Steven Sandor's Blog, page 6

Edwini-Bonsu, Zebie are the first two FC Edmonton signings of the CanPL era

It was 2013. Canada was set to play Costa Rica in a friendly at Commonwealth Stadium.

Randy Edwini-Bonsu was on Canada’s roster for the game and, as part of the promotion for the national team, he was part of a group of Canadian players who attended an FC Edmonton match at Clarke Stadium. He was at an NASL game in his hometown.

At that time, he didn’t think he’d actually ever play for FC Edmonton.

“I met (co-owner Tom Fath) and shook his hand, I didn’t know I’d ever wear that jersey,” said Edwini-Bonsu, who, along with Allan Zebie, were revealed Thursday as the first signings in the Canadian Premier League history of the Eddies. The two player announcements were part of a league-wide player reveal, as all seven CanPL teams simultaneously introduced their new players.

“I’ve been trying to come home for a while, now,” said Edwini-Bonsu, who appeared for FCE in one of its friendlies against Cavalry FC. “Everything about it was what I was looking for and been waiting for… It means something for me to come back home and represent my city. I’m absolutely excited, I can’t wait to get started.”

Edwini-Bonsu has been in Europe for close to a decade in after he spent time in the Vancouver Whitecaps system. Among the teams for which he’s played: AC Oulu, Eintracht Braunschweig and, most recently, Tennis Borussia Berlin.

FCE’s Allan Zebie enjoys the festivities.

He said that making a move to the CanPL is definitely not a “plan B.”

“It’s absolutely not. I’ve been in Europe for the last nine years, I’ve done what I’ve wanted to do. Right now I’m at the point in my career where I wanted to do something different.”

When he’s at his best, Edwini-Bonsu can offer pace and passion. He’s the kind of player who shows his emotions on the pitch, and has a fiery personality when he crosses the lines, though he’s soft-spoken off the field.

FCE coach Jeff Paulus said he wants players on his team who have that fire. He said he wants players who not only play with intensity, but practice with intensity. He doesn’t mind “flare-ups” in training sessions between players, because those things happen when his charges are passionate about what they do. And he compared REB to a former FCE player and NASL veteran who was no stranger to getting stuck in.

“I want him to keep that (intensity) on the pitch,” said Paulus. “I remember Chris Nurse here. And we all loved Chris Nurse because of his personality on the pitch. And I think teams need to have that. Players need to have that because it drives their hunger and drives their passion for the game. It drives their intensity in training. And this is what we want.”

The other piece is Canadian Allan Zebie, who was  one of the players the Canadian Premier League used in its first-ever promotional video. Zebie played 54 NASL games with FCE.

“He’s important to the club because he’s been around the club,” sais Paulus of Zebie. “Of course, FC Edmonton is the one club in the CPL that has a history. We’ve existed for a while, and Allan brings a big piece of that back with us. He was a starter in the NASL so, certainly he’ll excel in the CPL.”

And Zebie, as a guy who’s become a fixture with the Eddies, has embraced the role of the club’s sort-of Drake; he’s talked to a few players about the CanPL and FCE.

“I don’t think I am supposed to be helping with the recruiting, but I’ve been talking to guys here and there, trying to see what they want to do for next year, and obviously this is a great project,” said Zebie. “I’ve been trying to help here and there.”

While the Eddies have only announced their first two players, Paulus said there isn’t a lot of room left at the inn.

“Two contracts signed, but we’re well on our way,” said the coach. “I would say we’re down the last couple of players.”

He said that some NASL players will be coming to FC Edmonton, and that some of those aren’t FCE alumni. But they’re players Paulus knows very well from his time as the Eddies assistant coach.

 

Sukunda on being the first Wanderer: “It’s too good to be true”

For Canadian fullback Zachary Sukunda, making the move to Halifax was heavily influenced by a single factor — Wanderers head coach Stephen Hart.

A few months ago, Sukunda was on a fact-finding mission about the new Canadian Premier League. Sukunda had played professionally in Sweden and Australia after being part of the Impact’s former USL side, FC Montreal. He wanted to play in Canada, and asked some of his former coaches for their opinions of the new CanPL. They told him that if he had the chance to play for Stephen Hart, he should take it.

“They told me he was a class act,” said Sukunda, who wanted to play for a manager who was about more than wins, draws and losses.

“In the past, I’ve had my fair share of coaches that were an ego show, who didn’t care about their players. All they cared about were the results.”

He said that Hart is different. Not only does the former Canadian national team coach want to win (they all do), he wants to make sure his players develop; that Canadian soccer grows.

On Thursday, Sukunda was announced as the first player in Halifax Wanderers history, part of a league-wide player reveal of the first 10 CanPL signings.

“I’m not at an age yet where I can say that I am at my full potential,” said Sukunda, who is a right-footed fullback who likes to get up and down the wings, and has played a lot on the left side through his career. “If I get a good couple of seasons under my belt, playing for Stephen, I know that I will become a much better player.

“It’s definitely an intense yet amazing feeling to be the first player signed. I don’t think there’s ever been a pro sports team in Halifax, so I think it could make me the first of the first.”

But Sukunda knows that being the first carries great responsibility; he knows that Halifax has a core of supporters who can’t wait for the April 2019 season opener to arrive. He says it will be important that the team starts off well, and gives the supporters a soccer experience they’ll truly relish.

“I never thought (a Canadian League) would happen,” said Sukunda. “It’s too good to be true.”

Sukunda is the prototype for the sort of player the CanPL wants to repatriate. After leaving the USL, he played in Sweden for Umea FC, then all the way out to Australia for Hume City and Northcote City.

“It was a different experience, playing in Scandinavia,” said Sukunda. “Life was a little bit hard. In terms of the soccer, it was very good, but it’s hard to live there. It was a small city, I liked that. But it was quite expensive to live there.”

And, while English was something many Swedes spoke on the streets, it wasn’t used in the dressing room, so he said the imports were isolated from the group of domestic players.

He made the move to Australia and, while there wasn’t a language barrier, the style of play was different.

“In Australia, the style of play is very similar to the USL. The players are big, strong athletic guys. In Sweden, the game was more technical, played at a faster pace.”

Sukunda is from Ottawa, but he’ll soon be making the move to Nova Scotia. And he’s excited that his parents can get on a plane on Saturday morning, take the 90-minute trip, be in Halifax in time for an afternoon fixture, then head home on a Sunday. He wants to play in front of friends and family and extended family. And, he plans to spend much of Thursday afternoon responding to the fans who have been wondering if he was one of the CanPL’s first XI.

CANPL signings

Halifax: Zachary Sukunda

Cavalry FC: Nik Ledgerwood, Sergio Camargo

Forge FC: Chris Nanco, Kyle Bekker

Pacific FC: Kadin Chung

York 9: Kyle Porter

Valour FC: Skylar Thomas

FC Edmonton: Randy Edwini-Bonsu, Allan Zebie

 

Mexico stifles Canada in U-17 semifinal

In its U-17 Women’s World Cup quarter-final win, the Canadians didn’t allow the German to get a single shot on goal.

In Wednesday’s semifinal, it was Canada’s turn to go shot-less. Yes, Canada had attempts at goal, but none on goal in a 1-0 loss to Mexico. The Mexicans will face Spain in the final.

The Mexicans beat Canada at the CONCACAF Championship, too.

The only time that Canada got a shot towards the target, it went in. But the goal was correctly ruled out for a foul in the lead-up to Jordyn Huitema’s shot. So the goal — and the shot on goal — were erased.

Halfway through the first half, things went sour for Canada. Alison Gonzalez made a run into the box, with Canadian defender Maya Antoine in hot pursuit. But Antoine made the ill-timed decision to stick out a leg, and Gonzalez went down — making for an easy penalty-kick decision.

Mexican captain Nicole Perez’s effort from the spot went in, with keeper Anna Karpenko rooted to the spot.

The Canadians thought they had tied the game with their first shot on goal just minutes before the half ended. After a Mexican giveaway, Teni Akindoju and Huitema came up the field on a two-v-one rush. Huitema put the ball in the net, but not until after Akindoju, ahem, cleared the way by flattening the lone Mexican defender, Tanna Sanchez. Really, it was a perfectly executed pick and roll. Except, well, a pick and roll is a basketball thing, not a soccer thing. So, the goal was called off and, frankly, Canada didn’t get close to troubling the Mexicans after that. Crosses were cleared. Runs up the wings were stopped. Maybe, as much as Canada wants not to play direct, the best choice would have been to hoof hit-and-hope ball after hit-and-hope ball up to Huitema, who offered a towering presence up top.

Ten minutes into the second half, Silvana Flores was inches from putting the Mexicans up by two, but her curling effort from just outside the penalty area struck the post.

 

Paulus: “Things just aren’t going to work out” between FCE and Fordyce

The leading scorer in FC Edmonton’s NASL history won’t be with the club when it plays its first Canadian Premier League match next April.

Daryl Fordyce, who got his Canadian permanent residency during his time in Edmonton, and whose son, Luka, was born in Canada, is not only the club’s all-time leading scorer, but is tied for fifth all time in Voyageurs Cup goals — at least since the national championship adopted the tournament format.

But, while FCE preps for its debut season in CanPL, Fordyce is back in Northern Ireland.

When asked about Fordyce, FCE coach Jeff Paulus took a “never say never” tack, but confirmed that the player won’t be wearing Eddies blue in 2019.

“Certainly you want to look at good players, and Daryl is that,” said Paulus. “But things just aren’t going to work out for us for this upcoming year. But in the future, you never know. I certainly wish Daryl all the best, he’s the club’s leading scorer. This club owes a lot to Daryl Fordyce. But this is a different model that we’re bringing into play here, so changes have to made.”

As well, Paulus was asked about Edmonton native Tosaint Ricketts, who is currently unattached after parting ways with Toronto FC. While Ricketts is on a lot of FCE fans’ wish lists, Paulus said that the player is too pricey for the Eddies’ budget. He said, tongue firmly in cheek, that the team would need a sponsor would come in and cover $100,000 for a Ricketts contract offer.

Paulus said that, while no player announcements have been made as of Wednesday, that the team only has a few roster holes left to fill.

 

Canada stuns Germany: Will go to U-17 World Cup’s final four

Soccer tournaments can be totally topsy-turvy affairs. A team can look dominant one day, then flat the next. And vice versa.

Germany won Group C at the U-17 Women’s World Cup, and that included a 4-1 win over North Korea and a 4-0 destruction of the United States. The Germans were clear favourites to beat the Group D runners up from Canada in their quarter-final match Sunday in Uruguay.

The Canadians, though, tore up the script. Jordyn Huitema scored the late decider as Canada triumphed 1-0. But, maybe most impressive is the number of shots on target that Canada allowed in the match. Through 90 minutes plus injury time, the Germans managed just one shot on target.

That’s right. One.

I’ve criticized Canada through this tournament for getting away with some defensive miscues; think back to the team’s opener against Colombia, where the South Americans had a couple of efforts go off the woodwork and didn’t convert a penalty. But, on Sunday, there can be no such criticism. The Germans could move the ball laterally, but Canadian keeper Anna Karpenko could have gone on a sightseeing tour of Montevideo while the game was on.

It also shows that we could take absolutely nothing from Canada’s final group-stage game, a 4-0 loss to Spain, who also advanced to the semis with a penalty-kick win over North Korea. Coach Rhian Wilkinson chose to rest many of her starters for that game, basically forfeiting a shot at first place in the group. Resting her group was more important. And she was absolutely right.

Kaila Novak’s perfect cross found Huitema for the winner, an inspired moment for the Canadians, who now have a date with Mexico in the semis. Meanwhile, Germany’s Shakiera Martinez, who scored twice against the Americans,  had a meaningless hour on the pitch for the Germans.

Canada is now one game away from a final.

On Grey Cup Sunday, let’s talk about what the CanPL championship trophy should be

I’m sitting in the bowels of the Commonwealth Stadium complex, waiting for the kickoff of the Grey Cup. And, the big national championship day for the other football has me thinking about what a Canadian Premier League title will look like come the fall of 2019.

And, judging by the discussions I’ve seen on social media, I’m not the only one.

And a lot of the talk has been about the trophy.

If the Canadian Premier League does adopt a single table in 2019, that means there won’t be a championship game. But we can talk about what the trophy will look like, what it could mean for the league.

The trophy is important. For every league, their championship cups, mugs, shields and trophies become major marketing tool. Heck, we don’t say “NHL playoffs,” we say “Stanley Cup playoffs.”

So, it’s vital that the CanPL does not have a kind of generic silver whatzit that’s hoisted by the winning team. It’s important that, right off the bat, that the championship trophy becomes iconic.

In Canada, we have two professional sporting trophies that have long legacies in this country. And both, in terms of history and, well, beauty, trump anything the NBA, NFL and MLB can offer. The Stanley Cup and Grey Cup aren’t simply trophies; they are storybooks about the sport. They each have the names of winning players engraved on them. Go up close, and you can see the history of the games on the bands of those mugs. It’s a wonderful tradition.

And that’s something I’d love to see the CanPL emulate. The names of the winning players engraved on the championship trophy. The history of the league written on the sparkly thing that the teams will hold above their heads.

Whatever you do, don’t put a soccer ball on it. Really. Don’t. The best trophies don’t use equipment from their respective sports. The history is in the trophy itself.

It doesn’t need to be art. It needs to be timeless. A cup of some sort is a good idea, because you can always have the winning  team sip a sponsor’s beverage from the trophy, year after year.

Remember, that if you name the trophy for a sponsor, it’s the the media’s job to try to use that sponsorship to give the trophy some kind of ridiculous nickname. We’re told to use sponsor names as little as possible, so if we can find a way not to use them, we will.

League president Paul Beirne has repeatedly said that the CanPL has to get things right, the first over. You don’t get mulligans when it comes to launching a league. And, the trophy that’s going to be hoisted by the championship team is part of that.

Canada routed by Spain, but hard to assess what this game really meant

There are many, many excuses on offer for the Canadian team after the team closed its group stage of the U-17 Women’s World Cup with a 5-0 loss to Spain.

• Coach Rhian Wilkinson chose to rest several of her starters, as Canada had already clinched a spot in the quarterfinals. Group C was this tournament’s Group of Death and offered the likes of North Korea, Germany and the United States as possible opponents for the teams that came out of Group D. So, for Canada, the team knew it will be an underdog no matter who it’ll play in the knockout phase (for the record, it’s Germany). So better to rest players and protect those on cards rather than go all-out for first place in the group. Let Spain have it.

• As well, you could argue that Spain only had six shots on target in the game, but scored on five of them. That’s a shooting percentage much higher than the norm. And, the fifth Spanish goal went right underneath back-up keeper Kayza Massey.

• Not that she would have played anyway, but Canada’s best offensive weapon, Jordyn Huitema, was sitting out a red card suspension.

Those are the excuses. Now, let’s get to the worries.

• Canada is through, but allows far too many great scoring opportunities. Despite the fact that they shut out both Colombia and South Korea, the Canadians didn’t exactly look steady in the back. Remember that Colombia hit woodwork twice and couldn’t convert a penalty kick in the opener. On Wednesday, the difference was that they were punished for their errors. Irene Lopez scored twice, and Salma Paralluelo, Claudia Pina and Eva Navarro also put balls over the line. All three Spanish goals in the first half could have been described the same way;  a winger gets behind a static fullback, then is allowed all the time in the world to pick a pass into the penalty area. A Spanish attacker is left wide open near the penalty spot. She takes the pass and has time to convert. Canada left the door wide open for Spain. Sure, there were only six shots on goal, but four of the five goals would have been nearly impossible for any goalie to stop.

The second worry is that Spain represents a massive jump up in quality from South Korea and Colombia, and Canada was never at the races. Even with the starters back for the game against Germany, is a game against another elite European side a bridge too far? Germany throttled the United States 4-0 Wednesday in a game that the Americans absolutely had to have. The Americans, by the way, are going home from Uruguay after the group stage.

I guess, no matter what happens now, Canadians can say that we lasted longer in this tournament than the Americans did.

 

The Cat in the Booth: A Seussian report on Canada’s win in Basseterre

The sun did not shine

It was too cold to play

So I sat in the house

Watching a stream of the game

I sat there alone

Watching Nations League, wahoo!

And I said “How I wish

Canada would score a goal or two!”

The field in Basseterre was bumpy

And was made for cricket, not a soccer ball

And for most of the first half,

Canada could not get a shot on goal at all

So all I could do was

Sit!

Sit!

Sit!

Sit!

And as the half wore on,

I did not like it one little bit

Meow!

And then something meowed!

How that meow had Cansoc Twitter wowed!

We heard!

Then we heard it again on the mic!

We heard!

And we heard him!

The Cat in the Booth!

And he meowed

“Why does Canada Tweet about me like that?”

“I know you will fret

That a cat’s meow is not funny

But maybe Canada can make

A run into the box that is runny!”

“I have heard about this game that humans play”

Meowed the cat.

“Canada should have lots of tricks,”

Said the Cat in the Booth

“Davies and Cavallini and Hoilett have good tricks.

Maybe they will show them to you

Cansoc Twitter

Will not mind if they do.”

The Cansoc fans did not know what to say

The first half was nearly over

And St. Kitts and Nevis had held us at bay

But Atiba Hutchinson said “No! No!

Make your worries go away!

Tell that Cat in the Booth

We do not want our fans to go grey

We should not be tied

We should be winning in a rout

We should not be tied

So to Russell Teibert I’ll make a shout”

“Now! Now, Canada have no fear, have no fear!”

Meowed the Cat

“Teibert’s cross in not bad”

Meowed the Cat in the Booth

“Why Canada can continue its good run

If Atiba can follow the ball

And head it in to put Canada up by one!”

“Put one down for Canada!” cried the fans.

“But this cat is no fun at all!

Put that cat away!” cried the fans

“The cat does not belong on the broadcast at all!”

“Have no fear!” meowed the Cat.

“Canada will not fail

They will be on top of the Nations League standings, up high

As I meow into the mic!

And he raised a paw

And said “For the team in the white jerseys

“Their future in the Nations League is no longer murky!”

“Listen to me!

Listen to me now!” meowed the Cat.

“With a mic in my paw

And a cry in my throat!

I can call this game!

I can say it all!

Look!

You’ve had Madbull and Maestro

And that was funny

And Benny’s store

With deals that save money

But this is new!

This is not all!

Listen to me, listen to my call!”

“Listen to me!

Listen to me!

Listen to me NOW!

It is fun to have fun.

But you Canadians don’t know how.

I can make fun of this game.

I’ll meow more than you can take!

I can call this game!

And I won’t take a break!

I meow as Canada holds a slim lead

Well into the second half.

Cavallini’s shot is deflected

Canada can’t get a second

I meow with the best

I’m a feline force with which to be reckoned

But that is not all,

Oh no.

That is not all…”

“That is what the Cat said…

As we all cheered for Canada RED

But Canada made us worried

From out there at Warner Park

And I watched the stream

And just wanted Canada to hit the mark

(for a second time)”

Larin’s shot was blocked, Davies took a shot

The slim lead thickened the plot

Cansoc Twitter said “Do we like this?

Oh no, we do not!

This is not a good game,”

Said Cansoc Twitter as David hit the bar

“No we do not like it,

Not one little bit.”

“But look what you did!” meowed the Cat!

“Now look at the table!

Look at the standings! Look and don’t stop!

With three wins in three games,

Canada is near the top!

You sank the Kittitans hopes

Sank them deep into the ocean

You’re rising up CONCACAF

Herdman’s plan is in motion

You won in Basseterre

You won here, you won there

Take your place in the Gold Cup”

Meowed the Cat.

“But I like being in the booth.

Oh I like it a lot!”

Said the Cat in the Booth

To those watching the stream

“But I will have to go away,

I know, I know.

But I’ve given you another story

About streaming games on CONCACAF Go!”

Canada conquers Kang at U-17 Women’s World Cup

Canada will likely go into its final group-stage game of the U-17 Women’s World Cup without any pressure.

Thanks to second-half goals from Jordyn Huitema and a screamer from Lara Kazandjian, the Canadians triumphed over South Korea 2-0, and have almost clinched a spot in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Uruguay. The only way the Canadians can miss is if Colombia upsets Spain later Saturday, then beats South Korea on Nov. 21. Canada would also need to lose its final game to Spain and blow a massive goal-difference advantage. Canada is at +5 right now.

So, Canada has one foot and pretty well all of the other in the quarter-final round.

For Huitema, it was an eventful second half. She was involved in two key incidents sandwiched around her opening goal.

The second half opened 0-0 after what was a mostly harmless first 45. But Huitema collided with Korean keeper Jiyeon Kang just a minute after the restart. It wasn’t a dirty play by any means, but Kang’s head bounced off the much taller Huitema’s shoulder.

Now, I’m not an expert in head injuries, but Kang certainly didn’t look assured after taking that hit. For sure, there’s an argument that the mistakes she made after the Huitema collision could be chalked up to her youth and the pressure that comes with a World Cup; but I wouldn’t be doing a fair analysis of the game if I didn’t mention the Huitema-Kang incident.

The first signs that the Korean keeper wasn’t on her A game came when Kazandjian floated  free kick into the box that should have been an easy, unchallenged catch for Kang. Not only did she drop the ball, but it veered right towards the goal after it bounced off of her hands, with a defender getting there in time to clear the ball off the line.

The goal came soon after. Off a corner, Kang came out to punch, but she only managed to push the ball towards Huitema, whose volley attempt soared high in the air, but dropped neatly over the goal line. With the keeper still trying to scramble back towards the line, the goal felt like it was happening in slow motion.

But, just before the 70-minute mark, Huitema was sent off after a head-to-head clash with Mini Kim. Both players were down for several minutes, but the referee felt that Huitema was the antagonist — and issued a red card.

Huitema will miss the group-stage finale against Spain, at least.

But, down to 10 players, Canada got its second goal to kill the game, with Kazandjian rocketing a shot from distance that beat Kang cleanly.

Canada preps to play on a poor pitch by training on an even poorer one

Most of the time, the rule of high-performance soccer programs is that they train in the best possible facilities.

But, when you have a meaningful game, on the road, on patchy grass in a cricket ground, training on a pitch that could be mistaken for a golf green isn’t the best idea. You want to train on a bumpy, unforgiving surface that will prep you for the unexpected.

So, Canada is prepping for Sunday night’s Nations League qualifier at Warner Park in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis by training on a barely passable pitch.

Coach John Herdman said that the camp was scheduled so players would get the best possible opportunities to get used to the hot, humid weather and a playing surface that likely won’t allow the ball to roll true.

“We had a few days in Miami, to reduce the impact of the environment,” said Herdman. “Then, we connected with a local club (in St. Kitts and Nevis). We spent a little money upgrading their facilities.”

But, don’t think that little bit of money turned the pitch into the Emirates. That wasn’t the point. The team has spent days on a pitch that isn’t the best. The thinking is that when Canada does walk onto the surface at Warner Park, the players will see that cricket field as an upgrade.

“We know that where we’re training at is way worse than the surface at Warner Park,” said Herdman.

The coach said the plan, to come to the Caribbean early and make a home base there, “it takes a bad pitch out of the equation.”

Both Canada and the Kittitians enter the game with perfect records after two matches each. Herdman has said that he expects a much tougher match for Canada than the first two qualifiers, against the U.S. Virgin Islands and Dominica, respectively. He sees the Kittitians as being in the second tier of CONCACAF nations.

Canada needs to finish in the top six out of the 34 qualifying nations to earn a spot in Group A of the CONCACAF Nations League proper, which would see the Canadians rubbing shoulders with the likes of the United States and Mexico.

“If we don’t make Group A, we’ll spend the next couple of years flying around the Caribbean,” said Herdman. He said that not making the top flight would mean a lot of games in island locales that would “build resilience” but wouldn’t offer the competitive level Canada needs if the program is to grow.