Go Canada

Just a quick post that i hope that Team Canada wins huge next Wednesday at the National Soccer Stadium in Toronto against Jamaica.

GOOOOOOOO CANADA!!!!!

Canada’s Group

For the next round of World Cup qualifying Canada will face Mexico, Honduras, and Jamaica.

From the CONCACAF site it looks like the first two games will be in Canada — must wins of course.

The old adage being you have to win at home, and fight for a tie away to make it through.

Here’s a rough schedule. I don’t know how accurate it is, seeing as they’ve seemingly put two Canada games in Mexico.

Good news is we won’t be playing in Azteca in the middle of August (though Mexico City will be still hot in September)

Anyhow – we have a good team. If they plan to play in the games in Montreal, that may require a road trip.

20.8.2008	Canada – Jamaica	TBD	TBD, CAN
6.9.2008	Canada – Honduras	TBD	TBD, CAN
			,
10.9.2008	Mexico – Canada	TBD	TBD, MEX
11.10.2008	Honduras – Canada	TBD	TBD, HON
15.10.2008	Canada – Mexico	TBD	TBD, MEX
19.11.2008	Jamaica – Canada	TBD	TBD, JAM
.	-

Canada to kick it on grass tonight

Canada continue their world cup qualifying campaign tonight against St. Vincent & the Grenadines tonight at 7:30 in Montreal.

Some Canadian players were saying they’d like all their qualifying games to be at Montreal’s Stade Saputo – and seeing as there isn’t real grass at the National Soccer Stadium in Toronto I don’t blame them.

Is it inconvenient to put grass on the Toronto field once a year?

Yes

Is it more expensive to put in and maintain?

Probably.

Is it something that the players would want?

Certainly.

While you’re not going to hear guys on Toronto FC saying that they wouldn’t play without grass, I’m certain they’d quietly cheer if the team (Toronto FC) decided to go with real grass for the season. Real grass is preferable.

Yes field turf is FIFA legal. The real question is, is it player friendly?

More about Soccer Day in Canada

CBC is doing one of those “Hockey Day in Canada” things for soccer on May 31 – this Saturday.

They’re likely going to show a bunch of players from Lethbridge or something, then cut to the TFC game against the LA Galaxy.

While I applaud the CBC for covering soccer — for example, they showed last night’s TFC vs Impact game at midnight — they’re still only getting it half right.

Why aren’t we showing the CAnada vs. Brazil match on the CBC?

It’s the Canadian National Team. We’ve got a great team. They’re exciting. They play attacking soccer. And they’re playing BRAZIL.

I mean, what does the National team need to do to get exposure? To get shown on soccer day in Canada.

Instead, they’ve probably banked on Beckham playing against the TFC. But you know what? Beckham won’t even be in the Galaxy lineup because he’s away playing a bunch of Friendlies for England. England, a team that isn’t even in the European Cup.

He wants to play for his country over his club. As does many of the Canadian players.

I’m not sure where they’re showing the Canada Brazil game, but i want to see it. There’s no mention of if they’re playing it on the score, sportset, TSN, or wherever. I suppose what i’ll end up doing is head up to College street somewhere and watch it from a Brazilian feed.

Soccer day in Canada indeed.

Go Pens!

The Pittsburgh Penguins are in the Stanley Cup final.

I admit, I’m on the bandwagon – but I got on the bandwagon early this year. I went to see them play a game at Melon where they beat the NJ Devils 7-1. Since then, I’ve been a Pens fan.

I’m saying that Geno, Sid, and the boys are going to beat Detroit in 6.

May 31st: Soccer day in Canada. Well sorta in Canada

Okay. May 31, 2008 was going to be the day that David Beckham finally played in Toronto, against the FC.

For the record, he’s already played in Canada this year — his LA Galaxy losing to the Vancouver Whitecaps in Edmonton. That’s a USL soccer club beating Donovan and Beckham — something to think about before Toronto FC goes ahead and books those CONCACAF champion’s league tickets.

Speaking of CONCACAF – May 31 is now another big day for soccer in Canada. Or perhaps it’s a big day for soccer in Seattle as that’s where the Canadian Men’s National Team will be playing Brazil.

It’s going to be great to see how Julian DeGuzman, Dwayne DeRosario, and Atiba Hutchinson play against Brazil. Canada has a fantastic midfield right now — i’m really looking forward to how they perform against a big squad like Brazil. Okay, i’ve mentioned Brazil enough. Back to Beckham.

Word is he may not be playing in Toronto. Okay fine, this on again, off again thing he has with the English national team and his injuries is getting to be just drama. He never was going to make the Galaxy an amazing team all on his own. Is it because the Galaxy are so terrible on the field even with Beckham in the lineup that the focus of the season is not, how is Beckham and the Galaxy going to hurt us on the field, but rather if the guy will ever show up to play.

We assume he’s going to come back for the MLS All-Star game — but can we really count on that? After all, shouldn’t you at least play a couple of games in a league before being added to the All-Star team?

Can’t keep up with Mo

Watching Mo Johnston making player moves is like watching someone play video game sports. There’s like a trade every game. New player in. Old players out.

Okay – so in today:

Defender Oliver Tebily.

Add him to the recent additions of Laurent Robert, Amado Guevara, and Rohan Ricketts.
(All of whom look great in the midfield)

Gone from the team are Canadian Tyler Hemming and Trinidadian Colin Samuel.

The good news is TFC are a better team today than when we started the season. And now, the team is at a 2 and 2 record. If they win today, well, that would give them their first ever winning record.

Good times.

Okay – Game today at 3:30 against KC. As my brother jokingly calls it “The Derby”.

Game on.

TFC home opener

Toronto started the home side of their 2008 MLS campaign with a win at home against Real Salt Lake yesterday.

A fine free-kick by Laurent Robert gave Toronto a 1-0 lead. The boys in 110 have taken to singing Robert’s name to the tune of “auld lang syne.”

I was happy to see two BMO seat cushions hit the field after the goal was scored. You’ll recall that the first raining of seat cushions was after Danny Dichio’s first goal last year. I think it’d be great if someone manages to bring and throw seat cushions for every first home goal of the year. Good on those people to hang onto their cushion for just about a year – only to throw it at yesterday’s game. Awesome.

On the other hand, in the “not awesome at all” department were the people who threw flares onto the field. It’s dangerous, and well, also probably not good for the field. (And to say again – not good if they landed on someone in the crowd.) Keep the flares on the road.

Good times. Next week they’re playing, I believe, Kansas City at home.

At least they scored…

TFC have fallen to Oh and two for the 2008 season. While the team is looking pretty bad on the field, I’m still looking forward to getting my season’s tickets in the mail either today or tomorrow.

This year you get a scarf again. But, it has your section number on it.

I think that’s awesome. My brother, Brian, and I are all happy to be in section 110. We’re proud of our section. Our section gives 110% effort every game to yell and make noise. So to have a scarf with 110 on it is awesome.

Okay, back to work for me.

Almost hit by car tonight

Getting off the 505 streetcar, I just missed getting hit by a car rushing by the open door. I’m so glad I looked before stepping out.