?? ?? I mean,if the CSA wants the game to grow in this country,they're gonna have to look past having teams in MLS or in the NASL.We never face top teams in our country in friendlies.I know the CSA does not have a big budget but we could play host to a top team once a year or so...the CSA could certainly afford that once in a while.We have hosted a U-20 youth World Cup(2007),the first Women's U-?? World Cup(2002) and we are going to host the next Women's World Cup(2015 right?).A friendly seems manageable. I mean,no disrespect to Honduras,El Salvador or Peru,but when I'm talking about a top team,I mean a team like Brazil,Spain,Germany,Argentina,the Netherlands,Italy,France,Japan,Uruguay,Egypt,Portugal,Sweden,Russia,Ukraine etc...you know a FIFA top 30-40 team. We have a few suitable venues to host the teams mentionned above(Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton,correct me if I'm wrong though!). The US has been doing it for a few years now.Australia,despite being so damn far away has managed to play host to the Netherlands and Argentina in recent years.Hey,the Netherlands traveled to Thailand in 2007 for a friendly shortly befoe the Asian Cup that Thailand was co-hosting.In June of this year,England will travel to Thailand for a friendly. I remember that we had a friendly against Brazil a few years ago,but for some reason,it was played in the US,go figure! .I'm aware that the top teams have a busy schedule but perhaps if we book early,we could find an opponent.That could be another way to help us to climb in the FIFA rankings. If the CSA wants people to dig Team Canada,then this Team Canada needs to play matches on home soil against giants of the sports,the media currently doesn't even talk about our team when they play a friendly wherever it was played.They probably will give the team more attention when the team will square off with the elite.I hope that this is on the CSA's agenda. Anyone agrees with me?
Next year is the CSA's 100th anniversary. Rumours say: Canada vs France in Montreal is pretty much a lock. Canada vs England in Toronto trying to be worked out, but England is resistant. These are being arranged thanks to the kit deal with Umbro (and their parent company Nike).
It's all about the money, our FA paid $1 million to the Argentinian FA for that match back in 2007 and the FFA used it as such to recoup that investment via ticket sales, needless to say, over 70,000 people attendended so not only did we make our money back, but we also go to see some good football. I don't think it has way to much to do with how far away you are, it's all about the money. If you guys fork out enough, and make things fit into schedule, then you can get almost anyone. Certain teams like England though, will prove a lot more difficult as they tend to favor home friendlies more than away friendlies because they make a ridiculous amount of money from hosting games at Wembley, and even when they do play friendlies away from home, England get's enormous amounts for them, especially for games like the one against Brazil in Qatar of all places. Money makes the world go round!
We should try to get USA in Edmonton and Korea Republic in Vancouver, too. That would make for a pretty much perfect centenniary.
I agree,but I just had to point out the situation in Australia before someone would say that most top teams wouldn't travel all the way to Canada for a friendly. I don't get the CSA.They want the game to grow in popularity over here,yet they barely use the national team to increase the popularity of the game(on home soil).
It's not an issue of distance, a lot of higher-level teams don't view Canada as worthwhile monetarily or based on skills/ranking. Australia has a much strong soccer team than Canada at this point.
Commonwealth stadium is one of the largest in the country, it seats 60,000 some odd people. That's really the only reason.
It's more of a perfect storm really. The U.S. is our biggest rival, no doubt about it. Couple that with the fact that Edmonton doesn't play host to many major sporting events often, let alone men's national team games anymore. A national team game there would more than likely be THE biggest event of any kind in the city that year, and arguably in the entire Canadian prairies (unless U2 decides to show up and do some gigs).
Mexico had their bicentennial game against Spain last year, a Canada / France game would be interesting in Montreal.
The reason Canada doesn't host a top team in an international friendly is because the country can't even win against countries which have starving populations simultaneously ravaged by diseases which have been wiped out of existence in other parts of the world.
^^And we also have ill informed morons who post negative drivel at "supporter" sites. Been watching the team lately? say... the last three games, I doubt it. One other reason we don't host many games is because the host country picks up the tab for the visitor. With supposed "fans" like the above, you couldn't guarantee recouping enough ticket revenue to be profitable.
I don't think the soccer powers such as Argentina say, 'we're likely to lose a friendly to Australia, let's play there.' Organization simply needs to take place within the CSA. Wonder if the CSA contacts some of the teams that play in the US asking them for a game a few days later.
It's all about the money. Canada would have to drop several million on these big FAs to come play in Canada. The US federation and Mexican can do this, can Canada?
That's a good point and why should we? Next year for the centenary we're trying to get France and England but that is for a special event. Aside from being the founding nations of Canada these countries have no real significance for Canadians these days. They're basically two glamorous soccer nations that are ranked higher than we are and would provide a good opponent. But we're already getting that now. We've recently played three teams ranked much higher than us (one in the top ten) and played them very equally (win, draw and one goal loss). Greece, Belarus and Ukraine may not be the most glamorous opponents but then neither are we a great attraction for them either. I honestly doubt a USA vs Canada friendly at Commonwealth would draw 30k but under the right circumstances it could get 50k (as a WC qualifier in the hex for example)
I'm not sure why you wouldn't put it close to the border in a big stadium. Olympic stadium in Montreal BC place in Vancouver (renovations I know) Rogers Centre in Toronto are all 50k plus and would likely generate a significant American attendance. Not trying to slag Canada, but even the US needs opposing supporters to help sell out a stadium that big. I'd bet half the 70k in New York were Argentina supporters.
I don't think US/Canada in soccer is a great draw for a friendly no matter where you put it. It'll be interesting to see how many attend in Detroit with something on the line.
You're probably right. Although I certainly think Vancouver could do 40k with it being so close to Seattle. Nashville did 20k+ with no help from Paraguay fans, or at least very minimal and I think Seattle is a bigger and frankly better soccer market. Plus you'd have the Vancouver fans. I bet you could do real well. It will be interesting to see what the attendance is in Detroit.
Greece, Ukraine and Belarus are decent opponents, moreso the first two. I'm not sure which squads will travel for those teams but if at least half of their 1st teamers make it, they are a formidable opponent. Like Real Corona wrote, money is a huge piece of the pie but if some of the big Euro clubs have friendlies in Canada, shouldn't the CSA know a good opportunity when it arises? I don't think it's a case of not having money cause the game will sell itself. When Paraguay was in the US (Oakland, and Nashville) a few days ago, did the CSA contact them with a potential game?
Hopefully big. Isn't Detroit pushing for an MLS team? I think they are and this will be a chance to fill up a stadium for soccer. Really unsure what the turnout will be for Canadians though. I doubt many will go from accross the river in Windsor. I guess we'll be counting on the greater toronto area for fans
Windsor is clearly not big enough to put more than a couple people in the seats, and Detroit isn't really an American hot bed of soccer. So clearly they are going for the Toronto crowd plus the natural American support.