nolando Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Happened to run across this tonight and thought it was timely as a fire-stoker before our QF next weekend: http://www.lifeandtimes.ca/markwatson/markwatson.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earlimus Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Awesome link!!! I got into soccer too late to see Watson play so this is informative and emotional for me. Really good video and I love seeing the old 90's kits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keano Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 What a good interview... thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettermirror Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Great interview! Thanks for posting that. Stands out to me that "there were much better players than me." This is so very true, even today, isn't it! Players all over go on to professional and each of them would point out players better than them I am sure who just never get seen ... or never do anything to get themselves noticed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gator Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Always like Watsons' no nonsense approach to the game! I'll never forget the "friendly" vs Costa Rica at Varsity in 1996, the Ticos were up to their cheating tricks, all kinds of crap going on off the ball, one of the Canucks had taken a punch to the nuts behind the play! Next time the offending Tico was in possesion of the ball Watson came in with the most wonderful crunching tackle I had ever seen live right in front of us, it was beautifully timed and he got the ball, of course he was unfairly sent off. more Tico theatrics, I think all his teamates respected him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe MacCarthy Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 quote:Originally posted by bettermirror Great interview! Thanks for posting that. Stands out to me that "there were much better players than me." This is so very true, even today, isn't it! Players all over go on to professional and each of them would point out players better than them I am sure who just never get seen ... or never do anything to get themselves noticed. I remember the same quote but what I took from it (my interpretation not Mark's) was that the other players didn't have the heart or the will to do what was necessary to get to the next level. Mark may have had less skills but often in sports the ability to impose your will and or intimidate (physically or with superior skills) your opponent is more important. I'm always reading crap about this or that player who is better than the NT players and is held down by politics etc. None of it makes sense logically. Conspiracy theories seldom do. One thing I remember and I could be wrong but years ago I was trying to come up with a common denominator on Holger's long unbeaten streak. To me, Watson was it. We seemed to win whenever he played. What was his quote about the Japanese? player lying on the ground. It tends to slow them down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettermirror Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 ^Joe: Mark wasn't suggesting other players didn't have heart. Make sense to read into what he was saying, but I don't think he was really saying that. I bet he just feels lucky that he made it, when other players with more ability should have had that shot....not that he doesn't believe, or feel he deserved it. No doubt he worked very hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe MacCarthy Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 As I said, I didn't think Mark was intimating that, but that's what I took from it. He was a guy who knew he wasn't the best and had to find a way to compete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrennanFan Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Didn't Mark Watson beat up Aguiar and Radzinski in training sessions over the years? Or was it just Aguiar? And wasn't it Watson's buddy Yallop who unbelievably, called Watson for 04 WCQ, and then mysteriously left off Aguiar who had just had a stellar season for Benfica? Wonder why, hmm? Still, one of our best defenders ever. Good vid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VPjr Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 ^ I think Joe's interpretation of Mark Watson's comments is not</u> all that far off. Plenty of players have come on the scene with loads of talent (the #1 example in my mind is Branko Segoda) but having talent simply isn't enough. Branko had unbelievable talent but there was something missing that kept him from fulfilling his full potential. Julian DeGuzman is a good example of a player who had good (not mind blowing) natural talent but who also has the the heart, the work ethic and, very importantly, the humility needed to reach the top in this sport. He's made the most of his ability while so many others have not. Luck also has some influence but I'm a believer that you make most of your luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe MacCarthy Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 quote:Originally posted by VPjr ^ I think Joe's interpretation of Mark Watson's comments is all that far off. Plenty of players have come on the scene with loads of talent (the #1 example in my mind is Branko Segoda) but having talent simply isn't enough. Branko had unbelievable talent but there was something missing that kept him from fulfilling his full potential. Not sure if you're agreeing with me or not. Typo? Mark did not say (or think) what I'm saying but I think the two thoughts are related. Branko Segota was an interesting example. I think he was a star but he should have been a superstar; the first great Canadian player. The 86 WC should have been his and Mitch's coming out party. They didn't get the full playing time (were they both playing indoor - pre WC?) We still haven't seen the Gretzky/Beckham of Canadian soccer, the guy who gets the McCain's drinking box commercials. There has to be someone out there who wants to be this, not whore himself out to European interests. The Duze had a shot but he was twenty years too early and not well known enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe MacCarthy Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 quote:Originally posted by BrennanFan And wasn't it Watson's buddy Yallop who unbelievably, called Watson for 04 WCQ, and then mysteriously left off Aguiar who had just had a stellar season for Benfica? Wonder why, hmm? Still, one of our best defenders ever. Good vid. That always bugs me when I see Yallop's drinking buddy. It's not like he wasn't qualified or only made the team because of Yallop. That doesn't make sense that Yallop would put his own career and our chance at qualifying in jeopardy by putting a crony into the lineup if he didn't think he could do the job. We saw how much someone of his grit and character was missed at the last WCQ. Go back and read the posts at the time (Yallop's WCQ). Even the chronic Watson bashers grudgingly posted he did ok in WCQ even if his career was on the downside. I don't even think he was crucified for the fallout of the phantom foul (rightfully, as he shouldn't have been) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VPjr Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 quote:Originally posted by Joe MacCarthy Not sure if you're agreeing with me or not. Typo? I fixed my post...didn't proof read. I agree with you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrennanFan Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 i don't think watson played all that bad actually. but the truth is that yallop called him in because he was familiar with his friend, and he did not trust or know anyone else from the player pool. he actually said something along those lines in a sportsnet interview. it may have been because yallop did not get many prep games, but the fact remains that watson only made the team because he was close to yallop. Holger had dropped him totally because of form and age, and because McKenna was miles ahead of him. McKenna was injured for wcq, but we had our options, the most glaring being Nsaliwa starting as a Centre back for Saarbrucken in the B2. We also had an in his prime Marco Reda who had just had his best season ever in Norway, when the Norway national coach said he would have called him if he was Norweigian. If we were going to go with a USL defender, it should have been Gabe Gervais, who was younger, faster, had just won the league with the impact, and had been named USL defender of the year in 03 and 04! But Yallop picks Watson? Give me a break. Yallop was and is a twat, and I have no doubt it was his BS politics that kept Aguiar off that team. but watson played with heart, even then, and served us ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I was always a fan, although it's true some of his late call-ups might have been a bit questionable. When I was young I wrote many of the players for their autographs. Mark Watson was the first to respond, sent me a whole prgram and a letter and everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcisoul Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 that was a great interview, thanks for posting that. I wish they did that with more players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HamiltonSteelers Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 This. Was. Awesome. I got chills... thanks for the link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Varsity Tyler Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 I still love Watson's comment regarding the speed of the Japanese before the match in 2001: "they're not so fast when they're flat on the ground." Perfect : ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 quote:Originally posted by Varsity Tyler I still love Watson's comment regarding the speed of the Japanese before the match in 2001: "they're not so fast when they're flat on the ground." Perfect : ) I guess that was the problem: they weren't flat on the ground. We lost 3-0. In fact, I remember Watson getting easily beaten in the air on one of those goals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earlimus Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 quote:Originally posted by Joe MacCarthy Not sure if you're agreeing with me or not. Typo? Mark did not say (or think) what I'm saying but I think the two thoughts are related. Branko Segota was an interesting example. I think he was a star but he should have been a superstar; the first great Canadian player. The 86 WC should have been his and Mitch's coming out party. They didn't get the full playing time (were they both playing indoor - pre WC?) We still haven't seen the Gretzky/Beckham of Canadian soccer, the guy who gets the McCain's drinking box commercials. There has to be someone out there who wants to be this, not whore himself out to European interests. The Duze had a shot but he was twenty years too early and not well known enough. I'm sorry. I don't mean to criticize, but can we not think of a better comparison than The Great One and Beckham??? I don't mean to be picky, but isn't that kinda like rubbing some nasty British morning spread on our great Canadian Flag? Surely 99 doesn't deserve that... and no disrespect to Becks, but please. On another note, is there any truth to Watson knocking out a few teammates in practice? I don't know why but I like the sound of that. After hearing the man speak about the MNT I'm bet they had it coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soju Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 IIRC someone posting as Aguiar told this forum that Watson and Aguiar had beef and it came to a head during a training session. Don't remember anyone being knocked out though. That poster also blamed the Watson and Yallop buddy buddy relationship for being why Aguiar was being overlooked for Canadian call ups. The other Canadian beef that comes to mind is DeVos vs Stalteri when Diesel flipped him off on the pitch. Can't recall anyone taking a poke at Radz I don't think he was involved in anything like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soju Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 BTW would Harmse be our new Watson or is it Serioux? Can someone make a Mark Watson Commemorative Hard Man award and give it to one of them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordan Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 Technical director for Minnesota united, the broadcast just said he played an integral part in bringing Reynoso from Boca here. Wonder if he gets a job back here eventually. Trois Reds, johnyb and dyslexic nam 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dyslexic nam Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 “11 years later...” I wonder what the biggest thread necro is. nolando and ray 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordan Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 2 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said: “11 years later...” I wonder what the biggest thread necro is. Didn’t want to start a new one. My previous record was 2008 when I found out Fabian Troche who signed in Uruguay back then was a new staff for Atlético Ottawa dyslexic nam 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now