CANCELLED WC Prep Match #1: Canada vs Iran - Sunday, June 5 BC Place, Vancouver

[Obinna]

1 minute ago, canadave said:

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the CSA to foresee major issues when scheduling a friendly against what is essentially an enemy nation. It's not like Iran shooting down that plane nor Canada's current state of relations with Iran were secrets.

I think your expectations of the CSA are way too high, my friend.

[Meepmeep]

22 minutes ago, narduch said:

Galindo saying the visas may have never been officially approved.

What a joke

So what if Iran qualifies for 2026? They have to be drawn into a US or Mexico hosted group?  Would the govt supply a list of countries that can’t play here in advance of the draw?  Does FIFA say that’s too much work sorry you can’t host?

As a one off you could try and make the case for not approving visas but in the context of being a cohost for 2026 it’s a loaded precedent. 

[prairiecanuck]

15 minutes ago, canadave said:

CSA trying to blame the govt for this is wild. They are absolute idiots if they didn't foresee this not going smoothly. (Could probably end that last sentence after just four words.)

All the CSA had to do was get in contact with the appropriate government officials.  Look we are trying to prepare for a world cup.  We having trouble getting a high level opponent to play to prepare for the world cup.  Iran is willing to come.  I understand this is a controversial opponent.  For us it's just a sporting decision to best prepare our team.  Before we schedule this friendly and market it, can we get your blessing and assurance that the visa's will be approved.  If they don't get approval you move on to the next best plan.

If they took those steps and the government changed their stance and screwed the CSA, I would want that information out there, because they look utterly incompetent at this point.  

[Alex]

So we didn’t want to play Iran because of the politics which I get but instead we don’t play and probably give them almost half a million dollars 

[toontownman]

Wow. 

What a gong show on every level. No-one looks good here and this is going to do a ton of damage to the CSA and the game here. 

 

[dyslexic nam]

44 minutes ago, Addona said:

Goddammit ... how did we F up the prep for our first WC in 36!?!

 

 Not enough prep time. 

[prairiecanuck]

11 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

 

I guess Jon forgot to have a conference call with the leadership group before scheduling this one..lol.

[InglewoodJack]

Just now, prairiecanuck said:

I guess Jon forgot to have a conference call with the leadership group before scheduling this one..lol.

The brotherhood…

[theaub]

14 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

 

Damn wait until they find out how the stadiums in Qatar were built.

[narduch]

5 minutes ago, Meepmeep said:

So what if Iran qualifies for 2026? They have to be drawn into a US or Mexico hosted group?  Would the govt supply a list of countries that can’t play here in advance of the draw?  Does FIFA say that’s too much work sorry you can’t host?

As a one off you could try and make the case for not approving visas but in the context of being a cohost for 2026 it’s a loaded precedent. 

There is a bit of a double standard and hypocrisy going on here.

Canada doesn't have an official policy against Iranian's coming to Canada. Iranian recording artists have concerts in Canada all the time and no one says boo.

A bunch of opportunists latched on to this friendly to further their cause and it worked.

That doesn't absolve the CSA in any of this of course. 

 

[Obinna]

1 minute ago, Colonel Green said:

The idea of playing Iran was unpopular with the general public — especially paying them to come and play here.

And yes, the CSA should have anticipated this. Anyone with even the slightest knowledge of international relations would know this would be controversial.

Again, the CSA not having the foresight to anticipate that should not be surprising to anyone that knows the history of the CSA.

And even amongst those that do (i.e. this board), there was barely a peep about the ramifications until the comments from the PM. 

I am fine with throwing shade at the CSA, clearly, but the idea that the CSA are just dunces for not anticipating this, but we in our collective vast wisdom predicted this would happen from the get go is pretttttty disengenuous.

Hindsight is 20/20.

[king1010]

Big calls on twitter for the csa to be sanctioned by fifa. 
 

they go from millions in revenue to probably still having to pay iran $400k plus a fifa fine. 

[Alex]

Re read the press release from yesterday…. No mention of playing Iran. Just says “three games”

[narduch]

2 minutes ago, Alex said:

Re read the press release from yesterday…. No mention of playing Iran. Just says “three games”

I said somewhere else it was weird Herdman didn't do a roster drop press conference. 

They probably already knew

[JamboAl]

2 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Again, the CSA not having the foresight to anticipate that should not be surprising to anyone that knows the history of the CSA.

And even amongst those that do (i.e. this board), there was barely a peep about the ramifications until the comments from the PM. 

I am fine with throwing shade at the CSA, clearly, but the idea that the CSA are just dunces for not anticipating this, but we in our collective vast wisdom predicted this would happen from the get go is pretttttty disengenuous.

Hindsight is 20/20.

I wouldn't use this board as indicative of the general public.  The only thing people cared about here was getting friendly(ies).  A few of us might have been thinking...not a good idea to play Iran here.  But the royal we are not blameless on this either.  

[prairiecanuck]

4 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Again, the CSA not having the foresight to anticipate that should not be surprising to anyone that knows the history of the CSA.

And even amongst those that do (i.e. this board), there was barely a peep about the ramifications until the comments from the PM. 

I am fine with throwing shade at the CSA, clearly, but the idea that the CSA are just dunces for not anticipating this, but we in our collective vast wisdom predicted this would happen from the get go is pretttttty disengenuous.

Hindsight is 20/20.

Don't worry.  I heard they just posted an add on Kijiji:

Wanted.  A top 50 FIFA ranked football nation to play in Vancouver on June 5th.  All travel expenses and an exorbitant fee will be provided.  Also one guided trip through beautiful Whislter Mountain including a fun zipline excursion included.

We should be fine.    

[InglewoodJack]

15 minutes ago, Meepmeep said:

So what if Iran qualifies for 2026? They have to be drawn into a US or Mexico hosted group?  Would the govt supply a list of countries that can’t play here in advance of the draw?  Does FIFA say that’s too much work sorry you can’t host?

As a one off you could try and make the case for not approving visas but in the context of being a cohost for 2026 it’s a loaded precedent. 

I mean, with the way things go, Canada will probably only get 1 host city, and last minute that host city will have their games reduced to 1 and it’ll be the two worst teams in the cup. I wouldn’t worry about teams playing in Canada in 2026.

[Gian-Luca]

6 minutes ago, Meepmeep said:

So what if Iran qualifies for 2026? They have to be drawn into a US or Mexico hosted group?  Would the govt supply a list of countries that can’t play here in advance of the draw?  Does FIFA say that’s too much work sorry you can’t host?

As a one off you could try and make the case for not approving visas but in the context of being a cohost for 2026 it’s a loaded precedent. 

Absolutely. This is a horrible precedent to be setting, and if the government denied Iran Visas or pressured the CSA to cancel the game, FIFA might even see that as government interference in soccer, which could lead to the national team being suspended, never mind hosting.

Based on what we know so far, I don't blame the CSA (except maybe for caving in to the pressure), I don't buy the "this was foreseeable" argument since the controversy only started 5 days after the match was announced and nearly sold out when Trudeau spoke the way he did, that's when the media shit storm started. And he was under no obligation to shit upon the idea without giving reasons and throwing the CSA under the bus in the process.

We'll see what further info comes to light, but that's how it looks at the moment. Utter madness and a very sad day, with Canadian soccer on the losing end.

 

[Obinna]

12 minutes ago, prairiecanuck said:

All the CSA had to do was get in contact with the appropriate government officials.  Look we are trying to prepare for a world cup.  We having trouble getting a high level opponent to play to prepare for the world cup.  Iran is willing to come.  I understand this is a controversial opponent.  For us it's just a sporting decision to best prepare our team.  Before we schedule this friendly and market it, can we get your blessing and assurance that the visa's will be approved.  If they don't get approval you move on to the next best plan.

If they took those steps and the government changed their stance and screwed the CSA, I would want that information out there, because they look utterly incompetent at this point.  

Sounds like a good way to proceed in the future, actually.

Then again, how is the government going to feel when the CSA inevitably and publically points the finger at them for denying requests to play politically inconvenient opponents?

[rydermike]

I feel like Canada can just pull the Ukraine card if FIFA tries to sanction them. Poland, Sweden, and Czech all refused to play Russia after UEFA initially did not cancel the match. There is extremely recent precedent to cancel a scheduled game for political reasons.

[toontownman]

1 minute ago, rydermike said:

I feel like Canada can just pull the Ukraine card if FIFA tries to sanction them. Poland, Sweden, and Czech all refused to play Russia after UEFA initially did not cancel the match. There is extremely recent precedent to cancel a scheduled game for political reasons.

In fairness to those countries they didn't seek out Russia and set up the game before backing out. 

[cornerkick]

6 minutes ago, prairiecanuck said:

Don't worry.  I heard they just posted an add on Kijiji:

Wanted.  A top 50 FIFA ranked football nation to play in Vancouver on June 5th.  All travel expenses and an exorbitant fee will be provided.  Also one guided trip through beautiful Whislter Mountain including a fun zipline excursion included.

We should be fine.    

they can substitute Grouse mtn for Whistler... it's open for the summer and is much closer.  Probably save a few thousand dollars..

[Obinna]

4 minutes ago, JamboAl said:

I wouldn't use this board as indicative of the general public.  The only thing people cared about here was getting friendly(ies).  A few of us might have been thinking...not a good idea to play Iran here.  But the royal we are not blameless on this either.  

The general public didn't know about this game until Trudeau said it was a bad idea.

To expect the CSA should have anticipated the media would go on a crusade to attack the game following negative public comments from the PM is a bit much, that's all I am saying.

[Obinna]

7 minutes ago, Gian-Luca said:

Absolutely. This is a horrible precedent to be setting, and if the government denied Iran Visas or pressured the CSA to cancel the game, FIFA might even see that as government interference in soccer, which could lead to the national team being suspended, never mind hosting.

This. 

[canuckgbp]

Gong show seems like the appropriate term. Percent of blame to who? Idk, but this seems to stem from poor communication from both sides. And probably lots of incompetence.