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

[Gian-Luca]

14 minutes ago, Alex said:

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

There was a reference to tickets being available for the Canada Iran match, but its been edited out now. The press release as it currently stands mentions both "three games" (in the quotes from Herdman) and now "two matches" being broadcast on Onesoccer, as I guess they can't edit Herdman's quote.

[prairiecanuck]

3 minutes ago, Obinna said:

This. 

Oh we all know Fifa can be bribed.  Time to start a go fund me page.

[Gian-Luca]

3 minutes ago, Obinna said:

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.

Exactly. It wasn't even the soccer pundit media doing this but the political media, who are all basically clueless about the game of soccer to begin with who subsequently persuaded a whole bunch of other people who don't care about soccer (the general public) that this was a bad idea, in the process making it seem like the standard practice of host nations paying countries to come and play friendlies at home was some sort of corrupt greasing of palms. Which I guess demonstrates an answer to the question in the thread about how far we are from becoming a soccer nation.

[Obinna]

2 minutes ago, prairiecanuck said:

Oh we all know Fifa can be bribed.  Time to start a go fund me page.

Nice way to get your bank account frozen.

[narduch]

CSA probably going to lose $500k+ on this fiasco 

[Ian Kennedy]

An unfortunate cancellation.

I was thinking (probably naively and optimistically) that Herdman et al were thinking “above” politics.  That football/soccer/sport could be better than politics;  that athletic endeavor continues to be one of the few areas left in our culture where we could come together peacefully and in a dignified way (and forgive the mistakes of some for the benefit of the whole) … but I am an idealist and too much a philosopher.  

[InglewoodJack]

Can’t wait for the post WC Bontis interview where he says that all of the World Cup windfall is going to legal fees, and we drop back to 80th in the world for circumstances “out of our control” 

[Obinna]

That's a good point, actually. 

So much talk from us about the CSA not having foresight to anticipate the political ramifications, but perhaps it wasn't that at all. Perhaps it was that they (perhaps naively) thought sport could transcend politics. That would be consistent with their statement about the game a week ago. 

[ray]

June 5th can't come fast enough but we should stick to our guns and play the match.  Tens of thousands of Canada fans bought tickets and saw no issue.  It will all blow over afterward unless we cave to the outrage du jour.

Where was the outrage when our Olympians went to China following the "2 Michaels" situation?  It was all about the coming together of athletes then ... 🙄

 

Dang it, they caved! 

Edited May 26, 2022 by ray
I'm to slow to keep up with the latest news!

[prairiecanuck]

3 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Nice way to get your bank account frozen.

So you missed the joke element of that post..lol.

[reggietfc]

i guess canada wont be playing russia in hockey anytime soon

[prairiecanuck]

Argentina plays in Wembley on June 1 against Italy, Brazil June 11th.  I feel like we move the game back a day, June 6th against Canada.  Just pay a massive fee and bring them in!  Ok..that's probably not going to happen.  One can dream.

[narduch]

1 minute ago, reggietfc said:

i guess canada wont be playing russia in hockey anytime soon

They have been banned from the World Juniors that are taking place this summer in Alberta

[Obinna]

2 minutes ago, prairiecanuck said:

So you missed the joke element of that post..lol.

haha I did, but see it now. Well played, sir.

[Gian-Luca]

Unless they can find a replacement in a hurry, it means that this group of players still won't have played any team outside our region until at least September, just two months before the World Cup starts. Even then there will be slim pickings since we'll have to find a team that our country might not conceivably have any moral issue with, lest another media shitstorm erupts and another cancellation occurs. So the other 68 nations besides Qatar that criminalize homosexuality are clearly off the table for starters...

[Corazon]

Unfortunately Argentina is not coming to Canada on short notice to play on turf.  The CSA's pressure to rightfully reward Vancouver for their patience might have also narrowed the list of countries willing to play Canada from the start.

Edited May 26, 2022 by Corazon

[canuckgbp]

50 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

 

Brotherhood being strained? 

[Obinna]

1 minute ago, Gian-Luca said:

Unless they can find a replacement in a hurry, it means that this group of players still won't have played any team outside our region until at least September, just two months before the World Cup starts. Even then there will be slim pickings since we'll have to find a team that our country might not conceivably have any moral issue with, lest another media shitstorm erupts and another cancellation occurs. So the other 68 nations besides Qatar that criminalize homosexuality are clearly off the table for starters...

1. Is the Mali-Ecuador friendly still going ahead.

2. IF it is not, do they fall within those 68 nations?

(I am guessing they do)

[Obinna]

1 minute ago, canuckgbp said:

Brotherhood being strained? 

Not at all. Being a brotherhood doesn't mean everyone must share the same opinions about everything. You're thinking of something else.

[ag futbol]

The incompetence from all involved here (the government and the CSA) is really awe inspiring. Both parties are beyond help.

Somehow a can’t-miss opportunity to schedule a friendly which would have made the association millions of dollars, provided much needed world-cup prep for our team, and given our fans an opportunity to celebrate recent success, devolved into this farce. 

Someone at the CSA should be relieved of their duties 

[K-Dub]

Any chance of getting one of Albania, Iceland or Israel? 

That might be best chance, although the game would likely have to be played in Toronto (or Montreal). 

Bit of a Hail Mary at this point

[canuckgbp]

Just now, Obinna said:

Not at all. Being a brotherhood doesn't mean everyone must share the same opinions about everything. You're thinking of something else.

Well clearly Herdman and/or upper mgmt were thinking one way, and some players were on the opposite end. If it comes to refusing to play, I would say that is brotherhood being strained. Seems like CSA was going ahead regardless and that the gov said Iranian players wouldn't be allowed in. 

I would like to know the timeline in all this. How soon did the gov start telling CSA this would be an issue? Were they internally putting pressure on the CSA and then Trudeau did his press conference? Or was this not a problem until it suddenly became one. 

[Gian-Luca]

3 minutes ago, Obinna said:

1. Is the Mali-Ecuador friendly still going ahead.

2. IF it is not, do they fall within those 68 nations?

(I am guessing they do)

I am going by this list from 2021:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-43822234

Neither Mali or Ecuador are on the list. I am reluctant to point out that Morocco is lest Justin Trudeau hears about this, declares it a "bad idea" to play them and we are forced to forfeit our 3rd match of the World Cup.

[JamboAl]

HYPOTHETICALLY, what if John Herdman asked for this friendly?  Should his head roll?  (my answer is no)

[youllneverwalkalone]

This incident is so rooted in cancel culture and the fragility that Trudeau so perfectly represents. His dad would have invited those Soviets and whooped their ass cause sometimes sport is the only (humane) way you can fight a war.

But these days we are such pussies and can't have two conflicting ideas in your head or you'll explode.

Welcome to 1984!