Let's get this out of the way first: I am a happy Toronto FC season ticket holder. I am happy to have professional soccer in our beautiful, big city.
However, for me the future of TFC promises more of the past when it comes to Toronto sports franchises - no proper commitment to winning - not like in Montreal - where either people seem to think differently or organizations are set up better for winning.
I just read a Montreal Gazette interview with Montreal Impact owner Joey Saputo in which Saputo reveals his greatest fear and the secret behind the success of his franchise:
"Greatest fear?...Not being successful at what I do. I like to go into everything knowing that I'm going to succeed. My biggest fear is thinking it's not going to happen..."
I just don't imagine anybody at Toronto FC being capable of making such a statement.
And of course we all know that it's Saputo's Impact that's in the Champions League and not Richard Peddie's or (fill-in the blank's) TFC.
Unless TFC changes something - it's organizational structure or it's leadership - I expect that trend to continue into the future: Montreal will win more than Toronto.
And I'll still be a TFC fan - just not has happy as I could be.
Because we all know that winning is beautiful.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Poor Pitches, Poor Preparation, Poor Results
Canadian National Team head coach Dale Mitchell made a lot of noise about the pitch at BMO Field in Toronto prior to and after their 1-1 World Cup Qualifying draw with Jamaica - but he ended up with a worse pitch in Montreal and a worse result.
The Canadian Press reported, "It was an entertaining game with chances at both ends despite a bumby pitch torn up with divots after a day of heavy rain."
The Canadian Press reported, "It was an entertaining game with chances at both ends despite a bumby pitch torn up with divots after a day of heavy rain."
But it's the worst looking pitch I've ever seen for a major match in Canada.
It was truly amateur.
But the pitch in the end didn't favour one team over another. Certainly not ast much as an artifical pitch would have favoured Canada. Why doesn't Canada use BMO Field as an advantage?
Probably because they are generally not sophisticated in many areas of managing a successful national team.
Apart from pitch selection - another area they are woeful in is the politics of referee selection.
How on earth is a Costa Rican referee considered a "neutral" when Honduras is playing? Canada should fight this.
It was truly amateur.
But the pitch in the end didn't favour one team over another. Certainly not ast much as an artifical pitch would have favoured Canada. Why doesn't Canada use BMO Field as an advantage?
Probably because they are generally not sophisticated in many areas of managing a successful national team.
Apart from pitch selection - another area they are woeful in is the politics of referee selection.
How on earth is a Costa Rican referee considered a "neutral" when Honduras is playing? Canada should fight this.
In football the idea of "neutrality" is most dependent not on actual bias - or cheating on the part of the referee - but on style of play. And sure enough we saw a Latin American style match played in Montreal which saw Radzinski stretchered off and Patrice Bernier sent off.
Here's what Bernier thought of the refereeing:
"The second one was a foul, but there's no way it was a yellow card...the Central American referees are going to be even worse when we play down there."
How can we be so naive? Will CONCACAF consider it neutral to have a Costa Rican in charge in Honduras as well?
True neutrality in refereeing would see us bring in referees from the other federations.
And speaking of naive, let's not even speak of Canada's tactics, or mental preparation. Sure we play better football now (thank goodness, finally) but that's only because Europe is producing our players for us now. Where we broke down was on the tactical level; we fell apart when Honduras forced us to play their game. Where was our adjustment? Where was our cleverness? Where was our will to win?
I do think Honduras were full value for their win.
But we too easily allowed them to play the kind of game they wanted.
I honestly believe that Canada - now that they have talent being produced for them by Europe - have a very easy answer under their noses to qualify for the World Cup - they need to hire an experienced, successful - and - expensive coach.
But that money and the effort it will take to make the decision will be far easier than the over-rated notion of a grass-roots revolution in Canadian soccer.
And speaking of naive, let's not even speak of Canada's tactics, or mental preparation. Sure we play better football now (thank goodness, finally) but that's only because Europe is producing our players for us now. Where we broke down was on the tactical level; we fell apart when Honduras forced us to play their game. Where was our adjustment? Where was our cleverness? Where was our will to win?
I do think Honduras were full value for their win.
But we too easily allowed them to play the kind of game they wanted.
I honestly believe that Canada - now that they have talent being produced for them by Europe - have a very easy answer under their noses to qualify for the World Cup - they need to hire an experienced, successful - and - expensive coach.
But that money and the effort it will take to make the decision will be far easier than the over-rated notion of a grass-roots revolution in Canadian soccer.
*
Getting into a World Cup is now even easier than we think. Only problem is that we are not "thinking" to well as a organization - still.
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