough for the stigma that unfairly clings to it to wear off. It’s getting sportstalk radio to include soccer in the general conversation, kids to stick with the game past the age of twelve, and ESPN to make up its mind about truly treating soccer (especially the domestic kind) as an important product. When drive-time blowhards aren’t using soccer as a whipping boy but are actually covering the big stories and ESPN isn’t following up soccer broadcasts with talking head shows that take shots at the sport, then some progress will have been made. It’s debatable that a World Cup, twelve years and counting away, could have done much to effect that change. Mostly, it’s just waiting those people out.
    American soccer will be just fine, in the same way it’s just fine now. If you buy what I’m selling - that the World Cup here in twelve years wouldn’t have had some kind of transformative impact but might have sped things along just a bit - then we can all just go about our business knowing that soccer isn’t going anywhere and will probably continue a slow upward arc. Disappointment is fleeting, especially when there are games to be played, stadiums to build, kids to coach, and our own internal issues to address. As the sport grows, World Cup or not, things will only get more complicated. Especially when MLS is involved.
    Hell, maybe in the end, FIFA has steeled our resolve. Charity just makes people soft. Disappointment builds character. Yeah, let’s go with that.
    Jason Davis of the brilliant Match Fit USA will be contributing occasional articles to provide Canadians with An American View of the issues that affect North American soccer.
    Guest
    The Ottawa Citizen reported yesterday that the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) will not block any attempts by ownership groups in the region to apply for NASL membership.
    The Citizen's Richard Starnes spoke to CSA president Peter Montopoli and when asked if they would sanction an Ottawa NASL team, Montopoli had this to say:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    NASL CEO Aaron Davidson all but confirmed an Ottawa team would be approved for the 2013 season on It's Called Football in November so it certainly seems Canada will have a fifth team to add to the Nutrilite Voyageurs Cup by then. But the news begs the question: what the hell was the moratorium for?
    When Canadian Soccer News broke the story on the moratorium last month, sources from within the NASL and CSA told us that the goal of the moratorium was less about D2 and more about stopping inquiries by PDL and USL-Pro into Canada's third division ranks.
    If that was true, the CSA isn't holding the line on D3 either. On Dec. 13, a Winnipeg ownership group will announce their intentions to join the PDL for the 2011 season.
    So is the CSA really committed to a moratorium? Or is this just another example of our national governing body having a bark worse than its bite?
    We'll have to wait and see but I'm leaning towards the later.
    ICF PROGRAMMING NOTE:
    Lee Haber, a member of the Winnipeg ownership group, will be appearing on It's Called Football this Monday at 10:20 EST to discuss their intentions.
    We are also attempting to reach the Ottawa Citizen's Richard Starnes to discuss the Ottawa to NASL developments.
    Guest
    One thing I'm fairly certain about. If the good folks attempting to make a go of it in Winnipeg with a Premier Development League franchise are to succeed, they won't do so by pretending to be something they're not.
    That's why I crooked an eyebrow upon seeing the Facebook page promoting next Monday's press conference to announce the name and crest. Saying that Elite soccer is coming to Winnipeg is not going to fool anybody. Not even anybody in Winnipeg.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Winnipeg is not a "soccer city" in the way that Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver may be, but the city embraced the World Cup as feverishly as any other its size in the country. Even my friends back home who don't give a shit about the game know TFC isn't really the big leagues. As for the people ripping around the West End last June with Dad's flag up on the antenna, I'd be surprised if even 2% of them ever end up at a PDL match in Winnipeg.
    But back to the Facebook page. Whatever, in the end it really is just a Facebook page. I'm thrilled that any form of pro soccer** is coming back to Winnipeg and I commend the guys who are backing the project for doing it. I just think the best chance of success lies in targetting the hardest of the hardcores and - and least in the beginning - the team not trying to pretend to be anything it isn't.
    Winnipeg already boasts three successful pro sports teams: the Manitoba Moose, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and baseball's Winnipeg Goldeyes. Depending on how you view the CFL, at least two of those are minor league caliber. Based on numbers from this explanation of the Canadian soccer pyramid, it costs about $200,000 to operate a CSL team annually. If that figure roughly translates to the PDL, we're discussing a significantly smaller operation than any of the city's other pro teams. The as-yet-unnamed franchise will play in the Winnipeg Indoor Soccer Complex, which seats about 2,000.
    I can remember the Fury drawing upwards of 9,000 fans to games at Winnipeg Stadium in the late 1980's. That was the exception rather than the rule and I think the majority in the stands saw the game as a novelty, but the fact they were there proves Winnipeggers* will pay to watch soccer.
    If the team's owners want an example of what not to do, they could do worse than studying up on the city's ill-fated minor-league basketball franchise, the Winnipeg Thunder.
    Hockey, football and baseball have traditional followings in Winnipeg. Basketball doesn't (or at least it didn't in 1994) and despite the existence of the Winnipeg Fury 20 years ago, neither does soccer.
    I truly hope that this team can build on a solid base of modest support and some day become part of whatever happens with the CSA's poorly articulated plans to launch some kind of Canadian second (third?) division.
    Various Winnipeggers have already made their thoughts known on the supporter boards, but I'm curious to hear more opinions below. Can the PDL make a go of it in Winnipeg?
    *The correct demonym is Winnipegger. This article was originally published using the demonym Winnipeger.
    ** It has been pointed out to me that the PDL is purely an amateur league, although in the past some clubs have had certain players on contracts.

    Guest

    Re-entry draft list

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The re-entry draft list is below the jump
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    [TABLE=width: 593]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]LAST NAME
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]FIRST NAME
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]2010 CLUB
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]CONTRACT STATUS
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Saragosa
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Marcelo
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Chivas USA
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Zotinca
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Alex
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Chivas USA
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Lopez
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Claudio
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Colorado Rapids
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]O'Brien
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Ciaran
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Colorado Rapids
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Vagenas
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Peter
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Colorado Rapids
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Hejduk
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Frankie
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Columbus Crew
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Oughton
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Duncan
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Columbus Crew
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Padula
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Gino
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Columbus Crew
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Schelotto
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Guillermo Barros
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Columbus Crew
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Moreno
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Jaime
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]D.C. United
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Cunningham
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Jeff
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]FC Dallas
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Sala
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Dario
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]FC Dallas
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Cochrane
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Ryan
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Houston Dynamo
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Mulrooney
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Richard
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Houston Dynamo
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Ngwenya
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Joseph
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Houston Dynamo
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Onstad
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Pat
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Houston Dynamo
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Serioux
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Adrian
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Houston Dynamo
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Kirovski
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Jovan
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]LA Galaxy
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Kovalenko
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Dema
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]LA Galaxy
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Sharpe
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Chris
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]League Pool Goalkeeper
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Burpo
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Preston
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]New England Revolution
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Colaluca
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Nico
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]New England Revolution
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Gibbs
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Cory
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]New England Revolution
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Smith
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Khano
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]New England Revolution
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Angel
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Juan Pablo
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]New York Red Bulls
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Sassano
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Luke
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]New York Red Bulls
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Talley
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Carey
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]New York Red Bulls
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111][/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Fred
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Philadelphia Union
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Out of Contract
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Seitz
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Chris
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Philadelphia Union
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Stephenson
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Khari
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]San Jose Earthquakes
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Marshall
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Tyrone
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Seattle Sounders FC
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Conrad
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Jimmy
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Sporting Kansas City
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Out of Contract
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Hohlbein
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Aaron
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Sporting Kansas City
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Out of Contract
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Wolff
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Josh
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Sporting Kansas City
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD=width: 111]Garcia
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 154]Nick
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 175]Toronto FC
    [/TD]
    [TD=width: 153]Option
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]
    Guest

    Ignore Europa League at your own peril

    By Guest, in Euro File,

    No one dreams of growing up to win the Europa League. It's a competition that baffles new fans to the game (wait, who qualifies?) and annoys more established clubs that find their way into its mix. In recent years it's been won by some teams that you might not think of when making a list of Europe's top clubs -- Zenit Saint Petersburg, Shakhtar Donetsk, CSKA Moscow. When the world's biggest clubs entered, they've often come up short.
    Hell, Fulham made the final.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    However, the competition has legitimate benefits to the clubs that participate and, most importantly, is treated as the Champions League equal by UEFA in compiling coefficients.
    The Italian section of World Cup blog does a wonderful job today of breaking down all the reasons why Italian fans should be up in arms by the performance of Serie A's three teams in this year's competition. Palermo, Sampdoria, and Juventus all went bye-bye before the group stage was even finished. As pointed out those results have a tangible and costly affect on Italian football.
    Namely, they lost a Champions League spot. Even though Italy has done very well in the Champions League it will still drop down to three CL spots and three Europa spots based largely on its pathetic Europa results (and Germany's better than average Europa results). Germany will get a fourth spot for the 2012-13 competition (coefficients determine slots one calendar year ahead).
    Regardless of what you think of Europa League, you have to understand how devastating it is to lose a Champions League spot.
    So, the next time you dismiss the Europa League think twice. UEFA doesn't, so why should you.
    It's also a worthwhile competition on its own merits. Far more wide open than the Champions League it can produce some compelling football. When the third place finishers in the Champions League groups join the field for the knock-outs there will be some interesting battles. There are some big clubs in this competition.
    Teams that have clinched a spot in the knock-out stage:
    Manchester City
    Poznań (Poland)
    Bayer 04 Leverkusen
    Sporting Lisbon
    Dynamo Kyiv
    BATE Borisov (Belarus)
    CSKA Moscow
    Sparta Praha (Czech Republic)
    Zenit St Petersburg
    VfB Stuttgart
    Young Boys
    PSV
    Metalist Kharkiv (Ukraine)
    PSG
    Liverpool
    Porto
    Beşiktaş
    Clubs like the defending champion Atlético Madrid, Villarreal, Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund remain in the mix along with likely third place joiners like FC Twente, Benfica, Rangers and Ajax.
    Try and pick a winner out of that list.
    Guest

    Has FIFA Woken a Sleeping Lion?

    By Guest, in Some Canadian Guys,

    "Fear God, and offend not the Prince nor his laws, and keep thyself out of the magistrate's claws."
    – Thomas Tusser, 1557

    By thouroughly, publically and, well, royally, screwing England out of contention for the 2018 World Cup, FIFA's indignant arrogance may have finally overtaken it's previous shrewdness. England is a proud nation, especially when it comes to football, and despite appearances is a powerful one. Yesterday may have gone beyond the pale, past the limits even of football's capacity to tolerate corruption.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    I say this as the shock of yesterday's decision to hand Russia the 2018 World Cup and Qatar the 2022 World Cup wears off in Zurich, London and around the world, and details of just what went wrong with England's bidf come out from infuriated members of its bid team. The main culprit in the who mess, of course, is CONCACAF's perennial bugbear Jack Warner. Warner had committed to England, it seems, even giving personal promises of support to England's great white hope, Prince William.

    "Jack actually put his arm around William's shoulder and said 'You have my vote'," revealed one member of England's bid team, quoted in the
    Daily Mail. As we now know, Jack and his bon vivant underling Chuck Blazer – who also issued his assurances to the Prince, the Prime Minster and Prettyboy (David Beckham, that is) – then scuttled off and made bad on their promises. It's duplicity at it's most stark and unabashed, and it's the kind of thing that only the most craven and arrogant of men think they can get away with.
    But will they get away with it? The sad answer is "probably, yes." Jack Warner will never reap what he sowed in Zurich – he'll retire to his island fortress of T&T long before any reformer or anti-corruption element in FIFA can come to grips with him. Neither will Chuck Blazer likely face the fire, if only because he appears well overdue for a massive heart attack. But FIFA might, in the long run, pay the price for yesterday's actions.
    And why? Well, it isn't because England lost – they might have lost anyway – but that England was intentionally humiliated. As we all know, the British media has recently been outing corruption, vote-rigging and vote-buying inside FIFA. Most notably, the BBC's Panorama documentary alleged – proved, you might say – that four of the men who voted yesterday were actively, irredeemably corrupt. None voted for England. Who was one of the stars of the show? Jack Warner, of course.








    And FIFA's been fairly open about that the impact the documentary had on England's bid. "They are saying to us that our media killed us," says an understandably incensed England bid chief Andy Anson. According to Chuck Blazer "It didn't create a positive environment for the England bid but it's difficult to get into the minds of other people and know if it really was a factor."
    England, who had perhaps the best bid, spoke out against FIFA. And England netted the worst result in the vote. It was a message, loud and clear.
    But if FIFA punished England for having accused it of corruption, that punishment confirmed the accusation. And England doesn't seem keen to stand for it. Calls are ringing out across the home of football for reform to FIFA, sweeping out it's corruption, washing away it's greed. It may be sour grapes, of course, but you can't deny that the cries for change are valid. England had perhaps the best bid for 2018, but punishment was more important to FIFA than practicality, so England was publicly shamed.
    What's more, England's government was publicly shamed. FIFA is powerful, sure, but the government of the U.K. is infinitely moreso. Jack Warner and his cronies may have created a situation where heads of state beg at their feet for votes, but Princes and Prime Ministers, I'll wager, don't take well to public humiliation.

    But what does this matter? England isn't as important in world football as they think they are, clearly. What can they do? Well, it's worth mentioning that England is still home to the most popular, most profitable league on Earth. The FA controls a huge amount of soccer wealth - if wielded properly, they can cause FIFA all kinds of headaches.





    What's more, England isn't alone in feeling hugely aggrieved after yesterday's "vote." FIFA may have shown petulance and arrogance in their handling of the 2018 cup, but they showed pure greed with the 2022 award to Qatar, a country with no credentials for the cup beyond vast sums of cash. Qatar may indeed put on a great show, but by giving the cup to a tiny country rate 113th in the world and boasting no football credentials whatsoever, FIFA alienated Australia and the United States. Each had far superior bids than Qatar, and each will be infuriated with how the votes fell. Count hopeful bidders Spain & Portugal (and perhaps Japan or Korea, but they weren't really serious contenders) into the ranks of the disaffected, and in one fell swoop FIFA publicly flipped off one of Asian football's heaviest hitters, the home countries of two of the world's three biggest leagues (EPL and La Liga) and the richest country on earth. And they did it all in such a way that the majority of the watching world can't help but line up against them.
    And so, I think, international football has reached a watershed moment. Reform, so long overdue, is now inevitable. Voices calling for reform (including Declan Hill – click here for the excellent interview he did with Ben Rycroft over at It's Called Football) are only going to get louder until something gives. Abandoning FIFA for a rival federation? Slow but steady reform from within? Public pressure to oust the most guilty parties? I don't know how reform will come, but I wouldn't be surprised if this whole mess that began in a conference hall ends in a courtroom.
    In the end, when Jack Warner looked England in the eye and lied, he may have brought about the end of corrupt FIFA. He offended the prince, and because of it FIFA could well feel the wrath of the magistrate's claws.
    Sepp Blatter photo courtesy of AsianFC


    Guest

    Three gone from TFC (maybe)

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The Nick Garcia boo-birds may have finally gotten their wish. The fan's favourite whipping-boy was told today that his option for 2011 will not be picked up by the club.

    With a 2010 guaranteed salary of $198,750, it's not at all surprising that the Reds decided to take a pass. Not doing so would have been reckless.
    Garcia found his legs in 2010 as a workmanlike fullback. Although he did still occasionally make the odd scary mistake, any objective analysis of TFC's season would conclude that he was hardly the biggest problem. Actually, once he made the move from centreback to fullback his performance improved to the point where he was a useful role player that by all accounts was a positive influence in the dressing room.
    That doesn't mean he's worth more than $200,000 to TFC.
    If you read between the lines of Earl Cochrane's statement, you might find evidence that Garcia could be back with TFC yet.
    "With Nick we simply couldn’t find a way to make him fit within our current budget situation. If we lose Nick through this re-entry process, we will miss his leadership and experience and wish him all the best in the future."
    The emphasis is mine. For Garcia to go in first stage of the re-entry draft another MLS team must be willing to offer him a five per cent increase for 2011. That doesn't seem likely. If, as expected, he isn't selected in the first stage he would become eligible to enter stage two of the re-entry draft. There teams are only drafting the rights to sign him. It would be up to Garcia and a club to come up with an appropriate figure. He'd be free to negotiate with clubs, including Toronto, after the first round.
    So, it's possible that TFC has a number in mind for Garcia and they have let him know what it is. Garcia is free to search out a better deal with the understanding of what the Toronto offer is.
    TFC also declined the option on Fuad Ibrahim and Amadou Sanyang today. Neither is eligible for the re-entry draft. They must negotiate with Toronto to come back at a lower number, or have another team in the league willing to trade Toronto assets for them.
    Ibrahim made a guaranteed salary of $133,000 in 2010, with Sanyang making $46,555.55.
    Guest
    "There is a battle right now and I don’t know who is going to win it."
    That was Declan Hill, Oxford scholar and author of the Fix, on It's Called Football Wednesday night - speaking less than 24 hours before FIFA would shock the world by announcing the 2018 and 2022 World Cups would be going to the massive underdogs Russia and Qatar.
    Hill, who was telling of an ongoing fight within football associations across the world - one between crime families, gamblers and those who they control and people within those associations, who see the problems these cockroaches have brought on the Asian soccer markets and are seeking to rid their own of the corruption - began by talking about FIFA's World Cup bid process with eery clairvoyance.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    He continued, speaking about the Andrew Jennings' report on FIFA executives - the executives which had allegedly taken bribes and the same executives which would be voting on the bids to award the World Cup. Then, as he seems to do pretty much every time he joins us, he began dropping the real bombs. In this case, and in his own words, world exclusive bombs. He explains further why the head of the integrity unit and much of the unit itself have been suspended. Hill, with the help of Dick Pound, the former head of the World Anti-Doping Agency, has been pushing for the creation of anti-corruption agency for the past two years. Their argument, and it's a strong one, is that governing bodies cannot be relied on to investigate themselves, that there needs to be an independent group capable of holding feet to the fire when, say, Jack Warner sells World Cup tickets on the black market. He hammers his last point home with this.
    Today, I think most in the U.S. and England would agree with Hill's call to action. But it has to go beyond regional passions. If we want to see integrity restored to the game we love, there simply has to be an independent group to police the filth that has spread throughout the associations. Otherwise, from now on, every World Cup bid, tournament and competition, will begin to feel more and more like yesterday did.
    Guest
    I'm going to throw this out there right now: Qatar most likely bought the 2022 World Cup, appealing to FIFA's insatiable appetite for money - be it dollars, Euros, Pounds, Kruger rands, Canadian Tire coupons, or whatever.
    Russia probably did the same in winning the right to host WC 2018.
    I don't agree with it, and like many of you I feel strongly that something needs to be done about the rampant corruption in world soccer.
    Ok, with that out of the way, and some of the dust settled/settling, let's look at the reality of the situation. Qatar and Russia are going to host the World Cup. No amount of bellyaching or frantic, angry keystroking is going to change that.
    So instead, I'm going to tell you a story...
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    When the announcement was made, I was at the hospital sitting in a labaratory chair, waiting for a nurse to literally draw blood from me (insert parallels to FIFA's drawing blood from countries worldwide here).
    My cell phone went off in my pocket. My dad had texted me the news.
    Now, putting aside the fact that my 50-something father texts like a high-schooler, what struck me most about the message was not surprise at the decision - Qatar and its grandiose bid (and accompanying oil money) was long considered a front-runner - but rather the sense of deja vu I was feeling at that exact moment.A few years previous, I had gotten a similar message from my dad about South Africa winning the right to host WC 2010. The context was very different though, as my South African-born father had seen his home nation's bid as a way to finally show the rest of the world that his birthplace wasn't some backwater overrun by safari wildlife and tongue-clicking, loincloth-clad natives living in huts.
    To say he was excited about South Africa's impending coming out party is an understatement. He spent the next few years scouring the internet for news and commentary about SA's progress (or perceived lack thereof), time and again involving himself in online arguments with naysayers who seemingly took no measurable amount of pleasure by putting down Africa's ability to host the world's largest single sporting event.
    Admittedly, the doubters even started getting to me, as well. In the lead-up to my family's voyage to the 2010 WC - how were we not going to be there? - I read more and more horror stories and projections of what a poor World Cup South Africa was going to put on.
    As someone who had only been "back" (I hate that term, as I'm a born and raised Canuck) a couple of times as a child, I truly did not know what to expect in my first visit as an adult.
    Of course, what had happened after all was said and done was that South Africa hosted a wonderful tournament. The thousands of visitors from around the globe were treated to top notch facilities, beautiful natural landscapes, first class transportation, and - most importantly - one of the safest, seamless World Cups ever held.
    The few times I ventured about without a family member as a chaperon, I never felt unsafe or even close to it. In fact, riding the train from the suburbs of Cape Town to the downtown core reminded me a lot of doing the same from Toronto's suburbs in the first year of TFC's existence; sitting aboard a train chock full of soccer revellers looking for nothing but fun, the common bond of the beautiful game disguising any problems that may otherwise be front-and-centre.
    And that's the rub. South Africa's got its problems, major problems. Everyone knows that. The World Cup was never going to fix them, not by a long shot.
    What the World Cup did was show the world, and perhaps more importantly the locals, that those problems can be overcome, if even for a short time.
    Maybe 2022 can do the same for Qatar, a country that many could not even locate on a map until earlier today. And perhaps 2018 can do it for Russia, a nation once seen as synonymous with communism and now seen as a haven for organized crime.
    The problems are different, and the scale of resources is vastly different in Qatar's case, but the goal is the same: To show the world a different side of each country.
    And so I'm left reflecting on my dad's text message this morning, thinking that perhaps somewhere in Canada a Qatari or Russian father excitedly contacted his Canadian-born son with the news that their "home" nation will finally get to strut its stuff on the world's stage.
    How will the rest of the world respond?
    Guest

    Winnipeg to the PDL

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The Canadian Soccer News has confirmed that a PDL side will debut in Winnipeg for the 2011 season. The club got the go ahead from the CSA just prior to the announcement of the 10-month moratorium on sanctioning D2 and PDL teams playing in US leagues.
    An official involved in the creation of the team says that the goal of the team is "to give Winnipeggers an authentic soccer viewing experience, developing young Winnipeg talent and helping to build the game in Canada."
    An official announcement is expected Dec. 10.
    The creation of more teams in Canada is clearly a good thing. Although there are critics of the PDL -- season too short, not sufficient for development -- you have to like that a team is going into a place that desperately needs a club for kids to aspire to. If the proper facility could ever be found, Winnipeg would be a perfect D2 market.
    PDL will have to do for now. It's a start and it's good news for those that want to see the game grow here.
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