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De Rosario ways in as well

http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081010.wspt_mitchell11/GSStory/GlobeSportsSoccer/home

Canada's national soccer team faces internal dissension and looming elimination from the 2010 World Cup as it faces Honduras in a qualifying match tonight.

In an interview with The Globe and Mail, national team midfielder Dwayne De Rosario reinforced criticism of head coach Dale Mitchell made earlier this week by striker Jim Brennan.

"I don't know how someone who coached the under-20s to not score a goal in the World Cup was put in charge of the national team," said De Rosario, the Houston Dynamo playmaker.

Rumours are circulating that former Canadian men's national soccer team head coach Holger Osieck is being considered for his old job by the Canadian Soccer Association. Osieck, currently coaching in Japan, was in Toronto days after the national team returned from a 2-1 loss to Mexico in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, according to two sources.

Men's national team coach Dale Mitchell, shown here last year, is facing criticism from his own players leading up to Saturday's critical World Cup qualifier against Honduras. (Adrian Wyld/CP)

"I have had all of the negativity since my appointment to the men's national team last year and quite frankly I'm just starting to get used to it," Mitchell said of the criticism. "It's just part of the game at this level. There is winning and the peace and quiet that goes along with it, and there is also criticism when you don't win."

Canada has earned one point from the first three games of the qualifying round. To advance, the team needs all six points achievable with wins tonight and in Edmonton against favoured Mexico on Wednesday.

The CSA would not comment on a report that vice-president Vic Montagliani canvassed players about Mitchell after a loss to Mexico.

"He is leading our team as we go through the qualifying stage and we support him 100 per cent," CSA general secretary Peter Montopoli said. "We have played just three of six games and this isn't over yet."

Compounding Canada's predicament tonight in a hostile environment, De Rosario and FC Dallas defender Adrian Serioux are suspended for the match while midfielder Julian De Guzman is out with a thigh injury.

Mitchell was named head coach in June 2007, getting the nod just prior to leading the U-20 team into the under-20 World Cup. The team went winless and failed to score a goal.

Brennan, the Toronto FC captain, blasted Mitchell after it was announced that he was being left off the roster for tonight's match. Brennan declared he will never again play for Canada as long as Mitchell is in charge.

De Rosario also said the team is poorly prepared due to budget restrictions.

"It's very frustrating," he said. "If you are playing at a club level in a professional environment and you come to the national team, it's supposed to be a step ahead but it really is like taking a step backwards."

Special to The Globe and Mail

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To paraphrase DeRo himself, "I don't know how someone who has been invisible the whole WCQ campaign and has got himself suspended for one of our most important games, can criticize the coach when he should be criticizing his own poor play." Mitchell should not have been hired and has not been a good coach so far but he is far from the only problem. Our biggest problem is we have mediocre players who think they are stars in their own heads and are acting like prima donnas. And yes, DeRo is a mediocre player. He has failed several times in Europe and is a star in a second tier league that has poor defenders. I have seen nothing from him to show he is an international calibre player. He can score all the highlight reel goals in MLS he wants but he has been s-hit when he plays for Canada especially in important games against good teams. He failed Yallop and now he is failing Mitchell.

Whatever, the criticisms of Mitchell unjustified or not, now is not the time to criticize him when we are still not eliminated from WCQ. It is absolutely disgraceful for players like DeRo and Brennan to be sabotaging the team like this. To me they are unworthy of wearing the Canada shirt again. When I see the timing of the comments, I am convinced that of the two offending parties: incompetent coach and unprofessional players, that the worse transgressor is the unprofessional players. Until recently I was against bringing Ossieck back but maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.

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Guest Jeffery S.

I agree that the only ones not allowed to talk like idiots and undermine the process are the players.

Fans can rant, criticize and be pessimistic or ridiculously overconfident. CSA suits can spout platitudes or talk about how tough it is all going to be, as long as they don't criticize their own players. They can put pressure on the coach. The coach can say his team is not ready, they are inferior, underdogs, anything like that could be taken as reverse motivational.

It is the players who have to hold their tongues and talk on the pitch. If someone wants to rally, fine, to tell the rest to shut up, fine, to put the onus on themselves, perfect. But anything else is way out of line.

If either DeRo or Brennan had spoken out that way about their clubs they would have justifiably put on a transfer list as troublemakers and disruptive.

Deep down I am hoping that those getting a first start or more minutes will prove the "stars" wrong, has happened before with Canada and could again. C'mon Richie Hastings, we need a goal!

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By making these comments at this time DeRo and Brennan are only hurting everyone's cause, including their own. If Canada loses today the disruption & unsettling of the squad, playing for a coach that's been publicly undermined by his own players, can be used as an excuse. If Canada wins today, the criticisms of the coach look less legitimate, and in fact with both players missing, it will look like they won because the trouble-makers are not there. Either way they can't win.

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The worst thing about this is DeRo is supposed to rejoin the team in Edmonton. It is one thing for a player out of the team to make such comments but it is even worse for someone who is supposed to play under Mitchell. If I were Mitchell I would leave DeRo out of the rest of WCQ. His play has been subpar and you don't want someone with a bad attitude on the team.

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quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

The worst thing about this is DeRo is supposed to rejoin the team in Edmonton. It is one thing for a player out of the team to make such comments but it is even worse for someone who is supposed to play under Mitchell. If I were Mitchell I would leave DeRo out of the rest of WCQ. His play has been subpar and you don't want someone with a bad attitude on the team.

These comments & that of Brennan's strike me as the comments of two players who don't believe at all that Canada will win today and in fact lose (and therefore "what do we have to lose by making these comments now"). Which suggests they have given up hope and given up hope on their teammates as well who are going to represent Canada today.

They can prove me wrong, but this is the impression they are providing me with. Given that De Rosario has long been one of my favourite players on the team, this is almost heartbreaking for me to read.

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I agree on most points here! Dero is correct what he says about Mitchell but the timing couldn't be worse, especially with him returning in Edmonton! He hasn't played well for us in this campaign and his yellow cards were just plain foolish! He did have a good spell for us in the Gold Cup and vs Costa Rica at BMO but he has been very poor lately! These players should perhaps keep there mouths shut until we are officialy eliminated(tonight) then come forward! This is quickly becoming a big piss fest all round, who would have thought things would go so bad so fast! I'm in favour of brining back Holger!

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quote:Originally posted by Gian-Luca

By making these comments at this time DeRo and Brennan are only hurting everyone's cause, including their own. If Canada loses today the disruption & unsettling of the squad, playing for a coach that's been publicly undermined by his own players, can be used as an excuse. If Canada wins today, the criticisms of the coach look less legitimate, and in fact with both players missing, it will look like they won because the trouble-makers are not there. Either way they can't win.

And it all comes down to leadership, we have none so the inmates are running the asylum. You can only bang your head against the wall so many times before you look at reality, which is Dale Mitchell doesn't have the tools to organize a winning team. The players have said as much and the results prove it.

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quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

His play has been subpar and you don't want someone with a bad attitude on the team.

ya, and let's have less talented players who will kiss Mitchell's ass.

that'll get us into the next round, since Mitchell's strategies and lineups are perfect -- simply undermined by whiners ;)

I commend De Rosario for speaking out. When the leadership is as weak as Mitchell, the "inmates" better speak out, or you'll end up with another lunatic running the place.

Mitchell and the CSA would love this to blow over.. let the good little soldiers play it out quietly... then when the World Cup run is over, and the journalists have gone home, they can escape the heat. At that point nobody will listen to the players and nobody will care.

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The failure by the players, in this case De Rosario, to take responsibility for their own actions is disgusting.

To wit:

"I don't know how someone who coached the under-20s to not score a goal in the World Cup was put in charge of the national team," said De Rosario, the Houston Dynamo playmaker.

I should think you would have a good idea of how that happened, seeing as you were part of the hiring process.

"It's very frustrating," he said. "If you are playing at a club level in a professional environment and you come to the national team, it's supposed to be a step ahead but it really is like taking a step backwards."

You want a professional environment? How about at least pretend you're a professional instead of coasting through the 3 most important games in the last 4 years, getting two stupid yellow cards in the process.

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quote:Originally posted by jimmynow

ya, and let's have less talented players who will kiss Mitchell's ass.

that'll get us into the next round, since Mitchell's strategies and lineups are perfect -- simply undermined by whiners ;)

I commend De Rosario for speaking out. When the leadership is as weak as Mitchell, the "inmates" better speak out, or you'll end up with another lunatic running the place.

Mitchell and the CSA would love this to blow over.. let the good little soldiers play it out quietly... then when the World Cup run is over, and the journalists have gone home, they can escape the heat. At that point nobody will listen to the players and nobody will care.

Complete and utter bullsh-it! You speak out when we are eliminated not before an extremely important game when we still have a chance. Yes the captain of a ship may be ultimately responsible in a mutiny but that doesn't excuse the guilt of the mutineers. I have yet to see any gross wrongdoing by Mitchell either. Unlike Yallop he called the best players. His tactics could have been better but they were not terrible either. A better manager may have gotten better performances out of the players but it is still up to the players to perform. In my opinion Mitchell is being used as a scapegoat by players who have failed to perform adequately.

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DeRo is just a hippy flake...his remarks prove it. If he played with the conviction he uses to support his excuses, he'd have my support, but he hasn't and he probably won't. I thought we weren't going to have to deal with emotional cripples, appears I was wrong and some of the players who we thought were our best turn out to be eunuchs. If I had the kind of natural talent some of these guys have, I wouldn't be making excuses, and even if you hate the coach, you suck it up and work with the players on a unified front. "We'll win despite the coach" or mantra to that end. Win today and you leave DeRo out for the rest of this part of WCQ, lose today and blow the team up and start anew with another coach and players that don't whine so much. I keep saying it: grow some balls.

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quote:Originally posted by jimmynow

Mitchell and the CSA would love this to blow over.. let the good little soldiers play it out quietly... then when the World Cup run is over, and the journalists have gone home, they can escape the heat. At that point nobody will listen to the players and nobody will care.

Completely incorrect in so many ways. First of all the journalists can't go home if they've never left in the first place - none of them have followed the team on their travels. Secondly the assertion that the media wouldn't care or report on these outburts after Canada is eliminated is without basis & erroneous - there is greater spotlight on the national team in Canada, with more reporters covering soccer, than ever before. Thirdly, tell me how these comments actually help. They aren't even designed to be constructive by putting pressure on Mitchell to use different tactics as they do not reference what he has done as the coach of the national team, they reference something that happened to him before (while conveniently ignoring all the good work he had done with the U20 team). In short they are simply there to publicly humiliate him. Tell me what good this does the team?

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I think the players gave up last year, as soon as Canada was eliminated from the U-20 World Cup. Not being able to beat Costa Rica at home should have been the first warning sign, but the South Africa and Estonia friendlies are a clear indication to me that this group of players simply never cared.

Now they're just trying to lay all the blame on Mitchell and the CSA to cover their own woeful performances. Its a nice deflection tactic and it seems to be working well because 99% of people who follow the game in this country eat that shat up like its gospel.

I think I'm officially more depressed now than I was post Canada v Honduras in Montreal. I've devoted so much of my own time and energy to follow and support this team and I get paid back with a group of gutless losers. It gets really hard to support the domestic game sometimes and this isn't making it easier.

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quote:Originally posted by gardencity

even if you hate the coach, you suck it up and work with the players on a unified front. "We'll win despite the coach" or mantra to that end.

This is exactly the attitude the players should have. So far the rotten apples who have revealed themselves are the ones not playing. We can only hope that the players who take the field tonight are of stronger moral character and professionalism than guys like DeRo and Brennan. If we lose tonight we need a new coach who will impress some of the following points on players who don't seemed to have learned them so far in their careers:

-you always give your all and take responsibility for your play no matter what the circumstances

-putting on the Canada jersey is an honour not a favour you are doing for the country

-you never give up on or betray your teammates

-you do everything possible to help the team including missing out on pleasant social occassions

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The really sad part is people who limit their concept of patriotism to players who bite their tongues in the corner and act like a bunch of green 17yr old yes-sir, no-sir, 3-bags-full-sir kids sitting on a bench dying for 3 minutes. With no allowance for what you've done, given or sacrificed for the flag, and no allowance for being frustrated by having your dreams crushed by an inept selfish organization.

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quote:Originally posted by Vic

The really sad part is people who limit their concept of patriotism to players who bite their tongues in the corner and act like a bunch of green 17yr old yes-sir, no-sir, 3-bags-full-sir kids sitting on a bench dying for 3 minutes. With no allowance for what you've done, given or sacrificed for the flag, and no allowance for being frustrated by having your dreams crushed by an inept selfish organization.

Every single player with the exception of Klukowski, Serioux, Gerba and Hirschfeld has certainly significantly contributed through poor play to our dream (many players haven't convinced me that it is their dream) of Canada playing in the World Cup being crushed. So much so in fact that if they are looking for scapegoats they only have to look in the mirror. It is interesting of the players who are not playing tonight, it is the one who has played well so far, Serioux, who isn't bitching in public.

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Couldn't keep his mouth shut for 1 more day could he?

Now DDR to huh? Ug. This is becoming too much too soon.

Maybe I'm fishing here but I'll pitch a scenario and lets see what the critics think.

Holger got sunk by a player revolt. It happens every day in football. The weird part of Holgers revolt was it came from the dead-wood on the squad. But Holger wasn't ever part of the CSA family. Never exactly fit in did he? And never would have with that bunch things being what they were back then. And that is exactly how it should be.

But Mitch is a different animal. He's got his many friends in their many high places. It's going to take some serious leverage to remove him from a post he's clearly shown he doesn't deserve. Because Lord knows it won't be his fault that we don't go to The Hex.

Nope, it'll be the fault of those heartless, selfish, lazy, unpatriotic players who didn't give the man, and his program the respect and effort they're deserving of. The same players Mitch continues</u> bringing out to these matches.

JB and DDR are using what leverage they have, and that's their good name and the public media to light a fire under everyone and embarrass the CSA for allowing this "situation" to not just occur in the 1st place but for also allow this traveling circus which is our WCQ campaign to carry on.

These men are just the tip of the iceberg. Bet on it. JB has always been too honest and too open for his own good so you can dismiss him, but DDR? A troublemaker? At the height of his career he's putting a broadside into Mitch? People...

The rot has set in and Mitch allowed it to. He lost control of his locker room and he'll not get it back.

P.S. It's going to be fun to see if de Rossario is back for Edmonton. He can't be.

P.S.S. It's going to be fun to see if Mitch is still around October 16th.

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quote:Originally posted by Vic

The really sad part is people who limit their concept of patriotism to players who bite their tongues in the corner and act like a bunch of green 17yr old yes-sir, no-sir, 3-bags-full-sir kids sitting on a bench dying for 3 minutes. With no allowance for what you've done, given or sacrificed for the flag, and no allowance for being frustrated by having your dreams crushed by an inept selfish organization.

Personally I have no problem with rabble-rousers and rebels, especially when they affect real change. But only when it seems authentic and genuine. The players who are causing shat now seems to simply be covering their own arses.

I'll say it again, our players have turned complaining into an industry. I also think they are suffering from psychological slavery. That's why you'll have them make bizzarro statements to the media like the fact that all games should be played in Montreal despite the fiasco in September (maybe they just want a good place to party after the game?). The players are using the CSA and Mitchell as a crutch. It was over before it started.

Its going to be a long 4 years.

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quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

Every single player with the exception of Klukowski, Serioux, Gerba and Hirschfeld has certainly significantly contributed through poor play to our dream (many players haven't convinced me that it is their dream) of Canada playing in the World Cup being crushed. So much so in fact that if they are looking for scapegoats they only have to look in the mirror. It is interesting of the players who are not playing tonight, it is the one who has played well so far, Serioux, who isn't bitching in public.

I think Hutch has played fairly well. Not his best, but fairly well.

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quote:Originally posted by Cheeta

Couldn't keep his mouth shut for 1 more day could he?

Now DDR to huh? Ug. This is becoming too much too soon.

Maybe I'm fishing here but I'll pitch a scenario and lets see what the critics think.

Holger got sunk by a player revolt. It happens every day in football. The weird part of Holgers revolt was it came from the dead-wood on the squad. But Holger wasn't ever part of the CSA family. Never exactly fit in did he? And never would have with that bunch things being what they were back then. And that is exactly how it should be.

But Mitch is a different animal. He's got his many friends in their many high places. It's going to take some serious leverage to remove him from a post he's clearly shown he doesn't deserve. Because Lord knows it won't be his fault that we don't go to The Hex.

Nope, it'll be the fault of those heartless, selfish, lazy, unpatriotic players who didn't give the man, and his program the respect and effort they're deserving of. The same players Mitch continues</u> bringing out to these matches.

JB and DDR are using what leverage they have, and that's their good name and the public media to light a fire under everyone and embarrass the CSA for allowing this "situation" to not just occur in the 1st place but for also allow this traveling circus which is our WCQ campaign to carry on.

These men are just the tip of the iceberg. Bet on it. JB has always been too honest and too open for his own good so you can dismiss him, but DDR? A troublemaker? At the height of his career he's putting a broadside into Mitch? People...

The rot has set in and Mitch allowed it to. He lost control of his locker room and he'll not get it back.

P.S. It's going to be fun to see if de Rossario is back for Edmonton. He can't be.

P.S.S. It's going to be fun to see if Mitch is still around October 16th.

Sorry, I usually like your posts but have to once again call BS when I see it. Noone is claiming Mitchell was the right guy to be hired or is a good coach but considering he was the one who was hired the players had to get behind him and give it their all. Mitchell as the head of the team has to accept responsibility and if we don't qualify for the Hex I will be calling for his head as loud as anyone. However, it seems he also took over a team with at least a fair number of unprofessional prima donnas with bad attitudes and I do feel sympathy for him in having to deal with that. Yes there are some managers who would deal with it better than he did but no manager should have to deal with that from professional players. If the players are like that than it is ultimately their fault not the manager. It seems like many of our players have serious attitude problems. A significant number wouldn't play for Ossieck and eventually mutinied. Another group wouldn't play for Yallop and now others won't play for Mitchell. That is three WCQ campaigns in a row in which we have had serious player discipline problems and bad relations between a group of players and the coach. At some point you have to start looking at the player's role in this. They can't get along with three successive coaches at least one of whom inarguably was well qualified and had a lot of experience. Yes we should be hiring better coaches than Mitchell and Yallop but that does not absolve the players responsibility from their part in the failures or allow them not to give their best because they don't think a coach is up to snuff.

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How many of us recall Roy Keane's famous showdown with Mick McCarthy in Saipan?

Keane was gutted at the quality of preparation, including the facilities and equipment. He gave an interview to an Irish newspaper, in which he said the Irish fans deserved to know what was going at the training camp. His famous rant "Mick, you're a liar... you're a %^$# wanker. I didn't rate you as a player, I don't rate you as a manager, and I don't rate you as a person. You're a %^$# wanker and you can stick your World Cup up your ar$e. The only reason I have any dealings with you is that somehow you are the manager of my country! You can stick it up your bollocks.”

This event polarized the Irish people - some backed Keane, some McCarthy, or at least the position of National Team Manager. Keane had the courage to speak truth to power - how many would consider Keane to be unpatriotic? Did he love his country less than Niall Quinn or any of the players that stayed mum?

In the end, the FAI commissioned a report from external consultants Genesis into its World Cup preparations. The "Genesis Report" agreed with many of Keane's criticisms, finding that the FAI structure was not conducive to good planning and making a range of recommendations. The complete report was never published for legal reasons. Brendan Menton resigned as FAI General Secretary at this time, and the media linked the two events, though Menton denied this. (from Wikipedia)

While I don't rate DeRosario or Brennan's abilities as highly as I rate Keane's, they are nonetheless speaking out against what they perceive to be an unprofessional setup. Hey, maybe Mitchell is less to blame than is the CSA - regardless, it ain't working, it's broken, so it's time some people stuck their neck out.

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quote:Originally posted by fishman

How many of us recall Roy Keane's famous showdown with Mick McCarthy in Saipan?

Keane was gutted at the quality of preparation, including the facilities and equipment. He gave an interview to an Irish newspaper, in which he said the Irish fans deserved to know what was going at the training camp. His famous rant "Mick, you're a liar... you're a %^$# wanker. I didn't rate you as a player, I don't rate you as a manager, and I don't rate you as a person. You're a %^$# wanker and you can stick your World Cup up your ar$e. The only reason I have any dealings with you is that somehow you are the manager of my country! You can stick it up your bollocks.”

This event polarized the Irish people - some backed Keane, some McCarthy, or at least the position of National Team Manager. Keane had the courage to speak truth to power - how many would consider Keane to be unpatriotic? Did he love his country less than Niall Quinn or any of the players that stayed mum?

In the end, the FAI commissioned a report from external consultants Genesis into its World Cup preparations. The "Genesis Report" agreed with many of Keane's criticisms, finding that the FAI structure was not conducive to good planning and making a range of recommendations. The complete report was never published for legal reasons. Brendan Menton resigned as FAI General Secretary at this time, and the media linked the two events, though Menton denied this. (from Wikipedia)

While I don't rate DeRosario or Brennan's abilities as highly as I rate Keane's, they are nonetheless speaking out against what they perceive to be an unprofessional setup. Hey, maybe Mitchell is less to blame than is the CSA - regardless, it ain't working, it's broken, so it's time some people stuck their neck out.

While much of what Keane stated was true, in the end he still abandoned the team when they needed him. Although Ireland played well and possibly better without him that doesn't excuse him turning his back on the team. As far as the CSA goes they made two large errors this WCQ the hiring process for the coach and the ticket sales for Honduras. While those are admittedly two big screwups, otherwise the preparations have been pretty good, much better than usual as far as organizing friendlies and training camps. As I stated in another thread, Honduras stayed in a three star hotel in Montreal but didn't use this as an excuse to lose.

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