SoccerMorace given a free pass by Canada

Beginning of Story Content

Carolina Morace, third from left, was hired as coach of the Canadian women's team in 2009. (Getty Images)

At last we can all be friends again. The deal has been done with all obstacles removed. No more negative rumour and speculation. Now we can look forward, with glowing hearts, to seeing Canada rise to meet the challenges ahead in Germany.
 
Carolina Morace is staying. The Italian head coach has shaken hands with the Canadian Soccer Association on a new deal which keeps her in the post until the 2012 London Olympics. Perhaps she'll still be around when Canada hosts the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2015.
 
You want a dark horse at the forthcoming World Cup? Look no further than Canada. We all think Germany, the United States and Brazil are the teams to beat. But, on recent form, there is no reason to discount Canada as the fourth semi-finalist.
 
The CSA knows good times are ahead. The players are better prepared for this tournament than for any other. Diet, fitness, mental toughness and playing style have all been radically overhauled to get them in peak condition for this competition.
 
It is all Morace's work. In a little over two years she has transformed a group of enthusiastic but underperforming athletes into a tight knit squad which adheres to her every instruction. In essence Morace has brought 'professionalism' to the Canadian women's program.
 
Now there are no excuses. Morace's demands have been met. She is satisfied the CSA's ambition and commitment meets her own. The players are being compensated unlike previous tournaments when negotiations routinely continued in between games.
 
But aren't we forgetting something?
 
Canada hasn't played a game yet. Of course they had to qualify, which led to a Gold Cup winning moment in Mexico. They added the Cyprus Cup to the trophy cabinet in the spring, but the real work hasn't even started.
 
We may dare to dream but should we also dare to doubt? What if it all goes pear-shaped in Germany? What if Canada gets thumped by the hosts in the opening game, fails to beat the free-scoring French in the second and gets outmuscled by the African Queens in the group finale?
 
What then? How will the CSA's freshly inked accord with Morace resonate in the corridors of power? While the CSA's top negotiators are patting each other on the back, isn't anyone thinking we may have rushed this?
 
The question is all about timing. Surely it would have been better to agree the terms of the new deal now but wait until after the World Cup before implementation. In fairness, the CSA is in a no-win situation and wants to be seen to be taking positive action.
 
Cast your mind back to this time last year. Another English speaking FA had a similar dilemma with its Italian head coach. Fearing Fabio Capello might be lured away after the World Cup, the English FA handed him a new contract before the event kicked off in South Africa.
 
The checks and balances were removed. England, unexpectedly, flopped at the World Cup. The post tournament evaluation was redundant and the Football Association was stuck with Capello who had no intention of resigning. Will the CSA be stuck with Morace if Canada fails to deliver in Germany?
 
Morace has been given a free pass. Canada might win the Women's World Cup or lose every game. It doesn't matter to Morace and her coaching team. They are locked up until 2012 with more power and a bigger budget to arrange camps and games ahead of the Olympic qualifiers.
 
Coaches live or die by the results they produce. There is every indication Morace's Canada will make us proud in Germany. But nobody really knows how it will turn out. Who, in their wildest dreams, would have thought New Zealand could finish above defending champion Italy in 2010?
 
What really matters are the players. Morace has made no excuses about what she expects and they have responded. Everyone I have spoken to, publicly or privately, is adamant Carolina Morace has improved them as a player.
 
With another year of her influence after the World Cup, who knows how good this team might be at the Olympic Games? Morace is not just preparing a team for Germany - she's grooming stars of the future and imparting the knowledge to take them forward.
 
Ultimately, the CSA has taken a calculated gamble. It believes it has done the right thing and been proactive in retaining one of the world's leading female coaches.
 
For that it must be credited with a qualified 'Bravo!' All we can do now is wait, watch and support, and hope the word 'accountability' does not rear its ugly head in early July.

Follow Nigel Reed on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/Nigel_Reed

End of Story Content