Gian-Luca Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Here's the link. Canadian soccer fans are given a compliment & a shot in the article. Deserved? http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/2006/concacaf_p02.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redhat Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 quote:Originally posted by Gian-Luca Canadian soccer fans are given a compliment & a shot in the article. Deserved? Of course. Until the MNT performs to its potential, all we have to highlight are the GC 2000 and the 1986 WC. And a lot of what ifs. Right now that's good, as our team should surprise a few people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Yeah probably deserved. But I will say this. That is the best article about CONCACAF I've ever read and it might be the best preview of anything I've ever read. Very impressive. Good find, G-L can't wait to read more. cheers, matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nolando Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Great article- kudos to the author...My favourite line is, "In the round of 12 four years ago, Barbados found themselves in the Group of Death, with USA, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. This time, if they get by St. Kitts & Nevis, they'll be in the Group of Sitting Back in Your Armchair With Pretzels and a Coke While Watching Your Favorite Movie." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanKeay Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 I Think the guy is talking about me "Canadian fans are among the best in the world: they're dedicated, knowledgeable, cheerful, and absolutely convinced their players are as good as Brazil's. As far as they're concerned, their lads can win every time they take the field, and they know deep down that it won't be long before the maple leaf soars triumphantly over the great football globe." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free kick Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 The quote: "There are two Canadian soccer teams: the one that goes out on the field and the one that exists in the minds of their supporters. Canadian fans are among the best in the world: they're dedicated, knowledgeable, cheerful, and absolutely convinced their players are as good as Brazil's. As far as they're concerned, their lads can win every time they take the field, and they know deep down that it won't be long before the maple leaf soars triumphantly over the great football globe" Interesting article and thanks for that piece. I would agree with the writer's point that if you look at the canadian side on an individual basis, there are a couple of players that you reason to be optimism. But he is also correct that the results do not justify the optimistic. The results could be described as two or three steps backwards for every step forward; winning the 2000 GC was followed up with an earlier than usual exit from the WC where we scored 1 goal in six games and then followed that up with a Confed Cup performance where we, once again, failed to score in three games. Reaching the WC in 86 was followed up by four consecutive failed attempts to qualify for the WC finals. In recent friendlies, a victory and strong performance against a European middle power such as Switzerland was followed up by successive losses to other middle European sides such as Finland, Scotland, Estonia and Wales. So if your researching for this piece, you can't dismiss the results when drawing your conclusions. The point about the excessive optimism from the fans is a bit questionable IMO. The guy must have been reading a few internet forums without looking at the bigger picture. The facts is that outside of the one hundred or so people who post on this forum, the MNT side hasn't really hit the radar with the Canadian public at large. That could change with some strong performances in WCQ. But I didn't find it especially hard to get tickets for the game in Kingston. Nor have I heard anything about tickets for Edm game dissappearing quickly. And, I wouldn't say that the MNT and its players are household names in Canada. Therefore, I don't see how he can say "...and absolutely convinced their players are as good as Brazil's. As far as they're concerned, their lads can win every time they take the field, and they know deep down that it won't be long before the maple leaf soars triumphantly over the great football globe"". Also, even if that description was intended for this forum, who here thinks we are ready to challenge the top tier sides? Personally, I'd be be happy with just qualifying for the WC, earning at least one result in Germany and scoring a goal(s). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachesl Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 I don't think any Canadian supporter thinks "their players are as good as Brazil's", nor that we can "win every time we take the field". What Goldstein has done is confuse the Canadian supporters optimism about possible developments in boards like bigsoccer with the gee-whiz boosterism of the Americans, and the two are completely different. Nobody has said, for instance, that we WILL advance to the hex, like some fans from Guatemala and Honduras. We may be naive (more like hopeful) about our improving side, but we are seldom naive about possible results on the pitch. Goldstein does write about some 220 national sides, if one includes the FIFA associate countries, so he does a darn good job of analyzing the world scene. It would be impossible to be completely right about all countries. He paints a good picture of the forest, just don't expect him to have his trees perfect while examining the brush strokes under a magnifying glass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Does anyone know the reason that the smaller South American countries such as Surinam play in CONCACAF and not in the South American federation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free kick Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 quote:Originally posted by Grizzly Does anyone know the reason that the smaller South American countries such as Surinam play in CONCACAF and not in the South American federation? You could say the same about Guyana ( another non-spanish speaking country). I don't have the facts at hand to give you an answer. But I do recall, several years ago, this same question being raised on this forum. A respeonse given was that Conmebol did not want these sides within their confederation. Take that for what its worth but one can often sence a hint of elitism and snobbery regarding latin american futbol coming from that part of world. So that explanation offerred may have some merit. Just look at the sides from Concacaf that get invited to Copa America. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachesl Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Linguistically, culturally, and historically, the three "Guianas" (as they used to be known when i was a schoolkid) are really a part of the Carribean, not South America. Guyana's cricket players play on the West Indies side, I think. I think it is natural and appropriate that they are a part of CONCACAF, and thus I don't think it is due to CONEMBOL attitude. Does anyone know if there was an actual application to join CONEMBOL at any time? It is probably a non-issue in Guyana, Surniam and French Guiana. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 One would think that if FIFA were a properly run organization that followed its own rules that CONMEBOL would not be able to refuse a team from its region entry because they don't think they are good enough. I don't see why Guatemala should have to play Surinam just because Argentina or Peru think it is beneath them. That would be like Australia and New Zealand refusing to play the island teams in their conference. I can understand the reasoning (team and spectator safety) behind allowing Israel to play in UEFA instead of Asia but I don't see the advantage to CONCACAF in having these teams nor do I think it would hurt CONMEBOL to have a few more teams even if they are not top notch. Every federation has a few weak teams and Germany and Italy have to play Andorra and the Faroe Islands from time to time. To some extent the South American qualifying is the least interesting due to the lack of teams and variety in the ties. Are there any other examples of teams playing in the wrong conference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free kick Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Makes sence, but then what about Surinam? Its official language according to the official "CIA fact pages" is Dutch. Its also states that English is widely used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachesl Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Surniam was a former Dutch colony like Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, so it makes sense for them to be in CONCACAF. (Also Sint-Marten, an associate memebr of CONCACAF). French Guyana is of course francophone, but because it is an overseas department like Martinique and Guadeloupe, they are only associate members of FIFA because of the position of the French government. The French government has permitted other French overseas territories like Tahiti and New Caledonia to become full members, thus they can compete in WCQ. How about Greenland and Iceland? Both are geologically part of North America, but are in UEFA (Greenland is an associate member). Historically, culturally and linguistically, they are part of Europe. Guam is in the Oceania archipeligo, but was accepted by the Asian Football Confederation, and has participated in two WCQ's so far. Kazahkstan is in Central Asia, far east of the Urals which divide Asia from Europe. When they gained independence from the Soviet Union, they were in the Asian Federation for ten years. However, in 2002, they quit AFC and joined UEFA. Although the Kazahks are a Mongol-Turkaic and Islamic race with their own language, they feel more connection to Europe than Asia because of their Soviet past, and because of the large Russian minority which are largely successfully integrated in their society. They did this at the expense of reduced chances to qualify for the World Cup, because they never felt "part" of the Asian cultural or sports scene. Turkey has less than %5 of its territory in Europe, but have always aspired to be "European" (even if much of Europe wished they didn't), so are in UEFA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSoccerFan Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Does Greenland actually have a team??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachesl Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Yes, Greenland has a team. Although they usually just compete in indoor soccer or futsal, they have competed in several "World Island Games in outdoor soccer. see: http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/islandgames.html http://www.greenland.com/forum/guestbook/216.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Great Pics Seanio. In the top one while most of you are celebrating for the camera, it looks like Mirza is scoping out some chick. In the second one...damn, I do look like a nutter. (That must be our reaction to the goal against Costa Rica.) And yeah, that's an awesome Concacaf summary. Blair quote:Originally posted by SeanKeay I Think the guy is talking about me "Canadian fans are among the best in the world: they're dedicated, knowledgeable, cheerful, and absolutely convinced their players are as good as Brazil's. As far as they're concerned, their lads can win every time they take the field, and they know deep down that it won't be long before the maple leaf soars triumphantly over the great football globe." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gian-Luca Posted June 2, 2004 Author Share Posted June 2, 2004 I think the 2nd photo is a reaction to the final whistle, because I can see myself in it, between Sean's Hat and your arm. I was standing at the edge of the group prior to the goal but jumped into the middle to join the mosh-pit celebration when Stalteri scored. It's a pity that Tony never crowd-surfed like he promised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free kick Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 quote:Originally posted by Gian-Luca I think the 2nd photo is a reaction to the final whistle, because I can see myself in it, between Sean's Hat and your arm. I was standing at the edge of the group prior to the goal but jumped into the middle to join the mosh-pit celebration when Stalteri scored. It's a pity that Tony never crowd-surfed like he promised. But we were right at the rail [V]. Not a ideal place to crowd surf is it? Unless I want to return to TO by air... and in a box [:0] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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