SoccerBusy month for Canadian soccer

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September marks a busy month for Canadian soccer.

A hectic schedule for our national teams kicks off on Saturday, Sept. 4, as the men take on Peru in a friendly in Toronto. The team then travels to Montreal for another friendly on the Sept. 7, where they will take on Honduras at Stade Saputo. 

On Sept. 6, our women's U-17 team kicks off its bid to bring home the World Cup in Trinidad, when it plays its first of three group games. Ghana will be the opponent, followed by the Republic of Ireland on the 9th and Brazil on the 13th. If the team finishes in the top two places in its group, it will move on to the quarter-final stage of the tournament.

Canada's senior women's team is currently in training camp in Italy, ahead of a friendly match with Germany on Sept. 15. The women are preparing for the CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifier in Cancun, Mexico, which will be held from Oct. 28 - Nov. 8. A place in the top two guarantees a place at the FIFA Women's World Cup 2011 in Germany, while a third-place finish ensures a playoff with the fifth-place team from Europe. 

While all three teams are at different stages of their development, all three go into this month with plenty at stake. 

Hart auditioning youth 

For the men, this is the beginning of what many hope will be a successful qualifying campaign for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. While the actual qualifying competition doesn't begin for another 18 months or so, the seeds of preparation need to be planted now. 

Experience is vital in World Cup qualifying, and youngsters like Adam Straith, Simeon Jackson and Nana Attakora will all benefit from the experience gained against Peru and Honduras. 

While the outcome of these games is not important, they will still give head coach Stephen Hart an insight into which players he will be able to rely on when the meaningful games get under way. That will be important, as he does not have a deep pool of talent from which to choose his lineup.

Tough pool ahead for talented youth squad 

Canada's U-17 women, on the other hand, are playing for all the marbles.

Two years ago, head coach Bryan Rosenfeld led his team of U-17s to the quarter-finals, where they eventually fell to the third-place finishers, Germany. Back then his team was depleted by injury. This time around, he has virtually all of his players fit and healthy - something that should work in the team's favour.

Progressing to the quarter-finals again will be difficult, though. Brazil, Ghana and the Republic of Ireland will all prove to be tough opponents, but Rosenfeld is quietly confident that his team can advance out of one of the tournament's most competitive groups.

Canada's women's team, meanwhile, is preparing for its World Cup qualification campaign by playing one of the top teams in the world. Currently ranked second in the FIFA Women's World Rankings, Germany will provide a very stern test for Carolina Morace's team.

Not shying away from competition

There are two ways to look at preparation games: You can either play easy games, which builds confidence and a winning mentality, or you can play difficult games, which expose areas that need improvement in order to move the team in a positive direction.

I have always preferred playing difficult games, because easy games tend to hide your weaknesses and overstate your strengths. You may very well lose the difficult game, but it will give you a better indication of your overall preparation for the important games to come.

Germany will certainly test Canada, but I think that is a good thing. Canada is expected to qualify for the World Cup, but an ever-improving women's field in CONCACAF means that qualification is not a foregone conclusion. One slip up could be enough to dash Canada's hopes, so it is important that the team is prepared and focused when the tournament gets under way. 

Needless to say, for the supporters of Canadian soccer who were deprived of a rooting interest in 2010 FIFA World Cup, there is plenty to look forward to this month.

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