Is soccer really coming out of the wilderness in Canada? I had an argument with a guy at work that it was and becoming mainstream. He said it would never be so. Is it?
If you look at recent events, some would say yes.
If you ask anyone working with youth players today, the calibre is much better than it has ever been. Players are playing more frequently and are more educated about the game thanks to Soccer academies, developmental programs, better coaching, TV, and influences of the internet and soccer PC/Xbox/Playstation games that have made Ronaldinho a household name.
The sport now has 2 TV stations (Fox Sports World Canada and GolTV) totally dedicated to soccer. Both do a really good job of it. The shock of the Score out bidding Sportsnet for the rights to show the Premiership was... shocking! It was the first time, besides a World Cup event, that a soccer program was outbid rather than just picked up. It's a huge loss to Sportsnet!
Toronto FC, probably due more to good timing, is a big, big hit, importantly, in the centre of the universe. Thanks to the Leafs golfing, the Raptors exiting the big dance and the ridiculous Ricky Williams scandal involving the Argonauts, TFC games are very well attended and are getting tons of popular press. Their games are shown on both CBC and The Score (regular TV stations) and the poor play of soccer isn't being talked about... yet! They've got a new, appropriate sized stadium that is bouncing throughout each game. There's lots of singing and TFC have even been warned about the nature of fanaticism in the stadium. This, in Canada? You throw in the billionaire owners of both the Whitecaps and Impact who are lining up stadiums and MLS teams, you have, gulp, a dare say... a future in the sport?
We've got the U-20's just around the corner (no thanks to the poor advertising by CSA) that will almost undoubtly be sold out by kickoff time that will also spark off a level of excitement in the country. If Canada does extremely well - look out! Even the poor handling of the hiring of Dale Mitchell as MNT head coach is given a lot of press in major newspapers rather than on just of fabulous forum sites like this. The CSA is in real trouble because they are not only pissing off the soccer public, they're making good fodder for the press.
Speaking of press, we are seeing the fantastic highlights of the game rather than the negitive stuff like riots and death that was the only press soccer got in North America a few years back. For instance, The Score are doing their Score 64 " Greatest Highlight Ever" and it's down to the final two. Soccer was well represented throughout and did phenomenally well. The final two are Vince Carter's dunk in the Olympics over top of a 7ft centre and a remarkable goal from Roberto Carlos. At present, Carlos' goal is winning. Hockey did very poorly in the contest! In Canada?
Maybe it's all just the Beckham factor. Maybe it's just soccer coming out of the wilderness in this country.
If you look at recent events, some would say yes.
If you ask anyone working with youth players today, the calibre is much better than it has ever been. Players are playing more frequently and are more educated about the game thanks to Soccer academies, developmental programs, better coaching, TV, and influences of the internet and soccer PC/Xbox/Playstation games that have made Ronaldinho a household name.
The sport now has 2 TV stations (Fox Sports World Canada and GolTV) totally dedicated to soccer. Both do a really good job of it. The shock of the Score out bidding Sportsnet for the rights to show the Premiership was... shocking! It was the first time, besides a World Cup event, that a soccer program was outbid rather than just picked up. It's a huge loss to Sportsnet!
Toronto FC, probably due more to good timing, is a big, big hit, importantly, in the centre of the universe. Thanks to the Leafs golfing, the Raptors exiting the big dance and the ridiculous Ricky Williams scandal involving the Argonauts, TFC games are very well attended and are getting tons of popular press. Their games are shown on both CBC and The Score (regular TV stations) and the poor play of soccer isn't being talked about... yet! They've got a new, appropriate sized stadium that is bouncing throughout each game. There's lots of singing and TFC have even been warned about the nature of fanaticism in the stadium. This, in Canada? You throw in the billionaire owners of both the Whitecaps and Impact who are lining up stadiums and MLS teams, you have, gulp, a dare say... a future in the sport?
We've got the U-20's just around the corner (no thanks to the poor advertising by CSA) that will almost undoubtly be sold out by kickoff time that will also spark off a level of excitement in the country. If Canada does extremely well - look out! Even the poor handling of the hiring of Dale Mitchell as MNT head coach is given a lot of press in major newspapers rather than on just of fabulous forum sites like this. The CSA is in real trouble because they are not only pissing off the soccer public, they're making good fodder for the press.
Speaking of press, we are seeing the fantastic highlights of the game rather than the negitive stuff like riots and death that was the only press soccer got in North America a few years back. For instance, The Score are doing their Score 64 " Greatest Highlight Ever" and it's down to the final two. Soccer was well represented throughout and did phenomenally well. The final two are Vince Carter's dunk in the Olympics over top of a 7ft centre and a remarkable goal from Roberto Carlos. At present, Carlos' goal is winning. Hockey did very poorly in the contest! In Canada?
Maybe it's all just the Beckham factor. Maybe it's just soccer coming out of the wilderness in this country.
