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Canada Soccer Yearbook 2012
http://www.canadasoccer.com/files/CSA_2012_yearbook_annuaire_pdf.pdf
It’s billed as an international friendly, a match between neighbours to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Soccer Association.
But both sides agree that Sunday’s game between Canada and the United States (7 p.m., Sportsnet) at BMO Field is of much more significance as the final tune-up ahead of the next phase of World Cup qualifying.
“It’s always a biggie. They’re our next-door neighbours and usually next-door neighbours don’t like each other when it comes to derbies,” said Canadian striker Simeon Jackson of Norwich City in the English Premier League. “It’s always going to be intense and the fans will be up for it.
“There’s always pride involved . . . and hopefully we can come out on top.”
U.S. defender Steve Cherundolo, who is captain of Hannover 96 in the German Bundesliga, said while the geographical proximity “does a lot for this match-up” it’s much more personal for him as a former teammate of Canadian midfielder Julian de Guzman, who now plays for Toronto FC.
“It means a lot to me to be able to beat him,” Cherundolo said Friday at a news conference ahead of the next match in a rivalry dating back to June 27, 1925, when Canada beat the Americans 1-0 in Montreal in their first meeting.
Both head coaches said they expect to trot out the starting lineups they will be using when each team resumes the push toward Brazil 2014 next Friday.
“The time for experimenting is finished,” said Canadian bench boss Stephen Hart, whose side takes on Cuba in Havana to open the third round. “We sort of know what we need to do and any sort of changes are not necessary.”
Canada, ranked 75th in the world, beat up on lesser opponents in last year’s second round, going 4-0-2, scoring 18 goals and conceding just one to top a group that included Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Lucia.
In addition to Cuba, ranked 136th, Canada faces Honduras (61st) and Panama (52nd) in this round in the quest for its first World Cup berth since 1986.
Despite that lofty plus-17 goal differential, Hart said it’s clear Canada will need to do a better job of converting scoring chances to finish in the top two of its four-team group and advance to the final stage of qualifying for Brazil.
“We need to have more killer instinct in the penalty area for sure,” he said.
The U.S., along with Mexico seen as the class of the CONCACAF region, got a bye into this stage. Ranked 29th in the world, the U.S. group includes Jamaica (56th), Guatemala (82nd) and Antigua and Barbuda (100th).
But following a 4-1 loss to Brazil on Wednesday that snapped a five-game win streak, head coach Jurgen Klinsmann said he wanted more from his side.
“We would like to develop a style of play that is more attacking, a higher pace and more possession-based type of soccer,” Klinsmann said. “And in that process you go through ups and downs.”
http://www.canadasoccer.com/files/CSA_2012_yearbook_annuaire_pdf.pdf
But both sides agree that Sunday’s game between Canada and the United States (7 p.m., Sportsnet) at BMO Field is of much more significance as the final tune-up ahead of the next phase of World Cup qualifying.
“It’s always a biggie. They’re our next-door neighbours and usually next-door neighbours don’t like each other when it comes to derbies,” said Canadian striker Simeon Jackson of Norwich City in the English Premier League. “It’s always going to be intense and the fans will be up for it.
“There’s always pride involved . . . and hopefully we can come out on top.”
U.S. defender Steve Cherundolo, who is captain of Hannover 96 in the German Bundesliga, said while the geographical proximity “does a lot for this match-up” it’s much more personal for him as a former teammate of Canadian midfielder Julian de Guzman, who now plays for Toronto FC.
“It means a lot to me to be able to beat him,” Cherundolo said Friday at a news conference ahead of the next match in a rivalry dating back to June 27, 1925, when Canada beat the Americans 1-0 in Montreal in their first meeting.
Both head coaches said they expect to trot out the starting lineups they will be using when each team resumes the push toward Brazil 2014 next Friday.
“The time for experimenting is finished,” said Canadian bench boss Stephen Hart, whose side takes on Cuba in Havana to open the third round. “We sort of know what we need to do and any sort of changes are not necessary.”
Canada, ranked 75th in the world, beat up on lesser opponents in last year’s second round, going 4-0-2, scoring 18 goals and conceding just one to top a group that included Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Lucia.
In addition to Cuba, ranked 136th, Canada faces Honduras (61st) and Panama (52nd) in this round in the quest for its first World Cup berth since 1986.
Despite that lofty plus-17 goal differential, Hart said it’s clear Canada will need to do a better job of converting scoring chances to finish in the top two of its four-team group and advance to the final stage of qualifying for Brazil.
“We need to have more killer instinct in the penalty area for sure,” he said.
The U.S., along with Mexico seen as the class of the CONCACAF region, got a bye into this stage. Ranked 29th in the world, the U.S. group includes Jamaica (56th), Guatemala (82nd) and Antigua and Barbuda (100th).
But following a 4-1 loss to Brazil on Wednesday that snapped a five-game win streak, head coach Jurgen Klinsmann said he wanted more from his side.
“We would like to develop a style of play that is more attacking, a higher pace and more possession-based type of soccer,” Klinsmann said. “And in that process you go through ups and downs.”
Canadian-born soccer phenom – defensive midfielder to be precise – outgrows the competition on these shores as a teenager and heads for Germany, the Bundesliga, and the big time.
Sound familiar?
But Samuel Piette is certainly not about to compare himself to Owen Hargreaves – the Calgary native who went on to fame and fortune with England, Bayern Munich and Manchester United – but rather to someone a little closer to home.
“I talk with Julian de Guzman because he went to France and afterwards Germany, so maybe you can compare me to him,” the Repentigny, Que., native said of his fellow Canadian national team midfielder.
There’s little doubt the bilingual 17-year-old is following in the footsteps of the Toronto FC stalwart.
De Guzman’s European adventure started with Olympique Marseille; Piette has spent the last two years a little further inland at Metz. De Guzman moved to FC Saarbrucken; Piette is a mere signature away from signing with Fortuna Dusseldorf, promoted to Germany’s top flight last month.
Growing up a single child, Piette started playing soccer at 4, after seeing his cousin do the same and, surprisingly for a kid from Montreal, hasn’t wavered.
“It never interested me,” he said of playing hockey. “I was in soccer and never wanted to try anything else … and also the budget, we didn’t have the money for two sports.”
From an early age, Piette had his sights set on Europe – Barcelona is his favourite team – and though Canadian soccer continues to grow, now boasting three of the 19 clubs in Major League Soccer, signing there was never an option.
“Not really, because I knew that Europe is the best place to develop myself, to improve my game,” he said. “So I always wanted to be in Europe, to play there when I was young and maybe after, when I’ve been in the first team [for a while]maybe I’ll go to MLS.”
But that’s a long way off. For now, he’s waiting on his agent to deliver his new contract in the next week or so to signify he is now the property of Dusseldorf – bringing the challenge of raising his game to make the first team and play in front of 54,000 fans every week, as well as a whole new language barrier.
“Not good yet,” Piette described his ability to interact with his new teammates. “I’m going to have a couple of classes every week to learn German, but the best thing will be guys in the locker room and also on the pitch, but I’ve got to learn fast.”
With the new Bundesliga season not starting until the fall, he’s got a little time – although he also has to finish high school before then – but for now his focus is squarely on the Canadian national team after being added to Stephen Hart’s squad for just the second time last month.
Having starred for both the Canadian under-20 squad as well as the under-23 team that fell one game short of the 2012 London Summer Olympics, Piette is understandably keen to make his first appearance for the senior team – with Sunday’s exhibition against the United States and upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Cuba and Honduras all offering tantalizing possibilities to get on the pitch.
The 2014 World Cup is an enticing carrot for the youngster, and though he feels the current squad is good enough to get the job done, like many others, he knows the team would be enriched with the inclusions of fence-sitters like de Guzman’s brother, Jonathan, who has previously played for the Netherlands at youth level, and Blackburn Rovers striker David (Junior) Hoilett, who, like Hargreaves before them, are weighing their international options.
But Piette – who was only eligible to play for Canada – understands their reticence, to a point.
“For sure I think anyone would choose Brazil over Canada, you know?” he said. “So that’s just their choice, but all the players here are kind of disappointed they’re not playing for us because they’re really good players that we need in the team.
“At the end of the day, this is their choice, it’s their career so they can choose whatever they want.”
Canadian coach Stephen Hart hopes for speedy recovery for two injured players
Sound familiar?
But Samuel Piette is certainly not about to compare himself to Owen Hargreaves – the Calgary native who went on to fame and fortune with England, Bayern Munich and Manchester United – but rather to someone a little closer to home.
“I talk with Julian de Guzman because he went to France and afterwards Germany, so maybe you can compare me to him,” the Repentigny, Que., native said of his fellow Canadian national team midfielder.
There’s little doubt the bilingual 17-year-old is following in the footsteps of the Toronto FC stalwart.
De Guzman’s European adventure started with Olympique Marseille; Piette has spent the last two years a little further inland at Metz. De Guzman moved to FC Saarbrucken; Piette is a mere signature away from signing with Fortuna Dusseldorf, promoted to Germany’s top flight last month.
Growing up a single child, Piette started playing soccer at 4, after seeing his cousin do the same and, surprisingly for a kid from Montreal, hasn’t wavered.
“It never interested me,” he said of playing hockey. “I was in soccer and never wanted to try anything else … and also the budget, we didn’t have the money for two sports.”
From an early age, Piette had his sights set on Europe – Barcelona is his favourite team – and though Canadian soccer continues to grow, now boasting three of the 19 clubs in Major League Soccer, signing there was never an option.
“Not really, because I knew that Europe is the best place to develop myself, to improve my game,” he said. “So I always wanted to be in Europe, to play there when I was young and maybe after, when I’ve been in the first team [for a while]maybe I’ll go to MLS.”
But that’s a long way off. For now, he’s waiting on his agent to deliver his new contract in the next week or so to signify he is now the property of Dusseldorf – bringing the challenge of raising his game to make the first team and play in front of 54,000 fans every week, as well as a whole new language barrier.
“Not good yet,” Piette described his ability to interact with his new teammates. “I’m going to have a couple of classes every week to learn German, but the best thing will be guys in the locker room and also on the pitch, but I’ve got to learn fast.”
With the new Bundesliga season not starting until the fall, he’s got a little time – although he also has to finish high school before then – but for now his focus is squarely on the Canadian national team after being added to Stephen Hart’s squad for just the second time last month.
Having starred for both the Canadian under-20 squad as well as the under-23 team that fell one game short of the 2012 London Summer Olympics, Piette is understandably keen to make his first appearance for the senior team – with Sunday’s exhibition against the United States and upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Cuba and Honduras all offering tantalizing possibilities to get on the pitch.
The 2014 World Cup is an enticing carrot for the youngster, and though he feels the current squad is good enough to get the job done, like many others, he knows the team would be enriched with the inclusions of fence-sitters like de Guzman’s brother, Jonathan, who has previously played for the Netherlands at youth level, and Blackburn Rovers striker David (Junior) Hoilett, who, like Hargreaves before them, are weighing their international options.
But Piette – who was only eligible to play for Canada – understands their reticence, to a point.
“For sure I think anyone would choose Brazil over Canada, you know?” he said. “So that’s just their choice, but all the players here are kind of disappointed they’re not playing for us because they’re really good players that we need in the team.
“At the end of the day, this is their choice, it’s their career so they can choose whatever they want.”
Canadian coach Stephen Hart hopes for speedy recovery for two injured players
Stephen Hart says Canada’s success in World Cup qualifying depends on having the entire team healthy.
So the coach was keeping fingers crossed Friday for a speedy recovery for a couple of injured players.
The Canadians may not be at full strength when they host the United States on Sunday in a friendly at BMO Field, the team’s final preparation for World Cup qualifying games next Friday in Cuba and then June 12 in Toronto.
Midfielder Josh Simpson is out indefinitely after breaking his leg less than two weeks ago at a game in Switzerland — a big blow for the Canadian side. And Hart said two other players in camp are injured, but he wouldn’t specify which two.
“Hope is the word,” Hart said, when asked if he believes the two will be healthy for the qualifying game against Cuba. “I think for Canada to do well we need to be healthy and we need key players to be healthy.”
Sunday’s game versus the United States marks only the second time the two teams have met on Canadian soil. Canada won the previous match 5-1 at Varsity Stadium in 1957. The friendly is also part of the Canadian Soccer Association’s 2012 centennial celebrations.
A win would be nice against the team’s cross-border rivals, Hart said. But a strong game is more important for gathering momentum to carry the squad into Cuba.
“I would like to see a very solid performance from the team and if the solid performance leads to a victory than I’ll of course be very very happy,” Hart said.
“Either way, you come out of the game mentally better, because you can always say well we didn’t play at our best but we got a result, which people say is a sign of a good team. Or you can say we played very well and on another day the result would have been different. Win-win situation in an exhibition.”
Striker Simeon Jackson said it’s key for No. 75-ranked Canada to get off to quick start with a victory over 136th-ranked Cuba next week in Havana.
“The first game is very important,” Jackson said. “It’s definitely going to be tough but we know that. It’s definitely going to be important to go out there and get a good result in the first game and get that momentum to carry back home.”
The Canadians are fresh off a training camp in Florida, and Hart said the weather was scorching down south — the perfect preparation for the qualifying game in Cuba. Temperatures climbed to just under 40 C for the team’s final couple of training sessions.
“I was glad we were down there, the players came from Europe, long season, they had to go through it, it was definitely beneficial,” Hart said.
This round of qualifying has proved challenging for the Canadians in the past.
They failed to survive this stage for the 2010 World Cup after picking up just two of nine possible points at home and losing all three games on the road.
Canada is in Group C with No. 62 Honduras, Cuba and No. 52 Panama in the CONCACAF qualifying tournament for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The top two teams in the group will advance to the final round of qualifying in the CONCACAF region, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Sunday’s friendly marks the third of five matches in an 18-day span for the U.S. The Americans defeated Scotland 5-1 and then lost 4-1 to Brazil.
U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann thanked Hart for the opportunity to play at a news conference Friday at BMO Field.
“We are in the same boat, we are trying to prepare the team as strong as possible for World Cup qualifiers,” Klinsmann said. “That’s where it all begins, the road to Brazil 2014, that’s where we want to go, both teams.”
Canada and the U.S. have faced each other 13 times in FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and four times in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Their most recent meeting was June 7 at last year’s CONCACAF Gold, a 2-0 victory for the U.S. at Ford Field in Detroit.
So the coach was keeping fingers crossed Friday for a speedy recovery for a couple of injured players.
The Canadians may not be at full strength when they host the United States on Sunday in a friendly at BMO Field, the team’s final preparation for World Cup qualifying games next Friday in Cuba and then June 12 in Toronto.
Midfielder Josh Simpson is out indefinitely after breaking his leg less than two weeks ago at a game in Switzerland — a big blow for the Canadian side. And Hart said two other players in camp are injured, but he wouldn’t specify which two.
“Hope is the word,” Hart said, when asked if he believes the two will be healthy for the qualifying game against Cuba. “I think for Canada to do well we need to be healthy and we need key players to be healthy.”
Sunday’s game versus the United States marks only the second time the two teams have met on Canadian soil. Canada won the previous match 5-1 at Varsity Stadium in 1957. The friendly is also part of the Canadian Soccer Association’s 2012 centennial celebrations.
A win would be nice against the team’s cross-border rivals, Hart said. But a strong game is more important for gathering momentum to carry the squad into Cuba.
“I would like to see a very solid performance from the team and if the solid performance leads to a victory than I’ll of course be very very happy,” Hart said.
“Either way, you come out of the game mentally better, because you can always say well we didn’t play at our best but we got a result, which people say is a sign of a good team. Or you can say we played very well and on another day the result would have been different. Win-win situation in an exhibition.”
Striker Simeon Jackson said it’s key for No. 75-ranked Canada to get off to quick start with a victory over 136th-ranked Cuba next week in Havana.
“The first game is very important,” Jackson said. “It’s definitely going to be tough but we know that. It’s definitely going to be important to go out there and get a good result in the first game and get that momentum to carry back home.”
The Canadians are fresh off a training camp in Florida, and Hart said the weather was scorching down south — the perfect preparation for the qualifying game in Cuba. Temperatures climbed to just under 40 C for the team’s final couple of training sessions.
“I was glad we were down there, the players came from Europe, long season, they had to go through it, it was definitely beneficial,” Hart said.
This round of qualifying has proved challenging for the Canadians in the past.
They failed to survive this stage for the 2010 World Cup after picking up just two of nine possible points at home and losing all three games on the road.
Canada is in Group C with No. 62 Honduras, Cuba and No. 52 Panama in the CONCACAF qualifying tournament for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The top two teams in the group will advance to the final round of qualifying in the CONCACAF region, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Sunday’s friendly marks the third of five matches in an 18-day span for the U.S. The Americans defeated Scotland 5-1 and then lost 4-1 to Brazil.
U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann thanked Hart for the opportunity to play at a news conference Friday at BMO Field.
“We are in the same boat, we are trying to prepare the team as strong as possible for World Cup qualifiers,” Klinsmann said. “That’s where it all begins, the road to Brazil 2014, that’s where we want to go, both teams.”
Canada and the U.S. have faced each other 13 times in FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and four times in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Their most recent meeting was June 7 at last year’s CONCACAF Gold, a 2-0 victory for the U.S. at Ford Field in Detroit.
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