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Huge game for the men's team tonight at 5:00pm, on TSN. Win and they are almost guaranteed to make the final stage of World Cup qualifying. As previously mentioned, it would be the furthest the have been in 20 years, so a little pressure. Their final round game is Tuesday night, 10:00pm, also on TSN. Only 3 or 4 out of 35 countries in CONCACAF will make it to Russia for World Cup 2018.
i'm as pro-Canada and biased as anyone, but I would be shocked if Canada won. I'd be quite happy if they pulled a draw out of this one. Am I still shell-shocked from last qualifying cycle? 100%. Will I be watching? 100%. Good luck to them - they'll need it. CONCACAF on the road is a tough one to predict - shaky refereeing compounded by the crazy fans makes for interesting results.
Let's hope for at least a point, maybe a goal and a slim win. Would LOVE to see the guys get to the next round - especially program guys like Julian de Guzman, Atiba Hutchinson, etc. who've stuck it out and answered the call whenever it's occurred.
I fully expect some questionable calls tonight. As long as they are not penalties, they have a chance. Should be exciting regardless.
With great goaltending, Canada still lose 2-1 to Honduras. The result realistically (not mathematically) eliminates them from making it to the World Cup. Sigh.
We seem to be getting worse at soccer, not better. The MLS was suppose to change that, it has not.
The MLS came about to develop American soccer. There was never any consideration given to it developing Canadian soccer, even after three Canadian teams entered the league. If we really want to be serious about Canadian men's soccer, then we need our own league. The problem is if our own league would be financially viable. Would Torontonians support a team in an all-Canadian soccer league as much as they do TFC? I doubt it.Quote:
Originally Posted by jojoheath
Absolutely correct.Quote:
Originally Posted by ArgoRavi
Look at the support for the Argonauts in an all-Canadian league.
It's American or nothing in Toronto.
Interesting article from the UK about this. Explains things quite nicely but I never knew the CSA had the power to block the Whitecaps, FC and the Impact from playing in the MLS. Can't ever see that happening.Quote:
Originally Posted by ArgoRavi
https://www.theguardian.com/football...rican-citizens
I suppose that is the problem, right? Canadians who are MLS "supporters" don't ever want to see themselves in a domestic league. Canada is the only country in the world without a first division soccer league, and the biggest "fans" of Canadian soccer teams are peachy-keen with this situation, and would in fact be up in arms it there was any suggestion that they leave the American league (which was created to advance American soccer), and join a domestic league. But hey, if you are a fan of Canadian soccer, that's just the way it is right? Don't ever dare suggest that Canada should have its own league, that would be "bush," completely "second rate" and totally uncool. In sports, in Canada, it only matters if you are American for far too many Canadians.
Couldn't have said it any better than this ^^^^.Quote:
Originally Posted by Downtownfan
Canadian Men's team ranks 100th and Women's 4th Imagine this were hockey--the country would be in an uproar. MLS is for advancement of American players not Canadian and yet TFC fans don't seem the least bit annoyed at this blatant discrimination against Canadians. A simple solution would be, to make all foreign players, including Americans, designated Internationals and only Canadians as domestic for the 3 Canadian based teams. Since 8 spots are reserved for International, even if not a hard and fast rule for each club, it would require the 3 Canadian clubs to develop and play a lot more Canadian players, which would help the National team. Can't understand why this is not a hot issue for Canadian soccer fans especially fans those who follow TFC, Whitecaps and Impact. Am missing something here?
There is a movement afoot to change that. The new head of the regional federation (Concacaf) is Canadian Victor Montagliani. He wants to see the implementation of a new Canadian league (CPL). His former? job was head of the CSA. He is now making noise that if MLS doesn't change and allow similar status for Canadian players across the board, the CSA does have the power to not allow MLS in Canada. They have to sign off on allowing a foreign league teams in their territory.
The timing of this is interesting in light of the new Canadian league. The Americans say their labour laws don't allow this and how do you allow rights to a Canadian and not a Honduran, for example.
The Toronto fans are just strange so I really couldn't say what their feelings are regarding this but seeing as their main rivalries are the Impact and Whitecaps, I don't know what glamour they see in playing Columbus Crew or Orlando City. The main MLS TV contract amounts to the same amount per team as the CFL but they have an agreement with SUM the marketing arm of the US national teams and that is where most of the money comes from.
Herdman to replace Zambrano as Canadian men’s soccer team coach
John Molinaro sportsnet.ca January 8, 2018
In a shocking development that has major implications for both the Canadian men’s and women’s soccer programs, John Herdman has replaced Octavio Zambrano as coach of the national men’s team, effective immediately.
Canada Soccer confirmed to Sportsnet on Monday evening that Zambrano has departed after being hired last year, and that Herdman, who has served as the coach of the Canadian women’s team since 2011, will take control of the men’s side. Herdman has also been named the Canadian men’s national team program director. In his new role, Herdman will be responsible for all the national youth teams, from the under-14 age level and up, all the way through to the national senior team.
Kenneth Heiner-Møller will take over as Canadian women’s national team program director and head coach – Heiner-Møller has been an assistant coach under Herdman since 2015. Also, Bev Priestman will assume the role of National EXCEL Director U15-U23 and women’s national team under-20 coach, as well as women’s national team assistant coach.
“We felt as an organization that we needed to make some decisions for the longer term and our long-term philosophy, looking at growth of the men’s national team program and the youth development program. In terms of that review, we determined that we had the ideal candidate internally in John Herdman,” Canada Soccer president Steve Reed explained in a one-on-one interview with Sportsnet.
“We thought now was the time to look to John to lead the men’s program and emulate what he’s done with the women’s program.”
While Reed maintains that this change was made in order to give Herdman full control, from youth level to the senior team, for the long-term benefit of the men’s program, one well-place source told Sportsnet that Zambrano’s tenure as coach was viewed as “a disaster” within some quarters of Canada Soccer.
Asked to characterize the terms of Zambrano’s departure, whether he was fired or he left by mutual consent, Reed said: “It was an organizational decision. He has departed from Canada Soccer. We wish him the best of luck.”
Reed declined to give any details on Herdman’s contract with the men’s team, only that it was a multi-year deal, but you have to think it’ll at least carry through Canada’s qualifying campaign for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Canada is also in the running to co-host the 2026 World Cup with the United States and Mexico.
“We have some significant developments coming up, and from an organizational perspective we viewed John as being the person who can take leadership in that role, and move us towards what we want to do, and that’s qualify for the next two World Cups,” Reed said.
Born in England, Herdman was awarded the 2017 Jack Donohue “Coach of the Year” Award from the Coaching Association of Canada, and has a history of success with the Canadian women’s team, including winning a pair of Olympic bronze medals.
“It’s an honour to work on the men’s side, and to be able to stay in Canada, as well. As a family man, we’ve settled here, we’ve lived here for six years. My son and daughter are pretty settled, and with other opportunities there was a chance that we might’ve had to leave Canada. … This is good news that we can establish our roots here and pushing the game forward, albeit on the men’s side,” Herdman told Sportsnet in a one-on-one interview.
Herdman, 42, has never coached a national men’s team. Prior to taking the Canadian job, he managed New Zealand’s national women’s side from 2006 to 2011.
The women’s team has enjoyed its greatest success under Herdman, who led Canada to bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Herdman’s side also reached the quarterfinals of the 2015 FIFA World Cup staged in Canada, the team’s best showing since finishing fourth at the 2003 tournament – the Reds bowed out in the first round of the 2007 and 2011 World Cups.
Herdman said he made it known to Canada Soccer in early 2017 that he wanted to eventually make the transition into men’s coaching, and that he planned to step away from the Canadian women’s team in 2020. That, in part, appears to have led to his appointment. He told Sportsnet that he recently received job offers from a men’s club in North America, and one from a prominent women’s national team from abroad.
“From a motivational side, you get to that point in your career where you’re starting to feel ready for a new challenge, and the stars sort of aligned in some ways that some opportunities were presented in front of us… They were very good opportunities. I had some tough decisions to make and that led towards keeping a future here in Canada,” Herdman said.
He later added: “I’d always sort of talked about moving into the men’s game, and one of those opportunities came up, and a pretty prestigious opportunity came up on the women’s side. That was a big decision, as well. It’s been a crazy two months for us… [but] I felt I was ready for a new challenge, and this is where it’s ended up. I’m bloody excited.”
The possibility of losing Herdman didn’t drive the process behind this change, Reed explained.
“When you have someone who’s been as successful as John has been, there’s always a concern that there’s suitors out there looking to hire him away. … That’s always something you have to contend with, but that was not the motivating factor in this decision. Looking from an organizational perspective, it was a matter of what we have and where we want to go, and we felt that John was the right man for the job,” Reed said.
This represents one of the biggest shakeups in the history of Canadian soccer, with Zambrano being axed less than a year on the job. Zambrano was hired last March as the Canadian men’s team coach, taking over from Benito Floro, who did not have his contract renewed the previous September following the Reds’ elimination from 2018 World Cup qualifying.
Zambrano, 59, previously was in charge of the LA Galaxy and New York MetroStars in Major League Soccer. He also coached pro teams in Moldova, Hungary, Colombia and his native Ecuador.
This was Zambrano’s first job as a national team manager, and he had his work cut out right from the beginning – Canada was 117th in the FIFA world rankings, sandwiched between Botswana and Nicaragua, when he took over the coaching reigns. What’s more, Canada had not qualified for the World Cup since 1986 in Mexico (its lone appearance), and last made it to the Hex (the final round of World Cup qualifying in the CONCACAF region) for the 1998 competition held in France.
Canada also had a rough go of it at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, bowing out in the first round in three consecutive tournaments from 2009 to 2013. They even failed to win a game or score a single goal over the course of the 2011 and 2013 tournaments.
Zambrano’s first game in charge was a friendly against Curaçao on June 13, 2017 in a 2-1 win in Montreal. He then guided Canada to the quarter-finals of the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup a month later, the Reds’ first appearance in the knock-out stage of the tournament since 2009.
This represents the 13th coaching change — including interim appointments — in the last 15 years for the Canadian men’s team. No man has held on to his job for four years since Holger Osieck from 1999 to 2003. Floro lasted just over three years in the position.
It’ll be interesting to see how Canada’s players will react to working with a coach who has spent the majority of his soccer career in the women’s game. He anticipates having to convince some that he can handle the job.
“You’d be naïve not to think that there’ll be people in the football community with that perception, and that’s natural. That’s natural for most people that are transitioning, whether it’s women who have moved into men’s pro soccer, or the female referees that have moved into that side of the game,” Herdman said.
“The coaching community over the last 15 years has become more open-minded. You look at the evolution of Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho, coaches who hadn’t played the game at any real level, which was sacrilege 10 to 15 years ago. … It’s more about methodology and what you bring [as a coach].”
He later added: “There will be doubters, for sure. All I’ve got to do is make sure that I put my best effort into this.”
After the news became official on Monday evening, Herdman spoke to iconic Canadian captain Christine Sinclair and other members of the women’s team about his new position and the changes with the with the women’s program.
“It’s with a heavy heart [that I leave the women’s team] because I’ve shared so many bloody, unbelievable moments with them, you’ve been through some of their darkest moments, and they’ve seen me at my worst and I’ve seen them at their worst. I’m going to leave that group behind, but I’m still in Canada and I’ll be a phone call away,” Herdman said.
“I don’t see myself as leaving that program. I’m still there in spirit in my mind.”
Historic win by Canada over the US the other night 2-0. Congrats. Program seems to be headed in the right direction.
Davies named Bundesliga Rookie of the Year
TSN.ca Staff tsn.ca June 19 2020
The silverware is starting to pile up for Alphonso Davies.
Days after the Canada international claimed his second straight Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich, Davies was named recipient of the Bundesliga Rookie Award, given to its rookie of the year.
The award is given out based on combined fan, media and club voting.
Davies beat out Borussia Dortmund's Erling Braut Haaland, Jonjoe Kenny of Schalke, Borussia Monchengladbach's Marcus Thuram and Ismail Jacobs of Koln for the award.
Used as a left-back, Davies has made 37 appearances across all competitions this season for the German champions, including 28 in the league.
During Tuesday's title-clinching game against Werder Bremen, Davies was sent off, but not before being clocked at running 36.51 kilometres per hour, the fastest ever speed timed in the league.
There could still be more trophies in the offing for Davies this season. Bayern meets Bayer Leverkusen on July 4 in the DFB-Pokal Final and the team holds a 3-0 aggregate lead over Chelsea in the Round of 16 of the Champions League set to resume in August.
I’m not going to lie, I’m actually very excited with where Canada currently stands in their qualifying group.
Second tidbit and more important tidbit is that Toronto is currently being discussed as a host city for the US/Canada World Cup. If selected, BMO Field would be renovated to 40k. I’m going to assume this would be temporary unless they really decide to invest with a major upgrade.