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

[Unnamed Trialist]

Then there is the whole question of how the CSA found reasons to not play a qualifier in BC. Justified, more or less.

The BC government comes back on board for the World Cup, arguing even that they need to get full value out of the investment into BC Place. FIFA seems to respond positively.

Then the CSA screws up the first chance at a big match in BC to celebrate being qualified and prep for the WC. Leaving BC Place with a near minnow rival and the Vancouver bid hurt because they couldn't just play pretty well any other rival in front of a good crowd. 

I realise the twits at BC Soccer are even less skilled than Bontis, but you'd think, as a member of a federated system, BC Soccer would be asking Bontis WTF?

Why would anyone outside of Ontario vote for that guy to be CSA president, he hasn't done a thing outside of the GTA-Hamilton axis.

[Gian-Luca]

8 minutes ago, canucksfan said:

This isn't true. The families of the victims were already contacting media outlets and publicizing their protest to this game. People were already talking about how iffy it was here in Vancouver and journalists were starting to write articles. Then he was asked about it and gave a non-commital and neutral answer that he had concerns about the game.

I'm aware that there was political activism going on before that, but it clearly blew up and went viral nationally from the PM giving what I don't really think can reasonably be called a "neutral" opinion in his answer.

[xabuep2]

This game was supposed to celebrate the moment of qualifying for a World Cup after 36 years and the return of Alfonso Davies. The best answer was that almost 50k tickets were sold. And face another World Cup team. I am very sorry about the cancellation. I hope it does not create a bad precedent with Canada being one of the host nations for the 2026 World Cup

[scullion44]

Should have just rescheduled it to be in Buffalo or something. We get our friendly and people get to score their political points. Win/win

[ag futbol]

8 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Then there is the whole question of how the CSA found reasons to not play a qualifier in BC. Justified, more or less.

The BC government comes back on board for the World Cup, arguing even that they need to get full value out of the investment into BC Place. FIFA seems to respond positively.

Then the CSA screws up the first chance at a big match in BC to celebrate being qualified and prep for the WC. Leaving BC Place with a near minnow rival and the Vancouver bid hurt because they couldn't just play pretty well any other rival in front of a good crowd. 

I realise the twits at BC Soccer are even less skilled than Bontis, but you'd think, as a member of a federated system, BC Soccer would be asking Bontis WTF?

Why would anyone outside of Ontario vote for that guy to be CSA president, he hasn't done a thing outside of the GTA-Hamilton axis.

From our outside view of things, it’s very hard to tell how effective the CSA leadership team is. The slowness to book friendlies, release rosters, and other things is frustrating of course but hardly the bottom line when it comes to how well the organization is run.

That said, I still remember listing to him speak at halftime of some game and feeling thoroughly unimpressed. He slaughtered the viewer with shitty colloquialisms like “boys & girls” and articulated ideas is such a low-level manner.

Reminded me of a used car salesman.

Edited May 26, 2022 by ag futbol

[nfitz]

5 hours ago, king1010 said:

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

Plus penalties. 

If the translation on this tweet is correct, Iran is seeking $10 million in compensation, as per the penalty in contract they signed with CSA.  Though the translation of the $ currency may be wrong.

Edit ... digging further, the "دلاری" appears to translate to Canadian dollars.

Edited May 26, 2022 by nfitz
دلاری

[Unnamed Trialist]

1 minute ago, nfitz said:

Plus penalties. 

If the translation on this tweet is correct, Iran is seeking $10 million in compensation, as per the penalty in contract they signed with CSA.  Though the translation of the $ currency may be wrong. 

This is the sort of stuff we'll be able to spin in our favour, I'm fine with it. 

We'll get to argue they were going to breach the contract by having non-soccer officials requesting visas. Or that their inaction in relation to investigating the case made them a security problem. 

It'll just push into our government requiring that much more for the compensation to the victims, apart from pursuing the case even more insistently through international criminal courts.

[ag futbol]

7 minutes ago, Gian-Luca said:

I'm aware that there was political activism going on before that, but it clearly blew up and went viral nationally from the PM giving what I don't really think can reasonably be called a "neutral" opinion in his answer.

If he comes out neutral on this , the Toronto Sun turns Trudeau into the Ayatollah in short order and other outlets wouldn’t be far behind.

There is no world where a Canadian PM leaves an opening to be perceived as supporting Iran.

[Obinna]

Brutal if true. The CSA doesn't have that kind of money to waste on litigation.

I know to a degree this was the CSA shooting themselves in the foot, but the government and media did them no favors. Are they going to help or compensate the CSA for doing their bidding? They were forced to cancel this by the government, after all.  

[Gian-Luca]

13 minutes ago, ag futbol said:

I don’t know if it quite qualifies as a paradox. 

Once the question is asked, this really only goes one way. Trudeau has to take a stance once it’s tabled. Anything less than coming out against Iran will get him roasted. 

His answer actually left an opening to do nothing. But since this refused to die and all parties are universally saying it should be cancelled, there was only one outcome.

I am no Trudeau fan but if I was assigning order of blame here he’s way down the list.

I take it you mean all "political parties", as there were lots of parties to the agreement to play the game who didn't want it cancelled.

 

[Redpunkfiddle]

2 hours ago, Califax said:

.

The sound of my mind on a brilliant day in Nova Scotia.

[Sal333]

The CSA has cancelled the Iran friendly however they announced two friendlies in September against Russia and North Korea.

 

 

[Obinna]

1 minute ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

This is the sort of stuff we'll be able to spin in our favour, I'm fine with it. 

We'll get to argue they were going to breach the contract by having non-soccer officials requesting visas. Or that their inaction in relation to investigating the case made them a security problem. 

It'll just push into our government requiring that much more for the compensation to the victims, apart from pursuing the case even more insistently through international criminal courts.

Do we know yet whether it was the non-soccer officials that had their visas denied? For all we know it was the players and/or coaching staff. 

Not saying I think that's most likely, but just throwing it out there.

[ag futbol]

Just now, Gian-Luca said:

I take it you mean all "political parties", as there were lots of parties to the agreement to play the game who didn't want it cancelled.

 

Yes, exactly. Neither the liberals or conservatives would take a soft stance on Iran.
 

I personally had no issue with it. But the court of public opinion on this one is… ooof

[Obinna]

Another thing. IF the CSA really never wanted to cancel the friendly, why did they? Did the government really force them as @Admin was saying? If so, all I can say is look what acquiescing to the government gets you. If the CSA pushed ahead and the game couldn't happen due to visas not being granted, at least the heat then would be on the government, not the association. After all, it's seemingly the government that never wanted the game to happen, not the CSA.

What a mess.

Edited May 26, 2022 by Obinna

[Gian-Luca]

9 minutes ago, nfitz said:

Plus penalties. 

If the translation on this tweet is correct, Iran is seeking $10 million in compensation, as per the penalty in contract they signed with CSA.  Though the translation of the $ currency may be wrong. 

I am skeptical about this. Why would there be a clause in the contract to play stating that a team is owed $10 million if the game is cancelled?

Otherwise, they would have a heck of a time proving damages of $10 million (unless its $10 million in Canadian tire money they are referring to).

[devioustrevor]

I thought the days of the CSA being a clownshow were over.

[nfitz]

5 minutes ago, Sal333 said:

The CSA has cancelled the Iran friendly however they announced two friendlies in September against Russia and North Korea.

That will be fun! Watching North Korea at BMO previously was a bit unnerving watching free kicks being taken against them. They lined up, and not one person moved in the slightest as the ball went right for them.

[JamboAl]

20 minutes ago, scullion44 said:

Should have just rescheduled it to be in Buffalo or something. We get our friendly and people get to score their political points. Win/win

No way the US Government lets the Iranians in for a friendly.

[InglewoodJack]

27 minutes ago, Obinna said:. 

He also said we are no better than the Americans (in a disparaging way). Aren't disparaging comments toward America pretty "un-Fox" like? Taking issue with his posts because they sound like Fox news is just a red herring, whether you realize it or not. And I really think you missed the core point of of his posts if that's your take away. Maybe because you didn't like what he said about Canada?

I mean, you even say it here..."under the guise of it's insulting to Iran". What do you mean "under the guise", what are you even suggesting here, that he gave us fake outrage over the game's cancellation as a cover so that he could propagate Fox News talking points? 

 

Conservative media in the US hates America more than anyone- their whole business is telling you how awful their country has become. I’m saying under the guise because it seems like every few weeks a poster joins to complain about something and ties it back to “the liberal media and Trudeau!!!” and it feels like they’re using the story Du jour to shoehorn in their feelings on our government which did not change because of the Iran thing. People can talk shit about Canada all they want, and I don’t much care for Trudeau, but I care even less about the brain fried “Trudeau took arrr freedum!!!” Bullshit.

[narduch]

3 minutes ago, JamboAl said:

No way the US Government lets the Iranians in for a friendly.

The US won't even let in Cuba or Haitian club teams

[Unnamed Trialist]

16 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Do we know yet whether it was the non-soccer officials that had their visas denied? For all we know it was the players and/or coaching staff. 

Not saying I think that's most likely, but just throwing it out there.

No seriously, I do not know.

But the point is, you can always take a clause in the contract (security, visas, insurance, others), and use it to make your case. 

We have to appreciate the fact that no reason was given allows the CSA to build its case without arguing a point in the media. So if you don't say why, they can't accuse you of doing it for this or that reason. 

If there is anything we've seen these days, friendlies get made and unmade at a very fast pace and we've seen many cases of this in just 2 weeks, ours is just one more. This suggests that breaking standard contracts for friendlies is reasonably easy and the costs are not high. Morocco broke their contract with Peru to play here in Barcelona June 5, with tickets already announced, and I don't see anyone taking legal measures.

Edited May 26, 2022 by Unnamed Trialist

[Obinna]

1 minute ago, InglewoodJack said:

Conservative media in the US hates America more than anyone- their whole business is telling you how awful their country has become. I’m saying under the guise because it seems like every few weeks a poster joins to complain about something and ties it back to “the liberal media and Trudeau!!!” and it feels like they’re using the story Du jour to shoehorn in their feelings on our government which did not change because of the Iran thing. People can talk shit about Canada all they want, and I don’t much care for Trudeau, but I care even less about the brain fried “Trudeau took arrr freedum!!!” Bullshit.

No. That is not "hating America", that is sounding the alarm (from their perspective). If they hated America and believed it has become so awful they'd celebrate that. Think about it.

[Metro]

11 minutes ago, Gian-Luca said:

I am skeptical about this. Why would there be a clause in the contract to play stating that a team is owed $10 million if the game is cancelled?

Otherwise, they would have a heck of a time proving damages of $10 million (unless its $10 million in Canadian tire money they are referring to).

10 million Rial is about $300.00 Cdn according to xe.com.  Don't worry guys, I'll get this one.

[reggietfc]

24 minutes ago, nfitz said:

Plus penalties. 

If the translation on this tweet is correct, Iran is seeking $10 million in compensation, as per the penalty in contract they signed with CSA.  Though the translation of the $ currency may be wrong.

Edit ... digging further, the "دلاری" appears to translate to Canadian dollars.

im looking forward to this going to judge judy