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RHIAN SOCCER AND MEDIA REPORTS

 

THE PRESS AND THE FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP 2011

 

In a competition in which Canada was expected to do well, and in which we finished in last place,  one cannot expect good press. Here is a selection. At the same time, a big shout to all those who have written to me to express sorrow and continued support. I can't tell you how much I appreciated these.

 

CANADIAN SOCCER OFFICIALS & OTP HOPE TO LEARN FROM WWC     7th July 2011 From an article by Neil Davidson

 

The Canadian Soccer Association hopes Canada's failed campaign at the Women's World Cup will produce some positives. A post-mortem is planned this month, with an eye to making necessary changes in time for Olympic qualifying.But there is little time. The women are supposed to reconvene in September with the Olympic qualifying tournament slated for January in Vancouver.

 

And, like the World Cup, there is no room for error. Only two teams will make it to the 2012 Games in London out of CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean. There were three CONCACAF representatives at the Women's World Cup, with Mexico and the U.S. joining Canada.

 

Anne Merklinger, director of summer sports for Own The Podium, says the World Cup showing will not affect its share of funding for the women's program. The women's team has been identified by OTP as one of two Canadian squads with medal potential for London — women's water polo is the other.But even if the soccer team doesn't qualify for 2012, it doesn't mean the funding will dry up. OTP also has a longer-term plan for summer team sports.

 

Since the Canadians' World Cup exit, the issue of how effective their pre-tournament residency camp in Italy has been raised.

Merklinger notes that if the Canadians had made it to the second round, “no one would have questioned that.” Montopoli, for his part, said the team got what it asked for. “There was a plan submitted by the staff in November of 2010 to the CSA and OTP which was approved,” he said. “That's really what we're still going with. The plan built in the residency program and it was approved by both sides.

 

Merklinger says the plan, however, did not fire on all cylinders until this spring. That's when there was full approval for all the plan's financial resources. “The team I think was comfortable in moving forward and implementing the plan but there was some friction and struggles that needed to be worked through,” she said.

 

The struggles involved the team's battle for a compensation package and Morace's ongoing dispute with the CSA over program strategy.

 

Steven Brunt

 

Canada's team arrived in Germany with the highest of hopes, but completed a terrible World Cup, losing 1-0 to Nigeria a team ranked 21 places below it by FIFA. Canada started brightly enough and created a few chances. “The ball didn’t want to go in for us,” Morace said. “Yes, I want to continue,” she said – and for her bosses and antagonists at the Canadian Soccer Association, that’s a good thing, since they don’t have an alternative, with Olympic qualifying looming.

 

But once more, the great and painful Canadian soccer question must be asked: So where do we go from here? “This has to be a start point,” Morace said. “Not the end of everything.”

 

By standing still, Canada would actually fall further and further behind.

This seems to be exactly what has happened. It is hard to ignore the exceptional quality of play and close matches throughout this tournament. Traditional soccer powers that for years ignored the women’s game – England, France, South American and African countries – are now producing high-quality sides. (It’s not just about money, but it is partly about money: building toward the 2012 Olympics at home, England invested $9.5-million in its women’s program this year, compared to Canada’s $3.5-million. It has paid off, winning its group and advancing to the knockout rounds).

 

Morace and her players will rightly bear responsibility for what happened here. They failed miserably. They will finish at or near the bottom of the 16-team field. There’s plenty of blame to go around. But that failure is also a red flag. Olympic qualifying is just around the corner. A home World Cup, which ought to be the biggest event in Canadian soccer history, is coming in four years. Not much time for a fix – if anyone is even willing to try.

 

The match against France, from the moment the draw was announced, was the big one. It is really what, the past two years of preparation have been all about. nd it was no contest, with the French dominating in every facet of the game. “The French didn’t make mistakes,” Canadian coach Carolina Morace said. “They played the perfect game.”

 

France’s first goal, in the 24th minute, was a bit fluky. After Canada’s Sophie Schmidt lost the ball just outside the penalty area, French midfielder Louisa Necib picked it up and slid a pass to Elise Bussaglia, whose shot deflected high off defender Emily Zurrer. Gaëtane Thiney headed it in, a second before keeper Erin McLeod reached her.

 

“Sometimes in soccer you have to kick away the ball without thinking too much,” Morace said. “Giving up the goal created a lot of problems with our confidence.”

 

 The Canadians struggled to move the ball through the midfield to service their three forwards, including Christine Sinclair, who played all 90 minutes wearing her mask, but only sporadically looked like herself.

Canada had three or four chances – almost all of them created by Diana Matheson – and only McLeod’s heroics kept the score respectable until the floodgates opened with three French goals in the second half.

 

“We just didn’t win the one-on-one battles or show the heart we needed,” Matheson said. “A lot of fans back home cheering us on deserved more. I think we had the best preparation of all the teams and we came out flat on the day.” In two matches, the gritty 2-1 loss to Germany in the opener and the rout at the hands of France, Canada recorded precisely one shot on goal –Sinclair’s celebrated free-kick goal. Pretty tough to beat anyone like that.

 

“I don’t know if you could attribute it to nerves,” McLeod said. “We were just kind of flat and we never really gained our composure. France is a good team, they took it to us and we were punished for our mistakes.”

To get here, the players put their lives on hold, left friends and family behind, moved to Morace’s preferred training base in Italy for long stretches, and were paid a relative pittance – and to get that, they had to threaten the Canadian Soccer Association with legal action.

 

The veterans of this squad have been on the big stage before. They have reached a World Cup semi-final. They came here believing that this was an opportunity to do that – or more. They believed that this was the best coached, the best prepared, the best Canadian women’s team ever assembled, period.And now, they are in shock.

 

“God, I don’t know. I can’t even put it into words right now,” said veteran keeper Karina LeBlanc, who knows her career is drawing to a close. “It’s just … we … it’s tough. We knew this was a tough group, but I don’t think we really thought that we’d be in this position right now. So we’re all disappointed, heartbroken. It’s heartbreaking because we’ve given up so much. We prepared for so long, we had goals in mind and when you fall short, you just feel gutted.”

 

"It's awful to regret something and I regret that we did not show ourselves, our country, our fans, how we can play, " said veteran defender Rhian Wilkinson. "We took some days to be sulky and really cry and just understand what a big moment we let slip by," Wilkinson said. "You'd think you're getting over it and then you'd get this mental image of the game . . argh. . . you could see people get these outbursts of anger and frustration, remembering a missed tackle or bad position, and regretting it. That's how my sulky day went. . . walking and then taking off my shoe and throwing it at a wall.

 

Lori Ewing

 

Canada faces an uncertain future just six months out from the qualifying tournament for the 2012 London Olympics. “It's tough, it's tough to walk away from a World Cup and not get a point, and not get one bounce,” said veteran goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc. “We know how gutting it is, we know we don't ever want the feeling again, but we're just going to have to find a way to work harder and want it more, and find a way for the Olympic qualifiers.”

 

The tournament in Germany was to be a coming-out party for the Canadians, who arrived as CONCACAF champions with an all-time world ranking high of sixth. But the tournament unfolded nothing like the Canadians could ever have imagined — first there was the broken nose to talismanic captain Christine Sinclair in the 2-1 loss to Germany in the opening game, then the 4-0 shellacking by France that would mark Canada's mathematical demise.

 

Coach Carolina Morace said perhaps expectations were too high. “I think we did too well for two years and maybe somebody thinks we will win the World Cup,” said the Italian, who was hired in 2009. “But the reality is not that. Women's soccer is improving everywhere, and this World Cup is an example of that.”

 

Now, Morace, who's been embroiled in a heated battle of tug-of-war with the Canadian Soccer Association, has to hope she can put the program back on a solid footing quickly. The Olympic qualifying tournament is in Vancouver in February. Canada is set to host the next World Cup in 2015. “I think everybody has to be positive and come together, this has to be the start point of the team,” Morace said.

 

“I take a responsibility of course for the team,” Morace said. “But really I think that we did a good job in these two years.”

“It's mixed emotions,” Sinclair said, summing up the tournament. “Obviously the results have been disappointing and not what we had hoped for and wanted and expected. But at the same time, as a women's football player and to look at this tournament, how well it's been put on, the fans, the awareness, it's been incredible to be a part of it. Obviously I would have liked to be part of it a little longer but it's a starting point for us and we can just improve.”

 

Canadian Press reports

 

The Canadians arrived at the FIFA Women's World Cup riding high hopes, having spent four months in Italy training, bonding and soaking up the Azurri soccer culture. But when the World Cup whistle blew, it became abundantly clear the one thing missing was games, say the players.

 

"It's something we have to go back and look at obviously," said veteran goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc. "We thought coming out of preparation that we did the right thing, so we have to go back and look at it. Games are great and also time together is great so you have to find the balance.

"I'm sure our coaching staff will figure out what's best for us for the Olympics and Olympic qualifying hopefully down the road."

 

Captain Christine Sinclair was one of four Canadians who opted to remain with her WPS club team rather than attend the entire Rome camp.

"Obviously we don't have the ideal situation," Sinclair said. "I think we were the only country for the most part that did a residency heading into this World Cup, and ideally your players are playing in some sort of league close to home, and your coach can monitor how players are doing." The camp model appeared to be working, lifting Canada to a record of 10 wins, a draw and two losses this year. But most of those games were friendlies played in front of a mere handful of people.

"I've played in the W-League (Ottawa Fury), but financially if I wanted to continue playing I had to leave, and that's too bad," said veteran midfielder Rhian Wilkinson. "I'm a proud Canadian, and I think it's sad that I can't play at home. "I don't know if (a domestic league) is realistic, and I don't care. As a soccer player, I'm just saying it would be nice to play at home." Wilkinson, 29, played for five years in Norway. The 31-year-old LeBlanc has criss-crossed North America playing for five different pro teams.."

 

Goalkeeper Erin McLeod. "I know right now it's very easy to be negative, it's hard to be positive, but you're tested when you're at your bottom."

 

The sight of Christine Sinclair bent over, holding her face virtually summed up an evening when nothing went right for Canada. France utterly dominated Canada in every aspect of the game, exposing their lack of speed in the back line and passing and moving with ease around a flustered Canadian squad that couldn't put two passes together.

The morning after the loss, the Canadians' bleak situation was sinking in.

"I might be even more upset today," said Rhian Wilkinson. "We let ourselves down and even more difficult to contemplate is letting down friends and family that came, with all the support we had here and in Canada, and on Canada Day, we really hoped to have a great result. It's hard to fully comprehend that that's it for us. That game was what people hopefully don't -- but are going to have to -- remember us from this tournament. we will bounce back, but these losses should be upsetting. We should be hurt, our pride as well as our bodies."

 

CBC Anjali Nayar

 

Rhian Wilkinson said that "we did not play well, and France played really well. They exposed every mistake that we made and they had a great game, so credit to them. I don't think that us being upset or talking about how we didn't perform should take anything away from them, they were great opponents. We are a close team, but clearly all our egos have taken a bit of a hit. We didn't come close. We were really destroyed in that game."

 

PROGRAM STILL ON THE RISE Richard Starnes Ottawa Citizen

 

It would be folly to discount what Canada's women's soccer team has accomplished in recent years, while assessing what must be done in the future. Several very large question marks need to be settled now that Canada's women have taken the dismal journey home from Germany after bombing out of the World Cup.

 

What started out with massive expectations and the soccer game to end all soccer games - playing well in defeat in front of more than 70,000 against world champion Germany - turned into a shelling by France and tearful defeat to Nigeria.

 

So that's when the bayonets were fixed, the second guessing began and players, coaches and anybody with any sort of authority were roundly savaged.

 

Now seriously, is that the way to put things right? Of course it isn't.

 

However, there are some important points to be made. First, this World Cup has given us ample evidence that the game has become a wildly competitive affair. No longer are a majority of countries cannon fodder for the top half dozen. Nobody is an easy ride any more. That's wonderful for the growth of the game as a fan favoured world spectacle and not so much fun for countries that might have thought they could ease through the opening round.

 

With this in mind, it is equally obvious that individual skill levels have improved remarkably, that heading ability has taken on a whole new dimension, that fitness levels are many times what they were, that preparation matches and camps are a must and that tactical noise is a fundamental requisite for success.

 

Canada, to most minds - mine included - appeared to have got all this right. Since coach Carolina Morace's arrival in 2009, our women played 42 matches before these finals, five more than the U.S. Morace changed their style to match the modern trend of playing the ball on the ground with mostly crisp one-touch passing rather than the airmail variety of years gone by.

 

The Canadian Soccer Association approved and funded a pre-tournament residency camp in Italy designed to meld the team and immerse it in soccer culture. It came amid friction between the association and both the players and Morace, something that should have been settled far sooner than it was.

 

Today we are left with the prospect of a full review - the debrief, they are calling it - with input from players, coaches, Canadian soccer officials et al. That's inevitable. What should also be inevitable is that we stay the course and look for adjustments. We must not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

 

There are those who would point to the successful days of the Even Pellerud coaching era and he did, indeed, have success. However, his preferred long ball style no longer cuts it at the international level. They might also suggest that matters are not so rosy considering Canada failed for the first time to make the finals of the U-20 World Cup in 2010.

But that was then, this is now. The argument could be made that Morace was very early into her tenure in 2010 and certainly had no time to impose her style properly. So she has managed remarkable strides with essentially the same players.

 

Not many teams boasted only two defeats in 23 games immediately before Germany. That's why Canada was ranked sixth in the world and why there was such hype.

 

So when we start to talk about putting things right, maybe we should pick up on the odd quote from players and Morace in the past day or two.

 

Christine Sinclair: "You cannot afford to not show up for even one game. We did against France and we got hammered." This means Canada possibly got ahead of itself, possibly believed its press too much, almost certainly underestimated the opposition and certainly will not let it happen again.

 

Diana Matheson: "We don't want to feel this way again and we won't."

That means the self belief the players carried into the tournament can, will and must be repaired. One 90 minute-disaster (the France game) does not translate into a dreadful program, it represents just one 90-minute disaster. Nothing more.

 

Carolina Morace: "Our best player wanted to play without the mask. We didn't have the chance to see the real Christine Sinclair." That means Canada's talisman may have been as brave as they get, but the lack of peripheral vision caused by the mask made her a shadow of her real self. Maybe she should have stayed on the bench.

 

Morace: "It's very difficult to find a player. Where am I supposed to go?"

That means Canada does not have a sufficient talent pool, does not have a professional league to develop players and does not have the coaching in place at the younger ages to properly develop genuine talent.

 

“We showed that we have a lot of work to do in order to be the best in the world,” said Wilkinson. Rhian Wilkinson’s assessment seems like an honest undertaking of responsibility.

 

So here are my pleas. Please think positively about the women's program. Please acknowledge this talented group for its guts. Please understand this country's women's soccer is still on the rise. Please join me in encouraging a strong, nationally run coaching program.

 

Please remember Olympic qualifying comes early in the new year in Vancouver and that Canada hosts the next women's U20 world cup in 2014 and the Women's World Cup proper a year later. We need to be ready.

 

Richard Starnes' Beautiful Game appears every week in the Ottawa Citizen. He can be reached at richardstarnes@ gmail.com. Also, listen to his weekly radio show, Corner Kicks, on Mondays on The Team 1200 AM.