Jon Deguzman choices

[snake]

2005 mens under-20 world cup

1.play for canada

its what we all want to see but will it happen,maybe.a chance to play with his older brother and represent the country of his birth,lets hope so

2.play for holland

could possibly captain the team.home field advantage througout the tourney.the question would be can deguzman handle the pressure of representing the host country in the tournament.maybe he wants that pressure system in his development at his age.even if he plays for the dutch he will still be eligable to play for canada's national team down the road.

what would you do if the shoes were reversed

edit: just to add first name to title to avoid confusion-mod

[bettermirror]

canada.

[bc_soccer_fan]

canada

[kelownaguy]

I'll bet you don't see him at all in this tourney,, I think he's gonna wait a few more years as we've seen him mention many times about importance of his club career first... Would sure love to see him in a Canadian jersey one day though..

[Canuck Oranje]

It might be presumptious to think that he would make it as a starter on the Dutch team at 17. They have enough 18-19 year olds playing in the top league to form a team if they care to win this thing. But then maybe they won't use their best players.

In previous tournaments, they haven't bothered to fight for the release of their A team players like many European sides.

The other point he needs to seriously consider more is his chances at an Dutch national team place should he Cap-tie himself with them. There are a lot of young players in Holland only a few years older than him like Arjen Robben (21), Robin Van Persie (21), Collins John (19), Rafael Van Der Vaart (21), Wesley Sneijder (20), Daniel De Ridder (20), Ryan Babel (18), Nigel De Jong (20), Johnny Heitinga (21), Romeo Castelan (21), Nicky Hofs (21), Glenn Loovens (21), Michael Jansen (20), Danny Matthijssen (21), Arnold Kruiswijk (20), Johnny van Beukering (21), and Klaas Jan Huntelaar (21).

It is too soon to say but I am afraid it could be a tough fight to get into the Dutch side for the young de Guzman. Why commit to Holland now and take away your options?

[mjoni]

Even if he's already decided that he wants to play for Canada, is he going to come out with that at a tournament in Holland, thereby kicking dirt in the face of all the Dutch trainers who have so eagerly groomed him for potential Dutch pro and national team action? Don't think so.

Let's not forget that in the interview with Julian, right after he says that it would be their dream to play together, he mentions playing against each other as well. (Did he mean on a professional level???)

Of course nothing would be as sweet as playing together, even if it meant losing the 2010 World Cup final together against Netherlands, but it seems to me that Jonathan isn't looking for any cap-tie complication right now because he simply hasn't made up his mind - and it is a tough decision: maybe he'll become a star that can walk right onto the Dutch first team; maybe they'll cap-tie him once and then drop him. It would be a no-brainer to join Canada right now, where he'd be welcomed with open arms. But, if he was 100% sure, wouldn't he would already have done it? How big an issue is it for the captain to miss a few games with the U19s?

I hope I'm proven wrong here, that Canada isn't an option to fall back on. It's a big decision. I have to agree that Canada would provide more options (more chance of playing a major role) - and, I have to add, more of a challenge. Best of luck to him.

[redhat]

If it were me, it's VERY clear --- Canada.

As much as I would love to see Jonathan and Julian tear apart our opponents with their

unbelievable skills and abilities, it must be a tough decision for Jonathan. Opportunities

may exist with Holland, but are they really better opportunities?

At least with Canada he'd play more. And the marketing angle playing alongside his brother

looks good too. However I think he'd wait until he gets a call-up to the senior A team.

Maybe Yallop should invite him for the next few friendlies.

It would be great to see him in Holland this summer, and in Canada for 2007!

[Winnipeg Fury]

Canada all the way.

And playing for Canada in Holland will be a real treat for the young DeGuz.

[Winnipeg Fury]

Canada all the way.

And playing for Canada in Holland will be a real treat for the young DeGuz.

[Bertuzzi44]

quote:Originally posted by mjoni

Even if he's already decided that he wants to play for Canada, is he going to come out with that at a tournament in Holland, thereby kicking dirt in the face of all the Dutch trainers who have so eagerly groomed him for potential Dutch pro and national team action? Don't think so.

I would think the Feyenord trainers concern themselves with only one thing: Developing DeGuzman so one day he can be a major asset for the Feyenord first team. I doubt they are overly concerned about which country he chooses - that's the Dutch FA's job

[Natesta]

If I'm Yallop, I'd call him up for the game against Portugal, with the promise of starting the game with his brother.

It may be seen as a big game and it would be a good way to entice him into the side.

[Daniel]

I wouldn't promise a starting spot against Portugal for a 17-year old, especially since no promises was part of the problem with Brennan, a Premiership player, in WCQ. Bad for team chemistry.

However, an invite to Portugal to train with the team (mini-camp) and possibly play might interest him and is non-binding.

[Canuck Oranje]

De Guzman could use a starting role with the U-20 Canadian side to get the attention of Gullit at Feyenoord. I am still doubtful that he would get the same opportunity with a Dutch side at 17 and eligible in 2007.

[Cheeta]

I think Jonathan pretty much made up his mind as soon as July became a no-brainer for Canada's 1st team. There is something absolutely unique and altogether speciel about brothers being able to play together at an international level quality. That is a very rare creature indeed.

I'm working on an asumption here of course. But if the little Guz lives up to some of this evolving hype it'll be entirely up to him whether or not the de Guzmans will take the field together some day soon, shoulder to shoulder.

Fu'k. Can you imagine the grin on the old mans mug?

What sort of lad would deny his dad that? No de Guzman if half of what I've heard is right.

[Andrew W]

quote:Originally posted by Daniel

I wouldn't promise a starting spot against Portugal for a 17-year old, especially since no promises was part of the problem with Brennan, a Premiership player, in WCQ. Bad for team chemistry.

This is an excellent point IMHO. In our zeal to try and see one player (albiet a very promising one), we can't be making guarantees to anyone, particularly for the senior team when guarantees (or lack there of)have been an issue in the past.

I also believe that it would be very harsh to offer up spots on the final U-20 team to overseas Canadians (injured players excepted) and tell one of the kids on the team that went through qualifications that his services were no longer required. Now, if some of the crew that went to Honduras can't make it or are showing horrible form in summer then by all means try to get proper replacements, but it would still rub me the wrong way to open up spots to opportunists rather than rewarding those with long-term commitment.

That being said, with the little information we have there seems to be no indication that JDG 2 is this type of individual or would be making any kinds of demands. He simply seems to be concentrating on club football and seeing where that goes.

[RS]

One thing is for sure: Mitchell will probably invite him to play with the team, even if it is for a training camp, where he can "win" his place instead of just walking on to the side and taking some other guy's spot.

I said it in a different thread, but I have a hunch that both JDG II and Hughes will be on the team in Holland. I'd say Hughes moreso than Jon at this point, but there's a good shot that both of them will be there.

[Daniel]

Don't teams take 22 players to WC's? As opposed to 18 for Q's? That's 4 brand new spots.

[Andrew W]

quote:Originally posted by Daniel

Don't teams take 22 players to WC's? As opposed to 18 for Q's? That's 4 brand new spots.

I believe so. In the last WYC didn't Canada have three goalkeepers (Karim, Wagenaar and Lindley)? If so that would indicate an expanded roster.

[Ivan]

IN the last U20 WC, Mitchell named 22 originally and brought 20 to UAE, including 3 keepers. Of the original 22, Hainault was let go at the end and Hughes elected not to go and sit on the bench, making Mitchell's last choice an easy one.

That being said, there are still at least two spots open. One I would imagine would be for a third keeper (Giacomi or Lindley?) and one for David Edgar who had to pull out of qualifying through injury. Edgar has been committed to the program for a long time and was on the team in 2003 so I would expect him to be there if healthy.

So if JDGII, Hughes or Lombardo were added, they would be replacing someone on the roster. Since no strikers scored goals in the qualifying round, I do not think their places are assured.

Another wildcard is Matt Brittner, a defender from Halifax playing for Brown University, who apparently was very much in the running for a spot on the team, until he tore up a knee. He was to be out a year. I do not know the timing, but if healthy, he could also challenge for the trip to Holland.

[Andrew W]

quote:Originally posted by Ivan

IN the last U20 WC, Mitchell named 22 originally and brought 20 to UAE, including 3 keepers. Of the original 22, Hainault was let go at the end and Hughes elected not to go and sit on the bench, making Mitchell's last choice an easy one.

That being said, there are still at least two spots open. One I would imagine would be for a third keeper (Giacomi or Lindley?) and one for David Edgar who had to pull out of qualifying through injury. Edgar has been committed to the program for a long time and was on the team in 2003 so I would expect him to be there if healthy.

So if JDGII, Hughes or Lombardo were added, they would be replacing someone on the roster. Since no strikers scored goals in the qualifying round, I do not think their places are assured.

Another wildcard is Matt Brittner, a defender from Halifax playing for Brown University, who apparently was very much in the running for a spot on the team, until he tore up a knee. He was to be out a year. I do not know the timing, but if healthy, he could also challenge for the trip to Holland.

Good comparison info. I've always been a believer in injured players having an opportinity to reclaim a spot they either held or had a good shot at. I forgot about Britner being a part of the pool last summer, so good spot. I also have no problem taking the best squad available and I have faith that Mitchell will make sure the chemistry this side obviously has isn't compromised.

[kelownaguy]

There seems to be a lot of people now thinking more and more that Deguzman II will be joining our side soon??? Guys, I hope your not setting yourself up for a big disappointment cause there is a very good chance we won't see him at all for the next few years, I realize the U20 World Cup is in Holland and all, but when he and his brother have both publicly said that he would rather concentrate on his club career for the near future, I'll take their word for it. I hope I'm wrong here but personally I think all this hype about Deguzman joining either our U20 side or national side this season is all for not...

[Daniel]

Yeah, we're starting momentum and keeping it going and amplifying it from very little, if anything at all.

But hell, aren't we Canadian fans allowed to dream from time to time? It can get mighty depressing (see: summer 2004).

[Andrew W]

There is mention of the player selection process for the WYC and Jon DeGuzman in particular in this article from CP.

U-20 CP Article

Canuck U-20's success celebrated

By NEIL DAVIDSON, The Canadian Press

(CP) - Champagne corks may not have been popping at the Canadian Soccer Association offices in Ottawa on Monday but there were surely a lot of smiles in the wake of Canada's qualification for this summer's World Youth Championship in the Netherlands.

For one, Canada hasn't had much to celebrate on the soccer field recently. Two, the young Canadians were unfazed by hostile surroundings in Honduras. Three, the world under-20 championship is second only in size to the men's World Cup in terms of FIFA competitions. And four, Canada is hosting the event in 2007.

"This was a very, very, very important competition for us," Kevan Pipe, the CSA's chief operating officer, said of the CONCACAF qualifying event that wrapped up Sunday. "And boy did these guys ever come through with flying colours."

By making the 2005 edition of the 24-country tournament, Canadian soccer gets to maintain its profile in what looks to be a down year other than the Gold Cup. And that will no doubt help 11 cities, who have indicated an interest to join Toronto and Edmonton as 2007 championship hosts, keep their eye on the ball.

Official bids are due in April with the CSA's decision slated for May. The World Youth Championships open June 10.

Canadian soccer officials can also take some pride in the fact that soccer powerhouses like No. 2 France, No. 4 Czech Republic, No. 7 Mexico (whose under-20 side was beaten 2-1 by Canada in Honduras), No. 8 England and No. 9 Portugal failed to qualify their under-20 teams.

UEFA, Europe's governing body with 52 member associations, is sending six teams to join the host Dutch. CONCACAF, with 36 associations in North and Central America and the Caribbean, sends four.

Put it another way, four of CONCACAF's World Cup sides are ranked in FIFA's top 50, compared to 24 for UEFA.

Pipe says Dale Mitchell's under-20 team is a "top priority for the association." While that may be true, the CSA budget remains limited.

Less than $100,000 has been spent on the squad so far this year and there is $200,000-plus more in the kitty. Still, the CSA can dip into its development budget, which is stocked to the tune of $300,000 to $400,000.

The good news is FIFA pays all travel and accommodations costs for the tournament itself.

"We're going to do everything that's humanly and physically possible to get this team to reach its highest level of potential development," Pipe added.

As far as players are concerned, Mitchell says he will remain loyal to the players who got the team to the Netherlands and give them the first look prior to the tournament.

But a couple of other players bear watching.

Defenders David Edgar (Newcastle) and Matt Brittner (Brown University) were both injured. And striker Andrea Lombardo did not make the trip to the Honduras because he was needed by his Italian club Atalanta.

A wild card is midfielder Jonathan de Guzman, the younger brother of Canadian international Julian de Guzman. Jonathan, who has yet to declare his international allegiance, is captain of the reserves at Dutch side Feyenoord.

Mitchell, who coached the 2003 team to a best-ever quarter-final finish, knows he will have limited time with his players ahead of schedule.

"You can only get them so much anyway, but given it's in the summer where school will be winding down or the clubs will be winding down . . we should have a pretty good run-in to the world championships."

Unlike the 2003 side, which boasted two stars in striker Iain Hume and defender-midfielder Atiba Hutchinson, this under-20 side is driven by good chemistry and teamwork.

"We felt like we knew what it was going to take to be competitive down here," Mitchell said before leaving Honduras. "I think we picked the right guys for this particular qualification.

"You hope they'll be able to step it up once you get to the world level, because it definitely is a step above what you see here in CONCACAF."

The ticket to the Netherlands means Canada has qualified for four of the last five under-20 world championships. Canada finished eighth in 2003, 24th in 2001 and 14th in 1997.

"Everybody knows we probably won't be in the final," Mitchell said. "It's a very big achievement if you can get out of your (first-round) group. . . . The games there are extremely difficult.

"There's no easy matches and you've really have to get a lot of things right just to be competitive at that level."

The record shows that. Canada is 4-13-4 overall at the World Youth Championship, where it has been outscored 40-12. Only the 1997 and 2003 teams survived the first round.

Notes: Ray Clark, the CSA's director of coaching, has been named to the FIFA technical study group of the 2005 World Youth Championship ... Pipe says FIFA has reversed a decision to hold the men's and women's World Cup the same year. As a result, the women's World Cup rescheduled for 2010 will instead be held in 2011, four years after the 2007 event. .... Toronto native Peter Pappas of the Philadelphia Kixx has been named MISL's goalkeeper of the week.

[Ivan]

Good find Andrew. Hmmmm ...............no mention of Dylan Hughes. Guess someone's made a decision, be it Dylan or Dale.

[canso]

"You hope they'll be able to step it up once you get to the world level, because it definitely is a step above what you see here in CONCACAF"

Which is why they need new players brought in before the tournament starts. Hughes and DeGuz are a cut above what's on offer and should be there on the tournament roster. However, not at the expense of team chemistry.