loyola Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 quote:Originally posted by superbrad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadasBest Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 I just don't think there's anything in this rumour to cause us alarm. It's not like JDG brought an entourage of partiers with him from Spain. I have to agree with Superbrad. If I was in the same position and didn't get to see my friends and family in Canada often I would have been hanging out with them AFTER the game, win, lose, or draw. I just don't see how hanging out with a few friends after the game equates to a lack of focus or lack of effort on JDG's part. I mean if it's the night before the game and he's pounding shooters and snorting coke until 6 in the morning we would actually have something to worry about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrennanFan Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 For some perspective: In the fall of 2007, Peru's national team tied Brazil in WCQ on a sunday, they had a game against Ecuador the following Wednesday. Following the tie, 3 players had a "get together" in one of their hotel suites, they had a couple beers with their girlfriends/wives/friends (whom they do not see very much as the players live in Europe) and celebrated their tie. When Peru's FA found out, they immediately suspended the 3 players and the Captain of the team, even though he was not involved. And this is Peru, a small country with limited success, with very few players who play on big teams in Europe. Claudio Pizarro (Werder Bremen), Jefferson Farfan (PSV), a defender who plays in la liga and another guy who plays in Ukraine, They all got one year bans from playing on the national team. Banning these guys effectively eliminated any chance they had at Qualifying, but their association put respect and discipline above results. Make no mistake, if JDG played for any other country where they give a damn, he would have faced stiff penalties for going out to a club days before a WCQ match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superbrad Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 quote:Originally posted by loyola Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loyola Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 quote:Originally posted by superbrad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loyola Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 quote:Originally posted by superbrad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 I think the point that Grizzly is trying to get at is that if he really was as upset as us that night he wouldn't have been partying. I don't think that he is suggesting the partying had any major effect on the next game in Mexico. I think that against Mexico the team just looked poor. If you do look at the pictures from Julian's facebook after the game he does look like he is enjoying himself, and its not my place to say he should have been depressed. I can tell you for sure that night, there was very little that would have raised my spirits. When it comes down to it, I wouldn't have been partying after that game, but he should be allowed to if that's what he wants to do. As long as he put out a solid effort its really all we can ask. From what I've heard about Julian he seems like a decent guy which is better than half the players in the game today who are complete assholes. Maybe he wasn't as devastated after the game in Montreal as we all were, but as long as he wasn't dogging it out there I can't really get upset at him for what he does in his personal life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeffery S. Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 quote:Originally posted by Grizzly The behaviour and performance of the players in WCQ is a valid question for the same ammount of time as the behaviour and performance of the coaching staff and CSA is a valid question. We need to not make the same mistakes in the next WCQ as we did in this one. I think the valid time frame for asking questions about the coach, players and CSA performance is 4 years, until the next WCQ cycle comes around. You may think partying several days before an important match and the night of a long flight to the country where the match is played does not affect a team's performance. I think an awful lot of professional soccer coaches would disagree with you. One of those would be Reynaldo Rueda, the coach of Honduras who did not let his team party even after the victory and had them up early the next morning doing aerobics by the hotel pool (the same hotel pool where my father and my nephew had gone swimming and saw the team training). If Mitchell allowed the player's to party then we should know this, it would be one more x on his file. Regardless I want an explanation for this because I think we all know that the team didn't go partying in Montreal qualified for the Hex and the team that did go partying didn't. Was this the sole reason? No. Was it a contributing factor and/or an indication of some of the things wrong with this team. Yes. You're dead wrong and you are moralizing, as you almost always do, it is like watching a Leave it Beaver rerun whenever you post. Saying the team that partied did not qualify and the one that did not, did qualify: that is an insult to logic, history and the history of the game. The team that qualified played better, isn't that what you wanted to say? Didn't you mean that partying was maybe a possible small and insignificant reason for maybe something possibly etcetera and maybe and probably not? Or not? Are you sure you don't want to take part of that energy and work with the homeless instead of wasting our time with useless arguments? Get this: there were some 20 players who made the pitch in the campaign in an important way. Compare that with one coach. So coach is more important. It is a team sport, so any one performance is only relative. The coach puts it all together, unless you want them to coach themselves. He went out once supposedly, and no one really knows what it meant. Maybe he was jetlagged still, you simply do not know. You are just bullshtting the whole way, and nitpicking, muckraking and mixing criteria totally. The CSA is always on the pitch for the Canadian national program, they are 24/7 cause that is their job and mandate. Mitchell is always, 100% and all day the coach. They only have that to think about, only that, all day every day to get paid. None of the Canadian national team players are working for Canada in a normal year more than 10% of that, a bit more a Gold Cup year. So their responsibility is that much in February of 2009, when we have no call up and they are working for the clubs who pay them. Not so with the CSA or Mitchell. Going out could be as relevant as no leg room, a stomach flu you play with, a sore knee, jet lag, your wife bitching at you, lousy pitch you are not used to, weird fan support with louder opposing fans in Montreal, some jerk on the team pissing you off, being played in the wrong position, no tactical sense from the bench, team chemistry, dumb remarks from the assistant coach or a couple of dozen other things that could affect a player's performance. It could be like a small factor and then, even then, only maybe. Some players play better when they go out as it loosens them up, keeps them mentally sharper, makes them keener, stops them from moping, builds team spirit, makes them feel like normal people again or a dozen or so other reasons. But if you want to make fools of yourselves asking these grade school questions, go ahead. I feel sorry that a real professional like Julian has to put up with such stuff, but if if makes you and the rest of your Brownie troupe happy then go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redhat Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 quote:Originally posted by Jeffrey S. I feel sorry that a real professional like Julian has to put up with such stuff, but if if makes you and the rest of your Brownie troupe happy then go for it. Gee Jeffrey, who moralizing now? If Julian's a professional, I tell you, he can handle it. And since he's a pro, he doesn't need help from anyone, nor does he have to answer such questions. A pro that is "immune" from any questions (good and dumb ones) is an ass. If Drogba or Beckham is asked a silly question, they usually answer politely or politely decline. (This stuff, unfortunately, has become personal between you and Grizz.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maccaliam Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 If going out a couple of days before a match doesn't affect a player's performance, why during the World Cup do so many managers not allow their players to go out or to even see their wives? I disagree that going out after a loss necessarily means that a player doesn't care. I do however believe that a player taking WCQ 100% serious would be at home resting up and recovering following a match where there is yet another important match just a couple of days later. Whether this question is asked or not isn't really that important to me at the minute, though I recall much closer to the time I did think it should have been asked. Perhaps Julien thought we were finished (as many posters on this board did) but we may never know unless he is asked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maccaliam Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Regarding the show, I really enjoyed it. I thought VPjr did a good job and I enjoyed hearing SH's thoughts on the Canadian game. Good job guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 How can we criticize the CSA for not being accountable and professional and results-oriented and driven by what happens on the field when people have their knickers in a bunch over drama. Who cares if he was out? Was Pele out getting his drink on and rocks off before he scored like a lunatic in the '58 World Cup? Who knows? Who cares? If you want to criticize someone's play on the field, go for it. Smack it out there tee to green. But if you want to criticize someone's personal life, you're barking up the wrong tree. You have no clue what makes the man tick. Some people get fired up like that. Was George Best a useless 3rd string practice player because he drank? Hell no, it's what made him tick. Don't apply your morals or lifestyle or motivational techniques and analysis to someone you have no clue about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrennanFan Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 quote:Originally posted by maccaliam Regarding the show, I really enjoyed it. I thought VPjr did a good job and I enjoyed hearing SH's thoughts on the Canadian game. Good job guys. I just saw the show for the first time as well. VPjr really did represent our views well. Stephen Hart has a lot of good ideas, he laid out many worthwhile goals towards player development but it reminded me of all the good ideas i see people post around here. they are good, but there are no solid plans of how or when they would actually materialize. (Chantelle is hot). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Knight Posted February 5, 2009 Author Share Posted February 5, 2009 http://onwardsoccer.com/2009/02/04/tonight-im-gonna-party-like-its-1986/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Rollins1555362254 Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Forget nightclub-gate for a second. Unless you want to quickly lose his cooperation in the interview that is. Here are my questions: "Forgetting Dale Mitchell or the CSA for a moment, did the players do everything in their power to be prepared for the games?" "Are you comfortable with the amount of leadership you personally showed during World Cup Qualifying." "You've accused the CSA of acting like "amateurs" in WCQ. Do you believe that the players conducted themselves like professionals throughout the process?" "How much blame for failing to qualify must fall on the CSA and how much on the players?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Knight Posted February 5, 2009 Author Share Posted February 5, 2009 (Scribble, scribble) Thanks, Duane!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Forget about the past. Everyone knows it's messed. It will never be figured out. Put a lid on it and leave it for future archeologists. Move "Onward!" "Part 1 - If you were the program director, how would you go about winning CONCACAF?" "Part 2 - You're now the coach, and it's the CONCACAF final - how do we play?" "What can we take from the La Liga approach and apply to the Men's program?" "The game is full of so much cutthroat competition, disappointment, bitterness, heartbreak and scathing personal attacks. Do you still love it as much as you did when you were a kid? What gets you out of bed in the morning?" "What are the qualities it takes for a Canadian kid to make it at the highest level?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrennanFan Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 I just think we need to go more specific... How would you compare training sessions under dale mitchell with canada to what you experience at Deportivo? What is your main concern with the strategy/tactics dale mitchell attempted in WCQ? Do you think you tried to do too much offensively during the WCQ, thereby leaving a GAPING HOLE in front of our make-shift central defenders that was easily exploited? In your opinion, why were Atiba, and DeRosario so ineffective in WCQ? Would the players ever consider a boycott of national team games in an effort to force changes to the management and structure of the CSA? ...and finally What exactly was Francois Glasman's role in establishing your career with Marseilles? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Hombre Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 quote:Originally posted by BrennanFan (Chantelle is hot). Yes, but the co-hosts should really let her talk as well. Admittedly, last episode was the only one I've seen but there were a bunch of times she started to make a point only to be interrupted. I find it interesting to see that this thread has made it to 66+ replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ref Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 To Ben Knight: Here are my questions: 1) Did you personally feel realized as a player during the last qualifying games? 2) Considering that our players come from different clubs and styles in Europe, in your opinion how early should our camps and practices commence so as to gel before important games? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loyola Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Another question for JDG: We've heard some MNT players criticizing the CSA for the choice of opponents for friendlies. In the past year or so you haven't been able to win games against Iceland, Estonia, a South African "B" team, Panama, Costa Rica. What's your stance about this issue? Should we play world powers or stick with the average teams like Iceland and Cyprus? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeffery S. Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 The Brazilians have always partied like hell, except the evangelical Christians, and their results have been pretty good. Cruyff smoked. Maradona had a drug habit and led Naples to two leagues and Argentina to a World Cup. Romario said if he didn't go out at night he couldn't score. Gerrard can go out, get in a hassle, get charged, and still keep his side fighting for the league, still probably the best player England has right now. The rest is just pure speculation. But if you really think that Julian should answer the question, I guess I will concede. Go for it, ask him why he went out. You'll make the fans sound like paparrazzi and big brother, a sort of ad hoc Stasi making sure Canadians don't appear in public anywhere and much less have any sort of contact with the fans, it will be the start of a beautiful relationship of mistrust. We'll be the spies and the players will rightly hide from us, and the question of responsibility will be even cloudier. Not because we are not free to care or they should not be held accountable, but because it is way to late to pick about it, and as long as there is no internal regulation governing the behaviour they officially did nothing wrong. So what do you really want to accomplish? Have them tell us what the internal regulations are or tell on the CSA for not laying them down or tell on each other? I insist that the whole question is alright for parents concerned about their preschoolers at day camp. If this is what the fans have come to, I guess there is nothing to do about it. Ask away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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