CBC-Sports

Canada's passion bucket is full

July 11, 2009 12:53 PM | Posted by   Greg Sutton  

Canadian national team goalkeeper Greg Sutton will be blogging for CBCSports.ca during the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which runs July 3-26 in the United States.

Well the first round is over for us we had a good three games and in our final game we were able to get the single point with a 2-2 tie against Costa Rica that we needed in order to win our group.

We're really excited about the next part of our journey. Like I said before "our passion bucket is full"; in fact, it's over flowing! We can see the opportunity to prove to everyone that we are a team that can finish atop the podium. That's our goal, and we are going to do everything we can to accomplish that.

Our final game against Costa Rica was a game that saw four goals in the first half and a scoreless second. The first goal was one that I would like to forget and I plan on doing that after writing this blog. For those who've seen it, well you know what you saw. For those who haven't, well let's just say it wasn't one of my prouder moments.

I was glad to have the boys come out after that disaster and score a couple goals for the cause and get that much needed point. For that, I thank them again. So now I will put that moment behind me and move on, hopefully for those who read this, they will do the same.

So back to what's upcoming. Finishing first in the group earned Canada the right to play in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, and for me it lives up to its motto. I have a brother in Philly and I think he loves me. It will be good to see him and some other friends that call Philly their home. We most likely will be playing against Honduras, at least that is what the consensus seems to be. For myself, at this stage of the tournament, it doesn't matter who we play - you have to win to stay alive, the way we're playing I think teams have to fear us.

With all of the success that we've had in the past two Gold Cups it really does show you that our country is capable of doing great things. So why have we struggled in qualifying for recent and past World Cups? I tell you one reason: it's much more difficult to play in Costa Rica or El Salvador or Jamaica where the fans and elements play such a factor in your physical abilities and your mental psyche.

When we play in these neutral sites it is much easier on your mind. Unfortunately we don't present the same type of atmosphere for those teams traveling to play us in Canada. Soccer is not our country's passion so it's tough to duplicate a South American or Caribbean-type atmosphere, but having said that I've seen some change over the past two years.

With additions of major soccer franchises in Canada you are starting to see the fan appeal and the change in their views, so I think we're on the right path. The commitment needs to continue, from our fans to our provincial associations, to our sponsors, all being integral pieces of the puzzle.

If we can make a dignified effort to move forward in all of these areas I do believe there will be a World Cup that Canada will take part in sooner then later. I can talk more about what I think needs to be done but that may be for another time.

Well, I need to get moving because we have a regeneration practice Saturday morning and then we're off to the airport to board yet another flight and check into yet another hotel.

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend. Till next time, Greg.

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