Province: Dunfield excited to be back home

[Canuck in Boston]

That may be. But the players were in fact led by Julian, who dominated in Victoria. He showed how to lead in the Rhode Island game earlier that year where they beat the USA 2-1 at their coming-out party, the US Soccer Festival.

Too true. I drove down to Kingston for that match, at URI, with the US and that was a stacked US side. Julien was exceptional, Hume looked awkward (short legs perhaps) yet showed loads of pace. I always expected more from Oppong he looked solid in that match. My memory fades me on the others.

My match report can be found on the old forum, I think, if it still exists.

[Razcle]

Good read. You can't hold back feeling for the guy even though he probably tasted more success in a glimpse then I will enjoy for most of my life. Hope he comes around for Vancouver as is successful against all of their American opponents

[loyola]

Whether Oppong or Julian was the de facto leader, I never really thought it was a great idea to strip the captaincy from a player who played in matches that successfully qualified for a World Cup (going undefeated in the process) in order to give it to someone who hadn't played in those matches because he hadn't committed to playing for the team at that point. I can't imagine that this helped team morale or chemistry at all, nor was it helped by the fact that Dunfield's talent level was not anything special enough to warrant that kind of move (assuming that such a move could be justifiable in the first place). This was not Dunfield's fault - the blame for that move has to go down to the coach.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's a good move team wise but if you change Dunfield by OH in that situation, I wouldn't really care about it. Dunfield was highly rated at that time and from what I can remember we were happy he committed. Of course, the captain armband change wasn't necessary unless something else happened.

[mirokliment@shaw.ca]

don't get me wrong, i don't think it's a good move team wise but if you change dunfield by oh in that situation, i wouldn't really care about it. Dunfield was highly rated at that time and from what i can remember we were happy he committed. Of course, the captain armband change wasn't necessary unless something else happened.

i sent the link to this story to my son to read.