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"Jaime Peters is great, just ask him" - TO Star


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Canuck U-20 star is great, just ask him; Jaime Peters eager to face powerhouse Argentina side in friendly tonight at BMO Field

MORGAN CAMPBELL

Toronto Star

746 words

11 May 2007

The Toronto Star

ONT

C08

English

Copyright © 2007 The Toronto Star

Ask Jaime Peters and he'll tell you just how good a soccer player he is.

Teammates and coaches joke about his super-sized ego. The midfielder on Canada's under-20 national team even describes himself "big headed."

So imagine Peters' dilemma two years ago when, after a tryout with Chelsea, the Premiership club offered him a spot on its reserve team.

Suddenly the kid who never met a challenge he couldn't conquer faced a tough choice: humble himself and become a full-time reserve in the Premiership, or humble himself and find more playing time in a lower league.

Peters opted for Ipswich of England's Championship Division, where he has developed into a standout midfielder and the key to Canada's success during this summer's under-20 World Cup.

Tonight Peters hopes to propel Canada past a powerful Argentine team in an exhibition match at BMO Field (kickoff, 8 p.m.). The defending under-20 World Cup champions, Argentina has won the tournament five times, but Peters faces this game the way he faces all others.

With confidence.

"(Argentina) better take us seriously," Peters says. " We have a good team and we'll come to play our hearts out. If we play to our capability we'll have a chance of beating them."

Peters has performed under pressure before. Last May he set up both goals in Canada's 2-1 win over Brazil, then scored the game winner in a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in October. Two years ago Peters set up both goals as Canada defeated Mexico to qualify for the 2005 tournament.

Head coach Dale Mitchell says Canada's success tonight - and during the tourney in July - depends on Peters' speed, playmaking and one-on-one style.

"I don't like to put pressure on people but we need him to be on top of his game in order to produce the offence we need to win games at this level," Mitchell said.

Growing up in Pickering, Peters was used to success. Playing baseball for the Pickering Red Sox, he earned an invite to Canada's national team as a teenager. Early in high school he dabbled in track, covering 400 metres in 50 seconds.

By age 16 Manchester City wanted to sign him, so Peters headed overseas to play soccer. Unable to secure a work permit in England, he wound up with FC Kaiserslautern in Germany while still striving for a spot in England. Over the next two years he auditioned not only at Chelsea, but also at Man U, Man City, Derby and Bayern Munich before landing at Ipswich.

Peters' two years as an itinerant footballer didn't diminish his desire or his confidence.

"I've never doubted myself," said Peters, who has played 12 games with the men's national team. "I always thought I had the ability to make it. I just needed that breakthrough."

At each stop he refined the fast-paced, fearless style that has won games for his team and won over his teammates.

"On his best day he's unstoppable," says David Edgar, Peters' under-20 teammate and roommate on team trips. "He's the fastest on the team by far. No left back wants to play against him."

Peters and Edgar, who plays for Newcastle, speak weekly. The talk usually, Edgar says, is about how well Peters played in his latest game. After a recent 5-1 Ipswich win, Peters admitted to Edgar he hadn't scored, shocking his friend into silence. It wasn't like Peters not to take credit for such big win, Edgar thought.

"But," Peters said a moment later. "I set up all five."

Relieved that his friend hadn't changed, Edgar carried on with the conversation.

Peters says being cocky is okay because it doesn't make him complacent. He expects a lot of himself and says a healthy ego only intensifies that desire.

"I want to be the best," Peters says. "I'll work hard and show everybody I'm the best. I'll kind of (brag) about it, but I'll work harder to get better."

786607-541822.jpg | Richard Lautens toronto star Midfielder Jaime Peters has been on the ball for English team Ipswich and Canada's under-20 squad. | ;

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Confidence and desire are one thing, cockiness something else entirely. You can't live long on cockiness, though I suspect a footballer's career is just short enough to allow for wall-to-wall swagger. I rather prefer Hutch's cool confidence, to be honest. Hutch remains, in my mind, our most gifted player, both in terms of his head for the game and technique. Hutch has the right attitude.

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I have pretty much my whole life had contempt for overly cocky individuals. Hopefully he is cocky in the right way and continues to work hard. This kid is the style of player that the CDN system needs, speed flair and confidence make for top level wingers.

Hopefully he continues to grow and can show what he has this summer.

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a team needs all sorts of attitudes and since he seems to be well liked theres nothing wrong with his attitude.

i just hope he doesnt think he is better than he actually is. i think this is what causes derosario to try to beat defenders too often only to dribble to an impossible angle and then shoot the ball into the stands.

in any event i dont see peters having much impact on wcq, as his winger position belongs to dero or hume or radz

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This is exactly what we need. Not the typical Canadian..."I'm just happy to be here " attitude. I want to see Canada win as much as anybody else and if it means having a few massive egos on the team.....bring it on. I don't have to be friends with them. Make me even more proud to wear a Maple Leaf kit.

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quote:"I want to be the best," Peters says. "I'll work hard and show everybody I'm the best. I'll kind of (brag) about it, but I'll work harder to get better."

I love that. And I think Peters is the guy that will win games for us, and from what I have seen/heard, we don't have that guy right now.

Of course if a certain someone decides to put on the red and white, then we will have two guys that can do that.:)

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quote:Originally posted by Bertuzzi44

I like how he "stands up" for the Canadian team. As long as he is a team player, then I'm ok with a little "cockiness"

Plus, Glen Sather says he likes it when his best players are a little cocky, and he knows something about winning, so...

Slats used to know something about winning, back when he has a pretty stacked Oiler team. Still, I take your point, as well as the others. Remember, Wyn Belotte was damned cocky too, but it did him in.

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I agree with Pulsar. I like Peters' quip about "they better take us seriously" effing eh, about time we saw this attitude from Canadian players. I'll take cocky over humble in a winger anyday because cocky takes chances and cocky scores goals.

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quote:Originally posted by Jamit

I love that. And I think Peters is the guy that will win games for us, and from what I have seen/heard, we don't have that guy right now.

Of course if a certain someone decides to put on the red and white, then we will have two guys that can do that.:)

It would be nice if that certain someone suprised everyone and threw his hat in for this summer. but wishfull thinking

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There could be a few certain "someones" but given the way we played argentina....i will hold my head high without them. I don't want to detract from the subject...but we would be a contender with them as well.

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lol... I think Jaime is joking around to an extent - the match report from ITFC's official website only really gave him credit for two of the five. That said, two is better than none :D And I think he got MOTM honours from the site, too. I'll go back and check. The 5-1 win was against Barnsley, btw.

Just as long as he's not too over-the-top cocky, I say more power to him ;)

EDIT: Here's the match report. Judge for yourself ;)

http://www.itfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10272~34019,00.html

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