JDG’s Fury signing official just a week after he confirmed his NASL interest By Steven Sandor Posted on March 27, 2015 8 0 594 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter PHOTO: CANADA SOCCER/ROMEO T. GUZMAN That didn’t take long. Last Friday, at a publicity appearance at the West Edmonton Mall, Canadian national-team veteran Julian de Guzman made it public that he was looking at offers from a couple of NASL clubs. (CLICK HERE) By the middle of this week, the Ottawa Fury hinted that the club would be making a major player-signing announcement — and that said player was a prominent Canadian. On Friday, a week after JDG’s WEM declaration, it’s official. The Canadian midfielder will play for the Fury in 2015. And what can we take from this? First, that the West Edmonton Mall is now a legitimate spot for sniffing out soccer scoops. Please, Canadian Soccer Association; have more events at the Mall. But it proves that, as a journalist, you never know when news will come your way. Last week, the scoop came in a store that’s maybe 100 yards from a pirate ship and less than a three-minute walk to a massive indoor waterpark. Seriously, though: Canadian NASL supporters have bemoaned national-team coach Benito Floro’s seemingly stubborn refusal to bring players from this league onto the squad; he’s skipped over a number of worthy FC Edmonton and Fury candidates and has called players in from League1 Ontario, USL and European leagues or divisions that aren’t exactly top-flight. We can hope that, by having one of his most respected veterans sign in NASL, Floro will now be more or less forced to consider the league’s Canadian talent more seriously. Maybe this will be the signpost signing needed to showcase the league to the people who make roster decision for the men’s national side. If anything, it should force Canadian soccer officials to watch more NASL game tape; and that could benefit Kyle Porter, Nana Attakora, Eddie Edward, John Smith, Mason Trafford and Drew Beckie (plus more). Now, if you’ll excuse me. I’m heading to the Mall. I hear there might be some soccer news happening near the Simons entrance.
