Steven Sandor's Blog, page 20

If men’s and women’s soccer were truly equal, then Labbe wouldn’t have had to try and bridge the gender gap

Next week, I re-enter the world of soccer parenting. My daughter, all of five years old, has been anxiously awaiting her first-ever U7 mixed game.

(I wrote “re-enter” because, for a winter, my son tried soccer camp. I volunteered to coach. He absolutely hated it. And, wow, he hates the sport with a passion, now. I’ve kinda accepted that the kid I dressed in an Arsenal kit the day he was born talks about soccer in the same way many Canadian soccer fans have seen in the comment sections.)

Earlier this week, with the snow all gone and the brownish-green fields in somewhat playable condition, Nico and I headed out to, well, just kick the ball around. She dashed and dipped and demanded “come on dad, take the ball off me!” And, me, the old man with the bad ankles, was helpless. She laughed. She howled. It was soccer at its simplest. Just a kid, with a ball, and joy. Pure joy.

Last year, FC Edmonton sponsored a series of events which saw members of the Canadian women’s national team meet with players from the Alberta capital. Diana Matheson first, then Desiree Scott and Melissa Tancredi. Of course, I came out to cover the events, but I brought Nico with me. She was quiet, she took it all in, then she got autographs and got to touch the Olympic medals.

Then, afterwards, she started talking about how awesome “Diana,” “Destroyer” and “Tanc” were. She talked about how “girls could do anything” and “I am going to be in the Olympics, too.” Then, she told me just HAD to play soccer. On a real team. She was ready.

What does this all have to do with the PDL’s decision to not allow Calgary Foothills to register Stephanie Labbe, who had been on trial with the team, as a player? It’s about the message that it sends to girls across North America.

The PDL has stated it’s a gender-specific league and that Labbe, because there are other women’s leagues in North America, has options. Labbe played for Foothills as recently as last Sunday; she came on as a second-half sub for Foothills in the first Al Classico, a friendly between Calgary and FC Edmonton’s Academy, and made a couple of quality stops to preserve a clean sheet she shared with Marco Carducci. Wheeldon said Wednesday that he planned for Labbe to be one of the team’s three keepers for the season, alongside Carducci and new signing Nathan Ingham, who played with FCE last season.

After the game, Foothills coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. referred to Labbe as “world-class” regardless of gender. He talked about her experience as a Canadian national-team player, and what that brought to his team as a whole.

Labbe has been on trial with Foothills for weeks, but it wasn’t till this week that her eligibility came into question? When I spoke to Wheeldon when Labbe came in on trial, the only issues of eligibility that came up was her age — but Foothills was well within its limits on overage players for an U23 squad.

I had the privilege of covering Labbe’s exploits when, as a teenager, she played for the Edmonton Aviators, who lasted but one season in the W-League back in 2004. To be able to come back to her home province to play PDL soccer would have seen her come full circle. It was a great story.

And, whether you believe she would have succeeded or not, there’s no doubt her presence would have raised the profile of the league.

Sure, argue all you want about women having their own leagues. Make that argument “what if a man tried out for an NWSL team?” My answer is simple. Those arguments would be fair if women pro players had anywhere close to the same money and prestige as the men. They don’t. Not close. So, even though there are women’s leagues, there isn’t equality of opportunity. That’s why there’s still a gender gap.  Trust me. I see the stats on the website. Readership for women’s soccer stories spikes during World Cups and Olympics, then falls right back. Most of us are, at best, occasional followers of the women’s game.

That’s the soccer world my daughter is entering. Next week, she’s going to be playing on a mixed team. She’ll be playing with boys. And one day, I will explain to her why the boys can dream of multimillion-Euro contracts, while maybe, the best a girl can hope for is that soccer will help her pay for her university education.

Wheeldon said that the USL could possibly review its PDL policies at its next AGM; but that doesn’t happen till December. “But, if the issue got on the docket, Steph would have played a role in that.”

Wheeldon said that Labbe will continue to train with the team. The plan is for the club to support her until she finds the next opportunity.

“What we are going to do is to be creative.”

And Wheeldon said that there was no gimmick in mind when Labbe was brought on board. He said that she’s impressed her teammates and the coaches with her fiery disposition. He said that, in making big saves against FCE last week, he and assistant coach Martin Nash saw how focused she was on the task, how dialled-in she was into the game.

Don’t think Labbe deserves a shot in men’s soccer because well, there’s “other leagues?” Well, then make sure for every men’s game you watch, you take in a women’s match. If you claim that the existence of women’s and men’s leagues is all we need to have in order to have equality, well then you need to back that up by following those leagues equally. You need to spend your dollars on the women’s game like you do on the men’s.

Oh wait. You don’t do that? Funny, neither do most people. And that’s why Labbe’s push to play men’s soccer was so important. That’s why it was so important to the girls who dream of playing in the future.

Canada Soccer won’t comment on FIFA’s decision to ban El Salvador coach for his actions related to WC qualifier

Canada Soccer said it likely won’t comment on FIFA’s decision to slap a two-year ban on the former coach of the El Salvadoran national team for his actions leading up to a September, 2016 World Cup qualifier at BC Place.

On Wednesday, FIFA announced it had slapped coach Ramon Maradiaga with a two-year ban for allowing a “third party” to meet with his players ahead of a World Cup qualifier against Canada. The players reported the meeting to authorities, and claimed a businessman offered them financial incentives to do well against Canada — because if El Salvador could at least the score respectable it would benefit Honduras.

“Based on the report, the investigatory chamber investigated and analyzed Mr Maradiaga’s involvement in an attempt to manipulate matches, allowing and not reporting a meeting held between the players of the national team of El Salvador and a third party, in which financial compensation was promised to the players in exchange for their altering the result of the game between El Salvador and Canada,” read a statement from FIFA.

Maradiaga was also fined 20,000 Swiss francs, which amounts to $25,874 CAD, by today’s exchange rate.

As the investigation solely focused on the approach made to the El Salvador national squad, and didn’t involve the Canadian team, Canada Soccer has said it doesn’t have anything to add to FIFA’s decision.

Going back to September 2016: El Salvador was already eliminated from Hex contention. Mexico had already wrapped up first place in the group. Canada trailed Honduras by three points and on goal difference for second spot in the group, and the final spot in the Hex. Canada ended up beating El Salvador 3-1, but Mexico and Honduras played to a goalless draw at Azteca Stadium. So, in the end, the Canadians knew that the fact Honduras were able to play Mexico to a stalemate made the result of their final game moot.

The 0-0 draw marked the second time in the group that the Mexicans and Hondurans played to a stalemate.

 

Paulus keeps FCE going steady, despite uncertain times

Back in the 1970s, the Scottish folk-rock band, Stealers Wheel, recorded “Stuck in the Middle With You,” and that song has lived on and on and on. The lyrics tell us: “Yes I’m stuck in the middle with you, and I’m wondering what it is I should do, it’s so hard to keep this smile from my face…”

And, Jeff Paulus, who runs FC Edmonton’s academy, could use that as his theme song, as well. From 2012-17, on top of his duties developing the team’s young charges, he was the first team’s assistant coach. When the Eddies announced at the completion of 2017 that they were done with the NASL, the staff was whittled down. Basically, there’s general manager Jay Ball and Paulus.

The academy is still a going concern in 2018, and many of Paulus’s young players took part in Sunday’s “Al Classico” friendly against Calgary Foothills of the PDL.

It’s no secret that FC Edmonton is targeted as a potential charter member of the Canadian Premier League that is set to kick off in 2019. But, a stadium deal still needs to be forged with the City of Edmonton for Clarke Stadium. Seating needs to be expanded to 7,000 and FCE needs to be the primary soccer tenant, as per league guidelines. The team needs to be able to control more of the concession revenue. Owners Tom and Dave Fath want to see more memberships sold and more corporate support.

So, the end goal is the CanPL, but the team’s not officially signed on yet. Paulus’s role moving forward hasn’t been made clear, because, well, the future of the team is not clear. The question: How does he shepherd the club towards a 2019 launch that, for Edmonton, is still a wish list item and not a hard target?

Stuck in the middle with you, indeed.

“For me, I’ve got the benefit of still running the academy,” Paulus said after Sunday’s Al Classico. “I still get to put my principles of play into that program, I get to have my kids play the way I want them to play. So, for me I go forward with the mentality that I at least I am still the academy coach at the moment and the director.”

He’s getting set for a full academy season, and there will be guests, as well. Former FCE senior-team players Allan Zebie and Edem Mortotsi are working out with the kids. So, Paulus does have a base to work from.

“If we get the CPL in Edmonton, and I’m fortunate enough to get the job, then I’ve had the academy since January 2012… There are players I know so well, there are players who contact me all the time. So what I am able to do at the moment is offer them training at our academy. There’s no promises of first-team football. But Allan Zebie trains with us every day. Edem Mortotsi trains with us when he’s not working. If there is a CPL, then maybe we can emulate what Foothills gets to do, which is prepare a team ahead of time.”

He said that he knows both FCE and Foothills will “leave no stone left unturned” when it comes to scouring Alberta for talent. And, Paulus said the new Canadian league will offer opportunities to Canadians who have both played for FCE and its academy grads. Paulus brought back some veterans for Al Classico. Some were there to get a nice hand from the fans, others were there to prove a point.

“I’d be lying if I said that was just an exhibition game for us,” said Paulus. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but I certainly want to showcase players like Edem Mortotsi and Ajay Khabra who have come through our academy who I know so well, who know me so well. Again, I don’t know what the future holds, but the Canadian Premier League has a place [for players like those]. There’s a place for our ex-FC Edmonton Academy players.”

Now, if only the international agents would stop calling and sending videos of their players. Paulus is still being deluged by agents looking to get their clients into the NASL, even though FCE pulled out of that league last year — and the NASL isn’t, well, playing right now.

“It’s still a frustration,” says Paulus. I am still getting videos today about players I should be signing. And I write back: Can you please check the latest NASL standings? I don’t mind some of these agents, but if you’re going to be an agent, then do your job and at least know that we don’t have a team.”

Inescapably Canadian Power Rankings: MLS Week 9/USL Week 7

For the second week in a row, a Canadian has struck against Fresno FC, the new U.S.-based affiliate of the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Last week, Paris Gee scored for the Tulsa Roughnecks against Fresno; this past weekend, Alessandro Riggi came on as a sub for Phoenix Rising and scored a late equalizer.

But, on the Whitecaps’ first-team front, Brett Levis — a product of the Canadian university soccer system — made his first start in an MLS match, a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake. Canadian Alphonso Davies also earned a beauty of an assist in the match.

Other notable Canadian performances from the weekend: Jonathan Osorio continues to be red hot; he scored for Toronto FC against Chicago. He is coming off a Golden Boot-winning CONCACAF Champions League, and didn’t show effects of missing his penalty in the shootout against Chivas.

And NCFC’s Kyle Bekker scored in a 3-0 win over Mauro Eustaquio and his Penn FC teammates.

 

Here are the rankings after the ninth week of MLS play/seventh week of USL action:

 

MLS MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Samuel Piette, Montreal, 720 (8)
Will Johnson, Orlando, 719 (8)
Alphonso Davies, Vancouver, 637 (9)
Mark-Anthony Kaye, LAFC, 570 (7)
Marcel de Jong, Vancouver, 526 (7)
Russell Teibert, Vancouver, 440 (6)
Dejan Jakovic, LAFC, 405 (5)
Jonathan Osorio, TFC, 341 (4)
Michael Petrasso, Montreal, 287 (5)
Ashtone Morgan, TFC, 279 (4)
Jay Chapman, TFC, 211 (3)
Liam Fraser, TFC, 189 (3)
Tosaint Ricketts, TFC, 182 (4)
Jordan Hamilton, 180 (2)
Ryan Telfer, TFC, 180 (2)
Richie Laryea, Orlando, 114 (3)
Raheem Edwards, Montreal, 112 (3)
Julian Dunn-Johnson, TFC, 104 (2)
Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Montreal, 103 (5)
Louis Beland-Goyette, Montreal, 92 (3)
Brett Levis, Vancouver, 62 (1)
Tesho Akindele, FC Dallas, 23 (3)
David Choiniere, Montreal, 12 (1)
Aidan Daniels, TFC, 12 (1)
Kwame Awuah, NYCFC, 3 (2)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, MLS MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2018

Toronto FC, 1678/6 (279.7)

Vancouver, 1665/9 (185)

Montreal, 1346/8 (168.25)

LAFC, 975/7 (139.3)

Orlando City, 833/8 (104.1)

FC Dallas, 23/7  (3.3)

NYCFC, 3/9 (0.3)

 

USL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Jordan Schweitzer, Colorado Springs, 740 (9)
Skylar Thomas, Charleston, 630 (7)
Kyle Bekker, NCFC, 611 (7)
Robert Boskovic, TFCII, 540 (6)
Jordan Murrell, Reno, 540 (6)
Paris Gee, Tulsa, 527 (6)
Aidan Daniels, TFCII, 480 (6)
Mauro Eustaquio, Penn FC, 453 (6)
Bradley Kamdem-Fewo, Fresno, 450 (5)
Chris Mannella, Ottawa, 450 (5)
Tyler Pasher, Indy, 440 (5)
Jordan Dover, Pittsburgh, 434 (5)
Keven Aleman, Sacramento, 396 (6)
Amer Didic, Swope Park Rangers, 390 (5)
Malik Johnson, TFCII, 363 (6)
Angelo Cavalluzzo, TFCII, 360 (4)
Karl Ouimette, Indy, 360 (4)
Rocco Romeo, TFCII, 352 (4)
Ryan James, Nashville, 337 (4)
Carl Haworth, Ottawa, 303 (5)
Luca Uccello, TFCII, 290 (5)
Maxime Crepeau, Ottawa, 270 (3)
Eddie Edward, Ottawa, 270 (3)
Zachary Ellis-Hayden, Fresno, 270 (3)
Josh Heard, Real Monarchs SLC, 267 (4)
Michael Cox, Nashville, 247 (4)
Noble Okello Ayo, TFCII, 246 (3)
Jamar Dixon, Ottawa, 223 (5)
Matthew Srbely, TFCII, 207 (3)
Ryan Telfer, TFCII, 207 (3)
Adonijah Reid, Ottawa, 183 (3)
Zak Drake, Las Vegas, 181 (3)
Callum Irving, Ottawa, 180 (2)
Darrin MacLeod, Swope Park Rangers, 180 (2)
Mastanabal Kacher, Real Monarchs SLC, 175 (3)
Kyle Porter, Ottawa, 173 (2)
David Edgar, Nashville, 138 (3)
Daniel Haber, FC Cincinnati, 133 (5)
Shaan Hundal, TFCII, 130 (3)
Kunle Dada-Luke, TFCII, 122 (3)
Mark Anthony Gonzalez, Reno, 98 (2)
Julian Dunn-Johnson, TFCII, 90 (1)
Liam Fraser, TFCII, 90 (1)
Steffen Yeates, TFCII, 90 (1)
Jordan Hamilton, TFCII, 63 (1)
Daniel Da Silva, TFCII, 59 (1)
Monti Mohsen, Ottawa, 45 (1)
Chris Nanco, Bethlehem Steel, 38 (3)
Alessandro Riggi, Phoenix, 37 (4)
Luca Ricci, Phoenix, 29 (2)
Terran Campbell, Fresno, 24 (4)
Jordan Faria, TFCII, 15 (1)
Luca Petrasso, TFCII, 11 (1)
Gabriel Wiethaeuper-Balbinotti, Ottawa, 6 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, USL MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2018

TFCII, 3715/6 (619.2)

Ottawa, 2103/5 (420.6)

Indy Eleven, 800/5 (160)

Nashville, 722/6 (120.3)

Reno, 638/6 (106.3)

Fresno, 744/8 (93)

Charleston, 630/7 (90)

Real Monarchs SLC, 442/5 (88.4)

Tulsa, 527/6 (87.8)

NCFC, 611/7 (87.3)

Colorado Springs, 740/9 (82.2)

Swope Park Rangers, 570/7 (81.4)

Penn FC, 453/6 (75,5)

Pittsburgh, 434/6 (72.3)

Sacramento, 396/7 (56.6)

Las Vegas, 181/5 (36.2)

FC Cincinnati, 133/6 (22.2)

Phoenix, 66/7 (9.4)

Bethlehem Steel, 38/6 (6.3)

 

Al Classico: Proof that fans will “invest in Canadian rivalries”

A near-capacity crowd at Clarke Field saw a rather one-sided “Al Classico” — as Calgary Foothills defeated an FC Edmonton Academy side that also featured a number or returning veteran players by a 4-0 scoreline.

Really, the result wasn’t unexpected. The Foothills team is just weeks away from the start of its PDL campaign, while many of the FCE players didn’t look like they were all too familiar with each other on the field.

But, for soccer fans in Alberta, this was a lot more about than a single exhibition game. This “Al Classico” match was a platform to promote the Canadian Premier League, which kicks off in 2019. It was a way for FC Edmonton to prove to an often cynical sporting community that, if the Eddies can play against local rivals, the fans will come. The Eddies are currently looking to secure Clarke Stadium — a piece which will determine if FCE, which played in the NASL from 2011-17, will return as a CanPL side in 2019.  According to documents from City of Edmonton administration, the CanPL requirements include an increase in seating capacity to 7,000 and a guarantee that FCE would be the primary tenants in the city-owned facility. Minor football groups are opposing the Eddies; so, in the battle for hearts and minds (and political capital), there was a clear message in an exhibition game that came close to filling the stands on a blustery Sunday afternoon.

And, for the Eddies, it was a chance to bring back some familiar faces to mix in with the Academy kids. Shaun Saiko, who is the No. 2 goal-scorer in FCE’s NASL history, played a half. Paul Hamilton, a former NASL Best XI defender with the Eddies, played an hour. The alumni party continued with the likes of Sam Lam and Edem Mortotsi in uniform. FC Edmonton promoted what could be an exciting future as a CanPL team by paying respect to its NASL past.

And, for former FCE captain Nik Ledgerwood, he had the chance to return to Clarke as a member of Calgary Foothills.

Saiko said that he hadn’t played an outdoor soccer game in two years. For Hamilton, he’s barely been outside for a soccer game in 2018; he’s still coming off a season at indoor amateur soccer.

“Shaun still has it,” said FCE Academy coach Jeff Paulus. “And I brought Shaun in here for a couple of reasons, and Paul Hamilton, too. Number one: When I came to this cub, those were players who really accepted me as the second assistant… I was not a young coach, but I was certainly a young professional coach. I leaned on guys like that at the time, because they were the professional players and I had a lot of respect for them, and I still do. Bringing them here today was to help lead the team but also I knew there was going to be a lot of people here, and those people love Paul and Shaun, rightfully so. I wanted to give that back to everybody, and I wanted Paul and Shaun to have their day.”

Both Hamilton and Ledgerwood said that it wasn’t lost on them that the crowd for the Calgary-FCE Academy exhibition game — albeit with free tickets — was larger than crowds they played in front of for FCE games at Clarke.

“I think it just shows that the rivalries are more important than the league,” said Ledgerwood. “I said to some of our guys that’s probably a bigger crowd than we got a lot of the time in NASL. So, I think, going forward to the CPL, that’s what it’s going to be about. Rivalries.”

But, once the game started, romance gave way to reality — as a Foothills team that’s nearly set to kick off the PDL season poured it on.    It was one-way traffic throughout the first, as Foothills pressed and pressed. That pressure forced an FCE backline corps that wasn’t familiar with each other into mistakes.

A poor back pass from Mason James was picked off by Calgary Foothills’ forward DuWayne Ewart, who made no mistake. Then, before the game was seven minutes old, it was 2-0. Hamilton made a nice slide tackle to stop a scoring chance from Ali Musse; but the Calgary Foothills forward was able to recover the ball, then slam a shot home.

Musse was inches away from a second when his free kick crashed off the post.

Ewart and Musse are perfect illustrations of the kinds of players who would benefit from the Canadian Premier League. Musse spent time in the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency and Ewart is an alumnus of the USL’s Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

In the first half, FCE used a mix of vets and young prospects, and Academy players took over for the second 45.

Jackson Farmer, an Edmonton native, made it 3-0 in the second half with a shot from the top of the penalty area. Tofa Fakunle made it four as he tapped the ball in off a goalmouth scramble.

Prince Amanda, brother of Gloire Amanda, who suited up for WFC2 last season, had a good chance to get one back for FCE, shooting wide after a ball came off the post.

Canadian women’s national team keeper Stephanie Labbe, a native of the Edmonton area who’s on trial with Foothills, came into the game in the 79th minute. Labbe was a member of the Edmonton Aviators side that played one season in the W-League in 2004. Labbe had to scramble to grab the ball off the feet of Edmonton’s Decklin Mahmi before he was able to unleash a shot towards goal.

In the 89th, Labbe was beaten on a shot from the right wing that came from the foot of David Doe, who got into some NASL games with the Eddies last season. The rebound came to Mahmi, and Labbe recovered in time to push his effort over the bar.

“Today was about the past, the present and the future,” said Foothills coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. “And the crowd dictated that they’re here to watch local talent. They’re here to invest in Canadian rivalries. It’s hard to strike up a rivalry, as you guys know, with Miami and Puerto Rico. But if you say Calgary’s coming up for an Al Classico, and suddenly everybody wants to see the rivalry. I thought it was a brilliant response from the Edmonton community.”

There, you saw it. Someone from a Calgary team saying something nice about in Edmonton. If Wheeldon and Paulus become CanPL rivals in 2o19, maybe there won’t be so many post-game pleasantries…

While symbolic, Hamilton and Saiko’s FC Edmonton returns represent a bridge the club needed to repair

Don’t call it a comeback, even though Shaun Saiko was an Eddie for years. On Sunday, the man who scored the first NASL goal in FC Edmonton history looks to be rocking his peers, putting Calgary Foothills in fear.

Both Saiko and Paul Hamilton, who both earned NASL Best XI nods during their time with FC Edmonton, will put on Eddies jerseys once again for Sunday’s Al Classico exhibition match. Calgary Foothills and the FCE Academy will face each other, and more than 3,000 free tickets have been snapped up. As well, Allan Zebie — who is one of the stars of the new Canadian Premier League manifesto video that was released by the league on Friday — and former Eddie Edem Mortotsi will also make returns for the Eddies.

But, in the cases of Hamilton and Saiko, coming back to play for FCE means something very special as the Eddies push to make a return in 2019 in the Canadian Premier League. Issues over Clarke Field still need to be ironed out — but the hope is that Sunday’s friendly will simply be the first chapter in a long-standing CanPL rivalry between Calgary and Edmonton.

Saiko is No. 2 all-time in the FCE goals list, and scored about as spectacular a first-franchise-goal-in-history a person could score — a screamer in Fort Lauderdale that helped set up an FC Edmonton comeback win.

When Colin Miller took over as FC Edmonton coach in late 2012, though, he made the call to not offer Hamilton a contract, but the defender — who had made Edmonton his home — stayed on as a trialist before moving onto Carolina. Then, later in 2013, Miller made the decision to no longer allow Saiko to train with the first team, a move which led to a supporters’ protest.

Because both players had storied FCE careers but rather unceremonious exits, the fact that they can suit up again for the Eddies — even if it feels kinda like a testimonial — is important. As the Eddies go forward and try to re-establish themselves as a CanPL side, it’s vital that the team repair a couple of bridges, and celebrate players who were key parts of the team’s history.

Saiko and Hamilton are in different phases of their lives than when they were young Canadians looking to prove themselves as pros. They now have families. They have responsibilities. So, don’t look at Sunday as the first part of a comeback story.

“(Coach Jeff Paulus) called and asked me if I wanted to play, and I said ‘sure,’” said Saiko. “For me, it’s just a runaround right now. My family, my kids will be there and it’s a chance for them to see me in an FC Edmonton uniform.”

While Saiko’s exit from FCE wasn’t steeped in glory, he said that he has “way more positive memories than negative ones” from his time with the Eddies.

And, he says that it’s important to support YEG4CPL cause, as he thinks it’s so important for Edmonton to have a team in the CanPL.

“For the kids, it is so important to have a team to support. When I was a kid, I wanted to see an Edmonton team play. I supported the Drillers for sure. It was big.”

Maybe Saiko will hit one of his famous 25-yard screamers that became parts of FCE lore. Maybe a boomer like that goal in Fort Lauderdale, or that outside-of-the-foot bender that made Puerto Rico’s play-by-play man scream “Saaayyyyyyy-kooooooooh.” Or maybe a confounding curler like that time he bagged a hat trick against Carolina.

“Maybe I didn’t score a lot of goals in my time with FC Edmonton,” Saiko laughed. “But maybe I made up for the lack of quantity with the quality of the goals.”

Like this?

Or this?

North star, northern lights: CanPL unveils its league branding

Roy Nasrallah, the marketing director for the nascent Canadian Premier League, is, well, giddy. His grin is stretched wide. He greets me not with a handshake, but with a hug.

And, when he talks about the national first division, set to kick off in the spring of 2019, he doesn’t refer to it as a business. It’s a “movement.”

When the Canadian Premier League’s new logo is displayed on the boardroom screen at the CanPL’s Toronto offices, Nasrallah describes it like he’s seeing it for the first time. It’s like he’s unpacking a gift on Christmas morning.

But, unlike many logos we see in sports, the CanPL brand doesn’t need a lot of explanation. The north star is placed atop a maple leaf. The symbolism is obvious.

The primary version of the logo, publicly unveiled Friday, isn’t well, red. (I had a chance to preview it last week during a visit to Toronto; the info was  embargoed until the official release date.)

Nasrallah says the north star is the  “guiding light for talent in Canada.” The star breaks up the maple leaf into three distinct sections, which reflects that Canada is a cultural mix of ethnic and Indigenous groups. There are three colours in the main logo; the dark sky — representing Canada’s long nights — is the root of the dark blue. The light blue shows that the CanPL wants to unite Canadians from coast to coast to coast (this is a nation that touches three oceans). And the green, well, the first thought is that it’s a soccer pitch.

But the primary logo’s colours are also influenced by the greenish hues of the Northern Lights.

But, like the MLS shield, teams in the CanPL will be able to sport logos customized to their team colours.

As well, there will be an alternate red version. That version will be worn by teams on Canada Day weekend, or when CanPL teams make it to the semis or the final of the Voyageurs Cup. If a CanPL teams makes it to the CONCACAF Champions League, it will also sport the red “national” logo.

There will also be a gold logo, but that can’t be used until 2020. You guessed it, that logo will be used exclusively by the defending league champs.

Nasrallah says he hopes that the logo shows that the CanPL  will be “speaking the community language.”

It might not be what supporters expected; it hints at darkness, at cold, about the bright things that twinkle in the night. But, for a league that’s trying to bring Canadian soccer professionalism out of the darkness and towards that light at the end of the tunnel, the symbolism might just be perfect.

 

CONCACAF’s decision to scrap extra time robs fans of what could have been an epic Chivas-TFC finale

Sure, in the days to come, we’re all going to micro-analyze Toronto FC’s CONCACAF Champions League final loss to Chivas. TFC came back from a 2-1 first-leg deficit, taking the second leg Wednesday in Mexico, 2-1. But, Chivas was perfect in the penalty shootout, while TFC’s Jonathan Osorio saw his shot come off the underside of the bar and out, and Michael Bradley skied his attempt.

We will look back at the penalty misses, or the fact that, in time added on, Marky Delgado had a wonderful chance to pot the winner; but his half volley on a cross from Sebastian Giovinco was hit well over the bar.

But, what makes this final hard to take, well, it’s because CONCACAF just had to go and go all 1970s NASL with the format. It’s ridiculous that a continental club championship doesn’t provide for extra time to be played if the two teams are level after two legs. To go straight to penalty kicks… ugh. Give the players 30 more minutes to try and decide a championship in an 11-v-11 environment.

Come on. Not playing extra time? That’s no better than the offside lines of the old NASL, or the mini-games of the 1990s MLS. There’s no reason not to play a final the way finals are meant to be played. If they are tied after regulation, they play 30 minutes. If needed, then they go to kicks. That’s the game.

I had a reader tweet to me right after the game that the game may as well have been decided with a skills competition. You know what? He’s right. Why not just have Giovinco go up against Chivas’s Alan Pulido? They can dribble the ball through a maze of cones. First one to go end to end wins.

These two teams provided amazing theatre over two matches. To not give them the chance to play another 30 minutes, to possibly determine the title with an honest-to-goodness goal, well that’s simply unjust.

Imagine if CONCACAF officials were in charge of other jurisdictions. The most recent World Cup final and Euro final — both decided by dazzling extra-time goals — would have gone right to kicks. Those goals are going to be remembered by soccer fans for ages to come. They are the magical moments that, well, make us all love this game so much. Who knows if TFC-Chivas would have been settled by a similar moment of magic? But, well, you miss 100 per cent of the shots you don’t take, right? (Sorry, Wayne.)

Look, we knew the rules going in. We knew that this could happen. But, in previous rounds, we were spared this straight-to-penalties stuff. But, on CONCACAF’s biggest stage, this ridiculous format rose up and bit what should have been a classic final right in the ass.

Now, Toronto FC did well to get the game to the penalties stage. Chivas scored first in the second leg, as Rodolfo Pizarro’s clever pass found forward Orbelin Pineda, who caught Toronto FC fullback Auro flatfooted. Pineda converted.That made it 3-1 on aggregate.

TFC responded, though, big time. With a little help from suspect goalkeeping, that is.

Last week, Miguel Jimenez got the start in goal for Chivas, and made a couple of big saves on Toronto FC’s Jozy Altidore — key points in a 2-1 win in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final.

Jimenez was in goal because regular starter Rodolfo Coto wasn’t available due to suspension.

Coto returned for the second leg in Mexico.

On TFC’s first goal, Coto went for a needless wander, leaving the net wide open for a TFC equalizer.  Nicolas Hasler took advantage of the fact that Chivas couldn’t clear its lines, then was able to get the ball across goal. For some reason, Coto charged way out of the net, and was actually nowhere near his goal when the ball was turned in by Jozy Altidore.

Then, just before halftime, a Sebastian Giovinco shot from distance beat Coto near post. It’s the kind of shot that any top-shelf keeper has to handle. Coto didn’t.

Chivas’s Jose Godinez struck the post in the second half, and an injury forced Altidore out of the game, which limited TFC’s options when it came to penalties.

TFC coach Greg Vanney admitted that the grind of the CCL had taken its toll on the Reds, who had “zero centre backs” at 100 per cent for the second leg.

The CONCACAF Champions League has had issues in the past, with teams, fans and TV networks not always taking the tournament seriously. But, by not playing extra time, it feels like CONCACAF doesn’t take its own tournament all that seriously.

So, CONCACAF, stop this nonsense in time for the next CCL. Please don’t keep messing with the integrity of the game.

Win two tickets to see The Workers Cup

For the readers in the Edmonton area (or those who will be in the Edmonton area in the first week of May), check out the  screening of the soccer documentary, The Workers Cup.

Sponsored by the Alberta Labour History Institute, this documentary will be screened at Metro Cinema at May 7 at 7 p.m. MT, as part of the Northwestfest — a festival that celebrates documentary filmmaking. Directed by Adam Sobel, the film looks at the workers who are building the venues for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

That World Cup has come under close scrutiny due to allegations of FIFA vote-fixing and, even more troubling, reports of inhumane working conditions for those building these new superstadiums in the desert. More than a million people are working to ready Qatar for the World Cup, and The Workers Cup looks at an initiative that saw 24 construction companies each asked to field teams for a special tournament.  For more on the film, see the trailer at the bottom of the post.

The 11 is happy to be able to offer two passes to the film for a lucky reader. Click on the link below, then wait for the page to reload, then click the green button to enter.

The 11 does not share information about our readers to third parties. Nor do we sell advertising lists.

The Workers Cup – Trailer from Mediadante on Vimeo.

 

Tickets for THE WORKERS CUP

Canadian officials, players on way home from Nicaragua

The following statement has just been issued by Canada Soccer:

“Canada Soccer’s Women’s U-17 National Team and Canadian referees have all departed Nicaragua and are safely on their way back to Canada. Canada Soccer supports the decision of Concacaf to cancel the 2018 Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship in Managua, Nicaragua and will continue to work with Concacaf to ensure that safety remains the priority.”

The Canadian team had already won its first group stage game, a 3-0 result over Bermuda, before the decision was made to pull the plug on the tournament. The U-17 Championship acts as the qualifier for the U-17 Women’s World Cup.

CONCACAF made the decision on Sunday to cancel the remainder of the tournament, stating it  “will determine future steps regarding this tournament and the related qualifying process for Concacaf teams for the FIFA Women’s World Under-17 Cup Uruguay 2018. The timing of those decisions will be communicated as they are determined.”

Pension policies introduced last week by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has led to a series of violent protests. The Nicaraguan Centre of Human Rights has claimed that at least 25 people have been killed in riots. The army has clashed with protestors.

Of course, when situations like this arise, the game of soccer becomes secondary, and the priority has to be the safety of the teenagers who traveled from across the region to take part in the tournament.