Canada lost to Honduras today 3-1, eliminating Canada's chances of qualifying for it's first World Cup since 1986. As the finger pointing starts, I've decided to put in my $0.02.
Who's to Blame?
Football is a tactical sport. When you put an out and out moron in charge of tactics (Dale Mitchell) you will be destined to lose.
Despite having more talent than the Jamaican's, being on-par or better than the Honduran's, and having enough talent to possibly give the Mexican's a run for their money, we didn't win a SINGLE game and now are left playing out the rest for nothing. The blame has to fall squarely on the shoulders of the man in charge of TACTICS; Dale Mitchell, and to a lesser extent the people that put him in charge; the CSA.
Dale Mitchell did a similar hatchet job with the U-20s, ON HOME SOIL, in the U-20 World Cup in which we not only went 0-3, WE DIDN'T EVEN SCORE A SINGLE GOAL! So it makes sense that Mitchell be fired after such a dismal performance right?
NOT WITH THE CSA!
Instead, the most inept football manager I've ever seen, gets PROMOTED to lead the Sr. Men's National side. Should we be at all surprised?
So if you want to find blame, blame the CSA for firstly, not firing Mitchell after the U-20s, secondly, for actually PROMOTING the guy who led our U20's to the most dismal showing by a host country in the history of the U20 WC. And then blame Dale Mitchell for being absolutlely useless.
2010 should've been our year. We needed it to build momentum to build support for soccer in Canada. The CSA made the decision to put this in the incapable hands of Dale Mitchell. Even if all of those responsible are fired (which probably won't happen), we have missed a great opportunity to build on what has been established in the club ranks in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. These opportunities don't come along too often, by 2014 it will be far too late to generate interest in the part-time casual supporters who's current interest have been peaked by the club successes, and the "Beckham" effect. In short, this disaster of a WC Qualifying campaign will have FAR REACHING effects towards developing the sport in Canada.
I hope you guys are prepared for another decade of a hockey-centric sports vision in Canada. I hope you guys are prepared for another decade of playing 5th fiddle behind Baseball and Basketball and the CFL. We had a glorious chance, but Mitchell and the CSA blew it for all Canadian soccer fans.
Without a showing on the biggest stage of the world's biggest sport, we will never advance as a soccer country. We don't have the benefit of a Euro Cup to give it another crack, and with our top young players playing overseas and getting paperwork to play for other countries, why would anyone choose to play for Canada?
Blame Mitchell, and blame the CSA, but even if heads roll, it's far too late for Canada now.
Despite having more talent than the Jamaican's, being on-par or better than the Honduran's, and having enough talent to possibly give the Mexican's a run for their money, we didn't win a SINGLE game and now are left playing out the rest for nothing. The blame has to fall squarely on the shoulders of the man in charge of TACTICS; Dale Mitchell, and to a lesser extent the people that put him in charge; the CSA.
Dale Mitchell did a similar hatchet job with the U-20s, ON HOME SOIL, in the U-20 World Cup in which we not only went 0-3, WE DIDN'T EVEN SCORE A SINGLE GOAL! So it makes sense that Mitchell be fired after such a dismal performance right?
NOT WITH THE CSA!
Instead, the most inept football manager I've ever seen, gets PROMOTED to lead the Sr. Men's National side. Should we be at all surprised?
So if you want to find blame, blame the CSA for firstly, not firing Mitchell after the U-20s, secondly, for actually PROMOTING the guy who led our U20's to the most dismal showing by a host country in the history of the U20 WC. And then blame Dale Mitchell for being absolutlely useless.
2010 should've been our year. We needed it to build momentum to build support for soccer in Canada. The CSA made the decision to put this in the incapable hands of Dale Mitchell. Even if all of those responsible are fired (which probably won't happen), we have missed a great opportunity to build on what has been established in the club ranks in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. These opportunities don't come along too often, by 2014 it will be far too late to generate interest in the part-time casual supporters who's current interest have been peaked by the club successes, and the "Beckham" effect. In short, this disaster of a WC Qualifying campaign will have FAR REACHING effects towards developing the sport in Canada.
I hope you guys are prepared for another decade of a hockey-centric sports vision in Canada. I hope you guys are prepared for another decade of playing 5th fiddle behind Baseball and Basketball and the CFL. We had a glorious chance, but Mitchell and the CSA blew it for all Canadian soccer fans.
Without a showing on the biggest stage of the world's biggest sport, we will never advance as a soccer country. We don't have the benefit of a Euro Cup to give it another crack, and with our top young players playing overseas and getting paperwork to play for other countries, why would anyone choose to play for Canada?
Blame Mitchell, and blame the CSA, but even if heads roll, it's far too late for Canada now.
