(Updated February 12, 2013 to include revsied clarification from CSA. Updates are in italics.)
Clearly, FIFA is trying to send a message to Canadian players: When you get jobbed by dubious refereeing decisions, keep your mouths shut.
First, we had the four-game suspension levied against women's team captain Christine Sinclair (of which she has one game left to serve) for her remarks following last year's Olympic semifinal against the U.S. Now, FIFA has slapped striker Oliver Occean with a six-game suspension (yes, you read that correctly), for his reaction to being inexplicably sent off during Canada's World Cup qualifier against Cuba last October.
Occean's suspension must be served in "official" matches (World Cup qualifiers or the Gold Cup) -- and with the 31-year-old having five games left to serve, his future with the men's national team is suddenly in question.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
So, what could Occean have possibly done to warrant missing six games? It's tough to say -- though, according to the arcane regulations of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, Occean was found to be guilty of unsporting behaviour towards both the match official(s) and people other than the match officials.
Of course players need to keep their cool and be in control. And since none of us knows for sure what Occean said or did to "earn" the punishment, it's impossible to objectively say whether the punishment fits the supposed crime (although the egregious nature of the suspension is more than enough to activate our Canadian sense of injustice).
Perhaps, in retrospect, Occean's red card was not for the minor shoving match that erupted in the goal area, but for something he said to the match official. But why? Why would be randomly decide to say something so horrendous, so abusive to the referee -- after his team had just scored a goal -- that it'd earn him a six-game suspension? It doesn't make any sense.
Then again, this is FIFA. Things rarely do.
We don't know whether Occean would have figured into Canada's Gold Cup plans (heck, we don't even know who'll be making that decision yet), but given the team's shifting priorities and emphasis on the future, this could be the end of the road for Occean with the national team. He still has five games left to serve, which could be wiped out if Canada makes a deep run at this summer's Gold Cup. If not, Occean will still have as many as two games left to serve by the time Canada's next "official" matches roll around in 2015 -- by which time Occean will be 33.
Some want to throw all of the babies out with the bathwater of the failed 2014 qualifying campaign, and wouldn't mind seeing Occean go. But for a nation that's as traditionally goal-starved as they come, it would be pretty dangerous to summarily dismiss a man who still earns his living as a forward in the Bundesliga.
FIFA's decision is, supposedly, not yet final and binding -- but I have a sneaking suspicion they won't change their minds just because of the profane complaints of some embittered Canadian fans (though you may want to leave some in the comments section, just in case).
The Canadian Soccer Association provided information on the suspension to CSN on Monday which has since been revised. CSN has reached out to senior CSA officials for further comment; if any is forthcoming, we will let you know.