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GTA shut out of soccer games


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GTA shut out of soccer games

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/Canada/2004/06/17/503284.html

By STEVE BUFFERY -- Toronto Sun

The national men's soccer team will play three more games in Canada this summer now that the side has moved on to the next round of World Cup qualifying.

However, it's almost certain that none of those CONCACAF semi-final games will be played in Toronto, or in the GTA.

Canadian Soccer Association officials have awarded one home game to Edmonton, and Burnaby, B.C. will likely host another. The third, yet to be announced, will almost certainly be played out west.

Why not Toronto? Well, for one thing, there is not a decent pitch. For another, fans attending national team games in Toronto tend to cheer for the visiting team. And Canadian head coach Frank Yallop has had enough of that.

"It's up to me now to pick venues with the (CSA) board that's going to be pro-Canadian and I'm determined to do that," said Yallop.

This Canadian team has been injected with a lot of youthful talent and enthusiasm, with the likes of Iain Hume, 20, Atiba Hutchinson, 21, Julian de Guzman, 23, and Dwayne de Rosario, 26. All four are from the Toronto area and would have loved to have played in front of friends and family.

De Rosario, a graduate of Scarborough's Winston Churchill Collegiate, plays for San Jose Earthquakes of the MLS and will likely join the other three national team stars on a major European team after his contract expires next year.

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I think it's unfair at this point to label the GTA as unfriendly to the Canadian Men's national team. Certainly you wouldn't think so by the last game played here versus T&T. The sold out Varsity crowd was VERY pro Canadian.

The problem is, there's just no where to play.

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How about that third game in Montreal? Personally, I would like to see the Edmonton game as late as possible (October?). Costa Rica would draw well in Commonwealth so leave the other two for Swangard and Claude Robillard.

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quote:Originally posted by Joe05

I think the quality of the pitch should be one of the most important factors. What is the pitch like in Burnaby?

The pitch at Swangard used to be one of the best in Canada according to the players who played on it.I don't think it is as good as it once was but it is better than Kingston.This year the Whitecaps complained about the grass being too long.I hope that the CSA would ask that the grass be kept short.

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Yallop's comments fly in the face of the CSA's move to get a "National team" stadium in Toronto. What is the bloody point of bringing a stadium to the city if the head coach decided to avoid it like the plague?

Unfortunately Yallop probably has no knowledge of the pro-Canada crowds that were seen at Varsity in its final days and the whole city seems to be tainted by the great CSA blunder of May 1993.

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It's easy to mow the grass, the reason it wasn't done at the start of the year was because everybody was ready to strike. In fact there almost was no City of Burnaby staff to run the stadium on Whitecaps opening night.

With a freshly mowed lawn Swangards FIFA international sized pitch would be perfect.

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quote:Yallop's comments fly in the face of the CSA's move to get a "National team" stadium in Toronto. What is the bloody point of bringing a stadium to the city if the head coach decided to avoid it like the plague?

It's not only that, but the CSA and Yallop also seem to disagree on Fieldturf.

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quote:Originally posted by torontosupport

Naturally, I'd like to see a gme closer to home but am aware of the stadium limitations.

If Edmonton can (kind/almost/sort of) fill Commonwealth and attract 100+ Voyageurs, then I can complain.

But here's my question:

Can it?

Well, they drew 25K and change for that semifinal group game versus T&T. Which was good for an early round WCQ match. Plus that huge crowd in that game versus Brazil in 2004 was impressive. But what has always bugged me and what I have always found missing when watching the games in Edmonton ( on TV )is that you just don't hear the " oooooohhh'ing" and "ahhhhh'ing" that you hear from soccer crowds when there is a good build up or a scoring chance emerging. If you attend something like a GC match involving Costa Rica, El Sal or especially haiti; you will now what I mean by watching crowds that know the game and know how to lift a team. Plus they don't recognize or appreciate a nice individual play by a player.

Instead, in Edm, they are dead silent until the ball has bulged the net. Much like hockey crowds. It realy shows that the vast majority do not understand the game and are there because its an international event involving canada. It could just as well have been a international Volleyball match. This phenomena will only worsten with that CSA decsion to play a womens game on the same day where all the soccer moms and teenaged girls will pack the joint.

I believe these problems would not occur to the same degree if MNT games were played in these part. Judging for al the talk surrounding Euro 2004 and when an WC is played you know that there ae sufficient numbers of people who at least have a better appreciation of the game

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quote:Originally posted by Free kick

Instead, in Edm, they are dead silent until the ball has bulged the net. Much like hockey crowds. It realy shows that the vast majority do not understand the game and are there because its an international event involving canada. It could just as well have been a international Volleyball match. This phenomena will only worsten with that CSA decsion to play a womens game on the same day where all the soccer moms and teenaged girls will pack the joint.

Well, I have the distinct impression that this is what would have happened in Kingston if it weren't for us. Am I wrong?

The volume might have to be supplied by me, you and 58 other madmen.

As for the women's game...humpf. Are they telling me that a Men's WCQ isn't enough? Bollocks!

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Claude Robillard on October 13 against Costa Rica makes sense, especially since there is a match aginst Honduras in Honduras just days before on October 10, and travel involving Central America and Europe is easier from Montreal.

My bet is that the August 18 match aginst Guatemala is in Swangard in BC.

The date for Sept 4 against Honduras is set for Edmonton, and can't be changed due to CSA commitments to the City. Further matches this year in Edmonton are unlikely because of conflicts.

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Having been to games in five different Canadian cities now. I've got to completely disagree with Tony. Much like how we seemed louder with 15 of us Wednesday on Sportsnet compared to 100 on Sunday, the miking makes a big difference. In person I always felt Edmonton's casual fans got more into the games than anywhere else. I know it's special circumstances but Brazil in 94 the place just buzzed the whole game. They weren't singing or drumming, but they were into it. It was similar on a smaller scale for T&T in 2001.

As far as not playing in the GTA, I don't know why anyone's surprised about the new stadium not being our base. If it has Field Turf, it won't ever be our national stadium. It might occassionaly be used for friendlies, but it has little use for major matches. I don't think anyone should be surprised Yallop said as much.

I'm a little disappointed that there's more growing regionalism on these boards. Will Vancouver be as loud as Kingston, will Edmonton be as good etc. While the southern Ontario fans certainly helped lead the way in the Belize series, there were supporters from BC, Sask, Manitoba and Que. who all came to lend their voices and help make the atmosphere.

I'm sure the fans in Vancouver will be the biggest part of the atmosphere in August, but I hope that there's fans from across the west and into eastern Canada who can make the commitment and add their voice. I totally understand that a lot of guys can't float that financially and I certainly couldn't travel until I graduated from university, but I think a lot will and I hope we can match or top the scene in Kingston with a lot of fun, a lot of noise and a lot of unity from a group with Anglophones and Francophones. West and East, different races and ethnic backgrounds all united. It was a cool two days, but on the boards it's still the same old sniping.

Thanks to everyone who helped make my trip east so much fun. See you all down the road.

cheers,

matthew

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Matthew,you are bang on.It's fine to have our regional pride but when it comes to the national team we have to unite.It's a huge country and unfortunately we have to get used to doing some travelling to see Canada play.To have WCQ games in Ontario,B.C. and Alberta all in one year is pretty good.

I'm lucky enough to be able to afford the odd trip.The flight to Toronto cost about $375 on West Jet.Vancouver to Edmonton will be even less(cashing in some air miles).Anyway wherever the games are we should try to get as much support out there as possible.

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quote:

Matthew,you are bang on.It's fine to have our regional pride but when it comes to the national team we have to unite.It's a huge country and unfortunately we have to get used to doing some travelling to see Canada play.

Regional pride and bickering is not only a consequence of this overly large country of ours, but of all nations in general. I'm pretty sure that the fine folks of Newcastle were simply *thrilled* about all the matches being played at Wembley, for instance. The only difference is that the distance is not nearly as great. Some of this regionalism comes from the fact that we all want to see Canada play, but many simply can't afford it. It's silly that I could fly to Amsterdam to watch Ajax cheaper than head out to Vancouver on most days. Let's all just assume it's our over-exuberance about the Nats talking.

quote:

To have WCQ games in Ontario,B.C. and Alberta all in one year is pretty good.

Bang on, chum.

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The international matches should bring us all together as Canadians, no matter where you live in.

Of my 10 years in this country, I have never felt more patriotic than the past 2 match days... ...I have never really felt that way before and to me, that WAS my World Cup. I LOVE hockey and picked up the sport when I went to high school here. But soccer (football) has always been my first love ever since I could remember... ...and cheering our boys on with you guys certainly made it so much more enjoyable. I truely felt we WERE the 12th men on the field.

Like what I said to Tyler on that first day in the boys' training session when I saw the 8 people there... ...I told him there were 8 more people than I would have ever expected!!!

I am thankful to have stumbled across you guys and it was truely a pleasure going nuts, singing my guts out and cheering crazily with you folks!

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it was truely an honour!

kind regards,

Graeme

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Dose anyone else get the feeling the CSA, by excluding southern Ontario, is putting forward a sort of ransom demand? Saying fine, fu'k you. You don't want it, somebody else will.

Kingston's a day trip from Toronto and Ottawa with their 5 millions of people and they couldn't fill Richardson? Couldn't ask for a worse draw, I know. But still. (No disrespect to Belize or their footballers. Quite the contary. They've earned unbelievable amounts of honour by my reckonings of the attribute. Well done. Hoping better things for your future).

Or, more likely, the CSA is saving the plum hex matchs for Ontario? Hex matchs will be an easier sell, no dought.

I'm thinking option B.

Bugger! Two Ottawa touchdowns in 5 minutes. Ug. Eastern bastards!

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quote:Bugger! Two Ottawa touchdowns in 5 minutes. Ug. Eastern bastards!

Weren't happy with 2 in 5 and decided on 3 in 7. HAHAHAHA! Couldn't resist.

Seriously though Yallop does not specifically mention Toronto and I think the reporter has taken it out of context and put it where he wants to create some controversy (it is the Sun). I think Yallop is not commenting negatively on any city but will think about the ethnic makeup of a city before playing a certain opponent there. For example it would be unwise to play Haiti in Montreal.

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TO has had it's share of failures already. How many time's did we see TO catering to the visiting team by playing good music from their home country! Christ for that reason alone we shouldn't risk going back there until we've alredy qualified and the games mean nothing. Then yeah for sure you Easterners can have a look at the boy's in action!

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quote:Originally posted by Canadienfan

TO has had it's share of failures already. How many time's did we see TO catering to the visiting team by playing good music from their home country! Christ for that reason alone we shouldn't risk going back there until we've alredy qualified and the games mean nothing. Then yeah for sure you Easterners can have a look at the boy's in action!

Didn't they do that in Edmonton during the infamous T&T qualifier in 2000?

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