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Give Henry a hand!

November 19, 2009 by Frank

A controversial end to a playoff system born in controversy.

Ireland did very well to be in the position where cheating was the only way France could advance. I sincerely feel for fans of the Republic. Not only was the Irish team very likable, they were workmanlike and a team in every sense. The Irish were on the verge of upsetting the underperforming star laden onze from la Republique. But it wasn’t to be. Henry stuck his hand out and handily assisted on the clinching goal in extra time. An awful way to be denied entry into the World Cup. The Irish were robbed.

As for the French, in my opinion Henry should be ashamed. It was not right. It was unsportsmanlike. To say the referee didn’t catch it is to justify breaking any rule, law or regulation and for that Henry’s legacy will have been tarnished. Maybe people will forget, though I’m sure they won’t in Ireland and I wonder if they will forget in England and/or other parts the English speaking football community. But Henry is right, the referee didn’t catch it and after it occurred, if in fact it was a spontaneous reaction, what could he do? Perhaps Paolo di Canio may have said something given his FIFA fair play award earned at West Ham but I suspect most players wouldn’t have.

Some people now demand a replay of the match but I don’t think that’s a good idea. The floodgates would be wide open and really that’s a backhanded way of getting video replay. Really, if anything this event highlights the need for some sort of video replay or, at a very minimum , a well positioned goal line judge.

As for Henry, he admitted he broke the rules (it was evident from the video) and that takes some guts I suppose so give him credit for that. He must also know he’ll be getting it from far and wide from reporters and fans alike. To admit he broke the rule on such an important goal in such an important game, I wonder if FIFA should punish him. Perhaps he should be watching the next World Cup, sadly, just like the Irish.

Posted in World Cup | Tagged , , | 2 Comments »

The Old Firm and a Two-Tier English Premier League

November 16, 2009 by Frank

Bolton chairman Phil Gartside proposed a two tier Premier League with 40 teams including the Old Firm. Why? Money, of course. I have neither the details of how precisely this would work nor the rationale as to how exactly it will improve the game but I am happy to learn that it has been rejected. Now it may be revisited once again, just as it was set aside earlier this year, so I’m pretty sure this isn’t the last we’ve heard of this idea or some variation of it.

The proposal, as it was leaked, potentially makes the drop out of the Premier League less financially devastating and therefore perhaps avoiding the massive financing crisis set to paralyze clubs like Hull. While relegation/promotion between the two tiers of the new Premier League was understood to continue as is, just how a club rises from the Football League into the expanded Premier League is less certain but it will most likely require minimum standards of finances and infrastructure, i.e. it will be harder to be promoted and not necessarily based on sporting achievement. As for the Old Firm, well both Rangers and Celtic believe they need to be in a bigger pond if they have any hope of retaining the lofty achievements for clubs of their pedigree and of course from the Premier League’s perspective, they must somehow see greater revenue.

I am not thrilled with this proposal because I find one of the most entertaining aspects in English football, and soccer worldwide generally speaking, is the common threat/reward of relegation/promotion. Take that away and the game loses much of what drives the season and therefore individual games at both ends of the table and throughout each nation’s pyramid. With this proposal I fear lower league clubs will truly become farm teams and barring a Saudi prince or Russian oligarch, promotion for small clubs will be even less likely than today while potentially driving imprudent financing farther down the pyramid. As for the Old Firm aspect, I do not see any significant increase in EPL revenues by reason of their admission because people all over the world are already watching the EPL, unless of course there is some sort of admission/expansion fee, but the precedent could devastate smaller leagues around Europe (e.g. Should Porto & Benfica joining La Liga? Or Ajax & PSV going to the Bundesliga?), Welsh pro clubs in English football notwithstanding.

In my opinion, or maybe this is just wishful thinking, this proposal didn’t have much chance as it was structured (hopefully for more than just the Old Firm aspect which the EPL seemed to find problematic) and I’m sure there are a number of technical reasons why this won’t work and wasn’t adopted. Although I wonder how many EPL decision makers and club chairs (and which ones at that) were tempted or at least encouraged restructuring the proposal. Afterall the proposal wasn’t trashed, it was set aside for future consideration (perhaps when the current TV deal expires). So while this fundamental shift wasn’t adopted, I worry about what sort of fund raising / parity inducing scheme is next. A draft? An annual all-star game? Salary caps? Three point range goals? Sadly, what I seem to be dreading, whether such a proposal is accepted or not, is if the EPL is learning a little too much from North American sports. Although my advice to the EPL is to preserve the integrity of your game, I wonder who the EPL decision makers in fact are, how they are changing, and whether they share the fans’ priorities.

Posted in EPL | Tagged | 1 Comment »

Update to Last Post

November 14, 2009 by Juve

The response from the CSA  regarding the lack of coverage for the Canadian friendlies is that:

 ”Macedonia does not have tv/internet for us, so we are updating details via our website.  Details to follow from polish FA per match on 18th.”

So, if this is true and Macedonia didn’t have any tv cameras at their stadium, we can’t blame the CSA or Sportsnet for this one.  The fact that there is no TV available from Macedonia does sound surprising, however.

Now, with Canada losing 3-0, maybe it’s good I didn’t see the match!  That said, apparently we didn’t score on two penalties while Macedonia scored on two penalties of their own, which could mean the game was closer than the score-line suggests.

 

P.S.  Since writing this, I’ve read that Canada was outshot 10-0 in the first half and 15-4 overall.  So, the score is a good reflection of the match afterall.

Posted in Canadian Men's National Soccer Team, CSA | 2 Comments »

If the Canadian Men’s Team Plays a Match, and Nobody in Canada sees it, Does it Make a Sound?

November 13, 2009 by Juve

If you’re excited about the continued progress of our Canadian Men’s National team under Steven Hart, forget about watching them on television when they play this weekend’s friendly against Macedonia or on November 18 v. Poland.

Pompey Canuck posted on the 24th Minute Blog that Sportsnet has the rights to these matches.  Does Sportsnet actually plan to air the matches on one of their four networks- no.  Duane Rollins reported on the same blog that GolTV tried unsuccessfully to get the rights to air these matches.

What is wrong with Sportsnet and the CSA?  First, the CSA should be doing everything in it’s power to make sure when selling the rights to broadcast Canada’s matches, that they are actually broadcast.  I’m not a TV network sportcasting lawyer, but a bit of common sense would indicate that the CSA TV rights contract should state that if Sportsnet will not air a match they have rights to, they must surrender the rights to that particular match to whichever other network or webhost makes the best offer. If no offers, the CSA should have the right to air the webcast on its website. 

The CSA goal is to promote the game in Canada.  How is this accomplished when our men’s team has NO visibility.  There are hundreds of thousands of children playing soccer in Canada.  It would be nice for some of them to be able to turn on the TV and find a role model wearing a Canadian soccer jersey.  Maybe then they would aspire to playing for our team, as opposed to Bosnia, Holland or England for example.  The Bosnian Men’s national team game tomorrow will actually be available for Canadian viewers to watch.  Granted it’s a big match, but this is Canada.  You would think on Canadian television you would be able to watch Canada before Bosnia.

If you want to complain about this situation and make an effort to get more exposure for the CMNT you can complain here:

Sportsnet:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/contact/

Rogers Sportsnet
One Mount Pleasant Rd.
Toronto, ON
Canada
M4Y 3A1

Phone: 1-888-451-6363

And the CSA:

Richard Scott
rscott@soccercan.ca

Place Soccer Canada
237 rue Metcalfe Street
Ottawa, ON
K2P 1R2
Tel/Tél: (613) 237-7678
Fax/Télé : (613) 237-1516

Posted in Canadian Matters, Canadian Men's National Soccer Team, CSA | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

Begovic and the CSA- Real Discussions and Less Whining.

November 11, 2009 by Juve

Today Jason Devost posted a blog about Asmir Begovic's decision not to play for Canada, despite being raised here, playing for Canada in the U20, and attending two matches for the CMNT as a back up goalie:
 

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/blogs/2009/11/the_other_side_of_the_asmir_be.html

 

Jason mentions in his article the following illustration about the ineptitude of the CSA:

 

I received a phone call from my former agent in the U.K. prior to Canada’s game against Cyprus in May. He gave me some information about one of his clients – Asmir Begovic – who hadn’t been called up for the Cyprus game.

He told me that the English FA had asked him whether there was a possibility that Begovic could obtain English citizenship. At the time, Begovic was regarded as the best goalkeeper under the age of 21 in the U.K., and if he were to obtain an English passport, he would very likely be selected to play for the England U-21′s.

I passed that information on to the Canadian national team through the necessary channels, and it was met with relative indifference. There was certainly no urgency to seek a commitment from Begovic, nor was there any real fear that Canada was in danger of losing one of its players.

  

For the past several years I have been hearing ad nauseum about the ineptitude of the CSA, how the provincial reps have too much power, how the CSA is useless, what should be done to change/replace/revamp the CSA, how the CSA makes bad decisions, how the CSA is holding back soccer in Canada, why the CSA is to blame for Canada’s failure to advance to the World Cup since 1986, etc. All of these comments are valid, and the CSA truly is inept. The organization doesn’t have the power to do anything properly and it makes poor decisions. The CSA actually seems to accomplish the exact opposite of its purported goals, according to its vision statement, which states:

 

VISION STATEMENT

The vision of Soccer in Canada declares what our sport stands for and is working towards:

•To provide opportunities to all of our Members ranging from World Cup victories to particpation appropriate to everyone’s abilities.

•To encourage positive values in all aspects of the sport.

•To be recognized as a major player in the world’s premier sport.

 

What is missing from all the analysis by Jason Devost (though he has done great work to date), and every other sports reporter in Canada, is any mention of specifically what steps need to be taken to reform, replace or revamp the CSA. We can talk forever about how the CSA is useless. The real question that needs to be answered is: specifically what needs to be done to turn the CSA into an organization that actually accomplishes its goals, rather than impeding them.

 

It seems to me that there are two avenues of possible change: legal and political. Legally, the CSA is governed by the Canadian Soccer Association By-Laws, Rules, Regulations and Administrative Guide. The CSA website has the following link to this document:

 

 http://www.canadasoccer.com/documents/constitution.pdf  

Notable is that the document is listed as 2006-2007. The 2009-2010 document is probably similar, if it exists at all.

The first step that needs to be taken is analyzing the By-Laws and seeing specifically what can be done to initiate appropriate change. If this change is opposed, the media need to publicly expose those individuals from the provincial associations who are holding us back. The CSA is an organization run by people. There are people making bad decisions for Canadian soccer. Who are these people and what are their names? I am not about to engage in a full analysis of the by-laws as I am not a sports reporter being paid to do this. I note however, that the by-laws have the following sections, which could be a starting point for any intelligent analysis:

 
9. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING:
11. VOTING:
12. BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
13. TENURE AND ELECTION:
14. PROCEDURE FOR ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
17. DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS:
19. POWERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
26. AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS, RULES,REGULATIONS
and
27. DISSOLUTION
 
 
Rather than constant whining about how the CSA sucks, maybe someone should actually look deep, and see HOW to effect the change. The best way is to start with the rules.
What I would like to see from some of the media who are actually being paid to analyze soccer in Canada is what steps need to be taken, and by whom. If the change is opposed, tell us who is opposing it, and let’s make this public. Enough whining and ideas. We have plenty of ideas and we all know change is needed.

It’s time for some real change.  Real change means changing the CSA Constitution and by-laws.  Power needs to be taken away from provincial associations and amateurs and more power needs to be given to a centralized body of professionals who can make decisions that will stick, in the best interest of Canadian soccer.

Posted in CSA | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

Soccer on Canadian TV this Week.

November 10, 2009 by Juve

Some great soccer on Canadian television this week in terms of World Cup Qualifiers in particular.  All times are in Eastern.

If you don’t have one of the networks, and can tolerate webcasts, the following website has a ton of soccer content so you can probably find whatever match you are looking for here, whether it’s the Costa Rica WC qualifier, or anything else:

http://atdhe.net/

Tuesday

02:00 pm LIVE Copa del Rey– Barcelona v. Mallorca on Gol TV.

09:00 pm Same day Copa del Rey– Barcelona v. Mallorca on Gol TV.

Friday

11:00 pm  Live- L.A. Galaxy v. Houston on  Gol TV.

Saturday

11:00 am LIVE World Cup Qualifier- Russia v. Slovenia on Setanta.

12:55 pm LIVE World Cup Qualifier- Ukraine v. Greece on Bold and CBCSports.ca

2:50 pm LIVE World Cup Qualififier- France v. Republic of Ireland on TV5.

3:00 om LIVE World Cup Qualifier- Portugal v. Bosnia on Setanta.

Posted in Television | Leave a Comment »

Chelsea Fan Checklist

November 8, 2009 by Juve

The Essential Checklist for Every True Chelsea Fan

Brushing your teeth at the big match.

1) Best seats in the house:

-Check

2) Wearing sunglasses when there is no sun:

-Check

3) Toothpaste:

-Check

4) Toothbrush:

-Check

5) Dental Floss:

-Unkown

6) Mouth Wash:

-Unknown

7) Vigorously brushing teeth on TV while a substitution is being made.

-Check

8 Looking from left to right while holding tooth-brush in mouth with no hands.

- Check

9) Minimizing risk of gingivitis.

- Check

Posted in EPL | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

Trouble at Real Madrid?

November 4, 2009 by Frank

Today Real Madrid took a point from their Champions League hosts AC Milan. While in years past a draw at the San Siro would be satisfying, this year, perhaps a little more is expected from Los Blancos. Despite signing arguably two of the best players in the world in Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, leading their Champions League group, albeit only one point out of 3rd, and accumulating 22 of a possible 27 points in La Liga to trail Barcelona by only one point for 1st place in La Liga, trouble seems to be brewing at the Bernabeu.  How can there be trouble? Easy… it’s Real Madrid.

This weekend’s 10 man 2-0 victory over the Getafe was impressive but it wasn’t enough to erase last week’s humiliating 4-0 Copa Del Rey loss to 3rd division Alcoron. In fact Real’s president Florentino Perez assured manager Manuel Pellegrini’s job was safe for the remainder of the year. While the loss was embarrassing was a vote of confidence necessary? If so, is one year guarantee a true vote of confidence anyway? Was Perez intentionally undermining his new manager too early in the season? Pellegrini was given command of this super club only this past June after many successful seasons building La Liga minnow Villareal into a frequent challenger in Spain and Europe; but some long time followers of Real wondered about the strong-willedPellegrini’s future given that managing at Real means following orders.

From the outset Pellegrini was tested. While any manager would want Kaka and Ronaldo, those acquisitions undermined Pellegrini’s authority from the start. Normally a manager determines who is transferred in and out but not at Real. Pellegrini wanted to keep winger Arjen Robben and fellow Dutch international Wesley Sneijder but was forced to backtrack. In reality, and considering the later addition of Xabi Alonso, selling Robben and Sneijder only made sense given the numbers, both in terms of finances and playing time. The message however was clear – meaningful decisions are not made by Pellegrini. So when Real Madrid lifer Guti and coach Pellegrini clashed last week at the Alcoron match it was understood by the Spanish press that Guti knew he was at Real before Pellegrini and he would be there afterwards too. Cue the managerial speculation.

For some time many have believed that players such as Real legend Raul and other long time players and stars wield much influence at the Bernabeu. Some observers think such clashes between managers and players have influenced the president, resulting in the termination of some of the recent Real managers such as the double Champions League and La Liga winner Vincente Del Bosque. Interestingly, since Del Bosque left Real in June 2003, allegedly on account of continuing transfer differences with Perez, nine managers have been hired at the Bernebeu and since that time there has been little squad consistency and few additions to Real Madrid’s trophy case. Considering Real’s golden history, two La Liga titles and two Spanish Supercups in six years is a barren spell.

Can Pellegrini therefore really manage Real his way? Can he bench Guti, Raul, Kaka or Ronaldo or perhaps give his stars and veterans less than desirable roles that may diminish their direct impact on a game, or worse yet their legacies? Can he favour less heralded but effective players such as Diarra and Higuain? Can he influence the purchase of players in January? Who runs Real Madrid and if not the manager then what kind of success can Real really ever achieve again?

In the long run (barring salary caps or austere financing rules) it’s hard to see Real being something other than a contender for more than a season.  So the questions is can they win titles and more importantly can they win titles this year. In that respect perhaps a one year endorsement of the manager is all Pellegrini needs to have authority over his team. If Pellegrini is guaranteed to last the season with no need to be concerned for next year then maybe Guti and Raul should beware their positions are under threat and new signings Kaka and Ronaldo must also know their positions aren’t guaranteed either. While Pellegrini might have to accept certain players on his team he may be able to determine how to use them. Perhaps then next year isn’t an issue and so with his job certain for the immediate future Pellegrini can demand Real play his way. So while Real may not be settled at the moment and one year isn’t a long time for any manager to build a team, in Real Madrid terms this may actually be a real endorsement of and commitment to the manager because at the end of the day the usual rules don’t apply at Real Madrid.

Posted in La Liga | Tagged | Leave a Comment »

Soccer on Canadian TV This Week

November 2, 2009 by Juve

Great soccer on Canadian television this week:

All times Eastern.

Tuesday

02:30 pm LIVE UEFA Champions League– Man Utd. v. CSKA on Sportsnet East and Ontario.

02:30 pm LIVE UEFA Champions League– AC Milan v. Real Madrid on Sportsnet Pacific and West

02:40 pm LIVE UEFA Champions League– Atheltico Madrid v. Chelsea on Setanta.

06:30 pm Same day UEFA Champions League–Bayern v. Bordeaux on Setanta.

07:30 pm Same day UEFA Champions League– AC Milan v. Real Madrid on Sportsnet East.

07:30 pm Same day UEFA Champions League– AC Milan v. Real Madrid on Sportsnet East.

08:15 pm Same day UEFA Champions League– Atheltico Madrid v. Chelsea on Setanta.

10:00 pm Same day UEFA Champions League– Man Utd. v. CSKA on Setanta.

10:30 pm Same day UEFA Champions League– AC Milan v. Real Madrid on Sportsnet Pacific.

12:00 am Same day UEFA Champions League– AC Milan v. Real Madrid on Sportsnet Ontario.

Wednesday

12:30 pm LIVE UEFA Champions League– FC Rubin v. Barcelona on Sportsnet.

02:30 pm LIVE UEFA Champions League– Arsenal v. Az on Sportsnet East and Ontario.

02:30 pm LIVE UEFA Champions League– D. Kiev v. Inter on Sporstnet Pacific and West.

02:40 pm LIVE UEFA Champions League– Lyon v. Liverpool on Setanta.

06:30 pm LIVE UEFA Champions League– D. Kiev v. Inter on Setanta.

08:15 pm Same day Premier League– West Ham v. Aston Villa on Setanta.

10:00 pm Same day UEFA Champions League– Lyon v. Liverpool on Setanta.

Thursday

8:00 pm LIVE MLS Playoffs Columbus v. Salt Lake City on GOL TV.

Saturday

09:55 am LIVE Premier League– Man City v. Burnley on Setanta.

10:00 am LIVE Premier League– Aston Villa v. Bolton on Sportsnet.

12:25 LIVE Premier League– Wolves v. Arsenal on Setanta.

2:00 pm LIVE La Liga- Mallorca v. Barcelona on GOL TV.

2:30 pm LIVE Serie A- Juventus v. Atalanta on Fox Sports World.

Sunday

8:25 am LIVE Premier League–Hull v. Stoke on Setanta.

9:00 am LIVE Serie A- AC Milan v. Lazio on Fox Sports World.

11:00 am LIVE Premier League– Chelsea v. Man Utd on The Score.

1:00 pm Same day Premier League–West Ham v. Everton on Setanta.

7:30 pm LIVE MLS Playoffs- LA v. Chivas on GOL TV.

Posted in Television | Leave a Comment »

Two Thumbs Down and One Thumb up for the CSA.

October 30, 2009 by Juve

This week I’ve decided to grow myself an extra thumb and give two up to the CSA and one down.

Thumb Up

On the positive, good on the CSA for getting our Men’s National Team two decent upcoming friendlies against Macedonia on November 14 and against Poland on November 18. Macedonia is currently ranked 66th in the World, Poland 56, to Canada’s 53.

These are both good matches to keep our team active and get the relative newcomers like Simeon Jackson integrated into the group and see who will be the core going forward into the next WCQ campaign. It will also give our team a chance to work on its systems under Steve Hart, who clearly prefers a foot to foot style passing game, compared to the ineffective long by style that Dale Mitchell seemed to employ, if there was any system at all. Though Canada looked fairly good at the last Gold Cup, with good passing, there is a need to work on transitioning from controlling possession in the first 2/3 of the pitch to creating scoring opportunities and effectively breaking into that final 1/3 of the pitch.

First Thumb Down

The first thumb down is related to the first point. Why is Steve Hart still the interim coach. Canada, under Hart, compiled a 4-1-1 record in 2009, including a strong run to the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-final stage which came to an end as a result of referee error. Canada also looked strong, probably stronger, in the Gold Cup prior to this, also under Hart. He has had both the veterans and the youngsters playing well and seems to understand how to get the best out of his players. Many believe that if he had stayed on at the helm rather than Mitchell, Canada would be in that 3rd CONCACAF spot. Under Hart, the players believed that not only could Canada have made that 3rd spot, but that the 2nd spot was a realistic goal.

Some have argued Hart does not have much experience outside CONCACAF. Who cares. If the man can get us out of the CONCACAF WCQ into the World Cup, he will have earned more than his salary. How well Canada performs at the World Cup under a coach inexperienced outside of this region is a debate most of us would love to see happen.

This lengthy continuance of having an interim coach cannot be good for the CMNT. We need continuity going forward. There is progress and it has to continue. Having certainty can only be good. Hart has the team playing an effective system, he gets the best out of his players, and they respond to him. This is exactly what you want in a head coach.

The fact that the CSA has not appointed Hart head coach nor appointed anyone else equally qualified earns them one thumb down.

For an opinion why Hart should not be made the head coach, see Ben Rycroft’s piece:

http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/comment/article/260990–despite-results-stephen-hart-needed-behind-the-scenes

Second Thumb Down

The second thumb down goes to the CSA for failing to get enough friendlies against CONCACAF opponents, or at least South American opponents. In past WCQ campaigns, Canada has suffered from bad calls by bad CONCACAF refs and the antics of some of our CONCACAF opponents- diving, time wasting, etc. Our players don’t seem to know how to handle it as well as they should. After the games analysts, players, coaches complain that many of our top players are used to standards in Europe where refs don’t stand for these tactics and the tactics are discouraged to start with. I’ve got some news. Canada is not qualifying for the World Cup out of Europe. We are qualifying out of CONCACAF. We have to qualify against CONCACAF teams, with CONCACAF refs, with CONCACAF tactics.

The CSA keeps lining up friendly after friendly against European opponents. Of course it’s more practical and cost-effective, given the number of Canadians playing in Europe. I also think it’s a good that Canada is playing Poland and Macedonia. What I don’t think is good as that there are no games scheduled against CONCACAF sides at any time in the forseeable future and I doubt any will be. Mexico and Honduras, I imagine, will want to prepare for the WC over the next 8 months. Possibly Costa Rica will too. We should be taking every opportunity we get to play these teams whenever possible and not just when everything is on the line in WCQ or the Gold Cup.

Posted in CSA | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

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