Clearly Canadian

[Robert]

The concept of playing a full additional 6 games (3 teams home and away) per team in a schedule as congested as the current MLS one would make this a second class tourney, and as such the managers would likely field weaker lineups. So that argument doesn't hold water- quality wise. Again, the NHL has no ties... just sayin... "playoffs" happen all over the world, in England there is a playoff to determine certain amounts of teams for promotion to the EPL from the CCC.

What do you mean by "relegating the Voyageur's Cup?"

Did the Toronto FC field its strongest lineup in Edmonton? How come, our political leaders can figure out that it is better to defer a nationally televised french leadership debate when the Habs and Bruins are playing an important Stanley Cup match, but the CSA lets the Impact and Whitecaps play in Montreal at the same time as the hockey. Now I ask you, is the CSA running the Nutrilite championship like a second class tourney?

[Robert]

When you say that the NCC/VCup is growing , what are you basing that on? Attendance figures? As I just pointed out the game in Montreal was played at the worst possible time. The Whitecaps have moved from Swandgard's 5,000 to 6,000 seats to Empire Field's 22,000 seats, and the match against the Impact was the first match there that failed to draw 20,000. In fact I believe it only drew 15,000.

There's only been one change thus far, the change to this year's format.

All signs point to the format staying the same next year (assuming FCE are still around). The NCC/VCup is only going to grow, which would reflect a growing presence of pro soccer in this country, so what's the problem, exactly?

[Macksam]

The Voyageur's Cup currently employs a seeded cup-format, which essentially makes it the CSA's FA Cup. In Europe, FA Cup winners used to compete in the UEFA Cup Winners Cup competition. When that structure failed, the FA Cup winners were allowed to enter the UEFA Cup (currently known as the Europa League). Neither of these competitions come close in stature to the UEFA Champions League, hence the relegated status of the Voyageurs Cup. I don't know what conditions the Voyageurs attached to the Voyageurs Cup when they donated it to the CSA, but whatever these were they probably don't apply to its current status.

I wonder when it's a Canadian teams turn to win the Stanley Cup? Did we suddenly forget how to win? Maybe after another 10 or 20 years of futility more will see my point.

I rarely ever see trolls on The Voyageurs forum. I didn't know this place was popular enough to warrant them.

[RS]

Did the Toronto FC field its strongest lineup in Edmonton? How come, our political leaders can figure out that it is better to defer a nationally televised french leadership debate when the Habs and Bruins are playing an important Stanley Cup match, but the CSA lets the Impact and Whitecaps play in Montreal at the same time as the hockey. Now I ask you, is the CSA running the Nutrilite championship like a second class tourney?

Are you seriously asking this question? So it's the CSA's fault that politicians moved the French-language debate for the Habs playoff game?

It's the CSA's fault that Toronto was able to wallop FC Edmonton without its full starting XI? It's the CSA's fault that a tournament planned months in advance coincided with a playoff game (Game 7) that was determined TWO DAYS in advance?

Again, are you serious, or are you just trolling?

When you say that the NCC/VCup is growing , what are you basing that on? Attendance figures? As I just pointed out the game in Montreal was played at the worst possible time. The Whitecaps have moved from Swandgard's 5,000 to 6,000 seats to Empire Field's 22,000 seats, and the match against the Impact was the first match there that failed to draw 20,000. In fact I believe it only drew 15,000.

I'm basing it on number of teams, as last I checked three is less than four. But if you want to go with attendance, 15,000 is triple what Vancouver pulled in any of the previous years, so sure.

Are there any other metrics you want to go by?

[Free kick]

Are you seriously asking this question? So it's the CSA's fault that politicians moved the French-language debate for the Habs playoff game?

It's the CSA's fault that Toronto was able to wallop FC Edmonton without its full starting XI? It's the CSA's fault that a tournament planned months in advance coincided with a playoff game (Game 7) that was determined TWO DAYS in advance?

Again, are you serious, or are you just trolling?

I'm basing it on number of teams, as last I checked three is less than four. But if you want to go with attendance, 15,000 is triple what Vancouver pulled in any of the previous years, so sure.

Are there any other metrics you want to go by?

I'll break a vow i made to stay away from this thread. But, I would add to your point that I knew way back last year that there was no way that the clubs would agree to play a six game round robin and that the format would change. As for Robert, who wakes up in morning thinking of new things to blame on the CSA, well I am sure that its all up to clubs as how how things are run, the CSA is only a sanctioning body. if the clubs say, no, we dont want the V-cup any more, then that would be the end of the V-cup. If it cost too much (for the clubs) and/or revenues were not there for the clubs, that would also mean the end of the V-cup. IT MATTERS little what the CSA does or think.

So if the clubs dont see the point in playing six games, there are not going to be six games played and you end up with current format. In the end, it made a lot of sense becasue it looked to me like FCE wasnt ready this year so what would have been the point in imposing extra travel.

[RS]

I'll break a vow i made to stay away from this thread. But, I would add to your point that I knew way back last year that there was no way that the clubs would agree to play a six game round robin and that the format would change. As for Robert, who wakes up in morning thinking of new things to blame on the CSA, well I am sure that its all up to clubs as how how things are run, the CSA is only a sanctioning body. if the clubs say, no, we dont want the V-cup any more, then that would be the end of the V-cup. If it cost too much (for the clubs) and/or revenues were not there for the clubs, that would also mean the end of the V-cup. IT MATTERS little what the CSA does or think.

So if the clubs dont see the point in playing six games, there are not going to be six games played and you end up with current format. In the end, it made a lot of sense becasue it looked to me like FCE wasnt ready this year so what would have been the point in imposing extra travel.

Yeah, I don't know why I bother to respond to Robert. It's the same old routine for years now.

[Robert]

Clearly, a conclusive answer as to a Canadian club's eligibily through the Nutrilite championship for the FIFA Club World Cupis not going to come from this forum. Are the players from the Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps eligible to be entered for the CWC?

The FIFA Club World Cup (“World Cup”) is a FIFA competition embodied in

the FIFA Statutes.

II. TECHNICAL RULES 35

22 Eligibility of players

1. A player is eligible to play in the World Cup provided he is duly registered

for his club in accordance with the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer

of Players as well as with the regulations of the participating club’s member

association. Therefore, the requirements that must be met by a player eligible

to participate in the World Cup include, but are not limited to:

a) registration as an amateur or professional with the participating club’s

member association during a registration period fi xed by the relevant

association or outside the registration period, if an exception listed in the

FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players applies;

adherence to the limitation on registrations with different clubs and

participation in official matches with different clubs during one season as

established by the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players;

c) if the player is registered for his club as a professional, existence of a

written employment contract binding the professional player to his club

and meeting the requirements concerning minimum and maximum length.

2. Protests regarding the eligibility of players shall be decided by the FIFA

Disciplinary Committee in accordance with the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

3. The participating clubs are responsible for fielding only eligible players.

Failure to do so will lead to the consequences stipulated in the FIFA Disciplinary

Code.

[Robert]

On a slightly different note. Wednesday will be the litmus test to prove if Vancouver is truly an MLS city. For the second time in the Canadian FA Cup competition, the Whitecaps will be involved in a match, while at the same time an important Stanley Cup match is being played in the same city. How many real soccer fans can Vancouver boast? Will there be a sellout at Empire Field while the Canucks are playing the Sharks at the Rogers Arena? Will they attract 20,000 fans? 15,000 fans? 10,000 or less?

[Lord Bob]

There will be about eighteen Whitecaps fans at the game: eleven on the field and seven on the bench. I'm going to say something that will be controversial to nobody except those who want to make controversy about it: there isn't a major city in Canada where MLS soccer is more popular than late-round playoff NHL hockey.

[narduch]

There will be about eighteen Whitecaps fans at the game: eleven on the field and seven on the bench. I'm going to say something that will be controversial to nobody except those who want to make controversy about it: there isn't a major city in Canada where MLS soccer is more popular than late-round playoff NHL hockey.

Even TFC would suffer if the Leafs were playing in the Eastern Conference finals.

[Robert]

There will be about eighteen Whitecaps fans at the game: eleven on the field and seven on the bench. I'm going to say something that will be controversial to nobody except those who want to make controversy about it: there isn't a major city in Canada where MLS soccer is more popular than late-round playoff NHL hockey.

I can guarantee at least nineteen, because there's no way I would miss an opportunity to watch "Eric the Red" put three goals past a city that doesn't have to worry about choosing whether to go to a playoff hockey game or a soccer match.

[Robert]

Is there any one at the CSA that even thinks about which days of the week the NHL plays most of its playoff games?

[narduch]

Is there any one at the CSA that even thinks about which days of the week the NHL plays most of its playoff games?

Are you seriously going to blame the CSA for having a Voyageurs Cup match go against the NHL playoffs?

[paul-collins]

As for Robert, who wakes up in morning thinking of new things to blame on the CSA, ...

Is there any one at the CSA that even thinks about which days of the week the NHL plays most of its playoff games?

Um, what?

[RS]

Is there any one at the CSA that even thinks about which days of the week the NHL plays most of its playoff games?

The NHL plays games on every day of the week.

Damned CSA should have known better than to schedule a game on a day of the week!

[StartingEleven]

There will be about eighteen Whitecaps fans at the game: eleven on the field and seven on the bench. I'm going to say something that will be controversial to nobody except those who want to make controversy about it: there isn't a major city in Canada where MLS soccer is more popular than late-round playoff NHL hockey.

+1

I sincerely hope that there will be more than 5000 at the game but I'm not holding me breath, no matter there is still plenty of Whitecaps fans in this city (just not when the Canucks are in the playoffs) I will be at the Whitecaps match, but my trusty iPhone will give me the Canucks play by play, periodically of course, ahem...

[AlanDouglas]

Is there any one at the CSA that even thinks about which days of the week the NHL plays most of its playoff games?

Aye carumba. Last year, the NHL conference finals were played on every day of the week, EXCEPT for Wednesday.

[Guest Ed]

Well there won't be any distractions for the game in Toronto. LOL

[JohnnyCanuck]

Guys, it's obvious that feeding this troll is only empowering him.

The FACTS are the Whitecaps are struggling for reasons discussed at length eslewhere and on other boards and there's nothing they can do about the Vancouver Canucks, which will always be #1 in Vancity.

It's just unlucky that the NHL had to schedule this game for today instead of Tuesday, it had to do with Rogers Arena being booked for a concert or something IIRC... It should have been either Sat/Monday or Sun/Tues... Sunday/Wednesday is weird, and out of the ordinary. i fail to see how the CSA messed this up... Look at the logic[sic] in Roberts posts, that is all you need to know.

I'll predict that they'll announce a crowd of 15,000+ but we all know that Sports teams are famous for announcing what is SOLD versus what was SCANNED at the gate.

I'll predict the actual bums in seats number to be no more than 7-8k.

I'm a good example: I've given a pair of seats away for tonight as I can't make the game due to my own game.

[Robert]

It's very evident that my 1000th post hit a sore spot with some. Yes, its true that NHL playoff games are played on every day of the week, but some more than others. I am not going to do the math for the CSA, but it is a fact that Saturdays and Wednesday feature the most NHL playoff games. This can easily be confirmed by looking at the matches play thus far this playoff season. In a competitive sports market it is the little things that can make the difference between success and failure. There was an interesting article on this very subject on the last page of the sports section in last Saturday's Globe & Mail (BC edition). Eliminating Wednesdays and Saturdays for Nutrilite matches would enhance the chances of conflicting soccer/hockey matches. As I asked, "Is there any one at the CSA that pays attention to this?"

[Robert]

I can't wait till next year when we get to do this all over again. Another mouth-watering first round match-up that will see the TFC (ranked 1st) taking on Edmonton (ranked 4th), and a you-pick-em series the Whitecaps (ranked 2nd) vs. the Impact (ranked 3rd). This will be followed by another pair of nail-biting matches between TFC and the Whitecaps. No upsets here, except maybe that the TFC might opt to play the first match of the final series at home? Yeah, right. As if the CSA would ever allow something like that to happen, eh?

The most exciting line on whole the Nutrilite championship will is who will get fired first, A.W. or T.T.? Even though the pressure of it all is really showing on A.W., I'm taking 10 to 1 on T.T. because last year's Whitecap team would easily kick the crap out of this year's edition. All of these newly acquired and more expensive pieces don't fit together, and T.T. is stuck with a puzzle that after 13 competitive matches he has clearly been unable to solve.

[paul-collins]

Just out of curiosity, why would anyone in Toronto care about the NHL playoffs? TFC should be fine, right?

[RS]

I can't wait till next year when we get to do this all over again. Another mouth-watering first round match-up that will see the TFC (ranked 1st) taking on Edmonton (ranked 4th), and a you-pick-em series the Whitecaps (ranked 2nd) vs. the Impact (ranked 3rd). This will be followed by another pair of nail-biting matches between TFC and the Whitecaps. No upsets here, except maybe that the TFC might opt to play the first match of the final series at home? Yeah, right. As if the CSA would ever allow something like that to happen, eh?

You're such a bore.

[Trident]

I can't wait till next year when we get to do this all over again. Another mouth-watering first round match-up that will see the TFC (ranked 1st) taking on Edmonton (ranked 4th), and a you-pick-em series the Whitecaps (ranked 2nd) vs. the Impact (ranked 3rd). This will be followed by another pair of nail-biting matches between TFC and the Whitecaps.

You realise that this year that IMFC aren't playing toronto right now only because all the pot smoking hippies' prayers coming from Vancouver got Jah to give the whitecaps the best luck in the world, right? It's not like Vancouver did the domination nearly everyone thought they would.

[RS]

You realise that this year that IMFC aren't playing toronto right now only because all the pot smoking hippies' prayers coming from Vancouver got Jah to give the whitecaps the best luck in the world, right? It's not like Vancouver did the domination nearly everyone thought they would.

Wow, I actually agree with Trident on something.

All it took was a patented Robert rant.