NEW Mother of all Canucks Abroad (and domestic)

[Toje]

Boris Gavrić (25 years old) finished the season with Travnik in Bosnia & Herzegovina 2nd tier with 24 goals in 28 games.

http://sportsport.ba/bh_fudbal/gavricu-titula-najboljeg-strijelca-prve-lige/196771

His club only finished in 12th place, but he has attracted interest from various 1st tier clubs in B&H.

Edited June 9, 2016 by Toje

[Toje]

Tampines Rovers (Jordan Webb) have been drawn with Bengaluru FC (India) in the AFC Cup quarter-finals.

[John134]

Marvis Kreitling has signed with Eintracht Norderstedt, 4th div.

 

 

[Fussball_eh]

On 6/9/2016 at 6:03 AM, John134 said:

Marvis Kreitling has signed with Eintracht Norderstedt, 4th div.

 

 

Thanks. Added. Here is a source http://fussballhamburg.de/de/eintracht-norderstedt-verpflichtet-kulikas-und-kreitling/anzeigen/news_9311.html .

Edited June 10, 2016 by Fussball_eh
spelling

[Toje]

Milovan Kapor isn't with Podbrezova (Slovakia) as he is looking to sign with another club.  No real surprise, as he spent the majority of the past 5 months with the B team.

[Toje]

Stefan Cebara has been released by Zlate Moravce (Slovakia).  The club has a new manager and he let most of the foreigners go, and brought in a number of Slovaks.

http://www.profutbal.sk/ligy/svk1/clanok209396-Zlate_Moravce_omladili_kader_pripravu_uz_vedie_nove_trenerske_duo.htm?

[Vince193]

Ben Fisk is leaving Deportivo. Not really a surprise, I don't think many thought he'd actually break through to the first team.

Don't know about Piette though.

[shermanator]

At the risk of derailing the thread, I hope Piette either gets a first team deal at Deportivo or moves up the pyramid. 

[Unnamed Trialist]

8 hours ago, shermanator said:

At the risk of derailing the thread, I hope Piette either gets a first team deal at Deportivo or moves up the pyramid. 

I honestly don't think Sam is anywhere near getting a first team contract for Depor, I'd be very surprised if he did. After all, if he did, he would automatically become the highest level player for Canada in terms of club. And we all know that would not be realistic.

EDIT: Sorry, rectifying, Sam is staying at Deportivo B. That is good news. They are keeping a core of 15 players, bringing up 6 u-19s from their academy, they feel it is a strong side to try for the promotion next year again. And all those guys that much more experienced if the first team needs them.

http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/torremarathon/cantera/2016/06/16/depor-perfila-nuevo-fabril/00031466092555073611292.htm

 

Edited June 16, 2016 by Unnamed Trialist

[Vince193]

37 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I honestly don't think Sam is anywhere near getting a first team contract for Depor, I'd be very surprised if he did. After all, if he did, he would automatically become the highest level player for Canada in terms of club. And we all know that would not be realistic.

EDIT: Sorry, rectifying, Sam is staying at Deportivo B. That is good news. They are keeping a core of 15 players, bringing up 6 u-19s from their academy, they feel it is a strong side to try for the promotion next year again. And all those guys that much more experienced if the first team needs them.

http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/torremarathon/cantera/2016/06/16/depor-perfila-nuevo-fabril/00031466092555073611292.htm

 

Same spending ANOTHER year with Deportivo B isn't good. 

[Obinna]

2 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I honestly don't think Sam is anywhere near getting a first team contract for Depor, I'd be very surprised if he did. After all, if he did, he would automatically become the highest level player for Canada in terms of club. And we all know that would not be realistic.

EDIT: Sorry, rectifying, Sam is staying at Deportivo B. That is good news. They are keeping a core of 15 players, bringing up 6 u-19s from their academy, they feel it is a strong side to try for the promotion next year again. And all those guys that much more experienced if the first team needs them.

http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/torremarathon/cantera/2016/06/16/depor-perfila-nuevo-fabril/00031466092555073611292.htm

 

Depor is a higher level than Besiktas?

[shamrock]

Yes of course. 

[Keegan]

26 minutes ago, shamrock said:

Yes of course. 

How so?  Besiktas is in the best club competition with the UCL and features internationals from top countries and while Depor playing Atletico, Real and Barca 6 times is impressive I think the fact you train with a better team week in and out outweighs that.  I'm sure many and especially UT will disagree but Besiktas is a bigger club than Deportivo.  

[Grizzly]

I think it is pretty clear that Besiktas is a better team than Deportivo but Deportivo plays in a better league. However, the league advantage is neutralized somewhat by the quality of opposition Besiktas will face in Champions League. Regardless, of arguments baited by Jeffey about league level, it would be a great accomplishment for Piette if he managed to crack the 1st team for Deportivo sometime next season. Whether it is good for him to re-sign with Deportivo or not depends on why they re-signed him and how their coaching staff rates him. If they really see him as having first team potential then it is good that he re-signed with them but if he is just there to help their 2nd team promote a division he probably would be better off elsewhere. Obviously we do not know the opinion of Deportivo's management in this regard but one would think that he and his agent discussed this with the club before re-signing. I don't think it is all that far fetched to think he might get some opportunity with the first team this year depending on the situation at the club this season. He has with Canada faced some pretty strong opposition and looked pretty decent. On the other hand I think his skill set is clearly that of a high level role player not a star player for a team similar to his Deportivo predecessor DeGuzman or Imhof in the Bundesliga. That is not a bad thing as long as we can surround players like that with enough players like Hutch and potentially Arfield and Hoilett who are top level players on teams at a good level. 

[Unnamed Trialist]

13 hours ago, Keegan said:

How so?  Besiktas is in the best club competition with the UCL and features internationals from top countries and while Depor playing Atletico, Real and Barca 6 times is impressive I think the fact you train with a better team week in and out outweighs that.  I'm sure many and especially UT will disagree but Besiktas is a bigger club than Deportivo.  

Besiktas is a bigger club, and so is Hamburg, and Newcastle. I guess folks don't have memory, this is a team that has been in Champions and gone further than any Turkish side ever. Deportivo is a stronger more competitive club in the best league in the world. To break into the first team would be huge for Sam.

[Obinna]

1 hour ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Besiktas is a bigger club, and so is Hamburg, and Newcastle. I guess folks don't have memory, this is a team that has been in Champions and gone further than any Turkish side ever. Deportivo is a stronger more competitive club in the best league in the world. To break into the first team would be huge for Sam.

Sure, it would be quite an achievement for Sam. I think everyone around here would agree, but regarding this side tangent comparing Besiktas and Deportivo? Well, that's a tough one if you ask me. At the moment, player for player at least you could make a strong argument that Besiktas holds an edge, but Deportivo plays in a better league and has a stronger historical record in Europe. At the end of the day it's probably just splitting hairs, but it's always fun to debate such things. I am happy for all our players when they wind up at high levels.

Edited June 17, 2016 by Obinna

[Unnamed Trialist]

Just to add, obviously Arfield will be our highest level player in this regard.

As a Depor B player Sam is obviously getting paid more than he would at any normal Spanish 4th tier club. But I doubt he is making much more than the MLS minimum. I really don't know but pretty sure. 

The advantage for Sam is that if you leave this club you have the pedigree, so it would be reasonable for him to make a move, say to a club in Spanish 2nd division, the only reasonable minimum move in Spain. I think Sam cannot go from here to a third tier anywhere, unless it is well paying like League One. 

If we qualify for the Hex and he gets minutes, that takes him a notch up. 

With regards to Deportivo, this is a club that has gone further in Europe than any Turkish team, ever, and has some glorious memories, including an incredible quarter final series vs. Milan (4-1 away, 4-0 home). But from over 10 years ago. They were a major importer of Brazilian talent to Europe for a while, like Bebeto and Rivaldo and Ze Roberto, they had top quality European players as well (Dutch striker MaKaay). But their economy went bad and they have suffered for a decade in the new economic model of football. 

They have 3-4 defensive mids, all Spanish, one is older but good, Bergantiños, have also sent a kid like Sam up who plays a similar position, Pinchi or something like that. So there is an outside chance of him seeing first team, like early rounds of the Cup. But his job is to get Depor B into a higher division, and if they do that, they'll get a reward the following year, methinks.

[Grizzly]

9 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Besiktas is a bigger club, and so is Hamburg, and Newcastle. I guess folks don't have memory, this is a team that has been in Champions and gone further than any Turkish side ever. Deportivo is a stronger more competitive club in the best league in the world. To break into the first team would be huge for Sam.

I have a memory and my memory tells me that Deportivo had an exceptionally strong period in its history in the early 90s to early 2000's both in the league and European play but previous to that and since then has been mostly a yo yo club between the first and second division and usually a mid to lower table team when it is in La Liga. Not that that is bad or that playing for them would not be a great achievement for Piette but if we are going to compare them, Besiktas has consistently been one of the top Turkish league teams while Deportivo has as often as not been in the 2nd division. But yes if folks like you have a memory that only remembers 1992-2004 Deportivo they were indeed a stronger team during most of that period. In general though Besiktas has been and is currently the stronger team and are the reigning Turkish Champions while Deportivo was only 4 points away from getting relegated this season. One would think someone who is such a big soccer fan and lives in Spain would have some memory of Spanish soccer history.

[Blackdude]

I can't get confirmation on the other club's site, but according to CS Longueuil, Goalkeeper Mario Raytchev has signed at Locomotiv Plovdiv. He won the U-18 Canadian Championship last year. I wouldn't be surprised that Karamfil Ilchev, a Bulgarian goalkeeper who was coaching at CS Longueuil helped with the move. 

Here's the link.

http://www.soccerlongueuil.com/fr/publication/nouvelle/un_ex_champion_canadien_du_csl_chez_les_pro.html

Edited June 18, 2016 by Blackdude

[Unnamed Trialist]

9 hours ago, Grizzly said:

I have a memory and my memory tells me that Deportivo had an exceptionally strong period in its history in the early 90s to early 2000's both in the league and European play but previous to that and since then has been mostly a yo yo club between the first and second division and usually a mid to lower table team when it is in La Liga. Not that that is bad or that playing for them would not be a great achievement for Piette but if we are going to compare them, Besiktas has consistently been one of the top Turkish league teams while Deportivo has as often as not been in the 2nd division. But yes if folks like you have a memory that only remembers 1992-2004 Deportivo they were indeed a stronger team during most of that period. In general though Besiktas has been and is currently the stronger team and are the reigning Turkish Champions while Deportivo was only 4 points away from getting relegated this season. One would think someone who is such a big soccer fan and lives in Spain would have some memory of Spanish soccer history.

You basically just repeat what I say in a post made 6 hours before yours. Just ignore my detailed post on Depor history, and go for it. Since you are up all night, pining to ring the bell at Saputo it seems, there is really no excuse. 

According to Grizzly  if Piette ends up playing regularly for Deportivo, and Arfield for Burnley, and hey, even Doneil for the Hammers, they will all still be playing at a worse level than Atiba. This is genius.

You honestly think Mario Gómez playing in Spain would score 27 goals like he did at Besiktas? He did because it is easy vs. 80% of teams. He'd get 10-12 if he were lucky, same pace he had at Fiorentina. In strong leagues he is a 10 goal a year man now. That is the level.  I'd sign Lucas Pérez, leading scorer of Depor, over Gómez (his dad was actually Spanish thus the name) any day. 

Right now Arfield is our top ranked player for club and playing level, even if they are relegation-threatened the whole upcoming season it'll be the case. Not surprisingly, this is actually evident on the field for Canada. Atiba has been great for us, but he has that slightly plodding pace and lack of urgency at times which is what happens when you play  vs. inferior competition 80% of the time. He has made some serious possession blunders leading to goals against so far (vs. Mex he was pretty poor). Sam, in contrast, does not look out of place for Canada while playing in crappy fourth tier Spain, which is not even pro officially. 

You play for Depor you play against much higher competition day in, day out. Same in EPL. Same in Bundesliga.

This does not matter,  it is all moot, since the whole point is that Sam is very unlikely to play for Deportivo, at least not next season. All I said was that if he were to, he'd be playing at the highest club level of any Canadian. And it'd be true (or course unless Doneil has a breakout year as well, accepting West Ham is right now a stronger club in quality of players than Deportivo). 

Edited June 18, 2016 by Unnamed Trialist

[Unnamed Trialist]

Just want to add. Atiba playing Champions and getting past the group stage will only be relevant if we get into the HEX, Atiba Hutchinson maybe in Champions knock-out rounds, but will be effectively retired from international football if can't do the job in September. And we can put this all to rest since Sam, wherever he is, will be playing at a higher level than Atiba amongst Canada pool players. 

[Obinna]

1 hour ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

You basically just repeat what I say in a post made 6 hours before yours. Just ignore my detailed post on Depor history, and go for it. 

Actually no, Grizzly also pointed out that Deportivo was (and currently still is) a yo yo club, outside of a golden decade. You never even acknowledged that in your response. 

1 hour ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

According to Grizzly  if Piette ends up playing regularly for Deportivo, and Arfield for Burnley, and hey, even Doneil for the Hammers, they will all still be playing at a worse level than Atiba. This is genius.

This was neither said nor implied by Grizzly. He never mentioned West Ham or Burnley once in his post.

1 hour ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

 

You honestly think Mario Gómez playing in Spain would score 27 goals like he did at Besiktas? He did because it is easy vs. 80% of teams. He'd get 10-12 if he were lucky, same pace he had at Fiorentina. In strong leagues he is a 10 goal a year man now. That is the level.  I'd sign Lucas Pérez, leading scorer of Depor, over Gómez (his dad was actually Spanish thus the name) any day. 

I think you are downplaying the achievements of Mario Gomez this year. 27 goals in the Turkish league was so impressive that it saw him get recalled into the German national team. When he was a 10 - 12 goal striker with Fiorentina in Serie A, he was overlooked for the national team.

By the way, his Europa League scoring rate at Fiorentina was 3 goals in 14 games, while at Besiktas it was 2 goals in 5 games. So he has a better strike rate at Besiktas in the same competition, which is counter evidence to your suggestion that he only scored so much because Turkey is much weaker than the top leagues.

So, did Mario Gomez actually improve in Turkey ? Or, did Germany recall him because he's in goal scoring form? Either way, one thing is clear, playing at Besiktas has given him more value to the German team national team and perhaps that's evidence that Besiktas (right now) is a better level than you care to admit? Playing at better levels makes you more valuable to your national team and often wins you a call up, we all know this.

1 hour ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Right now Arfield is our top ranked player for club and playing level, even if they are relegation-threatened the whole upcoming season it'll be the case. Not surprisingly, this is actually evident on the field for Canada. Atiba has been great for us, but he has that slightly plodding pace and lack of urgency at times which is what happens when you play  vs. inferior competition 80% of the time. He has made some serious possession blunders leading to goals against so far (vs. Mex he was pretty poor). Sam, in contrast, does not look out of place for Canada while playing in crappy fourth tier Spain, which is not even pro officially. 

I don't think Atiba and his lack of Urgency is in anyway a result of playing in Turkey. That is just a flaw in his personal game. I understand what you're saying, but can you provide an example using at least 1 other player who's suffered from this as a result of playing in Turkey? Otherwise, you are connecting dots that are not there...

Edited June 18, 2016 by Obinna

[shermanator]

Looks like Moses Danto from WSA Winnipeg is trialing with Sporting Kansas City:

 

[Winterpeg]

On 6/1/2016 at 2:33 PM, Winterpeg said:

Posted this in the Canadian teams thread but figured I'd add it here.

Moses Danto is going on trial with Sporting Kansas City.

 

^ Mentioned that last month when I saw this tweet. Messaged the guy who wrote what he had heard was they might sign him to the USL team once Winnipeg's season is done. 

Edited June 19, 2016 by Winterpeg

[Unnamed Trialist]

Obinna, Deportivo de la Coruña is historically amongst the top 10 or so sides in the history of the Spanish league, which is most likely the best in the world. No one in Spain says they are "ascensor", that term is reserved for a few other sides. 

I trust what common knowledge is here, rather than guys doing rapidfire Wiki-checks then trying to discuss this stuff. You are way over your heads.

If you don't believe me, just ask the current Canada coach or current captain. Who you are also disrespecting totally, Floro must be an idiot to be calling up a reserve player from a yo-yo team, our lowest division player on the CMNT. Julian will tell you the same thing I am: Deportivo is a major Spanish side; Getafe or Rayo or Levante are "ascensor".

If Piette gets first team minutes at Depor, being good fans, you'll insist he's playing for a yo-yo team. In fact you saying this now is dissing him before he even gets there, which is totally pathetic. Accoring to Obinna, right now Sam is reserve on a yo-yo team and plays for Canada. With fans like you we might as well all be Mexicans.

I think most Canada fans might actually show some appreciation if Sam makes it, since the accomplishment will be great. 

Depor had huge debt like most important football teams when Julian was there, if I recall maybe over 100 million, lost their shirt sponsor even when Julian around as its business collapsed (real estate), and were forced into a radical restructuring with an important consequence for us: they started paying attention to their academy. They never had, nor had regional rival Celta, Galician players were few in Spanish top flight. They sold players, refused to resign--since all this affected our captain you should bloody well know, but you don't. Because it is not in a little table on your Wiki, is it now?

They brought in journeymen and called up kids from the academy. Third or fourth tier players, often loaned out a while then come back.  As they are doing now, maybe a quarter to a third of the first team is from the B (not going on Wiki-genius here, on memory). Many of the players Sam would technically replace are also academy. Basically, finances obliged them to go with what they have and thus they went down, came back up, dropped, even last year they were close. You could even argue it was part of the calculated risk.

It does not matter really. I love to watch them when they come to Camp Nou, even watched Julian when they played Espanyol in Barcelona, and am disappointed Sam and Ben did not draw a team closer to me for the promotion playoffs. Deportivo is a great team, an important club, and Canada is lucky to have Sam there.