World Cup Archive

0

Nakajima-Farran, Piette the only real surprises on Canada roster

By
Steven Sandor
– 05/17/2012

Issey Nakajima-Farran, with Canada back in 2010, PHOTO: CANADA SOCCER

Canadian men’s national team coach Stephen Hart had been stating over and over not to expect too many surprises when he unveiled the roster for a June 3 friendly against the United States and two World Cup qualifiers to follow.

So, we shouldn’t be surprised that we weren’t surprised. For the most part, it’s a squad very similar to what we saw through the first phase of World Cup qualifying, which saw Canada eliminate St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis and Puerto Rico.

Of the 22 men named to the roster, only two — teenager Samuel Piette and veteran Issey Nakajima-Farran, who plays in Australia — would be considered eyebrow-raisers.

Piette, at 17, was a major part of Canada’s team at last year’s U-17 World Cup and the recent U-23 squad that came within one game of securing a berth at the London Olympics. He is reportedly close to a deal with Fortuna Dusseldorf, who earlier this week secured its return to the Bundesliga.
Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 8% [?]

Share
0

Hart already dealing with injured players ahead of June WC qualifiers

By
Aman Dhanoa
– 05/10/2012

Simeon Jackson models the special-edition Canada jersey the team will wear for its June 3 centennial friendly against the U.S. So, Canada in blue, and the U.S. in red and white?

With the media room all neatly decorated at BMO Field the obvious focuses of Canadian Soccer Association’s Thursday press conference were its centennial celebrations and the unveiling of its limited-edition heritage kit.

But it didn’t take long for the media to dress down the event and ask the important questions about the men’s national team and its preparation for the World Cup qualifying campaign, which resumes in June.

The first challenge for national team coach Stephen Hart will be to select a provisional roster for a training camp to be held in Florida beginning on May 21. He has been impressed with a number of players, most notably Bundesliga 2. Star Olivier Occean, but he first has to rule out who is unavailable – either by choice or injury.

“There are some injury issues, unfortunately, and we will have a couple of players that cannot be part of the campaign,” said Hart. “Marcel de Jong is out and Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault is out and we’re waiting on some medical reports on two other players.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 13% [?]

Share
0

Women’s World Cup host-cities announcement is anticlimactic

By
Steven Sandor
– 05/04/2012

As press conferences go, the announcement of Canada’s 2015 Women’s World Cup host cities was about as anticlimactic as they get.

Edmonton, Moncton, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver and Winnipeg were named the host cities for the tournament. What cities will actually get big games (semifinals and final, as well as the Canada matches) will be determined later. Each of the cities will also host games at the 2014 U-20 Women’s World Cup.

Halifax dropped out and Toronto was never interested (that is, city government, not the fans in Canada’s largest city) because it has the Pan Am Games in 2015.

So the six host cities was a done deal. In fact, it was such an obligatory presser that the first question that FIFA president Sepp Blatter fielded from the press gallery was about Brazil 2014. In fact, the press conference handlers had to ask the media to keep the questions to the 2015 WWC.
Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 11% [?]

Share
4

Hart doesn’t foresee many changes to Canadian men’s national team lineup

By
Steven Sandor
– 04/12/2012

Stephen Hart

Don’t expect to see national men’s coach Stephen Hart experiment with his roster for Canada’s June 3 friendly against the United States and the subsequent World Cup qualifiers.

Hart said, at the senior level, there simply aren’t many players from which to choose.

“Not really, not anyone who has been playing consistently,” said Hart. In fact, the problem for Canada is getting enough players — as Hart pointed to the “scarce” player supply for the national team’s last few games. (Even though, to be fair, when Canada picks from both MLS and European-based players, which it doesn’t do for many friendlies, the supply is there.)

So, expect to see a Canadian squad this summer that’s very similar to the team we saw breeze through the preliminary round of World Cup qualifiers, beating out the Caribbean minnows on its way to this next round. After the U.S. friendly, Canada must then finish top-two in a group that includes Cuba, Honduras and Panama in order to make it to the hex.
Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 28% [?]

Share
0

Mission accomplished: Canadians qualify for U-20 Women’s World Cup

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/10/2012

Nkem Ezurike

Canada has booked its place at the Women’s U-20 World Cup.

The Canadian women got two goals each from Jenna Richardson and Christabel Oduro as they easily dispatched the host Panamanians by a 6-0 count in the semifinals of the CONCACAF women’s U-20 Championship.

Both finalists are guaranteed spots in Japan. Canada will face the Americans in the final this weekend, as the U.S. beat Mexico 2-0 in the other semifinal.

But, both Canada and the U.S. are going to Japan. The other CONCACAF spot will go to the winner of the third-place game between Mexico and Panama.
Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 12% [?]

Share
0

Moncton gets its chance to prove the city’s ready for Women’s World Cup

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/08/2012

Peter Montopoli

Moncton will get a chance to show off that it’s ready and able to be a Women’s World Cup host city.

On Thursday, the Canadian Soccer Association announced that Moncton will host a friendly between the Canadian women’s team and China on May 30 at the Stade Moncton Stadium.

“The Canadian Soccer Association is pleased to bring world-class soccer to the East Coast and to stage, on Canadian soil, this important preparatory match for the Women’s National Team on the road to the London 2012 Olympics,” said Canadian Soccer Association General Secretary Peter Montopoli in a release. “We are confident Moncton will prove to be a supportive and enthusiastic home crowd.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 22% [?]

Share
8

How the CSA can fix its WCQ public-relations mess

By
Steven Sandor
– 02/04/2012

In the wake of Thursday’s announcement that Toronto will host Canada’s next three World Cup home qualifiers — and will also get the June friendly with the United States — message boards and Twitter have been filled with our country’s soccer fans at each other’s virtual throats.

Where there should be a push to support the national team, there is bitterness.

The Canadian Soccer Association has a public-relations nightmare on its hands. And that’s what this column will address. The CSA badly underestimated the regional divides in Canada, and the announcement picked at those scabs rather than acting as something that would unite fans from coast-to-coast.
Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 38% [?]

Share
1

BMO Field gets clean sweep of Canadian men’s national team matches

By
Aman Dhanoa
– 02/03/2012

Canada's new Umbro kits

The Canadian Soccer Association held a special event at a swanky downtown Toronto restaurant, dressing up the occasion for the unveiling of its new Umbro kits and celebration of its centenary year. But the expected “news” that was to be announced at the town hall proceedings beforehand simply confirmed what The 11 had already reported earlier in the week – Canada will play all three of its CONCACAF World Cup qualifying matches at BMO Field.

On Tuesday it was learned that the Ontario Soccer Association had asked its league members to not play league games during Canada’s WCQ dates. It was also communicated that all the focus should be placed on the men’s national team and national team matches to be played at BMO Field. Adding the two together and it was apparent that the CSA was going to again hold the matches in Toronto.

Canada will host Honduras on June 12, Panama on Sept. 7 and Cuba on Oct. 12.  
Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 31% [?]

Share
6

OSA request hints that BMO Field could host all three upcoming Canada WCQ matches

By
Steven Sandor
– 01/31/2012

The Ontario Soccer Association has asked its members to not play league games during Canada’s home World Cup qualifying dates,a strong signal that all three group-stage home matches will be played at BMO Field.

The 11 has learned that the OSA will ask all leagues under its jurisdiction to block out June 12 (date for Canada vs. Honduras), Sept. 7 (Canada vs. Panama) and Oct. 12 (Canada vs. Cuba). The OSA has made it clear that it wants all focus to be on the Canadian men’s national team and national-team matches to be played at BMO Field. It is not a confirmation of the national-team matches, but a very strong indication.

When contacted Tuesday morning, Canadian Soccer Association officials reiterated that no dates have been confirmed.

The dates for 2012 are expected to be revealed on Feb. 2.

The CSA has has stated that it has given Coach Stephen Hart the option to select where he wants the team to play, so that it would have the best home-field advantage. And, the feeling is that Hart would want as many direct flights as possible for his players and a grass field to play on.
Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 30% [?]

Share
0

Player of the Year Sinclair admits she considered taking her game to Europe

By
Steven Sandor
– 12/15/2011

Christine Sinclair with her gold medal at the Pan Am Games.

Canadian women’s player of the year Christine Sinclair admits that she was thinking about making the move to Europe because of the uncertainty surrounding the WPS.

“I’m not ready to not play professionally,” said Sinclair Thursday, as she was named Canada’s female soccer player of the year for the seventh straight year after a vote that wasn’t close. “When there were rumours that WPS might be shut down, for sure I thought about going either to Germany or to Sweden to play.”

WPS was given provisional Division-1 status by the United States Soccer Federation that will be reviewed after the season. After the magicJack franchise was revoked by the league, WPS was left with just five teams, all of them in the Eastern time zone. USSF has given the league a mandate to grow the women’s pro game or lose the sanction. But, for weeks, players and fans have endured story after story about the league’s possible demise.

“I’m thrilled that it’s back for at least one more year,” said Sinclair. “It’s important for North America that it survives, because it has such potential.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 17% [?]

Share
Older Entries