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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.
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Canada loses women’s CONCACAF U-17 final to the USA

By
Steven Sandor
– 05/13/2012

Canada surrendered only its second goal of the CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship, but it was enough to cost it the gold medal.

The United States got a goal from Amber Munerlyn in the first half and had very few scares as it beat Canada 1-0 in the CONCACAF final Saturday night in Guatemala.

Munerlyn chipped Canadian keeper Kallen Sheridan from inside the box after she made a run through the defensive line. It was the 26th goal the Americans had scored in the tournament (five games). For Canada, it was only the second time it had been scored on in the tournament.
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Canada books spot at the women’s U-17 World Cup

By
Steven Sandor
– 05/11/2012

Valerie Sanderson PHOTO: CANADA SOCCER

Canada will be represented at the U-17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan.

The Canadian teams wrapped up the berth Thursday, as a goal from Valerie Sanderson was all that was needed to beat Mexico 1-0 in a semifinal of the CONCACAF of the U-17 Women’s Chamionship.

CONCACAF sends three teams to the World Cup; both finalists and the winner of the regional consolation game. So, that format made the semifinals de facto one-game World Cup qualifiers

Sanderson, who scored three goals against Guatemala in Canada’s final group stage game, pounced on a rebound off a shot from Summer Clarke early in the first half. That marker proved to be enough.
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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.”
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Good news on a bad night for FCE supporters: Pinto’s U.S. paperwork clears

By
Steven Sandor
– 05/03/2012

Yashir Pinto

There was one silver lining for FC Edmonton fans out of Wednesday 2-0 loss to Vancouver in the opening leg of their Amway Canadian Championship semifinal.

During the halftime show of the TEAM 1260 broadcast of the ACC match, FC Edmonton spokesman Andreas Morse confirmed that Chilean striker Yashir Pinto is cleared to cross the American border to play football.

That means that Pinto is eligible to play in all remaining NASL matches this season.

Pinto missed Tuesday’s FC Edmonton practice, as he was at the Chilean consulate in Calgary ironing out the last few details.
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WPS striker Lenczyk signs with the Ottawa Fury

By
Steven Sandor
– 04/19/2012

Meghan Lenczyk

The Ottawa Fury has brought a refugee from the WPS to bolster its ranks.

The club announced that American forward Meghan Lenczyk will join reigning W-League MVP Mallory Outerbridge in the attack. Lenczyk was the 14th overall selection in 2011 WPS draft, and played in 14 games for the Atlanta Beat, scoring twice.

The cash-strapped WPS, shedding franchises and embroiled in legal battles with renegade club magicJack, suspended operations for the 2012 season, leaving many of the world’s top women’s soccer players without a place to play. With the 2012 Olympics coming up, many have chosen to focus on their national teams for the moment.

But, for Lenczyk, who wouldn’t be on the radar of the powerful U.S. national team, coming to Ottawa is an awfully good fit. She will be available for selection — barring injury — when Ottawa hosts the W-League championships July 27-29.
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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.
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West, Vorbe sign with FCE: NASL petitions U.S. gov’t to green-light Pinto paperwork

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/29/2012

Fabien Vorbe

FC Edmonton Director of Soccer Operations Joe Petrone confirmed Thursday that the club has added two more players — left back Adam West and the multi-positional Fabien Vorbe.

Both West, an American, and Vorbe, a Haitian, have been in camp with FCE for the past two weeks. West played with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers last season, while Vorbe has played for the Haitian national side and played forward for Furman University. But Vorbe has been slotted in as a defender at camp.

“West is a very strong left back with experience,” said Petrone. “And Vorbe is a very raw talent, but he can play in a variety of positions.”

Petrone admitted that FCE is sweating on the eligibility of Chilean forward Yashir Pinto, who is on a one-year loan from Colo-Colo. Pinto is cleared to play in Canada, but U.S. Immigration has yet to stamp his paperwork for him to cross the border. Read the rest of this entry »

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Last-gasp goal gives Cuba shock draw with Canadian U-23s

By
Gavin Day
– 03/27/2012

Michal Misiewicz

After 90 minutes, Canada’s Under-23 team was looking at a very real prospect of improbably winning their group at the 2012 CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament, thus playing a more favourable opponent in the most important game of the tournament.

Canada looked comfortable until substitute Maykel Reyes leapt high and headed past a helpless Michal Misciewicz, who had kept a spotless goalkeeping record through every other minute of the tournament to date. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

The goal nullified Evan James’ first half goal and means Canada finishes second in Group A and a likely date with a powerhouse Mexican team on Saturday.

“We knew coming into this game that it was going to be difficult. The third game in five days always takes a toll on the players. We spoke about that, we spoke about managing the game a little bit better,” said Canadian coach Tony Fonseca. “Unfortunately it didn’t work the way we intended.”
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Oh Canada! U-23 side is stellar in win over the United States

By
Gavin Day
– 03/25/2012

Lucas Cavallini

The Canadian under-23 soccer team pulled off the shock of the 2012 CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament with a 2-0 over the heavily favoured United States deep in the heart of American territory at LP Field in Nashville, Tenn.

While it was an absolutely famous win for Canada, the joy was tempered by Randy Edwini-Bonsu’s straight red card in the final minutes for reasons unknown.

“I didn’t know as well so I only saw the fourth official calling the referee and giving him instructions to give the red card to (Edwini-Bonsu),” said coach Tony Fonseca in his post-game press conference. “But I didn’t see anything, I didn’t hear anything. Honestly I don’t know what happened.”
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