USL-1 & the Olympics
August 17, 2008 2:15 PM
It's been awhile since I last submitted my thoughts on the beautiful game, but that’s not to say that I've not had much on my mind. The busy schedule that is the USL First Division is now in the home stretch of the current season, with much still to be decided before the regular season ends next month. One thing is clear from what has occurred so far, there is little to choose between any of the 11 clubs in the league. The balancing of the schedule where each club plays its rivals three times in the regular season has contributed greatly to the parity, but even the congestion of games in short spaces of time looks to have had an influence as well.
Three to four clubs look on course to contest the top spot in the league in the coming weeks. The good news for Whitecaps fans is that the Blue & White are in leading pack, having negotiated many of their away games with relative success. Head coach Teitur Thordarson would like the home form to be better than it is, but he will be pleased to know that his team have claimed results, but still has plenty of room for improvement. All in all, it's a good position to be in what was considered a rebuilding season for the 'Caps. Puerto Rico look to be one of Vancouver's main threats for top spot, and with three games still to be played between the two clubs, the points on offer look increasingly valuable. Islanders head coach Colin Clarke impressed me last year with his ability to turn a struggling side into a league contender, and this year's results seem to underline the organization and balance he has brought to the Caribbean club. The interesting thing with the Islanders will be how CONCACAF Champions League action may distract Puerto Rico's USL-1 aspirations. Should they reach the Champions League group stage, Clarke will have a major challenge in making his 26-man squad perform consistently in September and October.
Charleston Battery are the third club that have shown that their fine early start to the season was no flash in the pan. I had said to many people that Mike Anhaeuser's side would be one of the most improved clubs in the league, but even they have exceeded my expectations. For me, the Battery recruited well ahead of the new season, with the signing of striker Randi Patterson slowly becoming my pick for best off-season acquisition of the 2008 campaign. His goals and Charleston's impressive home form gives the South Carolina club the chance to plan for the playoffs, when this time last year, they merely flirted with the postseason. Defending USL-1 champions Seattle Sounders are also in the hunt, despite being a bit 'hit and miss' with their results. Brian Schmetzer can feel confident of strong run-in, with all their remaining regular season games at home.
The tail-end of the playoff picture had Atlanta Silverbacks and Rochester Rhinos in decent positions to make the playoffs, though events at both clubs this week have left me with some doubt over their chances. I'm still trying to figure out why Silverbacks head coach Jason Smith felt it was necessary to acquire Sean Cameron from Miami FC Blues for one of his best players in Ansu Toure. The trade was particularly baffling, considering the problems Toure gave the Whitecaps in recent games. Atlanta still have a fine goalscorer in Macoumba Kandji, but the sharpness of their attack may been blunted by this deal. Silverbacks fans will certainly ask that question, if their team's campaign fizzles in the coming weeks. As for Rochester, all credit to former Whitecaps striker Darren Tilley for steadying the ship after a turbulent off-season. They are a side that can pose any opponent a problem, but consistency remains the Rhinos' challenge. Their ability to perform will be tested even more after the league penalized them one point in the standings for playing Andrew Gregor in a midweek game at Montreal Impact. The former Portland Timbers man had not served a one-game suspension for collecting five yellow cards, so the Upstate New York club were punished accordingly.
Minnesota Thunder have made changes during the season, but their struggles continue. Amos Magee moved on as head coach after a poor run, and if they are unable to improve their results away from home, they will likely miss out on the playoffs. Joining them on the outside looking in could very well be Portland. Gavin Wilikinson's side have not impressed me this season. The installation of a more playable turf surface at PGE Park has taken away a major intimidation element for visiting clubs, as the Timbers have dropped points in nine of the 12 home games they have played so far. They have also had struggles playing games with 11 men on the pitch. The number of red cards must be a cause of concern for the Timbers Army, who would have had high hopes for the season after successful 2007. They will need to look over their shoulders at Montreal, who look ready to make a late push into the top seven. It's been a strange year for the Impact. The woes in the league and a coaching change from Nick De Santis to John Limniatis has been balanced by moving into a new home in Saputo Stadium and claiming the Nutrilite Canadian Championship in July. Like Puerto Rico, the Impact face an interesting autumn, as USL-1 playoffs may need to be mixed with CONCACAF Champions League group stage action. As for Miami and Carolina RailHawks, my forecast is not good, though Zinho will hope the arrival of Toure can add to a Blues attack that includes top goalscorer Alex Afonso. I could see Carolina making changes at the end of the season, should they miss the playoffs. The RailHawks have been in horrible form of late and head coach Scott Schweitzer must be feeling the pressure, as there would have an expectation of improvement in the club's second USL-1 season.
Well, we are in the midst of the Beijing Olympics, and by Saturday, Canadians had some medal success to cheer about in rowing, swimming, and wrestling. Sadly, there will be no medal to come from women's soccer this year, as Canada went out in the quarter-finals to arch-rivals USA. What's even sadder for me to say is that this was where I thought our women would see the campaign end in China. I have made it clear to many that I was not a fan of head coach Even Pellerud's tactics and that Canada would only be able to do so much in the tournament with their 'kick and chase' style of play. It may have been good enough to get to Beijing and claim results against Argentina and China, but our women were always going to get found out. That came in their last group game against Sweden, as the Scandinavians tore Canada's backline apart with incisive play and speed for two goals, and effectively outclassed them with fine play through their midfield. Canada's response was to hammer the ball up the pitch and hope for the best. By the time the Americans put us away in the quarters, it was painfully evident that the way Canada have tried to play for nearly a decade was ineffective in the last year to 18 months. Pellerud's reply to criticism of his tactics was to judge him by his record. Well, he surely cannot be talking about going out of the group stage of last year's Women's World Cup and the Olympic quarter-finals as notes of success. The fact that Canada finished fourth in the 2003 World Cup came at a time when playing a direct style still worked in women's international soccer. That is no longer the case. Brazil taught us in the World Cup last year that possession and flair not only entertains soccer fans, but is necessary to win matches at this level…though a lot of us already know this watching men's soccer. There is a good reason why Canada never moved from a world ranking of number nine. We've had enough to qualify for major tournament, but far from enough to overcome the world's top sides in those finals. I am most sad for the players. Pellerud effectively told them to play his way, and their work rate was excellent in that regard, but it looked like each one of our women had shackles on and were simply unable to express themselves on the pitch. In the end, the method that they tried to use to win games did not work, and it's here where Pellerud must hold his hands up and say that he got it wrong.
So, what next? Well, the Canadian Soccer Association have a major opportunity to set the women's program back on track by hiring a coach that will make it clear to our top female players that it is alright to play and keep possession of the ball, with that message made clear all the way down to the grassroots level. In terms of the squad, I feel the future looks bright. Canada has a talented crop of youngsters coming through, with the U-17 and U-20 national teams qualified for their respective World Cup finals later this year. Having seen some of those players in action for the Whitecaps women this summer, we can still say that we produce a world-class female player. What is needed now is a coach who has a philosophy and awareness that possession and passing soccer is the way to win games at the international level….we all await the new era…..
Posted By: Simon Fudge on August 17, 2008 2:15 PM
