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RHIAN WILKINSON


Robert

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Spain was like a well oiled machine with computerized fuel injection, while we were operating with an old gravity carburetor.  Was Spain's well executed game the result of good coaching or good selection of players?  I believe it is both.  Such a combination is something we never have.  Knowing the CSA they will stick with Wilkinson the same they stuck with Priestman and her poor coaching.

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2 hours ago, The Ref said:

Spain was like a well oiled machine with computerized fuel injection, while we were operating with an old gravity carburetor.  Was Spain's well executed game the result of good coaching or good selection of players?  I believe it is both.  Such a combination is something we never have.  Knowing the CSA they will stick with Wilkinson the same they stuck with Priestman and her poor coaching.

I think you nailed it, but there's always hope. I suspect there's a good chance that Christine Sinclair, at the age of 36, will retire as a player following the 2019 World Cup. By then, she will more than likely hold the all-time record for international goals scored, and to continue playing until the 2023 World Cup, when she will be 40 years old seems like a bit of a stretch. The timing of retirement at that time would be perfect for Sinc to embark on a coaching career, as the following year will feature the 2020 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Final. If the CSA doesn't sign her up ASAP, then US Soccer will no doubt be knocking at her door to make her an offer she can't refuse. Knowing the CSA, I wouldn't be surprised to see C.S. coaching the USA against Canada at the 2023 World Cup.

Do you think Sinc would ever publicly say at a World Cup Final tournament that she was coaching a "world-class" team?

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  • 8 months later...
  • 1 year later...

Wilkinson is stepping down as Head Coach of the U-17 and U-20 National Teams and as Assistant Coach of the CWNT.

https://canadasoccer.com/news/canada-soccer-announces-departure-of-womens-national-youth-team-head-coach-rhian-wilkinson/

In a personal statement released on Twitter, she talks about moving on to learn and grow, but doesn't say what the next stage of her career will be.

 

 

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Good for her. I don’t know how much money she made but it’s not like players in the women’s game are multi millionaires. If England is paying more than Canada (which it obviously is since she left for them) you can’t blame her for taking the opportunity.

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On 1/19/2021 at 7:23 AM, sloth8 said:

It is just a short term contract until Wiegman takes over in September. It will be a good experience for her, but I would be surprised if she remains an assistant after that.

According The Guardian 142 coaches applied for the job that finally went to Sarina Wiegman.  That is a lot of applications.  Wonder how many Canada got!!!

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2 hours ago, JamboAl said:

Thanks for sharing. Confirms that she did apply for the head coaching position and lost out to Priestman. Priestman offered Rhian a position within her coaching staff, but Rhian turned it down. She recognized that she would have to leave in order to get the experience to be hired as the CWNT head coach.

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Former Canadian international Rhian Wilkinson named coach of NWSL's Portland Thorns
39-year-old played final professional season in 2015 for Portland
The Associated Press November 29, 2021

Former Canadian national team player and two-time Olympic bronze medallist Rhian Wilkinson has been named coach of the Portland Thorns.

Wilkinson, 39, replaces Mark Parsons, who stepped down at the end of the National Women's Soccer League season to take over as head coach of the Netherlands national team.

Wilkinson played for the Thorns in 2015, her last professional season. She also played for the Boston Breakers in 2013, the league's first year.

She made 181 appearances with Canada and scored seven goals. She won bronze medals with the team at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics before retiring in 2017.

Wilkinson was an assistant for Canada in 2019 and 2020, and served under Great Britain head coach Hege Riise at the Tokyo Olympics last summer.

"Since leaving the field, Rhian has quickly accrued valuable coaching experience and knowledge at the international level, helping her stand out in a deep and competitive candidate pool," Thorns general manager Karina LeBlanc said in a statement. "She knows how to challenge players in an inspiring, motivating and honest way and she will bring integrity to the role, while being a player-first person and coach"

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It's great they have the opportunity in Portland. And she gets the highest praise for calling it an embarrassment. We flaunt our culture as empowering and laud our great women's team as a shining example of it. You couldn't be farther from the truth.

I love that FIFA is opening an investigation into the NWSL allegations, but what they should really be looking into is how in 2021 we have invested nothing into women's infrastructure.

I'm not talking about NWSL teams here or a league of that stature, that's just fantasy. But there's got to be something we can do to help women across the country who want to take the game seriously.

A women's league isn't about bringing Ashley Lawrence, Kadeisha Buchanan and Jessie Fleming home. It's about giving a thousand times that the pathway and the dream. Just like the CPL isn't about bringing Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David home.

The Nordic countries are 50 years ahead of us in terms of women's leagues. They have no dreams of grandeur. Most of their best women play abroad. But they have a place where their women can take the game seriously and talented young girls are sought out and sign on and compete against highly skilled players of all ages.

Edited by _Vic_
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A gentle reminder to all that women's leagues and women's clubs require one important thing, and it's the exact same thing that men's leagues and men's clubs require: investors!

Ultimately, Toronto FC was launched because investors (MLSE) came to the table.

Ultimately, CF Montreal was launched because investors (Saputo) came to the table.

Ultimately, the CPL was launched because investors (Bob Young, Rob Friend, Atletico Madrid) came to the table. 

Canada Soccer's role is to sanction these leagues/clubs by assessing the standards met by the investors and holding them to these standards.

Women's soccer is delayed in Canada for one reason only ... investors still do not see it as a viable commercial enterprise. 

When (and if) that changes, Canada will be able to provide more opportunities for women to coach and manage women professional players.

Until then, even our national broadcasters don't care enough.

However, performance on the field matters.

As the men continue to rise, it will help the women too.

Ultimately, investors want one thing ... ROI.  It needs to be clear, visible, and highly probable.

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Well at least that's better than the usual we're too big a country. That was getting a bit old.

Do you think MLSE and Saputo called up the CSA?

The CSA is responsible for the development of the game in Canada.

Those leagues were 100 years in the making. By a board that was by men, for men.

Time to put the focus on the other gender.

 

 

Edited by _Vic_
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18 hours ago, _Vic_ said:

 

Well at least that's better than the usual we're too big a country. That was getting a bit old.

Do you think MLSE and Saputo called up the CSA?

The CSA is responsible for the development of the game in Canada.

Those leagues were 100 years in the making. By a board that was by men, for men.

Time to put the focus on the other gender.

 

 

I know we all have Olympic Gold Medal euphoria but we will get left behind without our own league

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The only positive is that recently we have at least got some building blocks to work with, in the form of women's divisions in PLSQ, L1O, and L1BC. Those leagues have been important on the men's side in getting many players to pro level quality, but we still need women's pro teams in Canada for players to graduate from these provincial leagues into pro environments.

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