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To Play or Not to Play ... For Canada


leekoo

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How many people know Edson Arentes do Nascimento. How many people can easily say Edson Arantes do Nascimento. EVERYONE and NO ONE.

Over the years, Edson Arentes do Nascimento learned to live with two pesons in his heart. Edson Arentes do Nascimento is regarded as the world's greatest soccer player. Edson Arentes do Nascimento is PELE but he doesn't like his nickname.

How many people know John van't Schip. NO ONE.

While much has been made of the fact that Jonathan De Guzman, might someday become a Dutch citizen, and play for Holland, what has been ignored is that if he should play for Holland in the 2006 World Cup, one of his coaches will also be a Canadian. The current assistant coach of the Dutch national team (assistant to Marco Van Basten) is John van't Schip (Full name Johannes Nicolaas van't Schip), born in Fort St John BC, December 30, 1963.

van't Schip was born in Canada of Dutch parents, who returned to Holland when he was eight, and took young John with them. He grew up in Amsterdam, and at the age of 12 entered the Ajax system. He progressed up through the system until he made his first team debut on December 6, 1981 playing for Ajax against Haarlem, alongside Johan Cruyff. van't Schip played for Ajax from 1981 to 1992, appearing in 273 Eredivisie games and scoring 29 goals. van't Schip was a winger or a wide midfield player. His 273 appearances for Ajax place him 15th on the all time Ajax list, two behind Johan Cruyff, who is 14th. He is also in the Ajax Hall of Fame, and you will find a lengthy bio on the Ajax Hall of Fame website and on the KNVB website if you can read Dutch.

John van't Schip made his international debut for Holland against Scotland on April 29, 1986 in Eindhoven, and played a total of 41 times for the Dutch national team, including the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

In 1992 he was transferred to the Italian club Genoa, then playing in Serie A. He played for Genoa from 1992 to 1996 appearing in 107 games and scoring 11 goals. The last season 1995-96 Genoa were in Serie B. Thus he became the second Canadian born player to play in Serie A after Valerio Alesi (born in Hamilton in 1966) who played for Ascoli in 1984.

His playing career over van't Schip became coach of the Ajax youth team and from 2001 to 2003 head coach of F.C. Twente.

van't Schip is a first cousin of Joe Nieuwendyk, who has played hockey for Canada, and in the NHL for the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs. Another cousin is Jeff Beukeboom who played for the New York Rangers. The three boys are said to be the sons of three sisters. Two grew up in a hockey culture, and became hockey players, one grew up in a soccer culture, and became a soccer player.

While Owen Hargreaves and John van't Schip were both born in Canada and have played internationally for other countries, they are not alone. Jimmy Nicholl was born in Hamilton, played for Manchester United and played 73 times for Northern Ireland including the 1982 and 1986 World Cups. He also played three seasons for Toronto Blizzard in the 1980s. John Little, born in Calgary, played for Scotland against Sweden in 1952, as well as for Glasgow Rangers. Joe Kennaway, born in Montreal played for Glasgow Celtic from 1931 to 1939, and once for Scotland, against Austria in 1933. Earlier he had played for Canada against the United States in Brooklyn in 1926. He would have played more times for Scotland, if the other British nations hadn't objected to a Canadian playing in goal for Scotland. Then going back a long, long way Edward Hagarty Parry, born in Toronto in 1855, played three times for England, once in 1879 and twice in 1882.

View Colin Jose's - To Play or Not to Play... For Canada

http://www.soccer.on.ca/OSN.nsf/0/4fe3646bb483041f85256eef0057eb15?OpenDocument

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In 1984 I went to Holland to do a TV special on Ajax. Tony Waiters at that time asked me if I could speak to Johnny and find out if he would be willing to play for Canada in the upcoming World Cup.Johnny had played in Mexico in the under 20 W.C.So there were some potential problems.When I asked him he looked very surprised and said that he would rather play for Holland in the W.c.I must say he was very surprised and it seemed he never thought about this or even expected this.With Ajax he played in Vancouver and they considered him to be one of their sons at that time. I tried at one time to get him interested in becoming the MNT coach,but that never went anywhere,he already had signed a contract with the Dutch Soccer Federation and was committed to van Basten.

I have always wondered abouit these genes among all the sisters,certainly worth a study.Beukeboom,Nieuwedijk and Van't schip.

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the real problem is that players have to leave Canada to develop their game to a top level. It is now 2006 and Canada must be the only Nation on earth without a National league. So who is to blame? deguzman was courted by every National youth coach of Canada. he will make his choice, however, canada's lack of structure is to blame

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Similar Challenge for Australia

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) - Croatia's soccer federation has its eye on another Australian-born player of Croatian descent, news reports said Wednesday.

Croatian soccer chief Vlatko Markovic is interested in 17-year-old Mathew Spiranovic for the World Cup-bound Croatian national squad, reported leading sports daily Sportske Novosti.

The Croatian soccer federation declined comment.

Spiranovic, who was recently accepted into Australian Institute of Sport development program, is described as a robust striker with exceptional dexterity on and off the ball.

The interest in Spiranovic is expected to rekindle tensions between Croatia and Australia, who have been drawn together in Group F of this year's World Cup in Germany. Also in the group are Japan and five-time champion Brazil.

Croatia and Australia have already clashed over loyalties.

The Croatian team presently has three players - Joey Didulica, Anthony Seric and Joe Simunic - who opted to represent the country of their origin rather than the country of their birth.

On the other hand, Australia has eight players of Croatian heritage in its squad, including captain Mark Viduka and midfielder Josip Skoko, who have had spells with Croatia's leading clubs.

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