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    Guest
    While Americans furiously wring their hands over Michael Bradley's impending return to North America, on this side of the border, there's actually been good news on the repatriation front in the past little while.
    On Friday, Ottawa Fury FC -- slowly building their roster in preparation for their first NASL season -- announced the signing of 21-year-old Canadian fullback Andres Fresenga, who had been playing in Uruguay (most recently with Racing Club de Montevideo) for several years. Fresenga impressed many with Canada's under-23 team in 2012 Olympic qualifying, and is likely to challenge for an immediate starting spot in the nation's capital.
    That's a welcome change from this season, when he rarely even made the matchday roster for Racing, and a welcome sign for Ottawa, who also have Carl Haworth (Fresenga's teammate on the under-23 team from 2012) on the roster.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    This move comes just over a month after striker Frank Jonke also made the move back to Canada, signing with FC Edmonton, and amidst rumours that Lucas Cavallini -- who, like Fresenga, has spent the last few years in Uruguay -- could also be looking at a change of scenery (albeit, not to North America).
    The common denominator in all of these situations -- and in Bradley's move to Toronto FC -- is getting an increase in playing time in a more comfortable environment.
    Now, is MLS a step down from Serie A? Yup. Is NASL a step down from the Uruguay first division? Yup.
    But is playing regularly, keeping your skills sharp and contributing consistently to a team, no matter the level, a step up from rotting away on a bench somewhere? Absolutely.
    That's why Fresenga's move is good not just for him personally and -- if he lives up to his potential -- for Ottawa Fury fans, but for the men's national team generally: It's further proof of the theory many have held about the growth of Canadian professional clubs, that having more of them does wonders for the health of the Canadian player pool.
    Need proof? Also on Friday, Fresenga got the call-up to his first men's national team camp under head coach Benito Floro.
    While the MLS clubs receive the lion's share of attention, there's no doubt that Edmonton and Ottawa will play a crucial role in the Canadian player ecosystem in the years to come. This is simply the beginning.
    Guest

    No way back for contemptuous Camilo

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    The Camilo transfer saga took yet another turn yesterday when pictures of him on the Queretaro training pitch appeared online.
    The Brazilian trained but didn't take part in any scrimmages or drills, in what could only be viewed as another show of defiance and contempt from both the player and the Mexican club towards the Whitecaps.
    It appears that the Mexican side is not willing to back down and with the player's position in Vancouver now untenable, it is clearly time for the Whitecaps to move on and look at replacing their top scorer, but not before getting their lawyers, MLS and FIFA involved in the Camilo transaction in order to bring the financial resolution that the Caps are due and see necessary and deserved punishments handed out to any parties found guilty of breaching regulations.
    As instrumental and as popular a player as Camilo is, the Whitecaps need to move on and allow the technical staff to build the team in Carl Robinson’s vision. A vision that will now no longer include the Brazilian striker.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    New Caps coach Carl Robinson spoke about the Camilo situation to some members of the Vancouver media on Thursday afternoon, stating from the off that <i>"The behaviour that he's shown, the unprofessionalism that he's shown is not acceptable from me, being in charge as the head coach, right the way through the club."</i>
    While he didn’t come out and say it directly, it was clear by the tone of the rookie coach in the conference call that he wasn’t happy and felt letdown by Camilo, stopping short of saying that the player had no further role to play in Vancouver.
    Robinson has spoken with Camilo <i>"three or four times over the last two or three weeks"</i>. He said they'd had a <i>"good conversation"</i> and although he wasn't able to share any of what was discussed, he did say he is <i>"trying to find a solution for the matter that has arose"</i>.
    There can be no solution now that doesn't involve the player moving on. There is no way back.
    At this point the Whitecaps need to regroup and find another Camilo like they did in 2011 when he was signed after a trial. An unknown quantity going into that season, he only came on to play when Eric Hassli was being suspended regularly and Atiba Harris was injured. His form and production dipped the following season before his most recent career year.
    There were no guarantees that Camilo would have been able to duplicate the goals he scored this past season, especially after Robinson said in his initial press conference that one of his top priorities was to get more scoring from the midfield.
    While no one player can replace the 22 goals they got from Camilo, with the right additions Robinson can have a more balanced attack and as we covered in a <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?5175-Whitecaps-reliance-on-Camilo-reiterated-by-transfer-rumours" target="_blank"><u>previous article</u></a> here on AFTN, one not so reliant on one player.
    This ordeal could very well be drawn out in the courts or with FIFA dwelling on it. Either scenario could hurt the team in succeeding this season. A similar situation in Phillipe Mexes signing with Roma took around six months to be resolved but it worked out for his former club Auxerre, as they got more than what the player was worth.
    Since Major League Soccer is a single entity and the contract belongs to the League it is time Don Garber and the MLS head office got more involved. In fact MLS should take some of the blame for the situation getting this far. They should have taken a bigger role when the first stories came out. There have been no indications that they have done.
    Maybe they can help the Caps by getting some extra allocation money or a league DP for a replacement. After all, the whole structure of MLS contracts could be under threat with this case and they seem to be able to help teams out when it suits them (see Dempsey in Seattle and whatever the hell is happening in Toronto right now).
    If the Whitecaps are true to their motto “Our All, Our Honour” then there should be no way the Brazilian should return, with the player showing little class.
    <i>"I want players committed to the club"</i> was Robinson's clear take on the matter. <i>"Vancouver's a fantastic organisation and it's got a history about the club and every time someone puts that in jeopardy you have to ask questions.
    "Camilo's behaviour has not been acceptable. I've let him know that. I think it's been unprofessional. He's under contract with the club, are as a number of other players. None of the other contracted players have acted like that.
    "We need to find out why that behaviour has popped up. Camilo's a good player, a fantastic player. I want as many good players at the club as I can, but I do not condone that behaviour."</i>
    He may have stopped short of saying it directly, but at this point there could be very little doubt that Camilo will not return to the Whitecaps as he has essentially nuked any bridge back.
    Putting aside the issues of whether he is worth more money and whether the Whitecaps should have negotiated a new deal sooner, with the contempt he has shown the Whitecaps, Robinson and the fans, he is not welcome back anyway.
    <p>
    Guest
    It should come as no surprise to anyone who had read a Toronto sports section in the past two weeks -- or CSN earlier this morning -- but on Friday it was confirmed by Tottenham Hotspur that Jermain Defoe will be joining Toronto FC at the end of February.
    While fans have had time to let that move sink in already, there are a couple of things that will take some getting used to, as announced by Spurs:
    TFC is scheduled to play Tottenham in a mid-season friendly on July 23. And, perhaps more jarrringly for some, the move includes a four-year "Advertising Rights Agreement" \with TFC owners MLSE, which includes "promotional, branding, experiential activities, advertising, broadcasting, social media and digital rights across the 4-year agreement and at all MLSE properties and media sites. MLSE will stock, promote and sell official THFC merchandise at all their retail outlets and support the THFC Official Canadian Supporter's Club." (emphasis mine)
    So, if you're a TFC supporter who also supports Arsenal, how are you feeling this morning?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Now, as someone without any ties to England, its Premier League or its teams, I'm in no position to moralize about the merits of that second point, because quite frankly, I don't really care about it. If signing that marketing deal was all part of the cost of bringing over a top striker who can help my team (Toronto FC) reach unprecedented heights, I have no problem with it whatsoever.
    Same goes for the friendly, to a lesser extent. I've railed against MLS midseason friendlies for years, still don't particularly like them and won't be attending TFC vs. Tottenham. But as Kevin Payne so maladroitly said last year, I may as well get used to their existence -- and, again, if this year's circus was the price of doing business in the Defoe deal, well then, perhaps I can swallow my pride and outrage and just let it be.
    But some folks may be unwilling to swallow their pride and outrage when it comes to TFC explicitly aligning itself with a specific Premier League club. For folks born and/or raised in England, it may be difficult to reconcile supporting a club that's perceived (rightly or wrongly) as a satellite of a club you were brought up to despise.
    However -- and here's where I'm going to moralize -- if you're a Canadian-born soccer fan who adopted some non-Tottenham club as your favourite, for one of those wonderfully arbitrary reasons that people in this city latch themselves onto foreign clubs, getting angry at your hometown team simply for aligning with a team in another country (one you may have never even visited in your life), is fairly ridiculous.
    But I've said my piece. What do you think about everything that's apparently coming along with the Defoe-to-TFC deal? Is it worth it?
    .
    Guest

    The Reds get their man

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    One half of Monday's TFC spit-take has been confirmed. Jermain Defoe is coming to Hogtown.


    It's news that has been rumoured for so long that it will hardly register to the tuned in TFC fan. For many, today's announcement is a formality. The less informed fan will be stunned, however. TFC doesn't get players they've heard of, after all. It might be enough to get them to renew those season tickets...
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The only piece of totally new information is that the deal includes an ill-advised friendly. Apparently Tim Lieweke doesn't listen to all of the supporter's concerns. Useless friendlies in blistering summer heat will remain. Great.
    But, we will have plenty of time to focus on the negative. Today, we celebrate the unprecedented follow through of TFC management. They said they'd get their man and they did. That is a bloody big deal.
    Now, about those Michael Bradley rumours....
    Guest

    Carl Robinson's new technical team takes shape

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson has a new technical team by his side for the coming MLS season. His team were announced this afternoon and there are some familiar faces, with the promise of a further addition "coming very shortly".
    Gordon Forrest was named as his new assistant, with the 37 year old Scot moving up from being the head coach of U18 Residency squad, whilst Marius Røvde stays on as goalkeeping coach.
    It's a young coaching staff and one which you feel is crying out for an older head with MLS experience to join as a further assistant.
    We broke the news last month that <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?5161-Robinson-ringing-the-changes-as-Paul-Ritchie-let-go" target="_blank"><u>Paul Ritchie had been let go</u></a>, and the Whitecaps confirmed his departure this afternoon, along with that of strength and conditioning coach Mike Young.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Robinson and Ritchie have been friends for a long time and the new coach admitted it was a difficult decision to make.
    <i>"It was very difficult because me and Paul have been friends and known each other for a number of years, but where we were as a club and an organisation we just felt it was right to go in a different direction.
    "From that decision that was made we decided to go this way with promoting Gordon, who is technically and tactically fantastic. I have a very good relationship with Gordon so he'll be a great addition and there will be another addition coming very shortly.
    "It happens in modern day football. Whenever there's a change in manager, there is a change in staff as well. Paul was a big part of the club over the last two years and helped it move forward."</i>
    Forrest's work with the Residency squad will see him as a key component in the transition of a number of the current U18's to the MLS squad.
    With the likes of Marco Bustos, Marco Carducci, Jackson Farmer and Kianz Froese likely to make the step up within the next year, if not sooner, and Sam Adekugbe making the move at the end of last season, Forrest's knowledge of the players and their strengths and weaknesses will be critical.
    Having previously been a player and coach at Scottish club East Fife and with close to ten year's experience in soccer development in Scotland and New Zealand, Forrest became head coach of the Residency in October 2012 and took the U18s to Finals Week in July. From talking to a number of players in the past, we know he was well respected and valued by the young Caps.
    Under Rennie's tenure, Forrest was tasked as being the go-between with the Residency and the MLS squad, to make the path of progression smooth. It's an area we've talked to Forrest about a lot in the past and he was in charge of the High Performance Program for a number of young players at all levels of the Whitecaps.
    Forrest will continue with that role and will also oversee the technical side of the Residency program, with Craig Dalrymple returning as the U18 head coach.
    Robinson describes the role that Forrest will play as "massive" and key to his vision for how the Whitecaps will look under his management.
    <i>"My vision and aim for this club is to get as many of our top talented youngsters though into the first team as possible. I love young players and I said on my first day on the job three weeks ago that I would give young players opportunities and Gordon's rapport and relationship with those young players that are on the fringe of the first team as we speak, and hopefully making the push forward in preseason, will be crucial to that.
    "That's why I believe it's the right appointment, as well as a valuable appointment for me. To give him experience as well. The club have been good to me in promoting me into the head coach's role and I'm giving him the opportunity to step into the first team, as well as being in charge of the High Performance Program, which is a massive part of this club in the future years."</i>
    Forrest's vision matches that of Robinson's, as he <a href=" http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?3836-Gordon-Forrest-chats-with-AFTN" target="_blank"><u>told us</u></a> when he first came to Vancouver.
    <i>"For me, it's about developing those players for the first team. That's something that really appeals to me and is something I'm quite passionate about.
    "There's obviously groups of players, but the main thing is developing them individually to be prepared for the first team. We know that at that grade they'll be technical and tactical but they've got to be ready that if there's a big game and they get chucked into that environment. There's a lot of different things that we can work with them on."</i>
    There is definitely still a place in the coaching staff for an experienced head, and ideally one with MLS experience as the current team don't have that in great quantities right now.
    Former Toronto FC player, and current TFC Academy U18 coach, Danny Dichio, is one name that has been bandied about, but for me, I'd be looking at a wily, old veteran. Someone still with a modern vision and who can help nurture Robinson and share some knowledge along the way.
    Finding such a person is not always so easy, so it will be interesting to see just who Robinson's final addition to his team will be.
    It's not been an easy start for Carl Robinson as the new Caps' coach, with the Camilo saga still dragging on and the issues still surrounding the likes of Jay DeMerit, Darren Mattocks and Nigel Reo-Coker, but hopefully with the festive period now out of the way, his new coaching team in place and the MLS combine and SuperDraft coming up he can get down to some hard work and make some much needed additions to the Whitecaps squad.
    As I discussed in my <a href="http://soccerly.com/article/gof/whitecapsneed-to-be-lighting-not-fighting-fires" target="_blank"><u>Soccerly article</u></a> earlier today, there's a fair few holes in the Caps right now and whilst others seem to have been very proactive in strengthening their squads, the Caps are in danger of being left behind.
    The Whitecaps have been fighting enough fires this offseason, now they need to start lighting some. A settled technical team is at least a start.
    <p>
    Guest

    DeRo 2.0

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    He probably should have started with "I'm sorry."
    When Dwayne DeRosario was given the opportunity to say if anything should have been done differently the last time around he only talked about what the club did wrong.
    There was no mention of his hissy fit. No mention of how San Jose scored seconds after he signed the cheque, with his mark getting the goal.
    Nope, it was only what the club did wrong (which, in fairness, was a lot). It's not really in DeRo's DNA to be humble. And, he wasn't humble today.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    For some that lack of humility was proof positive that this reunion is destined for failure. The fear being that DeRo's personality will derail everything else positive that the club is doing.
    The position ignores the massive success DeRo has had in MLS in the role of a supporting player. The man has rings -- one (of three) was front and centre on his finger at the press conference. He's been the MLS Cup MVP twice.
    For a club destroyer he has a lot of championships. Even last year, in what was undeniably his worst as a pro, he was lights out in the US Open Cup.
    Yes, DeRo has an ego and, yes, that has got him into trouble in the past. But, it is disingenuous to ignore what he's accomplished -- arguably more than any Canadian player in history.
    Still, he should have started with "I'm sorry."
    For two-thirds (estimated) of TFC fans DeRo's signing represents a feel good throw back to one of the few feel good aspects of the team's history. For one-third of fans it represents a club pandering to a player that turned his back on the city and the fans.
    If this signing is to be as successful as it can be, DeRo needs to reach out to that group. He'll do that through his actions, but he could still do it with actual words. Let's hope he takes steps to do that because the potential upside to the move are huge.
    Guest

    A Hammerhead alert

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Multiple sources have confirmed to CSN that Toronto FC will enter into an affiliate partnership with a US-based USL-Pro team for 2014.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It's expected that the Wilmington Hammerheads will take on up to four TFC players for the entire 2014 season. The players to be loaned are not yet 100 per cent known, but Jordan Hamilton (who signed a first-team contract on Thursday), Quillan Roberts, Manny Aparicio and Emery Welshman are thought to be the most likely to be loaned.
    The affiliate deal will be for one year, with an option to extend. TFC continues to look into the possibility of operating its own affiliate team at Downsview, or affiliating with a potential future team in Hamilton.
    Guest
    So, that World Series parade down Yonge Street was a hell of a time, eh?
    No no, not the one in '92 or '93, the one last year. 2013. The Blue Jays won it all, right? That's what all the preseason predictions said, isn't it?
    Oh, right.
    Toronto FC's "
    " on Monday will, barring any unexpected meteorite strikes, be the announcement of Jermain Defoe signing. And, if the cosmos are being especially kind, Toronto may be introduced to midfielder Michael Bradley as well.Combine those two with a returning Dwayne De Rosario and Brazilian designated player Gilberto and you've got... well, you've got an offseason eerily similar to the Blue Jays' last year.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It seems no matter how many times Toronto sports fans get bitten, they're never shy about their ever-present optimism.
    Now, let's make a few things perfectly clear. TFC fans are 100% justified in being excited about what the team has done this offseason. Every move so far has made the squad better, and the out-of-left-field acquisition of Bradley -- if it indeed comes to pass -- would be an absolute game-changer.
    MLSE president Tim Leiweke shrewdly extended the deadline for season-ticket renewals to the end of January, banking on supporters being sufficiently enthused by the team's off-season moves that they'd re-up. Many were skeptical or dismissive -- understandable, given the volume of snake oil that's been peddled in the city since 2007.
    But if Defoe and Bradley are indeed onboard, then no one can deny Leiweke has delivered on his lofty promises.
    Of course, acquiring the pieces is just the first part of the equation. The second, and most important part, is actually having those players perform as advertised.
    The most glaring example of this is, of course, your 2013 Toronto Blue Jays.
    Alex Anthopoulos, the team's eminently likeable GM, knew the club needed a turnaround after years of aimless water-treading under the significantly-less-likeable J.P. Ricciardi. He knew fans had patience -- it's Toronto, what else have we got? -- but that the trigger would need to be pulled eventually, that the club would need to go "all in" at some point.
    They went all-in last season -- and they left the table without their shirts.
    A series of massive, franchise-altering trades had the Jays pegged as World Series favourites by numerous oddsmakers before they'd played a game. But then Jose Reyes got hurt. Melky Cabrera was uselessly immobile. Josh Johnson was irredeemably awful. R.A. Dickey found out the AL East and NL East are not the same (who knew?). And hey, remember Emilio Bonifacio? It's OK, nobody does.
    End result: Last place in their division, and an even worse record than the previous season.
    No one would seriously suggest Toronto FC will finish 2014 with a worse record than in 2013. But the proclamations of their ascension to MLS Cup contender status seem a bit overblown and premature as well -- especially in light of the ostensibly instructive example of the Blue Jays that happened just last year!
    Sure, MLB and MLS -- despite having eerily-similar names -- are very different animals. The New York Red Bulls of 2009-10 are the best example of the worst-to-first trajectory being not only possible in MLS, but an intentional byproduct of the league's various parity-enforcing mechanisms.
    Of course, seeing TFC potentially laying out $100 million (as estimated by the Star's Cathal Kelly) blows that whole "parity" ideal out of the water -- but given how much TFC fans have endured since Day One, it's unlikely they'll feel much sympathy for their Eastern Conference competitors.
    The old cliche is that money doesn't buy championships. This is, of course, a ridiculous fiction, its continued existence owing to sports fans needing to feel more virtuous about their emotional pursuits.
    Sure, money doesn't guarantee championships -- but it sure as hell puts you in a better position to win one. Ask the New York Yankees. Or Manchester City. Or their hideous love-child, New York City FC.
    Let me make another thing absolutely clear, so that my meaning isn't misunderstood: These are good moves. Toronto FC fans should be excited about these moves.
    Those denying that Defoe could be a big-time impact player in MLS are either kidding themselves or simply trolling. Those wringing their hands about what Bradley returning to MLS at 26 means are really just scared USMNT fans, which is of no concern to us.
    Those dismissing De Rosario's chances of being an MLS contributor at age 36 have apparently never heard of Marco di Vaio. And those presuming to "know" how Gilberto will do in MLS are simply reaching in order to seem more knowledgeable (and psychic) than any observer could reasonably be.
    If the "bloody big deal" is the arrival of Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley, I will rescind all of my mockery of TFC's mini-marketing campaign. That is a bloody big deal. No questions.
    Of course, there's nothing stopping the soccer gods from intervening and cursing Toronto with a few injuries and performance deficiencies; yes, TFC could be consigned to the same fate as the 2013 Blue Jays.
    On the other hand, this team could very well follow the path of the 1993 Blue Jays instead.
    Only time will tell.
    .
    Guest
    The ‘America’ edition of the popular if not necessarily reliable Spanish football portal Marca.com reported on Monday that a special 2016 Copa America will be held in the U.S. to commemorate the tournament's 100th anniversary. This concept has long been rumoured, but has yet to be confirmed by any of the major stakeholders. About the only new details on offer involved which U.S. stadiums would, theoretically, host the tournament.
    One thing, however, has changed since such reports began emerging over a year ago: Canada has a new national team manager. Benito Floro was hired last July with a mandate to at least guide the side into the final six-team round of 2018 World Cup qualifying; the ever-elusive (for Canada at least) “Hex.” No mention was made of the Copa America at Floro's unveiling that summer afternoon in Toronto, but if the tournament comes to fruition it means his most important test as manager comes much earlier than expected.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    According to Marca's report (which does at least remain consistent with earlier ones), qualification for this special Copa America would be automatic for the U.S., Mexico and the ten South American nations in Conmebol. The remaining four spots would go to the best-placed teams at the 2015 Gold Cup. Ah, the Gold Cup. That much-maligned tournament that only tens of millions of people across the U.S., Mexico and Central America bother about every two years. It has been the scene of Canada’s greatest and some of its most awful footballing moments over the past two decades. And given the horrendous showing Canada offered at the 2013 edition, finishing within the top six 18 months from now is far from a guarantee.
    (A quick note. The Concacaf entry into the 2017 Confederations Cup will be awarded after a playoff between the winners of the 2013 and 2015 editions of the Gold Cup; thus Mexico and the U.S. should remain committed to sending at least semi-competitive outfits.)
    On one hand, confirmation of a U.S.-based Copa would likely change little in terms of the long-term goal Floro is working toward. After a scorched-earth 2013, and probably no meaningful competition in 2014 beyond acting as training pylons for a World Cup-bound European side or two, the year 2015 was always going to be when the men’s team would have to show some quantifiable progress. Flaming out in the Gold Cup group stages for a second straight time would be an upsetting development in any setting. In addition, 2015 is when the second round of Concacaf qualifying for the 2018 World Cup (against the likes of Saint Lucia and Puerto Rico) would likely commence. Success at that stage should be taken for granted, but well, we know where that road leads.
    However, if a spot in the 100th anniversary, one-time only, super-hyped Copa America featuring Argentina, Messi, Brazil and Neymar suddenly appeared, the margin for error becomes smaller. Surely there must be some within the CSA brain trust who would question the continuity of the ‘Benito Floro project’ if Canada were to fail at the 2015 Gold Cup hurdle and miss out on what would be its most prestigious international competition in two decades, its first real tournament since the 1986 World Cup. Long-suffering supporters would certainly be upset, at least those not subscribing to the school of thought that dictates appearing in a high-profile tournament and delivering an embarrassing performance would do more damage to the program than not appearing at all.
    It essentially comes down to being one of the top-four teams in the region, excepting U.S. and Mexico. Kind of like reaching the Hex in four games instead of 12, but with the benefit of skipping all those troublesome qualifying trips to Central America. How would those four Gold Cup spots end up shaking out? No idea. But a reasonable guess is that it would involve winning a quarterfinal. The last time Canada managed that was four tournaments ago in 2007 (see above, re: some of Canada's most awful footballing moments).
    The bottom line is that this as-yet-non-existent tournament would fast-track the timeline Floro is working with the moment it becomes reality. As things stand now, the truly challenging matches begin in 2016 in the third round of World Cup qualifying. A U.S. Copa America extravaganza would leave him with one year less to prepare his team for the real money games.
    Yes, Floro still has lots of time. But Canada in its current incarnation is one hell of an international football project. Probably one more challenging than anything even a guy with the varied experience of Floro has ever attempted. In agreeing to all this, I'm assuming one thing he requested and is counting on was time. It's his most valuable resource. That's why there wasn't much sense lamenting the horrible results through 2013.
    Would Floro had done things differently if the U.S. Copa were a settled item when he took the Canada job? It's hard to say, but if he's not at the bare minimum keeping the tournament in the back of his mind as he sets out to prepare for the year ahead, he probably should be.
    Correction (Jan. 9 1:25pm EDT) This article has been changed to show that the second round of World Cup qualifying would likely begin in the second half of 2015.
    Guest

    Camilo O'Mercenary

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    If nothing else, the current courtship turned love triangle between Queretaro, Camilo, and the Whitecaps has certainly provided for a distraction that has taken the focus off the controversial coaching change in Vancouver.
    Several days ago reports starting surfacing that Queretaro were about to make an offer for Camilo. No problem, most thought. We’ve seen this before. After Camilo’s successful 2011 season, there were rumours of a rich Kuwaiti team swooping in to dole out the dosh for the Brazilian. And then earlier in the off season, after a career year, Camilo was rumoured to be courted by Rosenborg in Norway. What do you expect after 39 goals and 16 assists in 92 appearances?
    Now, however, reports out of Queretaro are much more concerning for local fans of Camilo. Suggestions are not that the Mexican club is interested. Not even that they’ve made an offer to the Whitecaps. Rather that Camilo’s agent has informed them he’s a free agent, and even today, that Camilo has flown down to take a physical and sign with the club (as per ESPN's Rene Rodriguez on <a href="
    " target="_blank"><u>Twitter</u></a>).[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Whitecaps have refuted these rumours by stating that the Whitecaps retain Camilo’s rights after exercising a contract option for 2014, and that no contact has been made with the Mexican club. It would be understandable if fans were reluctant to believe the Whitecaps stance after the way they handled Barry Robson’s departure.
    In this instance we have some history to draw upon to shed light on the situation.
    In the offseason following his successful 2011 season, Camilo took to twitter and made several tweets regarding his contract, indicating he was considering his future and that he wanted to be recognized for his worth to the club. Camilo was rewarded by getting a raise from $134,000 to $250,000.
    Camilo also earned something else. Job security. You see, in the professional athletes world, the best contracts are a balance between getting as much money as possible, and getting as long a term as possible. So, after his 2011 year, he felt he wanted to cash in. And he did. He received a reported 2 year plus 2 one-year club option deal that nearly doubled his salary.
    The thing is, the Whitecaps didn’t <i>have</i> to resign him at the time. He was still under contract. Recognizing his good season, and responding to his public dissatisfaction, they took a risk on Camilo by signing him to a much larger, and longer contract.
    Now, two years later, while still on that contract that the Whitecaps renegotiated in Camilo’s favour, it appears Camilo is again unhappy, as there has been a week long flirtation with Mexican club Queretaro.
    At this point, the truth is far from being clear, but reports out of Mexico are that Queretaro were informed by Camilo’s agent that he’s a free agent. Other rumours state that Camilo’s camp refused the contract option for the upcoming season. The Whitecaps remain steadfast in claiming that the contract is <a href=" http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/story.html?id=9345835" target="_blank"><u><i>"bulletproof"</i></u></a> and that there is no truth to the Camilo to Queretaro deal because it’s a club option which they’ve exercised and they expect him in training camp at the end of the month.
    One thing has become clear to me. It’s that Camilo is a pure, unabashed mercenary. He’s made public statements about loving Vancouver because of its safety, and loving the fans, and loving the country, and considering taking up citizenship to play for the Canadian Mens National Team, but it appears that Camilo’s only concern is Camilo.
    Truthfully, there’s nothing wrong with that. A professional athlete has very few prime years to make money, and it’s hard to blame someone for considering their own family’s needs before the needs of their employer and it’s fans.
    Knowing that though, Vancouverites need to brace themselves for the day when Camilo departs for a club who’s willing to up the ante. It could be Queretaro, or it could be some other club somewhere down the road. Maybe Camilo sees out his contract and doesn’t resign, and he accepts a deal bigger than the Whitecaps offer.
    I wouldn’t blame him for it, but don’t let his claims about loving Vancouver and wanting to don the red maple leaf skew your opinion. Camilo is not YP Lee. Camilo is not here for the lifestyle, or the mountains. He’s not here for his kids, or his safety. Camilo is here because it’s better than where he was. And if he finds somewhere better, he’ll go there. And that’s entirely understandable.
    There is one more angle to this whole story. Because I’m acting on the assumption that the Whitecaps are telling the truth.
    You know, I get the public relations game. I understand that when they were buying out Barry Robson, Martin Rennie HAD to say something on the first day of training. And it’s not his place to break the news. Plus, he didn’t really say anything firm. He made vague comments about generic situations.
    This time, however, the Whitecaps have been very clear. There has been no contact. The contract is bulletproof.
    If Camilo does sign with Queretaro, and the Whitecaps were a party to it, they’re about to look about as bad is at gets. Not only did they lie to their fans about their most successful player, but they would have dispatched another in an ever growing list of fan favourites to depart the club under less than favourable circumstances.
    Favourites like Terry Dunfield, Mouloud Akloul, and Wes Knight were shipped out for nothing in return. Eric Hassli was traded, and while his contributions to football since have been rather insignificant, his trade could be considered a win. He was certainly a fan favourite when he left. Davide Chiumiento was sold just before the Hassli trade. Not a day goes by that a fan somewhere doesn’t utter Dede’s name, and while it’s likely the memory of Dede is far better than the actual player, the Whitecaps have yet to replace the creative force. And then earlier this season, the omnipresent Alain Rochat was traded to DC United in a surprise move weeks before his wife was due to give birth, only to be sold to Switzerland for a sizeable transfer fee.
    Selling Camilo, at any cost, would be a huge public relations loss for the Whitecaps as it would be just another name is a long list of fan favourites sent packing.
    The only way this offseason story ends with a happy ending is if Camilo shows up on the first day of training, the Whitecaps make him honour his contract, and the Brazilian scores another bundle of goals.
    If the Whitecaps were party to a sale, they’ll look foolish, dishonest and naive. If Camilo or his agent did this on their own accord, they’ll look like heartless mercenaries who are willing to lie and cheat to earn some more money.
    There’s likely much more to this story, but every day that goes by it seems less and less likely to end up the fairy tale that Whitecaps fans fancy.
    <p>
    Guest
    Twitter loves a good rumour and for fans and media covering Vancouver Whitecaps, the lack of new player signings makes us hungry for any little crumb we can latch on to.
    When ESPN Deportes tweeted out that MLS Golden Boot winner Camilo Sanvezzo was set to join Mexican Liga MX side Querétaro by this weekend, it soon snowballed into a mad night on the old tweety with the rumour growing arms and legs pretty quickly.
    The subsequent fall out has been somewhat comical to follow, but what the whole situation has done is to reiterate how reliant the Whitecaps are on the Brazilian right now. Over reliant in fact.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Caps have been firm in their stance that no contact has been made to them from Querétaro, that Camilo is under contract and they fully expect him to be at the preseason training camp at the end of the month. And they need him to be. They don’t have a lot of top quality striking options at the moment.
    Meanwhile, south of the border down Mexico way, Querétaro are giving the impression that they were told the striker was a free agent and questions are swirling as to the role played by Camilo’s agent in all of this shenanigans.
    We still don’t know what is fact and what is fiction but as it stands, it doesn’t look like Camilo is going anywhere. At least not yet.
    But it should be no surprise that he is attracting attention elsewhere after the outstanding season he has just had and you cannot grudge the player for trying to get the best deal and the most money he can on the back of it.
    A player has a short window to maximise his talent in terms of cold, hard cash and it may be hard for Camilo to produce better than he did in 2013. He is also still relatively unproven at the top level so ideally needs a further stepping stone transfer. Ambitious Querétaro would provide him with that.
    I would much rather see Camilo leave now, before the new season has got underway, than for some club to come in for him during the summer transfer window, whisk him away and unsettle the side. We’ve already had enough mid season collapses to last us for a while thank you very much.
    Leaving now would also allow the Whitecaps a good chunk of time to find his replacement. They need to add to the striking department whether he leaves or not.
    It doesn’t take a statto guru to know how reliant the Whitecaps were on Camilo last season.
    22 of their 53 MLS goals (41.5%) came from the wee Brazilian. Looking around the League, only Marco Di Vaio in Montreal came close to matching that significant an individual impact in a team's goalscoring charts at 40% of the Impact's goals. After that, Mike Magee at 31.9% of Chicago's goals for the season was the closest contender.
    Looking at the MLS Cup finalists. Claudio Bieler was Kansas City's top scorer in the regular season with 10 goals, just 21.3% of their overall total. Alvaro Saborio's 12 goals for Real Salt Lake was 21.1% of his team's overall total. Of the Conference winners, Diego Valeri topped the charts in Portland with 10 goals (18.5% of his team's total) and Tim Cahill in New York with 11 (18.9% of his team's).
    Back in Vancouver, a further eight goals came from Kenny Miller and he missed a large chunk of the season, 13 games, through injury and international duty. He was still the team's second top scorer.
    That productive pairing contributed 56.6% of the Caps’ MLS goals, with 11 Whitecaps getting themselves on the scoresheet in total.
    Again looking around the League, only Houston Dynamo and DC United had fewer players finding themselves on the scoresheet with ten players, and you don't really want to be comparable to DC in any regard after the season that they just had.
    If you take the top two scorers at each club, only Columbus were more reliant on the goals coming form just a pair of players, with 57.1% of their goals scored coming from Oduro and Higuain. Philadelphia came in at 52.4%, Montreal at 50% and the majority of the rest in the 30's-low 40's percentage range.
    Do these stats actually mean anything? Well, naturally you can make stats say whatever the hell you want in most cases but they certainly back up my feeling that the Caps' over-reliance in Camilo to bang in the goals actually hurt the team.
    Other, more successful teams, not only spread the goals around a lot more, but they also had a number of players significantly contributing to their goals tally.
    And you need to have that. You cannot rely on just one player regularly scoring to get you through a 34 game regular season and come out of it as a credible playoff contender.
    Every player has lulls and dips in form. Not to mention what happens when there is an injury to that key player and no-one suitable to step up and adequately fill his boots.
    If you look at Camilo's game log for last season, he only started one of the first five games and didn't grab his first goal of the season until the sixth game at home to RSL, and that was an 84th minute penalty.
    Camilo stuttered at the start of the season and so did the Whitecaps. This was partly due to Martin Rennie favouring other options but when Camilo hit his groove in May and June, so did the Caps. When the Caps started to stumble again towards the end of the season, Camilo went through a spell of two goals in nine games.
    The Caps pretty much were a one man team. On the whole, they rose and fell with how well Camilo played.
    When the transfer rumours started coming thick and fast, first from Norway and now from Mexico, the collective response from the Caps nation was what a devastating loss that would be to the team in every respect from production to popularity.
    To lose a player that a team has relied on far too much would leave a massive hole in the Whitecaps squad. Not an irreplaceable one, but finding the right player to come in and perform immediately is what every club wants, but few get.
    There is no-one in the squad just now that you would look at and confidently see stepping up and taking over to even come close to Camilo's exploits last season. It's unlikely he would even manage that himself anyway (I give you the fall of Wondo), but that is when he is needing those around him to help him out, but that help is not there right now.
    You have Kenny Miller, who may or may not come back and if he does, who knows how long he will remain healthy with the beating his body will take on the BC turf. Kekuta Manneh may have a break out sophomore year, but it's a lot of pressure to put on the shoulders of a 19 year old. Caleb Clarke is still on loan in Germany. Tommy Heinemann may come back but what will he really offer at MLS level. And then you have Darren Mattocks. We've seen the good from him in year one and the bad and the ugly from him in year two. Will he even be around for year three or will he be off for a fist full of dollars?
    The current interest in Camilo should have the Whitecaps in full on red alert mode. If he doesn't go to Querétaro down the line, there is still a real chance that someone else will make a play for him.
    If he moves on, the Whitecaps need a top replacement striker lined up right away. If he stays, the Whitecaps also need a top striker that can come in and partner him, share the workload and be able to step up when he is not at the top of his game and produce regularly.
    If the current rumours have done nothing else, then it just reiterates how much the Caps rely on Camilo and just how ill-prepared they are if/when a move does happen.
    Hopefully Carl Robinson comes back from his break with a new striker in the January sales. You have to feel he's going to need one.
    <p>
    Guest
    When a Canadian roster of any sort is announced, it usually comes with the same basic ingredients: a bunch of familiar faces, some newcomers, one or two "really?!" selections and an overall sense among fans of "yeah, I guess that will work... or, at least, I hope it will."
    Such is the case with the roster of the 16 players whose National Women's Soccer League salaries will be paid by the CSA in 2014, a list that was submitted to the league by head coach John Herdman in late December and was unveiled on Friday morning.
    Canada's list, as you'll see, includes that mix of veterans, newbies and head-scratchers (players who are new to the list -- i.e. weren't allocated in 2013 -- are in bold), and is ostensibly a representation of who Herdman sees as part of his player pool for the coming year:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Boston Breakers
    Chelsea Stewart, Kaylyn Kyle
    Chicago Red Stars
    Rachel Quon, Adriana Leon, Erin McLeod
    FC Kansas City
    Desiree Scott, Lauren Sesselmann
    Houston Dash (expansion team)
    Melissa Tancredi
    Portland Thorns
    Christine Sinclair, Karina LeBlanc
    Seattle Reign
    Carmelina Moscato
    Sky Blue FC
    Sophie Schmidt, Jonelle Filigno
    Washington Spirit
    Diana Matheson, Robyn Gayle
    Western New York Flash
    Selenia Iacchelli
    Players who were allocated in 2013 but are off the list this year are Emily Zurrer (moved to Jitex BK in Sweden), Melanie Booth (retired), Rhian Wilkinson, Bryanna McCarthy and Jodi-Ann Robinson.
    Interestingly, Desiree Scott still has a spot even though it was announced this week that she will be joining Notts County in England this season. Presuming that this is just a result of Herdman having submitted his list on Dec. 22, before the move was known, it will be interesting to see who -- if anyone -- takes her spot. (FC Kansas City still seems to be under the impression she's coming back, even though CSN has been told that Scott-to-England is indeed a done deal.)
    The omissions of Zurrer and Booth (due to circumstances), as well as McCarthy and Robinson (due to lack of playing time) were predictable, but Wilkinson's may turn some heads. The 31-year-old fullback has over 140 caps for Canada, but clearly Herdman sees more upside in Stewart, 23, and Quon, 22, on the backline going forward. Wilkinson has played several seasons in <strike>Sweden</strike> Norway and forged good connections there, so don't be surprised if she finds herself a job in Scandinavia.
    Update (Jan. 4, 11 a.m. ET): Via Twitter, Wilkinson provided the following insight about her situation: "For personal reasons I will not be heading back to Boston this season." She wished the team well, and assured fans that she would still answer the call for Canada.
    As for Stewart and Quon -- both were born in the U.S.A., but they come with much different narratives.
    Stewart was part of the Canadian youth setup, and has 44 caps for the senior national team (and an Olympic bronze medal). Quon... well... her story is a bit more fraught. She's got plenty of youth experience -- with the U.S.A. Quon was on Canada's roster for last June's friendly in Toronto, but was ineligible to play since she didn't have FIFA clearance. She has since received that clearance (h/t John Molinaro) and is now free, thanks to a family connection, to represent Canada at the international level. While depth is always a welcome thing, suffice to say not all Canadian fans are especially supportive of this.
    Either way, there they are on the list alongside Iacchelli, who's forged an interesting tale of her own. The 27-year-old hadn't regularly featured with a Canadian team (the U20s) since 2006, until Herdman called her in for several camps in late 2013. During that absence from the national team, she and Zurrer had started up a business together -- a frozen yogurt and waffle truck in Vancouver called Sweet Ride.
    With Zurrer too far away to help run the business, and a new club contract on her plate, Iacchelli's going to have a very busy 2014.
    Tancredi and Filigno were two names Herdman had mentioned as NWSL targets, and it'll be a welcome sight for two more talented Canadian strikers to be playing regularly (given Big Red's relative punchlessness as of late). Filigno, still just 23, has been to two Olympic Games with Canada and will surely be motivated after finally finishing her schooling at Rutgers this spring (not to jinx it or anything).
    Tancredi, of course, is a wild card. The 32-year-old showed exactly what she's capable of at the 2012 Olympics (which is to say, a lot), but looked out of sorts during Canada's friendly against the USA in June 2013 (understandable, given that it was her only game of the year, plopped into the middle of a self-imposed absence to further her education).
    Perhaps the most surprising exclusion was Kara Lang, whose attempted comeback to the national team was one of the top stories of the past year. Herdman made no secret of his desire to find her an NWSL spot in order to provide her playing time ahead of the 2015 Women's World Cup, but apparently, such playing time will need to be found elsewhere. So, what happened?
    CSN has been told by a reliable source that Lang was offered an NWSL contract, but turned it down.
    The source said several other players also turned down offers. While this is nothing more than speculation, one wonders whether that group included the likes of Brittany Baxter (nee Timko), who remains a regular member of the national team despite being without a club for several years, and Josee Belanger, who Herdman has convinced to return to the national-team setup after a several-year absence.
    Players rejecting deals is perhaps not surprising given that, as reported by Equalizer Soccer last April, allocated national-team players from Canada and Mexico can expect to earn only about $20,000 per season. Those numbers may be slightly higher in the league's second year of operation, but even so, no NWSL player should expect to earn a living wage from playing club soccer in 2014.
    That's an unfortunate economic reality of the women's game as it currently stands, and helps explain why Scott and Zurrer have decided to take their talents across the pond (though women's players in Europe are hardly laughing their way to the bank either).
    In any event, the allocation list answers the big question (namely, "who's going to be on the list?") but leaves us with several others, as we embark on the final full calendar year before the Women's World Cup comes to Canada.
    Can Tancredi round back into the form we saw on display at London 2012? What are Lang's club options, and what does this mean for her national-team comeback? Now that we know Quon clearly is a part of Herdman's plans, how will she fit into them (and what sort of response can be expected from the same Canadian fanbase that boos Sydney Leroux off the field every chance they get)? Will we see more Canadians turn up on the other side of the pond in 2014?
    Answers a few questions, but leaves us with even more? Yep, that's a Canadian roster announcement alright.
    .
    Guest
    Update (2 a.m. ET, Jan. 3): The NWSL is set to release the list of allocated players at 11 a.m. ET on Friday, and CSN has been told by a reliable source that Kara Lang will not be included on the list. The Equalizer is reporting that Melissa Tancredi will be allocated to the expansion Houston Dash, while Rachel Quon -- who, as reported by John Molinaro, has been cleared by FIFA to represent Canada -- will be allocated to Chicago.
    It appears an exodus may have begun... and that may not be a bad thing.
    While a number of Canadian women's national team members were repatriated last year for the initial season of the National Women's Soccer League -- largely because 16 of them were going to have their salaries covered by the CSA, in a scenario known as "allocation" (not to be confused with MLS's system of allocation) -- it looks as though we're going to see some different homegrown faces in NWSL for the 2014 campaign.
    It was announced Thursday that midfielder Desiree Scott has signed with Notts County (formerly Lincoln Ladies FC) of the FA WSL in England. This comes less than a month after defender Emily Zurrer signed with Jitex BK of the Swedish Damallsvenskan, and less than two months after Melanie Booth retired from the game.
    All three of them were allocated Canadians in NWSL in 2013, so the question becomes: Who will take their spots this year? For those who've been paying close attention, the answer is in plain sight.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Canadian head coach John Herdman has made no secret of (in fact, he's made explicit reference to) his hope to land club spots for national-team returnees Kara Lang, Josee Belanger, Melissa Tancredi and Jonelle Filigno, all four of whom have been away from regular duty for a year or more, and all of four of whom could potentially factor into Canada's plans for the 2015 Women's World Cup.
    So while Scott and Zurrer playing across the pond could create some logistical problems, the moves are actually a blessing in disguise, not just for the likes of Scott and Zurrer -- who now have plentiful playing opportunities opened to them, as well as a shot at the UEFA Champions League -- but for Herdman, who has ready-made places to plunk Lang, Tancredi, et. al. without having to hurt too many feelings by taking away allocation spots from others.
    It's worth noting, when it comes to the logistics side, that national-team stalwarts such as Diana Matheson and Rhian Wilkinson have spent most of their club careers overseas, and it hasn't impeded their abilities to contribute for Canada. Ti Sports, the agency that represents Scott, also made clear via Twitter that she would be free to join the national team for all games and camps in 2014, despite the move abroad.
    As for where the fourth spot to accommodate the returnees will come from, that seems pretty straightforward as well: Bryanna McCarthy and Jodi-Ann Robinson both held allocated spots in 2013, but neither featured at all for the national team, and neither saw much playing time for the Western New York Flash. It wouldn't be surprising if one, or both, of them lost their allocation spots for 2014.
    Now, whether or not bringing back Lang, Tancredi, et. al. is the right move... that remains to be seen.
    There's a school of thought suggesting that Herdman should spend the country's allocation spots on young up-and-comers, to give them a chance to prove themselves, rather than returning veterans who are known quantities. Herdman, for what it's worth, has said he'd be glad to give time to young players who are at the proper level, but for the time being, a development gap exists where he'll have to rely on veterans to get through the big tournaments in 2015-16 -- and the way to get them back into game shape is via the NWSL.
    Whether or not Herdman is right, and whether or not his plans pan out... we shall see.
    For now, Scott and Zurrer (and any Canadian teammates who may join them in the coming months) have a whole new set of opportunities in front of them for professional and personal growth, something that can only help them as people and as national-team contributors.
    So long as they're given opportunities to prove themselves on the field (and there's no reason to believe they won't), these moves could be of great benefit... to the players involved, to Herdman and the national-team program, and to fans who are itching to know which names are on the NWSL allocation list that was submitted to the league last month.
    .
    Guest

    Fearless Predictions 2014: CanWNT

    By Guest, in Some Canadian Guys,

    This is part of my series of "fearless" (i.e. irrelevant) predictions for various areas of Canadian soccer in 2014. For any idea of why I'm doing this, click here.
    It was a strange year for Big Red in 2013. With no way to top (or even match) the emotional high of 2012's Olympic medal, John Herdman's team spent the last 12 months experimenting and figuring out how the pieces all fit together ahead of the 2015 Women's World Cup on Canadian <strike>soil</strike> turf.
    So there's plenty to look forward to, and plenty up in the air for the ladies in the year to come... including, possibly, some of the following things!
    Fearless Predictions for the Canadian Women's National Team in 2014
    Kara Lang will score a goal for Canada. While this doesn't seem like an especially daring prediction, given that her comeback effort has been top of mind for months, no one would have (even jokingly) made this prediction in 2013, would they? It would have seemed disrespectful towards a talented player whose career was cut short too soon. But hey, here we are, and this is one of the few serious predictions I'm making in this whole series. Even if it doesn't come true, the fact that it's even a reasonable prediction to make is, in itself, remarkable.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Christine Sinclair will score a goal for Canada. Haha, get it? This one is a joke because of course she's going to score because she always scores because she is good lololo
    John Herdman will continue to erroneously refer to Brittany Baxter as Brittany Timko. The team will, in response, set up a jar into which he has to drop a quarter every time he makes the mistake. Herdman will continue to intentionally make the error so that he can fill the jar and donate the proceeds to a charity. Every soccer fan in Canada will continue swooning at everything he does.
    There will be a pitch invasion during a game at the Cyprus Cup. The game will proceed for three minutes, as the referee will fail to notice the additional four people on the field.
    Karina Le Blanc will disavow all modern technology. The gregarious goalkeeper will publicly make a pledge to refrain from using cameras, cellphones, social media or any of the other trappings of contemporary society. She will uphold this pledge for a grand total of 17 minutes, then record a KK Cam segment detailing how hard it was.
    More members of the team will start up food trucks. Following in the footsteps of Emily Zurrer and Selenia Iacchelli, other members of the team will live out their entrepreneurial spirit. Diana "The Economist" Matheson will take care of the books for all of them.
    The CSA will outlaw humorous Twitter accounts that are based upon a particular characteristic, wardrobe choice or habit of a member of the CanWNT team or coaching staff. The operators of the 813 such accounts already in existence will be devastated.
    A nine-year-old will make history as the youngest player to suit up for a senior national team. Herdman's quest to gradually make the team younger in 2013 -- integrating 18-year-old Kadeisha Buchanan, then 16-year-old Sura Yekka, then 15-year-old Jessie Fleming -- will reach ludicrous extremes in 2014. By August, several classmates from a Grade 4/5 class in Alberta will make their debuts in midfield.
    Long-time Canadian soccer nerds will continue trying to establish and publicize Big Red as the team's nickname. It still won't work.
    What did I miss? Add your own predictions in the comments section below.
    .
    Guest
    Author’s note: If you’re wondering what an article about Mexico is doing on CSN I invite you to read the explanation at the bottom of this article.
    Who knows what was running through former Club América coach Miguel Herrera’s mind earlier this month when he approached reporters’ microphones after his side’s aggregate 5-1 loss to Leon in the Liga MX championship and blamed the disaster on bad refereeing before storming off into the night.
    Herrera, who has since been named the permanent manager of the Mexican national team, subsequently apologized for his quasi-diatribe and attributed his remarks to the disappointment of defeat. But this tantrum thrown by a grown man does seem a fitting end to the year for the national side -- a year marked by rash decisions and deadening humiliation, a year that saw the wealthy businessmen who run both the professional league and the national team burn through three managers, a year that saw naturalized Argentinians capped in a desperate bid for scoring punch, and worst of all, a year that saw Mexico qualify for the World Cup in the saddest way possible, only thanks to last-ditch help from its despised rivals to the north.
    The good news is that all that will soon be last year's news. The bad news - okay, perhaps not so much bad as unsettling - is that for Herrera reassembling the pieces involves more questions, so many nagging questions, questions like the ones that caused him to lash out at journalists. Here are but a few of them, and the answers will determine whether Mexico does something memorable at the World Cup.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It wasn't supposed to be like this for Herrera. After leading Mexico to a demolition of New Zealand in the last-gasp qualification attempt and then navigating two rounds of playoffs with America, he was generally expected to depart the club with a championship. The result, and his wild behaviour afterwards, caused some pundits to call for his removal as national team manager, and others to wonder whether he was good enough in the first place.
    So will the fans, pundits and national team oversee-ers leave Herrera alone?
    Unfortunately for Herrera, probably not. The questions over his ability are unlikely to fade away because naming a national team manager so closely associated with one of the country's most popular -- and as is usually the case, hated -- clubs, was always going to cause sideways glances. Add to this the confusing intersection of professional soccer and the national team in Mexico: America is owned by Grupo Televisa, the country’s biggest broadcaster, whose owner sits on a committee that runs the national team. Because Televisa owns the the lucrative World Cup broadcast rights, it is heavily invested in having the national team qualify. And hey, if the national team makes stars out of Club America players in the process, even better. This makes for plenty of easy targets for already pissed off fans when it comes to player selection.
    The side Herrera sent out against New Zealand featured ten of its 23 players from America, including seven of the starting XI in the first leg at Azteca Stadium. The rest of the side consisted entirely of players based in the Mexican top flight. A 9-3 aggregate scoreline seems to indicate the plan worked, but the competition this summer in Brazil will present another challenge entirely. The good news on this front is that there is unlikely to be much appetite to change managerial course yet again before the World Cup.
    Hmm, what if Mexico just sent a slightly modified Club America as its national team? That might work.
    The "Club America as Mexico" project would not be without precedence. Other World Cup teams have been constructed around a base from a glamourous domestic club. The 1974 and 2010 World Cup winners, West Germany and Spain, for example. The Germans counted seven Bayern players to fill out the national team, with six of them starting the final against the Netherlands. Spain featured six Barcelona players in the final (also against the Netherlands.) If you spend much time following soccer, you know the ‘Spain is just Barcelona without Messi’ trope is well-worn. But there is an important difference: those sides shared players with the great clubs of their era, but not the same coach. Herrera's association with America players could lead to resentment from others who feel deserving of more playing.
    Ah yes, the others. What about all those Mexicans playing in Europe? They must be kinda good and likely helpful right?
    That's really the all-encompassing question when it comes to Mexico in 2014. Will Herrera have the constitution to ignore European-based players such as Giovani dos Santos, Javier Hernandez or the self-exiled Carlos Vela. Many Mexican supporters would probably hope that he doesn't. He's already planning a trip overseas to see which players will commit to being part of the preparations over the coming months.
    Canadian soccer fans (or at least those remaining few who don't take pleasure in the misery of others) might sympathize with their Mexican counterparts when it comes to Vela, given their own sad experience with Junior Hoilett. See, Vela has never really explained why he won't show up for Mexico anymore. There's plenty of speculation about feuds with directors and former managers, but nothing really on public record. The 24-year-old striker has excelled in a variety of forward positions over the past season and a half for Real Sociedad, scoring 22 La Liga goals in 51 appearances. The boy would clearly add a dimension to Mexico, so long as Herrera can a) actually convince him to play, and do so in a way that doesn't upset the players who feel he's simply showing up for the World Cup while skipping the qualifying slog.
    Europeans complicate the scene in goal as well. There are the three domestic choices Herrera brought against New Zealand: Jose de Jesus Corona, Alfredo Talavera and of course, Club America's own Moisés Muñoz. The experienced hand lies with Guillermo Ochoa, however, who has 55 caps with the national team. He currently plays for (relegation threatened) Athletic Club Ajaccio in the French first division and philosophical arguments aside, is probably playing at the highest level of any Mexican goalkeeper right now.
    I've read Herrera favours a 5-3-2 formation for both club and country (or a 3-5-2 one, depending on who is counting), will that work at the World Cup?
    This is where we return to the "tried and true" thing. Herrera enjoys two wide players - Miguel Layun and Paul Aguilar - and three central defenders to make the system work. Against New Zealand four of that band of five came from America. It's supposedly unorthodox compared to current fashions in Europe and South America, but it's a system the America players know. Of course, Mexico's European players must buy into it. Herrera's biggest challenge up front will be figuring out how many of the six or so offensively minded forwards - Giovani dos Santos, Javier Hernandez, Carlos Vela, Oribe Peralta, Raul Jimenez and maybe Aldo de Nigris he can squeeze on the pitch at once.
    It's a long way out, but how will Mexico finish the World Cup?
    Like most other teams at the World Cup, Mexico will finish the tournament in a way that upsets its supporters. At least Herrera can be thankful for a slightly more benevolent draw than the nightmares handed to Concacaf brethren such as the U.S. and Costa Rica. And that’s saying a lot for a group that includes Brazil as the host country. If someone had told Mexico (and we're speaking here of the collective Mexico -- players, fans, directors -- and assigning them a singular voice) back in November that advancing from its group would only require finishing atop a three-way with Cameroon and Croatia, it would have happily sprung for that option.
    Herrera will convene many so-called microcycles -- small mid-week camps during the league season that featuring mainly domestic players -- to overcome the lack of official space for FIFA friendlies. Generally, pro clubs in Mexico are onboard with such activities and they offer an important advantage. Assuming Herrera pinpoints the right blend of European players, the talent is overwhelmingly in place to lead to a final-16 appearance. Of course, at that point they'll likely face Spain, and no amount of Carlos Vela is going to help them. So there it lies yet again for Mexico. The near mystical "fifth game" supporters obsess over is an ask too far, but Mexico must only play to its potential to be the last team from the region standing. And while we're on the subject of uncomfortable questions, how long will it be before we can expect more from the Gigantes of Concacaf?
    Author's note
    Do readers of this site give a shit about soccer south of the Rio Grande? I’ve asked myself that question over the years and kept returning to the conclusion that they don’t. Despite that, on a few occasions I have started – and then almost immediately stopped – trying to write some sort of regular feature that keeps CSN readers informed and maybe even engaged in the soccer of Central America and Mexico.
    My thinking was simple: while the internet is saturated with coverage of the U.S. mens’ national team, there seems a dearth of English-language coverage around Canada’s other main rivals, namely the Central American middle powers of the region. I’m under no illusion about a massive unfulfilled appetite for what’s happening daily in, say, the Honduran league, but after bumbling through various media from the region over a period of years there are definitely things afoot – the broadly based match-fixing scandal in El Salvador for example – that should interest an attuned Canadian soccer supporter.
    These are the countries Canada needs to go through to achieve what is really the ultimate goal, the whole damn reason many of us subject ourselves to this: watching our country play in the World Cup. And for the past two decades Canada has been laughingly unsuccessful in going through them. The players and coaches need to know these rivals; for the rest of us, having a better understanding might make it more interesting. If you don’t want to take it from me, take it from Sun Tzu: “If you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.”
    We are six months away from the World Cup, a tournament to which Latin America will send eight teams, three of which represent Concacaf. This is where I hope to tell you more about them than you can know anywhere else.
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