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Steven Vitória


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Correct we might see some guys that are sitting on the fence declare their love for Canada if we make it into the HEX since you have more than 50% chance of being at the World Cup. (3 spots out of 6 plus 4th place vs. Oceania winner....let's not forget Australia left that federation so our chances might be better).

Imagine you have played for Canada the whole campaign, put your heart out on the field and then "joe" shows up as being Canadian suddenly. WTF that would piss me off and might create some bad chemistry in the locker room too.

It would be completely different if someone declares their intentions at the Beginning of the soccer campaign for WC 2014. Or hey even better for the Gold Cup in order to rub shoulders with the other players.

Definetely good points, but this happens with to many programs with players declaring later than others, in many big programs as well. Also it happens with players just taking over positions, national teams with such big pools and players scattered a player contributing one day and may be a huge factor in getting us to a World Cup or something and then lose their spot. Unfortunately that is the nature of sports, its kind of sad really but I think anyone who contributes even if they are not there to reap the fruits of their labor, should still be recognized as being a part of the success.

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Definetely good points, but this happens with to many programs with players declaring later than others, in many big programs as well. Also it happens with players just taking over positions, national teams with such big pools and players scattered a player contributing one day and may be a huge factor in getting us to a World Cup or something and then lose their spot. Unfortunately that is the nature of sports, its kind of sad really but I think anyone who contributes even if they are not there to reap the fruits of their labor, should still be recognized as being a part of the success.

Agreed people lose their spots as others show up and raise the bar, or thru injury, etc. But unfortunately this is a little different, he was asked before to join the national team for training and said NO.

We have to ask ourselves this would 1-2-3guys make a huge difference to our roster?

Yes

then by Qualifying to the World Cup in 2014 those few guys would help SEED the turf for the next generations.

I would see this as as Huge Benefits(SPONSORS Being #1), for future player development and infrastructure in Canada. Who knows if we qualify some Zillionaires might decide to Jump Starts some teams or a league.

Edited by canadianfoot
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Agreed people lose their spots as others show up and raise the bar, or thru injury, etc. But unfortunately this is a little different, he was asked before to join the national team for training and said NO.

We have to ask ourselves this would 1-2-3guys make a huge difference to our roster?

Yes

then by Qualifying to the World Cup in 2014 those few guys would help SEED the turf for the next generations.

I would see this as as Huge Benefits(SPONSORS Being #1), for future player development and infrastructure in Canada. Who knows if we qualify some Zillionaires might decide to Jump Starts some teams or a league.

100% true.

also these guys (Hoillett 22, De Guzman 24, Vitoria 25) would help shape "the new regime" of Canada Soccer. Help the transition of the old coming out, and help the new ones coming in.

But I also think its Now or Never for them, if we prove that we can make it to the WC without them, then make an example out of them.

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This is my concern. I'm okay with welcoming most (but not all) guys back but you have to wonder about the character of these kids who turned their back on Canada for greed, not mature enough to think for themselves, easily influenced and easily soured.

National teams have a tendency to blow up in football usually due to inside team frictiion while having a together team is one of the reasons behind any overachievement beyond talent alone. Canada has seen its share in both the men's and women's side and overall our sports team's seem to be quite fragile (ex hockey).

I'm pretty sure that some of our players, if it isn't most of them, would be making the same choice OH, JDG2 or Vittoria made if they had the same opportunity.

I doubt the fact he played for Portugal would be too much of a big deal in the dressing room.

If he's going to play for our MNT, please don't invite him until this round is complete. It's not the time to mess with team chemistry. Then, invite him for a friendly or a camp and if he's really good (starting 11 material) then include him in the squad.

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Born and raised in Canada. Moved abroad at 18. Graduated from high school in Ontario, so I would hope he could speak English.

Good to know...the article I was reading on him had him moved away at a young age back to Portugal, and now I can't find it...thanks for clarifying to you and the other that linked the article.

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  • 3 months later...

By Daniel Fernandes, Special to sportsnet.ca

Next, Asmir Begovic special to sportsnet.ca about JDG2 time in England...

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The possibility exists that one day Steven Vitoria and Ricardo Ferreira will be the top CB partnership for Portugal. It might not even be that far-fetched actually...as for Vitoria playing for Canada it's likely wishful thinking for us at this point. He'll probably get capped by the Portuguese in the next 2 years.

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The possibility exists that one day Steven Vitoria and Ricardo Ferreira will be the top CB partnership for Portugal. It might not even be that far-fetched actually...as for Vitoria playing for Canada it's likely wishful thinking for us at this point. He'll probably get capped by the Portuguese in the next 2 years.

+1

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The possibility exists that one day Steven Vitoria and Ricardo Ferreira will be the top CB partnership for Portugal. It might not even be that far-fetched actually...as for Vitoria playing for Canada it's likely wishful thinking for us at this point. He'll probably get capped by the Portuguese in the next 2 years.

You just made my cry in my beer. I was sort of excited (naively) when I read this article on sportsnet, now I'm just pissed. I don't follow our guys abroad as closely as most on here and hearing about Ferreira really hurts. Will we ever catch a break?:(

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You just made my cry in my beer. I was sort of excited (naively) when I read this article on sportsnet, now I'm just pissed. I don't follow our guys abroad as closely as most on here and hearing about Ferreira really hurts. Will we ever catch a break?:(

Honestly the news this traitor will never play for us is about the best news we could get. It is bad enough that we don't have a very successful national team but imagine if we went out of WCQ like we did this year with a bunch of guys like Victoria who only play for Canada if it is convenient for them. Its not like after an 8-1 loss we need to put together a team with even less character. And while one can always argue that with better players there would be less chance of that happening we certainly need much better players than Vitoria to significantly improve our level. He may not even have started on our last WCQ team. And if in a few years he gets a chance with Portugal it is only because they have a serious deficiency at one position. They are a nation that usually can field a pretty solid team but often has a serious hole somewhere like a few years ago happened at keeper. Surprisingly they seem to be starting a habit of filling their holes with mediocre Canadian players who do not want to play for us.

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"Born and raised Canadian" Ricardo Ferreira... this one hurts too. Looks to be a great prospect, getting minutes in Serie B with Empoli at 20 years old.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardo_Ferreira_(Portuguese_footballer)

actually he played only 4 matches, which he was subbed in once and subbed off twice. Also for Vitoria i don't know y some think he'll get called for Portugal. He's decent but nt level? i'd be very surprised.

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actually he played only 4 matches, which he was subbed in once and subbed off twice. Also for Vitoria i don't know y some think he'll get called for Portugal. He's decent but nt level? i'd be very surprised.

That's why I said "getting minutes" and not starting. He has made 4 appearances (3 starts) and played 274 minutes for Empoli so far this season. Not bad for a youngster developing, and certainly good enough for a CMNT call-up if he was willing.

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The knee-jerk reactions from people who don't want him are the kinds of attitudes that have helped keep us mired in mediocrity for the last decade. After the WCQ debacle we should be looking at new ways of thinking, even if it means eating humble pie and accepting that we're a second choice for a lot of players. It's time to stop begrudging players like Owen Hargreaves and Vitoria for actually wanting to play in a professional and well-managed national team set-up, with scouts and management that make them feel wanted and let them know they're on the NT radar, not to mention the inherent but unfortunate advantage playing for a European nation gives a player in transfer negotiations. Why should we think we're above that? Countries like DR Congo and other former colonies are happy to take players who have finally given up on playing for France, or England, or whoever (like Marc Bircham), why shouldn't we?

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Countries like DR Congo and other former colonies are happy to take players who have finally given up on playing for France, or England, or whoever (like Marc Bircham), why shouldn't we?

I think in DR Congo's case it would be Belgium, but yeah, I guess we should just accept who ever as long as it makes our team stronger hey?

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Countries like DR Congo and other former colonies are happy to take players who have finally given up on playing for France, or England, or whoever (like Marc Bircham), why shouldn't we?

Well, whenever the opportunity arises like with Vitoria for example, it should be taken into consideration. However, we won't have numerous opportunities to do this considering Canada isn't a nation where huge amounts of people emigrate from resulting in large expat communities in countries overseas.

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The knee-jerk reactions from people who don't want him are the kinds of attitudes that have helped keep us mired in mediocrity for the last decade. After the WCQ debacle we should be looking at new ways of thinking, even if it means eating humble pie and accepting that we're a second choice for a lot of players. It's time to stop begrudging players like Owen Hargreaves and Vitoria for actually wanting to play in a professional and well-managed national team set-up, with scouts and management that make them feel wanted and let them know they're on the NT radar, not to mention the inherent but unfortunate advantage playing for a European nation gives a player in transfer negotiations. Why should we think we're above that? Countries like DR Congo and other former colonies are happy to take players who have finally given up on playing for France, or England, or whoever (like Marc Bircham), why shouldn't we?

It's true, our problem last cycle was that we didn't have enough big centre backs and our players cared too much about playing for Canada. We need some more people without passion or pride.

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The knee-jerk reactions from people who don't want him are the kinds of attitudes that have helped keep us mired in mediocrity for the last decade. After the WCQ debacle we should be looking at new ways of thinking, even if it means eating humble pie and accepting that we're a second choice for a lot of players. It's time to stop begrudging players like Owen Hargreaves and Vitoria for actually wanting to play in a professional and well-managed national team set-up, with scouts and management that make them feel wanted and let them know they're on the NT radar, not to mention the inherent but unfortunate advantage playing for a European nation gives a player in transfer negotiations. Why should we think we're above that? Countries like DR Congo and other former colonies are happy to take players who have finally given up on playing for France, or England, or whoever (like Marc Bircham), why shouldn't we?

This attitude is as bad as those of the players who don't play for us. We didn't lose 8-1 because our players were that bad, we lost 8-1 because we have had a generation of players (obviously not everyone on the field but too many), management and fans who think it is enough just to show up and put on the MNT shirt. The previous cycle we had a team that mutinied on the coach and had several players bolt from the team before we were eliminated from WCQ. This cycle we go down 1-0 early in a game and the players just gave up and let in 7 more goals. The solution to this is not to come courting a bunch of players who are even less committed to Canada and who would only play for us because there would be some career incentives for them. The solution is for the CSA, coaches and fans to demand players who put on the national shirt are committed to playing for Canada and will play their hearts out.

We used to have teams of players who were not the most talented, often did not make much of a living at football, risked that living that they did make every time they played for Canada, played in stadiums in Canada full of foreign fans and often had the poorest, cheapest accommodations provided by the CSA but who played their hearts out and if they lost at least they left everything on the field. They were easy teams to support even if the success was lacking. The last few cycles we have had more talented teams without all the difficulties of the previous generation who have had poorer results than the earlier teams and have been much harder to support. I don't think adding players of less character is going to improve our chances of qualifying for the WC and it will make our team even harder to support. I would rather support a team of players playing with pride for their country than a bunch of spoiled prima donnas playing because they hope international play will provide them will some material advantages in the future.

Vitoria did not even represent the country of his birth and where he grew up even when we hosted World Cup not only in this same country but even in his hometown. He chose to sit on the bench of the stadium in his home town in front of all of his friends and family while wearing the shirt of a foreign country. I was even there in person to see him do this. And he did all this to play only 63 minutes in the tournament in Montreal as a very bad Portugese team was eliminated from the tournament by Gambia. If a bastard like him ever puts on the Canadian shirt it will be a disgrace to our footballing program, a disgrace to those players who previously wore the shirt with pride and a disgrace to the fans who have given a lot supporting the team. I would have a very hard time cheering for a Canadian national team with Victoria in its ranks. I would have a very hard time accepting a guy I saw with my own eyes sitting on the bench in a Portugese shirt in his home town stadium as a legitimate member of the Canadian national team. Oh yeah and there were 10 or 12 other guys like Vitoria (Canadian-born guys wearing Portugese shirts) sitting near me and socceronly in the stands who kept making fun of and threatening us because we were wearing Canada shirts and should go back to watching hockey because according to them Canadians don't know F-All about soccer. So I'll be f-ucked if I am going to go through stuff like that as a Canadian supporter and then say it is all fine for Vitoria to play for us if Portugal doesn't want him anymore and it is the only way he can have an international career.

And why would DR Congo, a team that has constantly underachieved and has had just about every negative one could mention as far as a national team organization, player attitude etc. be an example for us to follow? They have only made the World Cup once in 1974 and went down as one of the worst teams ever to play in the World Cup including a still record 9-0 defeat to Yugoslavia.

Edited by Grizzly
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This attitude is as bad as those of the players who don't play for us. We didn't lose 8-1 because our players were that bad, we lost 8-1 because we have had a generation of players (obviously not everyone on the field but too many), management and fans who think it is enough just to show up and put on the MNT shirt. The previous cycle we had a team that mutinied on the coach and had several players bolt from the team before we were eliminated from WCQ. This cycle we go down 1-0 early in a game and the players just gave up and let in 7 more goals. The solution to this is not to come courting a bunch of players who are even less committed to Canada and who would only play for us because there would be some career incentives for them. The solution is for the CSA, coaches and fans to demand players who put on the national shirt are committed to playing for Canada and will play their hearts out.

We used to have teams of players who were not the most talented, often did not make much of a living at football, risked that living that they did make every time they played for Canada, played in stadiums in Canada full of foreign fans and often had the poorest, cheapest accommodations provided by the CSA but who played their hearts out and if they lost at least they left everything on the field. They were easy teams to support even if the success was lacking. The last few cycles we have had more talented teams without all the difficulties of the previous generation who have had poorer results than the earlier teams and have been much harder to support. I don't think adding players of less character is going to improve our chances of qualifying for the WC and it will make our team even harder to support. I would rather support a team of players playing with pride for their country than a bunch of spoiled prima donnas playing because they hope international play will provide them will some material advantages in the future.

Vitoria did not even represent the country of his birth and where he grew up even when we hosted World Cup not only in this same country but even in his hometown. He chose to sit on the bench of the stadium in his home town in front of all of his friends and family while wearing the shirt of a foreign country. I was even there in person to see him do this. And he did all this to play only 63 minutes in the tournament in Montreal as a very bad Portugese team was eliminated from the tournament by Gambia. If a bastard like him ever puts on the Canadian shirt it will be a disgrace to our footballing program, a disgrace to those players who previously wore the shirt with pride and a disgrace to the fans who have given a lot supporting the team. I would have a very hard time cheering for a Canadian national team with Victoria in its ranks. I would have a very hard time accepting a guy I saw with my own eyes sitting on the bench in a Portugese shirt in his home town stadium as a legitimate member of the Canadian national team. Oh yeah and there were 10 or 12 other guys like Vitoria (Canadian-born guys wearing Portugese shirts) sitting near me and socceronly in the stands who kept making fun of and threatening us because we were wearing Canada shirts and should go back to watching hockey because according to them Canadians don't know F-All about soccer. So I'll be f-ucked if I am going to go through stuff like that as a Canadian supporter and then say it is all fine for Vitoria to play for us if Portugal doesn't want him anymore and it is the only way he can have an international career.

.

excelleny

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I'm not limiting it to Vitoria himself, my problem is with the automatic reactions from people that have no time for people like him, de Guzman, Hoilett, Daniel Fernandes, Bunbury, etc. We're simply not in a position to blindly reject these guys if the eligible ones think about "switching back" without hearing them out and understanding their position a bit more. Some of the better African countries might be better examples the way they wait patiently for Premier League players like Moses (moved out of the country at 11), Frimpong and Zaha to choose between them and England. It seems like a lot of misplaced aggression considering that the CSA would probably jump at the chance to welcome them back anyways, and in many cases it was a failure at that level to make some of these guys wanted earlier in their careers.

What about Radzinski, anyways? The guy stopped playing for Canada when it wasn't convenient/advantageous to him, and now he's a cult hero on here for wearing a t-shirt.

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  • jordan changed the title to Steven Vitória

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