All time best Canadian player (with poll!)

[Bertuzzi44]

Must have played for Canada, of course!

With Hutch mulling international retirement, we ask the question... who is the all-time best Canadian?

[matty]

Controversial statement: larin should be listed. He won't win but he should be listed

[jpg75]

I assume you pulled that list together quickly which is why i won't crap on it too much. Guys more deserving than Ricketts, and probably a few others: Branko Segota, Frank Yallop, Carl Valentine, Joe Kennaway (my pick for all-time best).

 

[baulderdash77]

I really think it's Craig Forrest.  He had a good club career as well as 56 starts as keeper.  Most importantly, he was the MVP of the 2000 Gold Cup when we won.  He was our best player for our only international trophy and that makes him my MVP.

 

 

[Vince193]

1 hour ago, dsqpr said:

Yeah, for me it was pretty much a tie between Forrest and De Vos but I went for Forrest for all those reasons.

De Vos was great for Canada but his club career doesn't compare to guys like Hutchinson or Forrest.

[Kent]

This is a hard question. For me it's between Hutch, DeRo, and Forrest, with apologies to Bunbury, Stalteri, and the 1986 team (I was just a bit too young to be following the team then). I ended up voting Hutch, but from day to day it can change for me. Hard to rate a keeper vs a midfielder vs a goal scorer.

[Soju]

Having seen all of these men play, one stood out in his prime as being on a different level. Radz  was at a time considered one of the top strikers in the premier league. He scored game winning Champions league goals. He was, for at least a moment, world class. 

[Unnamed Trialist]

What has Hutch won for us?

Anyways, all time: so childish to ask that and then people think about the present. Like being asked what was your best meal ever, and you say it was your last--because you were soooo hungry before you ate it. 

Nothing against Hutch, but he is not the most winning, not playing at the highest level, not the most determinant for club, and not the guy who's led Canada to a win in particularly anything.

Which I why I voted for our GC win keeper, our leader, the player with the best mentality in a Canadian shirt I've seen---and completely ignored his all too average colour commentary on games.

[Unnamed Trialist]

3 hours ago, jpg75 said:

I assume you pulled that list together quickly which is why i won't crap on it too much. Guys more deserving than Ricketts, and probably a few others: Branko Segota, Frank Yallop, Carl Valentine, Joe Kennaway (my pick for all-time best).

 

To see Ricketts there is disgusting, and an insult. And prooff that the real navel gazing closed minded provincialism in Canada comes out of Greater Toronto. Ricketts, fucking joke and frankly appalling anyone could put down that name without it being a huge and funny in joke

[matty]

3 hours ago, dsqpr said:

I wouldn't be so sure he wouldn't win matty! He has a lot of apologists on here. Dare to post a FACT like his very mediocre scoring record for Canada and you will find yourself in one hell of a barney!

True on both. As far as I'm concerned, he should still be longlisted despite the MNT goal record. At the club level in MLS he's been a solid scorer, given Sigma something to really boast about and he'll likely set the transfer record for a Canadian (if he goes to Europe now or has another 12-15 goal season). He's pretty young still so he's meh MNT scoring record should be taken with a grain of salt (for now).

[Free kick]

1 hour ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

To see Ricketts there is disgusting, and an insult. And prooff that the real navel gazing closed minded provincialism in Canada comes out of Greater Toronto. Ricketts, fucking joke and frankly appalling anyone could put down that name without it being a huge and funny in joke

It wasnt someone from greater Toronto who created the poll. Much less someone from Ontario.

[Bertuzzi44]

32 minutes ago, Free kick said:

It wasnt someone from greater Toronto who created the poll. Much less someone from Ontario.

 

2 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

To see Ricketts there is disgusting, and an insult. And prooff that the real navel gazing closed minded provincialism in Canada comes out of Greater Toronto. Ricketts, fucking joke and frankly appalling anyone could put down that name without it being a huge and funny in joke

 

I'm a well know Ricketts hater. That was a joke. I guess it wasn't obvious which to me is a bit scary lol

[Bertuzzi44]

5 hours ago, jpg75 said:

I assume you pulled that list together quickly which is why i won't crap on it too much. Guys more deserving than Ricketts, and probably a few others: Branko Segota, Frank Yallop, Carl Valentine, Joe Kennaway (my pick for all-time best).

 

Segota has 19 caps (2 goals) and played mainly indoor soccer. I think Valentine is borderline to make a list like this, same with Yallop. I didn't think anyone would rate either as the greatest Canadian soccer player of all time, but I could be wrong.

Kennaway is a valid omission. To be honest, I've never heard of him, but had I he would have made the list for sure.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Think as written it probably has to be Owen Hargreaves despite what happened in national team terms and even Landon Donovan becomes a contender at that point given his father is from Nova Scotia. If the poll were phrased best CMNT player then the obvious omission that should definitely be there rather than Tosaint Ricketts (WTF?) is Paul Peschisolido. Personally, I'd vote for Paul Stalteri because he usually made the effort to show up unlike Tomasz Radzinski, but I didn't see enough of the 70s NASL generation to feel fully qualified to judge.

[SuperCanuck]

I agree with BringBackTheBlizzard about Rad not bothering to play much for Canada, and Stalteri doing whatever he could to play for his country.  Another player I'd consider is the late, great Domenic Mobilio.

Although the three players I mentioned all played almost in the same era, I'd still like the opportunity to vote for my top three with 1st getting three points, etc. more for other people, as it's difficult to compare players who played at different times.

[jpg75]

3 hours ago, Bertuzzi44 said:

Segota has 19 caps (2 goals) and played mainly indoor soccer. I think Valentine is borderline to make a list like this, same with Yallop. I didn't think anyone would rate either as the greatest Canadian soccer player of all time, but I could be wrong.

Segota had a very good club career as a young man in NASL before it folded, he scored alot of goals. That was what i based my suggestion on. Valentine played 2 seasons in the English top flight. Yallop played a handful of seasons in the English top flight and was a very solid RB for us.

[BCM]

I too went with Forrest. Great career.

I would have liked to see Yallop and Peschisolido on the list. 

Both Yallop and DeVos are remembered very fondly by Ipswich Town supporters. DeVos was a stalwart for the Tractor Boys.

[Gordon]

11 hours ago, jpg75 said:

I assume you pulled that list together quickly which is why i won't crap on it too much. Guys more deserving than Ricketts, and probably a few others: Branko Segota, Frank Yallop, Carl Valentine, Joe Kennaway (my pick for all-time best).

 

Segota, particularly, a good shout. Bruce Wilson is another who could have been included over several on the list IMO. 

[hectorj]

I voted for Mitchell. I'm not saying he's better than Hutchinson, DeRosario or Radzinski, but he got shit on a lot on this board (for coaching) and a lot of it was undeserved. In his era, Canada never played the likes of St Kitts or Dominica in qualifying. Take away the goals from the minnow-bashing qualifiers and see the totals of those near him on the top. He always came through in qualifiers and from my view in Estadio Irapuato, he scored Canada's first ever World Cup goal against the USSR. Well, we celebrated until we realized it was in the top netting. The inclusion of Ricketts got its deserved response in earlier posts, and also,  Wilson and Segota deserved to be on the list.

[Unnamed Trialist]

I am still irked by TFC supporters coming on with this regionalism stuff when they see anti-TO sentiment out there. As if TO was a really internationally-minded city and its sports fans were not incredibly parochial. 

Which is why I assumed only a blind-folded TFC fan could put Ricketts on a poll like that, since in the last 3 months he has obviously revived his career. I

If it were not for a few super-sub appearances these months for TFC, the general opinion on Tossaint woud not have changed, ie, not good enough for the CMNT, bad technique, could not hit a barn door, why does Floro play him, and the last few years of generalized slagging, and so on.

[dyslexic nam]

Its gotta be CF for me.  Gold Cup heroics for Canada and a great club career.

Stalteri was always a great servant for the nats, but never seemed stellar at club level.  I know he played at a high level, but at both Bremen and Tottenham he tended to be a good but not great player.

Hutch is the closest to Forrest IMO, but I think Craig hit slightly higher heights for both club and country. 

As for Radz, he was an truly dangerous striker (cheered for him at both Everton and Fulham), but I don't think he lit it up for Canada in the same way.

I don't really have a frame of reference for some of the older players, so it is hard to give them a fair shake.

 

Finally, I wouldn't be sad to see people stop shitting all over Ricketts on a Canadian footy supporter site.  I get it - lots don't think he is good enough.  Or more specifically, lots wish we had better options on the wings.  But he is still our 6th all time scorer, a loyal servant to the team, and plays whatever role is asked of him.   Posts here and elsewhere go beyond legit criticism and push well into ignorant asshole territory. 

[David C.]

To me, Atiba and Radzinzki were a clear step above anyone else, as far as being able to carry a team in high level competition. Forrest and Stalteri played at high levels but didn't carry teams like the aforementioned did. For some weird reason, I didn't follow or notice Dale's career as much, despite his playing during "my time". I voted for Atiba, who has always been worth the price of admission to me - loved following his career.

[Stryker911]

I am not sure how people can say that Stalteri didn't carry his team? He had 5 years of being a consistent starter with Werder Bremen. This includes leading the team in minutes in 02/03 as well as finishing third in minutes in 03/04 when Bremen completed the German double (which is also likely the greatest club season any Canadian has ever had). On top of that he is second in appearances and played on our 2000 Gold Cup team. I like Hutch as well, but the German league is far superior to Turkey and he has never won anything internationally. 

[Moldy9]

Tomasz Radzinski at his prime was an elite player. Hands down the best Canadian talent to wear the red jersey. Craig Forrest is a legend and that Gold Cup run he and the team had is Canadian Soccer folklore, where a few years later Forrest had to retire.  However Radzinski over all was a better talent and received a lot more attention on the world of soccer stage. I bet if you asked people around the world who's Canadas all time best player they'd say I don't know. Those in the know would likely say that Polish guy. If you ask people in Europe who's Tomasz Radzinski I'm sure most would know. Ask who is Craig Forrest I'm sure you won't get the same results. Hell Radzinski was profiled in one of the early 2000 FIFA games!

[yomurphy1]

14 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

To see Ricketts there is disgusting, and an insult. And prooff that the real navel gazing closed minded provincialism in Canada comes out of Greater Toronto. Ricketts, fucking joke and frankly appalling anyone could put down that name without it being a huge and funny in joke

Ricketts for the Ballon d'Or. I think your bar for disgust is awfully low.