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    Guest
    Today Canadian women’s coach Carolina Morace suggested to the media that Canada was jobbed out of a seed for next summer’s Women’s World Cup when the No 1 in the world USA were seeded despite losing the CONCACAF tournament.
    If there were eight seeds – and maybe there should be – she might have a point. The problem is that there are only four teams seeded and Canada is currently ranked ninth in the world. It’s the highest they’ve ever been. Of course the women are also riding high after capturing their second CONCACAF title and first when the USA was competing in the same tournament. So, you can understand why Morace and company might feel a little slighted, especially when you consider that 99 per cent of the coverage of the CONCACAF tournament focused on Mexico’s win over the United States. A casual observer would be forgiven for assuming that Mexico, a team Canada beat twice, won the championship.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    In addition to the USA also seeded for the tournament is host Germany (No. 2 in world), Brazil (No. 3) and Japan (No. 5). I’m not entirely sure what No. 4 Sweden did to piss off FIFA either.
    There is little doubt that the best three teams in the world are all seeded. So, from that perspective it all works out. However, there is the question of fairness. Should a country that fails to win its qualifying tournament be rewarded with a seed? It seems to fly in the face of the spirit of competition in my mind (and it’s not just Canada that is affected – Japan is also seeded despite finishing third in the Asian qualifiers).
    Clearly FIFA has made allowances for confederations otherwise they would just seeded the top four countries in the rankings. So, flexibility is allowed. In the end it won’t matter much beyond tomorrow’s draw, but it does strike me as wrong that a team that only advanced through a playoff should be seeded – regardless of its past history. The top four seeds (minus playoff teams) regardless of confederation works for me. So, in this case: Germany, Brazil, Sweden and Japan.
    As mentioned the draw goes tomorrow. Canada is in pot B with North Korea, Mexico and Australia. The Canucks can be drawn into any group except Group C, which has the USA in it. Since the Aussies and North Koreans can’t go into Group B with Japan, one CONCACAF team is likely to get the easiest touch seed. Knowing Canada’s luck with these things expect Germany.
    Pot C is the weakest pot, with Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea New Zealand and Colombia with the non-host Euro sides filling out pot D (Sweden, France, Norway and England).
    Canada’s dream draw?
    Japan – Canada -Equatorial Guinea – England
    The nightmare?
    Germany – Canada – Nigeria – Sweden
    The draw is at 1:30 p.m. EST tomorrow. We will have live text updates.
    Guest

    Essential Reading: FIFA's Dirty Secret

    By Guest, in Euro File,

    Every once and a while an event comes along that promises to shake the world of football to its core. An event that will surely, absolutely, finally shine a light into FIFA's darkness and force the changes from within we all know need to happen.
    Of course it never really does, but it is fun to ride the wave of hype and hope as we wait patiently for real reform to break through.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    By this time tomorrow, the BBC Panorama will have aired the Andrew Jennings report, FIFA's Dirty Secret, which promises to further expose the vote-selling and corruption that has dominated headlines in recent weeks. But, having seen it all play out before, I'm not expecting much - I mean, other than getting to read weeks of great headlines, watch the football mafia squirm for a few minutes under the dim bulb of the British tabloid media and eventually witness FIFA promising to form committees and get to the bottom of all this.
    It's tedious, predictable and yet really, really entertaining.
    So, gorge yourself on these essential reading items before the big day and pray for real change to come
    FIFA has good reasons to fear the BBC expose
    Jack Warner warns against reporting on corruption
    England's World Cup group trying desperately to save its bid
    British PM attacks BBC
    Don't bend over for FIFA
    How you can watch if you live in Canada or the US
    Guest

    FIFA says the damndest things

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Read page four of this FIFA document that talks about the affect of hosting minor FIFA tournaments for developing football nations.
    Did you see the part about stadiums and attendance?
    How about the part where it said there is a pro team coming to Regina in the next year or so?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It might be nothing -- ok, it probably is nothing -- but it's interesting to see a city that has had very little talk get mentioned in an official FIFA report. You would think that FIFA would have talked to the CSA before writing the report and maybe the CSA told them something that isn't public knowledge.
    Or, FIFA is exaggerating to make itself seem better. The purpose of the report is to convince more developing football nations to bid for minor events after all.
    I have heard very minor, very preliminary rumblings out of Saskatchewan, but nothing that would suggest they would be ready anytime soon. Still, it's at least a little interesting to see Regina mentioned in the report.
    I wouldn't buy the season tickets yet, but we'll keep an eye on it.
    Guest
    We're starting up a new feature here at Some Canadian Guys, which I've decided to dub Don't Fight The Laws. As the title of this post suggests, it'll consist of me answering questions about the Laws of the Game, their interpretation and any other general queries/gripes about the folks with the funny badges and what they do.
    What are my credentials? Well, I've been a referee for the better part of 12 years. That's about it, I suppose. Oh, also, if you took part in the Toronto FC Supporters Cup, I was the "good ref" at that tournament. So that's something. Yeah, I'm no Graham Poll, I'll admit -- but at least I never gave anyone three yellow cards in the same game.
    So if you've got any questions you wanna throw my way, have at it. Send me an email at canadiansoccerguys@gmail.com, and I'll try to answer it in an upcoming edition. Ideally there will be sufficient questions received to build this into a weekly feature.
    As for what kind of answers you can expect... well, just wait for the first edition and you'll see.
    Guest
    On Monday, the BBC investigative news program Panorama will air a documentary that purportedly reveals widespread improprieties in the voting process Fifa uses to award the World Cup. This has caused all manner of unpleasantness. England 2018's bid chief has branded the broadcaster unpatriotic; and Concacaf president Jack Warner, who is said to figure prominently, has dismissed the show as a personal vendetta against him and assured everyone that he continues to "sleep very soundly at nights." (Incidentally, anyone who feels the need to tell the wider world that he sleeps very soundly probably spends a fair amount of time tossing and turning.)
    But there's a simple fix to all of the hurt feelings and name calling. Like arguments that say the Olympics should allow drug use, the government should legalize prostitution and Dancing With The Stars should forgo real judges, Fifa should simply recognize the human condition for what it is and embrace corruption, fully and happily.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    To do otherwise is incredibly short-sighted. For example, FIFA recently suspended two executive committee members for accepting bribes in exchange for their votes in the World Cup bid process. How exactly did Nigeria's Amos Adamu plan to spend his ill-begotten windfall? On four artificial soccer fields, that's how.
    Imagine the benefit to grassroots Nigerian soccer if Qatar were allowed to throw its full financial weight behind its World Cup bid without Fifa's pesky "code of ethics" getting in the way. Every child in the country would have his or her own air-conditioned soccer pitch, complete with painfully over-priced concessions and badly furnished luxury suites.
    The benefits of a full-blown acceptance of corruption would resonate throughout the football world. Trinidad and Tobago's federation would see badly needed funds diverted into its coffers as Jack Warner tried to avoid taxes on all the money paid to him personally each time the country played a friendly.
    In a no-holds barred, all corruption goes world, England bid booster David Beckham could offer to literally scratch a Fifa executive committee member's back in exchange for the same favour. Sure, this conjures up an awkward image, but a relatively harmless one compared to the closed-doors interests of officials in other major world sports.
    And don't discount the damaging effects of the constant moralizing and high-horsedness on the part of the press and blogging corps when it comes to these matters. Take the case of Luis Suarez. He was savaged for his last-gasp handball that allowed Uruguay to advance against Ghana at the World Cup. Everyone said he "cheated," but really the poor bastard simply did what anyone else in his position would have done in that split second.
    Now, months later, the strain of all that criticism appear to have finally broken him. During a Dutch league match Suarez went bonkers and bit opponent Otman Bakkal. A full-out chomp. Sadly, I fear Suarez's once proud athletic career will now culminate with a cameo appearance in the soon-to-be-released Uruguayan movie La Resaca, a lower budget remake of the Hollywood classic, The Hangover.
    And this is a professional athlete in top physical condition, one who enjoys the psychological benefits of regular strenuous exercise. Imagine what the same pressure could do to someone like Concacaf suit-wearer Chuck Blazer? If we're not careful he's liable to try and eat a street urchin.
    Look, does corruption make me happy? Well I don't know, I've never attained a position remotely powerful enough to benefit from it. But perceived corruption within world football certainly isn't making the game less popular. In fact it seems to be having the opposite effect. I can't help but wonder whether eliminating all the "rules" pertaining to how a country can go about snaring a World Cup might save us all a bunch of heartache. And would it really affect who wins in the end anyway?
    Guest

    What is modern football anyway?

    By Guest, in Euro File,

    As I start to type this AFC Wimbledon trails Stevenage 1-0 in the 33rd minute as the team that is most certainly not from Milton Keynes tries to gain entry into the third round of the FA Cup.
    Despite opposition that shared non-league status with Wimbledon just one year ago the vast majority of neutral observers want the “minnows” to beat the “giants.” The history of Wimbledon is irresistible to most sports fans and understandably so.
    Formed from the ashes of Franchise FC’s move away to greener pastures, AFC Wimbledon represents the very opposite of what the kids today call modern football. I, certainly, am pulling for a Wimbledon win and a dream third round match-up with a big Premiership club. I understand the desire to cheer for the little guy against the big money big boys.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Of course I’ll also change the channel on my TV at 10 a.m. to spend the next couple hours willing Manchester City – the richest football club in the world – onto victory. Isn’t that a disconnect, you might ask. How can I empathise with the supporters of little Wimbledon and at the same time cheer for the more-money-that-they-know-what-to-do-with Manchester City. Am I against modern football or not?
    There is no disconnect. What happening is a massive misperception about what modern football means. Or, rather, what it doesn’t mean.
    Modern football is not about resisting money. Money has driven the game since the very start. From the days of Major William Sudell mining the best Scottish talent down to Preston North End, through the years of Juventus giving “jobs” at the Fiat plant to its “amateur” players and continuing today with oil money trying to close the gap on traditional powers, there has always been one constant in football. The club with the most resources usually wins. If not every year then eventually. It’s inevitable.
    It’s also about context. Wimbledon has torn through the non-league pyramid in eight years and is looking good for a return to the Football League very soon. The reason they have moved up so quickly is quite simple. They have more money than the teams they are competing against and that money is directly related to the history of the club that is now MK Dons. Without that history – including the bad history of the final years -- they don’t have the support that they have and without the support don’t have the money. It’s really that simple. Eventually all clubs find their level and settle in, but unless you have a salary cap every level of football is going to have both haves and have nots.
    So if modern football isn’t really about the money what is it about? What it’s about is control and connection. What makes the story of Wimbledon’s move to Milton Keynesso appalling is the way that it completely disregarded the loyalty of its supporters. They were treated as consumers, rather than what they were – a living, breathing part of the overall thing that was Wimbledon.
    Many people like to point out that sports is a business. Of course it is, but it’s not a normal kind of business. Wal-Mart sells razors and coffee makers. Sports sells community and hope. In that way sports is a business, like Wal-Mart in the same way that I am a writer, like Hemingway.
    Most of the fans that fill Eastlands each week to watch rich City are the same that filled Maine Road to watch typical City. That connection from father to son, grandmother to granddaughter is the same today as it was a decade ago when the club was in the middle of a season that saw it relegated. City fans wear the 34-years label with pride because it speaks to their loyalty and the current ownership understands and fosters that. Yes, City has spent a lot on players, but it has also spent money on improving the overall experience for supporters.
    It’s hard to see how that equals modern football.
    This is the debut of Duane Rollins' weekly world football column. It yet to has a name. Suggestions are welcome.
    Guest
    The Vancouver Whitecaps are set to make a major announcement on Monday at a International Business Headquarters in Burnaby.
    Tom Mayenknecht had posted on his Facebook page, that said company would be announced as a shirt sponsor. Sorry Tom but the spots already filled.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    I can neither verify or deny this is to be the case but there is an article out there (which I can't currently find, but I know it's out there, and I will find it by Monday if anyone really cares.) from earlier this year that has Bob Lenarduzzi dropping the company's name and talking about BMO wanting to expand its soccer coverage in Canada. BMO already signed on. So....
    Guest
    "Talent makes you Interesting, but attitude makes you good"-Teitur Thordason on the three players who have been awarded contracts based on their past season in the USSFD2.
    Former DC United Keeper Jay Nolly, Former USL 1 Rookie of the Year Wes Knight, and Residency Program Graduate Philippe Davies have all garnered themselves MLS Contracts for the 2011 Season.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Despite some opinions, Nolly has earned the chance to prove himself once more on the continents biggest stage. Having been awarded The USSFD 2 Goalkeeper of the Year, it seemed like a no brainer that he would make the squad. As team MVP two straight years he at least deserved a good long look. Which evidently turned into a good long negotiation on his contract for the upcoming season. Nolly doesn't seem phased by the recent addition of Joe Cannon. He knew that the move was coming, not specifically that Joe Cannon was coming, but that the team was looking to bring in another top level keeper from either Europe or MLS. Jay believes that the competition created by the addition of Cannon will make an atmosphere where the two of them will improve by pushing each other to the next level.
    If we look at one of the actual quality moves that Preki made this past season in Toronto, the addition of John Conway was a bit of a life saver as the season stretched on. All the credit to Mr. Conway on a decent season, but he pales in comparison to the younger more agile Nolly. If Nolly can't beat Cannon out to start during the regular season campaign, I would have to imagine he'll at least get some minutes in the Voyageurs Cup.
    "It's been a long time coming"- Wes Knight on his brand spankin' new big league contract. Knight is a versatile player who can lead the rush from the back. He recorded 8 assists in his rookie season; earning himself Rookie of The Year honours, well known around the pitch as the guy with the long throws. Expect to see the young South Carolina native swinging in crosses next year from either the Right "Wing Back" position that Teitur had him in the past season, or moving into a more midfield oriented position. The new contract is well deserved. His absence at the end of the season was costly for the team and some might even say that it cost them the championship... or it could have been one of the other new signings...
    In the first leg of the Whitecaps's playoff series with the Portland Timbers, Knight slipped awkwardly on the grass at Swangard, and severely injured his shoulder. He was replaced in the second leg by Ethan Gage. The injury required surgery, and his recovery is coming along nicely. He expects to be 100% by the time the team reconvenes in the new year. He will be travelling and training with the team on its upcoming journey to California.
    Philippe Davies signs on as a "Homegrown Player". I've been wrong before and I'll be wrong again, but at the conclusion of the season I said that Davies would fair better if he moved on to a new club next season and was allowed to develop. Facts are facts and he did figure heavily in the 'Caps line up having started 27 games since being brought up to the first team last year. I may have been a little bitter in my grading, I still have the sight of him coughing up the ball and gently jogging back to play defence on the game winning, playoff ending goal, burned into my eyelids. With the new expanded rosters and Reserve Division I still think that he is going to see more minutes on the reserve team then on the first team but who knows I'll probably be wrong again.
    Davies will be participating in qualification matches for the 2012 London Olympics this summer so it's an interesting pick. I would imagine there will be lots of training camps and friendlies in preparation for the qualifiers. He will occupy one of the 5 spots at the bottom of the roster designated to "Homegrown" players and will not count against the cap.
    I'm still a little surprised to see Greg Janicki (aka the USSF D2 Defender of the Year) still without a contract.
    This whole press conference went down at the Whitecaps FC Store at Metrotown. The club is looking to capitalize on the release of their new kits in conjunction with the Holiday Season (festivus for the rest of us) with their store located in the Lower Mainland's Biggest Mall.
    Guest
    C'est rare que je dis ça, mais j'ai hâte à lundi. Oui, oui, je vais passer la fin de semaine à attendre lundi !
    Pour une rare fois, le match FC Barcelone - Real Madrid sera présenté un jour de semaine (15h00, heure de l'Est). Normalement, le match aurait eu lieu un dimanche, mais comme il y a des élections catalanes ce jour-là, la LFP a préféré déplacer le choc au lendemain. De toute façon, ça n'enlèvera rien au spectacle auquel on aura droit.
    Les derniers affrontements ont tourné en faveur du Barca, qui avait remporté les matchs 1-0 au Camp Nou et 2-0 au Santiago Bernabeu.
    Cette année, les madrilènes et leurs airs de show-off pourront certainement causer la surprise en Catalogne. Il y aura des duels partout, tant sur le terrain que dans les espaces techniques réservés aux entraîneurs. Oui, parce qu'il y aura tout une bataille stratégique entre Jose Mourinho et Pep Guardiola.
    Mourinho voudra gagner contre l'équipe où il a appris le métier, aux côtés de Sir Bobby Robson. Pep, lui, voudra montrer qu'il peut battre "The Special One".
    Ils bougeront leur pions sur le terrain, tel un jeu de Subbuteo, à la recherche du coup du génie qui changera l'issue du match. Pas facile. Surtout avec tout le talent qu'il y aura sur le terrain. On pourra enfin comparer qui est meilleur que l'autre ? Özil ou Iniesta? Puyol or Carvalho ? Xabi Alonso ou Mascherano ? Messi ... ou Cristiano ?
    Bref, tout ça pour vous suggérer fortement de prendre congé lundi après-midi. Ou encore de prendre une journée de maladie. Vous avez la fièvre du Clasico.
    J'espère que le match sera à la hauteur des attentes et du hype !

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95QUdqzp9nw
    Guest

    Weekend TV listings (Nov. 26-28)

    By Guest, in Euro File,

    Your one-stop shop for all European soccer games on Canadian TV, for the weekend of November 26th through November 28th, 2010.
    I'll compile a list of all live games available, and I'll also highlight my choice as the must-see match of the weekend. I'm hoping to make this a regular feature during the Euro season. Let me know how you like the format.
    Listings after the jump.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    All times Eastern. Only live games are listed.
    Saturday, November 27
    7:30am - EPL - Aston Villa vs. Arsenal (TSN2)
    7:30am - FA Cup - AFC Wimbeldon vs. Stevenage (Setanta Sports)
    9:25am - Bundesliga - Bayern Munich vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (GolTV Canada)
    9:30am - EPL - Stoke City vs. Manchester City (Rogers Sportsnet)
    9:55am - EPL - Manchester United vs. Blackburn Rovers (Setanta Sports)
    11:55am - La Liga - Real Zaragoza vs. Villarreal (GolTV Canada)
    12:15pm - Eng. Champ. - Burnley vs. Derby County (Setanta Sports)
    12:50pm - Ligue 1 - Marseilles vs. Montpellier (TV5)
    1:00pm - Ligue 1 - Bordeaux vs. Lille (Euro World Sport)
    2:30pm - Serie A - Juventus vs. Fiorentina (The Score)
    Sunday, November 28
    8:15am - EPL - Newcastle vs. Chelsea (Setanta Sports)
    9:00am - Serie A - Lazio vs. Catania (The Score)
    11:00am - Serie A - Sampdoria vs. AC Milan (The Score)
    11:00am - EPL - Tottenham vs. Liverpool (Setanta Sports)
    11:00am - Ligue 1 - Auxerre vs. Toulouse (Euro World Sport)
    11:25am - Bundesliga - Cologne vs. VfL Wolfsburg (GolTV Canada)
    2:30pm - Serie A - Palermo vs. Roma (TLN/Euro World Sport)
    2:55pm - La Liga - Valencia vs. Almeria (GolTV Canada)
    Rudi's Pick
    I'm going with Newcastle vs. Chelsea, if only because Abramovich's side has been horrible in the league lately and will be looking to turn their fortunes around. Newcastle will be keen to take advantage of Chelsea's poor form in the comfortable confines of St. James' Park.
    Bonus Pick
    A game that doesn't even take place on the weekend, but is so big it cannot be ignored. Monday sees El Clasico - Barcelona vs. Real Madrid (GolTV Canada, 3:00pm) - in a thrilling matchup between two rivals that are on the top of their game, and on top of the footballing world.
    It could be the best game of football you watch all year.
    Guest

    Canada's competition

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Canadian Soccer News has learned that Canada will likely face between five and six other bids to host the 2015 Women's World Cup.
    As expected, Canada is unopposed in CONCACAF.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It was confirmed that Chile will represent South America's interests.
    It's expected that Scotland and one other European country will bid along with an undisclosed African bid. The African bid is not thought to be South Africa.
    The deadline to indicate intentions to FIFA is today.
    Guest
    In a special Interview Only edition of It's Called Football we're joined by NASL CEO Aaron Davidson.
    Davidson speaks about Montreal and Vancouver keeping a presence in NASL after they join MLS, an increasing relationship between MLS and NASL and what that might look like, the CSA moratorium on expansion and how that affects their plans and he hints at a team coming to Canada in 2013.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
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    Guest
    When reading reaction to the expansion draft I came across more than a few comments about how strikers that struggle in Toronto do well elsewhere. While there is evidence to suggest that’s true, part of the perception (particularly among TFC fans themselves) comes from an unrealistic expectation of how many goals a good MLS striker gets.
    I saw one Vancouver fan suggest that O’Brian White would get 12 goals next year now that he’s out of Toronto’s grasp.
    We all wish White luck (particularly those in Seattle, where he has been traded to after Vancouver picked him in the expansion draft), but 12 goals might be a tad bit excitable as a prediction.
    It might be useful to draw a comparison to a league that most Canadians know more about. Once again, let’s talk hockey.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    In the 2010 MLS season there was an average of 2.46 goals scored a game. In the 2009-10 NHL season the average goals per game was 5.67. So, there are 230 per cent more goals scored per NHL game than per MLS game. To come up with a rough apples to apples comparison of what a 10 goal MLS season would be equitable to in the NHL we have to do a bit of math.
    (Goals scored x230%) /30 x 82 -33%
    If that makes no sense to you what I’m doing is I’m increasing the MLS player’s goals to a number that is in line with the amount of scoring that you typically see in the NHL. Then I’m converting that total into a goal per game number over the 30 game MLS season. Then I’m multiplying it by the length of an NHL season. To top it off, I’m adjusting the number by 33 per cent to reflet that a soccer game is 90 minutes compared to a 60 minute hockey game. The final number is the WICBS number (What if Chad Barrett Skated).
    Using that formula a 10 goal MLS season is equal to 42.12 goals by an NHL player. Even if the Vancouver poster was calculating the four game increase to the schedule a 10 goal season is still roughly equitable to a 37.17 NHL goals. White’s predicted 12 goal season works out to 44.60 NHL goals.
    The top goal scorer in the NHL last year Steven Stamkos and Sidney Crosby with 51. Only four players had more than 42 (as an aside, you can reverse my formula to get the WISCPF number – 12.5, by the way)
    The namesake of my new stat (are you reading MLSsoccer.com?) had a WICBS number of 29 – he must have just missed that bonus.
    A few other notables:
    Chris Wondolowski – 75.82
    Edson Buddle - 71.61
    DeRo – 63.19
    O’Brian White – 8.43
    So the Vancouver predictor thinks Tyler Bozak would become Patrick Marleau if he could just get out of Toronto.
    Guest

    Welcome aboard, Milan Borjan

    By Guest, in Some Canadian Guys,

    As reported by Duane earlier this week, Canada has a new goalkeeper to add to its worryingly shallow pool: Milan Borjan, a 23-year-old currently playing for FK Rad in Serbia. Today, Steve Bottjer from Red Nation Online has released an audio interview he did with Borjan, about his decision to represent Canada.
    Now, for those of you who live in the fantasy world where the Canadian team is only made up of players who have dreamed of nothing other than wearing the maple leaf since they were a little kid, this may be a bit jarring. But me, I'm cool with it.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    From the sounds of things, he accepted input from his family and determined that Canada was his best option, pragmatically speaking.OK, there's some recognition that Canada has been good to his family, who fled here (specifically, to Winnipeg, before moving to Hamilton) during the Yugoslav war. But for the most part, he's going to represent us because it's "something new". It's not exactly soul-stirring, inspirational stuff.But y'know what? It doesn't make a damn lick of difference. If Milan Borjan can in any way help our men's national team win, I say, welcome aboard.
    There are parallels to be drawn between Borjan and a certain other goalkeeper from the Balkans, who went the other way (and whose name doesn't get typed or spoken by me, so click the link if you're unclear on who I mean).
    Canadian fans, myself included, ripped the hell out of the Bosnian for taking up plenty of resources in our youth system, telling us he would continue to represent us internationally, and then jumping ship at the ostensible behest of his father and coach, for coldly rational reasons (i.e. the fact Bosnia looked like a potential competitor in this year's World Cup).
    On the flip side, if Borjan's Wikipedia page is to be believed (and really, why wouldn't it be?), he never played for another country's youth side, instead starting his career professionally down in Uruguay at the age of 18. Borjan probably also never went on any Serbian radio stations proclaiming fealty to one national side or another... then again, he was probably never asked.
    And as nice as it may be to pretend that Borjan is a surprise "replacement" for the departed Bosnian, the unfortunate truth is that while the two of them are the same age, the Bosnian is in the Premier League, while Borjan plies his trade in the 27th best league in Europe.
    But the one thing the two do share in common is the basis of their decision-making: they spoke to their families and coaches, who gave advice on what the "best" of several available options was.
    The Bosnian keeper did it. Teal Bunbury did it. Jonathan de Guzman did it. Jacob Lensky... well, no one knows what the hell he's doing. But the point is, we as Canadian fans need to stop living in the aforementioned fantasy world, where the unfortunate mercenary reality of international football either doesn't apply to us, or victimizes only us.
    Now, from the sounds of the rest of the interview, Borjan was pleasantly surprised by the call-up, and says his family is "pretty excited" about the opportunity, and "can't wait" for the chance to get into international competition. I don't know enough about Borjan to say where he stacks up against our other youngsters in goal, particularly David Monsalve. But depth is never a bad thing, particularly at a position like goalkeeper. At 23, Borjan's best years are surely still ahead of him.
    And he, like every other player, surely wants the chance to play in the World Cup. He's decided that playing for Canada represents his best shot at that. Whether or not he'll be able to help our men's national team achieve that is yet to be seen, of course.
    But this is further proof that Stephen Hart wasn't kidding when he said he'd put in the work to establish some depth in the squad, and it's further proof that, even when the choice is a rational (as opposed to fervently patriotic) one, players sometimes do pick Canada.
    And yeah, there is some pride intrinsic to the whole endeavour:
    Guest
    In all the chaotic hubbub of World Cup bidding for 2018 and 2022, let's not forget about Brazil – only a few years away, and the smooth process of preparing for the world's biggest sporting event is underway. Sort of. Well, technically, it's happening, I guess.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    I mean, this is a kind of "preparation" right?
    <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bHRFbFQtw0?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bHRFbFQtw0?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>
    Hey, at least work on the Maracana is happening, right? Hmm...doesn't look too good at the moment, but there's plenty of time. Also, with the solid financial planning that's been done, Bloomberg is reporting that Brazil's chances of making a nice return on the investment in stadiums like the Maracana are...let's see here: "impossible." Aw, crap.
    Well, will the airports be ready at least? No? Hmmm...that could be a problem. And apparently not even the government is confident they'll be prepared by the time 2014 rolls around.
    Good thing we know that the facilities in the individual host cities are..."out of date," "run-down," in need of "major upgrade" and suffering "serious infrastructure shortcomings." Wow. So...not good. But they're all on track to get things in good order, right? Of course not.
    So, I know there's lots of time left, and I know that everyone was all worried about South Africa before 2010. And, really, I do hope Brazil pulls this one out of the bag. But if you're looking for a fairly chosen, well-planned and smoothly executed World Cup, well, I guess there's always 2026.
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