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Canada fails to qualify for Beijing Games

LARRY MILLSON

From Friday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 11:36 PM EDT 20/03/08

United States wins 3-0 to end Canada's campaign for first soccer appearance since 1984 ...Read the full article

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  1. Phil G from Canada writes: It would have saved most people a click if they'd headlined the article, 'Canadian soccer team fails to make Beijing Games'.
  2. B I from Toronto, Canada writes: Hey Will Johnson, the MLS doesn't look so bad now does it as you can't seem to score goals for club or country and just got thumped by a team full of American MLS players?
  3. tyler watson from Canada writes: Better luck next time, good game guys, go canada.
  4. Alias No Name from Vanuatu writes: They should have come out 4:3:3 and/or at least 4:5:1 to play attack as they did in the 3 previous games...

    To go back to the 'proven looser' 4:4:2 for Canada at the beginning was the deciding factor...

    We couldn't get out of the half this way and that's why the Americans won...

    Nick Dasovic made a tactical mistake to do that and listen to the obsolete incompetent 4:4:2 crowd at CSA....

    I think that Mexico was more dangerous team then this USA and in that game Canada tied because of the initial attack...and so on...

    Too bad...
  5. guy tozer from Saskatoon, Canada writes: Canadian soccer reminds me of Jamaican bobsledding. A no go!
  6. Alias No Name from Vanuatu writes: That Team could have done it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  7. Namys From Canada from Toronto, Canada writes: Time and again Canada fails to recognize the obvious - you can't make it to the big league 'on the cheap'. You can't be one of the best without spending money. No money (read - long term investments) for soccer? No Olympic games! Isn't that obvious? Does it hurt? Yes, it does.

    It is a part of the bigger problem facing Canada. Leadership of this country both political an d business - doesn't matter Conservative or Liberal - seems not to understand that in order to be the leader in any area you must invest in that area. One area - Canada must start spending serious funds on research - look at the Americans and their expenditures for R&D. We are always will be the second (or third, or fourth, but never the first) unless our leaders change their mentality and start investing in the future.

    Spend on research of the new, and not on marketing of the old!
  8. Den ime from Canada writes: Phil G from Canada wrote: It would have saved most people a click if they'd headlined the article, 'Canadian soccer team fails to make Beijing Games'.

    Phil this article is in soccer section,I'm glad you lost some time by clicking on it.No go back to hockey.
    Last night game just shows how much we went in reverse for past 20-25 years.
    CSA (Canadian Soccer Association) is ready for overhaul more than ever.We must bring younger soccer knowledgeable people in CSA.
    We have more kids playing soccer than hockey,what we don't have like in hockey is the structure. SACK THE CSA !!

    U23 boys did more than anyone expected,good luck in future boys.
  9. Matthew Townsend from Brooklyn, United States writes: It was a pretty poor result but not entirely unexpected given the strength of the US sqaud.

    Where does the buck stop? I don't think with the players as you can't fault them for their effort. It's not as if they didn't work hard or play with passion.

    With the coach? Doubtful. Like the old saying goes you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. That's not going back to blaming the players. That just means that the team wasn't given enough time and/or access to resources in order to prepare adequately for the tournament.

    This types of results will continue until such time as the brass of the CSA get back to focusing on developing the game in Canada and leave the backroom politics aside. Just think what that money they wasted on the Nykamp lawsuit could have done for the development/preparation of the Olympic team and/or other National teams.
  10. JOHN PALANDRA from Toronto, Canada writes: That first goal was dreadfull! It was all downhill after that.
  11. Dave Hunt from Canada writes: Phil G: There is tons of soccer fans who are interested and passionately follow the sport no matter what. In case you haven't heard...TFC is SOLD OUT for the second season and 2500 fans are invading Columbus, Ohio on March 29th for TFC's opening game! As far as the national program goes, the goverment needs to get serious and the CSA needs to be completely restractured. As far as your enthusiam for your sport goes Phil...just keep on laying on those eggs...they might hatch some time soon.
  12. Philip Ferguson from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada writes: So, perhaps I'm not as "up" on sports as I should be, but I shouldn't need to wait until the third paragraph of the article before I can figure out what sport the author was talking about. All I knew was it was a summer sport!!
  13. Brian McAuliffe from Providence, RI, United States writes: The Canadian boys had a decent tournament, behaved like men and lost to a pretty talented team. Our American boys did what they had to do. But what do you Canadians expect from your CSA? You've pretty much admitted that you can't start your own league. You hope that MLS forgets that it's an American league and expands to only TWO more of your cities, Vancouver and Montreal (that won't happen, though, because USSF might not let it). I can't see the CSA attracting the kind of sponsorship that the can-do MLS and USSF have attracted. Until Canadians take full control over the development of soccer in Canada, until Canada establishes its own league (don't give me the "distance" argument; Boston to LA is not exactly Mississauga to Oshawa) and until Canadians conquer their pessimism, no sponsor would go near the sport or the CSA. You guys have a lot going for you. Have some guts and get it together. And let us have our own league.
  14. Two Sense from Saskatoon, Canada writes: Where do soccer players come from? To paraphase the lyrics to a song, "thank God for liitle soccer players because little soccer players get bigger every day." The point; players at the National level get there by starting out at age five chasing a ball around in groups of eight kids. Then what happens? Well, these kids get older and some show their natural ability and get picked to play on "competitive teams." Then the bad politics and parental interference get going at a fever pace because every parent thinks their kid is going to win a soccer scholarship or play for Canada. At this point, some kids drop out because the cost, in terms of money and B.S., become to great. Other kids move ahead because of ability, others not so much because of their ability but because they "fit in" or their parents have influence because they know the coach or are the coach. By the time the kids reach U16, many lose interest because the team jacket is no longer a novelty or because the "team" of individuals fails due to too many personal agendas and lack of player development. So, blame CSA, yes they need to get there act together but so do the Provincial Associations, the Boards at the Club level, and Coaches. Parents get some perspective and players start working hard at practice instead of goofing off because you have "made the team." Somewhere out there are a few five year old kids who may be the future Stars of Soccer in Canada and abroad. If we can keep the bad politics and interferring parents out of the picture these kids will have a chance. By the way, the 4:4:2 is a good formation if you are protecting a two goal lead. Coaches, let's try something else until we get a two goal lead like ... attack! I have noticed that not too many teams are able to win a Soccer Match by scoring less goals than their opponent. Brilliant observation, eh!
  15. Broad Vacant from St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada writes: Not only a decent tournament - they beat the Guatemalans 5-0, and they'll get to go to the Olympics!
  16. Alias No Name from Vanuatu writes: Let's hope that now with Mr. Hart at the helms,the NTC/RTC centers will become more of a talent generating/game playing/travelling organization....

    4:4:2 is fine if the forwards are actually playing that role and get supported by the outside midfield...

    So,you may as well do a variation of the 4:3:3 until you do lead....

    Canada had all 10 players saturating the middfield and getting in their own way .......

    Plus some of the easy passes and give aways were from "rec soccer"....

    The USA played a fast game,but any player at this level has to be able to react to it,otherwise why are they on that team?
  17. red marabunta from Barbados writes: Someone should tell these lads the object of the game is to put the ball in your opponents goal not kick it around in your own half. No wonder most Canadians find the game boring. The desire and drive to win doesn't seem to be there and I think I know why. When I coached kids soccer in Canada I probably had 14 to 18 kids signed up. When we had tournaments the pressure from parents to get their kid included in the team was tremendous. They thought everyone should have equal time on the pitch irregardless of ability, substitution to accomodate the poor players frustrated the good players who felt it didn't matter how well or poorly they played they would still get on the team. I have seen similar attitudes in swimming, because of parents interference coaches daren't give the potential winners any extra attention...parents bah and humbug...in Canada they think a coaches job is baby sitting
  18. Alias No Name from Vanuatu writes: They call that "grasroots" "clubs" and by doing more of that is suppose to improve soccer in Canada?

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