An amazing weekend of stylish play and well-struck goals left Canadian soccer fans looking foward to the week ahead.
Both Toronto FC and Team Canada scored emphatic wins in what was, arguably, the best weekend Canadian soccer fans have seen in many years. And that's taking into account the 0-1 home loss suffered by the Montreal Impact to the Charleston Battery in USL play.
Ahhh, that Montreal-Charleston rivalry. Those teams HATE each other. Don't they?
Well, that loss aside, Canadian fans had to be up on their hind legs and howling at the feast of goals served up in Saturday's 3-0 thrashing of Guatemala by Canada, followed by Sunday's 4-0 branding by Toronto FC on an FC Dallas squad that looked all too eager to mount up and ride home.
For those who viewed both matches, there was extra satisfaction in watching two days of misery for Guatemalan forward Carlos Ruiz. The serial dive artist is known to his fans as El Pescadito(The Little Fish) , perhaps because his flopping antics make him look like a well-hooked bass on a dock.
He was on the losing end for both games, earning a yellow card for a nasty elbow that split open Canadian defender Richard Hastings head, then 'showing up' for Dallas a day later and getting another yellow for chirping. Is their a Spanish word for 'schadenfreude"?
Toronto FC couldn't have found a better way to bid a temporary goodbye to the friendly confines of their BMO Field. They'll be on the road for their next six games as the U-20 World Cup tournament evicts them until late July.
They'll set off brimming with confidence, having raised their W-L-T record to 4-6-1, an impressive turnaround from an 0-4-0 start. And for a team that couldn't find the net through that initial four-game losing streak, Toronto has begun delivering goals that are pure eye candy.
It continued on Sunday, as defender Kevin Goldthwaite sold the Brooklyn Bridge on a cutback move that almost had his Dallas marker sliding into the beer garden behind the goal. His follow-up cross resulted in a first-ever goal for top rookie Maurice Edu.
Carl Robinson honored his daughter's Father's Day wishes to get a goal and planted a neat header in off the bar for his first goal in Toronto colours. Even the near misses are drawing oohs and ahhs.
Coming a day after Canada demolished Guatemala with three first-half goals, with Ali Gerba slicing home a sharp right footer to cap a dazzling, seven-pass masterpiece, Canadian fans have to wonder what has happened to the stodgy punt-and-plod that was a hallmark of their game for decades.
Respected for defending well and breeding decent goalies, Canada has never been associated with eye-catching buildups or highlight-reel goals. It looks like it's all about to change.
This edition of the national team is full of atheticism, skill and quick minds, but most importantly, high-level playing experience .
No longer forced to rely on a conservative game plan based on defending well and making the most of set pieces, Canada can mix the power of sturdy veteran Dwayne De Rosario and the distribution and work rate of winger Martin Nash with the agile close control of Atiba Hutchinson and the playmaking and decisive touch of Julian De Guzman.
Thursday's Gold Cup semi-final with the United States in Chicago should provide an excellent examination of this blossoming soccer program. When you factor in these results with the promise of Canada's U-20 side, it's becoming clearer that the Canadian game has never been healthier.
And with a club side like Toronto FC giving Canadian youngsters an attractive target to aim for in their future playing aspirations, the chances of this country experiencing another loss of talented players like Owen Hargreaves or Jonathan De Guzman become smaller all the time.
Flash - For the first time I can remember ,I`m actually looking forward to a Gold cup game.
USA/Canada (the new England/Scotland?),and what a turnaround in a week for Canada ,after the Guadeloupe fiasco. Although there might be a chance for revenge in the final ,my money`s still on US/Mexico ,which should guarantee the opposite!
I didn't see the game, only the (very impressive) highlights FSC. Based on only the highlights, ... WOW. Was Guatemala not playing their normal murder first, ask questions later defense? The Canadian attackers seemed to be running unimpeded into the area, and the passing among the attackers was nearly unbelievably good (or the defending was unbelievably bad - or something in-between).
I'm certainly nervous enough to make watching the Thursday night match enjoyable.
We've rarely seen a Canadian team look so confident in stroking the ball about. We saw goals being scored from sequences of six or seven passes, often quick, one-touch relays.
But there were other instances where Canada just monopolized the ball, including one stretch where they wove 14 consecutive passes around the midfield, only ending when a frustrated Guatemalan crashed Ali Gerba with a high elbow, producing a free kick.
No disrespect to Guatemala, but this is a match-up that Canada should be winning nine times out of ten.
The resources the Canadians have for youth development, and the recent placement of their young talent in Europe, is beginning to pay dividends. The introduction of Canadian franchises in MLS will solidify that process.
If that helps to make every game with the USA, or even Mexico, tingle with uncertainty, it will be very good for the growth of the sport in North America.
The admittedly oversensitive take I have on your last sentence is that Mexico is a more challenging opponent than the U.S. The fact that Mexico has yet to beat us in the last half dozen or so outings should indicate otherwise ... I WILL say that Mexico appeared to be the stronger team in our last matchup, yet we won 2 - 0. Go figure ... Of course, Mexico was treating the friendly as a WC final, while the U.S. was running new talent in a number of starting positions (talent they should RETURN to - they were pretty good, yes?).
The Mexicans are just a bunch of hosers; wannabees who can't get over on their northern neighbors anymore ...
Dave: I thought I was implying that Mexico was a notch below USA by saying '...even Mexico.'
I'll be sure to award you pre-approval of my next post, a five-part series just now topping 10,000 words.
And Ringo: Bet they're glad they don't have to go up to Toluca anymore, now that FIFA has put an altitude limit on game sites. Up there, the expression 'tingle with uncertainty' describes visitors skulls by about half time.
In terms of altitude, Mexico City is about, 2,000 feet higher than Denver.
In terms of intensity, Estadio Azteca is light years beyond ####'s Sporting Goods Park.
I'd say there's a difference, especially since USA has exactly ONE player on the team playing with the Rapids. A great many play much closer to sea level.
Don't you ever have the notion that the US is happy to play more lucrative games on the border states rather than face a challenge that might hone their competitive edge?
Flashman is a nickname derived from my work as a photographer, often in sports but extending into advertising and commerce. My career began at Toronto Blizzard NASL games and has taken me to three World Cups and major sports events across half the globe.
Pro soccer's long absence here in Toronto let me become the fan I used to be, growing up on both sides of the Atlantic, relatives in constant debate about their favorites. I also grew up in an area full of Italian and Portuguese immigrants who were equally expressive.
For the first time, I'm a season-ticket holder,watchi ng the professional game reborn as Toronto FC join MLS. I'll try to explore this perspective, lend my opinion and share some fun stories of my time in the great game.
