It’s been quite a year, huh?
Rarely do we look back on the previous 12 months in Canadian soccer with complete satisfaction. There is always something that grates or casts a shadow over any progress that has been made. However, with the men’s national team saying farewell to the year with an impressive 3-0 win against Suriname at BMO Field in Toronto in the Nation’s League quarterfinals on Tuesday and the women wrapping up their season in a couple of weeks with two friendlies in Spain, something does feel a little different this time.
Yes, the spectre of doom is always sitting next door and waiting to pay us a visit but given what we experienced over the last calendar year, it feels as if there is nothing the sport can’t handle. I’d even go as far to say that I have never felt more hopeful.
Let’s be honest, though: the year didn’t start off well. Alyson Walker, who had been hired as Canada Soccer’s new CEO and general secretary and tasked with fixing all that is broken in the CSA, resigned on the same day she was due to start. That was very Canada Soccer. Then, after emptying the trash can brimming with the CVs of other candidates, Kevin Blue — a man with zero experience in soccer who had made his name south of border in college sports and more recently golf — rode in to save the day and take the role. A new president would soon follow in Peter Augruso, and the early returns suggest that these two are in a position to be a dynamic duo for Canadian soccer.
The two have chipped away at the long-running labour impasse between players and the association with a new deal close at hand, if not imminent. They have repaired the broken relationship between Canada Soccer and its national teams, thanks to transparency and the association's willingness to negotiate a revised agreement with Canada Soccer Business. Will the new deal be perfect? Probably not. But improved? Absolutely.
Perhaps the most impressive performance this year was that of the CSA when it landed its top choice as the men’s head coach. Or should I say the ‘MLS Canada Men’s National Team Head Coach,’ as that was the official title for the role after Blue convinced the three Canadian Major League Soccer teams to contribute money for the hire … for the good of the game, don’t you know. The fact that some big names in world football — such as Thierry Henry — had shown interest in the job suggests that the program was indeed turning a corner.
Marsch arrived amidst some excitement, although the fact that he was an American did raise some eyebrows. To this day, this writer still has trouble comprehending why that was an issue for some. A spectacular semifinal run at Copa America quelled any concerns for the naysayers.
I also have a hard time comprehending exactly why Bev Priestman & Co., thought it would be alright to break FIFA rules, not to mention French laws, when spying on its opponent with a drone at the Olympics. Hopefully, one day, the women’s team’s inspiring Olympic performance that saw them overcome a six-point penalty to get out of the group and into the quarterfinals will be the lasting memory of Paris 2024, but as it stands now, that drone scandal and the subsequent fallout that has already cost Priestman and her staff their jobs sure casts a dark shadow.
There could be further fallout with all eyes on former men’s and women’s coach John Herdman, who was implicated in an independent report that suggested Herdman was the drone OG while coaching the women between 2012 and 2018. Does Herdman have enough currency in Canadian soccer to survive as Toronto FC head coach? We’ll find out soon.
Back on the positive side of 2024 was the fact that Project 8 finally got a name. Diana Matheson’s professional domestic league will kick off next summer branded as the Northern Super League, a defining moment for the women’s game, and the sport itself in Canada.
As easy as it is to dwell on the negative — something we in Canada are really good at when it comes to soccer — the positives suggest we are making progress in the sport. The next calendar year will be transformative as we set the table for World Cup 2026.
So, let’s just accept 2024 for what it was, take with us all that genuine good and build on that in 2025.
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