SoccerHighs and lows for Canadian rivals

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It has been suggested, primarily by my wife, that I show symptoms of manic depression. For example, I get stupidly excited when one of my daughters visits from the old country. By the same token, I am inconsolable after slicing my approach into the lake having hit the perfect drive.
 
Emotionally, I alternate between the anticipation of a child on Christmas Eve and explaining to the same, tearful child the much-loved family pet has just expired.
 
I know it's not healthy. I've tried to find a balanced solution. I've concluded it is just me, whether I like it or not.
 
It is a well worn cliché but it is a truism which has stood the test of time. The highs shouldn't be too high and the lows never too low. Footballers deal with it on a weekly basis. It is not an insignificant part of the makeup of a professional athlete.
 
They are paid to prepare and compete at a consistent level. The objective, of course, is to win every time the individual sets foot on the field. The reality can be very different and losing will always be part of the equation since no team is capable of winning every game.
 
It is the ability to accept and learn from victory or defeat which sets professionals apart from us mere mortals. The essential mental fortitude is acquired on the job over time. Every player must be able to deal with an immediate and sometimes harsh job appraisal delivered direct from the bleachers.
 
If it is tough for the players, spare a thought for the head coach. He is the one who devised the game plan and selected the team. After that, he is helpless. He is reliant on faith and hope his team can follow the instructions based on its strengths and the perceived weaknesses of the opponent.
 
If the coach gets it wrong, the patrons will soon let him know. The sanctuary of halftime cannot come quickly enough. He has a 15-minute window in which to earn his corn by inspiring his players and freeing them of mental insecurities.
 
Teitur Thordarson, coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps, found the answer during the season opener against Minnesota. He was less than impressed with what his team produced in the opening 45 minutes, but recognized the predicament his players were facing. Apparently, it was all in their heads.
 
"I told the players that when you throw away the fear of losing and start thinking about winning, you will then start to play," Thordarson told reporters after the game.

With a positive mentality restored, Vancouver went on to win 2-0 with a much improved performance after the interval - a satisfactory outcome for the Whitecaps, who are embarking on their final season in the second tier of North American soccer before joining Major League Soccer in the spring of 2011.

Thordarson and his players are all working for MLS contracts, so the Whitecaps' progress will be interesting to follow.
 
The highs don't get much higher than winning a championship and beating an old rival to grab the trophy. The Montreal Impact know what it feel likes after home and away wins over Vancouver to become USL champions late last year.
 
The Impact indulged in a lengthy 'lap of honour' to celebrate the achievement. First, they were feted by the Mayor at City Hall, thence to the Bell Centre as guests of the Montreal Canadiens before an appearance at the National Assembly and finally a party with the fans in downtown Montreal.
 
Rookie coach Marc Dos Santos, who demonstrates an understanding and philosophy beyond his 32 years, was hastily signed to a contract extension. Despite his youth and relative inexperience of coaching senior teams, Dos Santos has earned the respect of the players he led to glory.
 
The Impact, like the Whitecaps, went back to work at the weekend. The first competitive match since the October celebrations could not have ended more differently. Despite a rigorous and thorough pre-season, Montreal was shut out 2-0 by the Austin Aztex, one of the 2009 basement dwellers.
 
Dos Santos was clearly dissatisfied, but accepts the roller-coaster nature of the sport. "This match brings us back to reality. We won the championship last year and we have to start winning again this year," he conceded afterwards.
 
He admitted his team was not strong enough and didn't deserve to win. The coach was also quick to add "We will not panic ... and we will see what we can do to improve." Rough translation: "The boys didn't turn up and if I have to light a fire under them to get them going, so be it." 
 
Thordarson will no more believe his team is MLS ready than Dos Santos believes his team is suffering a championship hangover. They are, however, united in the belief the season will be punctuated by highs and lows.
 
Acceptance of the principle leads to more of the former and less of the latter.

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