The Canadian national team has suspended Charmaine Hooper, Sharolta Nonen, and Christine Latham. Seems to be a continuation of some of the fireworks that happened around the time of the U.S. vs Canada friendly. I wonder if they would still be taking this hard line if they had drawn the Mexico side of the semifinal bracket. Check out this article for details: http://www.canada.com/topics/sports...=c7c4c3e4-c454-4b4f-957a-54d20c7cca86&k=97662
WOW - I knew this would end badly... Think Pellerud gets fired when Canada does not Qualify ? The three players believe the program pressures women to play for the Whitecaps' women's team, a charge the Canadian Soccer Association denies. ''It was strongly suggested you move to Vancouver,'' Hooper said in a telephone interview from her Chicago home. ''We have never done that,'' countered national team coach Even Pellerud. Pellerud said the requirement for the program is only that players be in Vancouver while camps are taking place. All three players are based in the U.S. and play for other W-League teams. Hooper played for the New Jersey Wildcats last season while Latham and Nonen are members of the Atlanta Silverbacks. ''If you are in Vancouver, you are going to be playing for the Whitecaps,'' Hooper said. Kevan Pipe, chief operating officer of the Canadian Soccer Association, says receiving money from the fund was never contingent on playing with the Whitecaps. ''There are no strings attached,'' Pipe said from Ottawa. ''There is no pressure for any of these players to play for the Vancouver Whitecaps.'' But commuting to Vancouver would make playing for another team more difficult and costly.
Kevan Pipe, chief operating officer of the Canadian Soccer Association, says receiving money from the fund was never contingent on playing with the Whitecaps. But most of the Canadian team does play on the Whitecaps, exept for a few players on Ottawa and the 3 listed and Karina Leblanc(currenty recovering from surgery)
wow! not good just before wwc qualifying, altho they've probably decided in their minds what they are going to do. hooper and the others were cut since early august. "An Aug. 9 e-mail sent to the rest of the national team says Hooper and Latham had been cut from the funding program." things should be settled by the end of this month - qualifying time. plus they'll be playing a weak team in order to qualify.
There is this thing in Court called "clean hands". Will the Defendant or the Plaintiff have a harder time proving cleaner hands? By keeping this hidden $20,000 under wraps it casts a shadow against openness and full disclosure. Being these 3 players pivotal for the team, one wonder that an effort should have been made to solve any impasse, rather than just firing the players and slamming the door behind them. Appoint a conciliator, mediator or arbitrator first before you take decision as regrettable as this. How can the C.S.A. now feel proud of having a world-renowned player such as Hooper who has the longest history of representing Canada well? Having played for the FIFA selects a year ago I believe, having been the motor behind such crucial change that put Canadian women soccer in the map. The CSA will not be able to do that and dazzle in such glory. Why, they cut her off. To make matters worse, an innocent player who decides to support Hooper and Latham for the injustice their were subjected to, she gets cut off too. No wonder the rest of the players feel threatened to speak up. One thing is to lose on the pitch, but to lose because the players may be under pressure for their continued participation seems ridiculous.
And this is revealed today, Pellerud is the T.O. of Women's soccer... Love the bit at the End, Did Sinclair play for the Whitecaps in 2005? Is it not bending the rules of the W-League to donate money to pay the National Team players so they can be in Vancouver to Train, without actually paying them to Play in the W-League? Full Artticle E-mail trail points to Pellerud, players say Latham pressured by coach to move to Vancouver or lose funding, messages reveal PETER MALLETT A series of e-mail exchanges between national women's soccer team coach Even Pellerud and veteran forward Christine Latham reveal the reason why Latham says she was pressured to join the Vancouver Whitecaps or lose $20,000 in funding. The revelation emerges one day after it was reported that three members of the national team, including Latham, were suspended by the Canadian Soccer Association because, the players allege, they are being punished for not committing to a residency program funded by Greg Kerfoot, the millionaire owner of the Whitecaps. The program pays 20 national team players each $20,000 a year. The money is in addition to funding that players receive from Sport Canada. "It's a big mess. We are all very disappointed," said national team captain Charmaine Hooper, 38, one of the three suspended players. "It didn't have to be like this." E-mail trail points to Pellerud, players say Bob Lenarduzzi, director of soccer operations for the Whitecaps, said in a report published yesterday that Kerfoot's interest in the national team does not interfere with his ownership of the W-League team. "They are totally independent," Lenarduzzi said. But e-mails obtained yesterday by The Globe and Mail paint a far different picture. "You must relocate to Vancouver in April and play 'W' here," Pellerud wrote to Latham in an e-mail on Feb. 1. It's believed that "W" refers to the W-League, the professional women's league of which the Whitecaps are a member. Latham had just signed a contract with a pro team in Atlanta. Pellerud wrote in an e-mail that she must break it. "It is no longer an option for you to go and play in Atlanta, even if that originally was your first choice. . . . As you know, Bob L in Whitecaps is trying to get hold of you, call him back immediately and feel free to negotiate a 'good deal' with him," Pellerud wrote. "Be smart." When Latham told Pellerud she had already signed the contract to play for the Atlanta Silverbacks, Pellerud told her to pull out -- and made it clear her funding was at risk if she did not. "Does not matter, this is not a discussion," Pellerud wrote. "Call them and pull back from commitment -- happens all the time in the soccer world. "I can tell you right now that your participation in the Full Time player program in jeopardy (20.000cnd/year) [sic]." When contacted yesterday, Pellerud said he was merely giving the 25-year-old forward advice on how to improve her development and have a more substantial role with the national team.
I feel the only substantial loss here is with Nonen. Canada has more than enough firepower upfront to cover the loss of Hooper. Yes she is /was a great player but as of late caused a lot of unrest on the team. Who cares if you have a great player if he or she causes friction with the group as a whole? They also have many other options to cover the loss of Latham. Someone mentioned Pellurud being fired should Canada not qualify. As I recall they did not qualify for the last one with all of the listed players available. I think that their recent victories against higher ranked competition (France/ China) proves that this group is ready for the next level. And, this may be a blessing is disguise to help elevate the level of play of some players that were previously not used - Go Canada.
Nonen did not play in the Olympic qualifiers and Canada's defence was a shambles during that that year
I don't think we need to wait until qualifications, Pellerud will be gone before that. And that will be a blessing in disguise!
Not sure I agree. Hooper has the ability to disrupt a teams defense like no one else and her work ethic is amazing. I was much more impressed with her in the recent match against the U.S. than with Sinclair. Tina Frimpong who had been starting to look pretty solid fell apart. Was it Charmaine's actually play or was she just psyched out by having to defend her? Probably a combination of both. It is nice to have a player who just by being in the line up makes the opposition nervous. Also not sure what friction she has been causing other than calling Pellerud and Kerfut out on what appears to be some shady dealings. I kind of thought the whole Wildcats/Whitecaps issue was a little silly at first but this certainly casts it in a different light. If she is causing other friction, please enlighten me it might change my opinion.
This reeks on so many levels. The fact that a National team coach is renting an apartment from a club owner, who has set up a residency program in his city for the national team and then we hear how the National team coach is telling players to sign for that owners team so they guarantee a spot in that national team residency program...ouch. Welcome to North Korea. This would never happen on the men's side. No coach would be that stupid or blatant. And the other owners would be up in arms about it. But listening to the Whitecaps and Pellerud, it's something to be proud of. And hopefully this will be the end of turning Canada's women into boot and run failures...
There is no one better than Hooper, not in Canada at least. So your assertion is ludicrous. In Pellerud's own assessment of players, he has said that the other forwards (am leaving names out) are either not goal getters or not yet mature. Now, low and behold, Pellerud is eating his own words. When players are being cut off the team and carded status being removed just because they sympathize with a teammate, we are into a team in a state of dictatorship, open persecution and questionable deals.
The fact that the team need to be centralized has never been a problem up until this point. I think that we are lucky that the private sector has enough interest in this sport to offer options to the CSA. The principal reason this would "never" happen on the mens side is the best players on the Canadian Nats mens side are in Europe, they would not entertain residency becasue they are making way too much money where ever they are to consider playing in Canada. Secondly- It is not as if the White caps organization really needed the help of Hooper and Company they had manged pretty well without them judging by their trophy case this year. And , I for on resent the "boot and run failure comment". Though long ball tactics are used - they have refined them over the years and are really translating that into success as of late. I am not sure that this controversy will equate into Even being fired. In fact I am willing to bet that he stays. in fact the only people that will be missing the World cup next year will be Hooper Latham and Nonen. Too bad (especially for Nonen).
defence_first, i still haven't seen a definitive post from you about the behavior of pellerud in emailing a national teamer (latham) to break a contract with a team she had already signed with and go and play with the team of his friend and benefactor in vancouver - and punctuating it with the threat of losing her livlihood. that's just wrong. isn't it? shouldn't he be fired for that alone?
The Whitecaps might not have needed them but it would appear that they were strong armed to play for them. Throw in the whole not releasing the Wildcats drama and it makes an interesting little conspiracy. I would like a few more facts before I rush to judgement but so far it stinks.
Soccer mum, I would agree that with what facts (or lack thereof) have been presented I would side with you as far as what was said. However not all the facts have been presented and the truth in its entirety has not come full circle.
Masterfully manipulated so the Wildcats had the least amount of chance to be there by Pellerud, that playoff game was the start of this whole thing. Hooper called out her Teammates on choosing to play in the W-League game instead of playing the US (Canada had it best chance to beat the US on the day) So that is the additional friction because all of those players for Ottawa did not care what the CAPTAIN of the National team stated WHo has more goals this year on the Canadian team? Hooper or Sinclair ? I don't know... Is it me or does it seem odd that the players involved are all the WUSA players (Except LeBlanc, who is injured) are any other WUSA players on the team ?
I thought Amy was WUSA, but was not sure Another article Canuck women to tackle CSA over suspension Quoted below All three women say they weren't against moving to Vancouver, but needed reassurance before they could do it. They said the team took a long time to finalize important details, like where the players would live. "Everything was up in the air, yet they wanted us to commit," Hooper said. Hooper, who lives in suburban Chicago, didn't want to uproot her family, and says she agreed to consider the move only after the CSA promised to find her husband a coaching job. In early August Hooper boarded a plane with her husband and young daughter, to fly to Vancouver in advance of a possible move there. Before takeoff, national team manager Les Meszaros called and told her not to fly to Vancouver, Hooper said. She and her family got off the plane, then were detained by security at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, and forced to explain their actions. By the time she arrived home, Meszaros had already emailed the team, telling them Hooper and Latham had been dropped from the Full Time Funding Program because they wouldn't move to Vancouver. "I was heading out there to look at a proposal," Hooper said. "(Cutting off funding) was like tit for tat. It was really petty."
Resent it all you want. But what worked in 1994 doesn't work today. Our Women's U-20's are a tactical joke and they are based on what Even does with the Seniors. Against teams just as fit, but against teams that play more of a fluid game, we lose. We can't string 10 passes together under this system, let alone 4. We got beat by MEXICO and didn't qualify for the Olympics. Soon Jamica will be beating us. That is down to coaching and something a 365 day a year residency program won't fix. And the residency program is still wrong for the domestic game in Canada. At 20K a year, what the Whitecaps have done is simply put down an offer thats too good to refuse through a 3rd party (CSA) and it's an offer that they could not put out- to simply play W-league- as the W-league is an amatuer league and against it's rules...And what does it say to the fans in Toronto, Sudbury, Ottawa, Hamiliton, London and Ottawa? That you'll never have national team players that have finished University ball on your team? Just try that in the mens game--anywhere besides North Korea-- you'd be laughed right out of the boardroom. This is like something that would have happened in the old USSR or East Germany. Join the party, play for Red Army and get a bigger house, a nicer Lada and better food... Shame on everyone involved.
Just one thing, setting aside all the possible nefarious scenarios-when you live in the States and play on the Canandian team, can it be a shock that you will be expected to break camp in Cananda and play internationally? People on the USWNT have to go from the east coast to make camp in California. No one hears them whining about the sacrifice. Maybe there's something I am missing...and again, this post is just addressing the issue of inconvenience-not the potential improprieties concering the Whitecaps and the coach.
defence wins.... USWNT players have a residency program and a better pay scale. Think about if the US relocated the camp to NJ and allowed them to play in the W-League, do you think anyone would allow that to happen ? I think this would be different if they relocated to Ottawa or Toronto instead of the Whitecaps hometown. Charmaine issued a statement on her website, i included part below http://charmainehooper.com/news.html --------------------------------------------------------------------- Earlier in the year, Atlanta Silverbacks Canadian National Team players had already signed contracts with the Atlanta Silverbacks and Even Pellerud pressured them to terminate their contracts and relocate to Vancouver or be in jeoprody of losing their funding. The Atlanta team was furious as there were 2 National Team players who had committed to play for them that withdrew for fear of repercussions. We were all in favor of a residency camp in Vancouver starting in September. To be able to attend an extended training camp in preparation for World Cup Qualifying was a tremendous opportunity thanks to the generous donation of Mr. Kerfoot. It was much appreciated by all the players. However, as of the beginning of August, all details were still up in the air. Basic details like where in Vancouver would the camp be held, living arrangements. etc. At this same time, the players who didn't reside in Vancouver needed to be relocated there and be able to start training camp on September 11. The coach told me my husband would be offered a job with the Whitecaps. He therefore quit his job in Chicago in preparation for the move to Vancouver with our young daughter. This was going to be a big move for my family. We were invited to fly to Vancouver to look at a proposal for moving there. On the day of travel, while sitting on the plane with our baby, I received a cell phone call telling me not to come. We had to get off the aircraft and then be detained by security. The reason for this drastic change, as I was later told by the coach, was due to my comments and speaking out about the Ottawa Fury vs New Jersey Wildcats game.