- Long-long-time Canadian goalkeeper Pat Onstad has shown us exactly the way Brett Favre's career could have ended: with a quiet, dignified retirement and instant ascension to the coaching ranks. Onstad won his first cap for Canada in 1988 and amassed 57 caps during his career, and played for just about every Canadian club he could: the Vancouver 86ers, the Edmonton Drillers, the Montreal Impact and three different Toronto-based franchises. His swan song with the nats came earlier this year in Buenos Aires, when we were stomped 5-0 by Argentina.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Rarely have we produced a player of such longevity and commitment to the national team, and for that, Onstad deserves our kudos and best wishes in his new role at D.C. United (except, of course, insofar as it could harm one of the Canadian franchises, of course). So long, Pat, and thanks for all the fish.
Oh, who the hell am I kidding... he's going to be our #2 keeper for the 2011 Gold Cup, isn't he?
- The federal government has committed "up to" $15 million in funding if Canada is successful in its bid to host the 2015 Women's World Cup. Now, $15 million is better than nothing, don't get me wrong; and I'm not stupid enough to believe that sporting tournaments are more important than funding social services. But if this is all the cash the bid's going to get, sorry folks, we ain't getting the 2015 WWC.
Fifteen million dollars isn't enough to build one senior World Cup quality stadium, and we're gonna need a few of 'em. BMO Field, Stade Saputo, Swangard Stadium... cute little venues as they are, and sufficient for the U20 World Cup, maybe. Would they be expanded? Are they sufficient, as is, for a senior World Cup?
Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa is out of the question. Olympic Stadium in Montreal is a possibility, assuming it doesn't completely cave in by then. The refurbished B.C. Place would probably do the trick, as would Commonwealth Stadium, but where else? The Rogers Centre? Toronto hasn't even stepped forward to express interest in being a host city (and under Mayor Rob Ford, it seems pretty fuckin' unlikely). Moncton Stadium is nice, but insufficiently large. Could Halifax build a big enough stadium in time? Will Winnipeg's new stadium be built? What about the proposed new home for the Saskatchewan Roughriders?
By contrast, the German government pledged its full support for the 2011 World Cup -- though their costs were cut significantly by the fact that they didn't need to build any new stadiums (of the nine stadiums they're using, the smallest one holds 23,000... which is BMO Field's maximum capacity, when all fire regulations are ignored).
My point is... $15 million from Ottawa is a nice start, but there will need to be other contributors, either municipal and provincial governments, or the private sector. Otherwise, we'll all need to be planning a road trip to Chile if we hope to see Big Red play.
- Speaking of road trips... this news went under the radar a bit, but, for any Canadians planning to see next year's men's Gold Cup... well, it ain't gonna be easy. The host cities are: Dallas, L.A., Detroit, Charlotte, Miami, Tampa, New York (well, Harrison, N.J.), East Rutherford, Kansas City, Washington D.C. and Pasadena.
If I may reciprocate the sentiment coming out of this scheduling... fuck you, CONCACAF.
I'm going to risk my life going to Detroit, for the "pleasure" of seeing a game in a cavernous 65,000-seat NFL stadium? And why the hell are Chicago's games at Soldier Field, instead of Toyota Park? And why are only four of the 13 venues used by MLS teams (with only three of them being soccer-specific stadiums)? Does anyone really think that 800 people watching Haiti v. Guadeloupe in a gigantic stadium in North Carolina will do anyone involved any good?
Seriously, CONCACAF. You always find a way to top (bottom?) yourselves, don't you?