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Us & Them. The story of Canadian Soccer.


Robert

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So many on this board exemplify the status quo of Canadian soccer. It is farcical how the Canadian soccer community refuses to work together. Everyone one thinks that their little product is better than the next guy's. When one struggles, someone from another camp has to put in a cheap and meaningless dig, as if to say, "See, we're better." Now that really promotes Canadian soccer, doesn't it? Yet no one has shown that they can take Canadian soccer to the next level. And people on this board wonder why Canadian soccer gets no respect from outside of our own small communities. Until our soccer leaders are willing to work together and share the limelight, soccer loving Canadians will continue to have to make do with the limitations of the small time operators who are unwilling to work together and who thus are incapable of making soccer a big time and marketable product like other professional sports.

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quote:Originally posted by Loud Mouth Soup

So let me get this straight-you're blaming the members of this board for any and all problems in Canadian soccer?

Is this guy for real? Anyone? Anyone?

No he is not, he's just saying they/we exemplify the problem.
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quote:Originally posted by Robert

So many on this board exemplify the status quo of Canadian soccer. It is farcical how the Canadian soccer community refuses to work together. Everyone one thinks that their little product is better than the next guy's. When one struggles, someone from another camp has to put in a cheap and meaningless dig, as if to say, "See, we're better." Now that really promotes Canadian soccer, doesn't it? Yet no one has shown that they can take Canadian soccer to the next level. And people on this board wonder why Canadian soccer gets no respect from outside of our own small communities. Until our soccer leaders are willing to work together and share the limelight, soccer loving Canadians will continue to have to make do with the limitations of the small time operators who are unwilling to work together and who thus are incapable of making soccer a big time and marketable product like other professional sports.

Well put. "Big fish little pond."

Frustrating but true.

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Guest HamiltonSteelers

Who's responsibility is it to raise the profile of the game? The fans? The CSA? The provinces?

Now, I believe that the CSA is mostly to blame for the pathetic state of the game. We develop high-calibre 19-yr olds but mediocre 21-yr olds. That is not my fault.

The CSA misses the boat time and time again to take advantage of the mainstream coverage of the global game domestically each time a Canadian gets transferred or signed to a European-based club. It missed the boat in capitalizing on the Gold Cup victory, by all rights a tournament we were supposed to simply fill out the numbers by being there. The 2007 U-19 World Cup is the most positive thing that the CSA has been a part of but are nowhere near active to promote it.

The CSA should be doing something... ANYTHING... to promote our national team, even if it is as simple as having Canadian NT replica shirts hanging next to the Man Utd's and the Juventus' shirts in the sports apparel store. Yes it is critical, but these are opportunities missed such that there is nothing that can be done about it except LEARN from this and try not to miss the next opportunity... which I'm afraid they will do in time for the 2007 U-19 WC.

I agree with the 'status quo' statement fully. What am I doing to improve the visibility of the game? I help run an independent supporters club for the local side.

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quote:Originally posted by HamiltonSteelers

The CSA should be doing something... ANYTHING... to promote our national team, even if it is as simple as having Canadian NT replica shirts hanging next to the Man Utd's and the Juventus' shirts in the sports apparel store.

That is much easier said than done. Sure, if promoted, Canada shirts might do well but space in shops is often limited and which of your popular European shirts, shirts that sell, do you remove for a shirt that may or may not garner interest?

One might argue that Adidas, as sponsor/supplier to Canada, should be fighting for shelf space for its product but again, does Adidas push a Canada shirt over one of its big sellers?

It's a business and people will stock and display what sells.

db

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I blame those that refuse to support soccer on any level. I hope that one day a government could be elected that makes it mandatory for every Canadian to attend games and buy soccer related nic nacs.

Guys- we have a great sport that we can choose to enjoy or not. The problem is that we expect it to simply happen cause we build a SSS in Toronto or Montreal or that we stick an well run A-league team in Halifax or Whitby.

The people on this board are hopeless romantics, the people who own the teams are well meaning people. The problem is that the vast majority of people in Canada don't care and never will. They have rich lives to live.

end of story. enjoy what we got. make what we got better.

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quote:Originally posted by G-Man

I blame those that refuse to support soccer on any level. I hope that one day a government could be elected that makes it mandatory for every Canadian to attend games and buy soccer related nic nacs.

Guys- we have a great sport that we can choose to enjoy or not. The problem is that we expect it to simply happen cause we build a SSS in Toronto or Montreal or that we stick an well run A-league team in Halifax or Whitby.

The people on this board are hopeless romantics, the people who own the teams are well meaning people. The problem is that the vast majority of people in Canada don't care and never will. They have rich lives to live.

end of story. enjoy what we got. make what we got better.

Well said.

Many do care however, but about the team their children play on (as long as they're not asked to subsidise elite player development) or their own particular club or even perhaps if one of the national teams comes to town for a game but then it's the excitement of the occasion that draws them in temporarily, not the sport of soccer. The vast majority of Canadians, even those with children playing or playing themselves, don't even think about let alone care much about soccer in general beyond their own immediate involvement. It is a participation sport here, not a spectator sport. Ramming soccer down the throats of a largely disinterested public would be counterproductive.

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quote:Originally posted by Robert

So many on this board exemplify the status quo of Canadian soccer. It is farcical how the Canadian soccer community refuses to work together. Everyone one thinks that their little product is better than the next guy's. When one struggles, someone from another camp has to put in a cheap and meaningless dig, as if to say, "See, we're better." Now that really promotes Canadian soccer, doesn't it? Yet no one has shown that they can take Canadian soccer to the next level. And people on this board wonder why Canadian soccer gets no respect from outside of our own small communities. Until our soccer leaders are willing to work together and share the limelight, soccer loving Canadians will continue to have to make do with the limitations of the small time operators who are unwilling to work together and who thus are incapable of making soccer a big time and marketable product like other professional sports.

Do you realize the irony in your comments?

I'm not really sure what your point is. That the 200 people that come to this web site are why pro soccer fails? Or cause people disagree? Maybe if we all hold hands and sing Kumbaya my Lord 50 000 people will show up at Commonwealth to watch the Aviators take on Charleston!

Anyhow, the main problem is that the people who run soccer are long on fantasies, and short on cash. What's the difference between successful clubs like the Caps and Impact compared to the Lynx, Avs, Calgary? Owners who have cash. Just like the CSA which has announced 3 different stadiums in the past year, and have all failed. Why? Fantasies, no cash.

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Robert, get over yourself, you are talking about a team that has played a grand total of zero games and was never even officially announced as a team. I doubt anyone in Brampton is getting teary-eyed over the loss of the Stallions.

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Robert, get over yourself, you are talking about a team that has played a grand total of zero games and was never even officially announced as a team. I doubt anyone in Brampton is getting teary-eyed over the loss of the Stallions.

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quote:Originally posted by L.T.

Robert, get over yourself, you are talking about a team that has played a grand total of zero games and was never even officially announced as a team. I doubt anyone in Brampton is getting teary-eyed over the loss of the Stallions.

Okay Woodbridge, just for the sake of illustration, suppose that the stadium deal in Toronto fell through for whatever reason and FIFA decided to take away the 2007 World Youth Championship. There would also be a grand total of zero games played. Would you also doubt anyone in Canada getting teary-eyed over the of the 2007 WYC? The bottomline is a loss = a loss. Some may choose to view certain losses as unimportant and immaterial because it does not affect them directly. I beg to differ. The loss of any Canadian soccer team affect more than a roster of players. Their fans and the league they play in are all affected. If, according to you, I need to get over myself for offering my condolence to a community for their loss, then I seriously question your values as a true Canadian soccer supporter.

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Sometimes you gain by subtraction. I'd rather see Brampton not have a team for a year rather than have the wrong people in charge and damaging soccer's reputation even further.

That said, I know nothing more about this situation than what has been posted publicly, so I'm not necessarily speaking on this case(they may in fact be strong soccer people working out some issues).

Why, in offering your condolences, do you feel the need to slam people that question events that are very questionable? The 'Love it or Leave it' philosophy is not one I subscribe to, so if that is what you think makes a 'true Canadian soccer supporter', then question away.

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quote:Originally posted by L.T.

Sometimes you gain by subtraction. I'd rather see Brampton not have a team for a year rather than have the wrong people in charge and damaging soccer's reputation even further.

That said, I know nothing more about this situation than what has been posted publicly, so I'm not necessarily speaking on this case(they may in fact be strong soccer people working out some issues).

Why, in offering your condolences, do you feel the need to slam people that question events that are very questionable? The 'Love it or Leave it' philosophy is not one I subscribe to, so if that is what you think makes a 'true Canadian soccer supporter', then question away.

Are the right people in charge of the NHL? Has hockey gained by subtracting a season? Has the reputation of this sport been damaged?

I believe that unless your sitting on the fence doing nothing, your either part of the solution, or part of the problem. Your point of view may differ and I respect differences. But untill you come up with a persuasive argument to the contrary, my perspective is unlikely to change.

I also don't know the facts behind the Brampton club's reason for not fielding a team this season. I only expressed my dissapointment at an other failed effort within Canada's soccer community.

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Well said Robert, but do you really think the Canadian soccer community truly supports their local CPSL teams, or even care about issues that might affect their rise or fall,ie the Brampton Stallions. But then again does Canadian soccer have the direction and promotion of any type of leadership that reflects the interest of the game rather than the interest and personal gains of those involved? Canadian soccer is regarded mostly as a great recreational sport, but by far are we close to being a soccer nation, and for this reason not many could care less about what happened in Brampton let alone consider the situation as a loss. Yes, it is too bad though.

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quote:Originally posted by dutcy

Well said Robert, but do you really think the Canadian soccer community truly supports their local CPSL teams, or even care about issues that might affect their rise or fall,ie the Brampton Stallions. But then again does Canadian soccer have the direction and promotion of any type of leadership that reflects the interest of the game rather than the interest and personal gains of those involved? Canadian soccer is regarded mostly as a great recreational sport, but by far are we close to being a soccer nation, and for this reason not many could care less about what happened in Brampton let alone consider the situation as a loss. Yes, it is too bad though.

It would be hard for the Canadian soccer community to support CPSL teams as they are located, with the exception of a couple teams, in Ontario. Does the Ontario soccer community truly support their CPSL teams? Surely, no more and no less than any other Canadian soccer community does within their own micro soccer communities. How many professional soccer clubs have we lost in Canada during the past twelve months? Edmonton, Calgary, Brampton ........

Unfortunately, it is more than just my opinion when I say that Canadian soccer has never had a true leader, or the state of our game would not find itself where it is today. Unfortunately, the game has never been placed first by any who have held positions of power and control. The leaders we have, keep low profiles and insulate themselves against losing power, just like Mafiosi bosses do. It is hard for a community to care about and support a soccer product when it is operated in this manner. Hence we have this apathetic attitude towards events like the demise of the Brampton Stallions. Canadians have come to accept and expect no less than these failing results when it comes to soccer in this country.

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