One year later, what have we learned?

[squizz1402635577]

Believe it or not, it's been exactly one year since Toronto/Jamaica in Toronto. I've written a post looking at some of the things we've learned since then (and I kiss a lot of ass)...

http://canadiansoccerblog.ca/2009/08/20/one-year-later-what-have-we-learned/

[86Rooster]

What have we learned: eternal recurrence is not limited to the universe.

[Free kick]

quote:Originally posted by 86Rooster

What have we learned: eternal recurrence is not limited to the universe.

Thats a Good one! and true:D None the less the blog is very accurate in that there has been a multitude postives in soccer that have happened in canadian soccer in the past year. For the past 8 years, the positives have vastly outnumberred the negatives. problem is: none of the positives relate to the Mens national team, specifically, results and performance . Which haven't changed a bit.

It definitely has impacted me as well. There use to be time that( when I visited this site) the first topics I opened related to the Mens national team. If I had time, I chech the stuff on clubs teams. Now MNT forum is a far distance behind in my interest compared to V-cup, MLS, Candian clubs etc etc.. I can go days or even weeks without visiting the Mens national team forum.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Not learned much judging by the lack of responses. Here's a few random thoughts on the subject, very much from a southern Ontario perspective.

The team and the CSA. There is a very Euro-centric outlook in Canadian soccer which means that being part of CONCACAF has never been fully embraced and people follow events in UEFA much more closely than those in their own FIFA regional confederation. Given the many European based players on the roster these days that has lead to an inflated view of where the CMNT currently fits into the pecking order in CONCACAF terms and a sense first and foremost of being cheated when the anticipated results do not materialize, which deflects attention away from some of the key problems i.e. the CSA appointing Dale Mitchell rather than another coach in the mould of Holger Osieck who is truly qualified for the job. I strongly suspect that nothing will change next time around in that regard and the national team fanbase will for the most part meekly accept another substandard coaching appointment and shambolic preparation.

The media. Slight improvement here. Maybe it's just my imagination but there seems to be less of a mentality that coverage of a FIFA international date should revolve around a long wire story about the England team and a short summary article listing other scorelines with only marginal coverage of the CMNT. Having a set of soccer beat writers in Toronto covering TFC nowadays probably helps.

The fans. Has the emergence of TFC really made such a big difference? To an extent but in some ways I'm not so sure. One thing to maybe ponder is that almost nobody who first became introduced to Canadian soccer online through being part of RPB or the NEE posts regularly either here or on Bigsoccer. I know from first hand experience that there is often an attitude that TFC is an aberration in street cred terms in the soccer wasteland that is North America (cue pedantry about that meaning Mexico as well as Canada and the US), that MLS is a joke in general terms, being on the brink of losing out to a USL-D1 team means it is time for a demonstration etc etc. A lot of the perceptions about North American soccer that were in place before the emergence of TFC that led to a very Euro-centric outlook to the almost complete exclusion of the sport in a Canadian context haven't really shifted yet. The change in attitudes often stretches no further than TFC. Maybe things will change when Vancouver and Montreal (fingers crossed on that anyway) are part of MLS. Time will tell.

[Macksam]

I'm sold, let's get Holger Osieck back.

[TFCRegina]

quote:Originally posted by BringBackTheBlizzard

Not learned much judging by the lack of responses. Here's a few random thoughts on the subject, very much from a southern Ontario perspective.

The team and the CSA. There is a very Euro-centric outlook in Canadian soccer which means that being part of CONCACAF has never been fully embraced and people follow events in UEFA much more closely than those in their own FIFA regional confederation. Given the many European based players on the roster these days that has lead to an inflated view of where the CMNT currently fits into the pecking order in CONCACAF terms and a sense first and foremost of being cheated when the anticipated results do not materialize, which deflects attention away from some of the key problems i.e. the CSA appointing Dale Mitchell rather than another coach in the mould of Holger Osieck who is truly qualified for the job. I strongly suspect that nothing will change next time around in that regard and the national team fanbase will for the most part meekly accept another substandard coaching appointment and shambolic preparation.

The media. Slight improvement here. Maybe it's just my imagination but there seems to be less of a mentality that coverage of a FIFA international date should revolve around a long wire story about the England team and a short summary article listing other scorelines with only marginal coverage of the CMNT. Having a set of soccer beat writers in Toronto covering TFC nowadays probably helps.

The fans. Has the emergence of TFC really made such a big difference? To an extent but in some ways I'm not so sure. One thing to maybe ponder is that almost nobody who first became introduced to Canadian soccer online through being part of RPB or the NEE posts regularly either here or on Bigsoccer. I know from first hand experience that there is often an attitude that TFC is an aberration in street cred terms in the soccer wasteland that is North America (cue pedantry about that meaning Mexico as well as Canada and the US), that MLS is a joke in general terms, being on the brink of losing out to a USL-D1 team means it is time for a demonstration etc etc. A lot of the perceptions about North American soccer that were in place before the emergence of TFC that led to a very Euro-centric outlook to the almost complete exclusion of the sport in a Canadian context haven't really shifted yet. The change in attitudes often stretches no further than TFC. Maybe things will change when Vancouver and Montreal (fingers crossed on that anyway) are part of MLS. Time will tell.

You know, I think that one thing TFC has done is bring about the galvanization of the Toronto (and Canadian) football fanbase. This is not to take away from teams like the Lynx or the various CSL teams in the region, but one thing that is certain about TFC is that before there was TFC there was a lacking of buzz in Canada, whether it be the Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps fans trashing TFC (and vice versa) or just league play against American teams. Undoubtedly, TFC has affected the club landscape of this country.

I'm from Saskatchewan, and people here know about TFC. I doubt people would know about the Impact or Whitecaps (well, maybe they might know the Whitecaps, as they're probably Canada's longest running professional club, correct me if i'm wrong).

But with TFC in MLS, the battle lines seem to be drawn now. Rivalries are flourishing, and the three major clubs are in great financial health. Toronto fans have one team which they can coalesce around at the highest tier in North America, and they can still get out and support their PDL/CSL teams. Players and their parents can now see opportunities at home, and abroad, and may be more likely to stay in the sport because of this.

Love them or hate them, the emergence of an upper tier team in Toronto is in the best interest of the game in Canada, as the three largest cities in our country now have representation in the two best leagues in North America.

Now, give us some CSL on the Prairies.