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Fernandes


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Guest Jeffery S.

Daniel was invited to a Portugal U-23 camp but is not going.

I don't want to say any more as of now, but he continues to insist that his number one choice and sole sentimental option internationally is to play for Canada.

That does not mean that in Portugal they have forgotten him, nor that in Greece they are not interested in him.

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It is imperative that he is called for the Austria game. He doesn't have to start but he should at least be called. He should have been called for Luxembourg. With all of the trouble we have had with people committing to Canada you think the people in charge would learn their lesson. Especially when he seems to favour playing for Canada, is young and very promising and plays a position in which we are weak.

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For once, Grizzly and I agree on something! This whole issue with Daniel just baffles me. Is Canada really in the position to lose even more players to other countries? We seem to be losing a very promising one every year or so as it is. This kid wants to play for Canada. Somebody in the CSA needs to explain this - maybe Davidson can get on this for everyone's sake. It would be a major story in any real footballing nation

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The U23 camp is actually Portugal's B team. Portugal hosts a B team tournament every January, usualy with a couple of eastern European teams. Most players invited are players on the cusp of the first team. It gives the coaches a chance to work with these players. Porugal's team this year consists of mostly the U21 players, as they are the hosts of the U21 European tournament this summer, and are using this tournament to prepare. The team was chosen last week, and I didn't see Fernandes as one of the players invited, however every time Portugal's B team has been selected, I always check to see if Fernandes is chosen, as he keeps making news in Portugal. I won't be surprised to see it one day.

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Today's (Sun., Jan. 15) edition of a daily sports paper published in beautiful Thessaloniki (the one and only capital of Macedonia - unlike Skopje the capital of Western Bulgaria - sorry :D) has a story about Fernandez.

On the front page it has a line saying, Fernandez was invited to the Portuguese Olympic team. Is that him on the cover? link

There's a story on the inside. Says he's 22 so probably born in 83 so won't be available for 2008. But I guess like Manuel says, it's more of a B team, than an actual Olympic team.

It says the Portuguese FA called PAOK and asked for Fernandez phone number and the next day they called him and told him the B' team coach wants to play him in an upcoming tournament.

Also says that PAOK must receive an official fax form the Portuguese FA saying they want Fernandez, which has not been sent. PAOK is quoted as saying, "Ofcourse we are proud if our players are called up for international duty". Wonder if they would have said the same thing had it been Canada calling. [:P]

The newspaper spoke with the General Manager of the Portuguese B team (Antonio Cravinio). He said (like Manuel did) there is a tournament in Portugal January 23-26 and the coach wants him to play. He said he spoke to Fernandez a couple days ago and will send a fax to PAOK in a couple days. I guess that's not good cause that must mean Fernandez is interested in playing. Portugal is playing Georgia, Slovenia and Slovakia.

Fernandez is quoted as saying, (roughly) "I spoke with the Portuguese FA a couple days ago and they said they want me to play. I am honoured that they even considered me, but I am waiting for the official invitation." Doesn't say anything about Canada.

Even if he plays in this exhibition tournament, he still is available for Canada right?

For those of you who can read Greek, go to extrasport.gr. Click on the "10 Best of" on the left hand side. Then click on "2006 January" at the top. Then there's this really stupid scrolling thing in the middle. Click on the page numbered "06011501" (near the end), it's the front page of issue. The one right beside it, number "06011505" is the page with the Fernandez article.

We're going to lose players to B teams. B TEAMS. I don't care if he never plays one meaningful international game in his life. B TEAMS. If heads don't roll over this...

I know, it's the Argos fault. [:P]

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Guest Jeffery S.

Well most of what has been said is about right.

The call-up is related to a B team tournament in the last midweek of the month (next week) involving Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Georgia. Here is the link to the call-up:

http://www.fpf.pt/scriptnews/view/show.php/?id=2288

The team is practicing together today and tomorrow.

As said, many players would figure in a U-21 side that would be preparing for the European U-21 championship, starting in mid-May and going to early June. But as the U-21 championship I believe is the qualifier for the Olympics out of UEFA, this may be the one. Or perhaps they'll use another one in 2008 itself, before the Olympics, I am not sure.

Daniel was born in September 1983, and for the European 2006 U-21 tournament you have to have been born on or after Jan 1, 1984. I don't know, then, if he would technically be U-23 or not come the Beijing Olympics.

It is true that he is not on the official call-up list, that they contacted his club, that Paok said it was not an official request and that they could not say yes to it. As you can see all players called up are on Portugal-based clubs.

Daniel from what I understand is flattered by the interest, feels that going would raise his professional profile, and has said that he is still waiting for some word from Canada, that elusive call that never seems to come.

Folks should remember that Daniel is known in Portugal still. He won the Portugal Junior u-17 club championship with Porto his first year there, he did not begin as a starter but eventually became the no 1 in goal. In the second year they were runners up, with Daniel starting the whole year, but being benched in the last few games, apparently because the president of Porto wanted him to sign for more years for them and as he was unsure about the offer, they took him off the team (which featured Helder Postiga). Many players felt that his being benched hurt their chances that year for a second straight Junior club championship.

Later that summer he signed with Celta Vigo.

Portugal will be watching Paok even more closely now, as Paulo Costa, who is under contract with Girondins and was on trial at Derby County, seems to have signed today with the Greek club for the remainder of the year. I suppose he was looking for loan options after not playing.

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I guess this would be a bad thing for Canada, another prospect gone, and a good thing for Fernandes. If everything that Jeffrey says about him wanting to play for Canada, but not receiving a call, well then this would be the perfect time to try and impress Portugal. At the moment there is a keeper crisis in Portugal. Ricardo is having a terrible year and the fans have lost confidence in him. Quim at Benfica has just been relegated to the bench as Benfica just signed a Brazilian keeper. Morriera, the other Benfica keeper is out long term through injury, and Scolari refuses to play Vitor Baia. At this moment Portugal only has one keeper who is playing, and he isn't having a good season. If Fernandes shows up to this B Team camp plays some games, does a good job, he may catch Scolari's attention. I think this is the reason he is invited in the first place. Fernades has nothing to lose. Worst case he's not good enough for Portugal, but still available for Canada. Best case he could be their third keeper in Germany.

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Also forgot to mention that a while back Scolari said that the third keeper would be a young keeper, and he would bring him to Germany for the experience. Most people in Portugal assume that he will bring Bruno Vale, Fernandes' old team mate at Porto, and U21 keeper. That being said, there is an opening for a young keeper on Portugals World cup team.

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Yesterdays (Tue., Jan. 17) issue of a Greek sports paper reported that on Monday, the Portuguese FA sent an official invitation to PAOK and that Fernandes accepted and will be playing in that tournament next week.

Nothing about Canada anywhere. If he really was debating who to play for, wouldn't he mention even just off-hand that he is also eligible for Canada? Maybe he did and granted, it's not that big of news, but I'm sure somewhere even once they would mention that he is also eligible for Canada.

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they don't care if he's elligible. i hope canada hasn't missed out on this young man. remembering of course we have begovic, hirschfeld, sutton, stamatopolous, and wagenaar - any number of which could develop into a huge talent. i'd put hirsch ahead though as he's at a particularly large club with massive history in champions league - and always seem to get real madrid in group play.

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Yep. Let's blame the player for this. No accountability questions to FY or the CSA as usual as we continue to lose talent. They are like that Steven Seagal movie apparently.

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quote:Originally posted by bettermirror

they don't care if he's elligible. i hope canada hasn't missed out on this young man. remembering of course we have begovic, hirschfeld, sutton, stamatopolous, and wagenaar - any number of which could develop into a huge talent. i'd put hirsch ahead though as he's at a particularly large club with massive history in champions league - and always seem to get real madrid in group play.

Scolari has invited Fernandes. Despite your opinion, I doubt Scolari would invite anybody in that list above except perhaps Lars.

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Just as an aside to all this, but I actually have a bonafide PAOK scarf. Got in the fall of 2000 when I went with some Greek friends to Eindhoven to watch PAOK have there asses handed to them by PSV 5-0, with Kezmania still being, well, a mania at the time. Kezmania in it's current Atletico Madrid incarnation is drastically low-key. The PAOK supporters during the match were gloriously insane. Shame I didn't understand all the crude and vulgar chants. Anyway, PAOK at the time was a bit of a mess, with players' salaries barely getting paid.

Anyway, I'm a dyed in the wool PAOK supporter after that because as they say "In defeat or distress, or in your mother's wedding dress, if you don't settle for PAOK, you settle for much less".

So go you Thessaloniki Malakas(sp?)!

edit: added: Go Fernandes!

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If Fernandes plays in the tournament, he will still be eligable for Canada. If he plays 1 minute against Austria, he could still be eligable for Portugal. He has to play an official FIFA game. Exibition games don't count. Had Mitchel played him in the last game of the U21 quailfing, when we had already qualified, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

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