Canada Soccer, fixed game

[dalglish07]

Listen in to this episode. Author Declan Hill who wrote "The Fix" discusses our national team fixing a game in the 1987 Merlion Cup. He also notes that our country is one of the worst when it comes to match fixing. Intriguing stuff.

Soccer Snobs - Episode #31 – Declan Hill author of “The Fix”

Episode #31 – The Snobs strike gold here being joined by Declan Hill a world renowned author of "The Fix" and a leading expert in match fixing in soccer.  This is a real eye opener and our listeners are in for an absolute treat. Listen to some great stories about his infiltration into a match fixing gang, how to potentially end match fixing and does Declan Hill like pulp in his orange juice? Has he played FIFA on Xbox and what local Ottawa soccer team did he play for? All this and a ton more!!

 

Apple
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soccer-snobs-episode-31-declan-hill-author-of-the-fix/id1525769929?i=1000502482936

 

Spotify

 

 

Google
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8zNjdmMTYyMC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw/episode/ODIxODI0MWItZDU1OS00ZmI2LTk1NzAtMjQwYTQ1MGExMGQ5?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwiQjpDevNDtAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ

[JamboAl]

Wasn’t the CSL the centre of some match fixing maybe 7-8 years ago?  I always wondered about that league when Capital City were playing in it.  Seemed at best amateurish and at worst, sketchy.

[dalglish07]

JamboAl,

Declan mentions Canada and the CSL as one of the most corrupt leagues in the world. Have a listen to his story about a team from the Niagara Peninsula, for me it is perhaps the best part of the episode and an absolutely mental story.

[Kent]

Igor Vrablic would probably be our all time leading goal scorer if not for that Merlion Cup match fixing scandal. He scored 12 goals for Canada from 84-86 and was then banned for life at the age of 21.

[CanadianSoccerFan]

@dalglish07 The one player who didn't go along with the Merlion Cup fix was Paul James.  He wrote a book 8 years ago with a large section on that scandal.  However, it's hard to trust everything he says.  He's been addicted to crack cocaine for decades and it was mentioned on this board that he is now homeless.

 

On that NIagara CSL game, Vice published a story on it back in 2015 that's a must read

https://www.vice.com/en/article/nzxwzb/soccer-match-fixing-has-infiltrated-canada

 

 

 

[MM3/MM2/MM]

There was also a Trois Rivieres Attak game that was fixed, though the Attak were not in on the fix. An excellent podcast, one piece of advice, when a guest is on a roll with a good story, don't interrupt and change the subject,

I also enjoyed the John Limniatis interview, he was also part of the roster at the Merlion cup but was not involved in the fix.   I coached him for one weekend, I was coaching the club U18 team and called him up from the U16 team for a tournament.

[An Observer]

I think the 4 players in on the fix were Vrablic, Norman, Cheuden and Marinaro.  Only Norman sorta resurrected his career.  James was the 5th but was the person I believe who turned them in.  It was such a huge disappointment as it gutted four players from the side who were a big part of those that were going to take over from the 86 team (for most of whom it was there last hurrah).  Along with Samuel and Dolan, Norman was a revelation at the World Cup with Vrablic not far behind.