CP: Gold Cup Quest Begins

[Winnipeg Fury]

National soccer team coach optimistic, not delusional heading into Gold Cup

SEATTLE (CP) - There's a huge gap between being optimistic and delusional.

When it comes to the Gold Cup, national soccer team coach Frank Yallop has very lucid expectations for his side.

For Yallop the 12-team tournament for the championship of CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean, is another study session. It gives him a chance to evaluate the talent available to him while affording the players an opportunity to prove themselves to their coach.

Canada plays Costa Rica on Thursday at Qwest Field in the opening game of Group B play. A win would be a huge confidence boost for Yallop's young team and would greatly enhance their chance of advancing to the next round.

But Yallop knows the true test for the national team will come in 2008 when Canada begins qualification games for the 2010 World Cup.

"If I put pressure on myself to get results at this point I'd be crazy," Yallop said Wednesday after practice on a pristine grass field in the shadows of Huskie Stadium at the University of Washington.

"Right now it doesn't mean anything. It might mean sacrificing results at this point to get the experience and be ready to play (qualifying) games."

That doesn't mean Yallop, who took over as national team coach in December 2003 after the departure of hardnosed Holger Osieck, will treat the Gold Cup like a meaningless NHL exhibition game.

Canada faces the powerful Americans on Saturday before a partisan crowd at Qwest, the home of the NFL Seattle Seahawks.

Losing to Costa Rica would dig a hole. To then be beaten by the Americans could bury Canada.

"The first game is important," said Yallop.

"What you don't want to do is lose. Then you have to go into the game Saturday looking for something. We want to come out strong and get ahead."

Yallop wants to develop a winning attitude on the team. He wants a side that will go into the next World Cup qualifying round able to play a solid 90 minutes with sound defence and the ability to convert its scoring chances.

He knows that takes time and patience. That's why he's assembled a 19-man roster with 13 players who have played nine or less international games for the national team.

"We have to make sure we're building the program, that each player is getting better each time they are playing for Canada," Yallop said.

"Yes, we want to win the tournament. We want to go into the game feeling we have a good side."

Canada, which failed to qualify for next year's World Cup in Germany, is currently ranked No. 85 in the world, one spot ahead of Albania.

Costa Rica is ranked 24th and the Americans 10th. Canada wraps up the preliminary round Tuesday against No. 70 Cuba at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.

"On paper we're the worst team," Yallop said.

"We don't feel that. We feel we can get a good result in any of the games we play."

Costa Rica - which beat Canada twice in World Cup qualifying play last year - will be without strikers Paulo Wanchope and Ronald Gomez and defender Gilbert Martinez.

Midfielder Atiba Hutchinson said the Canadians must keep their poise against Costa Rica.

"They are well organized and are good with the ball," said Hutchinson, a native of Brampton, Ont., who plays for Helsingborg, of the Swedish Premier League.

"We have to be well organized and disciplined. The last couple of games we played we've been a little bit unorganized with the counterattacks."

What Yallop doesn't want is a repeat of Saturday's friendly against Honduras. Canada dominated for 50 minutes, then gave up a two quick goals on defensive lapses and lost 2-1.

"We've given a lot of soft goals away," said Yallop.

"We've played well in spells in matches but never have been able to put in a full 90 minutes."

[Winnipeg Fury]

Soccer player flies Vancouver to Montreal, returns to Seattle for Gold Cup

SEATTLE (CP) - You could excuse striker Ali Gerba if he was a step behind the rest of Canada's national soccer team at practice Wednesday.

His body might have been in Seattle, getting ready for Thursday's opening game of the Gold Cup tournament, but his internal clock was somewhere across the continent, still trying to catch up. Gerba experienced a whirlwind 48 hours which saw him travel 9,800 kilometres to play games first in Vancouver with the national team, then Montreal with the Impact of the United Soccer League, before finally finishing up in Seattle.

"I hope it's not going to be a habit for me to travel and play the same day," joked Gerba, 22.

Gerba earned his first national team cap when he played for Canada against Honduras Saturday night in Vancouver. Right after the game - a 2-1 loss - he caught a red-eye flight to Montreal, arriving at 7 a.m.

"I tried to take a little nap before I went into the game," he explained.

The rest must have done him good because Gerba scored two goals as the defending USL champion Impact beat the Seattle Sounders 3-1.

"I got lucky," Gerba shrugged.

He was back at the airport the next morning for a 7 a.m. flight to Seattle. Following a six-hour delay in Toronto, he finally arrived in Seattle at 10 p.m. local time, about 18 hours after leaving Montreal.

Gerba hopes to be rested enough to be in the lineup when Canada plays Costa Rica Thursday night in the opening game of Group B play at the Gold Cup.

"I'm exhausted," Gerba admitted.

"I'm starting to feel better. I hope tomorrow I will be ready for the game."

National team coach Frank Yallop included six members of the Impact on his Gold Cup roster.

Gerba was the only player to fly to Montreal for Sunday's game. He was needed after striker Eduardo Sebrango broke a bone in his right foot last week against Portland.

"I did it because my team needed me," Gerba said.

"I had to go back and give them help. I will always be there to give them a hand. That's what a team is about."

Yallop didn't sound pleased with Gerba's trans-continental travel. The Impact players didn't arrive in Vancouver for the Honduras friendly until the day before the game.

"We should have the players for two weeks before every tournament but we don't," said Yallop.

"We don't really have a complete say in the national team program.

"Can you blame Montreal? Not really. But this is the Canadian national team. Every player that is here wants to play for Canada. For them to have to sacrifice their position, to go back and play games, it's tough."

Yallop had asked the USL to change their schedule to accommodate players going to the Gold Cup.

"They said they would look into it," he said.

"They had three weeks off in June, then we come to competition and they had three games."

Gerba laughed when asked if he's earned enough frequent flyer miles for a free trip.

"I don't know how things work but I'm hopeful," he said.

The other Impact players on the national team are goalkeeper Greg Sutton, defenders Adam Braz and Gabriel Gervais and midfielders Sandro Grande and Patrick Leduc.

[Paddy]

I guess, after reading the first article, that Yallop will be around at least until 2008 WCQ, regardless of the results in this tournament.

I found this comment rather discouraging, too:

"If I put pressure on myself to get results at this point I'd be crazy," Yallop said Wednesday after practice on a pristine grass field in the shadows of Huskie Stadium at the University of Washington.

Gee Frank, when would be a good time to put pressure on yourself? I mean, really, this tournament can get Canada an invitation to the Copa America and (when ever its held again) the Confederations Cup. Both of which would help fill the gap in games the CSA sees fit not to provide prior to WCQ.

Try to win the Fccking thing, idiot! Put some pressure on yourself!

[Daniel]

Sack Yallop!

Did I beat anyone to it?

The Impact probably could have scheduled their long gap to coincide with the GC.

[Timotas]

quote:Originally posted by Paddy

I guess, after reading the first article, that Yallop will be around at least until 2008 WCQ, regardless of the results in this tournament.

I found this comment rather discouraging, too:

"If I put pressure on myself to get results at this point I'd be crazy," Yallop said Wednesday after practice on a pristine grass field in the shadows of Huskie Stadium at the University of Washington.

Gee Frank, when would be a good time to put pressure on yourself? I mean, really, this tournament can get Canada an invitation to the Copa America and (when ever its held again) the Confederations Cup. Both of which would help fill the gap in games the CSA sees fit not to provide prior to WCQ.

Try to win the Fccking thing, idiot! Put some pressure on yourself!

I totally agree. If he doesn't start putting pressure on himself now, then when would be the right time? WCQ for 2010? We need to start winning now, getting respectable results, and being invited to other tournaments where our players can be exposed and our ranking will go up... jeesh.

[canso]

"Did I beat anyone to it?"

DOH!

What do you think sounds better:

Fire Frank!!!

or

Sack Yallop!!!

or

Dump the wee man already!!!!

[Gian-Luca]

This article was carried in today's Toronto Star, which is the good news. The bad news, from a more long terms standpoint, is that Cathal Kelly, the Star's weekly soccer writer, sucks! On the day we start the Gold Cup, with nothing else going on in the soccer world he writes an article about the eccentricities of a Finnish player with Crystal Palace. I'm glad we have our priorities straight. He has not written about Canadian soccer once - either he is refusing to do so or the Star has specifically told him he can't. I think an email of complaint & inquiry is on its way to the Star about this guy - what's the deal?