Welcome to the TTP community

Be apart of something great, join today!

Canada 3 Swiss 1

Regs

Staff member
Total Bastard
Jun 28, 2001
32,114
18,837
Tokens
16,187
Dirty Money
55,668
Not sure what this means but that's the score I just read.

Radzinski with 2 and Poodleboy with the other one.

First game back and Radzinski hammers in 2. Impressive.

~TB.
 

sensei_hanson

New Member
Jun 29, 2001
1,549
7
Tokens
0
Dirty Money
100
Pride, mostly.

Although I doubt the Swiss have any after getting handled by a nation battling Congo to get into FIFA's top 70.

Radzinski never should have suited up for Canada. If he kept his Polish heritage, he could have been lining up for a WC team this summer. Although the attraction of playing alongside the Bremen Wunderpoodle can never be questioned.

I doubt this result will be taken seriously by anybody other than Osiek.
 

Dude

Lifetime Better Bastard
Jul 23, 2001
16,735
4,590
Tokens
15,679
Dirty Money
1,957
How sad...I didn't even know this was happening- and I TRY to follow our National team.

Thank God for TTP.:rolleyes:

Where'd the Swiss end up in today's FIFA rankings? Good to see Radzinski back, but too little, too late.
 

djones

Well-Known Member
Jul 20, 2001
1,167
848
Tokens
1,358
Dirty Money
100
Playing Friendlies over in Europe

Since most of Canada's best players are playing in Europe, having Canada play its friendlies over there is an excellent idea. It also will give exposure to the ones that aren't playing over there (Jeff Clarke). They really should find a way of broadcasting the game over here (Fox Sports World?). They did it when Canada played Northern Ireland a few years ago in Ireland.

The next bright move by the CSA would be to have a head office in Switzerland where young players heading to Europe (like Sulentic) are stationed and sent to clubs around the continent until they sign or a specific time expires. Having them go to one team and then head home is a huge mistake.

It could be run like this:

Have the player head to a team (ex. NK Zagreb) and contact the office about how their trial is progressing. This action plan of "NK Zagreb or bust" make no sense and appears be no real or an intelligent plan in place. Do they really have to play in that country or for that specific team?

If things don't work out, have the player contact the office and either goes to the next team or head to the office by train until the next trial is set up.

The office becomes an agent and is a contact between player and club.

This isn't a novel idea. Australia has (had) this set up and helped Viduka and Kewell among many Aussies in their quest for professional football in Europe.

At least the CSA can keep track of the players who are making the sacrifice of leaving home and attempting to play in Europe and not finding out through the grapevine on message boards or internet communities about these players (Mark Rogers wasn't even a thought to the CSA until mentioned on TTP. Coincidence?).
 

sensei_hanson

New Member
Jun 29, 2001
1,549
7
Tokens
0
Dirty Money
100
Jonesy,

Some points:

1) As soon as the CSA begins acting as an "agent" for Canadian players looking to land overseas, you've got problems. They'll go and fcuk it up by demanding a percentage of any possible contract a Canadian kid signs. Then they'll be looking for compensation from the club in question for taking a Canadian kid. Either or. They're not going to set up a satellite in Europe for the benefit of the players - unless there is some serious cash to be made from the deal, the CSA isn't going to have a hand in it.

2) A guy like Sulentic can probably benefit from doing an independent search for a club overseas. He's probably got more connections within the Croatian community to NK Zagreb than the entire CSA has in Croatia. I mean, other than possibly Holger Osiek, what high-ranking Canadian soccer official has good standing with the international (or, in this case, European) soccer world? Canada as a soccer nation is ususally regarded as an afterthought - why would the captains in charge of that sinking ship be seen any differently?

3) The deal with Australia is entirely different. Their players can make a difference on the world scene. Australia on the whole is miles ahead of Canada. They groom good young players who can make an impact on some of Europe's top leagues - Viduka, Kewell, etc. - while Canada produces a diamond in the rough every now and again, but rarely do these 'diamonds' make a significant enough impact to garner a closer look at the country they came from.

I do agree that the current way that Canadians land deals overseas is idiotic at best. Several times players are landing deals that the national body doesn't even pick up on (Sparky, like you mentioned). But given the few Canadians who actually land deals, and the likely low-dollar amounts of the deals they get, it won't be seen as a cash-cow for the CSA. They'd be wise to step-up grassroots initiatives to raise the level of players locally, try to produce a good product and then ship it out.
 

djones

Well-Known Member
Jul 20, 2001
1,167
848
Tokens
1,358
Dirty Money
100
I agree somewhat with your first and last points (you're right, the knobs at the CSA will find a way of mucking it up, won't they) but the rest I beg to differ.

If the Croatian community has all these connections than why do they let him come home after his only trial is over when he's good enough to catch on overseas somewhere else with another team - in another country? I would have thought that they would do everything for this kid to make it over there because he represent their community to the public. I hope I'm wrong because he's one of the only young kids that has come into our league, established himself amoungst the old farts, and can make an impact for his team during the season.

It a true sign that this league is in trouble. The other leagues (FVSL, VISL, PCSL) aren't getting better - the VMSL is getting older, slower and poorer in quality and $$$$. No disrespect to anyone involved but I'm not the only one who see it that way! The development at the younger levels has gotten poorer and it shows in our higher level leagues including all Lower Mainland leagues. If a 39 year old can still play and make an impact for the repeating BC Champs than somethings not right on the Island either. :(

(On a side note, I wonder if the low attendance at Whitecaps games has any connection to Johnny being away and the Croatian community not going to games anymore. Me think so! ;))

As far as Aussie players making a difference on the world scene, when the first wave of players started in Europe in this satellite network they were ranked lower than Canada and only just knocked Canada out of the World Cup on PK's before being bounced by Argentina (remember that silly set up FIFA had). When Viduka, Kewell and earlier players like Vidmar and Slater (played in the Premier League with Blackburn, I think) first went to Europe they were not anything special. Kewell may have shown potential as a young trialist with Leeds but Viduka and such had to start at lesser-known clubs in Europe in places like Austria and Switzerland. Viduka got started with a club in the new formed Croatian League and if you look at the track records of most of the older Aussies who where the first to use this satellite office they weren't well know players like they are today.

I really think it's the right idea but maybe the CSA will have to contract out that position to someone with more experience and legal knowledge behind them. Could be your calling, Sensei. Isn't that what your going to school to become?;)

Now that Regs is retiring maybe he'll have the time!
:rolleyes:
 

sensei_hanson

New Member
Jun 29, 2001
1,549
7
Tokens
0
Dirty Money
100
I still believe that the Australian Football Association has a far superior grassroots system in place and thus produces far better players than Canada does. They invest a lot of money into their sporting programs - this allows them to run a successful domestic soccer league and very competitive national soccer programs, two things Canada is sorely lacking. To not have a national soccer league in place is a joke. I can't even think of a decent footballing nation that doesn't have a proper domestic league in place. Shite, even though the MLS is losing big at the gates, you can't argue that it hasn't improved the US National Team by leaps and bounds.

You have to start with the basics. Before you begin setting up a satellite system in Europe, you have to produce product that will appeal to European clubs. Some of your last reply dealt with the decline in the development of players at the younger level. So we ignore this problem and look forward to landing them contracts in Europe? That's putting the cart before the horse, IMO.

How many Canadian kids have the essential knowledge and skills necessary to compete for a spot in Europe? Only the exeptionally gifted few, ones with the natual ability that takes them much further than the coaching they've recieved through their youth.
 

djones

Well-Known Member
Jul 20, 2001
1,167
848
Tokens
1,358
Dirty Money
100
CSA Responsibilities, Provincial Associations Responsibilities

Excuse the babble and wandering of the following passage. My mind is mush lately but I think I make a point somewhere in this "dogs breakfast":

I don't think that the CSA should be responsibly for grassroots development that takes place in the cities and towns across Canada. That is the responsibilities of Provincial Associations like the BCSA and the districts that design. Because the BCSA and CSA have been inept in the past (as well as the present) I think we equate the two together too easily and believe that they are both shiiting the same bed - in fact they are shiiting two different beds. Development of our top prospects IS happening in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta but somehow we are missing the plot. That is the BCSA's responsibility .

What do you think should be the responsibility of the CSA and the BCSA as far as development of players?

I feel the CSA should be responsible for the National Programs, National teams, electing national coaches and staff, international affairs such as CONCACAF and FIFA, the bringing together of provincial associations and experts in the field of development from home and abroad in designing a blue print of how player development should work in Canada on a whole (like what the Canadian Hockey Association has done, Open Ice). They should also have a program or overseas office that's responsible for promotion of potential players playing abroad and help keeping them in Europe.

The responsibility of the BCSA for player development should be to train and develop players under Provincial Programs and select teams, provide adequate leagues for select players to play in, provide scholarship possibilities for graduating players out of youth soccer, help stop the massive exodus out of the sport by allowing players in youth to play for what ever team or district they want to and help to implement the blue print of player development that the Association designs with the experts from home and abroad to the local associations and clubs. I also think that they should push to change the season over to the summer months so that we can hopefully attract the athletes who decide to play hockey instead our sport. I also think it will help the Breakers and Whitecaps at the gate since they would be running in the same season. Then again, it hasn't help the Lynx in Toronto...

The actual grassroots development should be the responsibility of the districts and local associations that we sign our kids up for. Most aren't doing their job thanks to the attitude of local directors who know nothing about the game and these people go on to the boards of the BCSA.

As far as a comparison to the US and the MLS, I think the country needs a league but not in the traditional sense. I'm still unsure of what that is but I don't think it can be what it once was a la CSL. I think the CSA should try and strengthen the existing top leagues in each province and play a Championship tournament for the best teams in each league with larger provinces having more seeds like the Champions League. Instead of pumping all that money into a league and the collapse of teams sink it into major leagues in each provinces.

I don't think we have the patience to see a league rise from 1000 fans to 50 000 like it has in the rest of the world. That takes time (100 years or so) and most teams usually represented the people politically, socially or religiously. I don't see the Whitecaps or Breakers doing that.

On a side note, the Aussie Soccer Association knew that they couldn't follow the blue print of a soccer association that the British had and mimiced ours and the way the BCSA used to do things back in the good old days. They made a few changes to help progress their players and did sink some money into it and prospered while we (the BCSA) took steps to try and make things fair for all and actually went backwards as far as development goes. Only in the last couple of Olympics has the Aussies sunk more and more money into their Sports Federations and it has paid off!!!!!!!
 

sensei_hanson

New Member
Jun 29, 2001
1,549
7
Tokens
0
Dirty Money
100
Re: CSA Responsibilities, Provincial Associations Responsibilities

Originally posted by DJones
What do you think should be the responsibility of the CSA and the BCSA as far as development of players?

The CSA should take your satellite idea to a national level and have official, standardized CSA sites in every province to identify a variety of players. I don't see this as being too difficult.

It gives them some credibility, if nothing else. If every provincial capital had a CSA site/training facility there, it would be easier for each provincial body to reccommend players for the national program, and would allow the CSA on-site members to go out and watch these players first hand.

In essence, you would have some stability across the board. Each province would be getting a fair shake and methinks it would greatly improve the relationships between the CSA and the provincial bodies.

This also allows the CSA to get hands-on with the Provincial bodies, to ensure that they're going through the proper motions for player development. While I believe the provincial bodies should be of their own mind and power when it comes to decision making, the CSA should be on-hand to ensure that all are at least working towards a common goal.

Just a thought.
 

Members online

Your TTP Wallet

Tokens
0
Dirty Money
0
TTP Dollars
$0

Latest posts

Top