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Julian and Atiba - THANK YOU!


shermanator

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I know there's 10 minutes left, but after the backbreaker, and with Mexico / Honduras still scoreless, the writing is on the wall (if it wasn't already)

I know neither of them have officially retired, but I just wanted to express my gratitude to Julian de Guzman and Atiba Hutchinson for their dedication to the national team. Hutchinson has mentioned this is his last cycle, and de Guzman will be 38 before the next cycle starts in 2019. Here's hoping that when their club careers are over, they stick around in the system in some capacity.

Two of the best that ever put on the shirt! Merci beaucoup mon amis! 

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Agreed. Would have been great to see these guys with the Gold Cup team of the 2000's, but given the amount of new opportunities that will hopefully be available in the near future, these two are definitely going to be around.

With deVos' new role, would love to see Julian take his job at TSN eventually.

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Yea, I'd love them to give one more kick of the can at the Gold Cup. In Atiba's case, I'd love for him to stay on for some/most of the next cycle but I understand it from his perspective too. If I'm this frustrated as a fan, I have no idea how Atiba is feeling. 

My first strong memories of following the national team were when Julian and Atiba were just beginning to make their names overseas. I can't even remember some of the specifics of each game as I was in my early teens in the early 2000s, but I remember racing home from my own soccer/hockey games to watch the Canada games I had taped. 

When I first started watching, Julian was easily my favourite player. I loved his ball control in tight spaces, his tenacity and even his running style. Heck, he was even scoring goals back then! He was the player that really made his mark on me with the NT. As I grew older, I started to appreciate the grace and skill of Atiba. His commitment and constant presence on and off the pitch through ups and downs is something all young players and young people should aspire to. 

I can honestly say these two have helped inspire my passion and love for football, and have made an impact in my life. I'm sure there are many guys/gals like me, and for that they should be very proud if this is the end for them. 

These are the guys we want in our program to mentor the young lads and teach them what being a professional is all about.

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10 minutes ago, Bertuzzi44 said:

Two of the best to ever wear the Maple Leaf.

Really hope Hutch makes himself available for the next Gold Cup. Would be a great example for the younglings!

I think a lot may depend upon how healthy he is is at the end of a long European season.

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I know Atiba said he was done with WCQ after this, but he went 90 hard minutes, was all over the park, and was one of the reasons we actually had a fighting chance of doing our end of the deal last night.  Unless we have some extremely talented youngsters flying under the radar, I hope he reconsiders.  Ryan Giggs played until he was 83 (or something), so maybe Hucth is just one of those guys that can keep on going.

 

Regardless tho - totally agree with the sentiment of this thread.  I shudder to think what the last decade of Canadian footy would have been like without these two guys in the engine room.

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Respect to both, amazing servants for Canada.  True Legends.

ATIBA FOR RB!? ;) 2022 cycle lol

In seriousness, I hope he does reconsider, maybe can take a role like JDG did this cycle.  In all honesty, I see us improving not getting worse for next cycle.

In the meantime really looking forward to watching HUTCH in Champions League.

Thank you again to you both over all these years!

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35 minutes ago, rightback said:

I'm afraid if Hutch retires we will be worse, do we have "young Hutch" anywhere?

yes we have several young and very skillful U 20 players that are waiting for the call from canadian national team Coach`s, if they search in mississauga and Brampton they will definetly find them. 

Atiba at 17/18 years old played on my team before going to sweden so i have good knowledge to match these young players talent to Atiba`s. 

the talent we are looking for is here in the 1997 group boys 

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Well, according to this article, JDG is considering hanging up his boots soon, but he wants to still be involved in the Canada setup somehow. And that Hutch seems to indicate his time with the national team could be done, he was noncommittal. http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/world-cup-canada-fifa-concacaf-atiba-hutchinson-julian-de-guzman/

14 hours ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

I want to see both at the Gold Cup next summer.

I don't. It's time for both the national team, and JDG and Hutch to move on. I wouldn't be mad if they were called though.

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31 minutes ago, shermanator said:

Well, according to this article, JDG is considering hanging up his boots soon, but he wants to still be involved in the Canada setup somehow. And that Hutch seems to indicate his time with the national team could be done, he was noncommittal. http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/world-cup-canada-fifa-concacaf-atiba-hutchinson-julian-de-guzman/

De Guzman, who will see out the end of his season with Ottawa, said he hopes to continue his involvement with the Canadian team in some other role in the future.

“I still want to be a part of this,” he said. “I still bleed red. This is my degree right here, Canadian football. And I still believe we’re going to go to major places. We’re going to eventually have our league. That’s going to be something that could definitely help us make a World Cup at some point, and I want to be a part of that.”

Great quote from Julian there.

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I'd imagine Julian will retire from the national team fairly soon. Maybe he'll take part in the winter camp like De Ro did, get his 90th cap and then retire from international football. The last few years have been fairly tough for him fitness-wise and national team duty has been a significant part of that. It'd be nice for him to play one more year of club football and focus on helping Canadian soccer at that level, he's been absolutely fantastic for Ottawa on and off the pitch in his time there so far. It would be nice for him to get involved as an assistant at club level, or maybe he joins the national team programme immediately like Stalteri and Jazic did.

As for Atiba, he presumably won't be involved in the next round of qualifying at the age of 36, but it would be nice to have him for the next Gold Cup. It'd be a nice send-off for him and a nice way to help transition to the next generation. Not to mention he's still competitively at the peak of his career.

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Hutch has, I believe, more than earned the right to finish out his playing career without NT responsibilities upon him if that is his wish.  

I also can't but believe that he knows that his days are limited and every international experience might be better invested elsewhere, for the long term good of the program.  Just that kind of a soldier.

They'll always be to me the best the best.

Sorry, just a wee bit of hero worship there.

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I'm hopeful de Guzman gets a testimonial with the Fury. Maybe Deportivo will come in. I remember when I started dating my girlfriend, who's from Santa Comba in Galicia, and she wanted us to go to a TFC game so she could rep her Deportivo scarf for him.

Last year I wore a Deportivo shirt she got me to the game against Dominica and Piette's mom and dad stopped me for a chat. Very nice people. Weirdly earlier in the day, Morgan's dad or uncle (can't remember which) stopped in at my work and also commented on the shirt.

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