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National Team Players

kurgan

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Canada's Forrest in Testicular Cancer Operation

October 12, 2001

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Goalkeeper Craig Forrest, 34, has had surgery for suspected testicular cancer, the Canadian Soccer Association said Friday.


Forrest, who is reserve keeper for English premier league side West Ham United, is due to have further tests next week, but told national team officials that he was optimistic.


"I am very confident and optimistic it will be okay, though it is possible that even if the scan comes up negative I will still have to have some treatment as a precaution," Forrest said.


West Ham manager Glenn Roeder told the club's official Web site his thoughts were with the player and his family.


"It was a shock to everybody, not just myself but the staff and the players, to hear that Craig needed this operation for suspected testicular cancer," he said.


"When I sat the players down to explain to them that Craig was going in for this operation most of them didn't know, and all their thoughts are with him."
 

kurgan

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Indo a pick-up team?

No. 1 'keeper Craig Forrest had surgery last week to have a testicle removed because of a tumour and is awaiting further test results to determine possible cancer. Former Olympic team starter Mike Franks is out the rest of the year after breaking his arm in a pickup game .
He was playing for Indo in the Burnaby tournament wasn't he?
 

Regs

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It gets better

Apparently not with the most recent 'news' article. Who exactly pushes this information out?
With No. 3 Mike Franks currently sidelined after breaking an arm in training, Osieck is hurting in goal with the Gold Cup looming in January.

~TB.
 

Skytrain

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Re: Indo a pick-up team?

He was playing for Indo in the Burnaby tournament wasn't he? [/B]

Don't know if this is the same guy, but Indo did play PoCo in the Burnaby Tourny and in that same game the keeper did break his arm in a challenge in the air at the top of the box. He was a tall white guy, not from Indo regular squad.
 

Hands of Stone

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HOS is Available

What number am I on Holgers list.:(

Will make room now for the few good young keepers in the System to get a shot at some game time behind Onstad.

Where is he playing?

HOS:eek:
 

Ballbaby

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HOS.........

HOS,

The reason you are not playing on the national team is because you deposited some of your DNA in my soapdish and blew my blowdryer to smitherines. I immediately made a call and your national future was finito. They already have enough DNA depositing players on the team. I hope you understand.

You live by the sword, you die by the sword.:D
 

Ballbaby

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HOS,

I would also like to add that your performance aginst Taunton in England was one of the best I've seen from a keeper. You were on fire. Too bad, professional contracts were looming, but no, you had to be a wank! :D

I can open the doors for you if you buy me a new bar of Ivory. OK?
 

Jinky

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German Hanky Panky

HEARTS today insisted they had done nothing wrong concerning the summer transfer of Kevin McKenna after it emerged the Canadian’s move from Energie Cottbus is at the centre of a fraud probe involving the German club.
The 21-year-old internationalist turned his back on the Bundesliga to join the Jambos in a £300,000 deal in July. However, it has been claimed in a German newspaper that Cottbus officially recorded the fee as £200,000, prompting eyebrows to be raised as to where the rest of the money went. According to the BILD newspaper, the original press release from the club states that the "full net cost of the transfer is DM1.8m".
There is no suggestion whatsoever that the Gorgie outfit has acted with any impropriety and club spokesman Douglas Dalgleish said today: "We have had on our website since the outset that the fee involved in the transfer of Kevin McKenna from Energie Cottbus was £300,000. "To date, we have performed in accordance with the contract at this end. "However, it would not be appropriate for us to pass comment on the dealings of another football club." It is believed that the missing £100,000 was pocketed by the player’s agent Willi Hoopen with the full knowledge of Energie Cottbus.
"Cottbus had to sell McKenna and guarantee a transfer fee of £200,000 so that when Hearts paid more it would mean a profit for me," said Hoopen, who is a partner in Morena Soccer, a Peruvian agency based in Lima. For weeks there have been suspicions that Cottbus, currently lying 13th in the league, had been channelling funds from player transfers into secret accounts. And yesterday 40 police officers and state prosecutors swooped on the club, as well as the homes of president Dieter Krein and chief executive Klaus Stabach. All transfer contracts dating back to 1997 were seized, along with computer files, and the club’s bankers were also interviewed.
Lord procurator fiscal Petra Hertwid refused to go into detail but confirmed: "We are investigating. We have reason to suspect the club of illegal business activities."
 

Jinky

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St Johnstone midfielder Nick Dasovic has become the latest player to leave McDiarmid Park after being told his contract will not be renewed.

The Canadian international is one of the Perth side's longest-serving players after spending six years at the club who now look certain to be playing in the Scottish First Division next season.

Willie Falconer, Rachid Djebaili, Benito Kemble and Paul Kane have already left the club within the last week and they will be joined by the midfielder.

He told the Dundee Courier: "Physically, I still feel as if there's something left in me but the manager's decided to rebuild the team around youth and people still under contract. I respect that decision."
 

Keeper

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Unfortunate ending . . .

Craig Forrest announces his retirement

(Jul 25) (CP) - Canadian star goalkeeper Craig Forrest, whose career was derailed by testicular cancer last fall, has been forced to retire from soccer.

While the 34-year-old Forrest can celebrate beating cancer, the disease took its toll. Doctors have told him he will no longer be able to recapture the fitness level of an elite athlete.

``I see it as a new beginning but it's very sad as well,'' a subdued Forrest said Thursday from his home near Ipswich in England. ``Football is what I've known and enjoyed doing. . . . It's been a wonderful life. It certainly hasn't really hit home yet.

``I've certainly known for a while that this might be what happens but when it actually comes right down to it, it's difficult to take. But it's the reality of sports, you have to do that sooner or later.''

For Forrest, it means cutting short a career in its prime. Goalkeepers enjoy long careers in soccer, as shown by England and Arsenal 'keeper David Seaman who is four years older than Forrest.

When healthy, the six-foot-five Forrest was dominant - a talismanic figure who could keep Canada in the game.

``The best goalie Canada's ever had,'' said fellow 'keeper Pat Onstad, whose resume includes 34 appearances and 15 shutouts for Canada.

``Craig's shown he's got more than enough ability to keep playing until probably well into his 40s. He's a fantastic goalie. It's just sad his career had to end so early.''

Forrest also blazed a trail for other Canadian players in the modern era, spending some 18 years overseas.

``The biggest satisfaction that I've had in the game is basically just being a boy from Vancouver and coming over to England and playing arguably in the best league in the world,'' he said.

Forrest, who played professionally in England for West Ham and Ipswich Town, set the standard for Canadian goalkeepers with a record 56 appearances and 19 shutouts.

``He definitely had international class, I can clearly say that,'' head coach Holger Osieck said from St. John's, Nfld.

Forrest made his national team debut on May 25, 1988, in a 1-0 win over Chile. His final outing for Canada was a 2-0 loss to Cameroon on June 4, 2001, at the Confederations Cup in Japan. That defeat came two days after a brilliant performance in a 0-0 tie with world No. 2 Brazil.

At a tournament where Canada was a soccer minnow, Forrest was swarmed by reporters from around the world when he emerged from the dressing room after the Brazil game.

``Craig Forrest is in a different class,'' Osieck said at the time.

Forrest can look back at a career filled with the highs and lows of soccer at the highest level, from playing before a full house at Manchester United's Old Trafford or Mexico's Azteca Stadium to enduring hostile crowds in Central America while wearing the Maple Leaf.

Wherever he played, Forrest made his team better.

``It gives you so much confidence as a player, as a defender especially, knowing you have such a solid goalkeeper behind you,'' Canadian captain Jason deVos said from England.

A big man, Forrest moved with elegance and grace as he patrolled the penalty box.

``For a guy that's six foot five, he's always been extraordinarily quick and an excellent shot-stopper,'' Onstad said from Rochester, N.Y. ``He's the best shot-stopper I've ever trained with or seen firsthand.

``Canadians will never forget his run at the Gold Cup. For those three weeks, he was probably the world's No. 1 goalkeeper.''

Forrest allowed only three goals in five games at the Gold Cup and stopped two penalty shots, including one in the final. He was voted MVP, most outstanding player and a tournament all-star as Canada defeated Colombia to win the CONCACAF championship.

``The stuff of legends,'' said deVos. ``He made some incredible saves.''

Even Forrest was surprised by the team's success.

``I didn't honestly think deep down we could possibly achieve something on that level, certainly not in the short-term.''

There were other successes, albeit at a lesser scale. Forrest was on duty when Canada tied Brazil 1-1 in a memorable 1994 exhibition game in Edmonton.

If Canada did well, chances are the big guy was in goal.

And in an era where a player like Owen Hargreaves chose England over Canada, Forrest was 100 per cent Canadian.

``I've never wanted to play for anyone else,'' he said.

But since the cancer, Forrest said he felt sluggish and his reflexes weren't quite as sharp.

``I know it would frustrate me if I felt I honestly couldn't get back to the form I was in,'' he said.

Away from the field, Forrest roomed with five-foot-eight forward Paul Peschisolido, forming an unlikely looking Mutt and Jeff duo.

He was a leader on the team, offering advice to younger players on contract and other matters. Forrest was probably also a ringleader on some of the squad's more entertaining escapades off the pitch.

His retirement opens the way for Edmonton's Lars Hirschfeld, currently a reserve with Tottenham in England, to take over as national team No. 1. Hirschfeld, 23, was named top goalkeeper at the 2002 Gold Cup, where Canada placed third.

``First of all Lars has to grow into Craig's shoes,'' said Osieck. ``He has shown already there is a great deal of potential. Now he has to prove he can do it permanently, under high pressure.''

Forrest joined Ipswich as an apprentice in 1985. He went on to make more than 300 appearances for the club before joining West Ham in 1997 after a short spell on loan at Chelsea.

He won the starting job from Ludek Miklosko at West Ham but returned to backup duty through injury and the club's decision to sign Shaka Hislop. The Hammers subsequently installed David James as their No. 1 'keeper, opting not to offer Forrest or Hislop new contracts after their deals expired at the end of last season.

The giant Canadian was not happy at that treatment, saying at the time he felt he was owed a chance to resume his career.

But there were only kind words Thursday as West Ham paid tribute to Forrest's contributions.

``Craig was a popular figure with the players, management and staff at the club and will be greatly missed,'' Paul Aldridge, West Ham's managing director, was quoted on the team's official Web site.

Injuries were a concern in recent years. In 2000, he need two sets of surgery to repair abdominal muscle problems.

West Ham will honour Forrest in a testimonial game some time in the future, possibly against Ipswich.

Forrest served as a TV analyst for TSN during the recent World Cup and says he would like to continue working in the media. He plans to return to Canada down the line.
 

Yankee

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That's very sad news. He was an exceptional goalkeeper - easily the best Canada has produced. I truly do feel very bad for Canadian soccer fans.
 

sensei_hanson

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You'd need to take off your shoes to count how many times Forrest kept his woeful national side in matches they had no business being in.

The 1994 WC qualifier against Australia, where he basically kept Canada alive for as long as humanly possible. Forrest being the only difference between a shootout loss and a five-goal drubbing at the hands of the Socceroos.

His play in the Gold Cup championship will probably go down as the finest Canadian soccer performance on a national stage.

That or Bobby Lenarduzzi coming really close to scoring a goal in '86.

You be the judge. Anyways, awful way to have to go out. Maybe the Whitecaps can sign him on. Maybe not.

-Sensei.
 

Regs

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Two players are making their first appearances with the World Cup team. Defender Kevin Harmse (Vancouver's ICSF Inter) was part of the Canadian Men's Youth (U-20) Team which successfully qualified for the upcoming FIFA World Youth Championships in March/April in the UAE. The other new addition is defender Marco Reda, who recently re-signed with Norwegian side Sogndal. Reda is a former member of the Toronto Lynx and the Canadian Olympic Team.
Interesting that Holger is now allowing non-europe based players play on the team... more interesting I suppose that it isn't even a pro player! :D

I've seen him play once and that was against Peg just before Christmas. Didn't really stand out but it's good to see that perhaps the CSA is starting to look at all possible players.

Anyone think that Ollie should also get a look? Personally I think he is easily the top VMSL player...

Cheers,

~Regs.
 

Captain Shamrock

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Bastard......

Anyone think that Ollie should also get a look? Personally I think he is easily the top VMSL player


You told me I was at the last practice. Oh, sorry, you weren't there. It must have been someone else. My mistake. Carry on.
 

Regs

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Just bumping this back up...

Zaurrini & Jimmy, what do you guys think of your teammates fortunes? Deserved?

Cheers,

~Regs.
 

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