Steven Sandor's Blog, page 12

My league is better than your league. Sing it. Fury vs. CanPL and what comes next

Canadians have had a next-door neighbour’s view of the toxic morass that is the American soccer for the last several years.

Leagues suing federations. Leagues fighting with leagues. States suing leagues and teams. The way American soccer is going, the most fitting way to stage the 2026 World Cup is in a series of courtrooms, not pitches. Instead of kicking a ball, we’d decide the Mundial through litigation. Federation suing federation. The final lawyer standing gets the gold trophy.

And, damn, I think the Americans might prefer it that way.

That toxic culture has spilled over to their supporters. When you follow American soccer on social media — with the name-calling, cheering your own national team not making the World Cup, the joy at seeing teams and leagues fold — you’d be right to wonder if they actually like the sport at all, or simply see it as a perfect, divisive vehicle to have a penis-measuring contest in public.

But, over the last week, Canadians are showing that, given the chance, we can be every bit as rash and judgmental as our friends to the south. Last week, the Ottawa Fury announced its decision to leave the  Canadian Premier League at the altar, to not be part of the circuit’s opening season. The announcement was made in front of the media.

On Monday, the CanPL responded, by making the Fury part of its release on the salary cap, jersey deal (more details to come) and broadcast deal (there’s interest out there) issued through its website.

In it, Commissioner David Clanachan has said that the “salary and soccer operations budget” is “north of seven figures.” That is, operations and salaries together.

As for the issue with the Fury, he said on the league’s website: “As for a transition to the Canadian Premier League, we were quite willing to adapt in a number of areas, because we recognized the fact that they were an existing team playing in the USL this year, under different circumstances. We were prepared to accommodate them, specifically around details like players, soccer operations and player salaries. We had actually offered to have them operate under the exact same circumstances as they are now. We felt like we presented a series of accommodations on a number of different things in order for Ottawa to feel confident about playing in the Canadian Premier League. We did everything we could to help them feel welcome. Unfortunately, they made a different decision and we were surprised after the accommodations we had proposed, when they notified us last week that they were prepared to continue to operate in the USL.”

You can read the rest of the CanPL statement by clicking here, as you don’t really need me rewriting their public statements. Nor should I have to. The 11 has made requests to speak to CanPL officials in the wake of the Fury’s decision.

Soccer Warz in Canada

The battle has turned CanSoc Twitter and the message boards into, well, turn it off, please.

What had been a relatively smooth launch for the CanPL, with seven teams holding their unveiling events, with nothing but positive reactions from the greater soccer community, feels like a long time ago. The Fury’s decision not to join the league, has rocked the foundations of Canadian soccer.

Force the Fury into CanPL! Cry some. Let the Fury remain in the USL! Cry others. And they’re not politely disagreeing. They’re at each other’s throats. I’ve had so many conspiracy theories DM’ed to me, I’m pretty sure Fury general manager Julian de Guzman was kidnapped last year and replaced by a Mantrazukazorian in disguise. (Those Mantrazukazorians can be tricky; shape changers.)

So what should we do?

Move on. That’s what.

Remember that when then-Canadian Soccer Association president Victor Montagliani announced the vision to start a “Division 1A” league in this country, the pledge was that the five existing Canadian first- and second-division teams at the time — including the MLS sides and the Fury — would be allowed to “co-exist” outside of the new Canadian league. Remember that “1A” was an important codeword for what would later be known as the Canadian Premier League. “1A” signified that entry to the league was an option.

The one argument that can be made is that Montagliani made this statement in regards to teams in NASL and MLS, as the Fury was in NASL at the time. So, you could counter that the pledge to “co-exist” didn’t cover the USL.

Still, you can’t help but feel that, by forcing the Fury to join the CanPL, well, it wouldn’t feel right.

Attract Partners, Not Adversaries

But, more importantly, if the Fury don’t want to be in the CanPL, why would the CanPL want them? Would you want to partner with someone in a business who was dragged in, kicking and screaming?

And, forcing the Fury to do anything, well, I was around NASL long enough in my career to predict where that will lead. The courtroom. If the Canadian Premier League got involved in litigation before a ball is even kicked,  we may as well call it NASL 3.0.

As well, Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group is a business. What’s the moral imperative to have a soccer program? The brass would be well within its rights to simply pull the plug on the Fury if it was forced to abandon USL in 2019.

Basically, the warning is this. You can either let it go or escalate the situation, where the collateral damage will hurt Canadian soccer as a whole.

That’s not to say the CanPL doesn’t have its own course. It’s no longer morally obligated to hold a spot for the Fury. If someone else from the nation’s capital comes forward, the CanPL can listen.

As well, the current owners of the existing seven member CanPL teams are the ones who make the rules. They didn’t have to pay huge fees to join the league because they’re the ones founding the league. But, well, in the future, if OSEG comes back to the table, the existing CanPL owners can say, “well, you’re an expansion team, now, and with that comes expansion fees.” And any money the Fury might save on USL exit fees or whatnot could very well be swallowed up by an entry fee to enter the CanPL.

So, basically, if you’re angry about what the Fury has done this past week, remember the most important thing Star Trek has ever taught us: Revenge is a dish best served cold. The time will come down the road when the Fury and CanPL will likely be back at the table.

 

Reputations at Stake

Really, the Fury not coming to the CanPL right away isn’t the most troubling part of all this. It’s the talk surrounding the decision that’s been more damaging. For the better part of a week, until Monday’s CanPL response via its website the Fury controlled the narrative. Fury players, as is their right, tweeted their support for the club’s move.

Even before the announcement, many Canadian players have asked me about the CanPL cap. Where it’s going to be?

They are also concerned about what kinds of training facilities the teams will have. Who will be the trainers and medical staff?

As players, of course they’re concerned — the league is already a great unknown in terms of where it’s going to be in terms of level play. Money will no doubt be an issue for them, as it would be for anyone looking for a job.

If these players see fellow Canadians showing support for NOT moving to CanPL, it’s that message that’s more troubling.The confidence of the Canadian player pool in the CanPL is eroded. These aren’t the players who will be going to the seven open tryouts, but ones who already have résumés with pro experience. Will a Canadian player in USL, but not playing for the Fury, have his faith in the CanPL broken because of the Fury’s decision and what he’s seeing and hearing from the Fury’s players? What about a player in Europe? Players share agents, some are former teammates, some know each other from various youth and senior national-team camps. When it comes to Canadian soccer players, it’s a vast network. And the broken telephone is most certainly ringing off the hook, right now.

To me, that’s a FAR bigger issue than Ottawa simply deciding to not come into the league.

To be fair, publicly the OSEG CEO Mark Goudie has said the right things, that Fury will continue to engage with the CanPL, that a move could be in the cards for the future, and that he and his club believes in what the CanPL is doing.

But actions speak louder than words.

 

Inescapably Canadian Power Rankings: MLS Week 28/USL Week 26

With this being an international week, MLS played a reduced schedule. But, that doesn’t mean that there weren’t highlights. There was a big moment in the Bronx last Wednesday, as Canadian Brian Wright scored his first career goal, which ended up being the winner as his New England Revolution side beat NYCFC.

Wright reacted quickly to a rebound in the box, and his poke went into the roof of the net.

Wright got the start for the Revs and rewarded the club for its faith.

USL played a full schedule, and it’s worth noting that Jordan Dover scored for Pittsburgh in a win over Chris Nanco and his Bethlehem Steel teammates. And, in a wild 4-3 affair which saw the Ottawa Fury edge TFCII, Adonijah Reid, Thomas Meilleur-Giguere and Jordan Hamilton all found the net.

Here are the rankings after the 28th week of MLS play/26th week of USL action:

MLS MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Samuel Piette, Montreal, 2460 (28)
Jonathan Osorio, TFC, 2072 (24)
Alphonso Davies, Vancouver, 1905 (25)
Will Johnson, Orlando, 1777 (23)
Mark-Anthony Kaye, LAFC, 1582 (20)
Raheem Edwards, Montreal/Chicago, 1296 (20)
Marcel de Jong, Vancouver, 1200 (16)
Russell Teibert, Vancouver, 1043 (16)
Dejan Jakovic, LAFC, 937 (12)
Ryan Telfer, TFC, 865 (15)
Jay Chapman, TFC, 838 (16)
Ashtone Morgan, TFC, 829 (14)
Jordan Hamilton,TFC, 803 (13)
Michael Petrasso, Montreal, 692 (13)
Doneil Henry, Vancouver, 630 (7)
Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Montreal, 570 (15)
Tosaint Ricketts, TFC, 554 (15)
Tesho Akindele, FC Dallas, 540 (14)
Brett Levis, Vancouver, 517 (8)
Liam Fraser, TFC, 458 (8)
Shamit Shome, Montreal, 249 (5)
Richie Laryea, Orlando, 154 (6)
Brian Wright, New England, 144 (7)
Kwame Awuah, NYCFC, 143 (6)
Louis Beland-Goyette, Montreal, 109 (4)
Julian Dunn-Johnson, TFC, 104 (2)
Mathieu Choiniere, Montreal, 26 (2)
David Choiniere, Montreal, 12 (1)
Aidan Daniels, TFC, 12 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, MLS MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2018

Toronto FC, 6537/27 (242.1)

Vancouver, 5295/27 (196.1)

Montreal, 4651/28 (166.1)

LAFC, 2362/27 (87.5)

Orlando City, 1931/27 (71.5)

FC Dallas, 540/27 (20)

Chicago, 490/27 (18.1)

New England, 144/27 (5.3)

NYCFC, 143/29 (4.9)

 

USL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Jordan Schweitzer, Colorado Springs, 2534 (29)
Maxime Crepeau, Ottawa, 2340 (26)
Paris Gee, Tulsa, 2140 (26)
Karl Ouimette, Indy, 2123 (24)
Jordan Dover, Pittsburgh, 2120 (24)
Kyle Bekker, NCFC, 2083 (26)
Eddie Edward, Ottawa, 2079 (24)
Jamar Dixon, Ottawa, 2075 (26)
Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, Ottawa, 1949 (22)
Skylar Thomas, Charleston, 1880 (22)
Robert Boskovic, TFCII, 1879 (22)
Carl Haworth, Ottawa, 1786 (24)
Amer Didic, Swope Park Rangers, 1740 (20)
Adonijah Reid, Ottawa, 1560 (25)
Luca Uccello, TFCII, 1529 (20)
Chris Mannella, Ottawa, 1488 (23)
Matthew Srbely, TFCII, 1448 (21)
Drew Beckie, OKC Energy, 1440 (16)
Bradley Kamdem-Fewo, Fresno, 1426 (16)
Josh Heard, Real Monarchs SLC, 1402 (20)
Malik Johnson, TFCII, 1347 (23)
Aidan Daniels, TFCII, 1329 (21)
Dante Campbell, TFCII, 1319 (17)
Nana Attakora, Ottawa, 1305 (15)
Zachary Ellis-Hayden, Fresno, 1297 (15)
Jordan Murrell, Reno, 1282 (18)
Chris Nanco, Bethlehem Steel, 1105 (26)
Noah Verhoeven, Fresno, 1066 (22)
Mastanabal Kacher, Real Monarchs SLC, 1022 (18)
Noble Okello Ayo, TFCII, 1014 (14)
Rocco Romeo, TFCII, 1014 (12)
Shaan Hundal, TFCII, 974 (19)
Ryan James, Nashville, 872 (13)
Julian Dunn-Johnson, TFCII, 810 (9)
Mallan Roberts, Richmond, 720 (8)
Tyler Pasher, Indy, 641 (9)
David Edgar, Nashville/Ottawa, 605 (10)
Keven Aleman, Sacramento, 589 (12)
Kyle Porter, Ottawa/Tampa Bay, 552 (7)
Jordan Hamilton, TFCII, 532 (8)
Daniel Haber, FC Cincinnati/Ottawa, 486 (16)
Mauro Eustaquio, Penn FC, 462 (7)
Jordan Faria, TFCII, 454 (11)
Angelo Cavalluzzo, TFCII, 450 (5)
Liam Fraser, TFCII, 450 (5)
Darrin MacLeod, Swope Park Rangers, 450 (5)
Michael Cox, Nashville/Saint Louis, 436 (10)
Gianluca Catalano, TFCII, 434 (5)
Luca Petrasso, TFCII, 418 (7)
Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, Ottawa, 383 (6)
Alessandro Riggi, Phoenix, 342 (14)
Ryan Telfer, TFCII, 342 (5)
Zak Drake, Las Vegas, 296 (6)
Mark Anthony Gonzalez, Reno, 278 (4)
Doneil Henry, Ottawa, 270 (3)
Terique Mohammed, TFCII, 219 (5)
Steffen Yeates, TFCII, 196 (4)
Callum Irving, Ottawa, 180 (2)
Matthew Baldisimo, Fresno, 174 (2)
Daniel Kinumbe, Ottawa, 166 (3)
Kunle Dada-Luke, TFCII, 148 (5)
Marco Bustos, OKC Energy, 127 (4)
Luca Ricci, Phoenix, 124 (4)
David Monsalve, Ottawa, 90 (1)
Ashtone Morgan, TFCII, 63 (1)
Daniel Da Silva, TFCII, 59 (1)
Terran Campbell, Fresno, 53 (5)
Clement Bayiha, Ottawa, 50 (2)
Gabriel Wiethaeuper-Balbinotti, Ottawa, 50 (2)
Maxim Tissot, Ottawa, 48 (2)
Monti Mohsen, Ottawa, 45 (1)
Malyk Hamilton, TFCII, 11 (1)
Jordan Dunstan, Nashville, 1 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, USL MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2018

TFCII, 16427/26 (631.8)

Ottawa, 16730/29 (576.9)

Fresno, 4015/29 (138.4)

Indy Eleven, 2944/28 (105.1)

Colorado Springs, 2534/29 (87.4)

Real Monarchs SLC, 2424/28 (86.6)

Tulsa, 2140/27 (79.3)

Pittsburgh, 2120/27 (78.5)

NCFC, 2083/27 (77.1)

Swope Park Rangers, 2190/29 (75.5)

Charleston, 1880/28 (67.1)

Reno, 1560/27 (57.8)

OKC Energy, 1567/29 (54)

Nashville, 1337/27 (49.5)

Bethlehem Steel, 1105/30 (36.8)

Richmond, 720/28 (25.7)

Sacramento, 589/28 (21)

Penn FC, 462/26 (17.8)

Phoenix, 466/28 (16.6)

Tampa Bay, 352/27 (13)

Las Vegas, 296/27 (11)

FC Cincinnati, 201/27 (7.4)

Saint Louis FC, 172/27 (6.4)

 

Canada begins Nations League with expected rout of USVI

You have to wonder, if there comes a time when the likes of Jonathan David or Cyle Larin or Lucas Cavallini threaten the all-time record for national-team goals, how much their fortunes were boosted by being part of the first-ever CONCACAF Nations League qualifying campaign. It will be almost unfair to look at their ledgers and compare them to Canadian national-team players of the past.

On Sunday, we got treated to the first of Canada’s “very movable force vs. the unstoppable object” Nations League qualifiers against low-ranked Caribbean federations. There are three more to come.

And, an attack-minded lineup, with three teenagers — David, Liam Millar and, of course, Alphonso Davies — in the starting XI, were two goals up before the game was nine minutes old.

Canada went on to win 8-0. David, in his first start for Canada’s senior side, picked up where he’d left off in the red-hot start to his Belgian campaign. He scored twice. Cavallini scored twice. Larin came on as sub and got two. Junior Hoilett got a tap in on a feed from Davies (who also set up both of Larin’s goals) after Hoilett started the play with a great run up the right wing. Jonathan Osorio opened the scoring.

Basically, it looked like a training session out there. And this is what we expected. For long-suffering Canadian soccer supporters, it was nice to simply ask “who is going to score next?” rather than fret about a result.

Canada had 73 per cent of the ball. The Canadians outshot the USVI 16-0 (so keeper Milan Borjan, yes, indeed did play in this game, even if you didn’t notice him). Canada’s passing accuracy: 93 per cent.

Canada’s next Nations League qualifier is at Toronto’s BMO Field, with Dominica coming to visit. The last time the two nations faced each other, Canada won a World Cup-qualifying aggregate series 6-0 over the two matches. No doubt that the fans at that match in October will be looking for another goalfest.

Herdman: U.S. Virgin Islands offers a “different challenge” for Canada

Canada opens its Nations League qualifying campaign in Florida this Sunday against the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Canadian fans are expecting a basketball score. They want to see Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies each get halfway to the Canadian goal-scoring record, against a team most of us know nothing about. Even though Canada is by no means a world power, a game against what coach John Herdman calls a “tier-three” opponent is expected to be a goalfest.

And, with those expectations, comes danger.

“It’s one of those tier-three matches that, when you frame this up for the players, it’s a different challenge than playing against a Mexico,” Herdman said in a conference call from Canada’s camp in Florida on Friday. “There’s an expectation to rack up a scoreline.”

And, he admits that if the Canadian players don’t have the right mindset, a game like this “can breed a lot of frustration.” If the goals don’t go in right away, there’s a danger that what the team is trying to achieve tactically can fall apart, as players each take on too much. Players can lose discipline. Look, we’ve seen this over and over when a big favourite has a hard time with a minnow they were expected to beat by a lot. If the favourites are up just by a single goal, the fans are groaning because it’s not out of sight after 15 minutes.

So, Herdman is clear, that he expects this game to be a place where players “create a mindset to get a result.” It’s simply a first step as the team tries to build an identity.

“Our attacking identity is critical,” he said. “We’ve really been working on it this week.”

And that means activating the fullbacks in a way that some might not be used to when they appear for their club teams, or how they’ve played in the past for Canada.

The end goal — which won’t be achieved by the end of this weekend, we’re only kicking off the Nations League, after all — is to have the team proficient in what Herdman calls his “four moments” of the game. For those not familiar with Herdman’s coachspeak, the four moments are: Attacking organization, attacking transition, defensive organization and defensive transition.

“You don’t get together too often,” Herdman said. “It’s about having the clarity to play… in our four days together, we’ve got tighter.”

But the Nations League isn’t easy for Herdman. Because Canada will play so many games in CONCACAF, it will affect the European based players. Canada won’t have as many Europe-based camps as it used to. Players in European leagues will need to make more trips, and Herdman admitted some will be under pressure not to make “the 27-hour trip to St. Kitts” for a CONCACAF match. As well, because CONCACAF games are often played in punishing heat and humidity (it’s expected to be over 30 C at kickoff Sunday), those European teams will be concerned about wear put on their players through Canada’s training sessions and games.

“There’s pros and cons (to Nations League),” said Herdman. “But that’s our new reality.”

 

Wotherspoon hasn’t actually been to Canada yet, but he’s relishing the Nations League challenge

If David Wotherspoon is named to the Canadian roster for the Oct. 16 Nations League qualifier against Dominica, he’ll be making his first-ever trip to the country he’s representing.

Wotherspoon, who plays in the midfield for Scottish side St. Johnstone, was called up to the Canadian side by coach John Herdman in March. He can play for Canada because his mother is from this country.

But, first things first. Before he can think about a chance to play in Toronto, he’s with the Canadian side this week in Florida, as Herdman’s crew prepares to play Sunday’s Nations League opener against the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“We’re taking it one game at a time, and I’m focused on the game ahead of us right now. There’s a lot to take in at the moment.”

By a “lot to take in,” he means that the Canadian side has to get a lot of accomplished in the short window of an international camp. There are young players like striker Jonathan David and defender Derek Cornelius who have to be worked into the system. And, even with the veteran players, they have to be on board with Herdman’s plans. This is a team of positive thinkers, which is a must for Herdman, who has shown with his time in the women’s program that  he believes as strongly in a team’s mental health as he does its physical preparation.

“You don’t get a lot of time together. In that short time you get, you have to get to know players you don’t usually play with. And, as a team, we are trying to create our own identity. And that’s how we act as a team, both on and off the pitch.”

Last week, Herdman referred to the 2022 World Cup as a “when we get there,” not an “if.” Those are big words for a program that’s only made it to one World Cup, and that was more than three decades ago.

“But that’s the confidence that’s being drilled into us right now,” said Wotherspoon. “We’re breathing it.”

He said he’s been in regular contact with Herdman since the Murcia camp.

“Murcia was fantastic for me. What comes across is that he’s really passionate; he really cares about what he’s doing.”

And with the likes of winger Alphonso Davies, who is off to Bayern Munich in the new year, and Jonathan David, who has seven goals this season already for KAA Gent, there is an exciting youth movement afoot. Wotherspoon, who has played hundreds of SPL matches, says Canada is in a period of “unbelievable talent coming through.”

The forecast is calling for 31 C temperatures at game time, with humidity pushing the sticky factor way up high. For a player used to Scottish weather, is it too much? Wotherspoon said the team is handling the heat “quite well” through training,

It likely won’t be as warm for that game in Toronto in October. If Wotherspoon makes it, does he have plans for his time in the city. A ride to the observation deck of the CN Tower? A rip through the Distillery District? Nathan Phillips Square?

“No, just making it to Canada is the goal,” Wotherspoon laughs. “That would be a major achievement.”

 

Fury confirms plan to return to USL for 2019

Mark Goudie, the CEO of Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, stated Wednesday that the club does not plan to join the Canadian Premier League for the 2019 season.

“We’re happy with the USL,” Goudie said. “We’ve confirmed to the USL that we’ll be back in the league next year.”

The Canadian Soccer Association sanctions the Fury on a year-to-year basis to play in the USL. Next year, with TFCII moving to the new USL third division, the Fury would be the only Canadian team in the league. A new sanction would be required for the 2019 season.

But, when then-Canada Soccer president (and current CONCACAF president) Victor Montagliani announced plans for a national “1A” division, he suggested that none of the existing Canadian teams playing in North American leagues would be forced to play in the new all-Canadian circuit.

Goudie said that the Fury would keep a dialogue open with the Canadian Premier League.

He said the CanPL, with seven teams announced, including the Fury’s former NASL-mates, FC Edmonton, “is awesome. It’s really good for Canadian soccer.”

He said that the USL brass is aware that the CanPL is an option for the Fury in the future. Goudie said that the Fury have already moved from NASL to USL, and that the USL is a stable league.

Ottawa, of course, was at the table for CanPL meetings, and had long been rumoured to be team number eight.But there has been talk of reported divisions between the Fury’s camp and the league, with issues including how much of Ottawa’s current roster would be affected by the move to a new league. And, with Pacific FC owner Dean Shillington talking publicly about a cap of under $800,000, would Ottawa need to shrink its budget from where it stands to fit into the CanPL?

 

Inescapably Canadian Power Rankings: MLS Week 27/USL Week 25

Maybe, till the end of the season, this space should simply be reserved for “what did Alphonso Davies do this past weekend?” (Except when the Whitecaps have a bye week, that is.)

Davies, who is moving to Bayern Munich after the current MLS season wraps, scored again, jumping in off the left wing to score on a “was that meant for me? I’ll take it anyway” through ball into the San Jose penalty area. The goal was vital for the Whitecaps, who beat the Earthquakes by a 2-1 count.

Davies stand third amongst Canadians in MLS in terms of minutes played; that’s a category that Montreal minute-eater Samuel Piette looks to have all but wrapped up.

In USL, Jordan Schweitzer has a large lead atop the minutes-played board.

Here are the rankings after the 27th week of MLS play/25th week of USL action:

 

MLS MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Samuel Piette, Montreal, 2460 (28)
Jonathan Osorio, TFC, 2072 (24)
Alphonso Davies, Vancouver, 1905 (25)
Will Johnson, Orlando, 1697 (22)
Mark-Anthony Kaye, LAFC, 1582 (20)
Raheem Edwards, Montreal/Chicago, 1296 (20)
Marcel de Jong, Vancouver, 1200 (16)
Russell Teibert, Vancouver, 1043 (16)
Dejan Jakovic, LAFC, 937 (12)
Ryan Telfer, TFC, 865 (15)
Jay Chapman, TFC, 838 (16)
Ashtone Morgan, TFC, 829 (14)
Jordan Hamilton,TFC, 803 (13)
Michael Petrasso, Montreal, 692 (13)
Doneil Henry, Vancouver, 630 (7)
Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Montreal, 570 (15)
Tosaint Ricketts, TFC, 554 (15)
Tesho Akindele, FC Dallas, 540 (14)
Brett Levis, Vancouver, 517 (8)
Liam Fraser, TFC, 458 (8)
Shamit Shome, Montreal, 249 (5)
Richie Laryea, Orlando, 154 (6)
Kwame Awuah, NYCFC, 143 (6)
Louis Beland-Goyette, Montreal, 109 (4)
Julian Dunn-Johnson, TFC, 104 (2)
Brian Wright, New England, 72 (6)
Mathieu Choiniere, Montreal, 26 (2)
David Choiniere, Montreal, 12 (1)
Aidan Daniels, TFC, 12 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, MLS MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2018

Toronto FC, 6537/27 (242.1)

Vancouver, 5295/27 (196.1)

Montreal, 4651/28 (166.1)

LAFC, 2362/27 (87.5)

Orlando City, 1851/26 (71.2)

FC Dallas, 540/27 (20)

Chicago, 490/27 (18.1)

NYCFC, 143/27 (5.3)

New England, 72/26 (2.8)

 

USL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Jordan Schweitzer, Colorado Springs, 2534 (29)
Maxime Crepeau, Ottawa, 2340 (26)
Eddie Edward, Ottawa, 2079 (24)
Jamar Dixon, Ottawa, 2075 (26)
Paris Gee, Tulsa, 2050 (25)
Karl Ouimette, Indy, 2033 (23)
Jordan Dover, Pittsburgh, 2030 (23)
Kyle Bekker, NCFC, 2012 (25)
Robert Boskovic, TFCII, 1879 (22)
Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, Ottawa, 1859 (21)
Skylar Thomas, Charleston, 1790 (21)
Carl Haworth, Ottawa, 1696 (23)
Amer Didic, Swope Park Rangers, 1650 (19)
Adonijah Reid, Ottawa, 1536 (24)
Luca Uccello, TFCII, 1529 (20)
Bradley Kamdem-Fewo, Fresno, 1426 (16)
Chris Mannella, Ottawa, 1398 (22)
Matthew Srbely, TFCII, 1369 (20)
Drew Beckie, OKC Energy, 1350 (15)
Malik Johnson, TFCII, 1344 (22)
Josh Heard, Real Monarchs SLC, 1323 (19)
Aidan Daniels, TFCII, 1318 (20)
Nana Attakora, Ottawa, 1260 (14)
Dante Campbell, TFCII, 1232 (16)
Jordan Murrell, Reno, 1229 (17)
Zachary Ellis-Hayden, Fresno, 1207 (14)
Chris Nanco, Bethlehem Steel, 1092 (25)
Noah Verhoeven, Fresno, 1066 (22)
Rocco Romeo, TFCII, 1014 (12)
Mastanabal Kacher, Real Monarchs SLC, 1011 (17)
Shaan Hundal, TFCII, 974 (19)
Noble Okello Ayo, TFCII, 924 (13)
Ryan James, Nashville, 872 (13)
Julian Dunn-Johnson, TFCII, 810 (9)
Tyler Pasher, Indy, 641 (9)
Mallan Roberts, Richmond, 630 (7)
David Edgar, Nashville/Ottawa, 560 (9)
Kyle Porter, Ottawa/Tampa Bay, 552 (7)
Keven Aleman, Sacramento, 500 (10)
Daniel Haber, FC Cincinnati/Ottawa, 486 (16)
Mauro Eustaquio, Penn FC, 462 (7)
Jordan Faria, TFCII, 454 (11)
Angelo Cavalluzzo, TFCII, 450 (5)
Liam Fraser, TFCII, 450 (5)
Darrin MacLeod, Swope Park Rangers, 450 (5)
Jordan Hamilton, TFCII, 442 (6)
Michael Cox, Nashville/Saint Louis, 436 (10)
Gianluca Catalano, TFCII, 434 (5)
Luca Petrasso, TFCII, 418 (7)
Alessandro Riggi, Phoenix, 342 (14)
Zak Drake, Las Vegas, 296 (6)
Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, Ottawa, 293 (5)
Mark Anthony Gonzalez, Reno, 278 (4)
Doneil Henry, Ottawa, 270 (3)
Ryan Telfer, TFCII, 252 (4)
Terique Mohammed, TFCII, 219 (5)
Steffen Yeates, TFCII, 196 (4)
Callum Irving, Ottawa, 180 (2)
Matthew Baldisimo, Fresno, 174 (2)
Daniel Kinumbe, Ottawa, 166 (3)
Kunle Dada-Luke, TFCII, 148 (5)
Luca Ricci, Phoenix, 119 (3)
Daniel Da Silva, TFCII, 59 (1)
Marco Bustos, OKC Energy, 56 (3)
Terran Campbell, Fresno, 53 (5)
Clement Bayiha, Ottawa, 50 (2)
Gabriel Wiethaeuper-Balbinotti, Ottawa, 50 (2)
Maxim Tissot, Ottawa, 48 (2)
Monti Mohsen, Ottawa, 45 (1)
Malyk Hamilton, TFCII, 11 (1)
Jordan Dunstan, Nashville, 1 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, USL MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2018

TFCII, 15914/25 (636.6)

Ottawa, 16166/28 (577.4)

Fresno, 3925/28 (140.2)

Indy Eleven, 2854/27 (105.7)

Real Monarchs SLC, 2334/26 (89.8)

Colorado Springs, 2534/29 (87.4)

Tulsa, 2050/25 (82)

Pittsburgh, 2030/26 (78.1)

NCFC, 2012/26 (77.4)

Swope Park Rangers, 2100/28 (75)

Charleston, 1790/27 (66.3)

Reno, 1507/26 (58)

Nashville, 1337/26 (51.4)

OKC Energy, 1406/28 (50.2)

Bethlehem Steel, 1092/29 (37.7)

Richmond, 630/27 (23.3)

Sacramento, 500/26 (19.2)

Penn FC, 462/25 (18.5)

Phoenix, 461/26 (17.7)

Tampa Bay, 352/26 (13.5)

Las Vegas, 296/25 (11.8)

FC Cincinnati, 201/27 (7.4)

Saint Louis FC, 172/26 (6.6)

 

Canada wins ugly against a scrappy Brazilian side

In terms of entertainment value, Sunday’s friendly between Brazil and Canada, in front of more than 16,000 in Ottawa, was a dud.

But, as Canada preps for the CONCACAF championships — this region’s qualifiers for the 2019 Women’s World Cup — maybe this scrappy 1-0 win was exactly the kind of game that was needed. The Brazilians hacked. They whacked.  The game had very little in terms of flow.

When it comes to tournament football, you’re going to have these kinds of games. You’re going to have to be able to take advantage of maybe a set piece and, well, survive. The mark of an elite team isn’t that it can win by multiple goals when everything is going right; it’s that it can come up with three points when things aren’t going well.

“We wanted to score a goal and get a win for the fans here in Ottawa,” said coach Kenneth Heiner-Møller in a release from Canada Soccer. “Defensively we were very, very good. We didn’t let them have any joy between our lines, which is what we wanted, to close down on the ball.”

Nichelle Prince got Canada’s winner early in the second half. Prince was in the perfect spot to score after Kadeisha Buchanan was able to get the first touch to a Janine Beckie free kick. It was a suitably scrappy goal for a scrappy game.

Really, though, credit has to go to Beckie for drawing the foul that led to the free kick. Camila, the Brazilian left back, should have been able to clear a ball that was lofted in towards her. But Beckie harassed Camila, won the ball, and the Brazilian defender by responded by hugging the Canadian.

Canada, throughout the game, attacked Brazil down the wings, and while the likes of Ashley Lawrence and Allysha Chapman were able to make some runs down the side, the crossing and passing simply wasn’t there for the Canadians.

And, when the Canadians were able to put passes together, the Brazilians, well, weren’t very friendly. Both Chapman and Buchanan can consider themselves fortunate to not have suffered injury after both were victimized by rash, late challenges from Beatriz, the Brazilian who really should have been sent off for her actions.

Beckie left the game after an aerial challenge, and Canadian Julia Grosso also survived a late challenge from Andressa.

At times, the Brazilians looked more intent on taking out Canadian players than they were in playing the ball.

But, this is going to happen in CONCACAF qualifying, too. Teams are going to be hacking Canada’s players right from the opening whistle. And, you have to deal with it.

The two teams will meet again Tuesday in a closed-door match.

Distance a challenge when it comes to finding Canadian diamonds in the rough

Do Canadian coaches miss players? Are there great Canadian soccer talents who go undetected?

As the Canadian Premier League prepares to run seven tryout sessions through September and October, looking for the Great Undiscovered Talent, it’s a good question to ask. Sure, we all know about the Brampton hotbed, by now. The MLS teams have a good grasp on who’s coming up in Canada’s largest three metro areas.

But that’s not Canada as a whole. There has been more than one player from Atlantic Canada who has told me that, growing up, they felt that they were in a soccer wasteland, that the reach of our system ended at Quebec’s eastern border.

For Scott Rezendes, co-owner of the Soccer Syndicate, the question of scouting hits close to home. He was once the technical director for USL’s OKC Energy. He’s scouted for Major League Soccer.

And, in each of those jobs, there was a major barrier. Distance.

“I think the biggest challenges for the U.S. and Canada is the sheer size of the countries,” says Rezendes. “The U.S. is starting to take a bite at it, but only at the elite levels of youth. It’s a major impediment to scouting; the sheer size of the area you need to cover. And, so far, no association has been able to solve the problem. And there isn’t one club or entity that’s been willing to take on the problem.”

That’s why Rezendes feels the continent needs an independent scouting/talent identification network.

For example, a coach in Halifax might not know there is a player out in Winnipeg who might be able to fill his needs. How to unite them?

Rezendes and his partner, Matt Martin (the Portland Timbers’ former director of domestic scouting) are developing a network of scouts, and want to grow their influence in Canada. So far they have three scouts in Canada. One in Vancouver, one out in Halifax and, of course, one in Brampton, Ont. (Rezendes scores extra “honorary Canadian” points for saying “Brampton” and not referring to it as “the GTA” or, simply, “Toronto area.” Your Sonny’s cheeseburger is on its way.)

It’s not a secret that Martin and Rezendes want to work with CanPL teams. 

Rezendes said that there may be some parts of the country where a new scouting method isn’t needed; for example, Edmonton has a very tight soccer community that’s already heavily scouted (the Whitecaps, it can be argued, do a better job scouring Edmonton than they do in any of the other cities outside of Vancouver). But he thinks some of the Canadian Premier League teams are isolated and could use a service that helps them better identify prospects who might be a time zone or two away.

Even the seven tryouts aren’t covering the whole of the country. But, even with seven different sessions, covering four different time zones, there will still be many, many prospects who won’t live close to any of them. Canada is a big, big country. Saskatchewan, for example, hasn’t been chosen to host a session, so players from that province will need to make the haul to either Winnipeg or Calgary for tryouts. Knowing that, Joe Belan — who is working to bring a CanPL team to Saskatchewan — tweeted out that he and Goodmans LLP partner Grant McLaughlin will help cover the $200 trial fees for Saskatchewan-based players who need the help.

The Canadian Premier League is “part of an explosion of professional soccer clubs in North America,” says Rezendes. But, at the same time, many of these new clubs don’t have big staffs. Coaches are often also the technical directors and general managers.

And this is where distance is an issue. Scouting isn’t keeping up with the number of new USL teams and Canadian Premier League teams. Open tryouts are one thing, but they often don’t tell the whole story. An open tryout gives a player a very, very small window where everything has to go right for him. Through detailed scouting, teams get better pictures of how a player is performing over the course of a season.

As the soccer industry grows, as more teams are birthed, so does the hunger for talent. And it’s hard to leave no stone unturned, well, if some of the stones are three time zones away.

Herdman sees Canada playing in the World Cup in four years time

Not since the 1990s, the days of Bunbury, Radzinski and Peschisolido, has a Canadian national team offered so much attacking promise.

Canada will open the CONCACAF Nations League on Sept. 9 in Florida with a “road” game against the U.S. Virgin Islands. And coach John Herdman has brought a lot of firepower, knowing that goal difference not only influences the Nations League, but the rankings as well.

You have Cyle Larin, who has already scored three Europa League qualifying goals for Besiktas; Jonathan David, who has seven goals in seven Europa League and domestic matches for KAA Gent; Jonathan Osorio, who just inked a new contract with Toronto FC, and is the Canadian Championship MVP. Add Canadian wunderkind Alphonso Davies on the wing, and you have an attack that will be expected to rack up the goals against USVI.

And to keep the “young nucleus” theme going, Herdman said Thursday that he thinks young centre back Derek Cornelius was a “colossus” for Canada at the recent Toulon tournament, and that he represents the blueprint for the modern central defender.

In fact, the young nucleus of Canada’s teams had Herdman talking about the 2022 World Cup as a “when” not an “if.”

“There are parts of this team that I’m really comfortable with and, when I look to the future and I’m projecting out four years time and we’re in a World Cup playing against tough opposition, top opposition, which of the players are going be able to cope with that level of competition?”

Note that Herdman didn’t say “qualifying in a couple of years time.” He spoke about Canada being in the 2022 World Cup. Period.

That’s the kind of confidence that’s surrounding this team, even though the senior national side has been, for the most part, inactive since Herdman replaced Octavio Zambrano and had to, as he admitted, rebuild the program from scratch.

Some other highlights from the conference call:

Herdman on the emergence of Jonathan David:

“I think all credit to him. He’s a young man who left the country at a young age and he’s progressed through his professional career in his club. And this is the sort of pathway that tends to breed these top players, players who get out of their comfort zones and go and fight in top European environments. I think that’s a great advert for the game…My contact with Jonathan was at the Toulon tournament, he’d played for Canada at the youth level, we could see that potential in him. But certainly, working with him in Toulon, you got a sense of the real qualities of this player. Looking at his movement, competencies as a forward, his football IQ, his movement was crisp, it was smooth, the timing, you could sense that he’s come through a well-organized training system at whatever academy he was at in Belgium. It was a player that you can see was ahead of his time in his youth environment. I think he put up a performance against Portugal, and the surprise to me was that not only was he effective in the attacking phases of the game, he was very much a four-moment player. You don’t find that with young players. They’re very good in attacking organization and the attacking transition, and they’re weak in the other areas. But we found with him that he was quite complete across all four moments of the game, which is rare with young players. To see what he’s doing at Gent, and how they’re managing him through the season, it’s been great to see.”

On Jonathan Osorio, and his decision to commit his future to Toronto FC and his role with Canada:

“I think he’s a critical player. The relationship established in the first camp in Murcia was strong. And it was based on a shared respect. Both of us have not had an easy career and we’ve had to work hard for what we’ve managed to achieve in our careers. But, at the same time, there’s a clarity in his mind that there’s just no mediocrity. When we come into a Canadian camp we come in for very clear reasons. I was so impressed with him, his high-performance behaviour, some of the habits he was instilling and leading by example in many ways. He’s be in the performance suite at 11 p.m. still going through elements of the training footage. He’s obsessed with taking this team to the next level. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about Jonathan and good things happen to good people. He’s got that contract now with TFC that’s been well-earned. The evolution is he’s been resilient, he’s been gritty and, over the last two years, he’s started to show his real quality. I think part of that has been stimulated by being around some great players. When you get the chance to play with Altidore, Bradley, Giovinco week to week, they tend to elevate players. So if you’ve got that extra level in you, those players can pull it out of you.”

On the no-shows:

It would not be a Canadian national-team conference if there wasn’t talk about the players who aren’t playing for Canada. Veteran Atiba Hutchinson is recovering from surgery and is working to regain full fitness so he can return to the Besiktas lineup, so playing for Canada wasn’t in the cards. But Ballou Tabla, the Barcelona kid who has dual Canadian/Ivorian citizenship, and has not reappeared in the Canadian program since turning down an invite to play with U-20s a couple of years ago, continues to be a going concern. Herdman spoke about Tabla:

“It’s an ongoing conversation. Every time a selection comes there’s a conversation that happens. The communication with Ballou has been consistent, now, since March. There’s a two-way conversation happening… I think people who are born in Canada understand the importance of this country, but they obviously don’t understand at times the tough situations young players are put in when they’ve got dual nationality. It’s a tough decision. It’s a tough process. You’ve really got to empathize. And the timing of those decisions are cruclal for players. And, often, they’re torn. Torn between ‘is it this or is it that?’ Because they’re in love with both opportunities. And that’s what I’m learning about this situation. That this isn’t a quick fix. This isn’t jumping on an airplane and a six-course meal and a limo ride and some swag from Canada Soccer and all the things other coaches might have tried before. This is genuinely working with the player to make the right decision. That might be Ivory Coast. And I think that’s part our commitment as coaches, we have to look at what’s best for the players and give them the time to work through things. It’s got to be the right decision for them. They have to feel it’s time to come play for Canada. And, at the same time, you’re not begging players. I’m being that clear: There’s other players I’m speaking with who have the opportunity to play for Canada. But we’re not begging people. It’s that clear. If you don’t feel it in your heart to come pull that shirt on, don’t bother. I don’t want you here for commercial reasons. I don’t want you here for other reasons, because someone told you it was the right thing to do. You’ve got to feel this thing.”

 

CANADA SQUAD

1- GK- Maxime Crépeau | CAN / Ottawa Fury FC

2- FB- Zachary Brault-Guillard | FRA / Olympique Lyonnais

3- CB- Manjrekar James | DEN / FC Fredericia

4- CB- Derek Cornelius | SRB / FK Javor Ivanjica

5- CB- Dejan Jaković | USA / Los Angeles FC

6- M- Samuel Piette | CAN / Impact de Montréal

7- M- Russell Teibert | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC

8- M- David Wotherspoon | SCO / St. Johnstone FC

9- F- Cyle Larin | TUR / Beşiktaş JK

10- W- David Junior Hoilett | WAL / Cardiff City FC

11- F- Tosaint Ricketts | CAN / Toronto FC

12- W- Alphonso Davies | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC

13- M- Jay Chapman | CAN / Toronto FC

14- W- Liam Millar | ENG / Liverpool FC U-23

15- CB- Doneil Henry | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC

16- M- Scott Arfield | SCO / Glasgow Rangers FC

17- FB- Marcel de Jong | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC

18- GK- Milan Borjan | SRB / FK Crvena zvezda (Red Star Belgrade)

19- F- Lucas Cavallini | MEX / Puebla FC

20- F- Jonathan David | BEL / KAA Gent

21- M- Jonathan Osorio | CAN / Toronto FC

22- GK- Alessandro Busti | ITA / Juventus Primavera

23- W- Tesho Akindele | USA / FC Dallas