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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.
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CONCACAF delivers amnesty to de Guzman and Dunfield

By
Steven Sandor
– 02/14/2012

Terry Dunfield

The Canadian men’s national team got a bit of good news Monday.

CONCACAF announced that, after discussions with FIFA, the decision has been made to wipe away the yellow cards accumulated by players during the first two rounds of World Cup qualifying.

And that means Canadian midfielders Terry Dunfield and Julian de Guzman, who had a yellow each from the previous round of qualifying, will enter the next phase of World Cup matches with clean slates. So, neither player will be walking a tightrope when he next plays for Canada in an official qualifying match.
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BSC confirms “eligibility” issue is keeping Josh Simpson sidelined

By
Steven Sandor
– 02/10/2012

With one line in its matchday preview, BSC Young Boys has come clean about why Canadian midfielder Josh Simpson hasn’t played a game for the club since joining the club in mid-January.

In advance of this weekend’s Swiss league match against Sion, Simpson was listed as “questionable.” The reason?

In German, the club listed Simpson on the match report as being questionable dur to “Spielberechtigung.” Translated from German. “Eligibility.” (See it HERE)

Not an injury. Not a flu. It’s an eligibility issue that’s keeping Simpson off the field. And for Canadian soccer fans, it’s a scary proposition.
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TSN, CTV, RDS win rights for 2018 and 2022 World Cups and 2015 WWC

By
Steven Sandor
– 10/27/2011

The Bell Media empire, which includes CTV, TSN and RDS, announced Thursday that it had secured the rights for the 2015 Women’s World Cup and the 2018 Russia and 2022 Qatar World Cups.

“This is a historic day for Bell Media and sports broadcasting in Canada . We are thrilled that FIFA has recognized our unmatched ability to produce, promote and market the World Cup to all Canadians,” said Phil King, President, CTV Programming and Sports, in a release issued by Bell Media. “Our production team has a long legacy of delivering outstanding coverage of major international events across multiple platforms. In this partnership, FIFA can expect Bell Media’s coverage to not only serve avid Canadian soccer fans but also showcase their marquee events to non-traditional sports fans. We’ll be working closely with our partners to put a national spotlight on the 2015 Women’s World Cup ensuring the event has a long-term impact on the future of soccer in Canada.”
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FIFA head of women’s competition gives Edmonton stamp of approval for WWC

By
Steven Sandor
– 09/26/2011

Stephen Mandel with the new slogan, "Edmonton Always Game"

A FIFA delegation that inspected Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium said Monday that it is delighted with the progress the city has made as it prepares to be one of the host cities of the 2015 Women’s World Cup.

“It’s absolutely acceptable to us,” said Tatjana Haenni, FIFA’s head of women’s competitions, in a press conference held Monday in the Alberta capital.

And the former Swiss national teamer said that there is no issue with Commonwealth having an artificial surface.

“The discussion between artificial turf and natural turf is completely open,” she said.
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Women’s teams to play high-profile friendlies at WWC venues; men’s qualifiers left up to Hart’s discretion

By
Steven Sandor
– 09/26/2011

CSA v-p Victor Montagliani: "If we need the three points, we’ll play in the Yukon.”

Where will the Canadian men’s and women’s teams play their games over the next several seasons? Well, according to the Canadian Soccer Association, that depends.

The Canadian national women’s team will play a schedule of high-profile friendlies ahead of the World Cup, in the stadiums that will be selected to host games for the 2015 event.

“We’d like to take advantage offered to us and take on top competition,” said CSA General Secretary Peter Montopoli in a joint press conference with FIFA and Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel Monday. “We’d play in the stadiums at the different host cities.”

FIFA executives visited Edmonton over the weekend to check the city’s progress as a hosting candidate for the Women’s World Cup. They left Monday to visit Winnipeg.

And, if the Canadian men’s continues on its track in the first round of World Cup qualifying and makes it to the next round, where those games are played will be left entirely up to coach Stephen Hart.
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Edmonton mayor, FIFA officials to discuss Women’s World Cup bid

By
Steven Sandor
– 09/23/2011

Stephen Mandel

Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel will meet with Canadian Soccer Association and FIFA officials this weekend as the Alberta capital pushes hard to be the jewel in the crown of the 2015 Women’s World Cup.

Mandel will hold a press conference Monday morning along with FIFA officials to discuss progress on Edmonton’s portion of the Women’s World Cup planning process. Officials from the Canadian Soccer Association will also be in attendance.

Yes, there are elephants in the room; a new arena for the Oilers dominates the headlines, but there is no denying the need for Commonwealth Stadium to have major work done ahead of the WWC. As well, FC Edmonton is still searching for a soccer-specific facility it can call home.

But, for Canadian soccer fans, this presser will be the first public forum from FIFA officials on how they see this country’s bid progressing.
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Canada avoids U.S., Mexico in decent World Cup draw

By
Steven Sandor
– 07/30/2011

FIFA’s World Cup qualifying draw could not have been any kinder to Canada.

If Canada qualifies out of round two of the CONCACAF qualifiers, it knows that it won’t have to face continental powerhouses United States and Mexico in round three.

At the World Cup draw held in Brazil Saturday, Canada was drawn into Group D of the CONCACAF second round (which is still a preliminary round — and the top six countries in the region get to skip), with St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico and St. Lucia. Not only are they three of the lowliest associations in the region, they haven’t played much of late, either. Puerto Rico has yet to play a game in 2011.
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TFC’s busy day: Gargan sent to Fire; Marosevic signed; more proof of Aleman’s Vancouver move

By
Steven Sandor
– 07/28/2011

Dasan Robinson

After informing Dan Gargan he was no longer part of the team’s plans earlier this week, Toronto FC sent the defender and a second-round pick to the Chicago Fire for veteran fullback Dasan Robinson.

Gargan had been phased out of Aron Winter’s lineup, and didn’t even make the trip to Kansas City last weekend.

In Robinson, TFC gets an MLS veteran, with nearly six years of service to the Fire. Robinson can play right back or centre back, but with Richard Eckersley in the fold at right back, expect Robinson to play in the middle. But, the issue with Robinson is that while he is an experienced defender, he isn’t quick (another case against putting him o the outside). But, Adrian Cann — who is gone for the rest of the season — was never going to win an MLS track meet, either.
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Warner is out. So, where does CONCACAF go from here?

By
Steven Sandor
– 06/20/2011

So, in the end, the “football tsunami” that Jack Warner had promised never came to pass.

One of the most controversial figures in the soccer world went out quietly Monday, as Warner resigned from all of his posts — including his vice presidency of FIFA and his presidency of CONCACAF — in exchange for the continued presumption of innocence.

After Warner’s resignation was announced, FIFA declared that it would no longer continue a corruption inquiry into the former CONCACAF’s chief’s role in an alleged bribery scandal. Warner stepped aside and gets to keep his reputation as an innocent man — outside of the fans and journalists who have already judged him, that is.
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