Steven Vitória

[Yohan]

http://wap.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2014-world-cup/2012/09/06/csa_canada_soccer_steven_vitoria/?utm_source=Soccer%20Lineup%20RSS-Images&utm_medium=feed&utm_content=Steven%20Vitoria%20reconsiders%20Canada%20option

[zeelaw]

By Daniel Fernandes?

The same Daniel Fernandes that turned his back on us?

wtf?

[El Hombre]

No thanks. We're good.

[maccaliam]

I could never support him. ever.

Edited September 6, 2012 by maccaliam
My original choice of words was probably too strong

[Tuscan]

Won't say no if he says yes. Making him some kind of priority degrades the guys who currently throw on the Red and White, so he better come under his own choice.

[jpg75]

I came to start a new thread and see someone already did...

Anyways, I'm pretty sure Vitoria would be an upgrade at the CB spot. He's a big, gritty, mentally tough CB and one of the locker room leaders of the Estoril squad - and he scores goals (though his 2 goals this season were PK's). He'll be with one of the big Portuguese clubs next year unless something unforeseen happens.

[maccaliam]

^ He's a scumbag and I would likely shout very bad things at him even in a Canada shirt if he was called.... I won't stop supporting Canada, I will cheer loudly if he scores and helps us win, but i still have no respect for him nor will i ever after his choice to represent Portugal in an international tournament held in Canada (In Toronto - HIS HOME ****ING TOWN) bc "Canada didn't want him before he went to Portugal, so why would he want them (at that time)?"

[gator]

^ He's a scumbag and I would likely shout very bad things at him even in a Canada shirt if he was called.... I won't stop supporting Canada, I will cheer loudly if he scores and helps us win, but i still have no respect for him nor will i ever after his choice to represent Portugal in an international tournament held in Canada (In Toronto - HIS HOME ****ING TOWN) bc "Canada didn't want him before he went to Portugal, so why would he want them (at that time)?"

I have a similar opinion on him, he blew his chance to play in the U20 WC in his home town and Hart reached out again only for him to decline, we need to move on! I'm sure this story has come out just as a ploy to put Portugal on notice so they will call him, not that I'm cynical or anything like that!

[ted]

...his choice to represent Portugal in an international tournament held in Canada (In Toronto - HIS HOME ****ING TOWN) bc "Canada didn't want him before he went to Portugal, so why would he want them (at that time)?"

Did I miss something in the article that said he turned down an invitation from Canada to play in that tournament?

What I read was:

His displays with Porto’s youth team saw him earn a surprise call-up by Portugal for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada, a team that also featured Real Madrid’s Fabio Coentrao and Rui Patricio, Portugal’s current first-choice goalkeeper.

Suggests to me that he was not on the Canadian radar and was asked by Portugal.

And since the choice of youth team has not affected his senior eligibility I think it would be kinda funny to poach him after Portugal invested in his training. Happens to us so turnabout seems to be fair play here.

In any case, I think we need more context and he needs to make a final decision before we start bashing/cheering.

[Bertuzzi44]

McKenna's heir apparent? (Or is that Jakovic?)

But honestly, I hate this "I would consider playing for Canada" attitude. If he came out and said he made a mistake, or was young and didn't want to pass up playing in a U20 WC, but his goal now was to represent Canada and he was 100% dedicated, then I would take him back. But this "meh... I guess it wouldn't be so bad" bull**** attitude turns me off (JDG2 too).

It should be a matter of pride to represent your country in international football. If you just "think it wouldn't be so bad", especially after representing a different country at a tournament HELD in Canada, then no thanks.

Let's wait until he is fully committed before giving him another opportunity. He rejected us last year FFS!

[Keegan]

He rejected us while he was in the second division. **** this guy. Are we really gonna play this guy over upcoming youngsters like Henry and Straith? He's not a game changing superstar or Portugal would have capped him and he would have been in the first division before now.

[Bikerack]

http://youtu.be/x-q4q22wHkU

[ag futbol]

This just happens so often now I can't bother getting emotionally invested in it. I remember at the time he basically thumbed his nose at us and said Portugal had a better run program.

Anyway, for the time being this is just background noise. I'd give him a shot, but he'll have to earn his place like everyone else.

[TFCRegina]

http://wap.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2014-world-cup/2012/09/06/csa_canada_soccer_steven_vitoria/?utm_source=Soccer%20Lineup%20RSS-Images&utm_medium=feed&utm_content=Steven%20Vitoria%20reconsiders%20Canada%20option

We take him back because we cannot afford not to take these players.

I wish we were a country with endless depth and a first rate development system. We aren't.

World Cup considerations trump all.

[Yohan]

We take him back because we cannot afford not to take these players.

I wish we were a country with endless depth and a first rate development system. We aren't.

World Cup considerations trump all.

This is essentially it. We can always use more depth at CB, esp since it's no guarantee that Henry and Straith will pan out.

[El Hombre]

This is essentially it. We can always use more depth at CB, esp since it's no guarantee that Henry and Straith will pan out.

There's no guarantee he'll pan out either though. Tons of kids look good with smaller teams but then fail when playing with the big boys. We've got a ton of kids that coming up that can play there and we should give them the opportunity before this schmuck. Jakovic, Hainault and Edgar will be around for a little while as they are all under 28. Then there is the second string of Straith and Attakora who may still turn out. And then we have a slew of kids that may or may not turn out to be solid players: Henry, Stanese, McKendry and Ouimette. And that's not even counting someone coming out of the blue from the NCAA a la Jakovic.

[Lord Bob]

Play for Canada, because we have neither pride nor shame. We will always come crawling up to you no matter how many times you step on us.

Surely being docile little bovines for a player as mediocre as Vitoria will just increase the contempt decent players feel for us, and cause them to know "well, no matter how many times I **** on these guys they'll welcome me back."

[ken]

I remembr at the time of the U-20 WC being very put out by this guy, something about his making statements in the press about how much better the Portugese program was and how it was his dream to represent them (I may be mistaken, I may be thinking of **********, DeGuzeman, Dylan Hughes, or that crazy Czech guy). My take on this is that he is putting pressure on Portugal to call him up, that any interest that he has in Canada would be dropped in a flash if Portugal whistled, same as the crazy Czech guy (his name escapes me even though he was rumoured to be training with Vancouver recently).

I think maybe there should be a line drawn in the sand that Canada is not someone who you bang on the door late at night for a booty call, serious applicants only.

[deschamp86]

Jacob Lensky

[nazzer]

http://youtu.be/x-q4q22wHkU

When is this video from?

[redhat]

Jacob Lensky

Exactly. Live AND Learn.

[Joe MacCarthy]

The article said he was born in Toronto and moved to Portugal at a young age, I was under the impression he was mostly from here and went over there to start his career, does anybody remember the real poop. S'pose the point is moot anyway, screw 'em. Even better would be to cap him in the 90th minute and drop him like a hot patata. Muwhahahahahaha (evil laugh)

To bad the article wasn't open for comments then all this rage wouldn't be wasted here. I always find the uninformed public sympathetic to these mofos in the comments section.

[maccaliam]

^ pretty sure he went to Portugal at 17/18. ****toria makes me so angry.

[Cheeta]

I sincerely wish Steven Victoria all the best in his future as a Portuguese international. I also sincerely hope to find Mr Victoria one day cheering for Canada at the World Cup and well be glad for his company. I'll save him a spot right beside me in the stands just to show there are no hard feelings about all that U20 nonsense.

I can't believe Hart (of all people) or any of the suits at CSA HQ would touch a scheme like this with a hundred foot ****-stick. I mean the optics would be THAT bad.

[Joe MacCarthy]

I can't believe Hart (of all people) or any of the suits at CSA HQ would touch a scheme like this with a hundred foot ****-stick. I mean the optics would be THAT bad.

Unfortunately, I think the thoughts expressed here are likely in the minority. I think the average Joe (not MacCarthy) would say if he was a good player, play him, regardless of the historical mercenary element. International sports are so warped now the pride in playing for one's country without financial remuneration in one form or another is largely lost. Luckily in Canada we still have a few who "get it"