The Ref's Cards

So did you all see that cracker of a goal on Saturday in the friendly, Canada vs Equador?  It brought tears to my eyes.
We all know I am proud to be a Canadian by now. My dream for soccer in Canada is to get a team to the WorldCup, and anything I can to do to help that dream come true I will do.  Even if that means taking my three boys to soccer 7 days a week, lol. 
My husband and I have talked with Terry Dunfield many times and he is very proud to be Canadian and he also wants to see Canada be there.  It's been said that is why he came home to the 'Caps so that he could find a place on the National team.  Terry is an awesome guy, very down to earth.  I have very vivid memories of the first Whitecaps game against TFC and Terry taking corners with a grin that took up his whole face. It was an awesome sight.  So I have kind of fallen in love with him, not as a cougar, but as a mother.  I have so much pride for that boy. 
So on Saturday when he took the field I was so very happy. I talked to my kids and told them that none of them had a choice as to whether they'd play for Canada or not, their grandparents are from Ireland and are still British citizens.  I don't care who or where they play during their careers, my proudest moment will be when one of them steps on the field in a team Canada jersey. 
I'm so proud of Canadians like Terry and Simeon Jackson.  I'm sure it's a hard decision to choose Canadian pride over fame but they've done it and they are paving the way for kids like mine.
When that cracker of goal came in and I could see the joy on Dunfield's face I couldn't help but shed tears of joy.
Congratulations to Terry Dunfield and thank you for all the hard work you do!

I've been claiming this was going to happen for some time.  Maybe not this soon but for sure at the end of the season.  In fact I as well as many others were surprised Whitecaps decided to Carry Teitur threw to the MLS. We thought for sure there would be a big signing as head coach.
Now I've met Teitur several times and he is a very nice, likeable guy. I'm sure the players all liked him well enough. But there were some issues. I have a problem when you continually move players all over the field. Players should not see this much movement.  I'm sure some players can handle an occasional change in position but each game? Left, right, up, back, this is not good. Soccer is all about pairings and how do you do that if you are switching people all around.  We need some consistency.
I truly believe we have a squad capable of winning.  They need to have more consistency as to who is on the field.

So just wondering does it bother anyone else that all the Whitecaps players have Canadian flags on their sleeves?  Now if they truly are Canadian that I have no problem with it but everyone else?  If I played in the USA I wouldn't wear an american flag.  I'm too proud of being a Canadian that you wouldn't be able to pay me enough to wear an american flag.  I think that the Canadian flag should be small and maybe on the back colllar or something.  I'd like to know how the players feel about this.

We have been in the process of try outs for the last few weeks with three out of four kids. Our daughter first a few weeks ago. My husband has coached her from the beginning.  So any evaluations have come from him, probably hurts her chances some what but considering the choice of coaches we feel its been the best course.  As a mom of course I see both her strengths and weaknesses. Often we have been told that she is a really great soccer player. Last night in fact a man told me she was the best one on the field.  She knows positions and shes great at defense but she doesn't score a lot of goals. So of course she did not make it to the rep team.  We all need a team of 12 strikers don't we?

Next came our 11 year old son.  Now he knows more about football than anyone reading this.   In fact he probably knows more than most of the MLS refs.   He is awesome in goal and he is terrific at midfield.  He is almost always where he should be.  If he had had good coaching since day one he'd probably be on the provincial team but of course he has had the bad luck of having some pretty rotten coaches.  Not just volunteer dads who don't know soccer but dads who seem to dislike kids and soccer.  So when he gets on the field with other U11's he just doesn't quite stack up, but if there was ever a kid you'd want on your team its he.  He will play soccer until the day he dies, he loves it.  If you ask him who scored in this match of the world cup, he can tell you which half, what uniform they were wearing, who the goalie was.  He loves soccer that much.  We haven't actually found out if he made the rep team yet, today is the day but I'm guessing the fact that he doesn't score goals has sealed his fate.

Then there is my 7 year old. His first season he scored over 40+ goals.  One game he even scored 7, coincidentally the same day Rooney who is his favourite player, scored 4.  So our Lil' Rooney has been on the A team since.  Last season they stacked that team with strikers who don't know how to pass.  My son ended up being so frustrated the whole time because no one was passing.  But at U8 they decided to keep the fields small and so the kids can all run and not have to pass to score.  My Rooney still scored but maybe one/game.  So his coach is always yelling at him get in the action, which my son preceeds to tell me that he won't do because then they'd all be bunching.  Again probably being one of the only kids on the team who watches soccer, understands where he needs to be to receive the pass. So he has had a very frustrating season. My husband and I have been informed that at try outs he looked unenthusiastic about soccer.  Which we laughed at because he was just angry that he was stuck playing with the same kids.  By the way he does have quite a Rooney-esque temper.  The silver lining here is that my husband is coaching the second tier, the kids are moving up to 6 a side, bigger fields and my husband will be getting all the passers, so my son's team is probably going to be the better team anyway.

I really want to do an experiment.  I want to take two kids; one with inanate soccer playing ability, one who has never touched a ball before.  I want to give them equal coaching from day one.  What do you think would happen?  I think they would have almost identical ability and Canada would have the best national team in the world. 

    What an amazing day yesterday.  It's so exciting that we have MLS action in Vancouver.  We arrived at the stadium at 1pm and the gates didn't open to the public until 2:30.  There were Whitecaps fans everywhere.  Filling the streets, lined up at the gates, everywhere.  In I went and could see the lineups forming.  We got to witness the anticipation of all the staff, team and Lenarduzzi himself from within.  We stopped and chatted with Lenarduzzi about the day and how the rain was holding off.  He is a wonderful man, nice, kind, a true Canadian icon. 
    It was awesome to be on the field experiencing the noise and what the players experience.  The crowd was deafening.  The highlight of my day was being close enough to Dunfield that I could see him beaming as he took the corner kicks.  Every time the crowd cheered for him he got the hugest grin on his face.  That will be a memory I will carry with me forever. 
    Before yesterday I was not sold on DeMerit.  I really didn't know if he was here to be part of the team or just to make a name for himself.  Yesterday watching him, he was awesome.  He was all about the Whitecaps, he was a great team player.  He kept his defense in line, he worked so hard.  I am a DeMerit convert for sure.
    The game was beautiful, it was team soccer which I love.  There was great passing, awesome teamwork.
    Thank you Whitecaps for the awesome teamwork!

     I have to be honest here, up until this past season I didn't ever follow MLS.  Now I  love footy so if MLS was on I would watch but saying this I'd probably watch two college teams as well.  But I love the Whitecaps.  I can remember back to when I was 6 and loving the Whitecaps.  Remmeber Super Socco, that always went with the the Whitecaps.  I was on of the fans who insisted on bringing back the Whitecaps name and was  prepared to launch demonstrations if they tried to change the name when joining the MLS. We've gone to a few matches since Vancouver won the bid.  Driving down to Seattle to see the Sounders play various teams.  I'll tell you the excitement has been mounting.  When you enter Qwest field the fans are amazing.  Everyone had a scarf or a kit.  I don't think anyone in that place ever comes without some item of sounders gear.  They have reusable shopping bags with the Sounders emblem for heaven's sake.
    So now March 17, two days before kick off.  I'm so excited but it's bitter sweet.  I can't wait for Vancouver to have our own team but I am so afraid Vancouver won't embrace the Whitecaps.  I contemplate phoning head office just about every day with suggestions for publicity.  Do they know to tell everyone they have to wear their kits or scarves? (the email came out today).  Does everyone know the players?  How can we help people to know all the players?  Are they going to make sure the game is on every TV in Vancouver?
    I want everyone in Vancouver to grasp that this is our team.  We need to take ownership.  If you love footie you need to comeout to games.  we need to break Seattle's record and sell out every game.  We need to be the best fans in  the league.  It's Vancouver's time to shine.
    So if you haven't gotten your scarf get out there, buy your tickets, plan to be in front of the TV.  Watch it with your kids, this is history in the making!
Go WHITECAPS! Do it for Vancouver.
It's OUR team!

    A few years back my husband began writing articles about football.  Almost every game he wrote an article, and we watch a lot of football.  Then about six months ago he started sending them out to football magazines and newspapers.  Well eventually a magazine started publishing these articles.  They are really good actually, I am proud of him. 
    He eventually needed a photographer, and thinking my pictures are always great "even on my ipod", he says, he asked me to do it.  I said fine as it means I can spend time with him doing something we both love.  The problem is I have my little Canon Coolpix camera and everywhere we go everyone has these huge $10,000 (at least) cameras.  Its all very intimidating.  So I try and get the shots other photographers don't get.  This last weekend we went to a preseason game of Whitecaps vs Sounders.  I got some beauties.  I'm allowed down on the field and that is worth all the punches to my pride.
    So when you see me at the season opener of the Whitecaps I will be holding my little Nikon proudly!  At least I'll try.

    I immensely dislike Messi.  Having said that I'm sure most footie fans will now stop reading but I believe he epitomizes all thats wrong with footie in Canada and maybe other parts of the world as well.  Let me explain. 
    Last year my eldest son tried out for the Rep team in soccer.  They did several nights of try outs all surrounding shooting goals.  Now I know for a fact that the coaches will deny this but out of 150 kids who do you think would stand out?  Do you think it was the kids who can pass and have good positioning, nope its the kids who can score.  So they pick three teams of kids who can score goals and leave the other kids out in the dust.  Now I know about 10 of those kids probably have real innate talent so they really should be on the team, being coached at the highest level possible.  But now what about the 115 kids who have now been relegated to second class coaching.  Now in my son's case he ended up with third rate coaching and has a season from hell.  Positionally (and any of his previous coach's will affirm this) he is the smartest kid out there, and he can pass better than most but now he's been left in the dust.  So now we are left with 36 strikers who can all score on their own but I tell you we don't have team players and football is all about the team. 
    We all know Michael Ballack is my favourite player and his team player mentality is part of that.  Chelsea fans kept complaining so much about him last year, he can't score, let's get rid of him. But I tell you their midfield is missing him this year.  He was always there in the right position to accept the pass.  I love that type of football.  Perhaps that is why I love Dutch footie so much. I love passing, I love watching ball control, and team work.  Yes of course I love the goals as well but I much more enjoy a well passed ball then a break away.
    So if I could give my advice it would be for coaches to look for all around players not just the Messis of this world.  We need more Bastian Schweinsteigers and Michael Ballacks.