I am writing this before the Canada-Guatemala men’s Olympic qualifying game. I do not know the result, or any details of the match.
If Canada wins, and gets a favourable outcome from the Mexico-Haiti match, our lads will be on to the semifinals. A win there, and they are off to Beijing regardless of what happens in the final. A loss, a draw or an unhappy break out of town, and they will have been eliminated.
I’m writing this before the game, because I have a question that may get different answers, depending on how today turns out. It shouldn’t. The following point matters, and should not be ignored if Canada qualifies, or negatively over-reacted to, should we lose: Is there enough money in Canadian international soccer?
If Canada’s medal chase ends today, the fact that the Canadian Soccer Association only has about $13 million dollars to pay for all its teams – and settle its lawsuits – will cause great anguish. Why wasn’t more spent on the Olympic team? Why did our lads have to play warm-up games against college squads, instead of their under-23 international peers?
If we win, this won’t seem as big a problem. It is, though. New methods of fund-raising have to be created. When the CSA finally gets around to releasing its alleged and pre-maligned new strategic vision, how will the issue of funding be handled?
With such a small operating budget, many Canada fans – and critics – are saying the vast majority of what little cash remains be spent on the men’s national team. Players are already telling me – not quite on the record – how frustrated they are playing Martinique and Estonia as warm-up for a tough, grinding World Cup qualifying group likely to include Jamaica, Honduras and Mexico.
But the youth teams matter, too. That’s where the future of the national team is being shaped. No knock on the NCAA as warm-up rivals, but the Mexicans would destroy at that level if they played an entire season there.
Our women’s program needs money, too. The Canadian ladies just won the Cyprus Cup – a modest international tournament in the Mediterranean – with triumphs over Russia, Japan and the Americans. Okay, it was the U.S. Under-20 team, but a mug is a mug. From there, our ladies jetted off to France, earning a 0-0 draw with France.
All of this was – warm-ups for Olympic qualifying. Fans of the men’s Olympic team, should they be ousted today, will scream about unequal and unfair funding.
It’s an argument that should never have to happen. New ways of raising money must be found, so all our teams can have the best preparation possible. Whether that means lobbying Ottawa or pounding the corporate pavement on Bay Street, something must be done.
Heck! Play some home games, and price and promote them properly. I’m told other nations do that – with great success.
So, instead of fuming over poor spending decisions, let’s ask the Canadian Soccer Association, Canadian Soccer Federation – any other Canadian Soccer Anything Out There Anywhere … How are we going to solve this? What is the plan? … And when do we begin?
Onward!
