After nearly two years on the road, the prodigal soccer team returns home to play on Canadian soil Saturday.
While its opponent will never light up a marquee, the friendly with Peru will go a long way in determining the interest around the current club as it inches towards another World Cup qualification campaign in 2011.
Canadian soccer will forever rely on a dedicated number of supporters who anticipate a World Cup berth in their lifetime. However, it is only through a common interest that the funds and high-level support will arrive. It happened at the Olympics, and the plight of our amateur athletes does not stray far from the plight of our national soccer programs.
New coach Stephen Hart is doing his part to pique the common fan. The free-thinking Trinidadian confirmed during a Wednesday conference call that the national team will not stray from the attacking style it tends to brush off every other year at the Gold Cup. Under Hart at the ’09 tournament the men’s team averaged a goal per game; at the ’07 version it poured in eight goals in five games.
A positive performance against Peru is paramount ahead of the match against Honduras on Tuesday. The common fan likes goals; even soccer goals. We saw that at the World Cup.
Officiating under the microscope
The level of officiating shown by CONCACAF has come under fire since the debacle witnessed when Toronto FC traveled to Panama last month. On Saturday and again on Tuesday in Montreal against Honduras the troupe of Edvin Jurisevic, Daniel Belleau and Darren Clark will have an opportunity to restore the faith.
Motivating de Guzman
During the same Wednesday conference call Hart was questioned on the recent form displayed by Toronto FC midfielder Julian de Guzman and why his name made the selection list while teammate Adrian Cann — who is enjoying a breakout season in Toronto — was passed over.
The motivation for the line of questioning referenced Paul James’ succinct analysis published on the Globe & Mail’s site last week.
Hart offered up an interesting retort; choosing to skip over the critical in favour of stating that his role is to motivate de Guzman in the short period of time the two are together as coach and player.
It just may work. A stint with the national team just might be the tonic de Guzman needs to pick up his domestic game at a time where the Reds need it most. Under Hart, the self-proclaimed defensive midfielder has gathered eight goals in 56 appearances. In 10 seasons of club play, de Guzman has scored eight goals in 246 appearances.
Offering Preki a three-year deal in Toronto might have been a little hasty.
TV note: The game on Saturday against Peru and the following game on Tuesday against Honduras in Montreal can be seen on all Sportsnet regions.