Steven Sandor's Blog, page 5

CONCACAF’s attempt to clarify the Fury situation only serves to muddy the waters

CONCACAF has issued a statement regarding the Ottawa Fury, and it only serves to make a confusing situation, well, even more confusing.

Yesterday, the Fury announced that it would be consulting its lawyers after the club learned CONCACAF would not be sanctioning the team to remain in USL for the 2019 season. The Fury announced earlier in 2018 that the team wished to remain in USL and not join the new Canadian Premier League.

Here is CONCACAF’s statement, in full:

Concacaf typically does not comment publicly on sanctioning matters, but due to the lack of clarity regarding the state of the process and the unilateral statements from various parties in regard to the Ottawa Fury Football Club (Ottawa Fury) participating in the 2019 season of the United Soccer League (USL), we would like to clarify the following:

Under international sanctioning rules, clubs that are affiliated to an Association may only join competitions in another Association’s territory under exceptional circumstances. For the sanctioning of such play in our region, approval must be given by Concacaf and FIFA; 

  
Concacaf to date has not received a formal request from any party to consider sanctioning the participation of the Ottawa Fury in the 2019 season of the USL, despite public announcements by Ottawa Fury that it would be doing so;

  
In the fall of 2018, after unilateral public statements made by Ottawa Fury and before any sanctioning application was made to any governing body, Concacaf clearly advised the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) of its concerns regarding this matter. A further written correspondence to the CSA followed in November, providing guidance on our view that as it stands to date, we do not see exceptional circumstances, given the launch of the Canadian Premier League (CPL) for the 2019 season. 

As the governing body for international football in North, Central America and the Caribbean, we are committed to govern on behalf of all of our 41 Associations and key stakeholders. 

OK, first off, CONCACAF has said that it hasn’t rejected the Fury’s application. It says that it hasn’t even received a formal request about 2019 sanctioning. BUT, it says that in the fall that it had warned Canada Soccer that it likely wasn’t going to greenlight a sanctioning of the Fury in USL for 2019.

Meanwhile, on Thursday the USL released its divisional alignment for 2019, with the Fury as members of the Eastern Conference. The Fury and USL are both still planning as if it’s business as usual when it comes to prepping for the 2019 campaign.

Canada Soccer confirmed yesterday that it had given the green light for the Fury to play in USL for 2019, and that CONCACAF advised that it “would not be authorizing the participation of the Ottawa Fury in the USL for the 2019 season.” Canada Soccer said an application was also sent to U.S. Soccer to permit the Fury to keep participating in the cross-border league, but no response had yet come from the Americans.  But, then CONCACAF says all it has done is advise the CSA that it didn’t feel the “exceptional circumstances” clause had been satisfied, but hasn’t actually received any paperwork regarding the Fury.

And, then, with the Canadian Premier League being considered Division 1, does CONCACAF now need to explain why the three Canadian MLS teams do fit the “exceptional circumstance” criteria and the Fury does not?

And, if CONCACAF advised the CSA in the fall that it did not see the “exceptional circumstances” clause being met, why did Canada Soccer approve the Fury deal and then plan to kick it up to CONCACAF, anyway?

Bear necessities: Three U of A alumni sign on with FC Edmonton

Alberta is having a tough time getting oil to the world via any sorts of new pipelines. But the University of Alberta’s soccer talent pipeline is going strong.

Three former Golden Bears were unveiled Thursday as FC Edmonton signings; Bruno Zebie, Ajay Khabra and Ajeej Sarkaria. All three also spent time under the watchful eye of Eddies coach Jeff Paulus at FCE’s Academy.

Sarkaria was taken in the Canadian Premier League draft by FCE, who holds the rights to two other Golden Bear alumni; goalkeeper Connor James and defender Noah Cunningham.

“I think it says a lot that four of the 21 players drafted in the Canadian Premier League come from the U of A,” said Sarkaria. “I know the program has underperformed in the last couple of years, but the number of players selected speaks to the quality of the program.”

Sarkaria is Canada West’s all-time leading scorer. He also teamed with Zebie on the Foothills FC team that won the 2018 PDL title.

“I want to come into camp and earn a spot,” said Sarkaria. “I want to prove Jeff right. I want to play a big role for this team and become a big goalscorer.”

Funny thing is, in the years leading up to the Canada West scoring record, Sarkaria didn’t see himself as a goal-scorer. It was Paulus who told him to be, well, a little more greedy on the pitch.

“I went to the academy under Jeff and developed under Jeff,” said Sarkaria. “I became more of a goal scorer at the U of A, and a lot of that has to do with Jeff telling me to shoot more. I was an unselfish player — I liked to get assists more than I wanted to score goals. But Jeff told me I wasn’t shooting enough.”

For Zebie, who appeared in one NASL match for FCE, he’s thrilled to rejoin his brother Allan, an NASL veteran, on the Eddies’ squad.

“My brother and I are very close,” said Bruno. “I wanted what was best of him. And when he signed, it motivated me. I wanted the chance to play with my brother.”

Bruno knew for the last month that he’d be returning to FCE. But, he had to keep it quiet. Now that the news is out there, he has to hurry up and wait for training camp to arrive — and the first-ever Canadian Premier League season to launch.

“This league means a lot,” he said. “For players, it’s a chance to show what we’ve got in front of our family and friends. This is our platform to show what we can do.”

Khabra was the Golden Bears’ MVP, and in 2018 received the President’s Trophy for excellence in athletics and academics. He was also an Academic All-Canadian.  And his relationships with Sarkaria and Zebie goes back to youth soccer, at Edmonton Juventus and through the FCE Academy.

“I think it will make the transition to becoming a professional player easier for me, because I know Jeff, I know the players and I know the kind of system he plays.”

And, for the Green and Gold, he has nothing but raves.

“I think this shows how good the program is. We all wanted to get an education and continue with soccer. The university developed us as players and as individuals .”

 

Son Yongchan took aim at Canadian soccer, and hit a bullseye with FC Edmonton

The year was 2002. Son Yongchan was 10 years old. He was learning to excel in competitive sport.

Archery, that is.

“I’m still better than my friends with a bow and arrow,” he laughs.

He’s even better with his feet. Yongchan was unveiled Thursday as FC Edmonton’s first international signing in its Canadian Premier League history.

The Korean midfielder will bring a veteran presence to the Eddies. No word yet on whether he’ll put on a green tunic and also go after people who have failed his city.

What put him on the path to pro soccer? The 2002 World Cup, co-hosted by South Korea. The nation’s Red Devils went to the semifinals, and a nation celebrated. Yongchan was swept up by it all — and realized that he wanted to kick a ball, too.

“I’m a World Cup kid,” he says. “In Korea, everyone became a team. Outside, people made noise and no one complained. Everybody was together, even when people were out on the street and the cars could not move.”

After playing professionally in the Philippines, Singapore and India, Yongchan attended the “Got Game” trials in Toronto, and was clearly one of the top prospects at the talent search. He waited things out in Toronto after the trial.

“When people found out I flew from Korea, just for a trial, they said ‘you can’t be serious,” says Yongchan. “But, about a year ago, I started following the Canadian Premier League. I had heard the rumours about a new league, first in Singapore, then in India. But I could see the potential in Canada.”

He knew he could take one of two approaches. He could do the usual thing, and send résumés and videos to various CanPL teams. Or, he could show up in person at the trials.

“A trial is really the only way to show what you can do,” he says.

As well, if he waited, the Canadian teams would fill up their rosters, and he’d be left fighting for one of the few remaining spots teams would have left in the spring. Or, he could go out to Canada before any players were signed, knowing he’d have a better chance of sticking when coaches had blank slates when it came to their rosters.

It makes perfect sense, really.

In his Asian pro career, he’s had German, British and Spanish coaches, and he says he’s comfortable playing a variety of styles.

“There really is no right answer when it comes to a soccer style. For years people have been trying to copy the Spanish style, but it didn’t work so well for them at the World Cup. There are good things in every style. You take the best from all of them.”

Yonghchan also had the chance to sign in Hong Kong, but after talking to FCE coach Jeff Paulus, he decided to keep his Canadian odyssey going,

“They chose me, so I chose them,” he says.

Rejected: Ottawa Fury threatens to call in the lawyers after CONCACAF refuses USL sanction

The Ottawa Fury, at the moment, is homeless.

The club issued a statement to the media Wednesday night that didn’t mince words. It was titled “Ottawa Fury FC forced to fight for survival.”

CONCACAF has served notice that it won’t sanction the Fury to return to the USL in 2019. The Canadian Soccer Association had already greenlighted the move. This move will no doubt mobilize lawyers on all sides.

“This action by CONCACAF is unprecedented and simply wrong,” said Mark Goudie, President and CEO of the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group  in the release. “Our lawyers have requested that CONCACAF immediately provide further details on the basis for this decision. We also understand that Canada Soccer will be seeking clarification as to the rationale for CONCACAF’s decision. In the event that CONCACAF does not immediately reconsider its position, Fury FC will take all steps – including legal proceedings – so as to ensure that it will be able to continue providing professional soccer to our loyal and new fans and supporters in a league of our choosing.”

The Fury announced earlier this year that, though the team was at the table with the other Canadian Premier League clubs, it had opted to remain in USL. It would continue to support the CanPL in principle and keep an open dialogue with the team. Meanwhile, the CanPL said it had offered the Fury concessions — including mitigating salary-cap concerns — so that it could join the new league. There were concerns that the Fury would have a hard time transitioning overnight from a higher USL budget to a CanPL salary cap.

The CanPL is seen by CONCACAF as Canada’s first division.

Goudie said: “I am also grateful for the pledges of support that we have received today from Canadian MLS clubs Montreal Impact, Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, who understand the important role that Fury FC currently plays in the Canadian professional soccer pathway and landscape at the high-calibre North American Division II level.”

This second part of the statement is key. Because, the question will be, if the Canadian Premier League is the new, official Division 1 in Canadian soccer, what would stop CONCACAF from forcing the three MLS teams to go, as well?  The argument is there; if CONCACAF wants Canadian teams playing in the Canadian first division, will the MLS teams be in the organization’s sights at some time? So, it’s not surprising that the three Canadian MLS clubs have already voiced support for the Fury to continue playing in the American league.

“It’s wrong,” said USL President Jake Edwards in the statement. “Forcing a team to move from the league it is scheduled to play in – and wants to play in – three months before the season starts is unacceptable. Schedules have been set, players signed, season tickets sold. It’s not fair to anyone, including the 35 other teams in our league who are being negatively affected. Allowing this to happen would set a very poor precedent and we’ll do everything in our power to support the Ottawa Fury FC.”

The Fury has stated that it will continue to prepare for the 2019 USL season, but it is ready to offer refunds for 1,500 season-ticket purchases that have been made, if it comes to that. What the release doesn’t say is that the Fury would be willing to go to CanPL. Goodie said that he hasn’t had any contact with CanPL since the decision was made to not join the new league.

“From my experience, and I’ve been in this game for many decades, I’ve never witness or heard of such a thing,” Fury general manager Julian de Guzman said of the CONCACAF decision. “For myself, it’s very unacceptable, to understand the meaning behind this kind of movement. From what we have in place to the the people who support us, we are doing our very best to overturn this decision and we are strongly confident that we will see you guys in 2019, come spring, to enjoy more Fury excitement, more Fury success.”

CONCACAF’s president is Victor Montagliani, the former head of the Canadian Soccer Association. When the idea for a Canadian Division “1A” was first hatched, Ottawa and FC Edmonton were both in the NASL. And Montagliani said the new Canadian league would “co-exist” with MLS and NASL.

Montagliani didn’t have a smooth relationship with USL. When MLS and USL announced a developmental deal in 2013, Montagliani, then president of the CSA, said that the association wouldn’t sanction independent Canadian clubs in USL.

This is a for sure: The next big Canadian soccer battle will happen in the courts, not the pitch.

 

Davies named Canadian men’s player of the year

Alphonso Davies has been named the Canadian men’s player of the year.

Davies, who is now with Bayern Munich after a record transfer from the Vancouver Whitecaps, registered four assists for Canada in the calendar year. That’s the second most by a Canadian player since the record keepers started counting assists.

(For the record, we’ve been counting assists as a legitimate statistical thing since 2000.)

Davies finished first in voting ahead of Besiktas midfielder Atiba Hutchinson, Toronto FC’s Jonathan Osorio, Red Star’s Milan Borjan and Rangers’ Scott Arfield.

For the record, The 11 had Jonathan David on our ballot, behind Davies.

Davies had a 95 per cent passing success rate in the CONCACAF Nations League.

“He has been a standout performer for club and country and that is just a consistent reality now for Alphonso Davies,” said men’s national-team coach John Herdman in a release issued by Canada Soccer. “For club, he picked up many an accolade, culminating with what looks like one of the biggest signings out country has ever seen.

“For Canada, every time he has been asked to take a responsibility and support the team, even playing out of position, he has shown his character. He is just a humble guy who loves the game and will do whatever it takes to be successful.

Sinclair named national player of the year for the 14th time

Look, it’s easy to get the news that Christine Sinclair has been named Canada’s female soccer player of the year, and think, “of course, again.”

After all, when it comes to voting for soccer awards, we have seen the old guard win over and over — deserving or not. In 20 years, Marta will be long retired, but you wouldn’t 100 per cent bet against her winning awards. 

But, Sinclair, Canada’s all-time leading scorer, is showing us she’s still deserving of the title. She led Canada with eight goals scored in 2018, with four of them coming in the CONCACAF Championships which served as the qualifiers for the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

Adriana Leon came second with six goals scored for Canada, but four of them came in a 12-0 rout of Cuba. So, when it comes to converting chances in front of goal, Sinclair wins not only on number of goals, but on balance.

“Her ability to lead her line as well as the players around her while at the same time performing at her level is simply remarkable and unique,”said Kenneth Heiner-Moller, coach of the women’s national side, in a release issued by Canada Soccer. “Sinclair is a notorious goalscorer, but she should also get credit for her ability to set up goals. She is an important part of the build up play for both her club and our Women’s National Team.”

Sinclair has 177 career international goals, seven back of the all-time record held by American Abby Wambach.

Fans, coaches and media vote for the national player of the year awards. The men’s player of the year will be named on Wednesday.

Hoyle returns to Canada as a member of Valour FC

It was 2013. Stephen Hoyle had just completed his first season in New Zealand after coming up through the youth programs at Barnsley and Doncaster Rovers in England.

At the time, Toronto FC’s coach was Ryan Nelsen, a New Zealander, so he brought Hoyle, who was 20 at the time, in on trial. It didn’t work out, but Hoyle did spend some time with the Toronto Lynx of the PDL before going back to New Zealand, where he’s since established himself as one of the top goal scorers in that country’s top league.

And when the current season in New Zealand is done, Hoyle will come back to Canada to play for Valour FC. His signing was announced Tuesday.

“I can keep scoring goals in New Zealand till I’m 35,” he said. “Or, I could come try something new.”

Hoyle has scored 31 times in 54 New Zealand Premiership appearances with Canterbury United. But, he still fondly remembers his trial with Toronto FC, and jumped at the opportunity to come back to Canada.

“It felt like New Zealand at the time,” he said.

He hasn’t met Valour coach Rob Gale in person as of yet, but from the phone conversations they’ve had, plus the extensive homework he’s done on Winnipeg — even reading a 64-page report on the city — Hoyle feels that opting for this shot in the Canadian Premier League is the right move.

“Rob Gale is pretty infectious,” he said. “I had a good connection with him straight away.”

Hoyle’s mom is a headmaster in England. So, he wasn’t satisfied with only playing the game; he wanted to learn whatever he could about it. He’s already got his “B” coaching licence and runs a youth program in Christchurch, which he’ll be turning over to a new coach when he leaves for Canada.

The inaugural Canadian Premier League season is set to begin in late April of 2019. The New Zealand grand final is set for March 31. For the moment, Hoyle says he’s focused on scoring the goals that will get Canterbury to the big game.

“I want to go out with a bang.”

Back from Spain, Romero hopes to impress MLS clubs

Canadian teenager Matis Romero will be cheering for the Portland Timbers in this Saturday’s MLS Cup game.

That’s because, if all goes well with a trial that’s set for January, Romero — who turns 18 in February — could become a member of the Timbers organization.

Romero, a holding mid who played in Spain after coming up through the Montreal Impact’s youth system, has already worked out for the Columbus Crew, Toronto FC, the Seattle Sounders and the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Agent Peter Raco is helping Romero at the moment, but the teen has worked through most of his career without an agent.

“I’m doing it all by myself, I’m always doing everything by myself, sending out my C/V, finding phone numbers of coaches, finding coaches’ e-mails,” said Romero.

Case in point: Go back to when he was just 12. He was with the Impact’s youth system. He had played in Europe at a youth tournament a couple of years before, and knew that’s where he wanted to go. So, he started e-mailing coaches in Spain. And, he got a bite from Malaga. He didn’t even tell his parents that he was soliciting other clubs.

Matis Romero (6) in green.

“It wasn’t easy. It’s hard for a player without an agent to get a trial at a good club,” said Romero. “I knew if I wanted to get there, I had to step up levels at a young age.”

When the academy director at Malaga asked him if he also had an EU passport, Romero knew things were serious. So, the family paid his way for him to go to Spain and trial, and impressed enough that he earned a second audition, this time paid for by the club. He scored in a game against Getafe and, a month later, he was brought into the youth program.

And that’s where he said he saw the difference in intensity between Europe and North America. He said that he doesn’t see a lot of difference between North American and European players when it comes to physical attributes, but when it comes to intensity of training, there isn’t a comparison.

“There were players there who were ready to kill someone to get to the first division,” he said.

But, things soured in the second year.

“I made a bad decision,” Romero recalled. He said the coach told him he wasn’t going to play because of some less-than-expected training performances. But Romero was a kid and didn’t know how to handle the criticism. He decided to leave.

“I was immature, that was it… I really regret what I did,” he said.

After he returned to Montreal, an agent reached out and told him there was an opportunity at CD Leganes. He returned to Spain and played in Leganes’s youth system. But while things were going well on the field, Romero says it wasn’t easy off the field. He went through several different apartments. He says one place was a party pad, making it hard to get rest. Romero claimed that another apartment had crack, and not the kind you find in walls.

Unhappy, he fired the agent, going back to his normal routine of running without one. Romero said that soon after he terminated the deal with the agent, the club contacted him and told him he wouldn’t be in its plans going forward.

But Serge Dinkota, who coached the Impact’s U13 program when Romero was there, is now with the Timbers organization. That link helped earn a trial with the current Western Conference Champions.

And, maybe, just maybe, a chance at stability for a well-traveled young Canadian.

JDG on rebuilding the Fury: “You want people who are well in tune with what the league offers”

The Ottawa Fury missed the USL playoffs in 2018, but the team’s general manager has received a large vote of confidence from the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group.

On Wednesday, the Fury announced that Julian de Guzman has signed a three-year contract extension.

JDG, who distinguished himself with an excellent playing career which included stints in La Liga and the Bundesliga, hung up his boots as a member of the Fury. He rose through the ranks from assistant coach to head coach to general manager in the space of one year.

“It’s a great joy to know I’ll continue at a club I’ve fallen in love with,” he said. “It was a certainly a roller-coaster, but it was something that allowed me a full hands-on experience in these roles.

“I fell in love with everything Ottawa Fury had to offer as a professional club.”

There’s little time for JDG to celebrate. He needs to rebuild the Fury’s roster, which currently has just 10 players on it. He said that the club is talking to handful of players, some of them what he called “difference-makers.” Some of those could translate into signings that are announced before the new years. JDG said that some of the players are Canadian, but said he won’t name any of his targets.

“I don’t want to make the players or agents feel forced.”

But he said that he prefers to look for players who have USL experience or now what the league is all about. He wants players who know what to expect in the USL. He said that he’s seen that bringing in name players from Europe or South America doesn’t always work, and it’s expensive, to boot.

“You want people who are well in tune with what the league offers.”

That was certainly true in the recent deal that saw the Fury acquire Haitian forward Christiano Francois from the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

He admitted that it’s a crowded marketplace, with seven Canadian Premier League clubs also building their rosters. He said the increase in Canadian clubs is creating a “good culture” for soccer in this country. But he said Ottawa can sell itself on its history.

“You have to be confident with what we’ve done in the past five or six years.”

And he said that stability will appeal to Canadian players and foreigners who want to play in Canada.

“The history we offer is something you can’t take away from us,” he said. “My intention is to put Ottawa on the map as a Canadian club.” He added that internationals who consider the Fury will know they will “play for a Canadian club with above-average Canadian players.”

And, now that three more years is a thing, where does de Guzman envision the club in December of 2021?

“For me, it would be the chance to win a trophy, two trophies, whether it’s in the Canadian Championship or USL… If I was to leave the club in three years, I want to leave this club with a trophy.”

With L10 and Swedish league experience, Adjei makes for the prototypical CanPL foreign signing

Simon Adjei had a heck of a strike rate in 2016, when he played for Aurora FC in League1 Ontario. The Swedish/Ghanaian forward scored 19 times in 19 matches before heading back to Europe.

Playing with Swedish side Assyriska IK last season, he scored 30 times.

So, a foreign player who is familiar with Canada, and has excelled in lower division European football. Hmm. Put it all together, and Adjei makes for the prototypical Canadian Premier League foreign signing. And, on Monday, he made history by being the first ever foreigner formally introduced as a CanPL player. He joins York 9, where he’ll be awfully close to the fields on which he played for Aurora back in 2016.

Adjei played for Jim Brennan at Aurora — and, now, Brennan is making the footballing decisions at York 9. So, the links are there. And that’s what CanPL coaches and managers have to do — use their connections with players to sell the idea of coming into a new league. Because the CanPL has no track record, a coach needs to sell a promise, not a product. And having that level of trust with a player certainly helps.

For example, we know at FC Edmonton, coach Jeff Paulus has been working his connections with former NASL players, working to bring some of them into his club. This is simply how it has to work in season one. When a player or agent asks “what’s the team going to be like?” or “what are the training facilities and accommodation going to be like?” they have to settle for the answer, “trust me.” If you get that from a coach you don’t know, you won’t be as quick to sign the contract.

“We wanted a player that has an eye for goal and is clinical in the 18-yard box,” Brennan said in a league-issued release.  “We look for strong strikers that can link up play and push themselves to get in the box. Simon fits that mould and we’re excited to have him.”

As the league announces more players, foreign or domestic, it will be fun to trace back the relationships they or their agents have with certain coaches or executives in the league. And don’t read this as some kind of agent-coach conspiracy; anything but. CanPL teams need to use their networks; that’s how teams are going to get built ahead of season one.