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IN THIS ISSUE: A CENTURY OF

CANADIAN SOCCER CHARMAINE HOOPER: THE JOURNEY CONTINUES SHIFTING TO GREATNESS: WOMEN’S OLYMPIC PREVIEW

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ISSUE #97 JULY/AUGUST 2012

INSIDESOCCER e Magazin Publisher Emeritus

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Senior Staff Writers

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Contributing Writers Armen Bedakian, Richard Bucciarelli, Les Jones, Dave Kenny, Mike Kenny, Steven Sandor

Contributing Photographers BMO, The Canadian Soccer Association, FC Edmonton, Juan Meoño/CONCACAF, Les Jones – Covershots Inc., Montreal Impact, Ontario Soccer Association, Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum, Toronto FC, UEFA EURO 2012, Vancouver Whitecaps INSIDESOCCER Magazine is published six times per year by INSIDEOUT Publishing and Marketing Services.

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IN THIS ISSUE...

10 FESTIVAL OF FOOTBALL

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN 12 CHARMAINE HOOPER – THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

BY MIKE TOTH 16 EDMONTON’S TIGHT-KNIT SOCCER COMMUNITY BREEDS WINNERS

BY STEVEN SANDOR 18 INVESTING IN TORONTO FC – THE KIA TRAINING GROUND AND TFC ACADEMY

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN 20 SHIFTING TO GREATNESS – WOMEN’S OLYMPIC PREVIEW

BY STEVEN SANDOR 44 SOCCER PLAYERS SEEKING MORE INK

BY LES JONES 46 CANADIAN OR NOT, THE WHITECAPS ARE WINNERS

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN 48 TO WIN OR DEVELOP? SOMETIMES YOU HAVE NO CHOICE

BY DAVE KENNY

50 RECOVERY PRACTICES TO PREVENT INJURIES DURING INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENTS

BY RICHARD BUCCIARELLI 52 THE 2012 SOCCER HALL OF FAME INDUCTION BANQUET 54 15 TEAMS FIGHT FOR ONCEIN-A-LIFETIME GRAND PRIZE

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN 55 HOW WILL DI VAIO FIT IN AT MONTREAL?

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN 55 CANUCKS ON THE CONCACAF COURT

BY KRIS FERNANDES 58 THE ONTARIO CUP KICKS OFF: LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN 60 INSIDESOCCER MARKETPLACE 63 UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS AND CAMPS

16 A TIGHT-KNIT SOCCER COMMUNITY

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SPECIAL FEATURES: ROAD TO THE 2012 EUROPEAN BRAZIL 2014 CHAMPIONSHIP REVIEW 22 CANADIAN SOCCER – THE MISSING INGREDIENTS

BY LES JONES

32 THE 2012 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP INTRODUCTION

BY KRIS FERNANDES

24 A CENTURY OF CANADIAN SOCCER

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN

33 GROUP STAGE REVIEW

BY KRIS FERNANDES

26 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING MATCH 1 – CANADA VS. CUBA

BY KRIS FERNANDES 28 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING MATCH 2 – CANADA VS. HONDURAS

BY KRIS FERNANDES 30 STEPHEN HART’S TACTICAL GUNS ARE RIGHT ON TARGET

BY STEVEN SANDOR

Dwayne De Rosario

6 July/August 2012

42 EURO 2012: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY: A REFEREE’S PERSPECTIVE

BY MIKE KENNY

37 KNOCKOUT STAGE REVIEW

BY KRIS FERNANDES 38 SEMI-FINAL REVIEW

BY KRIS FERNANDES 39 EURO 2012 FINALS REVIEW

BY KRIS FERNANDES 40 REIGN IN SPAIN

BY BOB KOEP

28

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FESTIVAL OF

FOOTBALL

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN

The Festival of Football is quickly approaching, and as the city continues to celebrate a summer of soccer, this unique event will be the crown jewel.

The Festival of Football will be the largest celebration of the beautiful game that Toronto has hosted. All proceeds will go to support the West Park Healthcare Centre.

As their mission statement puts it, the

It’s going to be a day of fun for players and families alike; games for kids, interactive booths and activities, music, food and drinks, and some good old-fashioned football! event will be a “call to action for the soccer community to show it can fundraise with the best and make a lasting difference.”

Toronto mayor Rob Ford will be in

attendance, and he won’t be the only VIP headlining the event, though he has been one of the most vocal, recently stating he is “very pleased to be supporting Festival of Football, an event that will capture Toronto’s passion for soccer.”

Ford even issued a challenge to each and every Toronto Councillor, asking them to get involved and form their own teams. Out of the 100 participating sides, only one will be crowned as champions.

As the days wind down and the Festival of Football gets closer and closer, more big names have thrown their hat into the ring, with three former Canadian internationals – Craig Forrest, Jason DeVos and Kara Lang – joining the cause as ambassadors.

Craig Forrest was once Canada’s number one goalkeeper, and had help defending the Canadian goal with Jason DeVos right in front of him playing as a centerback. Kara Lang was instrumental for the Canadian Women’s Team’s recent successes. They’ll also team up with Cyndi Desjardins, a motivational speaker and survivor of a flesheating disease. She is a former patient of West Park, and her story is both captivating and inspirational.

These ambassadors have been directly involved with the growth and spread of news leading up to the festival itself.

Desjardins released a video on YouTube, which has been viewed over 7500 times.

The Festival of Football also partnered with sports equipment company Inaria as official sponsors.

They’re not the only company that has joined forces with Festival of Football.

Heineken signed on as the official beer of Festival of Football, and have generously donated a prize package for the event.

One random team will be selected for this prize, which includes a team trip to a UEFA Champions League match in Europe, with the Heineken Hospitality experience thrown in. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see some of the greatest teams in the world play against each other on Europe’s largest stage.

It’s going to be a day of fun for players and families alike; games for kids, interactive booths and activities, music, food and drinks, and some good oldfashioned football!

Really, what more could a footy fan ever need?

The Festival of Football will be held at Eglinton Flats on Saturday, August 18, 2012. It’s a chance to show that the soccer community in Toronto can fundraise on the same level as their hockey counterparts. Registration is still open: head on over to http://wphcf.akaraisin.com/ festivaloffootball2012 for more information.

Craig Forrest, Festival of Football ambassador during the official press conference in Toronto.

10 July/August 2012

4 February/March 2012

CHARMAINE HOOPER: THE JOURNEY CONTINUES...

BY MIKE TOTH Photographs Courtesy of the Canadian Soccer Association

Charmaine Hooper’s much storied soccer career may well be in the rearview mirror, but the headlines just keep popping up in the headlights.

Four years after playing her final game with Forth Worth FC, in the now defunct Women’s Premier Soccer League, Hooper made recent headlines twice in the space of a few weeks – first when she was inducted into Canada’s Soccer Hall of Fame in early June (joining her brother

12 July/August 2012

Lyndon Hooper, an inductee a year earlier), and then with the announcement that she is one of seven athletes to be inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in October (as part of the Class of 2012).

Being so publicly recognized “is a great honour, but it came as a bit of a surprise, to

say the least. I wasn’t expecting anything like this,” she said during a phone chat from Texas, where she now lives with her husband, William Codd, a university soccer coach, and their young daughter. “This is part of an incredible journey.“ Incredible indeed -- a journey millions of budding soccer talents dream about, but only a few manage to achieve. Simply put, Charmaine Hooper is a living legend in Canada, and also one of the biggest names in the world of women’s football.

Born in Guyana, where her father served in the diplomatic corps, Hooper made her international soccer debut at age 18 on July 7, 1986, against the United States.

The rest, as they say, is history.

A former striker for the Canadian women’s national team, she went on to represent her country on the international stage for two decades (between 1986 and 2006), made 129 appearances and scored 71 goals, both national records at the time when she bade farewell to the game. As Canada’s all-time leader in both appearances and in the scoring department, it’s no wonder she was chosen Canadian Player of the Year three times (1994, 1995 and 2002) and was also candidate for the FIFA Women’s Player of 2012 Soccer Hall of Fame - From left: Carlo Corazzin, Gordon Arrowsmith, Andrea Neil, Charmaine Hooper, Angus Barrett & Dave Knowles

FIFA Women’s World Cup Sweden 1995 the Year award in 2004.

“A bit of a long stretch that … for a Canadian player,” she says with a chuckle.

“Nice to be considered and be on the list, but I didn’t hold my breath.”

Charmaine represented Canada at three FIFA Women’s World Cups (Sweden 1995, U.S. 1999 and Sweden 2003); won a gold in 1998 and three silver medals in CONCACAF women’s championships; was named to the FIFA Women’s World Cup All-Star Team in 1993 and again to the 1999 team that played the world champion U.S. side in a dream testimonial. Chosen as the Most Valuable Player, Charmaine looks back to that game with particular fondness. “It was something special, a fantastic game with great atmosphere,” she says.” I was really fit and trying hard to play well.”

Apart from playing for Canada internationally, Hooper had to pursue her career playing abroad, mostly in the United States but also including stints in Norway, Italy and Japan. In her college years with North Carolina State University, she had earned numerous state and NCAA awards that helped pave the way for a professional career with a variety clubs – Atlanta Beat, Chicago Cobras and Rockford Dactyls in the W.U.S.A League; New Jersey Wildcats in the American W-League; and her final stop at Fort Worth FC. Along the way, Hooper earned Atlanta Beat’s MVP honours and in recognition of her south of the border achievements was inducted into the United States Soccer Hall of Fame in 2002. And she’s still the only Canadian player in W.U.S.A. history to score in the Founders Cup III. “It was fortunate for me that I’ve had an opportunity to play in both the U.S. and Japan,” she says, labeling it the biggest accomplishment of her professional career. “Great and awesome experience, particularly playing in Atlanta and Japan. (It was) high-level soccer, both unique in their own way. In Atlanta we had what basically amounted to an all-star team. In Japan the people were fantastic, and it didn’t hurt that I got paid extremely well. Combined, it amounted to a most perfect experience.”

She is quick to give credit to fellow international Carrie Serwetnyk for “paving the way for Canadian women to play professional soccer in both the U.S. and Japan.” A pioneer in her own right, Mississauga-born Serwetnyk was the first

Canadian woman to play professionally abroad and also the first female soccer player to break through the barrier and get inducted into Canada’s Soccer Hall of Fame in 2001.

While praised mostly for her exceptional ability on the playing field, Hooper was no stranger to ruffling some feathers off it. While playing for the Chicago Cobras in 1996, Hooper, fellow Team Canada forward Christine Lotham, and defender Sharolta Nonan found themselves at odds with then-coach Even Pellerud, who suspended them for failing to attend an exhibition series against China in August 2006, following a dispute with the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) over the Vancouver-based in-residency training camp. The players accused coach Pellerud of showing bias. They also argued that they didn’t attend the training camp because of concerns over the team’s residency program financed by Greg Kerfoot, the millionaire owner of Vancouver Whitecaps. They also maintained they were being punished by Pellerud and the

CSA for not committing soon enough and “unconditionally” to the residency program.

The case went to arbitration and was eventually settled when John Welbourn, an arbitrator with Canada’s Sports Dispute Resolution Centre sided with Pellerud and the Canadian Soccer Association, ruling that “the decision made by Pellerud relating to membership, carding and funding of the claimants (was) not InsideSOCCER 13

affected by the interest, apparent conflict of interest and improper motive.”

Hooper apologized to the team, and the suspensions of the three players were eventually lifted, but none were invited back to play for the national team that they already helped qualify for the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China.

With Hooper, Lotham and Nonan missing from the lineup, Canada failed to advance out of its group, finishing third and ahead of Ghana, but behind Norway and Australia.

Hooper is still bitter. “I didn’t like the way he (Pellerud) handled the situation in 2006,” she says. “It was very poorly handled.

It had been a challenging situation, and I feel it was handled very poorly. We were on the way up as a team, had high hopes 14 July/August 2012

of winning the World Cup, but we didn’t even get to the second round. He actually blew it.”

Pellerud is long gone, but the relationship between Hooper and Canada’s soccer governing body still remains somewhat on the cool side.

Recently she was appointed by soccer’s world governing body president, Joseph S. Blatter, to the FIFA Task Force for the 2014 World Cup, a sole woman and lone Canadian on an elite 22-member group that includes such luminaries as Pele, Sir Bobby Charlton, Franz Beckenbauer, Cafu and Christian Karembeu.

She is no longer on the FIFA Task Force though; she was quietly replaced by Sylvie Beliveau, a fellow Canadian woman.

“Apparently the CSA had intervened

and made a stink about it, and I got turfed,” she says. “There is a need for change in the CSA. My most sincere hope is that the changes will be for the better.”

Watching from the sidelines, Charmaine has high hopes for the Canadian women’s team heading into the 2012 Olympic Games in England.

“We have good players in Canada.

Many play top-level in U.S. colleges,” she says. “If we can get proper guidance, soccer can be even better.”

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FC EDMONTON

FC Edmonton players gather in a team huddle before a match at Clarke Stadium

EDMONTON’S

TIGHT-KNIT SOCCER COMMUNITY

BREEDS WINNERS

BY STEVEN SANDOR

Photographs Courtesy of FC Edmonton

When you think about the various Canadian men’s national teams, from U-17s to the senior men, you have to think long and hard about players and prospects who hail from Calgary, Ottawa or Winnipeg.

But, when you think of Edmonton, the names come fast and furious.

Forward Tosaint Ricketts and goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld for the Canadian national side; Shaun Saiko and Randy Edwini-Bonsu featured on the U-23 team. Vancouver Whitecaps Residency product Sadi Jalali was on the team that went to the U-17 World Cup 16 July/August 2012

in 2011. And the first Canadian player to ever play professional soccer in Japan?

Edmonton’s Matt Lam. And Edmonton Juventus has made a name for itself as one of the top prep programs in the country. In fact the majority of the above players

spent at least some of their youth careers at Juventus.

So why is it Edmonton can produce talent on par with Canada’s big three cities, and at a rate far greater than the centres that are comparable in size? The answer might be how much of a soccer support system exists in the Alberta capital.

What’s amazing is how tight-knit the soccer community is, and, over the last couple of years, that reach has included FC Edmonton.

Case in point: Eintracht Braunschweig forward Randy Edwini-Bonsu returned home from Germany on a June Saturday night. And, the next day, he was at Clarke Stadium taking in an FC Edmonton match — and catching up with his close friends and former Edmonton Juventus opponents (REB is a grad of the Edmonton Southwest program). In fact, he reserved his ticket for the FCE match months ahead of time.

“Why not? We’re all from the same city, we’re all doing things that we love, playing the game...” said Edwini-Bonsu when he joined me and play-by-play man Gareth Hampshire in the FCETV broadcast booth. “We played against each other for years, and we’re all friends.

And, at the end of the day, friendship matters a lot, and it’s good that we keep that close contact, because I think it’s healthy for us. It’s good for us, ‘cause then we support each other, wherever each other is. If I’m playing in Germany they’re always messaging me, ‘good game,’ ‘good luck,’ and for me to show them the same love means everything.” Ricketts was also spotted at Clarke Stadium in May, before he left to join the Canadian FC Edmonton players signing autographs in the throwback Drillers Kits.

FCE Striker Kyle Porter

FCE defender Fabrice Lassonde

national team for its June World Cup qualifying program.

FCE right back Antonio Rago has known Edwini-Bonsu since he was 14. Rago played in the Juventus system, one year behind the class that included Saiko and Lam. “I do think it’s very different in Edmonton,” said Rago. “The size of Edmonton is one thing, it’s not a really big city. And the fact that a lot of us played at NTC (National Training Centre) allowed us to really get to know each other. We all played against each other, and got to know each other, and became friends.

And with social media, like Facebook and Twitter, it’s really easy for us to stay in contact.

“It’s not a fake thing. It’s really sincere.

We all try to keep up with each other and follow each other’s games and how we are doing. It doesn’t matter if it’s the German second division or the NASL. We are supporting each other.”

But, if you look at Edmonton’s development as a soccer city, there are other intangibles in play — and they are ones that need to be considered by the Canadian Soccer Association (CSL).

Throughout the 1990s and up to 2007, Edmonton’ Commonwealth Stadium was the de facto home of the Canadian national team. It is where the club played the majority of its home games, including World Cup qualifiers, that famous 1-1 draw with Brazil in 1994, and the 1999 Canada Cup that saw the likes of Iran and Ecuador send teams to Commonwealth.

Some of us in the media still recall the bomb threat-hoax that was phoned in before the Canada-Iran match.

As well, Commonwealth played host to the wildly successful U-19 Women’s World Championship final in 2002, getting more than 47,000 to come out for the Canada-U.S.A. final. It was a coming-out party for a young Christine Sinclair, and that tournament was pivotal in getting FIFA excited about bringing a Women’s World Cup to Canada.

And, Canada’s two group-stage games played at Commonwealth during the 2007 U-20 World Cup each drew more than 30,000 fans, and the number would have been higher had it not been for a lack of ticket windows forcing many

to wait in long lineups outside, with no chance of getting into the stadium until the game was well underway.

The system as it was back then is as stacked and unfair as it is now — with Edmonton getting the lion’s share of games. But the results are interesting.

With Edmonton getting the majority of the home games, the city’s young soccer players were exposed to international soccer on a regular basis — and it helped develop the Alberta capital into a soccer city more rapidly than Calgary, Winnipeg or Ottawa. Even if Commonwealth was only one-fifth full on those cool evenings when Panama, Cuba or Mexico came to town, the core of fans that did come included the movers and shakers in the local soccer community.

In the United States, no city gets a lion’s share of the national team games.

They are spread around, and the most important consideration is the discomfort of the visitors. When the U.S. plays Mexico in a World Cup qualifier, games aren’t played close to the border, they are played in places like Columbus, which don’t have strong Mexican immigrant communities.

But coach Stephen Hart has been given the power to pick the venue, and has placed a premium on the comfort of his players. So far, all of Canada’s Brazil 2014 qualifiers have been placed in Toronto.

So, when it comes to men’s soccer, that petri dish has been shifted from Edmonton to Toronto. But can Toronto develop as tight knit a community amongst its elite players as Edmonton has?

Clarke Stadium

FCE Fabien Vorde redirects the ball against the Atlanta Silverbacks at Clarke Stadium InsideSOCCER 17

TORONTO FC

INVESTING IN

TORONTO FC

THE KIA TRAINING GROUND AND TFC ACADEMY

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN

Photographs Courtesy of Toronto FC

Aron Winter may have departed Toronto FC, but his dream of a restructured, reimagined football club will soon come to life.

With the Kia Training Ground and Kia Toronto FC Academy facility nearly completed, Toronto FC finally have a place to call their own. Every player, manager and trainer will have a workplace, a place to come together and work towards one common goal – the success of Toronto FC. Located on 14-acres of land in the Downsview area, the Kia Training Ground and Kia Toronto FC Academy is one of North America’s finest team facilities. At a cost of $21 million, MLSE has invested in the future of their football team.

What is most important about this initiative is neither the cost nor the size of the facility, but how it responds to the individual needs of each and every 18 July/August 2012

player. These needs are at the core of every aspect of the facility, and making the Kia Training Ground a place where a player’s needs are tended to is a vital part of developing world class footballers.

“I think it’s top of the range,” said Toronto FC Defender Richard Eckersley, when asked what he thought about the team’s new training facilities. “It’s fantastic, it’s up there with the top four, top five in the premiership in my opinion.”

“As a player it’s brilliant, you get fitter everyday in training, it’s a good environment, and we just need to make it show on the pitch now,” he continued.

For players like Eckersley, the Kia Training ground isn’t just a place to

practice – it’s a home away from home.

When asked if having a place like the Kia Training Ground is beneficial to players, he is quick with his response: “Yeah, 100 percent it does,” said Eckersley. “You improve as a player because you can stay behind, do extra crosses, extra heading, whatever you need to do, whereas before we had to jump on a bus straight away and go back to the ground.”

Players need a consistent location, somewhere that can be comfortable, accommodating and, most importantly, familiar. Toronto FC is a constantly changing organization, so to have a facility like the Kia Training Ground gives each player in the organization, full team or otherwise, a place to call their own.

It doesn’t hurt that the facility isn’t holding back on all the special features!

Each of the eight fields can be turned into an indoor field with the use of a bubble. Weather has always been an inconvenience during training and, during the winter months, so having a bubble on the field is convenient for each player. This gives players a place to train even in the middle of a thunderstorm.

There are two natural grass fields, which gives the players a natural surface on which to practice -- a minor detail to some, but a world of difference to players who prefer natural turf. When a player like Torsten Frings is battling a shoulder injury, for example, training daily on turf can aggravate that injury and cause further problems. Ask any of the players on the roster, and they’ll mirror the sentiment that a natural turf far outperforms a false one.

“You can’t bend your feet as much,” said Eckersley about fake turf. “Obviously [real grass] is easier on the back of your knees and on your joints. It’s a lot better.”

Having a single location also lets players settle down properly. Buying a home in the city of Toronto can be tough enough without having to compromise on a location due to proximity to a training facility. Knowing that you have one location to play in, and one location to train in, both close to each other and accessible by multiple transportation methods, lets players narrow down an area in which they can live comfortably.

With new arrivals settling in, and commodities like natural grass and bubble-domes ensuring every player’s comfort, the actual teambuilding can

(From left to right) Goalkeeper Quillan Roberts, Forward Keith Makubuya, Defender Doneil Henry, and Midfielder Oscar Cordon during a preliminary tour of the new training grounds.

begin. Senior team players train in the same location as their academy understudies.

Academy players can interact on a daily basis with established veterans.

The best way a young player can learn is by experiencing something first-hand, and working alongside the Toronto FC first-team gives these Academy kids priceless experience. Before the Kia Training Grounds, Toronto FC Academy players interacted sparingly with the first-team due to size limitations, but now, these young players always have a guiding hand when they need it.

“It’s great because the kids get to learn, see and speak to their role models,” said Ashtone Morgan, leftback for Toronto FC and a TFC Academy graduate. “We’re role models for the youth now, so it’s a great environment for them to be in to see how professionals act and what professionals do on a day-to-day basis.”

This builds team chemistry amongst the young and the old before they even graduate. When a player like Jordan Hamilton can have access to fellow Canadians Terry Dunfield and Julian de Guzman, he can pick up valuable advice on both a club level and on the international stage.

Morgan recalls some advice he received when he was in the academy: “Julian [de Guzman] was here, he talked to us every day, telling us if we do good enough, and learn, we can achieve our dream.”

Speaking of international teams, the Canadian Men’s National Team seems to have found a home at BMO Field, so it’s

only natural that the Kia Training Ground will play home to the national team as well. With some national team players playing for teams in the biggest leagues in Europe, having a world-class training ground will make home games that much more comfortable.

The transition from Toronto FC Academy to first-team to national team players has already worked, with Ashtone Morgan and Doneil Henry pioneering this path to the top. Toronto FC is investing heavily to multiply this output.

If the Kia Training Ground only provided first-team players with a first-

Richard Eckersley

class facility to train in, it would already be considered a great investment, but MLSE has invested in the Toronto FC Academy just as much as their first-team.

For all the talk of first-team benefits at the Kia Training Ground, the Kia Toronto FC Academy home is just as valuable.

Academy players need a place to call their own, and like a boarding school, these young academy players will have a new home at Downsview. Not too far from Toronto, and accessible to parents, the new home of the TFC Academy is crucial for the development of quality footballers.

“I would love to have a place to call home, and for the youth coming up, it’s a great place to grow up as a man and as a footballer,” said Morgan.

With the needs of all players addressed, the managerial team can breath easier, knowing that some of the complications of the past have been solved.

Between weather problems, field turf injuries, constant travel to inconsistent locations and scheduling conflicts, Toronto FC’s training grounds have given the managerial team an additional responsibility to deal with; having a permanent training ground relieves management of dealing with the headaches of week-to-week scheduling.

At the end of the day, a manager needs a home to call his own as well, a place to crack a bottle of Champaign after a wellfought win. But management must also be smart – they have been given a huge weapon for their team’s future successes, and handling the Kia Training Ground and Kia Toronto FC Academy properly will be key.

If they can use the facility to become a better team, then Toronto FC will be an example for the rest of Major League Soccer to follow. Pull this off, and Toronto FC will be a shining example of how to do things right in North America.

InsideSOCCER 19

SHIFTING GREATNESS: WOMEN’S OLYMPIC PREVIEW

BY STEVEN SANDOR Photographs Courtesy of the Canadian Soccer Association

Since John Herdman left his post as the coach of New Zealand’s women’s national team in 2011 and took over as the new boss of the Canadian program, he has talked over and over about good not being good enough.

In press conference after press conference, interview after interview, Herdman has talked about how Canada is a “good” women’s soccer nation, deserving to be ranked anywhere between No. 7 and No. 10 in the world. But, when Canada tries to wedge its way into the club of elite women’s soccer nations, it continues to falter.

“If we’ve done what we’ve always done,

20 July/August 2012

we’ll continue to get what we’ve always got,” said Herdman on the day that he announced the 18-player roster for the London Olympic Games.

“Moving to greatness is going to need another shift.”

Herdman has worked with the team to try and build a sense of belief — that they can beat countries from the top five

in the world, a task that was beyond the Canadians at the 2011 World Cup and has also eluded them in recent exhibitions.

France beat Canada at the Cyprus Cup. Put the Cyprus Cup and their World Cup group-stage match together, and the French have outscored Canada 6-0 in their last two meetings. Canada wasn’t able to beat the U.S. in the Olympic qualifiers, despite having a raucous crowd at B.C. Place behind it. It lost to the Americans in a June friendly in Salt Lake City. And Sweden, which likes to defend deep and hit you on the counter, also beat Canada in a closeddoor 2012 friendly.

So, while Herdman has uttered some brave words, Canada — outside of a 2-1 win against Brazil earlier in 2012, which saw this country’s all-time leading goal scorer, Christine Sinclair, score twice — isn’t getting those results against the top nations.

At the Olympic Games, Canada will need results against those bigwigs in order to get out of the group stage. Don’t even talk about the podium — Canada needs to escape a group that includes World Cup champion Japan and reigning FIFA women’s player of the year Homare Sawa, and the Swedes, too. South Africa rounds out the group.

Given that Japan is the defending world champion, you have to believe that the real battle will be between Canada and Sweden — which finished third at the World Cup — for the second spot in the group. Canada 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Qualifying - The Canadian Women’s National Team salute their supporters in Vancouver after qualifying for the 2012 Olympics

Autographs – Sophie Schmidt, Kaylyn Kyle, Kelly Parker, Chelsea Buckland, Shannon Woeller, Melanie Booth and fans. and Sweden play July 31 in Herdman’s hometown of Newcastle, England — and that game could very well be a playoff unto itself. And who knows what would happen if Canada and Sweden draw?

Of the three groups at the Olympics, there will be two spots open for third-place finishers. But Canada can’t take the chance that it will be one of the best third-place teams. It needs to target a top-two finish in the group.

As well, a qualifying third-place finish in the group earns that team a quarter-final date against another group winner, which will likely be the United States.

So Herdman, Sinclair and the other 17 members of the national team are paying special attention to the Swedes, who are defensive specialists.

“Sweden are a team I think Canada can beat based on style and the way that we play.” Herdman said.

Sweden will lie in wait and try to isolate Sinclair, cutting off her supply from the midfield. To beat the Swedes, Canada must not do what it did at the World Cup -- get frustrated and start hoofing the ball up the field. Herdman said Canada must play a possession game — and exercise patience.

Victory for Canada is possible, “if we can break down (Sweden’s) deep, defensive unit,” said Herdman.

But, even though Canada is stuck in a group with the Swedes and the Japanese, Herdman bristles at the suggestion that it’s the Olympic Group of Death. When the draw was made, he said that the group in which the Americans find themselves, which also features the French and North Koreans, is the real Group of Death.

Of course, it’s hard to take those statements at face value. But it shows how much Herdman plays up the mental part of the game. After he was hired, he brought in sports psychologist Dr. Ceri Evans to work with the women — to try and get them over the disappointment that stemmed from the 2011 Women’s World Cup disaster.

He repeatedly speaks of the team breaking down the mental blocks that has prevented it from succeeding.

After all, pretty well every soccer fan in Canada assumed that the team must have needed to rebuild emotionally after a winless World Cup, in which the mental

toughness of the players was brought into question. After then-coach Carolina Morace resigned, the mess was made all that much worse.

Or was it?

On the day Canada announced its 18-player roster for the London Games, Sinclair spoke to the media and emphasized not once, but twice, that the perception that the team members were mentally drained after the Women’s World Cup wasn’t right.

In fact, she said that the Canadian women felt that they had only played one really bad game out of their three losses in Germany — that was the 4-0 loss to France.

“We were never as low as people thought we were,” she said during the conference call with Canadian media. She then repeated that same statement, to prove her point.

CANADA ROSTER: GK - Karina LeBlanc GK - Erin McLeod | SWE / Dalsjofors G.o.I.F. CB - Candace Chapman CB - Carmelina Moscato | SWE / Pitea IF CB - Emily Zurrer | SWE / Dalsjofors G.o.I.F. FB - Robyn Gayle FB - Lauren Sesselmann FB - Chelsea Stewart FB - Rhian Wilkinson M - Kaylyn Kyle M - Diana Matheson M - Kelly Parker M - Sophie Schmidt | SWE / Kristianstads DFF M - Desiree Scott | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC F - Jonelle Filigno | USA / Rutgers University F - Christine Sinclair F - Melissa Tancredi | SWE / Dalsjofors G.o.I.F. F - Brittany Timko | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC

It’s hard to tell if Sinclair was bluffing, telling the truth or simply reinterpreting the past, thanks to months of positive mental reinforcement under the new coach. After some months with Herdman, the pain from 2011 is fading faster than anyone thought it could.

KEYS TO THE PODIUM: It’s a small roster, and Canada plays three groupstage matches in six days. So fitness will be key, and we can expect to see most of the 18 players used at some time during the group stage.

Canada will go out early if Sinclair becomes the sole option up front. If Sinclair is the only player who can score, experienced teams like Japan and Sweden will isolate her. Canada must get production from its attacking midfielders — Diana Matheson, Sophie Schmidt and Kelly Parker — and secondary scoring from the other strikers.

Watch for Jonelle Filigno; injury kept her out of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifiers.

But, she showed so well in Canada’s Vancouver pre-Olympic camp that she bumped Christina Julien — who had been a regular under Herdman since he took the Canadian job — from the roster.

As well, on defence, watch for centrehalf Emily Zurrer. She was part of the World Cup squad, but left off the team for the Olympic qualifiers. Herdman said he’d give her a chance to fight her way back onto the team, and she has done just that. She has been one of Canada’s best players in the back during the friendlies leading up to the Games.

InsideSOCCER 21

Canada’s André Hainault flying high during the Centennial match at BMO Field.

CANADIAN SOCCER:

THE MISSING

INGREDIENTS

BY LES JONES

Photographs Courtesy of the Les Jones - Cover Shots

Canada has missed the last six World Cups. However, optimism is high that 2012 will see us reach the final round of qualifying for Brazil 2014. In June, prior to the opening game of stage 3 qualifying, Canada took on the U.S. in a friendly at BMO Field.

It was billed as a Centennial Celebration to honour the 100th Anniversary of the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA).

The CSA’s roots reach back to May 24, 1912, when agreement was reached for the formation of a football (soccer) association.

Then, two months later (on July 9) the Dominion of Canada Football Association 22 July/August 2012

(DCFA) was officially established in Winnipeg - chosen not only as a hot-bed of soccer (the Manitoba Football Association, founded in 1896, was the first provincial football association in the country) but also because it is located in the centre of the country.

There were two later name changes

before the CSA designation came into being in 1968.

What with WWI and its repercussions on sport generally, it took 13 years after the formation of the DCFA for Canada to play its first home international, at least its first “official” home international. Canada played the U.S. on June 27, 1925, at Alexandra Park, Montreal, winning 1-0 on a goal by Ed MacLaine.

The Centennial match paid tribute to this game. However, Canada and the U.S. had been meeting on the soccer field since the mid 1880s, although national associations had yet to be formed. (The United States of America Foot Ball Association was founded in 1913).

The Western Football Association (of Ontario) played the American Association (AA - New York, New Jersey) five times in the 1880s. These were the leading North American soccer associations in the 19th century, and the games were considered internationals at the time, although not subsequently recognized as such since national governing bodies were not yet in existence. The very first game was November 28, 1885, Canada winning 1-0 in Newark, N.J. The first home international saw a 4-1 victory for the WFA in Berlin (now Kitchener) against the AA in 1887 – 25 years before the DCFA was founded.

What was virtually an international had also been played in July 1921, a strong Scottish representative team beating Canada 1-0, also in Montreal, to conclude their 19-game tour with a 100 percent winning record.

The Centenary game itself was a success in many ways but may best be remembered for the misses and the missing: The crowd of 15,247 was encouragingly higher than previous internationals, an overwhelming majority cheering the home team, and a reflection of a successful marketing campaign. The stadium, however, was still only three-quarters full, with 6,000 fans missing the chance to sing along with one of the most vocal Canadian soccer crowds ever. The Voyageurs and other supporters groups that have done much to build support for the national team were as enthusiastic as ever, while a colourful and noisy U.S. contingent at the North End also made their presence felt, adding greatly to the lively atmosphere.

Missing from Canada’s squad were such well known names as Jaime Peters, Adrian Cann, Nana Attakora, Ali Gerba, Patrice Bernier, Rob Friend, Marcus Haber and Terry Dunfield. Paul Stalteri is coming back from hip operations while Marcel de Jong (ankle) and Josh Simpson (broken leg) are out with long-term injuries.

Andre Hainault was missing his matching compression underwear, wearing black rather than regulation white, which showed below the hem of his shorts (a FIFA no-no).

He was initially told to leave the field and change, but the ref relented when Hainault simply rolled the offending couple of inches out of sight.

As the U.S. are our closest opponents, it was surprising to learn that it has been 15 years since we last played them at home.

We haven’t beaten them anywhere for 14 games going back to 1985 (and that was a friendly) and, worse, we scored in only three of the games.

Hainault is warned about his fashion sense. linesman flagged late for a touchline foul after initially allowing the advantage.

The game is best encapsulated by the missed opportunities. Occean just failed to reach a left wing cross when wide open.

Substitute Jackson sparked life into the attack but was also responsible for missing a great chance a few feet from goal. He stabbed a De Rosario by-line pull back wide, as the clock ran down, when it seemed easier to score. The most memorable miss was a powerful header in the dying seconds from Goodson that brought an excellent reflex save from Hirschfeld but which, if headed down, would have been the winner. Canada’s ‘keeper generally had little to do but did make another fine save in the first half from a long optimistic volley from Castillo that could have dropped It was an uninspired game that under the bar.

In recognition of the Centenary, Canada nevertheless left both coaches satisfied.

Both Hart and Klinsmann saw the match as wore a one-time royal blue Umbro strip with a red maple leaf and a final dress-rehearsal for their prospective white trim, a variation World Cup Qualifying of the strip worn starting XIs. Both were at the first “official” more concerned with home international solidifying their rear in 1925. As a neat guard than generating and distinctive offence, and both were touch, sewn into reasonably pleased the collar was the with their defensive sound wave of ‘O performance, combined ey Canada’, recorded rs with the absence of je 57 19 Canada’s at an earlier game. serious injuries. The only Canada did not start wearing thing missing was a goal, red jerseys until after 1965 when the new, though 0-0 was not a surprising result.

The U.S. were a little weary facing their national, red and white flag was adopted. fifth game in 18 days, and while Donovan It may come as a surprise that a red maple and Dempsey were paired together for the leaf emblem was not used before 1957, as first time in a while, neither excelled. Canada earlier maple leaf designs were traditionally probably shaded the game because of their either green or gold.

Despite the replica kit, Canada was penetration in last 20 minutes. They were pleased to hold a U.S. side that thrashed unable to duplicate its historic 1925 victory Scotland 5-1 a week earlier and which is over the U.S. What seemed to be missing much higher in the FIFA ranking - 29th to was not just an inability to convert, as Stephen Hart suggests. Rather, we need to Canada’s 75th. de Guzman looked far more impressive create more chances and better chances. in a Canada uniform than in a TFC strip, but Otherwise, we will likely miss the boat the U.S. were superior in holding midfield bound for Rio. Les is the former Chairman, Soccer Hall possession, although no more effective at creating chances. There were few first-half of Fame & Museum. If you would like an opportunities for either side. Ledgerwood appraisal of soccer memorabilia please netted from an acute angle, but the contact him at lesjones@ca.inter.net 17 year old Samuel Piette from Quebec makes his debut coming on as a late sub for de Guzman.

InsideSOCCER 23

A CENTURY OF

CANADIAN

SOCCER

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN

Photographs Courtesy of the Canadian Soccer Association.

To look back and reflect on a century of work is a special occasion indeed.

It has been 100 years since the formation of the Canadian Soccer Association. In that time, Canada has had many highs and numerous lows, but one thing has always remained a constant: the rivalry between the hardheaded Canucks and the tough-tackling Americans always produces a proper match of football.

24 July/August 2012

So … Happy 100th Birthday to the CSA then! To celebrate, clad in a throwback blue shirt and with a simple yet symbolic red maple leaf adorned on their chests, the Canadian Men’s National Team took on their rivals to the south, the United States of America, in a centennial anniversary friendly.

As always, the game produced chance after chance, the underdog “David vs.

Goliath” story Canadians relish, and a defensive display that Jose Mourinho himself would be proud of. In a match that was played for “fun,” it was anything but a relaxing night out; both sides share an intertwined history, and any encounter between the two, though respectful, still maintains a heightened need for victory.

Sporting the specially designed Centennial Kit by Umbro, Simeon Jackson solutes the crowd at BMO Field.

So it was that when Canada met the U.S.A. at BMO Field in Toronto, the two teams battled it out on an even playing field; the 0-0 result is a testament to that.

The whole cast was reunited once again, Dwayne De Rosario, Simeon Jackson, Julian de Guzman, et al. The U.S. didn’t hold back either, playing Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard, amongst other first-team regulars.

However, the real standouts in this

Landon Donovan and Canada’s Will Johnson fight for possession

Captain Canada Kevin McKenna vs.

Herculez Gomez

Dwayne De Rosario and the Canadian Men’s National team during the Centennial Match on June 3rd

star-studded cast were either side’s central midfielders: U.S.A. midfielder Michael Bradley somehow gained Pirlo-esque passing ability and constantly threatened with long, well-placed crosses; as for Canada, Nik Ledgerwood (playing in place of an injured Atiba Hutchinson) became a dominator, an engine in the midfield – both Bradley and Ledgerwood’s stock rose substantially on the night.

Yet 0-0 is all these two teams could

muster, though not for a lack of trying; the USA had the bulk of the chances but Canada’s opportunities were much more threatening. In short, this game gave both sides a chance to tune up their offensive lineups while establishing a solid defensive game plan for their next games.

It all sets up for the second round of World Cup Qualifiers for the two sides.

Canada will be pleased with the 0-0 result against the U.S.A., simply because, as continental powerhouses, the U.S.A. is the team to beat. Placed in a group with Honduras, Cuba and Panama, Canada has valuable experience and, most important, confidence going into this stage of the competition.

They’ve picked up four points so far and look like they’re capable of making the leap into the next round. The offense is clicking, and the defense is solid. After 100 years on the job, Canada looks like they’re finally coming together. As the Canucks look to Brazil in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, they’ll do so hungry for a chance to prove themselves further.

Allez les Rouges!

Canada’s Julien De Guzman chases down Nathan Dempsey

InsideSOCCER 25

2014 TO ROAD BRAZIL WORLD CUP QUALIFYING MATCH 1:

CANADA VS CUBA

BY KRIS FERNANDES

Photographs Courtesy of the Canadian Soccer Association.

Canada opened up the third round of their 2014 World Cup Qualification campaign in Cuba under brutally intense heat, unfathomable humidity, and on a less than formidable pitch – to put it politely at the Estadio Pedro Marrero in Havana.

Making the flight down to the beautiful Caribbean island to support the Reds in their first test were roughly 100 of Canada’s most dynamic and dedicated soccer supporters. The Voyageurs, each of whom shelled out over $900 for the weeklong trip under the sun, comprised the largest contingent of Canadian supporters for an away qualifying match outside of the U.S. in team history.

Back to donning their freshly-minted red and white Umbro kits, after sporting the one-off blue kits from the Centenary match against the Unites States five days earlier, Stephan Hart’s crew appeared focused, and ready to kick off on the road to Brazil with a bang.

However, it was Cuba that pressed the action in the early going, though FIFA World Cup Qualifiers - Ante Jazic, Kevin McKenna, Nik Ledgerwood, David Edgar, Julian de Guzman, Lars Hirschfeld, André Hainault, Tosaint Ricketts, Olivier Occean Will Johnson, Dwayne De Rosario 26 July/August 2012

they failed to make much of their efforts.

They did have one major opportunity at the 30-minute mark, when 22-year-old midfielder Marcel Hernández wedged his way in between two Canadian defenders and took a shot that Lars Hirschfeld was able to deflect over the bar.

Scarborough, Ontario’s Dwayne De Rosario nearly had Canada on the board in the 19th minute with a low left-footed strike that was saved by the sprawling Cuban goalkeeper Odisnel Cooper.

Canada continued to pressure the Cubans throughout the first half by

David Edgar battles the heat and the pitch during the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in Cuba.

opening up space on the flanks that allowed for a few key attempts on net that mostly missed the target.

In what was the biggest opportunity for either team during the half, De Rosario was able to deftly control a ball that bounced off a Cuban defender and quickly blasted a shot only 10 yards out from goal that, much to his chagrin, ricocheted off the crossbar and out.

After the break, it was Canada that would strike when, in the 54th minute, Kitchener’s David Edgar, with the outside of his right foot, delivered a beautifully swerving cross into the box and found a poorly marked Occean, who easily connected with a perfectly placed header into the top corner to put Canada up 1-0.

It was his fourth goal of this qualification run and his sixth overall for Canada. A few weeks after the match the 30-year-old from Brossard, QUE, signed a

Simeon Jackson saw limited action during the away match as he was subbed in for Occean in the 80th minute.

three-year deal with Eintracht Frankfurt, which was recently promoted to the Bundesliga after a one-year hiatus. This past season Occean had led Greuther Fürth to the Bundesliga 2nd Division Championship, along with automatic promotion to the German top flight, while winning the scoring title with 17 goals and finishing ahead on assists.

Things were going Canada’s way until Hirschfeld, who was playing in his 40th match in goal for the national team, was shown a red in the 63rd by Jamaican referee Courtney Campbell.

This came after Hirschfeld handled a ball just outside of the goal area while Cuba was attacking.

As a result, Stephen Hart had to shelve forward Tosaint Ricketts for 24 year-old Hamilton keeper Milan Borjan, who was appearing in his seventh international.

Cuba missed their subsequent free kick from 18 yards out, and though now down to 10 men, Canada was able to calmly stave off any threat from Leones del Caribe for the remainder of the match and earn full points.

The well-earned victory was Canada’s first opening win in 16 years at this stage of the qualification process. The last time they did was when they defeated Panama

Olivier Occean’s lone goal for Canada was enough to edge out a vital 1 - 0 victory .

3-1 in Edmonton in 1996.

Canadians receiving cautions in the match were defender Ante Jazic in the 61st and forward Will Johnson in the 75th.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Will Johnson

CAN SUBS USED:

Milan Borjan (65th in for Tosaint Ricketts), Atiba Hutchinson (69th in for Julian de Guzman), Simeon Jackson (80th in for Olivier Occean)

DID YOU KNOW: With one more goal scored, Dwayne De Rosario will set the all-time Canadian goalscoring record with 20. He is currently tied at 19 with Dale Mitchell, who InsideSOCCER 27

2014 TO ROAD BRAZIL WORLD CUP QUALIFYING MATCH 2:

CANADA VS HONDURAS

BY KRIS FERNANDES

Photographs Courtesy of the Canadian Soccer Association.

David Edgar vs. Emilio Izaguirre

In their first World Cup Qualifying match on home soil since October 2008, Canada, playing their third match in 10 days, looked to continue the momentum at BMO Field that they had built four days earlier in Cuba.

The weather conditions were absolutely perfect for players and spectators alike, a complete contrast to that of the excruciating conditions of Havana.

A win would have seen Canada tied atop the group standings, while their long-time rival, Honduras, came into the match off the back of a 2-0 loss to Panama and with a desperate desire to avoid falling behind with a second straight defeat. Only the top two nations progress to the next stage, and with 12 points being the magic number to surpass, every single point helps.

Having been defeated twice at the same stage during the 2010 World Cup qualifiers (including an embarrassing 2-1 defeat in Montreal that allowed Honduras to advance to South Africa), the Reds – needless to say – were quite motivated not to lose to them again.

Pregame festivities put together by the Voyageurs included a mega party of 300 raucous fans decked out in red kits and scarves at a local nightclub near the stadium. In conjunction with the CSA, the Voyageurs were able to allocate specific sections of the stadium for Canadian 28 July/August 2012

Julian de Guzman vs. Carlo Costly supporters, as opposed to past years, which saw fans scattered across the park.

Because of the coordinated approach, pre-match fears that Los Catrachos diehards from the Toronto-area and the northern U.S. would dominate the park were put to rest as the 16,132 vocal and vibrant supporters in attendance were overwhelmingly in favour of Canada, a refreshing sight that shows plenty of promise for future home matches.

Canada’s starting 11 had two changes from the Cuban match: Milan Borjan, back in goal as Hirschfeld served his one game suspension; and Atiba Hutchinson, who, after coming on as a sub last match, made his return to the starting lineup in place of Tosaint Ricketts. Hutchinson had missed a large chunk of this past season with PSV Eindhoven due to a knee injury that he suffered on two separate occasions while with the national team in 2011.

With no goals or brilliant saves occurring throughout the 90 minutes, the match itself -- though chippy and intense at times, as evidenced by a heated exchange between Dwayne De Rosario and Stoke

Olivier Occean vs.

Victor Bernardez and Maynor Figueroa

City midfielder Wilson Palacios – didn’t provide as many entertaining moments as the prior match.

Canada controlled the better part of the match, particularly in the last 25 minutes, but a lack of top-quality finishing would yet again be the culprit, as the Reds were left to rue their missed chances.

Canadian hearts collectively skipped a beat in the 88th when Roger Espinoza’s screaming shot just dipped over the bar.

None of Canada’s several wasted chances were more painful to watch than the pair of aerial misses in injury time. The first came when David Edgar’s powerful

header from deep inside the box went wide of the mark, followed by Simeon Jackson’s painful miss off a set piece in the very last play of the match.

Despite not walking away with the full three points, the team and its supporters must be pleased with the method of fluidity that the team exhibited, along with the strong performance of Hutchinson, who will be an instrumental component of the team in the remaining matches.

Another bright note has been the stingy Canadian defence which has now produced three consecutive clean sheets.

It is also important to note the solid depth that Stephen Hart has at his disposal, which is vital given that key players Josh Simpson, Marcel de Jong, and Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault are all out recovering from major surgeries.

But Canada still needs to address the lack of finishing if they are to realize their ambitions of making it to ‘The Hex’ – CONCACAF’s final qualifying stage for the World Cup. With the postmatch hype that had Jonathan de Guzman likely to play for the Dutch in 2014 (in his television interview after the game, he reaffirmed his commitment to the Dutch national team, while ironically wearing a Canadian team track jacket, mind you – talented winger Junior Hoilett could be a big boost to Canada’s goal-scoring woes … provided he elects to represent Canada. The decision could come soon, given that Hoilett – who was born in Brampton, Ontario, and is a free agent to boot -- has stated his desire to settle his club future before committing to international soccer. And, of course, the European season is just around the corner.

Dwayne De Rosario InsideSOCCER 29

2014 TO ROAD BRAZIL STEPHEN HART’S TACTICAL GUNS ARE RIGHT ON TARGET

BY STEVEN SANDOR

Photographs Courtesy of the Canadian Soccer Association.

If national team coach Stephen Hart sticks to his tactical guns – and there’s no reason to believe he won’t – we can expect to see many more 0-0 and 1-0 scorelines from World Cup qualifying games involving the Canadian men’s side.

2012 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying - Shaun Saiko vs. Osay Martinez Through the first two games of Group C action — a 1-0 road win over Cuba and a 0-0 draw over Honduras at BMO Field — Canada was designed from back to front to be a team that puts emphasis on the defence. Against Honduras, Hart used a very conservative 4-1-4-1 set up. It’s a system that’s designed to frustrate the opponents— and left lone striker Olivier Occean isolated for long periods of time.

And, after the second match, Hart told the media that, while he was frustrated at Canada’s inability to regularly threaten the opposition goal, he wasn’t going to make major personnel or tactical changes.

So, barring injury, we can expect to see Occean alone up top in a 4-1-4-1 when FIFA World Cup Qualifiers - Olivier Occean goal celebration with teammates Atiba Hutchinson, Kenny Stamatopoulos, Iain Hume, Simeon Jackson and Julian de Guzman 30 July/August 2012

Canada resumes World Cup qualifying in September. It will play two pivotal matches against group leader Panama, which has taken maximum points thanks to the inspired play of its centre forward, FC Dallas’s Blas Perez.

“You try to play (a system) to the players you have, to maximize your strengths,” “It’s a matter of players said Hart. hitting form at the right time. It’s not an issue of not playing well or not creating chances.”

Even though the Canadians gave up no goals in a friendly against the U.S., a road qualifier on a jungle of a pitch in Cuba, and home to Honduras, they scored just one of their own over those three matches.

Olivier Occean nodded home an inspired cross from David Edgar to beat Cuba.

So far, the keepers – whether it be Lars Hirschfeld or Milan Borjan — have rarely been troubled by any kind of shot, let alone a decent scoring chance. So, on the back end, the conservative system has done what it is supposed to do. But, like Greece’s infamous run at Euro 2004, when you play a system that puts such a premium on making it hard for the opposition, you have to trust that you’ll make the most out of your own limited scoring chances.

As Greece showed us, most of those chances will come on set pieces. And, as we saw with Les Rouges in June, they left a lot to be desired. Because Canada is missing left winger Josh Simpson due to a badly broken leg, the team is coping without its best wide player and one of its best providers. And it showed.

The draw with Honduras was proof.

Free kicks into the box were wayward.

Corner kicks, for the most part, were easily dealt with. Service was poor. And, for an offensively challenged team playing an uber conservative system, set pieces simply can’t be thrown away.

As well, if Canada keeps struggling from dead-ball situations, word will quickly spread around CONCACAF that you can kick, hold and trip the Canadians when they get in your half. If set pieces don’t scare you, fouling becomes a tactical option.

So Hart can keep playing the 4-1-4-1, and the national team can play a super conservative style. Fans understand that national-team football is about winning

ugly, that pride takes precedence over entertainment.

But, to make that system pay off, the set pieces must be better — and that should be Canada’s biggest task ahead of the two Panama dates.

WHO REPLACES JOSH? Just before the previous round of World Cup qualifiers, left winger Josh Simpson broke his tibia, fibula and ankle during BSC Young Boys’ final game of the Swiss league season.

Coach Stephen Hart chose not to replace Simpson, opting instead to stick

for Simpson. Also, best free-kick taker Canada has in its system. But, will Hart take a serious look at Div. 2?

Patrice Bernier, Montreal — Bernier wasn’t getting regular minutes with the Impact when Hart was putting together his most recent team, so the veteran was left off. But, Bernier has put together an excellent run of MLS games since then, and could have played himself back on the team. His three-assists performance in the Stade Saputo reopening was magical.

Randy Edwini-Bonsu, Eintracht Braunschweig — The Edmontonian and former Whitecap offers some real speed

Lucas Cavallini goal celebration (with Doneil Henry, Randy Edwini-Bonsu and Samuel Piette) with an undermanned 22-player roster for second-round opening win at Cuba and the home draw against Honduras. Real Salt Lake’s Will Johnson filled in admirably on the left — he was named Man of the Match for the Cuba match.

But, looking forward to the next qualifiers, we know that there is at least one roster spot open, and it’s doubtful Hart wouldn’t replace Simpson for the September qualifiers So, who could Hart take? We look at some options.

Shaun Saiko, FC Edmonton — NASL Player of the Month for May. Of the first 12 goals FCE scored in 2012, Saiko scored five and assisted on four of them. Saiko has a spectacular right foot and free kick, and scored from more than 35 yards out already this season. Saiko was shifted to the left forward position in FCE’s 4-33, so he would offer a natural switch

and technical ability on the ball, and could contrast Olivier Occean’s power up front.

Lucas Cavallini, Club Nacional — Was absolutely dominant as a physical attacker in the Olympic qualifiers. But is he ready to go from smashing past youth-level players and taking on men? We don’t know.

Joseph DiChiara, Krylia Sovetov — He got a call-up last year, didn’t play, and the Canadian staff seemed rather underwhelmed by what he offered. In fact, the coaching staff made it quite clear that it didn’t feel DiChiara was ready. And, JDC was not invited to Canada’s U-23 Olympic camp. But he is playing in the Russian Premier League. And even if he doesn’t start regularly in Europe, being on a Russian squad at such a young age has got to say something about this kid, doesn’t it?

InsideSOCCER 31

THE

2012 EUROPEAN

CHAMPIONSHIP REVIEW

BY KRIS FERNANDES Photographs Courtesy of the UEFA EURO 2012

The 2012 European Championships gave Canadians some truly exciting and memorable moments that will be etched in our minds for years to come.

Incredible goals like Zlatan Ibramihovic’s wunder-strike against France, or Danny Welbeck’s audacious game winner over the Swedes, stand out, as does the extraordinary play of Andres Iniesta and the rest of the Spanish side. Most certainly the match in which Andriy Shevchenko’s pair of headers entrenched his status in the folklore of world soccer stands out as another brilliant moment.

The eagerness for the matches was amplified every time the cheesy Euro-pop theme music blared from the TV or laptop, and it seemed as if we just could never get enough stats, analysis or replays to quench our insatiable thirst.

The only ones who tried – unsuccessfully – to dampen it were sensationalist media types (looking at you Sol Campbell and the BBC, among others - that tried to fear-monger fans by accusing the Polish and Ukrainians of mass racism with a taste for violence, as if any nation on earth is free from those social ills. The reality is the hosts did a superb job, and the fans knew it, which, along with the excellent matches, made Euro 2012 one of the most enjoyable tournaments of all time.

Unfortunately, it will be the last Euro at 16 teams, as UEFA wants more money and as such is increasing the number of teams to 24 for France 2016, which will -- no matter who tells you otherwise -- dilute the competition. This may be one of the last times we see a cohosting of the tournament, as Michel Platini has put out a stunning proposal that could see the Euro become a tournament hosted across the continent as early as 2020.

So, for one last time, let’s ride the crest of nostalgia and go through the 2012 European Championship together and conjure those timeless images and emotions.

32 July/August 2012

GROUP A

Since the tournament draw back in December, Group A was a write off in practically everybody’s book coming into the tournament. These collective four teams -- Russia, Czech Republic, Greece, and cohosts, Poland -- were treated like old jalopies about to be sold off as scrap metal. The mantras were tirelessly repeated in the media leading up to the competition: “The teams are not entertaining enough … not talented enough… they have no star power”.

Well, Group A ended up delivering some of the most exciting games loaded with high drama during the opening round.

A speedy, free-flowing, and suspenseful affair was immediately on display when the curtain rose at the opener between Poland and Greece, teams that combined for arguably the most unpronounceable names in the tournament. Once the whistle blew, the Polish Eagles came soaring out of the cage as if they’d been held in captivity for months.

The Poles dictated the pace and flow of the entire first half, and despite missing a few key chances, were rewarded for their aggressive offensive approach when Dortmund star Robert Lewandowski’s brilliant 17th-minute header jolted the entire country out of their figurative seats in sheer jubilation. Their euphoric vibe would further ascend when Greek defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos was harshly booked for a second yellow (near the end of the half) that put Greece down a man. It appeared at the end of the nightmarish first half, when Greece was all but done for.

But Fernando Santos’ men would show astounding character and resilience with 10 men and received a bailout when a collision between a Polish defender and keeper Wojciech Szczęsny resulted in an open ball in the middle of the box that forward Dimitris Salpingidis slotted in to even the score.

Things would go from bad to brutal for Szczęsny as he received a red upon tripping a Greek forward in the box and conceded a penalty in the process. With the score now tied and both teams again equal in men, the weight of Poland lay entirely on the shoulders of 25 year-old backup Przemysław Tytoń, who on his first touch in the match stonewalled Greek captain Giorgos Karagounis. Before the Euro, Tytoń was third string keeper and now was a national hero.

The contrast between each half was remarkable and, at the end of the 90-thirty-

minute rollercoaster, the 1-1 result appeared to be fair to both teams.

The other match on opening day also delivered high-octane action, but only one team left with anything to show for it.

Russia came into the tournament with odds of 23-1 to win the tournament. After their stunning 4-1 assault that dismantled the Czech Republic, those odds were clipped in half immediately upon theKevin final McKenna whistle. vs.

Hérculez Gómez The match was an international coming out party for CSKA, with Moscow’s highlytouted attacking midfielder, 21-year-old Alan Dzagoev, putting himself at the front of the Golden Boot race with his pair of goals.

His first marker came off a scintillating run in the middle of the pitch that saw him turn two Czech midfielders into bumbling clowns before working the ball to his teammates and then capping it off with a blast from a rebound to put Russia ahead 15 minutes in.

The fear-free Russians grabbed the Czechs by the throat minutes later with a sweet and subtle chip over Petr Cech. Despite being punished with a goal for briefly relinquishing their grasp, Russia continued their relentless assault with another Dzagoev strike and finished it off with a splendid effort by Euro 2008 hero Roman Pavluchenko. Creating something from nothing, the Lokomotiv Moscow striker worked his way into the box and, while surrounded by four Czech players, blasted a devastating shot into the top corner to seal the deal.

Overshadowing their next match against Poland was the enormous amount of media attention focused on violence between Russians and Poles in the streets of Warsaw – violence that stemmed from years of historical animosity between the two nations. To add further drama, UEFA had issued Russia a suspended 6-point penalty for their fans’ behaviour after the tilt with the Czechs, and the hosts of the 2018 World Cup wanted to quell the negative press with another strong performance.

The dazzling Dzagoev would put them ahead in the 37th minute with his third goal in two matches via a glancing header that silenced the predominantly Polish crowd.

However, it was another Borussia Dortmund star that would deliver for Poland, as Jakub Błaszczykowski struck a sensational, swerving left-footed golazo in the 57th that hooked perfectly into the back of the net, gaining the team a valuable point but, more importantly, providing hope heading into the final game.

After the humiliating loss to the Russians,

the Czechs came out like a freight train against Greece, scoring two goals in the first six minutes and should have had another pair.

Despite Chelsea stopper Petr Cech coughing up his second major goalgiving blunder in consecutive European Championships (memories of Turkey anyone?), Michal Bílek’s men were able to fend off the stubborn Greeks to keep their chances of advancing alive.

Coming into Matchday 3, Russia sat atop the group with four points, the Czechs at three, Poland with two, and Greece with a solitary point.

The Russians threw everything including the kitchen sink at Greece, shooting an incredible 25 times at goal without reward, which is why it’s so hard for Russians to

Poland vs. Greece - Dimitris Salpingidis slides the ball past goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny swallow Karagounis’ first-half injury time goal that came about when Sergei Ignashevich’s misplaced header landed at his feet. He then ran in to score, which sealed Greece’s unlikely place in the next round. Unfortunately, that would be Karagounis’ shining moment, as his cursed luck from the Poland match would return in the second half. After making a strong run into the Russian box, the Panathinaikos pitbull was robbed by officials on what should have been a Greek penalty; instead, he was issued a card for diving, his second caution of the group stage, thus unjustly suspending him for the quarter-final match and stripping him of what would have been the all-time caps record for Greece.

In the other finale, the Czech resurrection was witnessed by all, after an inspired Petr Jiráček scored in the 72nd minute for a 1-0 win that clinched top spot in Group A and eliminated the hard-working Poles, who were left devastated and ruing their lack of finishing in this game.

InsideSOCCER 33

GROUP B

The jaw-hanging look on the face of Danish Head Coach Morten Olsen after the draw for Group B said it all: Germany, Holland, Denmark, and Portugal? Really?

Though Olsen surely was wishing for the Danish ball to be plucked again from the bin, fans around the world were salivating with anticipation for what on paper looked to offer the most engaging matches of first round, and naturally earning the proverbial Group of Death moniker.

After winning all 10 of their qualifying matches, Germany was widely viewed as a tournament favourite, with odds of 4-1 issued for Joachim Low’s team to lift the Henri Delauney trophy for the fourth time.

Holland, having finished as runners-up at the previous World Cup, were also picked by most pundits to advance to the knockout stage.

Portugal, with a handful of stars, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe, had struggled during qualifying and were mostly cast as

home – the first of the campaign.

Portuguese hearts sank when substitute Silvestre Varela was denied a glorious chance to steal a point by a sliding Manuel Neuer, who robbed him point blank to preserve all three points for the Germans minutes before the final whistle.

The real shocker on Matchday One came when Holland suffered a case of Krohn’s disease, as Michael Krohn-Dehli ate his defender before beautifully lacing a shot through the legs of the Dutch keeper to give the Danes the shock victory.

Holland had outshot Denmark by 20 shots and were perhaps unfortunate with a pair of handled balls by Danish defenders not being called, and with their German rivals up next, the task became that much harder for the World Cup silver medalists.

Germany had “Super Mario” to thank once again as his two goals in the first half put Holland on life support. The first goal was a true mark of skill, as he turned a through ball from a masterful Bastian Schweinsteiger in the box before coolly slotting it in. Gomez continued to show why he was the pre-

Netherlands vs. Denmark - In their opening match, the Netherlands Wesley Sneijder wins the ball against a bunch of Denmark defenders. The Netherlands were ultimately held scoreless against Denmark. formidable opposition, but without enough to knockoff the favourites. Meanwhile, Olsen and the Danish -- albeit finishing first in their qualifying group, ahead of Portugal – were merely expected to enjoy the trip to Ukraine.

With 16 goals scored in six matches, the highest of any group, the matches did not disappoint.

Germany and Portugal had equally strong opportunities throughout their opener, with Real Madrid defender Pepe nearly putting the Portuguese up before the half, but his shot nailed the bar before bouncing off and out.

With 20 minutes left, Mario Gomez was able to ease German minds when he lost Pepe and, after a small deflection, headed 34 July/August 2012

tournament favourite to win the Golden Boot when he struck a superbly accurate shot that arched into the opposite inside mesh.

Robin Van Persie’s rocket into the bottom right corner made it an interesting last 15 minutes, but the Germans were simply too superior on the evening and walked away 2-1 victors.

The Portuguese performance in the first 40 minutes against Denmark opened many eyes after tearing Denmark apart by the seams with a pair of goals from Pepe and a sensational strike from Helder Postiga that came off a sublime Nani pass.

But as has been the case for many tournaments, Portugal’s defense inevitably let it down, as three defenders were caught

napping while two Danish forwards were left unattended in front of the goal, allowing striker Nicholas Bendtner to easily head-in a gift and cut the lead down at half.

Bendtner would use his noggin again in the eightieth to even it up, but was eventually fined €100,000 and suspended for Denmark’s first World Cup Qualifying match by UEFA for his celebration, which saw him pulling down his shorts to reveal sponsored underwear from an Irish bookmaker (Editor’s note: Bendnter is currently appealing the punishment while the bookmaker has offered to pay his fine).

Portugal was able to scrape by the skin of their teeth when substitute Varela fired a desperate shot that bulged the back of the net to give them the win and tie-breaker advantage going into Matchday Three.

Every team was still eligible to progress on the final day, even Holland -- which had lost both their games. In order to advance they needed to beat Portugal by two along with a German win.

The Dutch got the revival party going early when Rafael van der Vaart, who, after coach Bert van Marwijk was pilloried for not having started him against Germany, crushed a mind-bending strike 11 minutes in that Rui Patricio had no chance on.

But soon thereafter, Portugal dominated the circus with Cristiano Ronaldo playing ringmaster. After nearly scoring in two early attempts, the Madrid forward was able to notch his first of the tournament after a perfect through ball from João Pereira allowed him to drill it past a helpless Maarten Stekelenburg.

The Dutch defense, with all their matches, had folded easier than a napkin, and Ronaldo used it to wipe his mouth after feasting on another goal in which Nani brilliantly executed a cross crease pass that Ronaldo held, fooling his defender, before cracking it past Stekelenburg.

Despite suffering a scare in the twentyfourth minute, when Krohn-Dehli evened out the game by notching his second of the tournament, right-back Lars Bender eventually paid dividends in the eightieth with a goal that reflected Germany’s dominance and secured the top spot in the group with wins in all three matches.

Germany’s first goal was scored by recent Arsenal signing Lukas Podolski, who by earning his 100th cap at age 27 became the seventh centurion for Die Mannschaft .

GROUP C

After a 24-year absence from the European Championships, Ireland’s return was spoiled three minutes in when Mario Mandžukić opened up the scoring for Croatia.

Irish eyes were smiling in the nineteenth Perhaps during the next major tournament draw, the Ireland FA’s delegation minute as Sean St. Ledger scored their only should embroider a four-leaf clover on their goal of the tournament off a header from a blazer pockets, as the luck of the Irish clearly set piece. But Croatia was merely too much wasn’t in effect when they were drawn into a to handle, as Nikica Jelavić scored just before difficult Group C alongside Italy, Croatia and half and Mandžukić added his second goal minutes into the final half. the defending champions, Spain.

Things would only get worse for Ireland Of course, any other group was going to cause them problems regardless, but when they faced a devastating Spanish side the suffocating styles of their opposition that laid four goals on them in what can had them way over their heads before the only be described as a possession clinic.

Fernando Torres’ dash and blast made it 1-0 games started. before David Silva’s cheeky goal went through a trio of Irish defenders to put Spain up by two. Torres added another before Fabregas capped off the 4-0 rout. In the process, Spain had broken the European record for most passes attempted in a Italy vs. Ireland - Antonio Cassano gives Italy a 1 - 0 lead during their final match with 860, group C match. while midfield master Xavi broke The team expected by everybody to both individual passing records with 127 come out on top was, of course, Spain, which completed of 136 attempts – a 93 percent was tested in its opening encounter against success rate.

The true beauty and class of the match, Italy. That match provided footy fans with one of the most entertaining games of the however, wasn’t on the pitch but in the tournament, chock full of great chances and stands, where the thousands of Irish fans, despite being on the verge of seeing their excellent tackles.

Unfamiliar formations were utilized by squad eliminated, loudly and proudly belted both squads, with Italy implementing a 3-5- out a haunting rendition of “The Fields of 2 formation, while Vincent del Bosque opted Athenry”, that started with under 10 minutes for a 4-6-0 and what is now famously known left and continued long after the final whistle had blown. Win or lose, fans and teams rarely as a false nine.

The volatile striker, Mario Balotelli, given get to experience and appreciate the kind of the blessing by Cesare Prandelli with a start, unbridled loyalty those fiercely devoted Irish was visibly frustrated throughout his time, fans exhibited.

The other match of the day saw Croatia even repeatedly punching at the grass as if the blades had caused his dismay. He was and Italy battle to a testy 1-1 affair that was eventually subbed off for Antonio Di Natale, highlighted by a pair of point blank saves who after only five minutes of play put Italy from Croatian keeper Stipe Pletikosa and ahead with a well-finished strike fed by Andrea Pirlo’s magnificent free-kick that opened up the scoring. Mandžukić added his Andrea Pirlo.

Spain would not be fazed and scored third of the competition with his perfect first mere minutes later, when Cesc Fabregas touch off a cross that blitzed into the corner finished off a pair of simple, yet impressive, to earn Croatia the point that put them in passes from Andres Iniesta and David Silva second place going into the final day.

Italy continued to exhibit tremendous that resulted in the 1-1 result.

poise and unity when they knocked off Ireland 2-0 courtesy of Antonio Cassano’s header. Cassano, by the way, made the team despite having had heart surgery seven months earlier. Meanwhile, Balotelli delivered a true goal-scorer’s goal when he executed a sideways leap off a corner kick, while being man-handled, and fired a bullet that no keeper in the world was going to stop.

Just as entertaining was when teammate Leonardo Bonucci -- fearing that the volatile striker would say something that would get him in trouble -- immediately clasped his hands around Balotelli’s fiery mouth.

The lone bright spot for Ireland was Fulham winger Damien Duff earning his 100th cap.

Despite Italy’s win, they still faced possible elimination should Spain and Croatia have drawn 2-2. That caused mass paranoia across Italy that a possible fix, known as a “biscuit”, could come into play – especially since it actually happened to Italy at Euro 2004 – without any fix – as Italy, unbeaten in their three matches, were still eliminated when Sweden and Denmark drew 2-2.

Lucky for the Italians, the affair was a closely contested battle that resulted in a single goal. Jesús Navas’ goal in the eightyseventh was correctly called but had millions of fans scrambling online to fully understand the offside rule. The Croatians,

Spain vs. Ireland - Fernando Torres celebrates after his second goal of the night. unfairly given minimal consideration before the tournament, gave resilient performances throughout the tournament but were now eliminated.

InsideSOCCER 35

GROUP D There was really only one expectation for Group D, and that was for France to advance at the top of the group.

Les Bleus Laurent Blanc’s men entered Euro 2012 on a 21-game unbeaten streak and were considered a strong dark horse by many to win it. With a roster featuring big names like Frank Ribery, Samir Nasri, and Karim Benzema, all led by Laurent Blanc, a coach who had won both World and European titles as a player, the French appeared ready for another renaissance.

Their first step towards regaining past glory was against long-time rivals England.

It’s hard to recall a time in the history of the English team where expectations were so low. The boisterous media overhype was on mute, while making it out of the group stage was deemed to be an acceptable goal. After all, Coach Roy Hodgson had only seized the reigns five weeks earlier, after Fabio Capello left the post when the English FA interfered with the squad, removing the captain’s armband from John Terry. Gareth Barry, Gary Cahill and Frank Lampard had been injured before the tournament ruled them out, and Wayne Rooney was suspended for two matches.

So with no pressure coming into the tournamanent , the English put on a rather composed and formidable performance against France -- especially when a leaping header from Joleon Lescott in the 30th minute gave them renewed faith, even if it only lasted for ten minutes. That’s when Manchester City attacker Nasri fired a torpedo that blazed by the narrowest of angles to earn France the point.

But the real story of the day was the match between Ukraine and Sweden, where Andriy Shevchenko cemented his status as a legend of European soccer. The 35 yearold former Ballon d’Or winner wasn’t even expected to start, but 46 million Ukrainians were sure glad he did.

Only three minutes after the dynamite Zlatan Ibrahimović tapped in Kim Källström’s pass, putting Sweden up 1-0 in the 55th minute and silencing the home crowd, Shevchenko reinvigorate them. A well placed cross into the box from Andriy Yarmolenko found ‘Sheva’, who nailed it in to a rapturous response. The King of Ukraine’s second moment of glory only seven minutes 36 July/August 2012

later nearly burst the ear drums of tens of thousands of supporters, as he smashed in a wicked header off a corner that threaded a Swedish defender and the near post.

Shevchenko’s comeback goals were undoubtedly the feel good story of the first round.

Unfortunately for Ukraine, a nasty thunderstorm, along with a swift pair of goals three minutes apart in the second half, drastically dampened their spirits as they faced a France side that played much more like the team many were expecting to see before France’s first match.

Paris St. Germain winger Jérémy Ménez put France up in the 53rd with an excellent low left-footed shot into the corner before Yohan Cabaye put the game out of reach by burying one in almost the exact spot Ménez did.

The Swedish match with England proved to be highly thrilling with a flurry of goals and highlight reel moments.

The English opened the first half looking much stronger than their Scandinavian counterparts and went up 1-0 when Steven Gerrard sent in a great ball into the box where his Liverpool teammate Andy Carroll headed home a thunderbolt of a goal.

The stubborn Swedes were fortunate to land an own-goal after the break and seized the lead when Olof Mellberg bounced a header off a free kick that put a sour grimace on English faces.

Never one to give up, England roared back five minutes later when Theo Walcott, having only subbed in three minutes earlier, blasted a straight shot down the middle that fooled the Swedish keeper. The comeback would be completed twelve minutes from time in epic fashion as Walcott made a great run to the goal line before sending it in for Danny Welbeck who, with his back-heeled touch and facing directly away from the net, had scored one of the tournament’s best goals, and arguably England’s most astonishing in a competition, since Paul Gascoigne’s cheeky chip in 1990, for a 3-2 win that will live long through reminiscent pub-banter in England for years to come.

The Three-Lions would receive a major boost in their final group stage match against their hosts, with the long awaited return of Wayne Rooney to the lineup.

Ukraine needed a win to stay in but were foiled in the 48th when Rooney was gifted a sitter that he made no mistake on to put England up 1-0.

The Ukrainians pressed hard and were

the better team in the second half, creating chance after chance and actually putting one -- just barely -- into the English net. However, even with an additional assistant referee situated at each goal during each match to ensure the right calls would be made, the official still bungled the call, and Ukraine was ultimately eliminated soon after.

Of course, FIFA, after ferocious worldwide criticism, finally emerged from the dark ages and announced a couple of weeks ago that goal-line technology would be implemented at the end of the year.

Despite losing to the already-eliminated Swedes in their final group stage match, France was able to secure second place and a date with their dreaded neighbours Spain.

Group D’s review would not be complete without mentioning what was probably the best goal of tournament as fans worldwide were treated to yet another “Ibracadabra” moment. Just as he did against Italy in Euro 2004, with a ridiculous jumping back heel flick while facing away from the net, and like the missile he launched on Greece at Euro 2008, Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s inevitable contribution to the Euro 2012 highlight reel came in the 54th minute. A cross came slightly behind

Ukraine vs. France - France’s Yohan Cabaye put the game out of reach when he buried one past the Ukrainian goalkeeper in the second half him as he followed its trajectory like a cat ready to pounce, leaping sideways, while swivelling his hips in one seamless motion, and cracking the ball with surgeon-like precision into the low corner of the net.

Sweden added another in added time to win 2-0, and despite having already booked their flight back to Stockholm, left with their heads held high.

KNOCKOUT STAGE ANALYSIS CZECH REPUBLIC VS. PORTUGAL

RONALDO RUNS WILD

After the wild finish to the group stage, the first quarter-final matchup featured Group A winners Czech Republic facing the emerging Portuguese, who came in fully confident off the back of their 2-1 elimination of Holland four days earlier.

It was the first matchup between the two since Portugal was 3-1 victors in the group stage at Euro 2008.

As he was against the Dutch, Ronaldo, elevated his team with another inspiring performance defined by blazing runs and his trademarked footwork that at many times made him appear as a man against boys.

The world’s most expensive player almost scored a beauty in the first half when he chested down a ball, flicked it with his foot while smoothly spinning himself and the ball around Czech defender Michal Kadlec before beating Petr Cech, but not the post.

The Czechs were without their best player, attacking midfielder Tomáš Rosický. As such, their strategy was simply to stop Ronaldo (who was often triple teamed without much success)and stay focused on a counterattacking method that rarely produced major chances.

Their keeper, Petr Cech, having won the Champion’s League in May, was simply outstanding in net and was clearly frustrating the Portuguese team, which was throwing everything they had at him.

The deadlock was broken in the 79th minute when Sporting Lisbon’s João Moutinho sent a solid cross into the box.

Ronaldo blazed in front of his defender and smashed home a header that turned out to be the deciding factor. It was Ronaldo’s third goal in the last two matches and allowed him to finally brush off criticisms that claimed he had been underperforming for Portugal.

The only bad news on that day for Portugal came in the first half when firstchoice striker Helder Postiga left after pulling his hamstring. Nevertheless, Portugal was ultimately thrilled to advance to their third European Championship semi-final spot in the last four editions.

GERMANY VS. GREECE

who slotted the ball past Manuel Neuer in the process.

But the Greek euphoria was short-lived Surely there was at least one finance guy as the Germans relentless picked apart every in the world that freaked out upon reading opening imaginable, scoring six minutes the headline “Greece Exit The Euro!” the day later when Sami Khedira’s explosive shot after the Germans toyed with Fernando cannoned off his boot and went straight in.

Santos’ team in Gdansk.

Klose scored his sixty-eighth international With the Germans having given billions goal several minutes later, with one of his of dollars in bailout money while pressing trademark headers, to put the Germans ahead hard for economic austerity measures on by two. Then Reus latched onto a rebound that he absolutely buried in the top corner with authority, giving the Germans a commanding 4-1 lead.

The Greeks were able to notch Germany vs. Greece one more after Dimitris Salpingidis saluting being awarded a the Greece fans after his penalty in the 89th 89th minute penalty kick. that Salpingidis dispatched with no Greece, the cameras were focused as much trouble. In the end, however, what looked on the world’s most powerful woman, like a respectable 4-2 score did little to reflect German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other how one-side the match actually was. politicians in attendance during the match.

Germans are youngest team at euros Greek fans were hoping for a victory with avg age of 24.52 years old. here to shove it down German throats, but right from the start it seemed a futile effort with Joachim Low’s men boldly flexing their SPAIN VS. FRANCE tactically sound and superior technical skills that dissected Greece at every turn and pass.

Die Mannschaft had made a few lineup Playing the defending champions in the changes that opened more than a few second stage isn’t what France had wanted, eyes, particularly that of Mario Gomez, who but they had to after blowing their last game despite scoring a goal a game, including against Sweden and seeing England edge the winners against Denmark and Portugal, ahead of them in Group D. was left off the roster in favour of Miroslav Despite the odds being well in favour of Klose, second all-time in caps and goals Spain to win, they had actually never beaten for Germany.

France in a competitive match. France was After constantly pressuring the Greeks, also the last team to eliminate Spain from a who were setup so defensive at times tournament at the 2006 World Cup. it looked as if they were playing a 10-0 France’s attempts to thwart Spain’s formation, the Germans went up 1-0 when possession-oriented style with a tightly Captain Philip Lahm split two markers before marking and disciplined approach were unleashing a wicked shot in the 39th. minimally effective from the start. The The Greeks were given a lifeline when Spaniards put on a commanding passing Germany was caught off guard by a well- display that frustrated the French and looked delivered counter attack that saw Georgios exceptional in the middle third of the pitch.

Samaras even up the score off a perfectly Throughout the match they continued to executed pass from Dimitris Salpingidis, meticulously unravel Laurent Blanc’s side.

BLITZKRIEG

XABI’S DREAM

InsideSOCCER 37

Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso was playing in his 100th match for Spain and seized the day in spectacular fashion by scoring both Spanish goals. The first came in the 19th minute, when Andres Iniesta tapped the ball through to 23-year-old sensation, Jordi Alba. Alba showed great patience in controlling the ball, while causing defender Mathieu Debuchy to fall flat before crossing it to Alonso who bounced it in.

ENGLAND VS. ITALY

ENGLISH ANGUISH

Even after finishing atop Group D with seven points, the pressure was still off England in their quarter-final match against Cesare Prandelli’s rejuvenated side.

But it was the Italians that exerted overwhelming pressure on Roy Hodgson’s pack, with a very well established plan of attack led by an outstanding Andrea Pirlo,

who at 33 still looked like the man that led Italy to their 2006 World Championship.

Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi came closest to scoring in the first half when his curving shot with the outside of his left foot smacked the post. Meanwhile, Glen Johnson was only able to muster a weak straight away shot that Gianluigi Buffon was able to swat down.

Both teams exchanged further opportunities, with the Italians being a far more aggressive team throughout the second half; they were, however, simply denied by excellent English clearances and their own inept finishing that led to the 0-0 result after regulation.

With the exception of Alessandro Diamanti’s cross that hit the woodwork, the 30 minutes of extra time produced nothing of significance, and despite what both teams severely wanted to avoid given their past histories, penalties would decide who would

SEMI-FINALS GERMANY VS. ITALY

NO OIL IN THE GERMAN MACHINE

Not given much of a chance by most coming into their semi-final clash against the powerful Germans, Italy was already a winner. Considering how brutal their 2010 World Cup ended (finishing last in a group that featured lowly New Zealand), Italy had nothing to lose.

But here at Euro 2012, Cesare Prandelli, despite having lost their three final tuneup matches, not to mention the widely publicized match-fixing scandal back home, was able to mold this team into a group that believed in itself and played with zest.

Germany, with an average age of 24.52, had the youngest team in the tournament.

That factor alone may explain why their nerves got the better of them as Italy shocked the world with two goals 16 minutes apart in the first half. But if it was age that tipped the scale, it’s ironic that 21-year-old Balotelli was the one who did the scoring, showing tremendous poise, confidence, and skill as he upset Germany’s balance throughout the contest.

The celebration after his bomb-blasting goal was the stuff of internet legend before the game was even finished. Thousands of net geeks photo shopped his shirtless figure into a slew of funny memes, including a ballerina, a jackhammering construction worker and an accordion player.

Despite almost conceding a goal earlier on in the match, the Italians exploited the gaps in what was usually an impenetrable defense, settled nicely and executed their plan to near perfection, stifling Germany’s attack (which had been so potent in the previous four matches).

The second half was nothing short of exhilarating, as both teams had several huge opportunities. But the score remained 2-0, until Mesut Ozil scored a penalty in the 92nd Germany vs. Italy - Mario Balotelli continues his brilliance as he makes it 2-0 for Italy at the half.

38 July/August 2012

face Germany in the next round.

There was a bit of humour when Balotelli stepped up to take the first shot for Italy against his Manchester City teammate Joe Hart. Both players exchanged grins and a bit of gamesmanship before the Italian scored.

Motolivo’s wide miss had Italian hearts sinking. Those same hearts rose again with Pirlo’s unbelievably cheeky “Panenka” that brought them back into the match (the Panenka is named after the Czech midfielder who scored the winning penalty against West Germany with a bold chip in the 1976 European Championship). Young and Cole Ashley had hit the bar and been stopped by Buffon before Diamenti nailed his penalty to seal the comeback.

The penalty defeat was England’s sixth shootout loss in seven major international tournaments, and the curse will undoubtedly continue to haunt English supporters at least until Brazil 2014.

…but that would be as close as Germany would get. Haunted by Italy and pondering what went wrong, the Germans were no doubt scratching their collective heads and questioning why they hadyet to beat the Azzurri in eight competitive matches.

PORTUGAL VS. SPAIN

PUSHED TO THE BRINK

The first semi-final featured Spain and Portugal. While the countries share a border, there was nothing close about the gap between their championship encounters, as the last time they had played during a European Championship was in 2004, when the hosts defeated the Spaniards by 1-0 en route to the finals.

Alvaro Negredo received the start ahead of both Cesc Fabregas and Fernando Torres, while Hugo Almeida received his first start up front due to Helder Postiga’s injury, the only change in Portugal’s starting XI throughout the tournament.

A true touch of class from the Spaniards saw them don black armbands in honour of La Liga defender Miki Roqué, who lost his battle with cancer at the young age of 23 only days earlier.

Despite Spain controlling the possession

- as usual – Portugal was tactically sound and maintained a solid defensive setup that put lots of pressure on Spain. Nani and Ronaldo were performing well on the wing and had setup a few opportunities that were either shot wide of the goal or stopped by Casillas, but with neither team having anything to show from the first half, Spain subbed in Fabregas for Negredo not long after the second half started. Shortly thereafter, David Silva came on for Jesús Navas and Portugal inserted 21-year-old Benfica striker Nelson

FINALS

BULLS ON PARADE

Had Spain been eliminated by Portugal in their semi-final penalty shootout, keyboard coaches worldwide would have wrote off Spain as having past their peak.

Well, then the soccer world should be thanking Fabregas for finishing that final penalty so that all were able to witness the most dominating performance in the history of a major international final.

In what was almost a carbon copy of their performance against Ireland, Spain were able to orchestrate their finest song yet in an album already flush with classics while at the same time silencing those that blasphemously proclaimed they employed a boring brand of soccer.

The tika-taka started with the first tick tock of the clock with the Spaniards showing brilliant cohesion and skill that produced many chancs early on.

David Silva was able to lay the first crack in the dam in the 14th minute when he finished a remarkable play that started when came about when Iniesta sent a flawless pass through the Italian defense that Cesc Fabregas then seamlessly cut back into the box landing perfectly on Silva’s forehead.

The water started gushing in the 41st when Xavi Hernandez laid the absolute perfect through ball to fullback Jordi Alba, who had made a raging run into position, and buried it past Buffon to go up 2-0 at the break.

The 23 year old had recently been bought for roughly $18 million CAN by Barcelona before the tournament and they

Oliveira in place of a lackluster Almeida.

Spain’s foul trouble set up a few dangerous free kick chances that Ronaldo wasn’t able to execute. He nevertheless caused supporters on both sides to hold their collective breaths when he went for a shot just inside the 18 yard box in the last minute of regulation.

But he sliced it wide, which left the game at 0-0 at 90 minutes.

Extra time produced one major chance when Iniesta had a glorious opportunity to win it for Spain but was denied by Rui

Patricio who made a brilliant save to take the game to penalties. Spain, pushed to the brink of elimination for the first time in six years, was saved by Cesc Fabregas, whose game-winning shot bounced in after striking the inside post.

With only his one penalty kick left and Spain ahead by 2-0, Ronaldo was left powerless to help his team stop Spain from advancing to the championship match.

ITALY VS. SPAIN will be wiping their brow in relief as his stock exponentially skyrocketed after it.

Despite a valiant attempt by Italy to claw their way back in, the title was essentially decided in the 60th minute when Italy’s final substitute, Thiago Motta – who had come on four minutes earlier – pulled his hamstring and could nto continue, thus bringing Italy down to 10 men.

Mario Gomez (Torres played less minutes) to win the Golden Boot race when he assisted on Juan Mata’s goal with a psychic pass to finish with 3 goals and 1 assist. He also became the first player to score in two European Championship finals after scoring the winner against Germany in 2008, not to mention having already won the the FA Cup and Champion’s League 2 months prior.

A minute prior to the final nail in the Italian coffin Juan Mata celebrates was the substitution of his goal with teammate Iniesta, who should have Fernando Torres. been tested by UEFA for glue after the dazzling displays of ball control he exhibited throughout the tournament a worthy winner of the Player of the Tournament. The man who stirs both the Spanish and Barcelona drinks should unquestionably now be The onslaught continued as Fernando included alongside Messi and Ronaldo in Torres scored his third of the tournament the conversations regarding the best player and despite only playing 189 minutes in in the world. the competition was able to squeak past The anchor for Spain also will now be put into a debate as Iker Casillas became the first male player to win 100 matches for his country INSIDESOCCER MAGAZINE’S after going 509 minutes without conceding a STARTING XI FOR EURO 2012 goal in the tournament. Iker already has 5 La Liga titles, 4 consecutive Goalkeeper of the Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas Year Awards, 2 Champion’s League medals, 2 Defenders: Pepe (POR), Jordi Alba (ESP), European Championships, and a World Cup Philipp Lahm (GER), Fabio Coentrao (POR) title, and he is only 31 years of age. Is he the Midfielders: Andrea Pirlo (ITA), Andres greatest goalkeeper of all-time? Yes. Iniesta (ESP), Xavi Hernandez (ESP) With the victory, Spain becomes the first Daniele De Rossi (ITA) team in history to win three consecutive Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR) international championships, and the debate Mario Gomez (GER) now rages on if they are indeed better than Honourable Mentions: Gianluigi Buffon the 1970 Brazil team that has held the title of (ITA), Sergio Ramos (ESP), Sami Khedira greatest national team ever.

(GER), Cesc Fabregas (ESP), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (SWE) Mario Balotelli (ITA)

InsideSOCCER 39

REIGN IN

SPAIN

BY BOB KOEP

Photographs Courtesy of UEFA EURO

Throughout the history of soccer, Spain never really put a serious mark on the game, even though the country was usually in the upper echelon of the sport.

Spain at one time back in 1964 even captured the European title, but at that time the competition was just making its early attempts to walk, and just four countries were involved in that tournament. And nobody really paid any attention.

But ever since the European championship got properly organized, and that goes for the World Cup too, Spain has often been the bridesmaid but never the bride.

So what happened? All of a sudden

40 July/August 2012

nobody can touch this team any more, and after a 2008 European title, a 2010 World Cup and now the 2012 crown of Europe, Spain has racked up its third consecutive title and seems to be getting better and better, if not untouchable.

The 4-0 crushing of Italy in the final presented a Spanish team that seemed to come from a different planet, and even though the Italians gave it that old college try, they realized themselves halfway

through the second half that they were done and had nothing left to offer but to concede.

Earlier in the tournament, as quite often in the past, Spain was even criticized for playing a slow, boring game. And it is true. Quite often Spain just plays to stay in control, sometimes just barely. The team even gets involved in cliffhangers, such as the semifinal against Portugal, where they needed penalties to survive.

But maybe Coach Vincente del Bosque just tried to shift into gear when necessary and keep the best for last. That’s why they now win the big ones.

As for Italy, given that they had played the game of the year, knocking off widely favored Germany in semifinals just a few days earlier, one has to wonder how a team’s fortune can change that quickly from one day to the next.

But those are the fortunes in sports. Just see what happened to Italy recently.

Only two years ago, the then-worldchampion was wiped out in group play at the World Cup and sent home without even winning a game. At that time it was thought Italy wouldn’t be heard of for

many years to come.

Or look at The Netherlands. Two years ago a finalist against Spain in the World Cup. And now? Sent home without a point, heads hanging.

Things go up and down in all sports, and to maintain the highest level consistently is something not too many coaches or managers have figured out.

I would say it probably cannot be done easily, as fatigue, too many games, and mental exhaustion play havoc with every player from time to time. Players fight with each other, argue with the coach, refuse to sit on the bench. They also have good days and then they have bad ones.

But del Bosque somehow has mastered the art of keeping everybody in line. He turns the game on and off as the situation demands and has the right players in every position to follow the script.

That leaves the question of what happened to Germany.

Over the past year Germany had slowly advanced into the favorite’s position as Coach Joachim Loew developed a team of stars playing an aggressive attacking game that nobody could withstand.

Or so it was thought.

It worked for a couple of years, and as the team went into Euro 12 semifinal, it had racked up 15 consecutive tournament victories, a record in the sport (not even matched by Spain).

And then it ran into Italy, a team that was up for the day; the Germans weren’t.

And then there were others with a day of glory. Right off the bat Russia gave a brilliant display in its opening game against the Czech Republic, and with its incredible 21-year-old striker, Alan Dzagoyev, this

team seemed to be capable of going the distance. And yet couldn’t follow up; they quietly exited after group play. The same goes for Croatia. It played one inspired game after another in the same group with Italy and Spain, but in the end didn’t collect enough points to advance.

FOR PLATINI IT WAS LIKE PRINTING MONEY The quadrennial tournament has now grown into the biggest money machine next to the World Cup. From humble beginnings back in 1960, the run for the cup now has two years of qualifying, with more than 50 countries involved, and when the tills already seem all but full, the real money is on the table in the tournament proper.

Michel Platini, the UEFA president, must be wondering where to put all that cash.

I can remember when it was nearly impossible to get results from the European championships, and that was not more than 30 years ago. Nobody in Canada would cover the tournament, nor pick up wire stories. Even the score line could nowhere be found, and fans were known to phone overseason a daily basis to get bits and pieces of game results.

Today, as television networks fight each other for broadcast rights and total coverage, every single minute of every game comes live to your living room free of charge.

And all the games are now shown in every corner of the world. We have reports that countless millions in China sat up all night to follow the proceedings. One fan there is said to have died after watching soccer for ten consecutive nights, working his ten hours during the day and never closing his eyes for nearly two weeks… until he closed them forever.

But what do you do for an encore?

Platini thinks he has the answer. He probably also has lost touch with reality.

Xabi Alonso fires his added-time penalty at goal as Spain look to seal a semi-final against Portugal.

The tournament will now be expanded from the current 16 teams to 24 for the 2016 event in France. That will push the meet from the current 31 games to 52 and from 24 days to 31 days, a full month.

He is even talking of playing the tournament all over Europe in 2020, from Lisbon to Moscow and from Glasgow to Athens.

To me, all this doesn’t make any sense unless money is the only motive.

The cost of staging the tournament has reached horrendous proportions. We are talking many billions here, not just hundreds of millions.

All the costs are carried by the organizing

Jordi Alba is ecstatic after picking the perfect moment to score his first senior international goal

countries, and UEFA just collects the profits. One wonders why anyone would even apply to stage the games at these costs, but they do.

The 16 best teams on the continent are in the fold now, and whatever else they add will just water down the quality. We already have a World Cup, with at least eight countries that don’t have a hope in hell; nevertheless, FIFA says we need a certain number of teams from each federation for equality and promotional reasons.

That sort of reasoning does not apply in Europe, but when money is on the table all logic disappears.

Now, for a while, until we go at it again, we are laying soccer to rest, giving everybody a well-deserved summer holiday. And in case you are interested, the play downs in Europe for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will get under way in September.

InsideSOCCER 41

BEHIND THE WHISTLE

EURO 2012: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY...

A REFEREE’S PERPSECTIVE

BY MIKE KENNY Euro 2012 has wrapped up and what a tournament it was: The awesome Spanish display in the final, the disappointing Dutch team, the riots in the streets of Warsaw, the inevitable exit of England via penalties and, of course, the tremendous atmosphere at all the matches.

As in every tournament, there was no shortage of controversy. From an officiating standpoint, I thought the referees were excellent overall. There were, however, three main points that drew my attention. So, I give you, from a referees’ perspective: 1) The Good, 2) The Bad, and 3) The Ugly.

THE GOOD: THE CROATIAN ‘OFFSIDE’ GOAL VS IRELAND If you recall, the Croatian player was in an offside position when the ball was played by his teammate. However, the ball went to the right. The Irish defender tried to clear the ball and inadvertently played it directly to the Croatian player, who in an offside position calmly slotted it home. By the law book, the goal should stand. However, this is where it gets cloudy. The law book also says “interfering with an opponent means preventing an opponent from…being able to play the ball by…making a gesture or movement 42 July/August 2012

which, in the opinion of the referee, deceives or distracts an opponent.”

Was that Irish defender distracted by the Croatian being in an offside position?

The key point in is in the wording of the law: “in the opinion of the referee.”

The referee obviously felt the Croatian player did not distract the Irish defender and therefore allowed the goal. In my opinion, the referee got it right as it stands in the law book. My problem is the law book.

About 20 years ago, FIFA started tinkering with the laws to speed up the game and create more goals.

Some of these changes have worked tremendously well, such as the pass back rule. Some, however, have been ludicrous. One that comes to mind is making the team that wins the coin toss choose an end. Still others have been a disaster, like the offside rule. In fact, it’s so bad that you could sit 10 referees in a room, show them a video and get 10 different opinions as to whether a play

was offside …even after showing them a slow motion replay over and over. So, what about in the heat of the moment, when they have to make a split second decision while millions around the world are hanging on that decision? Why not go back to the original law that said if a player is in an offside position when the ball is played, he is deemed to be offside?

Too commonsensical?

FIFA wanted to create more goals.

What they did, however, created more controversial goals and made the game officials’ task much harder.

THE BAD: THE ‘PHANTOM’ YELLOW CARD AGAINST THE GREEK CAPTAIN How about the yellow card that Greek captain Giorgos Karagounis received for simulation? The replay showed that he was clearly fouled, but he nevertheless was slapped with that yellow card, which meant that he was suspended for the Quarter Final Match against Germany.

The law book says it is a foul if a player “trips or attempts to trip an opponent.” How many times do you hear people say “he never touched him”? The operative language is “attempts to trip an opponent.” If a player jumps out of the way to avoid being tripped, it is not simulation.

What makes it all the worse is that the accumulation of yellow cards – two or three during a number of matches – leads to suspension, and it should not. (We all Greece players after being eliminated By Germany (without their captain).

remember Paul Gasgoigne in tears when he received a yellow in the World Cup semis, knowing he would miss the final if England won.)

The yellow card was introduced as a tool for referees to control the game. For example, I might issue a yellow card for a foul in the 40th minute that I would not flag in the 10th minute. The reason is that it’s in the 40th minute that I feel the game is getting a bit chippy I need to reestablish control.

Getting back to the Karagounis incident, the referee, with the help of his assistants, should have the ability to watch a video after the game and realize that he got it wrong and shouldn’t submit it, saving the player from an uncalled for suspension.

Here in Canada, we don’t have that option, as referees who don’t report cards are suspended themselves. That’s just ridiculous!

Sometimes referees need to correct their errors, and we should make sure they can. It’s about time that the authorities get rid of these accumulation rules and let the fans see the best players perform.

THE UGLY: THE UKRAINIAN ‘GOAL’ VS ENGLAND

Wayne Rooney’s header was the lone goal as England edged out Ukraine with a controversial win.

The debate about goal-line tech-nology has reared its ugly head again. I personally agree with Sepp Blatter on this one. I don’t want to see the human element eliminated from the game.

Football is a game of opinions, and the opinion that matters the most is the referee’s, not someone sitting in a booth somewhere. One of the problems with goal-line technology is that, as we saw on the Ukrainian goal, it isn’t conclusive.

FIFA introduced the fifth officials to try and solve the issue, and it appears to have failed. What baffles me is why is the fifth official is on the same side of the goal as the assistant referee (AR), because he is blocking the AR’s view. He should be on the opposite side of the goal where he can also assist the referee on whether the ball crossed the line for a goal kick or corner…the hardest call for an AR to make. If instant replay was introduced to assist referees, where would it end? Would we start to use it for determining whether a foul occurred inside or outside the penalty area? Would we decide a goal kick or corner? It would be endless.

The other problem I have with goal-line technology is the cost. It is OK for the Euros or World Cup or the EPL but once it is introduced, the pressure will mount on smaller countries to meet the standards – a cost they can’t afford. A perfect example recently occurred in the Irish League when UEFA and the Irish FA insisted that clubs competing in Europe had to build a medical room and a drug testing room. This is a league where players are earning about $150 a week. And then UEFA wonders why so many of these clubs are in debt.

That is all for now fellow referees. Keep your comments coming into ‘Behind the Whistle at kenbroagency@gmail.com

InsideSOCCER 43

L.A. Galaxy’s David Beckham has 17 different tattoo’s

SOCCER

PLAYERS SEEKING MORE

INK

BY LES JONES

Soccer players are not just competing on the pitch; there seems to be an unofficial competition to see who has the most elaborate or most extensive tattoos.

Decorating skin with designs etched in ink is nothing new, having been around since Neolithic times. Captain Cook popularized the practice in the western world after his South Pacific voyage in 1769, and that may explain why tattooing has traditionally been associated with sailors.

In those days, tattooing was considered exotic and became fashionable among the more affluent. In contrast, tattoos also became circus and sideshow attractions. Then in 1891, the first electric tattooing machine was invented, making the process more affordable. It quickly went out of fashion, however, as many people began to view tattoos as sleazy. After World War II, tattooing’s association with bikers and gangsters further impaired its credibility, and the final straw was an outbreak of hepatitis and other health issues in 1961. In fact, some areas made tattooing illegal.

Jump forward to the early and mid 1970s, and tattooing took on a new lease in life. Celebrities and sports professionals began getting tattoos, and for the past four decades, the process has been making a sustained comeback. Now, even mothers and daughters get matching tattoos, and it seems that almost everyone under the age of 40 has one, even if discreetly hidden from public view.

Over the years, a tattoo has been a sign of social status, one’s travel experiences, one’s loves. Today it is more likely to enhance the look of the body or to make a statement. Soccer players are no exception; A century or so ago, some players featured tattoos, but this usually reflected time in the armed forces. Today’s players, both male and female, from Wayne Rooney (with his ‘Just Enough Education to Perform’ tat) to Kara Lang (lilies), seem keen to use their body to make bold statements or to declare an allegiance,

Photographs Courtesy of Les Jones - Covershots Inc.

David Beckham’s neck tattoo

44 July/August 2012

often using unexpected languages.

David Beckham has at least 17 tattoos, mainly inspired by family members, the most recent depicting Jesus surrounded by cherubs. They include verses written in English, Hindi and Hebrew.

Sergio Agüero has his own name tattoed on the inside of his right arm, inscribed in Tengwar - a form of writing invented by Tolkien - while his uncle, Diego Maradona, sports images of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro among his many tattoos.

Fernando Torres also uses Tengwar to inscribe his Christian name and also sports the numeral ’9’ for obvious reasons and the date ‘V11 V11 MM1’ (July 7 2001 - supposedly the day he first kissed his future wife).

Both A.C. Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Spurs’ Adebayor each have a tattoo that reads ‘Only God Can Judge Me’, which we can assume their current managers are aware of.

Djibril Cisse of Queen’s Park Rangers has, in addition to his always colourful hair, over 40 works of tattoo art covering his body and arms. These include Chinese symbols, a spider’s web and angel wings that spread across his entire back, He apparently adds a leopard spot for every goal he scores. With children named Prince Kobe and Cassius Clay, a little flash is not surprising.

Craig Bellamy pays tribute to Welsh nationalist, Owain Glyndwr, with a tattoo that snakes around his arm, depicting a successful battle. Other stars with significant tattoos include Sergio Ramos, Cec Fabegas, Paulo di Canio, Harry Kewell, Prince Boateng and Fabio Cannavaro.

Francesco Totti and Victor Valdes both sport warriors on an arm, Deco has a Geisha covering one side of his back, Dani Alves pays tribute to his wife. Lionel Messi, the ultimate soccer star, displays no trophies, no maxims, no significant dates. His one visible tattoo features his mother’s face.

Tattoos can be painful to imprint, but they can also have long-term repercussions: Freddie Lungberg (two panthers) missed a month of action when the ink caused inflammation.

North American players are not to be left out in the race to grace the body: Brek Shea, MLS 2011 MVP nominee, has “Believe” inscribed on his leg, Phil 4:13 on his side, Roman numerals on one arm, a bird and globe on the inside of one bicep, writing on his forearm and another tattoo on his back. Clint Dempsey shows an impressively detailed arm design. Cle’

Toronto FC’s Torsten Frings cross tattoo

Kooiman, Frank Yallop’s teammate at Tampa Bay Mutiny, was known for his Fu Manchu ‘tache and his ‘No excuses’ tat. (A Detroit cop, handling on-field security, at the 2010 Canada-US Gold Cup game went even further, with ‘Too Fast to Live’ on one arm and ‘Too Young to Die’ on the other).

Danny Califf, now with Chivas (after turning down TFC), has a colourful dragon and a full sleeve tattoo among others, while other U.S. internationals Jermaine Jones and Carlos Bocanegra both sport highly visible ones. Even clean-cut Landon Donovan got in on the fashion with a small hummingbird on his wrist, complementing a tattoo his wife has. Tim Howard also has tats but they are well hidden.

Eric Hassli of the Whitecaps shows his creative side with intricate designs on his arms and thighs, while former Whitecap

Jonny Steele boasts perhaps 100 tats, paying tribute to friends, family and his God. Former American international, Natasha Kai is likely the most tattooed women in soccer if not all sports. She has almost as many tattoos as caps (67), many with a Polynesian theme, and was featured on the popular TV show, L.A.Ink. She has tattoos on both legs, feet and hands, on her back, chest, sides, and the front, side, and back of her neck. Oh, and ‘sleeve’ tattoos on both arms.

Many current Canadian internationals and MLS players also show evidence of tattoo artists at work, but most are more discreet. Most tattoos have significance to the bearer and usually reflect achievements or family ties. Here’s how goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe - who first represented Canada at the age of 18 – decided on hers: “I have eight tattoos, all of them are quotes or symbols that remind me of a time in my life that I overcame something and grew from it. My favorite is on my left hip; I got it last year when my mother was going through a tough time. I was away, and it was difficult for me to feel connected with her and my family back home. It is made up of two daisies, my mother’s favorite flower, one for me and one for my brother. On one of them there is a shadow of a daisy to show that even though my sister passed away she is still remembered and still a part of our family.

Within the stems that connect the daisies there is a letter “g” which is the first letter of my dad’s name. The tattoo is a symbol of the closeness and togetherness of my family and helps me to feel connected to them and know they are with me at all times, even when I am so far away.”

The Vancouver Whitecaps Eric Hassli Julian de Guzman vs. Nathan Dempsey

InsideSOCCER 45

WHITECAPS FC

CANADIAN OR NOT, THE

WHITECAPS ARE WINNERS

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN

Toronto FC is the opposite; built around Canadian players like Julian de Guzman and Adrian Cann, and infused with a plethora of academy players like Ashtone Morgan and Doneil Henry, at any given point, Toronto FC could field nine Canadians in the starting lineup. The issue of non-patriotism became a recurring theme during the Amway Canadian Championship finals: “How could a team with no Canadians on it compete for the Canadian Championship?”

Here’s how: Vancouver is under no obligation to play Canadian players. In fact, they’ve done themselves a service in relying on the individual skills of each player rather than the passport of the player. When Julian de Guzman was signed, the criteria wasn’t even about his skillset: no, Julian de Guzman was signed simply because he was Canadian and…well, that’s about it.

Look how well that’s worked for Toronto FC.

Photographs by by Les Jones - Covershots Inc.

Brazilian forward Camilo passes the ball to Swiss midfielder Davide Chiumiento, who pauses, slips the ball to the right-winger, Frenchman Sébastien Le Toux.

The MLS all-star forward pushes the ball up the pitch, cuts in and swings a low cross into the box, where Jamaican forward Darron Mattocks rises for the header; he misses it completely, but the ball lands on the foot of fellow-Frenchman Eric Hassli,

46 July/August 2012

who buries the ball home.

As the squad rounds about to celebrate, Americans Joe Cannon and Jay DeMerit run over and congratulate Hassli on another fine goal scored. South Koreas YoungPyo Lee, Argentina’s Martín Bonjour and Switzerland’s Alain Rochat, exchange highfives before setting back into their positions.

So what’s wrong with this picture?

Nothing, if you’re a fan of the MLS. In fact, there’s a whole lot right with this situation; players combining well and performing to give their team the lead and the three points all teams play for.

If you’re a follower of the Canadian game, however, you see a different issue; this is a Vancouver side with no Canadian players on it. With the exception of a trio of young players (Russell Teibert, Caleb Clark and Bryce Alderson), the Vancouver Whitecaps are operating on a strictly nonCanadian roster.

It seems that, if Vancouver is the model of what not to do when building a squad,

Developing young local players may win over fans, but winning games does the exact same; Vancouver wants to win, plain and simple. They aren’t the first team to go this route, either; Inter Milan’s 2010 Champions League winning side featured exactly zero (0) Italian players. Yet, Inter could say, without a shadow of a doubt, that the squad they put together was fully capable of winning Championships.

The simple fact is, in a league of all kinds of players, building Canadian doesn’t have to be the only way, and Vancouver should not be punished for it; they’ve built a strong side capable of competing in their league. They’re winning! That’s what counts in MLS. Now if only Vancouver could win one of those Voyageurs Cups!

COACH DAVE: MY CORNER

TO WIN OR TO DEVELOP? SOMETIMES YOU HAVE NO CHOICE.

BY DAVE KENNY I have written many times in this column about the importance of player development and how it is a coach’s primary task.

I also have written previously about how we, as a small club, lose players to other larger organizations and how so few leave other clubs to play for us. I have told you how I believe development in younger ages is more important than winning. I’ve also underscored my conviction that victories will come with player development and as skills improve. Never, however, has my theory been put to the test as it is currently.

It certainly has been an interesting season so far. My team’s first victory came off the field. Following the 2011 season, we believed we had qualified for the Western Ontario Youth Soccer League L3 division. (L3 is the highest level for U13 teams in Ontario).

Depending on which set of published rules we followed, we either qualified for a playoff game, needed district approval or had no chance of moving up to L3.

Sound confusing?

Imagine trying to explain it to a bunch of 12-year-olds or their parents.

Let me try to summarize. According to the Ontario Soccer Association (OSA), rules for promotion and relegation are supposed to be set in the fall proceeding the next season. The rules we were following kept changing, contrary to OSA laws. Published rules at our district level said the second place team in South West district would play the second place team in London District for a spot in L3. District winners were automatically promoted. Our team lost the final game of the season, thereby slipping to second place. By the time the league title was decided, the published rule now stated that first place teams were promoted 48 July/August 2012

as were second place teams, with district approval. Still confused?

With only two losses in two years and a 27 league game unbeaten streak over that time, district approval would be assured.

Correct? Wrong! Remarkably the district said “No”!!! The district decided only one team would get promoted. The L3 league wanted us and the L5 league, we were leaving, wanted us gone to ensure its competitive balance with the remaining teams. (There is no L4 division in our region this season).

Our club, Guelph Soccer, appealed, only to find that there was a secret agreement by the district not to reopen our case. As a result, an appeal had to be filed with the OSA. Without getting into all the details, the OSA ruled in our favour and a six month battle was over. We were to play in L3.

The time lag and the uncertainty did take its toll. We lost another two players to another club and as a result, the head coach resigned. That elevated me to the top coaching position and allowed me to bring in a couple of university players as assistants. (Both are players I first coached 13 seasons ago). In addition, with the OSA decision coming in mid April, the L3 schedule had to be reworked a week before the coaches’ meeting. Some teams didn’t take too kindly to the changes.

Others welcomed us to the league.

The next hurdle to get over was the inexperience of some of my players. With six players having moved to other clubs over the past two years, many roster spots were available. The extended tryout process

introduced by the Guelph Club, allowed an opportunity for players to improve and showcase improved skills. As a result, five new players cracked the line up. Four of these progressed from the Guelph B team. (Unfortunately, one of these players received a season ending injury just before the season started). The fifth player actually came to us from another club!

The new players earned their spots based on improved individual talent. It is now my job to continue their improvement by developing their team play as well as ensuring they continue to develop as individuals. All my players made the team roster and therefore all deserve an opportunity to play in games.

My father taught me many years ago about the need to develop ALL players. He said: “If you don’t play a player when you don’t need him, he will be no good to you when you do.” Words I have lived by for 30 years. I like to win as much as any other coach, but I like to win as a team. I feel like I have personally succeeded, and see the improvement in the team as a whole.

A challenge for any coach is to ensure team development and the continued improvement of all players individually.

Five years ago, we were playing a tournament that required an overnight stay for the coaches at a London hotel.

We visited a local watering hole, and I began talking to a gentleman (about 10 years my senior) who was enjoying his own refreshment. He too was in town for a tournament, but not soccer. He was a junior golf coach who once coached hockey.

We began a discussion about coaching, and I asked him why he gave up hockey.

He said that he preferred to work with the “individual athlete, not a team.” I asked him to explain.

He said if he went to a golf school and picked out the best player that would be the kid he wanted to coach. His reasoning was very interesting and thought provoking. By coaching the best athletes, he could help them improve and reach their best potential. I said I did the same, but he argued I did not!

He continued, “When you coach a team you spend less time on the best players and more time trying to make the weaker players average.” He was right. I thought about how I spend much of my coaching time. I realized that I WAS spending more time helping the weaker players and less time with the better players. I have since spoken to other minor sports coaches, and

when I put it to them as the golf coach did to me, they agree. They spend more time with the weaker players, too.

I have changed my style of coaching somewhat since my chance meeting in London. Now I am aware of how much time I spend with the better players. I am now conscience of the need to make sure they are progressing, just as I am with the weaker players. Overall however, it will not matter how much time I spend with either group if they don’t want to help themselves.

Personal commitment by the player is a key to improvement.

I keep attendance for all my training sessions. The players with the greatest improvement, year-to-year, are the players with the best attendance and best work ethic. It has been that way for my 35 years of coaching. I had 50 training sessions prior to our first league game. One of my new players made 49 of them. I will guarantee you that he will be most improved player by the end of the season.

So how is the team doing so far in L3? With so many new players on the team, are we winning? Not really. But we are developing! Our better players keep improving, with three players currently playing in the OSA Regional program, and our new recruits are stepping up.

After reaching the final in our first tournament, in April, the Victoria Day weekend brought us to the WOYSL kickoff cup tournament. The draw didn’t do us any favours, as we were drawn against the top three teams of last season. At the end of the tournament, we had three losses and a lot of

lessons learned. We are following our plan.

The results right now are not important.

Development is important. When the development comes, so will the wins. The key right now is patience. For a team used to winning for the past two years, it has been a bit of an eye-opener for some of the players.

League play games have been similar to the tournament. Our first two games played featured match ups with fellow SWRSL graduates, Kitchener. In both games, late first-half goals gave Kitchener 1-0 victories.

In other league games, we have yet to score a goal (by press time). We have had lots of chances, we just have not scored.

We have four losses in four games, but three of them were one-nil loses. In order to keep the players’ spirits up, we have taken on the Toronto FC persona. The players are determined to battle through and are united in their quest. They have even adopted the TFC “All For One” slogan.

WHO SAYS YOU CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN?

The Ontario Cup tournament round had us drawn in Richmond Hill, the town where I grew up. It was a trip down memory lane, as I toured my old neighbourhood. Our first two games were played at Crosby Park, the field where I played most of my competitive life. It sits adjacent to Crosby school, the place where I started my coaching career (some 35 years ago) as well as the place where I started refereeing, as a 12-year-old.

Our second day games were played at the Richmond Green Complex. Sitting out front of

DRILL OF THE MONTH “QUICK ATTACK” SET UP

shoots on goal

• Divide the field into 3 equal sections-suggestion 20yds x 20yds ea

• Make sure X and Y teams have equal opportunities to attack

• Goal net and GK at each end

• Team with most goals in a set time are the winners

• Each team begins with a lone striker in their respective “attacking” zone

HOW TO PLAY • X and Y players try to keep possession of the ball by passing and moving in the neutral zone.

• On coach’s signal, the team with posession “attacks” by sending a ball to its striker in the attacking zone • The striker must hold the ball and “lay it off” to a supporting player coming from the neutral zone, who

the complex is the old railway station, which is home to the Richmond Hill Soccer Club.

My father, Ed, was the president of the club when the station was saved from destruction and moved to its current location to serve as club offices. I remember climbing into the attic of that old station to insulate the ceiling.

Temperatures were above 100 degrees, but I had agreed to do my part of the restoration.

My brother, Mike, was the top fundraiser in the “Move the Station” campaign, and I believe his picture still hangs on the wall of the clubhouse. In later years, Mike also spent time on the board of the club.

Next to the clubhouse is the indoor soccer facility, another of my father’s projects as president. It was the first “no boards, non dome” facility in Ontario. My team played the first game in that facility versus a touring Austrian squad and the first game on the adjacent outside field versus the Canadian youth team, featuring Lyndon Hooper.

Next to the indoor facility are the new arena and the Richmond Hill Sports Hall of Fame. I am proud that my father is the first, and still the only “soccer” person inducted into the Hall (2004). Hopefully the Hall will recognize many other deserving soccer individuals soon.

A special thanks goes to Jeff Briggs and Jeff Best of the RHSC. They presented me with a RHSC polo shirt to commemorate my return to Richmond Hill. Thank you, gentlemen.

NOTE: Dave Kenny was recently nominated for a Guelph Mercury Award in the Favourite Local Person-Coach category.

Final award winners were not available at press time. shield and shoot • helps find the “target man” • forces striker to hold the ball and wait for support • makes midfield players join the attack quickly GOAL

PROGRESSIONS 1. place a defender in defensive zone to “mark” striker 2. allow defenders to chase back into “defensive” zone and introduce “offside” rule 3. Add an additional striker and/or defender

Y X

Y Y

X

Y

X S

X

Players (X) in middle of field maintain possession. On coach’s whistle, the X players send ball and follow to attack to Striker (S).

Striker S lays off to the now attacking X mid-fielders. X players look for pass and shot on net.

Ball Passing Path Player Movement Path

BENEFITS • helps players pass and move, dribble,

GOAL

InsideSOCCER 49

FIT FACTS

RECOVERY PRACTICES TO

PREVENT INJURIES DURING INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENTS

BY RICHARD BUCCIARELLI

Injuries are a reality in the game of soccer today.

Having recently returned from the CONCACAF Women’s U17 Championship tournament in Guatemala City, Guatemala, with the Canadian Women’s U17 team in May, 2012, one thing that stuck in my mind was the inherent difficulty in trying to prepare players physically to compete in tournaments with tight schedules and very little time off in between games.

During the group phase of the Championships, Canada had to play three games in six days, with only one day off in between each game. More recently, the UEFA European Championship presents Europe’s best national teams with a similar problem, having to play three games in nine days, with only two days of rest in between each game. Over the past 15-20 years, several studies have indicated that players require 5-7 days of recovery in between games in order 50 July/August 2012

to rehabilitate from muscle damage and restore the body’s energy stores for optimum performance. Yet in all major international tournaments, the schedules rarely permit more than two days of rest between games, and teams that are successful (getting out of the group phase and into the knock-out phase) will end up playing as many as seven games in less than 30 days.

Coaches and fitness trainers of senior/ professional level soccer teams must pay careful attention to several different factors in order to prevent injuries from occurring during international tournaments such as the CONCACAF Championship, UEFA European Championship, or FIFA World Cup. One of these factors that is of particular importance is recovery and regeneration to reduce muscle damage and soreness

caused by playing several games in succession without adequate recovery in between. As mentioned previously, the activity of soccer players during an international tournament entails several games in succession without adequate recovery between games.

These competitive demands may impose strains on various physiological systems, including the musculoskeletal system, to an extent where recovery strategies after exercise become influential in preparing for the next match so that performance can be restored to normal as soon as possible. This article will discuss two proven, and easy to implement strategies that will help players accomplish these goals during tournament play: 1. Whole Body Cryotherapy (ice baths) 2. Lower Limb Compression

Whole Body Cryotherapy: Whole body cryotherapy is the practice of immersing the entire body, from the neck down, in a bath or tub full of cold / ice water (temperature between 5-10 degrees C) for 10-15 minutes post-training and games. In a recent study by Ascensao et.

Al (2010), a group of 20 male professional soccer players were assigned to either a thermoneutral water (bath in 35 degrees C water), or whole body cryotherapy (bath in 10 degrees C water) group, immediately following a match. Various different measures were taken, including delayedonset-muscle-soreness (DOMS), as well as three different physiological measures of muscle damage, 30 minutes, 24 hours, and 48 hours following the match. The results of this study indicated that whole body cryotherapy significantly decreased DOMS, as well as the presence of biochemical markers of muscle damage, 24-48 hours post-game as compared to immersion in thermoneutral water. Thus the application of ice baths immediately following training and games for all soccer players is an efficient and worthwhile practice to prevent muscle soreness and injuries.

Fitness Coach Richard Bucciarelli with WNT U17 National Team Players Ashley Lawrence and Madeline Iozzi

Lower Limb Compression Another recovery practice that has been shown to be useful in the reduction of muscle soreness (and thus in the prevention of injuries) in soccer players is the application of compression to the lower body. The use of compressive clothing is supported by encouraging scientific evidence indicating that the treatment can facilitate limb blood flow, reduce muscle oscillation, provide a “dynamic cast” facilitating muscle recovery, and influence the inflammatory process after exercise. In a recent study

by Jakeman et. Al (2010), a group of female athletes performed a variety of physical exercises, including plyometrics and running, and then was assigned to groups that participated in two recovery activities – massage and lower limb compression. Different measurements were taken post-exercise, including perceived muscle soreness. The results of the study showed that wearing compression tights in the evening after exhaustive exercise significantly reduced perceived muscle soreness for up to 96 hours, as compared to passive recovery.

The combination of ice baths immediately after training and games, and lower limb compression in the evenings following training and games, is a proven method of reducing muscle damage, as well as perceived muscle soreness, in athletes. These two practices

were an integral part of the strategy that Michelle Beckles, the Athletic Therapist for Canada’s U17 Women’s National Team, and I used at the 2012 CONCACAF Championship tournament. Together we were able to keep all 20 players on our roster healthy, fit, and ready to play during the tournament, in which we won our first four games, losing only 1-0 to the United States in the Final, and qualifying for the 2012 FIFA Women’s U17 World Cup in Azerbaijan. These practices

worked well for us and should be part of the overall recovery plan for all soccer players and teams as a means of reducing injuries and optimizing performance.

Richard Bucciarelli is the President of Soccer Fitness Inc., and Fitness Coach for the Canadian National Women’s U17 team, who will be heading to Azerbaijan in September for the 2012 FIFA Women’s U17 World Cup. For more information about Richard and Soccer Fitness, please visit www.soccerfitness.ca.

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   

   

     

 InsideSOCCER 51

THE SOCCER HALL OF FAME

2012 INDUCTION BANQUET The 2012 Induction Banquet was a night filled with excitement as we celebrated an evening of soccer excellence! This year the banquet was held in the elegant Fairmont Royal York in Toronto where more then 300 were in attendance. It was a night where soccer’s elite gathered, reminisced with old teammates and shared their past soccer experiences. This year we honoured eight extraordinary Canadians, one soccer organization and one team of distinction. In celebration of the Canadian Soccer Association’s 100th anniversary, the Team of the Half Century was recognized for the impact that they made on the sport of soccer in our country.

THE 2012 INDUCTEES INCLUDED: Carlo Corazzin, who made his national team debut against Morocco in 1994 and went on to play 59 times for Canada. He was a member of the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup winning team and was named top scorer in the tournament.

Hall of Fame Governor Les Wilson and inductee Carlo Corazzin

Mark Watson made 78 appearances for the national team between 1991 and 2004. His lengthy club career saw him play in the Canadian Soccer League for Ottawa, Hamilton, Montreal and the Vancouver 86ers.

Charmaine Hooper represented Canada 129 times in international competition, scoring 71 goals. She played in three World Cups and was chosen as a member of the FIFA all-star women’s team in 1999.

Charmaine was voted Canada’s Female 52 July/August 2012

As a member of the Canadian Soccer Association Executive he has led national teams on overseas visits and was a representative on the Canadian Olympic Association.

Builders Gordon Arrowsmith and Angus Barrett

Hall of Fame Governor Lynne McGarrigle and inductee Charmaine Hooper

Player of the Year in 1994, 1995 and 2002.

Andrea Neil made 132 appearances for the national team during her lengthy playing career. She played in the 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007 Women’s World Cup finals, in the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the Pan American Games.

Hall of Fame Co Chairman John Knox and inductee Andrea Neil

Angus Barrett’s involvement with soccer in Canada has spanned nearly fifty years.

Gordon Arrowsmith began refereeing in the North American Soccer League in 1981 and was appointed to the FIFA list in 1982. He was on the FIFA list for ten years when he refereed numerous internationals.

John Richardson was appointed secretary of the British Columbia Soccer Commission in 1933 and guided soccer through the turbulent years of the 1930’s and World War Two. Victoria West was founded in 1896 and have won the Garrison Cup three times, the Vancouver Island Championship twice, the Jackson Cup sixteen times and the National Championship in 1976, 1979, 1982 and 1984.

The 1989 Canadian Men’s National Team under extreme conditions went on to make soccer history by winning the gold medal at the first Francophone

Hall of Fame Governor Ken MacLean with Victoria West’s Dave Knowles

Games held in Morocco. Canada went on to defeat the home favourites, Morocco, before a packed house in the final with a score of 4-1.

2012 Soccer Hall of Fame Inductees

Master of Ceremonies Craig Forrest and Lee Godfrey

Team of Distinction - The 1989 Francophone Games Canadian Mens National Team

This year the Brian Budd Award was presented to Gerry Dobson. Gerry is not only host and commentator on Sportsnet’s soccer programs but also actively works with the Canadian Soccer Association, Ontario Soccer Association, professional clubs and grass roots soccer organizations to help promote the game of soccer in Canada.

Master of Cermonies Craig Forrest and Brian Budd Award winner Gerry Dobson

Frank Yallop, Bruce Wilson, Colin Miller, Nick Dasovic, Les Wilson, Mike Sweeney, Tomasz Radzinski and Alex Bunbury.

Many of the inductees and those in attendance travelled from as far as Italy, Texas, Vancouver and Newfoundland to share in the celebration. The 2012 Induction Banquet was a memorable

evening full of heartwarming speeches, entertaining antidotes, exciting videos and attractive displays. It was a night in which Canada’s soccer history both past and present were recognized and honoured, an evening all in attendance will not soon forget.

Banquet reception at the Royal York

The team of the half century were honoured and presented with Canadian Soccer Association’s commemorative jerseys that had their names embroidered.

The members of the team were, Craig Forrest, Randy Samuel, Bob Iarusci, InsideSOCCER 53

15 TEAMS FIGHT FOR ONCE-IN-A -LIFETIME GRAND PRIZE

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN The competition in Canadian soccer has been fierce in 2012. Between Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal, Canadian soccer fans have been battling it out over the title of Canadian champions!

The Glen Shield Sun Devils celebrate as they learn that they are the 2011 BMO Team of the Week Champions.

Well, it’s time to put that very same support to the test, Canadian soccer fans, because we have a new winner to crown for the BMO Team of the Week 2012 Champions!

Between August 13 and August 27, you can vote for your favourite BMO Team of the Week finalist. Out of the 15 contenders, the team with the most votes will win the grand prize, and what a prize it is –$125,000 towards refurbishing their local soccer field, giving them a new, top-class ground to call their very own.

54 July/August 2012

The winning team will also receive $5000 to donate to a charity of their choice on behalf of BMO, as well as a trip to go see their favourite Canadian MLS team or Canadian National Team home game.

That means these lucky winners get to experience all the action of a professional soccer match, as well as seeing some of the planet’s greatest talents in person; depending on their choice, they can see players like German midfielder Torsten Frings lead Toronto FC to victory at BMO Field, the fortress of Canada!

Or, perhaps they can experience the Italian trio of Marco Di Vaio, Alessandro Nesta and Matteo Ferrari as they light things up in Montreal Impact blue at Saputo Stadium.

They might even experience the blistering, speedy footwork of Brazilian superstar Camilo Sanvezzo combine with the thumping strike of Eric Hassli for the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place.

These three clubs have been pitted against each other for all of 2012, so it’s a tough choice to make, that’s for sure! If loyal hearts point in different directions, then the team can choose to watch a Canadian Men’s National Team home game, or a Canadian Women’s National Team match after they compete in the London 2012 Olympic games this summer!

Unifying supporters from coast-to-coast, watching Canada’s national team is a special treat indeed, and with local heroes Dwayne De Rosario, Julian de Guzman and Atiba Hutchinson in the lineup, it’s a surefire bet that these kids will have a day they’ll always remember!

So make sure you head on over and vote for your BMO Team of the Week 2012 Champions. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to change the lives of one very lucky group of kids.

Head on over to BMOsoccer.com and check out each of the 15 finalist’s team profiles; there, you can also see photos of these kids in action, and cast your vote for who YOU think should be BMO’s next champion!

See BMOsoccer.com for more details. Voting ends on August 27 so come August 13, make sure you head over and vote!

MONTREAL IMPACT

HOW WILL

DI VAIO FIT IN AT MONTREAL?

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN

Photographs Courtesy of The Montreal Impact

The Montreal Impact may have made their official debut in MLS a few months ago, but June will be remembered as the month that Montreal became truly competitive.

With the signing of their first ever Designated Player wrapping up a busy season of trading, wheeling, and dealing, Montreal has strengthened every area of the field as they look to make something of their inaugural season in Major League Soccer. Marco Di Vaio, an Italian striker

who played most recently for Bologna in Serie A, is the Impact’s latest signing, and what a signing he is!

Coming off an impressive career in the Italian league, Di Vaio brings with him an impressive resume: He has scored 65 times in 143 appearances over four years

at Bologna; he has amassed 12 caps for the Italian national team, notching two goals in the process; he has scored for every club he has ever played for in his 21-year career thus far.

In short, Di Vaio is a goalscorer, a purebred forward unrivaled in MLS, barring the likes of Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane. The perfect Designated Player for a team that’s doing a lot of things right in their very first year of existence.

So, what does Marco Di Vaio bring to Montreal, besides a goalscorer’s touch?

He brings a plethora of experience, and adds to the squad yet another capable leader who can guide the team to victory.

Tactically, Di Vaio will slot in up top alongside fellow Italian Bernardo Corradi; Montreal favour the traditional 4-4-2, and having both Corradi and Di Vaio up top makes Montreal one of the most dangerous teams in MLS. Between the two of them, they have amassed over 300 goals.

For comparisons sake, the entirety of the Toronto FC offence (consisting of Joao Plata, Nick Soolsma, Reggie Lambe, Ryan Johnson, Eric Avila and designated player Danny Koevermans) has scored a combined 217 league goals, about a hundred goals less with more than double the players.

But it’s not just the numbers that favour Montreal at this point; the fact is, Di Vaio is in a league of his own. This is a player that has lived and breathed Serie A all his life, and that experience alone is invaluable. His pedigree alone is astounding, and the lessons he has picked up during his career will rub off on the younger players on the squad.

That’s not all. Di Vaio is also a reliable footballer, who doesn’t fade out of matches often. He’s involved in the play constantly, and knows how to pick out a pass too. He’s a pure finisher but can also contribute to the overall push forward, something that Corradi can’t say he does quite as well.

All of this makes Montreal an incredibly dangerous squad, much more dangerous than many other first-year squads of seasons past. They now possess a very dangerous weapon, surely an MLS All-Star.

What Montreal does with this weapon is entirely up to them.

(from left to right) Jesse Marsch, Joey Saputo, Marco Di Vaio & Nick De Santis InsideSOCCER 55

CANUCKS ON THE CONCACAF COURT

BY KRIS FERNANDES

Photographs Courtesy of Juan Meoño/CONCACAF

The Canadian Mens National Futsal Team recently returned home after participating in the CONACAF Futsal Championships in Guatemala for the first time.

Selected by Coach Sipho Sibiya, the 14man squad flew down to Heredia, Costa Rica, for a week long camp that featured a two-game exhibition series against the Ticos. The exhibition series were Canada’s first official futsal match’s since 2008, when they competed at the Grand Prix in Brazil.

The team lost both friendlies by scores of 2-1 and 4-0, respectively. The purpose of the camp was to prepare for their upcoming two-legged qualification playoff against El Salvador in Guatemala. The aggregate winner of the qualification playoff would advance to the eight team CONCACAF Futsal Championship tournament.

Canada had not sent a team to the Futsal Championship during the 2008 qualifying campaign and had lost to Panama in a twomatch series that eliminated them from making the 2004 edition.

This time around was seen as slightly different, given the continued growth of the sport and the development of some top-quality, futsal-specific players.

The team suffered a major blow in their first encounter as they lost 4 – 1. The loss put them in a deep hole going into the 56 July/August 2012

following day’s finale.

Having to win by at least three goals in the second match to take it to extra-time, the Court Canucks showed much more poise, heart, and determination. They found themselves up by a pair of goals in the 14th minute, after an own-goal by El Salvador’s Victor Valdez that followed a blast by 2012 Canadian Premier Futsal League MVP Finalist Alvaro Yaques.

Canada added another set of goals to go up 4-0 and looked like they might pull off the upset. Then El Salvador’s Rene Rosales scored twice in the final eight minutes, his second goal coming with 33 seconds left on the clock. Rosales was Canada’s nightmare, as he added to his four goals in the 1st leg.

When all that hard work seemed lost, Toronto native, Matthew Rios, kept the dream alive by cracking in a shot to tie the cumulative score at 6-6, with 16 seconds left. At that point, with another Toronto futsal star, Goalkeeper Joshua Lemos, coming out of his net as the fifth attacker, the team had only seconds to try and penetrate the Salvadoran goal.

And with only five seconds left, Lemos smashed home the series winner, sending Canada to its first ever CONCACAF Futsal Championship with a 7-6 win.

With the tournament starting on July 2nd, the team had a few valuable days to rest and fine-tune the engine before taking on the hosts and defending champions, Guatemala. The team had been drawn into Group A with Panama, the USA, and the aforementioned hosts.

It’s never easy opening up a competition against the host nation, but that’s what

Canada had to deal with when they faced Guatemala. The match was held in the beautiful Domo Polideportivo, an arena in Guatemala City, hosting its third regional championship.

The Canadians started reasonably well, as they kept pace and even lead the Guatemalans, who uncharacteristically looked a bit nervous throughout the first half. Unfortunately for the Court Canucks, the Guatemalans were able to even the game at 3-3 by the half.

The second half was completely different as Guatemala switched up their tactics and dominated Canada, scoring four unanswered goals to take the first match 7-3. Not only did Canada lose the match, they were also in foul trouble, having been issued six yellow cards. That, combined with the ejection of Yaques, would hurt them in the next game.

The next match versus the U.S. would be pivotal, as the Americans had lost 5-2 to Panama a day earlier, and Canada certainly could not afford to lose another match in this three-game group stage.

Canadian Premier Futsal League Goalkeeper of the Year, Roy Blanche, would get the start ahead of Lemos in the vital match against the U.S., and Canada took an early lead when 42 year-old captain Bruno Xavier scored off a free kick.

The U.S., however, tied it up shortly after, and the sides went into the half even at one.

In the second half, both teams exchanged goals, with Ian Bennett finishing off a nice play for the Canucks. A strong blast upstairs in the 13th minute by Kraig Chiles put the Americans up 3–2. That turned out to be the winner, as the U.S. gave Canada their second loss. Canada was now on life support as far as the tournament was concerned, courtesy of the Americans.

Like in their 2nd leg a week earlier against El Salavdor, Canada, in order to advance, needed another big win – in this case a victory over Panama by three goals – not to

mention a little help from Guatemala.

Things didn’t start off as planned. A bad giveaway by Rios led to an early Panama goal. But Steve De Blasio nicely executed a pair of goals to give Canada the lead.

Panama tied it back up again when Jordan Ongaro coughed up the ball, taking the wind out of Canada’s sails. Panama went on to score three more unanswered goals before Canada was handed a penalty at the end of the half, which Rios converted, giving the Canadians some hope going into the break.

Rios was able to bring it within one, with a rocket of a shot to the top corner. Panama, however, would continue to exploit and punish the lacklustre Canadian defense, as they advanced to the next round.

After their euphoria over the El Salvador victory, Canada finished pointless at the

tournament, surely a lost opportunity to further the sport’s domestic momentum.

The two teams from each of the two groups that advance out of the group stage automatically qualify for the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Thailand later this year. Costa Rica ended up shocking Guatemala 3-2 in front of 6,500 hostile fans, to win the continental crown. The runners-up, Panama and Mexico, also booked tickets to Bangkok.

Meanwhile back in Canada, it’s now back to square one for the national futsal program. Many questions will need to be asked of the recently restructured CSA on how they plan to move the program forward, as the next major tournament on the radar is the 2015 Pan-American Games in Toronto.

InsideSOCCER 57

THE

ONTARIO CUP KICKS OFF LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

2011 Ontario Cup Men’s Champions - The Toronto Celtic

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN Photographs Courtesy of the Ontario Soccer Association

It’s Ontario’s oldest and most fabled tournament.

The Ontario Cup – the single greatest prize a club team in this province can achieve.

With a historical importance that rivals any of Europe’s oldest competitions, and the size of the competition eclipsing every other tournament in Canada, the Ontario Cup has not only provided growth for the sport of soccer in Canada: it has propelled it.

In short, and with purpose, the Ontario Cup is a big, big deal.

Ontario’s savvy football fans sat back and soaked in the UEFA Champions League final 58 July/August 2012

in May, when Chelsea FC toppled Bayern Munich and took home the Champions League trophy. This summer, this hunger for a grand event will take a much more local flavour, as the Ontario Cup is set to enter into the semi-final rounds in late July and mid-August.

The Ontario Cup has its roots ingrained in the culture of soccer in the province, having first kicked off in 1901. It’s incomparable to

any other tournament in all of Canada, with over 12,000 athletes from almost 700 teams competing from all across the province, battling it out for the top prize – the Ontario Cup Trophy!

It’s a history and a tradition that Dragon’s Den star Jim Treliving and his company, Boston Pizza want to be a part of as well.

The Ontario Boston Pizza franchisees have signed on as the presenting sponsor of the Ontario Cup, and will work with their local clubs one-on-one as they proceed through the tournament.

At selected tournaments, everyone from parents to players can interact with activities brought to you by your local Boston Pizza.

Local franchisees will provide fundraising and support opportunities for their own local clubs. Boston Pizza’s around Ontario will help develop the game of soccer in Ontario, from one end to the other.

The sheer size of the Ontario Cup itself is astounding – The Ontario Soccer Association oversees over half a million players, coaches and referees, a figure that takes into account every level of the game, both boys and girls, across various ages. Everyone get’s a chance to play for the Ontario Cup. The tournament itself is a round-robin + knockout affair, across every major venue and field in Ontario, capping off at The Soccer Centre in Vaughan. On the day of the finals, the National Club Championships for the U-14, U-16, U-18, Men and Women’s competitions take place. Champions fall, heroes are made, new winners are born, and old rivalries continue to fuel a passion in soccer unlike any other in Ontario.

Last years U-18 boys Champions, Hellenic Soccer Club, downed Toronto Sporting FC by a score of 2-1, after conceding the first goal. The two-goal come back gave Hellenic the title of U-18 Champions, and allowed team captains Jared Stone and Jacob Fuerth to lift the Ontario Cup. It’s taken all year to get to this point, but as the quarterfinals come to a close, teams can now look towards the semi-final rounds.

On July 14, the first batch of quarterfinals were played, as the U18 boys and girls, and U21 Men and Women competed for a spot in the semi-final stages.

In U21 news, the men’s division features teams from every corner of Ontario, casting aside their local rivalries and focusing on representing both their own colours and the cities they hail from. The Mississauga Dixie Athletics downed Ottawa South United Force by a score of 6-1, while Kleinburg Nobleton Red Lions took down the Niagara

It’s a history and a tradition that Dragon’s Den star Jim Treliving and his company, Boston Pizza want to be a part of as well.

The 1905 Ontario Cup Men’s Champions The Huron Football Club Falls Titans 5-2. Sigma FC A1 Toronto enjoyed a win over their Torontonian rivals, the Toronto Lynx Juniors, recording a 6-1 victory of their own; finally, the Ajax Admirals posted a 1-0 win over Glen Shields, securing a spot in the semi-finals.

The U21 women’s division was just as tightly contested – the Markham Lightning defeated Oakville Girls 21A by a convincing 3 goals to nil; Hamilton Saltfleet Strikers put up a convincing 5-1 victory against the North Mississauga Panthers U21A. The match between the Burlington Bayhawks and Waterloo United was a close one, with Burlington taking it 3-2. Finally, the Erin Mills Eagles had their talons out against the London Gryphons, winning 2-0.

This years U-18 boys division is one to watch, that’s for sure! Mississauga Clarkson SC beat the Erin Mills Eagles 3-2, moving on to the semi-finals. Brampton East Snipers

scored twice but couldn’t find a win, with Woodbridge Strikers defeating them 4-2.

Like their U21 counterparts, the Kleinburg Nobelton Lions Blue found a way to the final four, defeating London United Lightning 3-1. Finally, Oshawa Turul 1994 downed Mount Hamilton 3-1, rounding off the semifinal stage.

In the U18 girls bracket, the results were all Oakville’s. Both the Oakville Girls U18A and U18B found victories, U18A defeating Niagara United 5-0 and U18B beating the Richmond Hill Raiders 2-0.

Newmarket United will join them in the semi-finals, having beaten the Brampton Brams United Bullets 2-1.

Teams under U-18 (U-17 going down to U-12) will play their quarterfinal round Saturday, August 11, before heading over to the finals on September. As for the Men’s and Woman’s division (over 21), they’ll play their quarterfinals on August 12.

As these teams duke it out and make

their way up their brackets, they pick up valuable tournament experience, bond together as a team, and show their talent and skills as they look toward the day of the cup final.

There are a couple of divisional absences in this year’s tournament, but with good reason. There is another big tournament coming up soon – The 2012 Ontario Summer Games. Hosted in Toronto, the 2012 Ontario Summer Games will start on August 16, and bring together 2500 athletes in 28 different sports. The Ontario Soccer Association has two age-divisions competing for soccer – the Under-15 Boys Tier 1 and the Under-15 Girls.

They’ll look to crown their own winners soon enough, but with two major tournaments to look forward to, fans of the beautiful game in Ontario will have plenty of local soccer to experience for the remainder of 2012.

Stay tuned to InsideSOCCER Magazine’s August/September edition as we continue to follow one of the largest youth sporting competitions in the country. Best of luck to every team competing in the 2012 Ontario Cup!

1900’s Willy’s Overland FC captains on the pitch before a game

InsideSOCCER 59

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60 July/August 2012

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62 July/August 2012

UPCOMING

TOURNAMENTS AND CAMPS UPCOMING SOCCER TOURNAMENTS August 3 - 6: College Showcase of Champions Where: Box 151, Manotick, ON K4M 1A4.

Contact: Tournament Director - Jim Lianos Tel: (613) 692-4179. ext. 111 Fax: (613) 692-0489 Email: jim.lianos@collegesoccershowcase.ca Website: www.collegesoccershowcase.ca Additional Information: Junior Showcase – U13, U14, Male and Female, entry fee $625. Senior Showcase – U15, U16, U17, Male and Female, entry fee $775.

August 11 – 12: Heart of York Summer Classic Where: Newmarket S.C. 611 Steven Court, Unit 4, Newmarket, ON, L3Y 6Z3 Contact: Lucille Abate Tel: (905) 836-8761 Fax: (905) 836-9473 Email: president@newmarketsoccer.com Website: www.newmarketsoccer.com Additional Information: North American boys and girls mini U9 and U10, competitive club teams U8 – U18, entry deadline July 6 2012, 170 teams expected, entry fee $395.

August 17 - 19: Disney’s Pre-Season Soccer Kick Off Where: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Contact: Michael LeBlanc in Canada Tel: (416) 364-3775 ext. 4217 Email: Michael.leblanc@merit.ca Website: www.espnwwos.disney.go.com/ events/soccer/pre-season-soccer-kick-off Additional Information: Disney’s Soccer Showcase Qualifier maybe your ticket to the Proving Ground. The top two finishers in each age group at the Qualifier will earn an automatic berth into Disney’s Soccer

Showcase (U15-U18) in December, and the winners will be guaranteed a spot in the top flight. All Disney Soccer Tournaments Include: Professionally maintained fields, Minimum 3-game guarantee, certified referees, athletic trainers on-site, ice water at each field, game balls, awards presented to 1st-4th place teams for Groups of 7 or more teams, 1st & 2nd for groups of 6 or fewer teams.

August 18 – 19: 26th Annual Thornhill Challenge Cup Where: 2400 John St., Thornhill, ON L3T 6G6 Contact: Herb Schranz or Mike Kehoe Tel: (905) 881-8599 Fax: (905) 881-1836 Email: herb_schranz@lycos.com Website: www.thornhillsoccer.com Additional Information: Inter-district Mini boys and girls 08 (festival format) and 09 – U10, Inter-Provincial boys and girls U11 – U18, and recreational/competitive teams men and women U21, open, entry deadline July 31, 175 teams expected.

August 31 – September 3: 35th Annual International of Soccer Jean-Yves Phaneuf of Granby Tournament Where: 433 St-Hubert, Granby, Quebec J2G 5P1 Contact: Jean-Yves (Johnny) Phaneuf Tel: day or evening: (450) 372-0914 Fax: (450) 777-6072 Email: arsrycos@granby.net Website: www.granbyinternationalsoccer.com Additional Information: level A, AA, AAA, regional, inter-regional, provincial teams (L.S.E.Q.) and Regional Select teams (F.S.Q), boys and girls U12-U16, best soccer event in the Province of Quebec, team registration on Friday night September 3rd at the

Envolee School, entry deadline August 1.

September 7 – 9: St. Catharines Grape & Wine Youth Cup Where: Concord Soccer Club, 16 Melbourne St., St. Catharines, ON L2P 3J8 Tel: (905) 988-5682 Fax: (905) 988-9879 Email: concordsoccerclub@bellnet.ca Website: www.concordsoccerclub.ca Additional Information: Inter-District Boys U11 – U17 North American competitive and recreational boys U11-U17, entry deadline August 15, 150 teams expected, entry fee $350.

September 14 – 16: Richmond Hill Challenge Cup Where: Richmond Hill S.C., 10660 Y onge St., P.O. Box 30553, Richmond Hill, ON L4C OC9 Contact: Jan Cass Tel: (905) 883-4990, ext 114 Fax: (905) 883-4141 Email: jan@richmondhillsoccer.com Website: www.richmondhillsoccer.com Additional Information: Inter-District mini boys and girls U8, U9, U10, North American competitive U9-18, entry deadline August 24, 150 teams expected, entry fee $375.

September 22 – 23: Woodbridge Classic Where: Woodbridge Soccer Club, 7401 Martingrove Rd. Woodbridge, Ontario, L4L 8V3 Contact: Frank Scarlata, Tournament Chair – Pino Sacco Tel: (905) 851-4496 Fax: (905) 851 6761 Email: wstrickers@bellnet.ca Website: www.strikers.com Additional Information: Inter-district boys and girls U9 – U10, Competitive U11 – U 18, entry fee $350 - $375, entry deadline September 1, teams guaranteed 3 high quality games.

InsideSOCCER 63

UPCOMING SOCCER CAMPS Ajax FC Summer Camps Address: Ajax FC - 77 Centennial Rd, Ajax, L1S 4S4 When: July 3 – August 7, 2012 Contact: Jason Pearson - Scheduler, Ajax FC Tel: (905)683-0740 Fax: (905)683-7197 Email: scheduler@ajaxsoccerclub.ca Website: www.ajaxfc.ca Power Soccer School of Excellence Winter, Spring & Summer Address: Power Soccer Academy, 2763 Teak Cres., Oakville ON L6J 7M6 Contact: Liam Power – Academy Director Tel: (905) 829-0562 Fax: (905) 829-9509 Email: liam@powersoccer.ca Website: www.powersoccer.ca Additional Information: Training venues: Upper Canada College, Crescent School; Bob Rumball Centre (Toronto), Toronto City Sports Centre Dome, Marshall McLuhan H.S. (Toronto), St. Patrick’s H.S. (Toronto), Carruther’s Creek Soccer Centre (Ajax), Lambton Kingsway Jr. Middle School (Etobicoke) Age Groups range from 4 to­15 years of age Power Soccer Elite Player Clinic: Summer Camps Address: Power Soccer Academy, 2763 Teak Cres., Oakville ON L6J 7M6 When: July 2012 Contact: Liam Power – Academy Director Tel: (905) 829-0562 Fax: (905) 829-9509 Email: liam@powersoccer.ca Website: www.powersoccer.ca Additional Information: Training Venue: Crescent School (Toronto). Age groups range from: 7-15 years of age.

Power Player Academy Team Program (by invitation) Address: Power Soccer Academy, 2763 Teak Cres., Oakville ON L6J 7M6 Contact: Liam Power – Academy Director Tel: (905) 829-0562 Fax: (905) 829-9509 Email: liam@powersoccer.ca Website: www.powersoccer.ca Additional Information: Sunderland AFC Youth Academy Official Link February – December, 2012 (10 month training) Teams Ranging from U8–U15, U7 Introductory Academy. Professional training in a team program. Training Venues: GTA.

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64 July/August 2012

anb futbol keeping the game beautiful.

Inception: October, 2005 Team Programs: U-7 to U-21, Full year round academy training Training Programs: Level one, Level two & Futbolito Players: 150 Full time academy players & 250 training programs players Coaches: 14 Licensed coaches including GK specialized Coach, 2 Support coaches, 6 Apprenticeship coaches Managers: 6 Team Program Managers Athletic Therapy: 2 Specialized Athletic Therapists Training Grounds: The Country Day School, home of The ANB Academy Facilities: 5 Full side Grass Fields, 2 Junior Size Fields, 2 Mini Size Fields, 1 Full Size Polytan Outdoor Turf 1 Indoor Polytan Turfed Dome, 3 Indoor Double Gyms and 1 ANB Club House.

Vision: To be Canada’s leading futbol development company Mission: To identify Canadian futbol talent and to maximize players' potential through advanced training methods.

developing competence, confidence and character on and off the futbol pitch.

www.anbfutbol.com telephone 905.313.8661

ANB Academy Futbol at The Country Day School, 13415 Dufferin Street, King City, ON L7B 1K5 For postal mailing: 23 Trish Drive, Richmond Hill, ON L4E 5C5

Raising Money?

Boston Pizza can help.

When it comes to raising dough for your team, we’ve got a recipe for success: 1. Bring all your friends, coworkers and family to Boston Pizza.

2. Earn a percentage of sales on all receipts you collect to go towards your team.

-ORSchedule a fundraising night and receive partial proceeds from ticket sales.

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Have a blast!

Contact Brenda Smith at 905.361.5090 or by emailing smithb@bostonpizza.com for more information or to schedule your fundraising event.

Registered trademark of Boston Pizza Royalties Limited Partnership, used under license. Š Boston Pizza International Inc. 2012.