It's official. FIFA hates Canada.
That's obviously untrue, unless FIFA has a strange policy of awarding its marquee tournaments to a country that it hates. And it wouldn't even really be relevant in this case, even if it were true, since the shortlist for the game's year-end awards was determined not by a collection of Zurich-based sportocrats, but by "a poll in which the captains and head coaches of the men’s and women’s national teams, as well as international media representatives selected by France Football, voted for candidates."
Either way, FIFA is an easy, identifiable target for the outrage about the exclusion of Christine Sinclair and John Herdman from the top-three shortlist for their respective awards (women's player of the year and coach of the year in women's football).
But whoever or whatever the rightful target may be, that outrage is justified. The exclusion of both Sinclair and Herdman for top honours in 2012 is nothing short of a farce.
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Now, you could make the argument that these glitzy award ceremonies are meaningless, and that the true measure of greatness is on-field performance and results. You'd be right. You could also make the argument that it's impossible for me, or anyone else who follows the Canadian national team, to be truly impartial about the selections, especially given our reinforced persecution complex following the outcome of the Olympic semifinal. You'd be right there too.
But seriously?! What in the flying hell has Marta done to deserve a spot among the top three in 2012, ahead of Sinclair?
It's a question I rhetorically asked on Twitter earlier today, and one which John Leung over at Waking The Red endeavoured to answer. Among his conclusions: Marta was a legacy pick, included by voters who probably didn't pay too much attention in 2012 but who recognize her name because she's won the award five times, and hasn't finished lower than third in the voting since 2003. Makes perfect sense to me.
Also, Sinclair's suggestions of impropriety by the game official in that Olympic semifinal -- and subsequent refusal to back down from those comments, even as she was handed a four-match ban by FIFA -- surely played into the equation. Or, in the words of Gerry "voice of Canadian soccer" Dobson:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>For those suggesting Sinclair's Olympic comments had something to do with her omission, you're wrong. It was the only reason. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23blackballed">#blackballed</a>.</p>— Gerry Dobson (@SNGerryDobson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SNGerryDobson/status/274158010128015361" data-datetime="2012-11-29T14:28:57+00:00">November 29, 2012</a></blockquote>
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It's tough to argue against the other two top nominees, Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan (27 goals and counting in 2012) -- and maybe that's it, too. Maybe voters were leery about a shortlist that would be too regionally weighted, and felt compelled to give some non-CONCACAF recognition.
In any event, despite my bias, despite my bitterness, I think it's reasonable to say that Marta ahead of Sinclair (in 2012) is a real head-scratcher for fans of women's soccer.
As for Herdman's exclusion... well... let's turn to another voice of Canadian soccer for his thoughts:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>The Sinclair snub I can understand (but not agree with), but John Herdman not being a finalist for women’s coach of the year is a joke.</p>— Jason deVos (@jasondevos) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasondevos/status/274177805921701888" data-datetime="2012-11-29T15:47:37+00:00">November 29, 2012</a></blockquote>
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The finalists for coach of the year in women's football were Pia Sundhage (USA), Bruno Bini (France) and Norio Sasaki (Japan), the same three who made the shortlist in 2011. For some insight here, let's remind ourselves of who voted on these awards (emphasis added by me):
"the captains and head coaches of the men’s and women’s national teams, as well as international media representatives selected by France Football"
This is not to cast aspersions on all of those media representatives. One of those voters is Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl, who's made no secret of the fact that he agrees with embittered Canadians (this time, anyway):
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Marta is a great player, but I can think of at least 6 players that deserved to make Ballon d'Or final 3 ahead of her in 2012.</p>— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) <a href="
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Still, Bini finishing ahead of Herdman, combined with the fact that some number of voters were chosen by <strike>the French federation itself</strike> a French publication, just stinks to high heaven. That's to take nothing away from Bini or the French team, whose explosion onto the world stage in 2011 was nothing short of breathtaking. And no doubt, the team was similarly impressive in 2012, winning the Cyprus Cup (over Canada) and taking fourth place at the Olympics (behind Canada).
But does Bini deserve more credit for a year-over-year continuation of something he's already previously established than Herdman does for taking a shattered team that finished last place in the Women's World Cup, rebuilding them tactically and psychologically, and bringing them onto the podium at the Olympic Games?
My biased Canadian mind says hell no. Yours probably does too.
Maybe Herdman was blackballed by association after some of his players lashed out at the semifinal referee. That, if it's the case, is idiotic. Maybe Bini got the nod over Herdman because -- even though Canada won the bronze medal game -- France still controlled large portions of the game. That, if it's the case, is idiotic. Maybe there's a sense that Herdman is a fluke, and that he doesn't deserve the top recognition until he's performed similarly on a year-over-year basis.
And that, too, would be idiotic.
But you know what? In the end, none of this is really even worth getting agitated about. Because when it comes to the legitimacy of the 2012 FIFA year-end awards, all you need to remember is that this goal -- scored on November 14, 2012 -- somehow missed the cut-off for consideration as goal of the year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbslWQh-R_U
Ibra, Sincy, Herdman -- clearly, getting unfairly overlooked happens to the best of 'em.
.