Planet Soccer

Like John says:
"I could get excited about the Olympics if teams sent their full World Cup teams - just imagine the excitement the tournament would create if Italy, France, Brazil, Argentina and Germany fielded full-strength squads."

Then maybe soccer at the olympics would attract more hype and attention for soccer fans. But the truth is it doesn't, the hype for the olympics isn't quite as big as the hype for EURO happening this year and other major tournaments like COPA AMERICA last summer. The only event I have ever payed attention to at the olympics has been track and field. Mostly the 100 and 4x100 races. other than that I could care less who breaks olympic records.

I didn't even realize that soccer was an Olympic sport until I read this article and I doubt I'm alone in this. I thought the only international soccer games and tournaments were the FIFA sanctioned ones. You learn something new everyday. I would suggest that having soccer in the Olypics is irrelevant since international soccer seems to be pretty well taken care of already.

True, Countries do not send their best players to the Olympics but Olympic soccer does serve a purpose in the grand scheme of soccer. It provides a big tournament for players who are too old to compete in U21 events and may not be quite ready for "prime time" with their major soccer leagues clubs. Hence, the involvement of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gabriel Heinze in Athens 2004. They were provided with an opportunity to play major minutes in a leading role for their countries in a big tournament. FIFA has always supported this and continues to do so with the urging of the governing soccer bodies of each Olympic nation. The Olympics serves as a mid-World Cup tournament of sorts.

This is so typical of soccer media and writers in Canada! So what if the best players arent playing, its the U-23 tournament, I seem to remember U-20 tournament was a big success and hit this past summer, and this time around its the best players from that tournament plus few older more experienced additions in a competition that features only a handful of teams in a tournament that is very hard to qualify for... From Europe the only way teams qualify for the Olympics is by making semi-finals of the U-21 Euro Championships, which first means qualifying for Euro Cup, then performing very well, and making it out of group stage, and then finally beating some top countries to make it to Olympics! Soccer in Olympics are just fine, its reporting like this,, Herry Dobsons soccer writing, and score broadcasters other than Paul James that are shocking, how do we improve soccer in this country??? Lets start by having better writers to write about the game

John,

I have not read many of your articles, but anyone who is commited to writing about soccer in Canada has my support.

But let me just say that in regards to this topic, you are severely mislead. Olympic soccer provides a platform for the very best young players to compete for their countries at the highest level. These players have often not quite made it on the world scene and therefore have lots of ambition and pressure to perform. This combination makes for some exciting soccer!

You only have to take one look at some of the names who have played in this tournament to be convinced: Ronaldo, Crespo, Eto, and many others.

So in answer to your question John, I care about Olympic soccer and I can assure you that millions of people around the world feel the same way. Articles like this are detrimental to the growth of soccer in Canada and I wish you would consider this before writing another anti-productive article.

Thank you

Justin

Actually Olympic soccer is pretty boring, dump it and put in a real sport like rugby. That way teams that are minnows in the rugby world cup could actually have a chance at this venue.

John:

Sometimes your articles sound like they were written by a 10 year old kid. Oh I don't like Olympic soccer because the big names aren't playing...boohoohoo. A real soccer fan appreciates a good game at any level. I agree the significance of Olympic soccer is less than the big tournaments, but so are the youth tournaments, but you seemed to enjoy the one we hosted this summer.

Hi John,
I want to take issue with your comment that the majority of soccer fans ignore the Olympic Soccer Tournament. Soccer was the most popular of all the sports at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, and according to FIFA drew 1,421,627 fans, for an average of 45,300 per game. The final between France and Brazil drew 101,970 to the Rose Bowl. In Atlanta in 1996 it was much the same. The total attendance for soccer was 1,364,142, for an average of 40,122 while in Moscow in 1980 the total attendance was 1,821,625. In Sydney in 2000 the total was once again over one million with the final attracting 98,218. The Montreal Olympics with a reduced number of games due to the African boycott drew 647,683 for an average of 26,421, but the final drew 71,617, a record for a soccer game in Canada. The poorest attendances for Olympic soccer come in Europe, with an average of only 14,572 for the games in Barcelona, but even then the final drew 95,000. It was much the same story in Greece in 2004.
I believe that the reason the IOC wants to keep soccer in the Olympics is financial as the above figures speak for themselves.
In Beijing, you can be sure that once again the numbers watching soccer will be over one million, and once again it could be the most popular sport in the Olympics.

While we are on the subject of Olympic soccer I wonder how many people today know that Canada won the soccer Gold Medal at the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis, Missouri. The team representing Canada was a club team from Galt, Ontario. In an abbriviated competition Galt Football Club beat two teams from St. Louis, Missouri 7-0 and 4-0. The players who represented Canada on that historic occasion were Ernest Linton, George Ducker, John Gourlay, Albert Johnston, Bobby Lane, Jack Fraser, Tommy Taylor, Fred Steep, Alex Hall, Gordon McDonald, Bill Twaits, Otto Christman and Albert Henderson.
The gold medals were presented in St. Louis and one of those medals is in The Soccr Hall of Fame in Vaughan, Ontario.
Canada reached the quarter finals of the 1984 tournament in the U.S. before losing to Brazil on penalty kciks.

Hey John!

I really can't say that I have enjoyed watching Football/Soccer at the Olympics. For me, the problem is with the North American television network coverage...not the quality of play. I am having a hard time trying to recall when non-cable TV networks actually gave the sport "prime time" coverage and did not relegate it to a delayed 2 AM time slot. Why should equestrian coverage take precedent over the number one sport in the world? Beats me! I know that Canada may not have a great chance of winning gold at Soccer at the Olympics. But I would rather watch two good soccer teams going at it than watching synchronized diving, walking or shot-putting. Put those sports on at 2 AM! They'll cure insomnia for sure!

Wow a journalist who dares to write ''Who Cares'' about a subject he's covering. Hope your bosses aren't reading.

Ive been playing city soccer for close to 20 years. I love playing but after I tore my ACL last year, I think my better days are behind me, but I have to say, playing it is one thing, but watching it is another. I find it really hard to enjoy watching soccer being played even at its highest level and I always have. Olympic soccer ?? Ive never watched one game for that very reason. My favourite sport to watch is hockey, its Canadas game, its fast paced, lots of action, North America has the best hockey in the World. I can stomach watching junior hockey but I know its not the best product out there. Olympic soccer, at least for the time being, will not be the best product out there, not too mention, Summer Olympics has numerous other events that soccer would have to compete with for viewers, I for one would rather watch Athletics or somehting like that. I appreciate that woman are good athletes too, but ill never watch womans hockey, womans soccer, WNBA (does it even still exist) because they will never be the best product.

I read somewhere previously that the Olympics need football (soccer) more then FIFA needs the Olympics.

I think if there was actually some TV coverage then the event would be more popular. Maybe have the U20s at the Olympics every 4 years and a FIFA event in the 2 years between the Olympics (2008 Olympic, 2010 FIFA etc etc)

John:where and how the future soccer stars are going to develop themselfs according to you. Canada needs help to develop passsion for the game of soccer and that's your role...But articles like this are not going to do it my friend. Media here gives all the attention to the game of hockey wich is okay but watching even the piggies is beyond my mind...we need diversity as thats' what Canada is all about.

John, I agree with you 100% that Olympic soccer is not popular because the "A" National squads of major soccer countries are never fielded. The reason behind this is that it would put too much of a strain on clubs who already deal with loaning their players out to participate in a plethora of international tournaments. The current international structure works fine therefore the Olympics serves a purpose in developing players at the international level that otherwise wouldn't get a chance. To respond to other peoples comments about this blog, the soccer fan in Canada is more sophisticated than soccer journalists and TV analysts/presenters in this country give them credit for. Instead of asking if anyone cares about olympic soccer the question should be how can Canada qualify for the olympics? Maybe success at the olympics can translate into a successful WOrld Cup qualifying campaign.

I care about Olympic Soccer.

The pincipe behind the olympics is to give the opportunity to any young player to play in a world tournament.
Don't forget : the World Cup is mostly played by confirmed world class and mature players. It's very difficult for a young player(whatever skilled he is) to be selectionned in National Team and more difficult to play one game during the cup ( if you had been selectionned previously by chance...). The very best example is Luiz Nazario Da Lima ( Ronaldo) in 1994 ! What did happen? If you have a good memory, he was considered at this time as " the new phenomenon of the football since Pele and Maradona ". However, your memory must also remind you a very important detail: he was only 18 years old !!! No chance to play in front of the three times world champion "Seleccao" of the very conservativ " coach Zagallot".

Why is the FIFA great ?
In order to avoid this trap that could "kill" a young talent, they had the brain to think about a competition for young players in the way to become world class : the Olympics!

If you always have a good memory, what did hapen in 1996's Atlanta Olympics ?
The world finally had watched the exeptional talent of Ronaldo the number 18. It was a great tournament. Argentina whith batigoal, crespo and ortega, Nigeria with Kanu, jay-jay okocha and taribo west....all of those cited players had become among the greatest of the world during France 98.

The soccer contries have their eyes on their under 23 selection during olympics.
They are some big rivalities : nigeria-brazil Nigeria-argentina argentina-brazil.....

Go watch an olympic game in rio de janeiro when brazil is playing; or in lagos when nigeria is playing...you'll know what's the importance of Olympics in this contries where the soccer is the King !

Definitively, the point being made about olympic soccer holds water, but similarly to why americans cannot get behind this sport with the same fervor they do the NFL, CBC sports journalists poo-pooing the meat/potatoes that literally/figuratively feeds them will never help that sport gain momentum. By asking this question in a public forum this way and setting the public's agenda similarly (as seeing the glass half empty), any on-the-fence fans can/will be influenced by the (negative) public opinions held within and soccer, on all levels, takes an intellectual hit. Really, why do this unless your goal is to knock soccer down another notch? Just because you may be right about people not having the same interest in olympic soccer as they do other soccer events doesn't make the way you speak of it a help to anyone, especially your own thrust as a sports writer.

Now, if anyone can figure out why those who play soccer north of mexico (roundabout way of meaning the US and Canada) cannot play one-touch ball as a group, let me know. More directly, this is why these two nations fail on the largest stages for world soccer. Once either nation learns to play one-touch ball like their European, South/central American and Asian brethren, we may finally get some recognition back into our given countries' soccer teams and therefore generate the fan interest that would quell articles like this one before they can gain valid momentum and hurt the sport's standing.

Is your goal to help soccer or to hurt it if you write words like these?

Did you know that the greatest player in the world at the present moment wants to play in the Olympics???

While it might not rank up there in terms of importance as the World Cup, the European Championships or the Copa America, it is still a significant tournament where some of the future stars of the game can shine.

AND, with 3 over-age players allowed, some current stars like Kaka are wanting to represent at the Games...

might be worth watching now, eh?

I also remember talking to Pound and he made it very clear that he wanted a full age squad in the soccer Olympics,which the FIFA said no to. The FIFA would not put the O;ympics on the same level. Well Pound said we will teach these guys a lesson and he went after Basketball.Anyway FIFA will never allow the Olympics to be on the same level as the WC.
However in all these years soccer has always been the no 1 spectator sport in the Olympics including Montreal.
If our boys make it to the Olympics they will outdraw any spectator sport and they will be known around the world.
Soccer is the biggest drawing sport both in the WC and Olympics.So to think that the soccer Olympics are meaningless is downright stupid and the facts speak to the contrary.I suggest that Nigel and Bobby rethink this one and give this some very serious thought.
Olympic soccer is ten times bigger than the Stanly cup or even Super bowl.
The facts are there and now about the women in soccer if you add these two divisions together well it is mammoth.
Johntv

The real problem is not soccer at the Olympics. The issue is that television media has not covered soccer at the Olympics because of their strife with FIFA. Soccer is by far the most viewed spectator sport at the games but we don't even realize it because it is not covered. Gymnastics, swimming and the like take up all of the media attention. At the Atlanta Olympics, 80,000 - 90,000 fans filled the Athens Stadium for most games, including when the USA women's team won gold, but NBC did not cover one minute. If you look beyond this veil, FIFA has done everything to ensure the World Cup is not outdone by the Olympics. Obviously its working if people like you think soccer in the Olympics is not important.

Let's see ... in Athens 2004, Argentina won the gold medal and Carlos Tevez was the hero and top scorer, with Gabiel Heinze also there ... in Beijing 2008 it will be Lionel Messi's turn to star ... are we getting it now ? ... Sir Alex can cry all he wants, this is the youth wing time to shine.

I agree with not sending your best players for football in the Olympics. No sport should be allowed to send professionals anyways. That is why I have stopped watching the olympics. It should be for amateurs only

I still think its exciting to watch as you can see the potential up and coming players for the future, but its nowhere near the level of the Euro or World Cup.

Dumb article. Period. Olympic soccer is far better to watch than some of the other rediculous sports at the Olympics.

As for having U23 squads, the other sports should follow suit... its pathetic that the Olympics which used to showcase amateur competition allows professionals (who earn multi-million dollars in their respetive sport) to even compete.

The Olympics are not aobut fielding the super stars, its about giving almost average people a chance to compete for their country, not the steroid junkie's. If you ask me, they shouldn't have let the pro's play.

I presume you are speaking only about the men's game, since the women do have their full national teams at the Olympics. Why is it that everyone always assumes that when talking about a sport it isn't necessary to identify that they are offering an opinion about only one of the sexes? Shame on the CBC for being so biased!

I completely agree with you 100%. Olympic soccer is incomparable with club soccer or major tournaments such as the World Cup or Euro. Many of you suggest that it provides a world stage for younger players but I think in the soccer world the experience of playing in the Olympics is not as important as other tournaments or club play. As for the squads that are allowed to compete...you can't say that the Olympics will bring in the best competition without allowing for professionals to play. What does it matter how much they get paid? - they're still some of the best athletes in the world. Considering its the Olympics they probably aren't too choked they're not allowed to compete.