Thank you Panama!

[Robert]

Oh what a beautiful morning. Well the CSA has done it again. They have managed to let us sink to a deeper depth. How do they do it? For the past twelve years we have been unable to make it to the final 6 in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying and now we are no longer in the top 8 of CONCACAF. Who should should the responsibility this time?

1) Was it a referee's decision?

2) Was it our players?

3) Was it our coach?

4) Was it our great preparation?

5) Was it the climate?

6) Or was it Robert?

How many times have we used those same old excuses in the past? Is it not in the slightest way possible that we have never had competent leadership and vision from the CSA? This new low we have reached should serve as the turning point for the direction that Canadian soccer has been headed towards since 1986. I'm sure many of you will crucify my point of view and take it in all sorts of different directions away from the truth to defend our incompetent leaders. For those the reality of the situation will hit after the following tsunami:

1) The senior women's team will bow out of the World Cup in Germany in the first round. Soon after, Christine Sinclair will retire and the women's program will sink to the depths as the men.

2) Next year Canada's men will get knocked out of the CONCACAF World Cup semi-final qualifying round. Any one that thinks different is delusional.

3) Countless Canadian talent will continue to choose to play for other countries.

Mont Pete is like a sick junkie, who needs to hit rock-bottom before he has a chance to recover, all at the expense of Canadian soccer. Sadly, I thought that things could not get worse than the Kevan Pipe era, which shows you that I can be wrong once in a while. The biggest difference being that I can admit when I'm wrong. When has any one at the CSA ever made a public admission of having been wrong?

[paul-collins]

I don't agree with your assessment on the women's program (given their late-arriving and arm-twisted support of Carolina Morace). In fact, I think that may prove the way forward (ie forcing CSA's hand).

I'm all for entertaining the ways in which CSA needs to up their game.

[Robert]

Don't you think the CSA has been riding on the coat-tails of the success achieved by the women's program, which is a relatively new sport with less competion and we have been blessed with an exceptional talent?

[JamboAl]

How is the CSA responsible for our men's team being not good enough? And what would make you think that the women's team will flop this summer? And what is your solution?

[RS]

Oh what a beautiful morning.

Spoken like a true supporter, revelling in a loss.

[paul-collins]

Don't you think the CSA has been riding on the coat-tails of the success achieved by the women's program, which is a relatively new sport with less competion and we have been blessed with an exceptional talent?

I think that was true up until the dismissal of Even Pellerud.

I think the CSA were forced to up their game and Morace's arrival has shown the way forward. Time will tell if the accommodation arrived at over the last week (Morace's extension, player compensation) is sufficient.

[Guest Brethers]

Spoken like a true supporter, revelling in a loss.

Sarcasm maybe? The "oh what a beautiful morning" I mean

[CanadaFTW]

Saying that we wern't in the top 8 is a clearly misleading claim. We clearly were in the toughest group (especially for 3rd place tiebreakers) as their was NO TEAM to beat up on. The reason we were 9th is that the 4th place team in our group had a -3 goal differencial, whereas the other groups had -14 and -15. So give me a break with this garbage.

[jpg75]

You guys do realize every thread opened by Robert is for the purpose of trolling right?

[Guest Ed]

The jackass gets his day in the sun. Why don't you find a hole to crawl into Robert?

[TFCRegina]

I wonder if Miro is Czech for Robert.

[ted]

How is the CSA responsible for our men's team being not good enough?

I do not agree with everything he is saying but the CSA is responsible for the lack of meaningful preparation. The team has had too little time together over the past two years and the recent games showed it with too many instances of poor communication and not being able to anticipate the pass. If we go by past years the Gold Cup will be the last time the national team assembles until the day before our first World Cup qualifier this fall.

[Joe MacCarthy]

I do not agree with everything he is saying but the CSA is responsible for the lack of meaningful preparation. The team has had too little time together over the past two years and the recent games showed it with too many instances of poor communication and not being able to anticipate the pass. If we go by past years the Gold Cup will be the last time the national team assembles until the day before our first World Cup qualifier this fall.

So is the CSA also responsible for the unreal amount of prep time the women are getting? Most of the men do have other jobs aside from the CMNT, getting together is not exactly easy.

[jpoma]

Spoken like a true supporter, revelling in a loss.

I suppose it's better to have anger than apathy.

[Guest Ed]

I suppose it's better to have anger than apathy.

I highly doubt we would have heard from him at all if Canada had won.

[redhat]

Spoken like a true supporter, revelling in a loss.

+1.

[Fort York Redcoat1555362293]

How is the CSA responsible for our men's team being not good enough? And what would make you think that the women's team will flop this summer? And what is your solution?

Don't try and turn griping into something constructive. You'll ruin the curmudgeonery.

[JamboAl]

Got ya, Pete; I should have known better and not fallen into Robert's trap.

[ted]

Most of the men do have other jobs aside from the CMNT, getting together is not exactly easy.

I did not say it was easy but at the very least they should be using the opportunity provided by every single international break to come together and play friendlies. There must be one or two dates at least between the end of the Gold Cup and WC qualifying but I don't recall hearing about any camps and/or friendlies coming up.

[Robert]

I find it funny that some one thinks I'm laying traps. Please tell me who I'm trying to trap and what on earth are my motives for doing so? All I'm giving is my opinion on what I believe is the cause of Canada's abysmal track record. Is it possible that the individuals running the CSA are simply inept at doing so? Or are they the only ones in Canadian soccer that are doing their jobs well and that every one else is responsible for our embarrassing performances? How has the CSA fared in player development? When our top players like de Rosario and de Guzman are way past their prime, telegraphing every move on the field by taking three or four steps before making their move, it does not auger well for our immediate future. Why do the best Canadian players opt to play for the countries of their ancestral backgrounds? Saying we were drawn into the toughest group at the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament is an admission of how far we've fallen. At the start of the tournament the draw did not look that bad if you ask me. Yes, the United States would definitely have to be considered favourites, but Panama and Guadeloupe? Please! Yes we have fallen behind Panama not only at the national level, but also at the international club level, as Panama gets two spots in the CONCACAF Champions League. Why does the CSA spend so much on TV commercials promoting the women's game? They bombard us with a bunch of giggly girls staring at a screen identifying the likes of Martha, Prinz and others. Where were the commercials with de Rosario and the Guzman giggling at Donovan et al? Why did the CSA not promote our game with Christine Sinclair in their commercials? Is our greatest female player not pretty enough for them?

Do my opinions carry any weight? In the thread "Cleary Canadian" post # 10 (Canadian teams never win the Stanley Cup in Bettman's NHL), post #46 (I'm taking 10 to 1 on Teitur Thordarson getting fired before Aron Winters) and post #80 (After we loose to Panama(In this case a tie equaled a loss.)), I seem to be able to recognize a few things before they happen.

[Blackdude]

I did not say it was easy but at the very least they should be using the opportunity provided by every single international break to come together and play friendlies. There must be one or two dates at least between the end of the Gold Cup and WC qualifying but I don't recall hearing about any camps and/or friendlies coming up.

There is only one date before WCQ August 17. I hope the boys play as it's the last time before WCQ. (But let's be honnest, WCQ's should be pretty much straight forward for this year unless we face Guatemala.)

[nolbertos]

I only watched two games, and honestly, I agree with Robert, but then again, the Voyageurs have always been pro-CSA, so nobody has the balls to critique the CSA or keep writing letter to the Government of Canada to reform the CSA. Honestly, tieing Panama of all countries is shameful. They're a baseball loving country for god's sake and squeaking by Guadelope..man, doesn't bring me confidence for the WCQ. Man..glad at least that the Whitecaps are providing great entertainment, cuz the Men's National team will take forever to provide quality on the pitch, as well as getting more W's to qualify. I'll refrain from posting anti-CSA verbatim, as Robert seems to have ruffled many feathers like usual.

[Soju]

the Voyageurs have always been pro-CSA

Are you high?

[ted]

Are you high?

No kidding.

@nolbertos: Dude, there is a world of difference between being reasonable and being pro-CSA. As a group I would say Voyageurs can most accurately be described as dissapointed in the CSA and longong for a positive change in leadership. Just because someone doesn't foam at the mouth at the mention of the CSA does NOT make them pro-CSA.

[Robert]

Oh God please, now I'm foaming at the mouth. I admit that when it comes to things like Canada and soccer, things that I'm very passionate about, I could probably do with a bit of self-restraint of the mouth to get my point across. Unfortunately, I continue to struggle with this. I just find that Canada getting knocked out of any international tournament by the likes of Panama, and this is with no disrespect intended towards Panama, is totally f-cking unacceptable. Is such a result acceptable to any one on this board? What's even more disturbing is the fact that for years now the CSA continues to remain silent on these unacceptable situations and everybody here just passively grumbles a little bit out of Canadian politeness and then carry on with life as if nothing ever happened. The only passion they ever exhibit is their anger and insults towards me for expressing my feelings. How low do we have to go? Right now every CONCACAF country is ecstatic when they are drawn into a group with Canada, because now they only have to beat one other country to advance. How does that make you feel? The insanity of it all is that we continue to do the same thing year after year, while expecting a different outcome. The only thing more insane than this is some simpleton questioning my loyalty?