Winnipeg Fury Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 European success costly for Canada Travel demands weigh large on national players By KEITH BRADFORD -- Edmonton Sun He left his Port Coquitlam, B.C., home at the age of 16 and jumped straight in at the deep end. Somehow, he'd managed to get a trial with one of England's top soccer clubs - at a time when few "foreigners" played in the Old Country. But showing he had talent wouldn't be enough. Craig Forrest had to prove that as a Vancouver-born "American," he had a right to play for Ipswich Town. "I basically went over myself - my family were all from Vancouver," recalls Forrest. "It was obviously a culture shock because everything was different. There was a lot of banter and the football was not the same, being as competitive as it was. "It was difficult trying to prove myself, because if you came from Canada you were already a step behind. I felt I couldn't be equal - I had to be better." Within three weeks, Forrest had signed with the club and in 1992, eight years after arriving on trial, he helped them become 1st Division champions. Forrest was the first Canadian to play in the Premiership and he effectively paved the way for scores of others to follow. But with most of Canada's top players now scattered across Europe - and the dream of World Cup qualification all but over - he's hoping something can be done to keep the cream of the crop closer to home. "It's more and more international (in the top leagues) now. They give people an equal chance right off the bat," said Forrest, now an analyst on Sportsnet's Soccercentral show. "(The number of Canadian players in Europe) is a shame for our international team. I think with the travelling and the players not spending enough time together, it really hurts us." Frank Yallop, Canada's coach, reads from the same script. When Canada took on Guatemala in a key World Cup qualifier in August - a game they lost 2-0 - he said the difference in preparation was there for all to see. "They probably spent four or five weeks together as a team," said Yallop. "They had six warm-up games before they played us and we had none and two days together. It makes a huge difference." Forrest spent many years travelling from England to play for Canada. But today's schedules - and the fact that the Canadian players get very little time together - means it's almost inevitable the national team will underachieve. "They play on Saturday afternoon and they travel on Sunday," said Yallop of his Europe-based players. "They arrive with us Sunday night, train Monday and Tuesday and play Wednesday. It's almost impossible. "I would like to think I can coach players to win games once we get the right scenarios in place, but it's difficult when you're up against it before you've even kicked a ball." The solution, Yallop and Forrest have long believed, is for Canada to have its own Major League Soccer team. "I think if we get knocked out of the World Cup, Frank should be pushing ... for an MLS team in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver. All three would be better still," said Forrest. "If you can get a league that pays decent money, we are going to be able to keep some of the players who go to lower divisions in Scotland and England to stay here, and use those three teams as some roots for the national team. "That's what the Americans have done with the MLS. It kind of surprises me that they want to come across here because they are going to be helping us. But I think the Americans feel they are so far ahead of us they're not concerned." Hard sell in the hockey world ... With the NHL still in lockout mode, what are the chances of a few thousand hockey fans turning their attention to the beautiful game? "I don't think you are going to change a hockey fan into a soccer fan," said Forrest, who co-presents Sportsnet's English Premiership-based Saturday soccer show. "But you might get a sports fan who's also a hockey fan who says, 'It's the only thing on TV, let's give it a try.' "It's a hard sell in the hockey market because hockey is so, so strong over here. "Our Hockeycentral show is on quite a bit and they get lots of air time, but Soccercentral out-draws them. The ratings have been so good." Could have been called worse ... Being called an American was the least of Forrest's worries when he was immersed into Ipswich Town's banter-filled dressing room at the tender age of 16. But somehow he managed to emerge with a relatively tame nickname. "The first day I showed up, in '84, I was six-foot-five," said Forrest. "I walked into the dressing room and one of the guys went, 'Bloody hell, he's got stacks on,' because I was so tall. "I was called a lot worse than that, but anything else just didn't stick. Even now, all the people I know over there, they still call me 'Stacks.' " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youllneverwalkalone Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 I don't understand two issues: 1) What kind of owner will invest millions to futher the interests of the MNT? Why wouldn't he just pay the players on MNT directly if he cared that much? 2) Why don't European based players move to MLS teams now? Why will they if there's a Toronto club? Please don't say import restrictions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertuzzi44 Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 quote:Originally posted by youllneverwalkalone I don't understand two issues: 1) What kind of owner will invest millions to futher the interests of the MNT? Why wouldn't he just pay the players on MNT directly if he cared that much? 2) Why don't European based players move to MLS teams now? Why will they if there's a Toronto club? Please don't say import restrictions... actually I thought the the MLS teams were the ones with the tough import restrictions. They are supposed to be mostly for americans, right? Plus, many of our players playing in europe are young and can still move up to better divisions/teams in europe. ie: Hume, Occean, DeGuzman, Hutch etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free kick Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 quote:Originally posted by youllneverwalkalone I don't understand two issues: 1) What kind of owner will invest millions to futher the interests of the MNT? Why wouldn't he just pay the players on MNT directly if he cared that much? 2) Why don't European based players move to MLS teams now? Why will they if there's a Toronto club? Please don't say import restrictions... Possible answers 1) the owner would be investing for his/her own $$$ for his or her own benefit. the benefit in terms of player development would accrue to the national teams. 2)Why don't more american MLS players move to Europe? with a significant base of MLS talent, the US made to the ¼ finals of the last WC and are in a better position in qualifying than we are now. Plus look at where Clint Mathis is playing right. He is a team mate of Julian deGuzman. He got to stay at home in the US and is now at Hannover without having to leave as a teenager for europe and go through Olympique Marseille youth, Saurbucken etc. Wouldn't other canadians get at better chance to get to where these two are playing if those same opportunities existed at home instead of having to leave as a teenager for Europe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youllneverwalkalone Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Did Occean choose Odd over MLS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodway Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Yes he did. Most likely because he recieved a boatload more money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youllneverwalkalone Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 He might have got a boatride over but I doubt he's getting much more than the MLS average. Most of the lads want to be in Europe regardless of the contract. That was my point. The American, MLS solution won't work in Canada for a multitude of reasons, player acceptance being just one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachesl Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Occean probably chose Odd over the Metrostars for various reasons, including: 1. He is getting paid a lot more than he would in the very low MLS wage structure, best guesstimates were 3 times as much. The norm for rookies in the MLS was only 24,000. 2. Because of the good strikers and the American quotas, there was a high chance he would not have made the cut at NY. There is also pressure to develop American strikers from both US Soccer and the fans: http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99084&page=1&highlight=Occean .That is why the central idea behind Soccercentral's "Impress the MLS" is such a joke. The MLS is not a great option for the Canadian NCAA grad until, and if, there is a Canadian team with Canadian quotas. 3. Occean would know that the MLS is a poorly administered league that can screw players over badly, especially when it comes to transferring over to Europe. It also has little credibility over in Europe, and European leagues hire Americans from the MLS in spite of the league, not because of it. In addition, Occean did have aspirations for the National team at the time, and he knew that the MLS does not schedule with respect to the international calendar, and that there is pressure on new MLS foreign playters, like there is on Brilliant, not to miss club games for any national duty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youllneverwalkalone Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 I'm not suggesting anything about Occean's training regiment, but at $30 a six pack you would expect to make a few more bucks. You can make $25,000 US working part-time at McDonalds in Norway. I suspect competing in the UEFA cup and attracting the attention of a major club is Olivier's main concern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSoccerFan Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 Scored again at Feyenoord a few days ago even though it wasn't much of a game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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