Press Coverage (Costa Rica Post-Match)

[Marco07]

Thought it might be good to put up the collection of match reports from after the match...I'll start.

Canadian men earn draw with Costa Rica

By John F. Molinaro, CBCSports.ca

TORONTO — The Canadian men's soccer team put in a solid performance Wednesday night. It's too bad so few people saw it.

The Canadians looked impressive in earning a 1-1 draw with Costa Rica in an international exhibition match, but only 9,325 fans showed up to watch Canada's first contest in Toronto in almost seven years.

Canada's last game in Toronto was a 0-0 draw with Mexico in a World Cup qualifier on Nov. 15, 2000, at Varsity Stadium, which has since been demolished.

Although Canada played well against their CONCACAF rivals on Wednesday, the real story of the game was the poor turnout.

Thus far, Toronto FC has sold out all of its games at BMO Field in its inaugural season, but Canada didn't even come close to filling half the stadium.

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Vast swathes of the stands at the 20,050-seat stadium, including most of the upper tier on the west side, were empty. BMO Field is an intimate sports arena for Toronto FC games, but it was an empty tomb for the Canada-Costa Rica game.

The poor turnout comes at a critical time for the Canadian Soccer Association, still reeling from the recent resignation of Colin Linford as president.

Linford shot some arrows at the CSA on his way out the door, saying it needs to be replaced with a more professionally run outfit if Canada is to have any hope of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.

His words prompted several local groups, under the banner of Canadian Soccer Supporters United, to launch its Black Wednesday campaign.

The group sent out a series of press releases earlier in the week, urging fans to show up at BMO Field dressed in black from head to toe as a sign of their disgust with the CSA and what the group feels is the organization's bungling of the national team program — Canada last qualified for the World Cup in 1986.

A large percentage of those in attendance dressed in black — protest organizers sold hundreds of "Sack the CSA" shirts for $5 outside the stadium — but a far more powerful statement was the fact that thousands of Toronto soccer fans didn't even bother to show up.

Asked if he noticed the fans in black, Canadian coach Dale Mitchell said, "You're so focused on the match that you don't really pay any attention to what's going on in the stands."

Pressed further by reporters about the protests and the state of affairs at the CSA, Mitchell declined to comment.

Team Canada veteran Tomasz Radzinski had plenty to say, though.

"Knowing that Toronto FC gets a full house every game and the national team comes with the best Canada has to offer and we only get eight or nine thousands fans, it was disappointing," the Canadian forward said.

Canada plays with confidence

As for the game itself, Canada showed flashes of brilliance and stroked the ball around with great confidence, but was let down by some poor finishing inside the box.

Ali Gerba's header just sailed over the crossbar in the opening minutes and Costa Rican goalkeeper Wardy Alfaro denied Atiba Hutchinson with a fantastic save after the Canadian made a great solo run inside the box.

The hosts paid for their wastefulness in the 48th minute when Victor Nunez collected a sublime pass and skipped past the Canadian defence before slotting the ball home past goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld.

Just moments later, Costa Rica was reduced to 10 men when Randal Azofeifa earned his second yellow card of the game and was ejected.

Canada went right to work against the depleted Costa Rican side, levelling the score in the 54th minute. Julian De Guzman launched a long pass from midfield to Dwayne De Rosario, who controlled the ball with his chest inside the box before slamming it into the roof of the net.

The goal was De Rosario's 12th for the national team.

Canada poured on the pressure in the final 20 minutes, and substitute Rob Friend had a chance to win in the 86th minute, but a Costa Rica defender booted the ball away just as the Canadian was about to shoot.

"There were chances there for us to win it … I'm a little disappointed with the result, because maybe we did enough to deserve the win," Mitchell said.

Toronto FC captain Jim Brennan started for Canada, while teammates Kenny Stamatopoulos and Chris Pozniak watched from the bench as substitutes.

The Canadians, No. 53 in the current FIFA world rankings — one spot behind Costa Rica — defeated Los Ticos 2-1 in their previous meeting at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in June.

LINK: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/story/2007/09/12/canada-soccer.html

I may not like all of his articles, but was pleased about this post match report.

[Marco07]

Too bad no mention from this article about the Canadian Soccer Supporters protest.

SOC: Canada earns draw with Costa Rica

Canadian Press

9/12/2007 10:38:17 PM

TORONTO (CP) - The Canadian men's soccer team ended a seven-year absence from Toronto with a lively showing in a 1-1 tie Wednesday night with Costa Rica in a soccer friendly, the latest chapter in a rivalry that will likely be renewed in the next round of World Cup qualifying.

A spectacular strike by Dwayne De Rosario in the 54th minute earned Canada the draw, cancelling out a Costa Rican goal six minutes earlier that came against the run of play before a disappointing crowd of 9,325 at BMO Field.

''I think we dominated the game. We had more and better chances. Unfortunately the one shot on goal they had turned out to be a goal,'' Canadian forward Tomasz Radzinski said.

''It's really, really disappointing coming to Toronto and not getting a result.''

But there was plenty to celebrate, including De Rosario's goal - a thing of beauty.

The Houston Dynamo star took a majestic cross-field pass from Julian de Guzman, brought the ball down and hammered a left-footed shot past Costa Rican goalkeeper Jose Francisco Porras. De Rosario has a history of spectacular goals in MLS play and this strike was a worthy addition to his collection.

And the Canadians stroked the ball around the park, looking as comfortable as the visitors, who have been to the last two World Cups.

''I'm sure we know today that we can beat that team. Knowing that they've been in the World Cup, that means we can take their place . . . for the next one,'' said Radzinski.

''We're going to have a strong squad. I'm very optimistic for the future,'' he added.

The opening goal came in the 48th minute when Costa Rica carved open the Canadian defence to find Victor Nunez streaking down the left and his shot beat goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld.

''We went asleep for two minutes and we got punished,'' De Rosario said.

Two minutes later, the visitors were reduced to 10 men when midfielder Randall Azofeifa was sent off for a second yellow card after scything Radzinski to the artificial turf. The visitors did all they could to slow the game down after that, eating away at the clock.

Coach Dale Mitchell did his bit in going after the win, throwing on fresh attackers as the match progressed. The home side outshot Costa Rica 13-3.

''It was supposed to be a friendly, but it wasn't really much of a friendly,'' Mitchell said. ''It was more like a (World Cup) qualifying game.

''Certainly there were chances there for us to win it - five or six decent chances,''

Still Costa Rican coach Hernan Medford Bryan said he was happy with his team's performance.

''We played very well,'' he said through an interpreter. ''We had very little time together.''

The team will improve in the leadup to the World Cup, he added.

The game was the first in Toronto for the national team since a 0-0 tie with Mexico in a World Cup qualifier Nov. 15, 2000, a gap largely due to lack of a suitable venue after Varsity Stadium was demolished. Since then the Canadian men have played 53 internationals of which only seven have been at home - Burnaby, B.C. (3), Kingston, Ont. (2), Edmonton (1) and Montreal (1).

The most disappointing part of the night was the sparse crowd on a cloudy night at BMO Field, with a temperature of 18 C at kickoff.

There were more players on the field than fans in the top tier of the west stand - the stadium's biggest - when the anthems started. When the expansion MLS side Toronto FC plays, the stadium is sold out with raucous crowds of some 20,000 per game.

''I thought it would be a soldout crowd. We haven't played in seven years,'' said De Rosario. ''But there's a lot of things going on right now and the fans that came showed their support. We definitely really appreciate that.''

The fans certainly liked seeing a goal from the home side. Toronto FC has not scored in 732 minutes - not since July 7 and that goal came in Chicago.

After a slow start, Canada got into the game and both sides enjoyed good stretches of possession in the first half although neither 'keeper was threatened. The closest call was in the 39th minute when Costa Rica's Porras came out to punch a Canadian cross away.

Porras had to be sharp to stop Atiba Hutchinson's low shot in first-half injury time after a nice buildup by de Guzman and Radzinski.

Costa Rica's midfield duo of veteran Walter Centeno (formerly of AEK Athens) and Azofeifa (KAA Gent, Belgium) ruled early on but Canada's de Guzman (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain) and De Rosario gradually began to make their mark.

Both teams made extensive changes from their Gold Cup meeting in June, when Canada won 2-1. The home side's starting 11 Wednesday featured six players who started in the Gold Cup game while the Costa Rican lineup had just four of the Gold Cup starters.

Costa Rica is ranked 52nd in the world, one place above Canada. The two teams are third and fourth, respectively, in CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean. Mexico (No. 11 overall) and the U.S. (No. 17) are No. 1 and 2 in the confederation.

Canada and the Ticos will be battling for a World Cup berth in the region, probably behind the Mexicans and Americans. The top three CONCACAF teams advance to the 2010 tournament in South Africa with the fourth-place side meeting the fifth-placed South American team from CONMEBOL qualifying to determine who joins them.

LINK: http://www.tsn.ca/soccer/news_story/?ID=218197&hubname=

[Marco07]

Sportsnet.ca article was good.

Black Wednesday's silver lining

By Ryan Johnston, Sportsnet.ca

TORONTO -- Fans arrived singing songs of protest but left with a feeling of promise as Canada and Costa Rica played to an entertaining 1-1 draw on "Black Wednesday" at the National Soccer Stadium in Toronto.

Dubbed "Black Wednesday" in various soccer forums -- referring to the planned sea of black protest over the recent front-office shenanigans within the Canadian Soccer Association -- a sparse crowd of 9,325 showed up for the first home game for our men's national team in over seven years.

If the unwritten agreement was to protest by indifference, then the point was made.

But those who decided to show up and make a fashion statement sported all-black t-shirts with the slogan Support Our National Teams … SACK THE CSA! boldly screened in white across the back. Bisecting the two phrases was a brazen anti-smoking style logo with "CSA" exed-out in red. On the front of the shirts read Canada Soccer Deserves Better … SACK THE CSA! and the same aforementioned "anti" logo.

"The fans want to have a say, and we want to have a say as well," said Canada's Tomasz Radzinski. "Slowly it is changing, I think the last year it has been going in the right direction, but the guys feel it, but it is still a long way away."

Radzinski finished the impromptu post-match Q&A with a candid remark: "If I am in the stands next time I am going to wear a black shirt as well."

Front-office politics aside, the fans that did show up could not have asked for a better player representation. European stars Paul Stalteri (Tottenham), Julian De Guzman (Deportivo de La Coruna) and Atiba Hutchinson (FC Copenhagen) joined household names from the MLS like Dwayne De Rosario (Houston) and Jim Brennan (Toronto) to form one of the more potent Canadian squads in some time. Radzinski, who is currently without a club, ended a one-year national team absence to play for head coach Dale Mitchell.

Radzinski did not look out of place in his return, despite the layoff.

"We know today we can beat that team. Knowing that they have been in a World Cup it means we can take their place in the qualifiers for the next one," said Radzinski. "It is definitely something we can take away from this game and I am really glad that all 19 guys were here."

Canada last played their CONCACAF opponents at the Gold Cup in June of this year, using two goals from Julian De Guzman to seal a 2-1 Group A victory. Currently the two teams are separated by one spot in the FIFA rankings, with the Ticos edging out Canada at No. 52.

The feeling-out process of the first half failed to produce any real opportunity as both Canada and Costa Rica struggled to find a flow. The few highlights to come within the run of play came from De Guzman, who continues to show the pedigree which makes him a first-team selection in Spain's top domestic league.

Rarely straying far from De Guzman was De Rosario, who might have had the only palpable chance in the form of a 21st-minute free kick. The double-De pairing looked comfortable with the attacking style supporters saw under Stephan Hart (who is Mitchell's assistant) at the recent Gold Cup run.

"We (De Guzman and I) have a great understanding of each other and I think the way we play with each other is how people want to see Canada play," said De Rosario after the match. "The movement off the ball, the way we support each other, that is the way we are going to get success in qualifying."

On the halftime whistle Canada owned the possession arrow, but as has been so frequently recently at Toronto FC's home ground, the scoreboard read zeroes.

Just 45 seconds into the second-half Canada nearly opened the scoring account as Ali Gerba finished his solo effort with a quality shot on net, which goalkeeper Wardy Alfaro did well to parry just over the bar.

But as often is the case, a chance at one end produces another at the opposite. A quick pass to Victor Nunez allowed the striker to put his country up 1-0, beating Hirschfeld low to the far post.

Coach Mitchell lamented the quick strike after the match, feeling it was arguably the one point the Costa Rican team can take away from a match dominated by his team.

"I think that Costa Rica took advantage of maybe their only chance in the game," said Mitchell. "I am just a little disappointed that we did not get a win. We had half a dozen decent opportunities."

The restart created more drama as a second yellow on Randal Azofeifa for a late challenge on Radzinski put the Costa Ricans down a man at the 49-minute mark.

Then, in classic De Rosario fashion, the difference in numbers produced a stunning goal from the Canadian striker. A seeking, 30-yard cross from De Guzman found De Rosario inside the 18-yard box, who quickly chested the ball into his own path before rocketing a left-footed equalizer past a helpless Alfaro.

The patented "DeRo goal strut" celebration brought the west side stands to their feet.

"It is nice playing at home, and especially in Toronto," beamed De Rosario when asked about the goal. "I haven't played here (with the national team) in like seven years … it is a great environment."

Shortly after the goal Mitchell made a pair of quick substitutions, bringing on Leicester City forward Iain Hume and Heracles Almelo (Netherlands) striker Rob Friend.

In the 66th minute tempers flared when a clash behind the play between Adrian Serious and goal-scorer Nunez left the Costa Rican on the turf while the play continued upfield. A furious Herman Medford Bryan, the Ticos' head coach, called for a dismissal of the Canadian defender.

Overall, the emotion on the field Wednesday night was far from its friendly tag.

The Serioux-Nunez battle would continue until Medford Bryan substituted the fiery striker in the 83rd minute.

Despite being down a man, Costa Rica matched the Canadian attack until the final whistle signaled a stalemate between the CONCACAF countries.

The next match for the men's side is uncertain, but FIFA has an open international friendly date scheduled for Oct. 17, a date which coach Mitchell commented was not filled as of today. But he insists something will be lined up for the following FIFA date in November.

LINEUP:

CAN: Lars Hirschfeld; Adrian Serioux; Andre Hainault; Julian De Guzman; Paul Stalteri ©; Patrice bernier; Tomasz Radzinski; Ali Gerba; Jim Brennan; Atiba Hutchinson; Dwayne De Rosario

MAN OF THE MATCH: Dwayne De Rosario (Canada), Junior Diaz (Costa Rica)

LINK: http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/article.jsp?content=20070912_211549_6068

[Soju]

The Radzer is certainly outspoken as always, nicely done. Anything you want to say Mitchell? No? Not about us protesting your friends?

[ag futbol]

That quote seemed a little harsh. He did say somewhere else that he'd be in the south end wearing black too if he wasn't playing.

[Soju]

I'm absolutely in favour of the players speaking out and I commend Radz for his comments. I wish they'd tell us more and make the whole thing more transparent. Remember it was Radz who raised the issue of the economy class flights from Europe (didn't Jazic have to travel 999999 hours to a WCQ in coach?). Now that there are some more media guys around and we have some time before the next cycle, it seems like the best time to get everything out in the open.

[ag futbol]

Ah ok, sorry i just read that wrong. I wasn't sure if you were being sarcastic or not.

[Marco07]

I totally agree. I think if you want to make changes with the CSA brass it has to also come from the Players. If they staged a small protest of there own during the match, for example all wearing black armbands or something else of the sort...it would really help the cause.

Or even all of them standing forward and saying NO...we will not represent Canada until the CSA cleans its act up. I think that is extreme, but would definately turn plenty of heads around.

[VPjr]

Just so you guys know, I am planning to mail a T-shirt to each an every man on the 19 man roster. i'll make sure to put a note in there to let them know that they are supported, regardless of the turnout.

[River City]

Great idea VPjr.

[SCF08]

Would it be a good idea if I passed one on to Jonathan de Guzman..??

My beloved Feyenoord is playing PSV next week on Sunday. Since I live in Eindhoven I can meet up with the players when they arrive at the stadium.

Or maybe you can send 2 to Julian and he can pass one on to his little bro..? Keeping his mind thinking about Canada might do some good in the future regarding his choice...

[VPjr]

quote:Originally posted by SCF08

Would it be a good idea if I passed one on to Jonathan de Guzman..??

My beloved Feyenoord is playing PSV next week on Sunday. Since I live in Eindhoven I can meet up with the players when they arrive at the stadium.

Or maybe you can send 2 to Julian and he can pass one on to his little bro..? Keeping his mind thinking about Canada might do some good in the future regarding his choice...

I'd be happy to send 1 to you for Jonathan but only if you promise to tell him that by accepting the shirt, he must commit himself to Team Canada

[Guest Ed]

This is actually pre-match. I don't see it posted elsewhere. A rare interview with Lars H.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/article.jsp?content=20070912_154614_5276

[SCF08]

quote:Originally posted by VPjr

I'd be happy to send 1 to you for Jonathan but only if you promise to tell him that by accepting the shirt, he must commit himself to Team Canada

And I end up getting punched for blackmail..

Very smart idea..[8D]

[VPjr]

If Blackmail is what it takes, I urge you to take the punch for the greater good of canadian soccer.

[SCF08]

quote:Originally posted by VPjr

If Blackmail is what it takes, I urge you to take the punch for the greater good of canadian soccer.

Even though I'm not canadian I will do it. If you send me 2 shirts then I'll give one to Jacob Lensky as well. He might feel a bit left out if I was only giving Jono a shirt..

Instead of going to the match I'll travel to Rotterdam to visit a regular practice session. Might make more sense doing it there instead of doing it just before one the most important games of the season..

At the training pitch there is more time as well so maybe they'd be willing to wear them and model for me. I havent got a clue on what Lensky's vision is on International Football but he as well can choose between Canada and the Czechs (Vancouver born)

[VPjr]

quote:Originally posted by SCF08

Even though I'm not canadian I will do it. If you send me 2 shirts then I'll give one to Jacob Lensky as well. He might feel a bit left out if I was only giving Jono a shirt..

Instead of going to the match I'll travel to Rotterdam to visit a regular practice session. Might make more sense doing it there instead of doing it just before one the most important games of the season..

At the training pitch there is more time as well so maybe they'd be willing to wear them and model for me. I havent got a clue on what Lensky's vision is on International Football but he as well can choose between Canada and the Czechs (Vancouver born)

Done deal...i will send out two larges. Please send me an email (go to my profile) with your address and i will send it out on Monday