Odds for players chosing for/against Canada

[Keegan]

I want Bunbury and Hoillet but at this point I've already let go of Fernandes and De Guzman2. I say screw Vitoria... he played for portugal in a tournament in canada thanks for coming out

[gator]

I want Bunbury and Hoillet but at this point I've already let go of Fernandes and De Guzman2. I say screw Vitoria... he played for portugal in a tournament in canada thanks for coming out

You want them but they don't want you (us)!

[JoshieScores]

He has played in 2 friendlies, the first in June 2007 against Kuwait and the second in Feb. 2009 against Finland.

Your right... my bad. He was on the bench but did not feature against Belgium during Euro 08 qualifier.

Ring 'em up Stevie Hart!!

[Unnamed Trialist]

Re the odds on Dani Fernandes.

First of all, I can confirm he feels totally Canadian, and not very Portuguese. So much so that he rightly misses Vancouver. Too bad MLS salaries are so deficient.

But the Portugal option remains open to him and right now it is the only realistic one for him, as Canada has not said a word to him in years.

What he says about the way things were done a few years back would make your blood curdle, we have done some damn bush-league things with our national teams.

I am not sure about his status, he seems to think he is cap tied, other observers say he is not. I don't ask anymore.

As he was just with Portugal at the WC and even though he has not been called up by Portugal lately he feels if he could get a few starts with Panathinaikos he would get back into the Portugal mix. Right now he is behind Tzorvas , the Greece international, who is not doing anything spectacular either. They were in Barcelona for the Champions match and I was hoping Tzorvas would get a red card to get a view of Dani but no luck.

He is there on loan from Bochum and I think he is under contract to 2012.

[finchster]

Re the odds on Dani Fernandes.

First of all, I can confirm he feels totally Canadian, and not very Portuguese. So much so that he rightly misses Vancouver. Too bad MLS salaries are so deficient.

But the Portugal option remains open to him and right now it is the only realistic one for him, as Canada has not said a word to him in years.

What he says about the way things were done a few years back would make your blood curdle, we have done some damn bush-league things with our national teams.

I am not sure about his status, he seems to think he is cap tied, other observers say he is not. I don't ask anymore.

As he was just with Portugal at the WC and even though he has not been called up by Portugal lately he feels if he could get a few starts with Panathinaikos he would get back into the Portugal mix. Right now he is behind Tzorvas , the Greece international, who is not doing anything spectacular either. They were in Barcelona for the Champions match and I was hoping Tzorvas would get a red card to get a view of Dani but no luck.

He is there on loan from Bochum and I think he is under contract to 2012.

It is too bad, out of all the players who COULD play for us I personally would want Fernandez the most. Not because I think he is the most talented, but we are so weak at goalkeeper I think he could probably make the biggest impact

[Soju]

I wonder if bringing his case to light once more would be worth a go. Maybe we should petition Hart to call him for a talk, and try to get some of the bloggers around here to interview him again. The CSA does seem to be trying to improve, maybe an apology for past stupidity is due/could possibly sway Fernandes? Just some random thoughts.

[jpg75]

^ I sent an interview request to Bochum over a year ago (at the end of the 08/09 season) and never got a response. Perhaps the folks in Greece will be more professional?

[Unnamed Trialist]

jpg75, do you think professionality is based on a club responding to a fan? Now if it were the CSA that would be a different story.

In any case, if you guys really think the CSA does not know how to get ahold of a player for a conversation you are totally mistaken. They do. Only in the case of Fernandes, they have not. Not for years now, for at least 4 years. Another thing is if the CSA or the technical staff know how to speak in mature fashion to a potential player. I have my doubts.

I mentioned the possibility that he was not cap tied to him before the WC, and I do not really know what he thinks about it all. A player who goes to the World Cup with a team that ends up knocked out by the Champion is not exactly thinking about leaving that team to play for one which has only communicated with him in a two-faced, after the fact, unprofessional, bush league way. When not shunning him entirely. You guys have got to get some perspective.

Had a nice visit with Daniel at their hotel when Panathinaikos was in Barcelona for their Champions League match, only regret was not going to say hi to Luis García.

[Gordon]

jpg75, do you think professionality is based on a club responding to a fan? Now if it were the CSA that would be a different story.

In any case, if you guys really think the CSA does not know how to get ahold of a player for a conversation you are totally mistaken. They do. Only in the case of Fernandes, they have not. Not for years now, for at least 4 years. Another thing is if the CSA or the technical staff know how to speak in mature fashion to a potential player. I have my doubts.

I mentioned the possibility that he was not cap tied to him before the WC, and I do not really know what he thinks about it all. A player who goes to the World Cup with a team that ends up knocked out by the Champion is not exactly thinking about leaving that team to play for one which has only communicated with him in a two-faced, after the fact, unprofessional, bush league way. When not shunning him entirely. You guys have got to get some perspective.

Had a nice visit with Daniel at their hotel when Panathinaikos was in Barcelona for their Champions League match, only regret was not going to say hi to Luis García.

I am not one to defend the CSA as a rule, but for the bulk of those 4 years, Daniel was cap tied to Portugal (Played in the U-21 in February of 2006). There would have been little point in talking to him. Since the rule change, perhaps an exploratory conversation could have occurred. In reality we are talking about a window of months rather than years. As for the rest, yeah, no doubt the CSA butchered it when it still mattered. I wonder though how many of those are still around?

[jpg75]

jpg75, do you think professionality is based on a club responding to a fan? Now if it were the CSA that would be a different story.

Thanks for assuming Jeffrey, but I introduced myself as a journalist writing for an online Canadian publication reporting on Canadian soccer players abroad. I provided the website URL, apologized for not writing in German and asked politely that despite Daniel representing Portugal if he would be willing to do a short interview with us as he was born in Canada.

[Unnamed Trialist]

Thanks for assuming Jeffrey, but I introduced myself as a journalist writing for an online Canadian publication reporting on Canadian soccer players abroad. I provided the website URL, apologized for not writing in German and asked politely that despite Daniel representing Portugal if he would be willing to do a short interview with us as he was born in Canada.

Sorry, I assumed you requested info on his status as a fan. Should have insisted I guess, some press departments are overwhelmed.

Regarding the above comments on how him no longer being cap-tied with FIFA rule changes, since when would the u-21 appearances be no longer binding, just curious?

[Blackdude]

Sorry, I assumed you requested info on his status as a fan. Should have insisted I guess, some press departments are overwhelmed.

Regarding the above comments on how him no longer being cap-tied with FIFA rule changes, since when would the u-21 appearances be no longer binding, just curious?

It was in 2009. It was after Algerians who were cap-tied from playing with French U teams wanted to switch their football nationality to Algeria and the CAS ruled in the favour of the players.

[Gordon]

Sorry, I assumed you requested info on his status as a fan. Should have insisted I guess, some press departments are overwhelmed.

Regarding the above comments on how him no longer being cap-tied with FIFA rule changes, since when would the u-21 appearances be no longer binding, just curious?

Good Question....went back and looked and it was June of 2009. I thought it more recent - time goes faster the older I get I suppose. So a good 16 months (longer than I thought) has passed since the change.

[Unnamed Trialist]

Let's put it this way. It would be very unusual for a player who went as a senior international to the World Cup with a team to be never capped by them and to end up playing for another country. It would probably be totally unique.

The most logical thing for Dani to do now is continue in the same direction he is going, which is try to get playing time and see how the country that took him to South Africa caps him.

How much do you want to bet that if Canada came in strong with a bid to get him to play for us, the reaction from Portugal would be fairly quick? All they have to do is stick him into a Eurocup qualifier vs a weak team in their group, the same principle that Holland could work with to cap Jonathan de Guzmán.

[El Hombre]

Link doesn't work. Is that the article from June 8th?

[finchster]

TIme to update this SOB since Teal is a punk

Jonathon de Guzman: 35% (up 25%) Not called up by the Dutch, doesn't seem to be on their radar. Hart said he was going to visit him to see what could be done. His percentage goes up but not better than 50/50 until I see what comes of Harts visit.

Daniel Fernandes: 2% (down 8%) got called up for the world cup but didn't play, we won't see him in red and white.

Steven Vitoria: 50% (down 20%). No longer owned by Porto, signed with Estoril-Praia of the Portuguese second division. Unlike De Guzman or Fernandes, Vitoria is a guy we don’t really need. Having the most depth will always help out, but I would be fine with the CSA making an example of him to try and discourage other players from doing the same thing. His percentage is only down because of that, otherwise it is a 90% chance we see this guy play for Canada.

David Holilett 60% (up 30%) said he would prefer to play for Canada, so I would prefer to give him better than coin flip odds. Better back his words up with something soon

Teal bunbury 50% I am going with a coin flip here.

Jonathon de Guzman: 25% (down 10%) playing good, almost too good

Daniel Fernandes 1% (down 1%) never say never but I am just about to.

Steven Vitoria: 50% Meh, who cares about this guy

David Hoilett 30% . Said he would play, but hasn't backed it up. I think he doesn't want to play and is leading us on

Teal Bunbury 0% Kid is a punk, I know this doesn't cap tie him but he would have had to change his fifa nationality and thus can only do that once. He is gone forever.

[deschamp86]

How is Fernandes still at 1%? He is the same situation as Bunbury. He played youth games and had to change through FIFA to his Portugal allegiance.

I don't know why he keeps getting brought up, the guy is gone.

[Lord Bob]

All: 0%. Well, that was easy!

[Keegan]

Hoillet I still have hope for because he's actually made positive comments in the last little while...

Teal was making positive comments then suddenly when he hit MLS we stopped hearing them and started hearing the club BS

[jpg75]

How is Fernandes still at 1%? He is the same situation as Bunbury. He played youth games and had to change through FIFA to his Portugal allegiance.

I don't know why he keeps getting brought up, the guy is gone.

FIFA Statute 15.2

With the exception of the conditions specified in article 18 below, any Player who has already participated in a match (either in full or in part) in an official competition of any category or any type of football for one Association may not play an international match for a representative team of another Association.

Teal Bunbury and Jacob Lensky both played in official competitions for Canada so they had to sign the papers to play for their new countries. Fernandes was still a "free agent" when he joined Portugal and has yet to cap-tie with them so he could play for us without signing papers and then switch back to Portugal and back and forth if he never played in an official match.

[jpg75]

Lord Bob is probably right, as much as i've been holding out hope that the tide of defections would subside i think none of these guys will play for us...and that makes us extremely unlikely to qualify for the 2014 WC.

[Macksam]

Lord Bob is probably right, as much as i've been holding out hope that the tide of defections would subside i think none of these guys will play for us...and that makes us extremely unlikely to qualify for the 2014 WC.

We can qualify without them still. I don't really care too much about the Bunbury exclusion in all honesty.

[finchster]

Lord Bob is probably right, as much as i've been holding out hope that the tide of defections would subside i think none of these guys will play for us...and that makes us extremely unlikely to qualify for the 2014 WC.

Do you remember when the rules were changed and Hart said it would be good for canada because we would get some guys back? It is certainly looking like the wrong answer now

[jpg75]

We can qualify without them still. I don't really care too much about the Bunbury exclusion in all honesty.

We CAN qualify, i CAN sleep with a super model...there is always a chance in life. Until we get the horses that will step up in big game situations against solid opposition we don`t stand a chance of getting 9 points at home in the final group stage.

Do you remember when the rules were changed and Hart said it would be good for canada because we would get some guys back? It is certainly looking like the wrong answer now

Hey, it sounded like a good idea back then didn't it? It wasn't like we had any players anyone else wanted right? ...and no way Fernades gets called to the WC squad for Portugal and De Guzmans' knee is shot...ugh, i feel like Happy Gilmore having a bad Shooter McGavin and Grandma visual...

[canucklefan]

Those who believed Canada would gain some players back with the new rules were really naive, Hart included. Personally I did expect what's happening right now, Canadian players being untied to represent Canada but so far I find the numbers too much. First Lensky, then Begovic and now Teal...