Colin José : Soccer in Canada needs professional CLUBS

[Bxl Boy]

Colin José replies to Ben Knight's blog

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Hi Ben,

Just a few thoughts and comments triggered by your latest blog.

Some years ago one of our grandsons wanted to play soccer, he was 5-6. So I took him, sat and watched, and kept my mouth shut. It was house league soccer, and he was fortunate in that first year because he had someone coaching who knew the game. The next year, his coach was a volunteer who was a basketball coach in the winter and had never played soccer. He was a nice man, the kids had fun. A lady whose son was also playing said to me "Isn't it wonderful they are going to play 14 games." I said "No lady it's a disaster they should be playing 40." She said "What! I wouldn't allow my son to do that I want him to play basketball and hockey in the winter." The boys didn't play 14 games, given that they spent so much time running on and off being substituted, they might have played seven.

Fast forward a few years and my grandson is in a rep team. The coach wanting to get an early start called a practice late January, early February in a school gym. There were something like 18 boys on this rep team, that first Saturday morning only about 7 showed up. Where were the rest? Playing hockey and basketball. This went on until almost opening day, when the outdoor practices, drew more. Hockey season was over. This was a Hamilton team playing in places like St. Catharines, Ancaster, Malton, Brampton etc. I think they won one game all season, and on average lost by at least 10 goals. Players were still running on and off, unlimited substitution. By mid-summer, there was no substitution because the team often played one, two or three short. Reason. Their parents were on holiday, so off the boys went to the cottage for two weeks, or on a trip somewhere. Yet as I sat through those seasons I saw potential everywhere, boys with natural skills.

Perhaps this is not the norm across the country. House league should be fun, but the more skilled you are the more fun it is.


Some time later I was in the Skydome one morning for a CSA press conference leading up to the two games Canada played there in around 1995. The press conference was out on the playing field. Tony Taylor, then the U-17 coach, showed up, he had just returned with the team from the Caribbean or Central America, and he was not a happy man. He described how his first job in training camp was to try to get the players fit to play 90 minutes, most of then could only handle 45. Then how it was hard to get some players released because their clubs wanted them so that they could win their local competitions, and in particular because it was more important for one ethnic group to beat another. He pointed out that the teams we were playing down south played at least nine months of the year and were totally focused on playing soccer. No unlimited substitution. I wish I had a tape recorder that morning because I have always had a lot of respect for Tony Taylor as a youth coach, and I think that day he touched on a lot of important things.

Now let's look at history, always my thing. Manchester United (formed 1902), Rangers 1873, Boca Juniors 1908, Inter-Milan 1909, Aston Villa 1874, Slavia Prague 1892, Borussia Dortmund 1909, Benfica 1904, Real Madrid 1898. TORONTO FC 2007. There was a time when we did have good teams that were around for many years. Westminster Royals, Toronto Ulster, Toronto Scottish, Montreal Carsteel, and even the various incarnations of the Blizzard lasted 18 years. But currently our only pro soccer team is now in it's second year. Which means that we are 100 years behind Europe. During last summer's U-20 tournament, one player in particular caught my eye – Ever Benega of Argentina, then perhaps 17. I heard people saying, if he had been born here the CSA system would never have developed him. But the point is that the national association of Argentina didn't develop him, Boca Juniors did. It's the clubs that develop players in the rest of the world not the national associations. It's an apprenticeship system. Only when the NASL existed did we have anything approaching that, and to set it up today will cost millions.

Example #1. When the Netherlands plays in Euro 2008 next month their assistant coach will be John Van't Schip. Van't Schip was born in Fort St. John, B.C. His Dutch parents took him back to Holland when he was eight years old. He grew up in Amsterdam, and by the age of 12 was in the Ajax system. He progressed up through the various levels until he reached the first team, he went on to play 273 games for Ajax and 41 times for the Netherlands. He wasn't developed by the KNVB but by Ajax.

Example #2. Some years ago Owen Hargreaves was selected to attend one of the youth teams training camps. Tony Taylor was the coach and he was under pressure to produce a team to compete in one of the CONCACAF tournaments. He looked at Owen and thought. "He needs one more year of development before I can use him." Nothing unusual about that. Owen got that year of development in the Bayern Munich youth system, and like Van't Schip made his way up through the system. He wasn't developed by the DFB. This is not to defend the CSA, but to point out that until we have a professional system here we are just whistling dixie. Tony has taken a lot of stick over this, but it was a normal decision. So where is Tony Taylor today? He is coaching in the Glasgow Celtic academy.

On Wednesday I was at the Soccer Centre and CBC-TV was filming part of this years "Soccer Day in Canada" in the Hall of Fame. When it was over some of us were asked where soccer in Canada goes from here. I said my piece on camera. Soccer in Canada needs professional CLUBS, not professional teams the way it has been in the past. Toronto FC is on the right track and so are the Whitecaps and Impact. The program airs May 31.

As I say, just a few thoughts. I agree with much of what you are writing about the CSA because I have been close to it for 40 years. But the problems are many and so much of it is parochial and people lacking is knowledge and vision.


Best wishes,
Colin Jose.



Source :
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ ... occerblog/

[xdukex]

très juste

[Sabre]

Now let's look at history, always my thing. Manchester United (formed 1902), Rangers 1873, Boca Juniors 1908, Inter-Milan 1909, Aston Villa 1874, Slavia Prague 1892, Borussia Dortmund 1909, Benfica 1904, Real Madrid 1898. TORONTO FC 2007.[...] But currently our only pro soccer team is now in it's second year.

I was with him until that.

[Napule]

l'impact existe depuis 1993, bein avant toronto. MAIS!!! is montreal considered a professional soccer club? YES! if Toronto FC plays a higher calibre soccer than montreal ? Absolutely not! Based on their preseason, they lost to USL teams that montreal usually creams during the year. The MLS and the USL are very close in terms of quality. Therefore saying that Toronto is the ONLY pro soocer club in Canada is nothing but propaganda going in game day on may 27th.

[Napule]

Now let's look at history, always my thing. Manchester United (formed 1902), Rangers 1873, Boca Juniors 1908, Inter-Milan 1909, Aston Villa 1874, Slavia Prague 1892, Borussia Dortmund 1909, Benfica 1904, Real Madrid 1898. TORONTO FC 2007.[...] But currently our only pro soccer team is now in it's second year.

I was with him until that.

And so was i! slavia prague came into being in 1892 and today they still play like in 1892...they suck! where is he going with this? First of all, canada is not a soccer nation. Secondly, we are slowly moving towards making soccer a popular sport in canada. you just cant compare america with europe. And Toronto is not considered a pro soccer team next to all the teams he mentioned if he thinks his monolinguistic province is a step ahead of Montreal...the oldest and most europeanized city in canada. Who the fuck is he kidding!?

[Bxl Boy]

That's sad someone as respected as M. José thinks Toronto is the only pro team in Canada
Montreal (and also Vancouver) are also pro teams, of course, we all know it. This year more than the previous, here in Montreal, with the preparation beginning in January.

But it would be sad to entirely discredit that very interessant and accurate reflexion of M. José because of one silly declaration in his letter.

[Napule]

Of course, one cannot be entirely discredited for one stupid remark.

[Huge94]

Of course, one cannot be entirely discredited for one stupid remark.

I agree with that. The rest of what he said was perfectly correct. Saying Montreal and Vancouver isn't professionnal soccer is just plain retarded.