DarnCherry Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 With Milwall and Hearts drawing 1-1 on Saturday Canada "B" finishes atop the 3 team pool in the Pacific International Soccer Series. Not that it means a big deal or anything. Interesting reading all of the visitors match reports posted on the BCSA site. Seems to me both visiting teams found the heat bothersome as with the quality of our pitches. Makes me think of all of those people that compare the tempo and quality of the A-League to English league games and then say that the A-League is far slower and less skilfull, so it must be near conference level. Well it seems to me that if the temperature over here and the pitch conditions affected Hearts and Milwall so bad maybe its not that our players are less skillfull it's just that we play in much tougher conditions. I wonder how Hearts and Milwall would do if they were forced to play a season of A-League soccer with the travel, heat, lousy pitches, and bucnhed up games? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeta Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 I was wondering about the pitch complaints. Don't know how the pitchs on television look to you guys but come January and through most of late winter they're pretty crap out in England/Scotland too. In a constant state of repairs. So to me, bit of an odd complaint. Yeah, and the travel. A days travel to the match, a days travel from the match, and a match (or two) in between. Sort of plays havoc with the training schedule. Like to see how some of them would adjust to that. Of course though, they do play a ten month schedule. And a hell of a lot of matchs at that. Think Hearts must have played close to 50 games or more last season over those ten months. And that includes a winter break. So they get their own cramped fixture schedule. The rules of their game allow them a min. of two days off between fixtures. Travel can be included though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footy Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 I find the comments about the heat and the pitch very funny as you are playing in the summer ! What did they think coming over here ... bring your woolies ? and the pitch so it was dry at least its not 80% sand like in most parks in the UK in the winter ! so glad they came here to play but I'm also glad they left too much whining ! In my humble opinion both teams looked like crap and out of shape ! I wish them all the best in the coming season and hope they both improve .... GREAT job Canada B's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarnCherry Posted July 19, 2004 Author Share Posted July 19, 2004 quote:Of course though, they do play a ten month schedule. And a hell of a lot of matchs at that. Think Hearts must have played close to 50 games or more last season over those ten months. And that includes a winter break. So they get their own cramped fixture schedule. Lets face it though. No matter where they play in league play, they are back home sleeping in their own beds the same night. There is minimal travel for them. Compare it with our Canadian teams that travel through three times zones on certain road trips each year and Hearts and other Euro teams have no complaints. A-League teams are on the road for up`to 10 days at a time. So Hearts plays 50 games in 10 months. Thats 5 per month. A-League teams play 28 games in 5 months for 5.6 games a month. But we all know they aren't spaced out. The Whitecaps are preparing to go on the raod soon for 4 games in 7 nights. Seattle recently played 4 in 5 nights. So really it'sno wonder that the occasional A-League game is played at a slower pace, and that the occasional game has some sloppy play. Players are dead tired. As for the pitches, I think their main complaint at Swangard is that the grass is longer than they are used to. Most of the season in Scotland or England and their pitches appear to be basically dirt with green spray paint on them. Sangard has seen the occasional divot taken out of the pitch what with many A-League and W-League games played and perhaps they haven't all been reeplaced properly. With the longer dry grass with a few divots taken out it would make it appear bumpy in spots. However watching the games at the stadium and highlites on TV there appears to be nothing really horrible about the pitch, just look at the Whitecaps video highlites on their website. However I wish they'd cut the grass shorter. It would make for faster more offensive games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeBestFan Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 We watched the Canada B- Milwall game, and my admittedly subjective opinion is that Canada B totally outplayed the Milwall team. As others have said, the fastest, most skilled and most exciting players to watch were all playing for Canada B, with the exception of Stack who I thought saved Milwall from a big defeat. Maybe the Millwall players were here for the beer and the golf. Maybe they just aren't much good. But having watched quite a few professional games in the UK in my youth, they really can't blame the pitch. Can you blame the pitch for the fact that Peters ran rings around the left side of milwall's defence? Or the move that Simpson and Occean pulled off in the second minute? Surely a group of seasoned professionals from the first division should be able to get more than (3 or 4?) shots on goal, given the fact that both teams are playing on the same pitch... It never looked likely that Millwall would score, whereas Canada B gave Stack and the Millwall defence a good workout. At least someone at Milwall should have the class to say that Occean, Peters, Simpson and the rest of this development team show that Canada has a solid pool of great players coming through the system. That much was obvious to all of us in the stand. As a Vancouver resident I'm really thankful to Hearts and Millwall for coming and doing these games - there was a lot of goodwill going in, and the Millwall players in particular could easily have found themselves unable to pay for their beer or green fees for the whole visit....but things were a bit spoiled by the attitude of some of their players who looked like a bunch of slow and unskilled physical players, out to show these Canadian upstarts who the real "professionals" are. I thought this was rude and unneccessary, and I hope they had the grace to apologize afterwards. Especially the guy who basically dared the referee to send him off in a "friendly." If this was in fact their captain, he needs to learn some self-discipline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeffery S. Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 I don't think we can lump Millwall and Hearts together in their experience here. On the Hearts site their coach (Levein is it?) says it was the best pre-season trip they've done in ten years, they praise the organization, hosts, even the scenery they saw. Very gracious. Only disagreement is where, along with Millwall, they claim on their sites they played Canada, never admitting that they were up against our 2nd bunch of 18. As I posted earlier, Millwall put a short note promising a full game report on their Canada game and that full report never appeared. They just buried it as it made them look bad, which is of course a sign of a total lack of class and a lack of respect for their own fans, who would want to know, rightly so, what happened. Next time the BCSA should invite a team from outside the isles, I don't think bringing in a decent side from Greece or Italy would hurt the numbers in the stands, would bring out other types of fans, and would give the tournament more variety in terms of soccer cultures and styles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarnCherry Posted July 19, 2004 Author Share Posted July 19, 2004 Wow, three posts in a row from people living or used to live in North Vancouver. I think it's a first. The Hearts players were not exactly angels. Their keeper swore at us in the southside, and at the final whistle their number 5 deliberately kicked the game ball over the southside fence and into the forest, angry becasue he thought the Canada goal was offside, which replays show was not the case. If the BCSA chooses to do this in the future, lets hope whoever they bring that they advertise that these games are taking place. As far as I know there were no television ads, and no radio ads. Due to the ongoing feud between the Whitecaps (Lenarduzzi) and the BCSA there wasn't any free advertising of the series, nor any mention of them taking place on the Whitecaps website. There wasn't even mention that Valente was on the team (nor Mike Franks who was the backup keeper for the Milwall game). So maybe the BCSA should take out some ad time at Whitecaps games if they do this again, have the PA announcer make an announcement that the games are coming up. I'm quite sure if the crowd at the Whitecaps games had heard about the games, there would have been another 1,000 at both games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 On the matter of the pitch - and I generally agree that the pitch was hardly the reason that one side played poorly and not the other - but keep in mind that Yallop, before the game, indicated some minor concerns with the state of the pitch - although I think it was said in relation to the Guatamala game. When I was out there in late June there was a small patch of dirt - nothing major - near the centre line in the northwest part of the field. Again, nothing major, but I remember seeing it and thinking about the Guatamala game and hoping it would be gone by then. All in all though, I didn't think the pitch too bad, and certainly no worse than some of the fields I see towards the end of the English season. Sorry to break up the streak, but I only lived in Vancouver, never North van. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarnCherry Posted July 19, 2004 Author Share Posted July 19, 2004 I agree the pitch isn't horrible, just need some better upkeep. If we continue with this heatwave (and the weather forecast says we will after a short night of thunderstorms (temps in the upper 20's early 30's), then the pitch will be brown come the Guatemala game without proper care (luckily Portland comes to town no more this season so there will be no more flares thrown on a tinder dry pitch). Getting back to the tournament, if it happens again they have to change the name. The P.I.S.S. tournament just seems wrong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bungey Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Headline: "Canada Takes the P.I.S.S. out of Millwall" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vancouver Fan Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Another reason for the poor turnout could be just the sheer number of soccer games played at Swangard since last Monday.If you include the lady Whitecaps Sunday night there were 6 games in 10 days played there.Throw in the Whitecaps game this Friday and Chelsea v Celtic in Seattle on Saturday afternoon(a very expensive game)and locals are shelling out quite a lot of money to watch soccer in such a short time.Many fans also were purchasing their WCQ tickets as well. Regarding the pitch.I don't think that they'll ever let it get brown.They water it quite regularly and there is only 4 mens and ladies games scheduled before the Guatemala match so there should be time for the field to "heal"from all the recent use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Coach Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 To add on this, the Richmond Kickers tie Nottingham Forest of the English First Division 1 - 1 at U of R Stadium on last Friday. http://aleague.uslsoccer.com/home/79211.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeffery S. Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 quote:Originally posted by The Coach To add on this, the Richmond Kickers tie Nottingham Forest of the English First Division 1 - 1 at U of R Stadium on last Friday. http://aleague.uslsoccer.com/home/79211.html Add to that Charleston beat Sunderland 2-1 at home last Saturday, Titus played 90 but Watson was out with a groin injury. They say he'll be back for todays Open Cup match vs. Metrostars think it is. There was a thread on a British board where the US posters were boasting about how no MLS team had lost to an English team (at least recently), quite upset the Forrest fans. But in fact the British club results in North America have been pretty mediocre lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sstackho Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 I don't think Canada B played the same number of games, but the Sun is never wrong: Sports Hearts takes International Pacific Series Vancouver Sun 106 words 19 July 2004 Vancouver Sun FINAL C D5 English Copyright © 2004 Vancouver Sun Hearts of the Scottish Premier League finished the five-game International Pacific Soccer Series with the highest point total after playing Millwall of the English League First Division to a 1-1 tie Saturday afternoon at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby. Hearts concluded the series with five points based on a 1-1 tie against a Canadian B development team July 12 at Swangard, a 4-1 victory over the Pacific Coast League all-stars last Wednesday in Victoria and its draw with Millwall. Canada and Millwall were co runners-up in the series standings with four points each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RS Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 quote:Originally posted by sstackho I don't think Canada B played the same number of games, but the Sun is never wrong: Sports Hearts takes International Pacific Series Vancouver Sun 106 words 19 July 2004 Vancouver Sun FINAL C D5 English Copyright © 2004 Vancouver Sun Hearts of the Scottish Premier League finished the five-game International Pacific Soccer Series with the highest point total after playing Millwall of the English League First Division to a 1-1 tie Saturday afternoon at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby. Hearts concluded the series with five points based on a 1-1 tie against a Canadian B development team July 12 at Swangard, a 4-1 victory over the Pacific Coast League all-stars last Wednesday in Victoria and its draw with Millwall. Canada and Millwall were co runners-up in the series standings with four points each. The matches against VMSL and PCSL were not part of the I.P.S.S. Therefore Canada 'B' had the most points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 quote:Originally posted by sstackho I don't think Canada B played the same number of games, but the Sun is never wrong: Sports Hearts takes International Pacific Series Excuse me but what a bunch of crap! The game in Victoria was a sideline to the P.I.S.S. and did not count for any standings. That was made very clear whenn it said that the three teams in the tournament were Canada, Millwall and Hearts. Is this some sort of pathetic sop to ex-pats or just sucking up to the money interests who want to bring more teams over to make cash? Wankers. [xx(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dave Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 I think the Southsiders and Vancouver Voyageurs should flood the Sun with letters to the editor pointing out their error. Email won't cut it with those dinosaurs. Send a snail mail letter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue and White Army Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Or just don't buy the Sun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarnCherry Posted July 21, 2004 Author Share Posted July 21, 2004 quote:Originally posted by Dave I think the Southsiders and Vancouver Voyageurs should flood the Sun with letters to the editor pointing out their error. Email won't cut it with those dinosaurs. Send a snail mail letter. Why only the Vancouver voyageurs? It's Canada they are screwing out of the victory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Champ Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 WHAT!?! The Canadian media gave Canadian soccer a bum deal? No way.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue and White Army Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 We need to start taking covert guerrilla action against hockey! Hey, sounds like a theme for the next issue of North Boys... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Champ Posted July 22, 2004 Share Posted July 22, 2004 Hey!!! Now that you mention it... there isn't gonna be a nhl next year (or ever) csa could mention that mnt are playing for Canada for their country alone. Not just for as much money as possible (nhlpa). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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