Steven Vitória

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

2 minutes ago, BuzzAndSting said:

For me bygones are bygones (?), he's now part of the set up, accept it and move on. I don't hold any anger over this, it is after all a game.

Ya. I'm ready to cheer for him too. He's already lost the respect of several fans (and maybe lost it forever for a few), lost many chances to play at BMO in front of friends and family and he likely knows all this.

When I'm at the stadium  to watch the CanMNT or CanWNT it's positive vibes I'm looking for. I won't contribute to holding a grudge against a member of our own team.

[Lord Bob]

14 hours ago, Oranje said:

If he impresses against the States and gets the call for Mexico, somehow reaches the field and scores the go-ahead goal in Vancouver, will bygones be bygones?

No. I'll be happy for the team but on-field excellent does not wipe out off-field offenses.

[Cheeta]

Ug.

I want to, and usually am, willing to be generous to those who have made incorrect decisions due to youthful inexperience. Forgiving, letting bygones be bygones as has been said.  But there is of course a limit. 

He can rot.  Flo has made a mistake.

Mr. Vitoria can change my mind about that but I doubt he well.  Just doesn't seem like part of his character to know how. 

 

[yomurphy1]

Not overjoyed at Vitoria joining the team. I suspect my feeling towards him will be a lot like Hoilett, I only made peace after Junior set up the goal versus Honduras. 

[Acid-Tone]

If he puts on the shirt and plays hard for it, that's all I need to see.   Be it as a starter or providing us some crucial depth.

We need all the help we can get!

 

[Acid-Tone]

After a little bit of digging:

He was in fact called into the Portuguese u19 team in 2006 to play in the UEFA u19 championship.  Rosters found here!

That's a full year before Canada took notice and sent that fax.

 

Also of note (as opposed to Junior Hoilett, Jono De Guz, and others who initially held out for better options) Vitoria was both living in Portugal at the time and is himself ethnically 100% Portuguese.  I know that won't matter to some of you guys, but you have to admit that makes the decision much tougher than it would be if you only fit into one of those catagories.

 

 

[hamiltonfan]

Great depth. Welcome!

no room for haters here ! 

[jpg75]

55 minutes ago, Acid-Tone said:

After a little bit of digging:

He was in fact called into the Portuguese u19 team in 2006 to play in the UEFA u19 championship.  Rosters found here!

That's a full year before Canada took notice and sent that fax.

 

Just to add to the info. you have provided: Vitoria was a member of NTC Ontario in 2003-05 and was originally a forward. He trialed at Porto as a forward and was not signed and returned to Toronto. On his second trial with Porto in 2005 one of the coaches switched him to CB and he impressed enough to be signed for the U19 season of 05/06. Portugal took notice and called him up. When Canada called he felt he owed it to the Portuguese to stick with them for giving him a chance. In March 2008 Nick Dasovic called Vitoria and asked him to play for Canada U23 at the Olympic qualifiers - which he accepted. Unfortunately he couldn't switch because his 21st bday had passed (January bday).

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

3 minutes ago, jpg75 said:

 Nick Dasovic called Vitoria and asked him to play for Canada U23 at the Olympic qualifiers - which he accepted. Unfortunately he couldn't switch because his 21st bday had passed (January bday).

Are you saying Dasovic tried to recruit him for a tournament he wasn't eligible for?!? Why does that not surprise me...

 

 

 

 

[BearcatSA]

Adding Vitoria = more competition for starting places.

That's a very good thing for this program.

[shamrock]

Personally I'm more excited about Henry being brought into this camp than Vitoria. However, I'm happy that he made the switch, maybe someday he'll find his form again (which he must have shown playing for Estoril) and become a regular member of the MNT. And if he doesn't, at least he's another player that chooses to represent Canada, which will make that decision easier for other players. You know together with players like Akindele, Hoilett, Aird showing the way, this could lead to the addition of more and better players like Arfield and Leutwiller and even Cristante hopefully. For the short term, we need the fence-sitters to have any chance at succes. 

[ray]

On 2016-01-23 at 2:28 PM, jpg75 said:

Just to add to the info. you have provided: Vitoria was a member of NTC Ontario in 2003-05 and was originally a forward. He trialed at Porto as a forward and was not signed and returned to Toronto. On his second trial with Porto in 2005 one of the coaches switched him to CB and he impressed enough to be signed for the U19 season of 05/06. Portugal took notice and called him up. When Canada called he felt he owed it to the Portuguese to stick with them for giving him a chance. In March 2008 Nick Dasovic called Vitoria and asked him to play for Canada U23 at the Olympic qualifiers - which he accepted. Unfortunately he couldn't switch because his 21st bday had passed (January bday).

If that's the case, I'm surprised neither the player nor the CSA reached out to subsequently make the switch.  It's been many years now (2009) since FIFA allowed the one-time switch at any age.  At 29, Vitoria has missed out on a lot of international football.

Edited January 25, 2016 by ray

[Keegan]

1 hour ago, ray said:

If that's the case, I'm surprised neither the player nor the CSA reached out to subsequently make the switch.  It's been many years now (2009) since FIFA allowed the one-time switch at any age.  At 29, Vitoria has missed out on a lot of international football.

They have reached out since but by that time Vitoria was tearing it up for Estoril and moved to Benfica, so at one point he was on track to having a shot at Portugal and didn't want to commit to us.

[jpg75]

3 hours ago, Keegan said:

They have reached out since but by that time Vitoria was tearing it up for Estoril and moved to Benfica, so at one point he was on track to having a shot at Portugal and didn't want to commit to us.

This is correct. When Estoril promoted to Superliga and Vitoria was a standout for them the CSA reached out. At that point he said he wasn't ready to commit because of the interest from big clubs and potentially Portugal NT.

[johnyb]

On 1/23/2016 at 1:28 PM, jpg75 said:

Just to add to the info. you have provided: Vitoria was a member of NTC Ontario in 2003-05 and was originally a forward. He trialed at Porto as a forward and was not signed and returned to Toronto. On his second trial with Porto in 2005 one of the coaches switched him to CB and he impressed enough to be signed for the U19 season of 05/06. Portugal took notice and called him up. When Canada called he felt he owed it to the Portuguese to stick with them for giving him a chance. In March 2008 Nick Dasovic called Vitoria and asked him to play for Canada U23 at the Olympic qualifiers - which he accepted. Unfortunately he couldn't switch because his 21st bday had passed (January bday).

If this is true it sure is hard to be upset over his decision. He was invited to play for the Country of his heritage a year before Canada had any contact with him. I agree with Obinna that the timelines were important in evaluating how i feel about this. 

[Lord Bob]

He was a member of the National Training Centre in 2003.

[Obinna]

23 minutes ago, Benjamin Massey said:

He was a member of the National Training Centre in 2003.

NTC is still a significant step away from being called into our youth national team.

Several of my provincial teammates growing up played at NTC, so to think that Vitoria never progressed any further than they did, under the CSA's watch, is not becoming of their ability to develop talent at the time.

So yeah, he doesn't get beyond NTC and then goes to Portugal and signs with Porto and then gets called into the Portugal under 19 team in 2006.

Then, when another country (who frankly are much better at developing talent than we are) gives him an opportunity, Canada decides all of a sudden he is valuable? 

No wonder he chose to stick with Portugal in 2007. 

[Lord Bob]

Canada gives him several years worth of opportunity, he makes some strides and signs with Porto "well all those years in the NTC are now invalid!"

Some people always have an excuse.

[Obinna]

14 minutes ago, Benjamin Massey said:

Canada gives him several years worth of opportunity, he makes some strides and signs with Porto "well all those years in the NTC are now invalid!"

Some people always have an excuse.

Again, your perspective is skewed on this. 

The fact is, he spent two years at NTC. I repeat...two years.

The CSA had every opportunity to bring him into Canada's youth national team and they blew it. 

Did he owe it to Canada to play for them in 2007 because he attended NTC (without ever getting a sniff at the NT)?

Portugal were the ones that gave him a real chance first, not Canada.

[Lord Bob]

1 minute ago, Obinna said:

Again, your perspective is skewed on this. 

The fact is, he spent two years at NTC. I repeat...two years.

The CSA had every opportunity to bring him into Canada's youth national team and they blew it. 

Did he owe it to Canada to play for them in 2007 because he attended NTC (without ever getting a sniff at the NT)?

Portugal were the ones that gave him a real chance first, not Canada.

Canada brought him in to the NTC for a few years, were offering him national team call-ups as early as April 2006, but of course "real opportunities," how silly of me.

[theaub]

Hey at least all the other guys in that team stayed committed to Canada

[Obinna]

Yeah, Canada called him in April 2006 alright. 

Only after he left the country and signed for a major European team. 

Only then did Canada decide he was worthy of a serious look. 

The CSA should have gotten the hint after he first went on trial at Porto. Especially considering he was eligible to play for Portugal. 

But of course, all duel nationals who don't chose Canada are traitors and should lose their passport. 

Edited January 26, 2016 by Obinna

[Lord Bob]

Guys should be getting automatic call-ups to our youth national teams purely because of a trial, and if they aren't they are permanently exempt from all loyalties? This is taking "some people always have excuses" to a radical new dimension!

[Keegan]

7 minutes ago, Benjamin Massey said:

Guys should be getting automatic call-ups to our youth national teams purely because of a trial, and if they aren't they are permanently exempt from all loyalties? This is taking "some people always have excuses" to a radical new dimension!

Exactly, he had a choice between Canada and Portugal... he chose Portugal.  No ifs, ands or buts.  

Porto gave him a chance sure, but by the same token the NTC gave him a chance.  Maybe we don't/didn't have the same resources but it is what it is.  

He's with us now but let's not be revisionists.  

[Obinna]

12 minutes ago, Benjamin Massey said:

Guys should be getting automatic call-ups to our youth national teams purely because of a trial, and if they aren't they are permanently exempt from all loyalties? This is taking "some people always have excuses" to a radical new dimension!

You're really grabbing at straws here my friend.

Let's realistically look at this:

A kid who has been in the NTC for two years goes over to Portugal for a trial with FC PORTO. 

Gee, don't you think someone at the CSA should have said "hmm, maybe we should keep a closer eye on this kid, who happens to qualify for Portugal"?

To me, that is just common sense, if you are properly monitoring potential national team talent, especially at a National Training Centre.

It is a complete failure on the CSA's part that they let a player who attended NTC for two years slip out of their hands like that. They are fortunate that Vitoria will play for us after all.

 

The biggest thing that rubs me the wrong way on the issue of duel nationals is that we celebrate those who play for us and demonize those who don't. It is completely hypocritical.

 

Edited January 26, 2016 by Obinna