Steven Sandor's Blog, page 77

Some Kind of Terrible: Canada bullied by a superior Mexican side

BC Place was full for Friday’s World Cup qualifier. PHOTO: JAY SHAW/CANADA SOCCER

Life isn’t like a John Hughes film. In real life, the socially awkward guy who listens to Echo and the Bunnymen doesn’t end up with the most popular girl in high school. In real life, if the scrawny kid challenges the neighbourhood bully to a fight, he comes home with his own blood on his shirt and there’s fewer teeth in his mouth than he began the day with.

The Canadian men’s national team took on the CONCACAF neighbourhood bully on Friday night in front of 54,798 people at BC Place. And, despite a few early promising signs, the script played out about as predictably as an episode of MacGyver. The Mexicans beat Canada 3-0. Honestly, the scoreline could have been worse.

“Mexico’s superiority is really clear today, no?” said Canadian national-team coach Benito Floro after the match. “What matters in this moment is to analyze properly not only the result, but we need to extract as many positives, because the rest, the other team, at the moment is better than us, no?”

“I think we won this game with authority,” said Mexican coach Juan Carlos Osorio. “I thought we were better than the Canadian team. Nevertheless, we had some rough times during the game, but we found out how to control that, to win this particular match. I thought that our fullbacks fully controlled both of their best forwards, (Tosaint) Ricketts and (Junior) Hoilett. And the two centre backs did a very good job against Cyle Larin. And, on the other hand, our wingers basically created chaos every time we had the ball. So, at the end, with all the respect that we have for the Canadian national team, we thought we truly deserved this win.”



The Canadian soccer intelligentsia made the choice to put Mexico on the artificial turf surface at BC Place. But the plan backfired; the quick surface only exaggerated the visitors’ advantage when it came to speed on the wings and the pace at which they moved the ball. Really, the way to stop the Mexicans became clear — put them on a pasture. Or break their legs. Heck, Mexico looked so good on the fake stuff, maybe they should start ripping the grass out of Azteca.

“I’m not sure, but it could be,” Osorio said when asked if the turf actually helped Mexico. “The surface was good. At time I think they (Canada) also moved the ball very well. And, through (Atiba) Hutchinson, sometimes they seemed to reach a good sequence of passes — eight, six, eight, 10. But, for us, I think it was a very good surface to play on.”

The silver lining? El Salvador drew Honduras, 2-2. So Canada still holds onto second place in CONCACAF Group A. With three games left (one coming later this week in Mexico), Canada still controls its own destiny. Finish in the top two, and the Hex awaits.

But, when it comes to standing up to the best that CONCACAF has to offer, we saw a wide talent gap. Canada had no answer to the wonderful, inventive play of Mexican left back Miguel Layun, whose cross led to Javier Hernandez’s opening goal. Layun should have had a goal himself, if not for a sterling save from Canadian keeper Milan Borjan.

Canada didn’t have an answer for Mexican midfielder Hector Herrera, who also had a wonderful chance that was parried away by Borjan (to be fair, it has to be noted that the chance was created by an errant throw by the keeper). Herrera also hit the post after Hernandez hit the woodwork in a wild first-half sequence.

(Note how many times Milan Borjan’s name has already been used in this article.)

And Hirving Lozano, the 20-year-old wunderkind we’ve already seen scorch Canada at various youth levels, terrorized Canada down the right wing for the 60 minutes he was on the pitch. After a Canadian turnover in midfield, he raced past Canadian fullback Marcel de Jong and scalded a shot past Borjan to make it 2-0.

Canada had chances, too — Hutchinson had the ball taken off of him by Layun after lingering in the penalty area too long. Larin had a chance on a break, but his first heavy touch took him on a path away from goal and, by the time he recovered, he’d put himself at a bad angle and skied his shot. And Hoilett blasted a couple of shots well off target. Scott Arfield, making his Canada debut as a second-half dub, forced a save out of keeper Jesus Corona.

But, don’t let that previous paragraph fool you. Mexico was far more dangerous. Borjan was forced into excellent saves. The woodwork came to Canada’s rescue. Mexico could have had four or five by halftime and it would not have been unfair to Canada.

Doneil Henry, moved to right back position, was simply overmatched. De Jong, at left back, was overmatched. Dejan Jakovic and Adam Straith struggled with Hernandez — and also had difficulties getting the ball to the midfield. And when the midfielders did get it, the Mexican pressure was too much. Osorio was correct when he said his wingers — Jesus Corona and Lozano — created “chaos.” Mexico’s dominance in the wide areas was, well, crazy obvious.

Of course, questions will be asked on why Henry was moved from centre back to the right side. Floro said he didn’t have many options; he said that his back line corps are either not starting for their teams or are on teams who haven’t yet got into the swing of their seasons.

“Henry is, at the moment, on our team, can be chosen as either a centre back or a right back,” said Floro. “We have a lot of centre backs. But we don’t have enough fullbacks.” And Floro added he sees Henry as a right back “in the present or the future.”

In the 72nd minute, Corona had a chance to shoot, but then took the ball past a sliding Henry before rocketing a shot into the top corner to make it 3-0. It felt as if he needed to make the goal just that little bit more spectacular, just to prove a point. He could have taken it first time, but he didn’t. Like a cat that toys with the mouse — or the bully who dares the awkward goth kid to throw the first punch.

“I thought the second half was better, but probably more a result of them dropping off a little bit,” said Canadian midfielder Will Johnson. “As the game went, I think it got away from us a little bit.”

But Johnson said it wasn’t so much about Mexico being that good as it was Canada being that much off its game.

“I tend to think it’s more of the way we didn’t execute what we were trying to do as opposed to what they did. They’re going to do what they’re going to do. They’re a good team. We knew what they were going to do. But I felt that we let ourselves down. We showed that we weren’t as sharp as we needed to be, also our structure wasn’t complete.”

After another contract controversy, Tosaint Ricketts looks to MLS

Tosaint Ricketts

You wouldn’t blame Tosaint Ricketts if he asked for his next contract to be written and signed in blood.

The Canadian forward is listed as Unattached on the national-team roster. He had been with Turkish side Boluspor, but became a free agent because the club didn’t honour his contract. Read: It didn’t pay him.

But this is the second time a club has failed to pay Ricketts. Back in 2012, he had to fight for both Politehnica Timisoara and the Romanian Football Federation to become a free agent; Timisoara had failed to pay him and Ricketts had to take his plight to FIFA. (I wrote a feature on this for Avenue Edmonton, click HERE to see it).

“I ran into the same kind of problems,” said Ricketts after Canada’s training session Thursday at BC Place. “It’s been like this a little too often… the whole non-payment, FIFA termination, you know the spiel.”

Unlike the Timisoara situation, when Ricketts had to fight to become a free agent, he’s in the clear in 2016. The Boluspor saga is done. And he said Thursday that he’s looking to move to MLS.



“I’m looking to come back to North America. I’m kind of in between things, talking to a few clubs. Hopefully, after this camp, things will be sorted out.”

Ricketts said the clubs in play are MLS teams.

But, before he can move to a new club, he and his Canadian teammates have two huge World Cup qualifiers against Mexico to contest; the first goes Friday night in Vancouver. Canada Soccer confirmed Thursday evening that more than 54,000 tickets had been sold, and that the match against Mexico will surpass any of the Women’s World Cup matches staged in Vancouver in terms of attendance.

“It’s a dream, that’s all I can say,” said Ricketts of the expected crowd in Vancouver. “The program has come a long way. Some of the guys here have been through the ups, the downs, the hard times, times when we had little support. Now that we’re getting all the support, everybody is ready for it and I am confident in the players and I am so happy to be Canadian at this moment. To get a full house, it’s a dream come true.”

A full house cheering on the Canadian team, and a contract that’s actually, well honoured. Dare to dream.

FLORO’S REFORMS: One interesting tidbit from Canada’s post-training-session press conference: After being pressed by Mexican journalists about how the Canadian team was perceived by El Tri boss Juan Carlos Osorio, Floro said he would love to see coaches required to post their lineups 24 hours before match time, so media and fans would have time to analyze, comment and prepare. He’s clearly not a fan of the gamesmanship and the cloak-and-dagger mentalities that surround national-team games.

As well, when asked about the potential conditions for Friday’s game, Canada’s coach said it is much harder to prepare to play in the heat than it is to play in cooler temperatures. (The plan is for the roof to be open.) He also said that he prefers BC Place’s artificial turf field over grass.

(OK, that’s more than one tidbit.)

Peterson: If Canadian teams wanted to leave NASL for a new domestic league, “we’d wish them well”

Bill Peterson

The North American Soccer League has advertised itself as a place where owners — not the league office — control the destinies of their teams. And that laissez-faire, free-market attitude also extends to how NASL views the possibility of a Canadian professional league.

As officials work behind the scenes to create a new Canadian professional “Division 1A,” the NASL has seen rumours of expansion north of the border come to a standstill and speculation about the future of both FC Edmonton and the Ottawa Fury.

FC Edmonton has been clear in stating it is not interested in leaving the NASL for a Canadian league.

But, if those teams chose to go, Peterson said the NASL would not put roadblocks in their way.

“They should do what they think is best for their club and best for their supporters,” Peterson said in a media conference call on Tuesday.



He said if one or both of the current Canadian NASL clubs chose to leave for the Canadian pro league, “we’d wish them well and keep moving on.”

In terms of investors north of the border looking at the potential of NASL expansion bids, Peterson said the talk about a new Canadian league has had an effect.

“It (Canadian League talk) has people pausing to see what’s the future for professional soccer in Canada.”

He said the NASL would say more about a Canadian League if, well, it happens. Right now, he said the NASL is like a lot of the people reading this article; hanging on speculation and rumours and not really sure where everything is going.

“We’re in the same boat; we’re curious to see what comes forward… There’s a lot of discussion, not a lot of direction.”

But, at face value, it looks as though NASL will not put up a fight if the Canadian teams choose to leave for a new national league. And that’s a fairly major concession; Peterson said the league wants to do what’s best for the Canadian Soccer Association, and considers the CSA a great partner.

In the past, CSA President Victor Montagliani has stated that the Division 1A plan would not force existing MLS or NASL teams to abandon their leagues for a Canadian circuit.

NASL Commissioner: “We’d love to honour the FIFA windows,” but it isn’t feasible for league… yet

Ottawa Fury midfielder Julian de Guzman will be an action for Canada this week. PHOTO: CANADA SOCCER

This week, the Canadian national team has three NASL players on its roster the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. In a media conference call Tuesday, NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson made sure to emphasize that more than 60 full internationals are now signed to deals with NASL teams.

But, many of those players will miss league games that conflict with the international window. The three Canadians will need to race back from a midweek game in Mexico and (maybe) prepare for their NASL season openers that coming weekend. In 2015, FC Edmonton’s season was affected by the loss of Lance Laing to Jamaican national-team duty; the club won just one game out of the 10 he missed.

So, with more internationals on NASL rosters, the question arises: Should the NASL break for the international windows?

Peterson said the matter has been debated at the league and ownership level. This year, the NASL will play through the windows, but he said it’s a policy that “we are not locked into.”



“We’d love to honour the FIFA windows,” Peterson said.

But, the issue is that if the league was to make room for the windows, he said it would need to start the season in March, and because of the risk of cold, snowy weather in northern cities, it’s not something the league wants to do.

“We are not comfortable with that yet, from a development standpoint or a stadium standpoint.”

As well, making room for FIFA dates would mean more midweek games, and Peterson said that would create more occurrences where players could face stretches of three games in eight days. And that creates concerns about wear and tear on the players.

Overwhelmingly Canadian Power Rankings, MLS Week 3

Will Johnson

This marks the second year that The 11 has ranked the minutes played of Canadians in NASL and MLS — the two major pro leagues where Canadians are considered domestic players on Canadian teams but are treated as imports on the American sides.

And, while three weeks of the MLS season is a very small sample size, it seemed like a good time to see where we are this year compared to last season. Why? Because only four MLS players were selected for Canada’s squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Mexico — and only one of those players, Will Johnson, came from a Canadian team.

So, how are Canadians faring this year in MLS, compared to the Week 3 mark in 2015.

In 2015, through three weeks of MLS action, 12 Canadians had seen the field, and played a total of 1,354 minutes. In 2016, the numbers are very close; 12 players have seen the field, and played a total 1,287 minutes.

So, the number of players hasn’t changed, but the number of minutes played is down slightly.

Here are the rankings:



MLS AND NASL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

1. Will Johnson, Toronto FC, MLS, 269 (3)

2. Cyle Larin, Orlando City, MLS, 235 (3)

3. Fraser Aird, Vancouver, MLS, 225 (3)

4. Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC, MLS, 178 (2)

5. Karl Ouimette, NYRB, MLS 135 (2)

6. Kianz Froese, Vancouver, MLS, 111 (2)

7. Tesho Akindele, FC Dallas, MLS, 52 (3)

8. Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Montreal, MLS, 47 (3)

9. Mo Babouli, Toronto FC, MLS 13 (1)

10. Kyle Bekker, Montreal, MLS, 10 (1)

11. Ashtone Morgan, Toronto FC, MLS, 8, (2)

12. Jay Chapman, Toronto FC, MLS, 4 (1)

TEAM RANKINGS, MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2015, RANKED BY AVERAGE MINUTES PER GAME:

Toronto FC, MLS, 472/3 (157.3)

Vancouver, MLS, 336/3 (112)

Orlando City, MLS, 235/3 (78.3)

New York Red Bulls, MLS, 135/3 (45)

Montreal, MLS, 57/3 (19)

FC Dallas, MLS, 52/3 (17.3)

JDG: Mexico match “could change the future of Canadian soccer”

Julian de Guzman PHOTO: CANADA SOCCER

When you’ve covered sports for a long time, you get awfully used to players and coaches downplaying their games. They say that “it’s just another game.” They don’t want to say anything that the opposition coach can tape up on the dressing-room whiteboard.

But Julian de Guzman didn’t do that. In fact, he ramped up the hyperbole ahead of next Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Mexico.

“This one game at home could change the future of Canadian soccer, it could change careers,” de Guzman said Friday in a media conference call.

If Canada can get something out of the Good Friday match against the Mexicans, this country can start thinking about making it to the hex — the final round of CONCACAF qualifying. And, for de Guzman, who will be honoured before Friday’s game for becoming the most-capped player in Canadian men’s team history, the run-up to this game, well, it feels different.

Want more of his thoughts?



“It could change the direction of Canadian football.”

Or

“It’s of great importance for the future of Canadian soccer. This is our opportunity for ourselves to prove our worth.”

The new Canada kits were unveiled Friday.

Why is it so important? It’s not just about Canada getting to Russia. It’s about Canada earning respect on the international stage. JDG says that, right now, it’s harder than ever for Canadians to find work at European clubs, because the country’s stature as a soccer nation has fallen so, so far. There are five pro teams in Canada — but even if they carried all-Canadian rosters (which they don’t come close to doing) they still don’t provide the number of professional places to give our player pool the competitive first-team minutes it needs.

“It’s pretty obvious that Canada needs its own league,” he says.

And for young Canadians to get chances at La Liga or Bundesliga clubs — like de Guzman did — Canada needs to get better. And that’s why a result against Mexico is the kind of thing that could change the destinies of some of our players. The Canadian player who looks for a trial at a bigger club will have a better chance of snagging that invite if Canadashows it can be competitive with Mexico. And that’s what de Guzman is stressing when he says Canada-Mexico could change careers.

He’s absolutely right. And he added that the lack of opportunities for Canadians “has a lot to do with how the national team has presented itself in the past. That’s about to change.”

That’s confidence. That’s belief. There’s no doubt that there’s a change in the Canadian camp’s atmosphere. Now that Burnley’s Scott Arfield has been named to the roster, that’s yet another one Coach Benito Floro has been able to repatriate, joining Junior Hoilett and Steven Vitoria. De Guzman said that the team is healthy, and that this is a first-choice squad with no reason to make excuses. (For those bent out of joint by the lack of Whitecaps, Impact and Toronto FC players chosen, this might come off as a cruel truth. Sorry.)

“He (Benito) really believes in us. He has us believing in ourselves and believing in him,” said de Guzman.

And for de Guzman, who used to be a ball boy for Canada games in sparse crowds at Toronto’s Varsity Stadium, knowing that 46,000 tickets have already been sold for Friday’s game — well it “brings goosebumps.”

De Guzman is one of three NASL players to be called into the side — joining Ottawa Fury teammate Marcel de Jong and FC Edmonton’s Nik Ledgerwood. To be fair, Ledgerwood and de Jong just joined their respective clubs and haven’t played in official NASL matches yet. De Guzman said that the reason all three are with the national team is because they have long historties with Floro; they they “understand Benito’s ideas and tactical views,” But he added that Canadian national-teamers moving to NASL “could open doors for Canadians looking to find themselves” and wanting to move on to professional soccer careers.

The Canadian MLS teams only sent one player to the national side, Toronto FC’s Will Johnson. The Whitecaps and Impact were shut out. In total, MLS sent just four players to the Canadian national side. For a league that consistently talks about how important it is for the Canadian team to have success, to only have four players called in for a game as big as Mexico is, frankly, an embarrassment. We can argue all day about why Jonathan Osorio or Kianz Froese or Wandrille Lefevre didn’t get called; but the fact is that, nearly 10 years after a Toronto FC player first kicked a ball in MLS, the league isn’t providing a pipeline of players to our national team.

CANADA ROSTER

1- GK- Simon Thomas | NOR / FK Bodø/Glimt

2- FB- Nik Ledgerwood | CAN / FC Edmonton

3- CB- Manjrekar James | HUN / Diósgyöri VTK

4- CB- Dejan Jakovi? | JPN / Shimizu S-Pulse

5- CB / M- David Edgar | ENG / Sheffield United

6- M- Julian de Guzman | CAN / Ottawa Fury FC

7- W- Iain Hume | ESP / SD Ponferradina

8- M- Will Johnson | CAN / Toronto FC

9- F- Marcus Haber | ENG / Crewe Alexandra

10- W- David Junior Hoilett | ENG / Queens Park Rangers

11- W- Tosaint Ricketts | Unattached

12- CB- Doneil Henry | ENG / West Ham United

13- M- Atiba Hutchinson | TUR / Besiktas JK

14- M- Samuel Piette | ESP / Deportivo La Coruña

15- CB / M- Adam Straith | NOR / Fredrikstad FK

16- M- Scott Arfield | ENG / Burnley FC

17- FB- Marcel De Jong | CAN / Ottawa Fury FC

18- GK- Milan Borjan | BUL / PFK Ludogorets Razgrad

19- CB- Steven Vitória | POR / Benfica

20- FB / CB- Karl W. Ouimette | USA / New York Red Bulls

21- F- Cyle Larin | USA / Orlando City SC

22- GK- Kenny Stamatopoulos | SWE / AIK Fotbol

23- W- Tesho Akindele | USA / FC Dallas

Terry Dunfield takes a shot at making FC Edmonton’s roster

Could Terry Dunfield make a career comeback with FC Edmonton?

The 34-year-old Canadian midfielder is on trial with the Eddies and played in Friday’s friendly against Newcastle United’s U-21 squad. The Eddies are in the midst of their preseason camp in Scotland.

The Eddies confirmed that Dunfield joined the club on Thursday evening.

Dunfield was released by Ross County at the end of the 2014-15 season and hasn’t been with a club since then. He has 14 career Canadian camps and last played for the national team in 2013.



Dunfield came to MLS when the Whitecaps joined the league in 2011, and he scored for the ‘Caps in their first MLS regular-season game. Dunfield was later sent to Toronto FC, where he was named the club’s Player of the Year after the 2012 season and was elevated to the role of team captain. But injuries caught up with Dunfield and the Reds released him halfway through the 2013 season.

When FCE coach Colin Miller coached the Canadian national team, he named Dunfield Canada’s captain for a 2013 friendly against Denmark.

Dunfield, a graduate of the Manchester City system, played a total of 52 career MLS games, scoring four times and adding three assists.

Dunfield is the only trialist the Eddies have taken on this season. The Eddies have been clear that they wanted to have a cohesive unit out of training camp — and had not been taking flyers on any try-out players.

Miller pleased with how close-knit the Eddies have become in Scotland

With international call-ups, FC Edmonton coach Colin Miller has had to deal with a revolving cast of character as the team continues its preseason preparations in Scotland.

Midfielder Dustin Corea has already left to join El Salvador’s national team ahead of next week’s World Cup qualifiers. Midfielder Nik Ledgerwood will leave Scotland Saturday for Vancouver, where he’ll join up with the Canadian national side. And defender Marko Aleksic and Shamit Shome — who both received glowing reviews from Miller for their play so far in Scotland — will soon leave to join the Canadian U-20 as it preps for a friendly against England.

“For me, I think Marko has been overlooked (by national team coaches) in the past,” said Miller. “I don’t know why, it’s really none of my business. But he’s done very well so far and he’s really pushing the other players and is looking like a player who wants to be in the squad.”

But Miller has been pleased by what he’s seen from most of the Eddies through their first preseason wins, 2-0 over Partick Thistle’s youth side and a 2-1 win over an Airdrie FC side that used many regulars from Scottish Division One play. He’s liked the guile from Brazilian midfielder, Gustavo. Striker Daryl Fordyce’s finishing has been good. Miller said that Ledgerwood, who will likely become the new poster boy for the club, has been a real positive addition.

“I don’t want to get carried away in the preseason, but I have to say I have seen some very positive signs from the youngest to the oldest players in the group. So far, it looks to be a very tight group; it isn’t always easy for a team to come together — and we’ve made I think eight changes.”



The team has two games to go: A match against Newcastle United’s U-21 side and a friendly against Queen’s Park FC. So far, Miller considers the decision to take the team to Scotland a success; the players are gelling with each other, the team is playing a style of football that Miller says is pleasing to the eye.

And, on Wednesday, Miller brought former Scotland manager Craig Brown to meet with the Eddies. The deal was that Brown was supposed to chat with the team for a half-hour, 45 minutes, max. He ended up chatting with the FCE players for an hour and a half.

Brown was director of football at English side Derby County when Miller managed there. He hosted Miller for a little more than five months. Miller says he often picks the brain of his mentor.”

“When I was there (Derby County), it was like living with a headmaster every day,” Miller said. “I’ve called on him in the past when I’ve come across certain situations at the national-team level or at the club level.”

One Eddie had to stay behind; midfielder Ritchie Jones is back in Edmonton rehabbing an injured knee. Miller said the player is progressing — but Jones, ironically, has a bit of a window in which to heal. Remember that he was sent off in the final game of the 2015 season, so he’s suspended for the NASL season opener against Rayo OKC.

Overwhelmingly Canadian Power Rankings, MLS Week 2

Anthony Jackson-Hamel

Anthony Jackson-Hamel was credited with one minute of game action for Montreal in Saturday’s 3-0 win over the New York Red Bulls, and he scored. A goal-per-minute is a pretty impressive strike rate.

Jackson-Hamel became the second Canadian to score in MLS this season. Cyle Larin got his second of the season for Orlando City in Friday’s 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire.

Unless injury strikes, Larin may be a solid bet to become the Canadian who finishes with the most minutes played in MLS or NASL. Remember that he was hurt last year because he was played only sparingly over the first couple of months of the campaign. With the rookie scoring record on his résumé and a hot start to the year, it’s hard to see anything but injury keeping him out of Orlando’s starting XI. And, because MLS teams play more games that NASL teams, if Larin plays regularly, he’ll be hard to beat.

Here are the rankings through two weeks of MLS action:



MLS AND NASL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

1. Cyle Larin, Orlando City, MLS, 180 (2)

2.  Will Johnson, Toronto FC, MLS, 179 (2)

3. Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC, MLS, 178 (2)

4. Fraser Aird, Vancouver, MLS, 135 (2)

5. Kianz Froese, Vancouver, MLS, 111 (2)

6. Karl Ouimette, NYRB, MLS 90 (1)

7. Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Montreal, MLS, 38 (2)

8. Tesho Akindele, FC Dallas, MLS, 37 (2)

9. Kyle Bekker, Montreal, MLS, 10 (1)

10. Ashtone Morgan, Toronto FC, MLS, 8, (2)

TEAM RANKINGS, MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2015, RANKED BY AVERAGE MINUTES PER GAME:

Toronto FC, MLS, 365/2 (182.5)

Vancouver, MLS, 246/2 (123)

Orlando City, MLS, 180/2 (90)

New York Red Bulls, MLS, 90/2 (45)

Montreal, MLS, 48/2 (24)

FC Dallas, MLS, 37/2 (18.5)

Canada’s U-17s finish a good week for women’s program by qualifying for World Cup

A 4-2 win for the U-17s over Haiti in the third-place game of the CONCACAF Championships wrapped up what could be called a banner week for Canadian women’s soccer.

With Sunday’s victory, Canada secured the third and final CONCACAF slot in the upcoming U-17 Women’s World Cup, to be played in Jordan. As most 4-2 games go, there wasn’t any scoring until the 55th minute (!) — when sub Lauren Raimondo scored the first of her two on the day. Vital Kats and Shana Flynn got the other markers for Canada, who built a 4-0 lead before Haiti’s one-woman gang, Nerilia Mondesir, scored a late brace.

For the Canadians, the win helps soothe the sting of the 5-0 blasting they received from the Americans in the semis. It would be easy to obsess about a 5-0 thrashing but, in truth, at the U17 level, it’s a lot harder to read into extreme score lines. We have to remember that, for a lot of players, this will be one of their first real tastes of international competition, and we can see some rapid swings in a team’s form.



The Canadians lost 2-1 to Haiti in the round robin — a result which forced them into that semifinal against the Americans — but rebounded well, outshooting the Haitians 24-6 in the third-place match.

In the end, success at the CONCACAF U-17 Championships is defined by qualifying for the World Cup, not by winning the tournament. And that’s what Canada did.

The win comes days after Canada’s senior women’s team clinched top spot at the Algarve Cup with a 2-1 win over Brazil. Despite losing their opening game of the tournament to Denmark, Canada came back with three straight wins, allowing just Cristiane’s injury-time consolation marker in the final. Shelina Zadorsky’s backheel-off-a-corner-into-the-turf-and-then-bouncing-up-into-the-top-corner-just-like-we-drew-it-up marker got the Canadians the lead, and Janine Beckie provided the insurance when she pounced on a mishit pass from the Brazilians and went alone on goal.