Exclusive Voyageurs Kevan Pipe interview......

[Winnipeg Fury]

Mods, please feel free to correct any spelling, I'm having tuoble with my computer. Here is Part 2 of the Kevan Pipe interview:

Q: Canadian fans were promised years ago that we would see a proper domestic cup competition involving our professional clubs. Is this close to materializing ?

A: It was very, very close to materializing just this month. We could not in fact bring all the parties together. Those parties being the USL clubs, plus our provincial bodies. We could not bring it to a final conclusion at the eleventh hour. We worked very hard and very long this past spring and summer on this project.

One of the insurances that we wanted to recieve from our confederation body, CONCACAF, was that the winner would gain entry into the 2007 CONCACAF Champions Cup. This is on the agenda for CONCACAF at their next meeting next month in November. We are hoping the decision will be a positive one, which will allow the Open Cup to take place in 2007. The winner of that championship would go into the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2008.

We actually came very close to pulling it off this year, but our member clubs did not want to proceed unless they had that guarantee in place. CONCACAF could not provide that guarantee. As a result, we are now working with CONCACAF, so we can secure this for 2008.

Q: We have lost not only a Coach but a Technical Director in fairly short order. Both men came in with visions of making major contributions for Canadian soccer. Why did they leave and have any problems been identified, and are any changes being made by the CSA to keep good people in our program ?

A: The two individuals who left, the reasons were very public. Frank, because he wanted to return to MLS with a very unique opportunity to coach the LA Galaxy of MLS. We were very sorry to see Frank leave, and were very happy with the way the team was progressing. However, Frank asked us to be let out of his contract, and we agreed to that.

As you know we have appointed Stephen Hart to that position for the balance of this year, and we will be commencing a search shortly for this position for 2007. Both domestic and possibly internationally as well.

In terms of Dick Bates, same thing. We had just signed Dick to a 5 year contract and had no desire for him to leave. He stated to us that he thought his career at the international level was coming to a close. Dick wanted to finish his career with a unique contribution to the evolution of Canadian soccer, but an unplanned opportunity in the Premiership came up, and it was too good for him to pass up.

The legacy of Dick is very distinct, in that he has left us with his research and development analysis of the last 9 or 10 months, and we are working on this right now. In fact, as we are currently advertising for a new Director of Technical programming. It is not our intent to start again from base one. We have the R&D completed, and it is now to be the responsibility of the successor to in fact start applying the lessons learned.

So while we are again dissapointed with seeing Dick leave, we believe we have got the potential for lot's of work to be completed, when that successor comes into the position. Hopefully the position will be filled by the end of this month.

Q: We have recently lost 2 potential Canadian international players to Portugal and prior to that the more high profile departure of Hargreaves to England. We now have more potential impact players considering playing for Holland, England and the Czech Republic. What can be done to stop this exodus of our top international talent ?

A: First of all, in two of the cases, Jonathon DeGuzman and Marcel DeJong, there is ongoing contact with both players. Both players are very aware in the interest that Canada has in both these talented players.

We are certainly hoping that Marcel will eventually suit up with our national men's team and our Olympic team as well, as we enter Olympic Qualifying next year.

Certainly in the case of Jonathon DeGuzman, we hope he will join his brother as part of our national senior squad. And in fact will take part in the incredible opportunity next year when Canada hosts the FIFA U-20 World Cup. There has been a lot of effort and a lot of communication has taken place with these individuals.

At the same time, we do live in a free world, and these individuals will have to make up their own mind. But yes, their has been communication and the CSA wants to see these players ultimately commit themselves to Canada. That's why we are spending time with these players to make sure they are aware of the opportunities that avail themselves as part of our national team program.

At the same time this is a free world, and the players will ultimately have to make a decision which they feel, will be in their best interest. We simply hope that after all the communication and logical explanation, that they feel the best decision to be made, is to come home and play for their national team.

Q: If you were a betting man, would you say that DeGuzman and DeJong will play for Canada ?

A: I am a very optimistic person. In fact I often say, if I can't be optimistic, who can be optimistic about the sport. Yes, I'm hoping both players choose Canada.

I think Marcel may be testing the waters a bit, but I think he had a great experience with the U-20 squad in Holland last year, and I'm sure Marcel will be with the squad in the years to come.

With Jonathon, I hope he follows the example set by his brother, Julian. At the end of the day, to come back home, particularly to particpipate in this very historic opportunity that Canadian soccer has it front of it, with hosting the second biggest FIFA event in the world, combined with launching our new stadium in Toronto.

We hope that in fact, Jonathon will come to that proper decision, and say there is only one team he can play for, and that is Canada.

Q: How about Adam Street of West Ham United, that is rumoured to be suiting up for the England junior team. Has there been any contact with him ?

A: I would have to check with our national team staff. That communication occurs between our national team staff and those players on an ongoing and regular basis.

Q: For most nations, the senior men's national team is the marquee of a nation's soccer federation. Has our men's World Cup team recieved the funding and prominence that is deserves ?

A: Certainly, it is the margquee of our federation as well. We are in a unique situation, where our national women's team is also ranked tenth in the world. The women certainly have a lot of profile across the country.

The symbol of our association is going to be our senior mens national team. We have been saying recently that we now have our new national stadium in place, now that we are seeing some progress with our mens national team, who are unbeaten in the last year. We are making every single effort to insure that we are in Soutrh Afica in 2010. Absolutely it has recieved the prominence. It has always and shall always recieve the prominence.

In terms of funding we are assigning as much as we can. What people have to realize, that not only are we running our national senior men's team, which is our marquee team, but our national senior womens team, which is on the verge of playing World Cup Qualifying that starts next month. We also run 11 different other national teams as well. It would be so easy to say, we going to shut down all funding and focus only on these two senior national teams. The problem is, you are short-changing yourself in the future. As a result, we have to discipline ourselves, while we put as much time, effort and money into these senior teams, we also have to work with tomorrow's players. If you don't, you are only short-changing yourself down the road.

We run our multiple youth teams and the U-20 team, and we feel our U-20 team we are working on right now, has the potential to send 4 or 5 players straight into the senior squad. Jamie Peters is already there, a player like David Edgar, I think Will Johston has had 1 or 2 caps. The goalie Asmir Begovic, some say could be the next Craig Forrest of Canadian soccer. So we believe there is a number of players from that squad that will step right into the national team.

It's also important for people to remember that with the international calendar that FIFA has put into place, the days of playing 20-25 matches are long gone. We are able to play only on those dates that FIFA has assigned to the international calender. As well as usually, an opportunity at the end of the European season in late May, early June. Having said that, the players, after a long European season are rightfully looking forward to going on vacation.

There is a number of balancing factors, but certainly our goal every year, we are looking to play 9-11 matches. That is the maximum that you can play. All you have to do is go on FIFA.com, check the international calender, and that is the maximum we can play over the course of the year.

Q: How about additional B-team matches ?

A: B-team matches are very difficult, because if we play outside of this calender, we have to physically go to these clubs, and ask for their voluntary release. Even for these upcoming games with our U-20 Czech Republic, the international calender is even being implemented for youth teams.

For us to get release of our youth players outside of the calender is very difficult. We saw that with our recent games vs the USA series. We had players that were not released by their clubs, because it was not an international date. So if we are playing B-team matches, it's going to be with those players in October or November, who have finished the USL season, That is a limited amount of players. College players, we may have to wait till the end of November or December.

Regarless, we still do that. I believe we have a camp in December and Janaury to try to deal with these opportunities. To try and put on B-team games in Canada in December and January is very difficult, if not impossible. But certainly we do those camps, to scout those payers and give them an opportunity to come and train with at least some members of the pool, and give them some caliber of games, usually down in Florida.

Q: What will be your biggest challenge in the next couple of years ?

A: My biggest challenge will be hundreds of thousands of tickets to sell, stadiums to renovate, and the second biggest FIFA event to stage. We have given an absolute committment to FIFA, that this will be the best FIFA championship at a youth international level.

At the same time, we have about 9 months to put our bid together for the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2011, which we hope to present to FIFA at the championship in July.

With a combination of staging this championship, with a combination of opening our national stadium, and welcoming MLS to Canada, and putting our hosting package together for 2011, we have our work cut-out for us.

At the same time, we have to expand the number of professional clubs playing in appropriate stadiums all across Canada.

Q: Any chance of hosting the Gold Cup ?

A: We have already publicly stated that the 2009 Gold Cup, at least the Canada section, will be hosted in Toronto, and yes, on Field Turf.

Q: Any closing comments to The Voyageurs ?

A: We need everyone to rally behind the sport. If we can't get excited with a FIFA championship, with a brand new stadium, with MLS coming to town, with the potential expansion of more professional soccer clubs, (that is a priority we will be working on), the Women's World Cup hopefully coming to Canada, with Canada hosting their home games for 2009 Gold Cup. My goodness, if we can't rally behind the game now, then we really have to ask ourselves a bunch of questions. We now have the opportunity in front of us, we have to grab it.

[River City]

Well...I'm impressed.

I still disagree MLS/USL is the way to go (franchise fees for one MLS club could have funded a proper domestic league), but it's a done deal now. I'm glad to hear the CSA is working on providing the MLS clubs a proper development base at the USL level, and I hope that they work on having a proper development base for the USL clubs as well.

More importantly, I'm excited about Canada (possibly) having an entry into the Concacaf Champions Cup. Kudos to the CSA and Kevan Pipe for their work. This will definitely spur the development of pro soccer in the country.

[BrennanFan]

this was great, really one of the most significant projects the voyageurs have ever been associated with. thank you WF. pipe answered well, but overall i got the feeling that he was being much to hopeful, naive, unrealistic with the usl teams, the fieldturf, the players leaving, the WYC being the saviour of canadian soccer...

[john tv]

Well guys here it is, magnificent and visionary and already full of positive results and a lot more to come.

I guess it is up to us to rally behind the CSA and for once make soccer a very major sport in Canada.

[rdroze]

Thanks so much for this interview! Excellent questions (wishing we had a media contingent that would regularly ask these types of questions...), and about as much candour from Pipe as could be expected.

We should make this a yearly thing.

[Daniel]

quote:Originally posted by rdroze

Thanks so much for this interview! Excellent questions (wishing we had a media contingent that would regularly ask these types of questions...), and about as much candour from Pipe as could be expected.

We should make this a yearly thing.

What he said.

[Winnipeg Fury]

quote:Originally posted by rdroze

Thanks so much for this interview! Excellent questions (wishing we had a media contingent that would regularly ask these types of questions...), and about as much candour from Pipe as could be expected.

We should make this a yearly thing.

I asked Kevan if he would be interested in any future interviews, and he stated that he would be happy to speak again with me.

And yes, I intended this to be the start of a regular feature. We should not be relying on magazines and mainstream media. Believe it or not, we are a force in Canadian soccer, and there is no reason we can not conduct our own interviews with anyone we wish. Nobody should be untouchable, and there is no reason to sugar-coat the questions. Obviously some tact must be used at times. The number one thing is that you present yourself as informed, polite and professional. It's also great PR for the Voyageurs (assuming it is conducted properly).

[loyola]

Again great stuff WF, very well done!!!

Do you think it would be possible to have an opportunity to make a similar interview with Stephen Hart? I think we have a lot of questions for him (Lars, Nsaliwa, Street, DeJong etc...).

Thanks to Kevin Pipe too for accepting this interview.

[Winnipeg Fury]

quote:Originally posted by loyola

Again great stuff WF, very well done!!!

Do you think it would be possible to have an opportunity to make a similar interview with Stephen Hart? I think we have a lot of questions for him (Lars, Nsaliwa, Street, DeJong etc...).

Thanks to Kevin Pipe too for accepting this interview.

Pipe did come off very well.

Hart is a must. All of our coaching staff (and some of our ex-coaches [}]) will make ideal interviews.

Players, owners, media, you name it. We are using the Borg theme: Resistance is Futile

[The Beaver]

Excellent work, Fury! And good on Pipe for facing his toughest critics--the Voyageurs--head on. You've established a good rapport, one that could prove fruitful--if only informative--for quite some time.

Now, if Kevan is open to the idea, you should see if you can't cobble together an article that might get picked up by some major papers, or perhaps a magazine somewhere. I suppose, considering there isn't really any "news" in the this interview, you might want to pitch a feature article to somebody like the Walrus, or even Toro. Remember the freelancers motto: Always sell your work (research) three times, if you can.

[loyola]

Maybe Quebec Soccer would be interested to publish such an article since there's a part concerning the Impact and the future of pro soccer?

[Richard]

With Winnipeg Fury's permission this entire interview has been posted as an Editorial on www.bcsoccerweb.com.

[Grizzly]

Like the others I was generally pleased with the interview. I do however think there is still a lack of recognition as to how important the Men's Senior Team is to us getting both respect internationally and in helping soccer grow in this country. His answers just didn't convince me that the MNT is really getting the emphasis and funding it deserves. I also found the following disturbing:

quote:As you know we have appointed Stephen Hart to that position for the balance of this year, and we will be commencing a search shortly for this position for 2007. Both domestic and possibly internationally as well.

What is with possibly internationally? It seems self evident that one should look at the best candidates available regardless of where they are from. It sounds like to me that the coach may already be chosen and is probably either Mitchell or Hart.

[The Beaver]

quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

Like the others I was generally pleased with the interview. I do however think there is still a lack of recognition as to how important the Men's Senior Team is to us getting both respect internationally and in helping soccer grow in this country. His answers just didn't convince me that the MNT is really getting the emphasis and funding it deserves. I also found the following disturbing:

What is with possibly internationally? It seems self evident that one should look at the best candidates available regardless of where they are from. It sounds like to me that the coach may already be chosen and is probably either Mitchell or Hart.

I suspect you are right, and that Mitchell has the edge on Hart so far.

[sKriSh]

Great interview, thanks for doing this.

[El Hombre]

Let me first say: good job WF. Very impressive. Nice to see someone (somepeople?) working proactively. The questions were appropriate for the interviewee. Once you get into interviewing coaches, then you start talking squad selections and whatnot, but for Pipe the subjects covered were bang on.

The only thing I have to say though, and it has nothing to do with the job you did, is that a guy like Pipe (or any executive for that matter) doesn't get to their position without being good with words. I appreciate the time he took to do the interview, but the skeptic in me is still waiting for a couple more positive results before singing the CSA's praises. Good first step though.

[Guest speedmonk42]

Great job!

Thanks

jm

[Guest Jeffery S.]

WF, I think it would be hard to do that any better. I know there is a tendency to think you were soft on some things, but you are face to face and you can't alientate your subject, or else the next question down the line does not get answered. It is normal to not press too much, and in any case we all catch the contradictions and oddities, there was no need for you to do so.

So seriously, I appreciate how difficult this is to to well and you really did a fine job.

Having said all that, I think that Pipe did whitewash a few things. It was absurd to refer to not being able to play 20 times a year now, when he knows we play way too little, not even half that. We do not fulfil the FIFA minimum, hardly ever. The committment to the Canadian fan has been terrible, we have been slighted constantly. His answer was cynical.

I do not really appreciate the "MLS is coming to town" turn of phrase. Not to my town.

I honestly think Pipe could not give a damn about the Lynx. So be it.

Only thing I would have liked to have heard that was not here: his own assessment of his failure as part of the CSA to get the men's national team on the map over his entire tenure.

[Free kick]

quote:Originally posted by Winnipeg Fury

Ken Pipe insisted that no mention of this interview be made public prior to the interview, .........

Terrific questions!!!! kudos and big thanks for taking the time to carry out the interview and to post his comments

[RS]

Just want to echo the sentiments of thanks from everyone here.

An interview with Kevan Pipe is far more constructive than the idle speculation and conspiracy theories which we're usually limited to around here.

[Guest Ed]

Winnipeg Fury deserves all the credit for this work. A great job by one of Canadian soccer's biggest (figuratively speaking of course) supporters.

[Winnipeg Fury]

Just a few thoughts. I may put down more as people comment and my memory is jogged.

- Kevan Pipe sounded seriously bummed about the 'Lynx to the PDL rumour.' It sounded like news to him, so I'm pretty sure he had not heard it. I could hear the breath go out of him when I told him. I do believe he cares, because if all our USL First Division clubs fold, player development is basically screwed according to the professional pyramid that he is proposing. As I have stated before, there will be nobody to feed the MLS clubs. He also agreed that a ratio of 3 USL First Division clubs for every MLS club "was bang-on."

- After the interview, he was kicking himself that he had forgot to mention the new broadcast agreement with the CBC. He felt this was a huge accomplishment and would "really blow the doors open for exposure to Canadian soccer." He wanted me to put something in the actual interview, but I told him the tape was off, so I could not add anything.

- I do believe that he was completely honest in his answers. When I challenged him about the lack of First Division clubs, he was, as expected, very professional in his demeanor. There isn't a lot of details in his answers about the plan to facilitate the growth of USL First Division clubs in Canada, but I don't think it's because he is hiding anything, I think it's because at this point there essentially is no concrete plan, other than what he stated.

[Soccerpro]

I looked for, and can't find any info on kevin pipe. Does he a biography listed somewhere? Info like what degrees he has, prior work experience etc etc? Just curious

[Guest Dave]

quote:Originally posted by Soccerpro

I looked for, and can't find any info on kevin pipe. Does he a biography listed somewhere? Info like what degrees he has, prior work experience etc etc? Just curious

How did you spell his name? He usually goes by "Kevan" with an "A" instead of an "I".

Congratulations and thanks to WF for a great initiative.

[Daniel]

quote:Originally posted by Winnipeg Fury

- After the interview, he was kicking himself that he had forgot to mention the new broadcast agreement with the CBC. He felt this was a huge accomplishment and would "really blow the doors open for exposure to Canadian soccer." He wanted me to put something in the actual interview, but I told him the tape was off, so I could not add anything.

Uh, couldn't you turn it back on? What else can you add that was said while the tape recorder was turned off? Did he mention CBC within the context of the Canadian national teams or just them in FIFA tournies?