JB_Tito Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 CSA kicks Canada right in the backside By TERRY JONES, EDMONTON SUN EDMONTON -- If FIFA has any clue about what's going on in Canada, how in the world could it possibly award the 2011 Women's World Cup to our nation this morning? Today in Zurich, FIFA will hear the bids and announce the winner. How can the Canadian Soccer Association be over there bidding against Germany to be host of the event days after setting up the women's soccer program back home not to succeed? Player representative Kristina Kiss, Sun Media has learned, sat in on a meeting in Ottawa, where she discovered the CSA wouldn't fund her team to play a single, solitary game in Canada on an Olympic year and only one non-qualifying game on the road if the team's expenses were paid. At the same time, Sun Media has also learned, the Vancouver Whitecaps sent president Bob Lenarduzzi to Ottawa to offer to host the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament in Burnaby, B.C., with no financial downside to the CSA. And they turned it down! "We don't have a home match in an Olympic year. The CSA won't be providing us with even one," Kiss said. "I'm pretty disappointed. The team is disappointed. The women U-20 and U-17 budgets have been cut so that they barely exist. We don't feel we're being represented well enough by our association." Kiss said the provincial associations could provide funding to help out but they won't. "There's a huge trust issue in governance," she said of the CSA. "The provinces don't want to give the money until that's resolved. As a player rep you just want the money there no matter how it gets there." The real kicker here is that a second attempt to host the Olympic qualifying tournament, has been turned down by the CSA, which was originally offered the hosting of the tournament by CONCACAF. "They turned down a gift from us," Lenarduzzi said. "There was no downside. We as a club decided to offer a lifeline." It was just over a month ago at the Women's World Cup in China, Canadians were outraged when Angus Barrett of the CSA admitted that the CSA turned the qualifying tournament down because "we couldn't afford the $300,000 to $400,000 it would cost" to play host to the six-team tournament in Canada despite the advantage it would give Canada in attempting to get to next summer's Beijing Olympic Games. Barrett said the event was therefore expected to be held in Haiti. "Haiti can afford it but Canada can't?" Canadian team manager Les Meszaros questioned. "How do you explain that to the Canadian public?" Try explaining this. The Whitecaps are owned by Greg Kerfoot, the man who has put up sigificant money to pay Canada's players $20,000 a year plus expenses to train them in Vancouver at a residency camp. He was willing to back the entire tournament. And again the CSA said no! "I don't believe they wanted a solution. I don't believe they really wanted to have a bid from us," Lenarduzzi said. So it's going to end up in Haiti? Rumours suggest Mexico has moved in. "If that's true, and it goes to Mexico, qualifying will be even that much more difficult with the altitude, the heat and the smog," said Lenarduzzi, the former national men's coach who knows the challenges. And the CSA had the audacity to be pitching Canada to host the FIFA Women's World Cup this morning despite what it is doing to destroy the Canadian program at home. Who are these guys? The answer is : [)] [)] [)] [)] http://torontosun.com/Sports/OtherSports/2007/10/30/4616480-sun.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Que Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 The free fall continues. When oh when will the CSA hit rock bottom. Very, very discouraging to be a fan of the CWNT (senior and junior). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoachRich Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Only the CSA could say no to someone else funding the qualifer? No wonder the WNT gets all their support from Sports Canada, COC & Kerfoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ref Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 IMHO the CSA will not give anything to the women in order to force the resignation of the coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoachRich Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 quote:Originally posted by The Ref IMHO the CSA will not give anything to the women in order to force the resignation of the coach. You're kidding right??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 The funding gap is far too linear to be random. 100% guaranteed - there's dirt somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPB Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Here's an intentional naive question: Who gives the CSA its mandate and why doesn't another organization get built, from scratch, to replace it -- or at least to compete with it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terpfan68 Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Fifa would have to recognize you as the official governing body for the sport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EZmac Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 This is absolutley ridiculous! How could one play in these conditions? What's the point of even having a team? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terpfan68 Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Well I think the players would disagree with that sentiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NS Rooney Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 Dealing with the CSA has to be grass roots. Clubs must leave the CSA umbrella in such numbers that something has to be done. Leave the CSA? How can that be done? Easy; a club can join the USL: Super Y, Super 20, PDL, W League etc. Ottawa Fury did it because their top youth players were being ignored. Bryan Rosenfeld has always had a fixation with Toronto area players. I'd be willing to bet that the Fury send more female players to NCAA Div. 1 schools than the entire Ontario NTC under Resenfeld. The White Caps are in the USL in all age groups and if the Lynx are not there they will be soon. There is no reason why major centres across the country couldn't have club teams in the USL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NS Rooney Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 quote:Originally posted by JPB Here's an intentional naive question: Who gives the CSA its mandate and why doesn't another organization get built, from scratch, to replace it -- or at least to compete with it? Rally your Club to join the USL and get out from under the CSA. It's been done already (Ottawa, Vancouver...)and if enough clubs follow suit something will have to be done regarding soccer governance. Top players at all levels can actually walk away from the CSA. This is one sport where the players really can let their feet do the talking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 Just because a Canadian club plays in a US based league doesn't mean that club and it's players are not considered by FIFA to fall under the jurisdiction of the FIFA authorised national and provincial associations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NS Rooney Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 quote:Originally posted by Richard Just because a Canadian club plays in a US based league doesn't mean that club and it's players are not considered by FIFA to fall under the jurisdiction of the FIFA authorised national and provincial associations. It's a start! And it's a statement! And the time and money spent on this endeavour by top players would certainly be more beneficial than what they currently get from the CSA at their pathetic NTCs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terpfan68 Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 Yes, let start a Universe Cup to supplant the World Cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ed Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 NS Rooney, it doesn't work that way. Any clubs operating in any province have to do so under the 'blessing' of the provincial authorities. Two years ago, the provincial association here in Alberta vetoed Edmonton and Calgary entering teams in the SYL (under the USL umbrella) after just one season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Spiers Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 quote:Originally posted by NS Rooney Dealing with the CSA has to be grass roots. Clubs must leave the CSA umbrella in such numbers that something has to be done. Leave the CSA? How can that be done? Easy; a club can join the USL: Super Y, Super 20, PDL, W League etc. Ottawa Fury did it because their top youth players were being ignored. Bryan Rosenfeld has always had a fixation with Toronto area players. I'd be willing to bet that the Fury send more female players to NCAA Div. 1 schools than the entire Ontario NTC under Resenfeld. The White Caps are in the USL in all age groups and if the Lynx are not there they will be soon. There is no reason why major centres across the country couldn't have club teams in the USL. quote:Originally posted by Ed NS Rooney, it doesn't work that way. Any clubs operating in any province have to do so under the 'blessing' of the provincial authorities. Two years ago, the provincial association here in Alberta vetoed Edmonton and Calgary entering teams in the SYL (under the USL umbrella) after just one season. Just to support Ed's response to NS Rooney, the Fury have to - and do - get permission from the OSA to participate in any of the USL divisions - W-League, PDL, Super Y, etc. Same with the Lynx, Thunder Bay Chill (PDL) and the other Ontario teams in the W-League. That's not to say there wasn't some opposition the first time they applied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 Case in point; http://soccer.on.ca/Committee/BoardMeeting.nsf/644d5333ade61358852570120064a842/89350e5a17cf16428525731b005d7619?OpenDocument Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NS Rooney Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 quote:Originally posted by Vic Case in point; http://soccer.on.ca/Committee/BoardMeeting.nsf/644d5333ade61358852570120064a842/89350e5a17cf16428525731b005d7619?OpenDocument What I'm hearing is this: Nothing can be done to change the way soccer is done in Canada. The provincial associations are in charge and we know, that as things now stand, the CSA reports to these provincial associations. I don't think there is any point in complaining about the CSA, National Team Programs or anything else in Canadian soccer. Nothing will change and that's that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terpfan68 Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 Join your provincial association and work for a change there first. That's how things are done in a democracy. It's a slow process but it's better than a revolution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NS Rooney Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 quote:Originally posted by terpfan68 Join your provincial association and work for a change there first. That's how things are done in a democracy. It's a slow process but it's better than a revolution. You are 100% correct with this comment. Unfortunatly, a lot of people don't have the time or the patience to put up with the petty politics of the club and provincial associations and therefore that petty politics goes right to the top of the CSA. But, as I said, you are totally correct and for anyone who believes that soccer in this country is in a mess there are only two options: stop complaining and get involved at the club/provincial level and try to help change the status quo, or stop complaining and accept the status quo. I'm choosing the latter and I will watch with only mild interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPB Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 A counter-revolution sounds like a good idea. Do the Aussies organize their country's football based on provincial sayso? Do the Americans? The Mexicans? South Koreans? Japanese? .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terpfan68 Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 Now that is a very good question. The only problem with taking the Provinces out of the loop is that it would require an amendment to the CSA's constitution and THAT has to go through the Provincial associations. That would be like the 10 Provinces of Canada passing a constitutional amendment abolishing the Provinces and making Canada a completely Federal country like Britian (No states or provinces, only National and Municipal governments.) Ain't gonna happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.