Credit where it's due-- Salute CSA for CONCACAF Championship !!

[StrandOne]

Ok people, hat in hand time...

CSA gets bashed plenty in this forum. Perhaps deservedly so. But they secured the sponsorships and did seemingly whatever it took to help Morace + this group of women pull of this FANTASTIC RESULT. PLEASE salute the CSA for FINALLY doing something GREAT for soccer in this country. PLEASE give them credit for allowing whatever concessions-- technical direction, travel to Europe, umpteen training camps, and a HUGE support staff-- to make this result THAT WE'RE ALL SO VERY PROUD OF, possible. They gave Morace the tools + the freedom to make the tactical & preparatory decisions she thought were necessary. I'm sure there were snags but gosh darn it CSA deserves some credit + appreciation.

So let's hear it.

Ingrid

[methusela]

Great victory and good to see the CSA President at the event. However, all this has been in vain unless the Women's Team and coach Morace can build on the success. Does the CSA have the funds to put the coach's plans in place building up to the FIFA World Cup? Will she use a residency camp? Will the players receive a National Team contract?

If a camp and schedule of preparatory games are planned, what happens to the free agents from WPSL, those with a WPSL contract still, and those players from Europe who were persuaded to leave their clubs to join the National Team program in the build-up to this CONCACAF event?

Will the CSA negotiate contracts with these players on the squad so that they can live on more than AAP grants over the next couple of years? Or, do we send everyone back to finding soccer jobs, part-time jobs, and disperese the team and expect them to come running when a camp or tour is called? Do we have more innovative solutions - a Canadian Women's professional league?

Well done CSA for this result and support of the Women's program. Well done the Board. Well done Peter Montopoli. Please don't spoil it all......

[kj52]

The Board did what it should be doing - it hired a competent coach. I'm sure Mike Traficante was instrumental in Morace's hiring. As head of the Tech. Committee and being an ardent supporter of Italian coaching and style I don't think there's much doubt that he would have been pushing for an Italian coach. He has never been pleased with the way the Canadian women have played in the past even when they were having success playing route one soccer. Too bad he can't keep his hands out of the dirty politics at CSA. The financial support that the professional staff at CSA were able to line up again was evidence that they were doing what they were hired to do. Remember Canada has qualified for quite a few WC's in a row now, anything less would have been an abject failure. Also remember we haven't beaten anyone at this tournament that we weren't supposed to beat. What gives hope is the manner in which the team did it.

[Jeremy]

I think the people who deserve the most credit are the players... No matter what the CSA does it all comes down to doing what has to be done, and it has been done this time.

[nolando]

I've saluted the CSA before on numerous occasions but never with more than just one finger. Kudos to the women for this - really unbelievable results.

[ray]

I wasn't able to watch the matches but you can't argue with the results. Progress for the women's team is progress for all of Canadian soccer. Hopefully, the CONCACAF championship will bring in more sponsorship and awareness of the women's program and help with the bid for the 2015 WWC.

[ThruBall]

Can anyone say they feel any amount of disappointment in our Senior Women’s team? What a tournament performance!!

Did they “back up” into the championship? Were they tactically unsound? Is a big “goose egg” in the goals against column a fluke? Could they score when they needed too? Was it just plain luck that Mexico spontaneously broke for that split second to concede a deliberate hand ball penalty shot winner?

These women demonstrated they can play the game. They are clearly competitive and will definitely challenge for the World Cup. Morace has lead them there and I’m absolutely sure she understands the team will need to be much better at the finals or face an early exit.

Thank you to the CSA for having the smarts to bring Morace on board as this countries Women’s Head Coach. In eighteen months she has produced a national futbol team that represents the best women’s team Canada has seen in a very long time. When this team moves on into the knock out stage of the 2011 World Cup…… CSA - give her the full reigns to the national program and let’s finally turn the corner towards the future.

Yippee.:o:cool:

Go girls Go.

[paul-collins]

Will this result in some revisions down the line to give Morace more input on player development? It certainly gives pause for reflection to compare the U17WWC results to the WWCQ results.

Not only was it a great result (5 clean sheets, possessional dominance) it was a pleasure to watch (which again relates back to the U17WWC which was painful to watch).

[Vic]

methusala - the last residency did not work. We were not only eliminated in group in the World Cup and Olympics but never beat a single higher ranked team for years. You cannot have independent adults live together for a long period of time. Many interspersed camps, internationals, tours and tournaments is great. But players need their lives to keep balance and perspective. That includes the team staff as well.

We also need to keep an array of players flowing through the system. Barring something catastrophic there are about 8 locks but the other 13 spots could go to at least 50 players who over the next year could all raise their game and you don't want to contract a small number and close the door on any.

As was hinted by the Red Stars coach Omid Namazi's comments when he traded for Karina LeBlanc (with USA backup Jillian Loyden already on his roster):

"We feel that we need additional depth given the potential for extensive national team call-ups during a Women's World Cup year, for Jill or any other players," Namazi said.

Women's professional soccer is not quite like men's. You do not receive large sums of money or have no bargaining power. Players have a lot more pull in negotiating terms. And besides, outside of the WPS we only have a few players in international leagues, all are veritably semi-pro and even the WPS clubs may not be around (and it's only a handful or less as they have effectively blackballed Canadians anyway - which looks really good on their CONCACAF Bronze medals).

You have to keep working hard and pushing yourself to improve and you're always on your own as a player to manage your career, and to quote the Rooney commercial - write your own future. Anything can happen over the course of a year. Look at our teams in the past and you can see players whose game has transformed completely over the course of a year. And that's not even counting the injuries and life altering events.

Competition over complacency. Know what you can and cannot change. Create the playground and let life take it's course and the cream rise to the top.

[ThruBall]

Will this result in some revisions down the line to give Morace more input on player development? It certainly gives pause for reflection to compare the U17WWC results to the WWCQ results.

Not only was it a great result (5 clean sheets, possessional dominance) it was a pleasure to watch (which again relates back to the U17WWC which was painful to watch).

Hear, hear!

I've turned the corner on that one.....I simply can't be counted among the ones who have an infinite capacity to take things for granted.

2010 - Zero World Cup Titles - Male or Female - Any Age Group

2011 - Senior Women?

Up next.

[Joe MacCarthy]

I wasn't able to watch the matches but you can't argue with the results.

You can see them here and CBC TV will likely repeat the final on the weekend.

[CoachRich]

Competition over complacency. Know what you can and cannot change. Create the playground and let life take it's course and the cream rise to the top.

Well stated Vic.

IMO there is a lot of credit that goes around to the ladies success and that is for the system we presently have from youth clubs to the NT in our Canada. Is it the best no, but it's slowly, slowly changing for a country that has huge geo, expertise and $ limitations. My hope is the program that services the sport from youth clubs to the NT and further continues to change. More so that the directions should come from the top but if not from the top the youth clubs need to not wait.

Still the bottom line of who's paid the most to see the NT achieve will always be the players and their families.

Btw one of the best things the WNT could do is have a CBA so they get at least appearance fees.

[Vic]

Enjoying the spoils of victory and a beautiful trophy is the greatest thing in the world. It's great to play "We are the Champions" and have the best night of your life, but after that you have to slowly start to pull things in a bit.

FIFA rank of the teams we played:

46 - Trinidad & Tobago

85 - Guyana

22 - Mexico

47 - Costa Rica

The only team we played above around 50th in the world was Mexico. They are young and rebuilding. We played them twice and played solid both times but throw out two 16yr old goalkeeping mistakes and they're two 1-0 wins.

We got a lucky tournament draw and our main opponent capitulated. Every now and then the sun smiles straight on you and life paves you a highway. We ran the engines and rode it and got the job done. But to saccharine coat it as world class play or genius coaching is only good for little kids and PR. Any of the top 15 teams in the world playing on form would be CONCACAF champions.

We have some really strong players in the back, some promising forwards up front and we have one of the top goalkeepers on the planet. Diana Matheson is also very effective in the middle, especially when she's on her game like the first half last night. That's enough to get you past the teams above, but it's not going to get you medals in a World Cup. The only way that happens is if the start we just made keeps building exponentially. Everyone, from the stars to the starters and the bench to the coaches has to raise their game not just to a place they've never been before, but higher.

[Vic]

Still the bottom line of who's paid the most to see the NT achieve will always be the players and their families.

That could be the best quote in this forum ever.

[kj52]

Enjoying the spoils of victory and a beautiful trophy is the greatest thing in the world. It's great to play "We are the Champions" and have the best night of your life, but after that you have to slowly start to pull things in a bit.

FIFA rank of the teams we played:

46 - Trinidad & Tobago

85 - Guyana

22 - Mexico

47 - Costa Rica

The only team we played above around 50th in the world was Mexico. They are young and rebuilding. We played them twice and played solid both times but throw out two 16yr old goalkeeping mistakes and they're two 1-0 wins.

We got a lucky tournament draw and our main opponent capitulated. Every now and then the sun smiles straight on you and life paves you a highway. We ran the engines and rode it and got the job done. But to saccharine coat it as world class play or genius coaching is only good for little kids and PR. Any of the top 15 teams in the world playing on form would be CONCACAF champions.

We have some really strong players in the back, some promising forwards up front and we have one of the top goalkeepers on the planet. Diana Matheson is also very effective in the middle, especially when she's on her game like the first half last night. That's enough to get you past the teams above, but it's not going to get you medals in a World Cup. The only way that happens is if the start we just made keeps building exponentially. Everyone, from the stars to the starters and the bench to the coaches has to raise their game not just to a place they've never been before, but higher.

Very well said Vic.

[1867]

The victory was that we succeeded playing possession soccer and have eschewed the long ball game for good.-i hope. If we can translate this success through the whole system with the guidance of CSA it will be a turning point for soccer in canada. We had an opportunity to do this after the Osiek Gold cup win but the powers that be didnt back him agaisnt the soft players who speak for the team and Holger wasnt able to enforce his professional approach through the ranks of the competetive soccer infrastructure of Canadian soccer. Until we allow a talented person to do that any congratulations to CSA will have to be guarded.

[kj52]

Ok people, hat in hand time...

CSA gets bashed plenty in this forum. Perhaps deservedly so. But they secured the sponsorships and did seemingly whatever it took to help Morace + this group of women pull of this FANTASTIC RESULT. PLEASE salute the CSA for FINALLY doing something GREAT for soccer in this country. PLEASE give them credit for allowing whatever concessions-- technical direction, travel to Europe, umpteen training camps, and a HUGE support staff-- to make this result THAT WE'RE ALL SO VERY PROUD OF, possible. They gave Morace the tools + the freedom to make the tactical & preparatory decisions she thought were necessary. I'm sure there were snags but gosh darn it CSA deserves some credit + appreciation.

So let's hear it.

Ingrid

I have an appropriate salute for the corrupt CSA Executive Committee - it involves one finger. The credit goes to Morace and her players, not those creeps.

[methusela]

Vic - Whether the team uses a residency camp or not, coach Morace is quoted as saying that she hopes the squad can be together in the WNT program as much as possible in the next year.

As you suggest, many interspersed camps, internationals, tours and tournaments may work better than a residency, but how can the WNT players have balanced lives and a professional approach when they are trying to live on the AAP alone? There is no prize money or even an appearnace fee in evidence with the CSA.

Some of the players appear to have no income at all, others are free agents trying to re-sign in the WPSL where coaches know their availability will be limited. Others may want to return to semi-professional careers in Europe, but know they may be summoned home for camps and who pays the travel? Competition over coplacency for sure, but how about competition over the ability to live and earn some money?

The players need as Coach Rich suggests a CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) Let's see how committed to the team the CSA may be once the euphoria wears off and the players ask for money to live on, let alone play, an intense schedule and program of matches to the FIFA WC.

[Vic]

The CSA always pays the travel. And as opposed to on the men's side, I don't believe there are many cases where the European clubs are not accommodating.

I love the idea of appearance fees, but I'm not sure about a CBA. I understand how professional leagues have them, but I'm not sure about a team that changes from month to month. What if someone doesn't want to sign it? Are they banned? And what are the bargaining rights of 20 players in negotiation? You'd be busted in about 8 seconds.

... how can the WNT players have balanced lives and a professional approach when they are trying to live on the AAP alone?

The CSA is not an employer and a WNT player is not a job. I'm still in awe of Rich's quote and I'll be the first to admit being a woman and a soccer player in 2010 is like taking a vow of perpetual poverty. But unfortunately that's the reality. Being a female soccer player (or any other sport without a large professional market) as either a career or a part-time venture is a personal decision, and how serious and committed you are to your craft is entirely in your hands and no one else's.

It's mid-November. The tournament is half a year from now. We have some players in school. We have eight in the WPS and northern European leagues that start up in April. Another eight in the W League that kicks off mid-May. Most players tier off in the winter. The Germans and southern European leagues run but most if not all of our three players there didn't sign on until late. The southern hemisphere leagues run but I believe Katie Thorlakson was the only one down there last winter and she's not even on our roster.

The effect of the tournament on players club careers is limited to segments of the period April-June, and the same goes for players from all countries who play on a northern cycle. If players have jobs over the winter and are forced to dip into them for events here and there, hopefully their employers support them. I think most of our Olympic athletes are in the same boat. The one's I really worry about are the one's in school (Filigno, Lang, Schmidt and Chelsea Stewart).

I also like the bonus scheme the Americans use for World Cup and Olympic performance. I believe we do it in the Olympics too but I don't think it's anywhere near theirs. Being a female soccer player by trade is obviously a choice made by love of the game and not money, but a little cold hard cash can and should be awarded for performance. I'm almost positive we do this with our Olympic teams and I'm not sure if they've all received something for Gold in Cancun, but if not they should.

[loyola]

I have an appropriate salute for the corrupt CSA Executive Committee - it involves one finger. The credit goes to Morace and her players, not those creeps.

Thumbs up?

[kj52]

Thumbs up?

Move over 2 digits.

[empty_search]

The CSA aside, I believe that a significant amount of credit for this championship must go to Morace. She has transformed the CWT into a team which has the capacity to compete against reasonable competition without resorting to a bunker mentality and an almost exclusive reliance on direct attack. Although there are certainly no guarantees of success at the World Cup, I suspect that the team will go to Germany with a more emboldened mentality than they may have taken to past Cup competitions.

While it is true that the team did not have to go through the US in order to win, which for many mitigates against the significance of this accomplishment, I think that to find the team wanting on this account may be a little harsh. They defeated the home team twice and, to my mind, outplayed them in both games. This is no small feat – the difference in present world ranking is not so much as to reasonably expect that Canada should dominate under such circumstances.

Their present success does not appear to be a one off. Although the 5-0 loss to #2 Germany cannot be discounted, the team has generally fared well against more highly ranked opponents than their Concacaf competition was. They tied #7 Norway in Norway and defeated #9 England on their way to the Cyprus Cup championship. They were clearly the better team in their 3-1 exhibition victory over China in September. Although presently ranked #14, it may be worth noting that China did defeat the top Asian World Cup representative, Australia, during their own qualifying tournament before losing to second place finisher Korea in extra time and then to Japan 2-0 in the third place game for the final qualifying spot. All in all, these results seem to suggest that the present CWT is more than simply one of the bigger fish in a small Concacaf pond.

It will be interesting to see what transpires over the next couple of months. The U.S., which defeated Germany twice in 2010, including a 4-0 victory in May, should dispose of #11 Italy with relative ease. However, they only outscored China 3-2 in their two game exhibition series against that team, could not break down the Mexicans effectively in the Concacaf semi-final and did not dominate Costa Rica as significantly as their relative difference in ranking might suggest. More significant from a Canadian perspective should be the tournament in Brazil in December, where they will face #15 Netherlands, get a rematch against Mexico, and play against #3 Brazil. It will provide yet another measuring stick against which to judge the evolution of a team under the direction of a coach who is leading her, and Canada’s, team in a positive direction.

[CoachRich]

It's my understanding the CSA doesn't share any appearance fees with the WNT. That has been a bone of contention since 2002 where the WNT got zippo. This has been an ongoing problem and was one of the issues that prompted the media exposure of CSA poor financial support of the WP prior to the Olympic run. I think everyone here can remember that EP and the team officials sourced the majority of the money that era of the WNT and WP used. What did the CSA do, Winners which gave the WNT at that time zippo.

As for bonus money at the Olympics for soccer, I don't believe the CSA or COC made anything available bonus wise.....Vic do you have anything?. Mind you the COC was instrumental is seeing the WNT actually get to the Olympics with what they needed.

Yes it's been a great success run for the USA but it only came due in part to the USA programs having CBA with the USSF for decades now.....the players fought hard in and out of lawyers offices. As we discussed at the Olympic time the USA WNT players were funded to the tune of 2x what our WNT were getting from Kerfoot and AAP. Yes, the US WNT were getting about $80K to commit and put in the time for their Olympic program. Their current CBA looks after what it should look after with younger players coming up, players in the NCAA, WPS and etc. Takes a lot of worry away from the player so they can commit.

I would disagree that Canadian NT's aren't a full time jobs. Many of the high profile Canadian NT's (NSO) provide appearance money, sponsor money and support to get sponsors for their athletes so those athletes are pros that make a decent living on top of their AAP. The CSA just hasn't figured out how to do it which was basically the reason for their no answer when CBC tried to interview their marketing arm. The USSF has proven their financial package coming out of the CBA has given them a huge impact on success since the USSF got it's 1st financial kick start from the profits ($30M USD) they made when they hosted the 1986 WC. The USSF has not looked back since that date in either of their NT programs. The CSA needs to suck it up and be more professional as they aren't going to get much more out of the youth membership who does't see any value funding the CSA at $13M let alone taking it up to $23M+.....someone might have some better figures.

A CBA for our ladies and men is way overdue and it's time for the players and their supporters to push for it to hold the CSA's feet to the fire to perform like other Canadian NSO's by getting a large portion of their funds from the corporate community rather than the sports membership. The US has done well with their CBA and they recognized long ago that their players nor the farm system they use are not embedded in pro clubs or soccer cultures like elsewhere in the world that generate the needed funds to support their programs. As before in the great Hopper days, the only thing that holds back our players from getting what they need is the CSA and going back to then the threats from the CSA if the players try to form a CBA.

Looking at CM's latest statement “The idea is very clear and I hope the program allows us to stay as long as possible together to prepare for the final stages in Germany.” My gut tells me that CM doesn't want to go through what EP and the team officials had to do to get funded last era.

Our players and their families deserve better, the CBA the USSF has with their players is a great benchmark but the CSA has to get their act together when it comes to doing their job with funding and being responsible with our money -

1. If some of the larger youth clubs in Canada have budgets and corporate sponsorship of around $3.5M for 10,000 kids why is the CSA sitting at $13M for just under 1M members.

2. The bigger question of expenses is why is the CSA spending roughly $4M on our NT out of $13M when the USA is able to spend $37M out of $48M on their NTs? Seems the USSF knows what a NP expense ratio is for programs to admin expenses.

Like before the question is how well will the CSA support our programs when the players, team officials and families have paid a huge price to get our country out of the soccer shadows and into the light of the global podiums. The broken record is long over due to be replaced with something that works for those who are paying the biggest price to get our country there.

[StrandOne]

Move over 2 digits.

Your position has been IRREVERENTLY STATED MORE THAN ONCE. Please... CEASE WITH THE BLATANTLY TOXIC NEGATIVITY ALREADY!

[kj52]

Your position has been IRREVERENTLY STATED MORE THAN ONCE. Please... CEASE WITH THE BLATANTLY TOXIC NEGATIVITY ALREADY!

I think if you were even slightly aware of the extremely poisonous atmosphere and actions coming from the CSA Board, you would probably be slightly less pollyannish. Please note that I am not criticizing the employees, coaches or players of CSA, I just don't think the "old boys" should be getting credit for anything right now.