CBC-Sports

Soccer suits us

Thursday, May 28, 2009 | 11:49 AM ET

I’m in England … the land of soccer. Sorry, football, if you’re a purist.

Along with more than 10 million Brits I’ve just watched on TV as Manchester United fell to Barcelona in the Champions League final.

On Saturday, Chelsea and Everton will play the FA Cup final before 90,000 singing fans at Wembley Stadium. It is a rite of spring in a place where the game means something. You can feel the electricity surrounding the match.

If only it were true in Canada.

Continue reading this post »

When in Rome, do as the Catalans do

Thursday, May 28, 2009 | 01:05 AM ET

Ole, ole, ole, ole!

Barcelona struck a blow for Spanish and Catalan pride with a convincing 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the Champions League final at Rome's Stadio Olimpico Wednesday night, invoking the spirit of the famous Dream Team that took European soccer by storm in the early 1990s in the process.

Continue reading this post »

"Kefi" kicks in for Toronto FC

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 | 02:24 AM ET

Conversations with my mother-in-law are generally brief and to the point. There is a reason for this, but before you jump to the conclusion that she's an interfering old battle axe whom I tolerate for the sake of family unity – think again.

In fact, she neither interferes nor demands anything from me, other than to be a loyal husband to her eldest daughter.

Only my wife could tell you how I'm doing in that department.

Continue reading this post »

Offside: Fixing Canadian Soccer - Getting to the World Cup

Monday, May 25, 2009 | 05:09 PM ET

CBC Sports soccer commentator Jason de Vos examines the state of Canadian soccer in Offside, a multi-part blog series exclusive to CBCSports.ca. In this final installment, de Vos, a former captain of Canada's national team, takes a look at what Canada has to do to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Canada has only qualified for the World Cup once: the 1986 tournament held in Mexico. Since then, we have made six attempts to qualify for that elusive festival of football, and on every occasion we have come up short.

I was involved in three of those qualifying campaigns. I played sparingly in the 1998 campaign, but I had two full attempts at reaching the World Cup in 2002 and 2006.

I have been asked many times over the years if I have any regrets about my playing career. I always answer that question the same way; I have no regrets - because I did the very best I could every time I stepped on the field - but I have some disappointments.

The single biggest disappointment for me was never making it to the World Cup.

Continue reading this post »

What made Shewfelt shine

Friday, May 22, 2009 | 12:34 PM ET

It was at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 that a gymnastics analyst and coach by the name of Carol Angela Orchard turned to me and offered her perspective on the fact that Canadians would be also-rans in this sport yet again.

“But they’ve got this kid coming up from Calgary named Kyle Shewfelt,” she said. “He’s going to be something.”

Jean Paul Caron, the head of Gymnastics Canada, nodded his head in agreement. “He’s the one,” said Caron. “Finally!”

Continue reading this post »

Plot thickens in the great bankruptcy trial

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 | 01:05 PM ET

So, after the first day of the great bankruptcy trial, we are really no closer to knowing whether Jim Balsillie will be bringing a team to southern Ontario any time soon.

Actually, we know it won't be any day soon, but we don't know whether it will happen period.

But the plot certainly did thicken and the tension rose in that Phoenix courtroom Tuesday.

Continue reading this post »

The need to believe in Bolt

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 | 12:39 PM ET

Bolt.

Even his name sizzles with speed. It’s as if the very mention of him conjures up images of something being fired out of a cannon.

Usain Bolt. “World’s Fastest Man.” It sure would be nice to believe he’s the real deal.

Continue reading this post »

Is Toronto FC on track for the playoffs?

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 | 12:31 AM ET

Comparisons are, by common consent, odious. With that in mind, I tread warily into this week’s commentary. However, with a third of the Major League Soccer regular season complete, it is perhaps an opportune moment to take stock of what we’ve seen so far from Toronto FC and, more significantly, where the team might he headed.

Continue reading this post »

Offside: Fixing Canadian Soccer - Who's in charge?

Monday, May 18, 2009 | 12:56 PM ET

CBC Sports soccer commentator Jason de Vos examines the state of Canadian soccer in Offside, a multi-part blog series exclusive to CBCSports.ca. This week de Vos, a former captain of Canada's national team, takes a look at the governance of Canadian soccer.

In April of 2003, the Australian Independent Soccer Review Committee released a report on the governance of soccer in Australia. Popularly known as the “Crawford Report”, it laid bare the problems facing soccer in Australia and put forth a number of recommendations to restructure the game down under.

Many of those recommendations were implemented, which resulted in major improvements, including the country’s successful qualification for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Presently, Australia is well on its way to booking a place at next summer’s World Cup in South Africa.

If you have never read the Crawford Report, I urge you to do so. It can be found here.

Continue reading this post »

Two training camps and a wedding

Saturday, May 16, 2009 | 11:09 PM ET

As we start to enjoy the spring and some warmer weather, the last two months have been pretty exciting for me with a wedding and final preparations beginning for the lead-up to the 2010 Olympics.

Continue reading this post »

Blogs and Columns Archives »