SoccerCanada must put its house in order

Beginning of Story Content

Coach Carolina Morace, third from left, and Canada are set to compete in a four nations tournament in China. (Getty Images)

My wife was right. She usually is. I should have done it in the fall. Had I taken her advice I wouldn't be in the mess I am now. I am fighting a daily battle - a battle I cannot win. Only Mother Nature can save me. But she won't - at least not for a couple of months.

I don't hate snow shovelling. In a somewhat masochistic way I find it strangely therapeutic. There's a small but significant sense of achievement when the snow has been cleared from both the driveway and sidewalk. The monotony of shovelling gives me a chance to clear my head and think.

I am not deterred by the certainty more snow will follow. The piercing reality that the whole clearing process will have to repeated time and again neither depresses nor exasperates me. The challenge, which at least provides some healthy exercise, must be met head on.

Shovelling is not the problem - it's the ice. The gutters, which should have been cleared of leaves and twigs some months ago, were not. I am now paying the price for procrastination. The gutters are blocked but the water, frozen or otherwise, needs somewhere to go.

It has found a way. Drip by tiny drip it is falling on to my front porch. Each droplet which crashes to the concrete adds to an ever expanding, and wholly unwanted, ice field. If this continues - and it surely will - I will soon require a pair of skates merely to reach the car.

I have taken action to combat the issue. I am now onto my second large bag of salt which promises to melt both ice and snow. It does what it says on the bag. Sadly, when the sun disappears the moisture simply refreezes and the whole problem returns on a nightly basis.

No matter how diligent I am, my fate is sealed. I could spend all day, every day, shovelling and salting, but until the Northern Hemisphere tilts a little closer to the sun I am doomed to failure. Had I been prepared, I would have had a fighting chance of victory.

A little forward planning can go a long way. Getting a step ahead of your opponent pays dividends down the road. Having the knowledge and experience to find a solution means less panic and more control of troublesome situations.

Morace well prepared

Carolina Morace is making absolutely sure she is well prepared. The head coach of the Canadian Women's national team has taken her players to China to compete in a Four Nations Tournament. It is all part of the build up to this summer's Women's World Cup.

The two week camp and competition features matches against two of the giants of women's soccer. After meeting the hosts, Canada will then face the United States and Sweden - two of the teams expected to feature strongly in Germany.

It is an important part of the process. Canada enters the tournament riding a 10-game unbeaten streak and this competition will give Morace a good indication of how far her team has come and how much farther it needs to go in the coming months.

There's a fair chance Canada will be beaten in China. Morace is fully aware of the possibility but she needs to know how her team, and its retooled playing style, stacks up against some of the best in the world. Only by testing themselves against formidable opponents can Morace and her players learn and improve.

By facing up to the Americans and the Swedes now, there is time to make any necessary adjustments before the World Cup itself kicks off in six months time. There is also time to for new players, defender Christine Exeter and striker Taylor Patterson to find their feet.

There is time, as well, for Canada to lay down a marker. Here is a chance for Morace's players to demonstrate they are not to be taken lightly when the nations assemble in Germany. It is a golden opportunity to steal a psychological march on their rivals.

At the Women's World Cup, the Americans, the Swedes, and the hosts will all arrive with confidence - with a swagger and expectation designed to intimidate the lesser nations. Part of Morace's mission is to ensure Canada flies in with a similar mindset.

Success in China would help achieve her goal. The team which wins the World Cup will not do so by accident. For Canada to have a realistic chance, its players must believe they are contenders. They must also convince opponents of their quality and potential.

In other words, Canada must be properly prepared - as I should have been. Happy shovelling!

End of Story Content

Back to accessibility links