SoccerA big year ahead for Canadian soccer

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The light will shine brightest for a month in places like Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town where the world’s finest players will showcase their dazzling talents. The global festival will attract hundreds of thousands of fans and millions of dollars and after it’s over we can all rest our ears when the incessant buzz of vuvuzelas no longer fills the living room.

A world away from the World Cup, it will also be a year to remember in Canadian soccer. New teams, new coaches and a new attitude will all spring to mind when we reminisce about 2010.

Nowhere is that new attitude more in evidence than with the Canadian national teams. Stephen Hart has finally earned his stripes and can begin to move the men’s team forward in a positive direction. He inherits a solid base of veteran internationals and now has time to experiment and integrate the best young talent.

An invitation to Buenos Aires to face Argentina in May is a date to be circled in the diary. The promise of home internationals later in the year will give Canadian fans an all too rare chance to show their support for the team and send a clear message to the Canadian Soccer Association that there is a big appetite for these games.

It is also a highly significant year for the women’s national team. Head coach Carolina Morace has recently completed her first year in charge of the program and her work needs to start bearing fruit. Recent results in Cyprus have been encouraging as she continues to revolutionize the team style but time will soon be of the essence.

Qualifying for the 2011 Women’s World Cup is on the horizon and with only 2.5 places reserved for CONCACAF nations, Morace’s remodelled team cannot afford to miss a beat. Her youngsters failed to qualify for the U-20 World Cup and her senior players must not suffer a similar fate.

The pyramid of club soccer across the country continues to expand and 2010 will bring new challenges. Toronto FC enters its final year as Canada’s only Major League Soccer franchise carrying a heavy burden of responsibility. Its loyal but demanding fans want success and they want it this year.

New head coach, Preki is recognised as one of the league’s finest former players. For the last three years he has been building a solid reputation as a coach who knows MLS and how to get a team to the end of season playoffs. His arrival should be the catalyst for a change in fortune and if he can get his players to perform as a team and with consistency the post season beckons for TFC.

Hot on the heels of Toronto FC, the Vancouver Whitecaps are patiently building towards their own MLS debut in just over 12 months time. A series of key executive and coaching appointments have already been implemented as the ‘Caps prepare to join the top tier of North American soccer.

The Montreal Impact is also firmly back on the MLS radar and it is only a matter of time before a franchise lands in Quebec. Montreal, the current USL champion, has already represented Canada with distinction in the fledgling CONCACAF Champions League and will have another opportunity to do so in 2010.

The Nutrilite Canadian Championship has quickly established itself as a favourite among fans of the Canada’s ‘big three’ and the rivalry will no doubt grow more intense this year. TFC, the Cup holders, will want to make up for missing out on the Champions League last year. Montreal will want to avenge the 2009 mauling it received from Toronto and Vancouver will want to lift the trophy for the first time after coming so close last time round.

The Canadian Championship may not be a three cornered contest for much longer. I recently spoke to Tom Fath, co-owner of FC Edmonton which will begin play in the USSF Division 2 in 2011. The Alberta team has already hired Canadian born Dwight Lodeweges as its first head coach and will play a series of exhibition games this year in preparation for the big kick off.

The Canadian Soccer League is also expanding in 2010. Milltown FC, based in Milton, ON, is joining the League which was recently approved for full membership of the CSA. Milltown will be a community-based club aiming to “provide a pathway” for aspiring Canadian professionals. The pathway, for so long so difficult to navigate, is absolutely essential for the development of future generations.

Eventually, the wheel turns full circle. Encourage and develop the best young Canadians in Canada and give them a roadmap to become full-time professionals in North America. The USA will be in South Africa while Canada watches on again. Almost all the US players got their professional start in MLS – a few are still here. The connection is not hard to make.

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