National registration statistics indicate that the number of female soccer players in Canada is slipping. In the wake of a Women’s World Cup, why are we seeing this trend of slowing interest?

When the NWSL was founded, the Canadian Soccer Association was in on the ground floor; the CSA agreed to subsidize the contracts of 16 Canadian players, who would all be assigned to various teams in the new women’s league. But, that relationship isn’t quite as rosy as it was a couple of years ago — and Canada is no longer using its full allocation...

Canada got to the quarter-final stage of the recently completed U-20 Women’s World Cup, losing to the eventual champs from Germany. But, as we rocket towards next year’s Women’s World Cup, we need to be realistic about how our women’s program compares against the global elite...

But, for the wide majority of youth players who are in soccer for other reasons, who have no hope of being a pro, keeping score IS important. For a young person looking to head to high school, university, job, it’s important that they learn about winning and losing at a young age. They need to learn about the importance of teamwork, about how working with others can lead to positive results. They need to learn about picking up a teammate after a loss.

What this column won't do is make an attack on Toronto itself. It's counterproductive. It's simple. Coach Stephen Hart was given final say on the venues for the qualifiers, and he went with Toronto. It's his decision. So, Hart's Toronto call should be judged just as fans judge a correct or incorrect roster selection or tactical decision.