Today's News,Wednesday,Jun.06

[denime]

Mornin'




TFC TV




(http://www.torontofc.ca/video)Toronto Draws Santos Rematch


(http://www.torontofc.ca/news/2012/06/toronto-draws-santos-rematch)TFC Honours Canadian Forces


(http://www.torontofc.ca/news/2012/06/tfc-honours-canadian-forces)TFC drawn with Santos in CONCACAF CL


(http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2012/06/05/concacaf_champions_league_group_draw/)Fletcher: Crucial games ahead for Canada (http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2012/06/05/canada_world_cup_qualifying_cuba_honduras/)





TFC Related Blogs !!


(http://redpatchboys.ca/forums/showthread.php?29582-TFC-MLS-blogs-thread)


SUNSHINE (http://www.torontosun.com/sunshine-girl)



(http://www.torontofc.ca/video)

[Fort York Redcoat]

Thanks to those who picked up tix to the Centenary Match and tix for Honduras in 112!! Tix for the section have been sold out!

If you want Supporters section tix they are available for pickup at Maro Pre-Game only (starting at 4pm)

But you must purchase here:

http://www.cansoc.org/

Honduras WCQ - $20

Any questions please PM.

[Fort York Redcoat]

Also:



Friday will be Toronto's only game at Lamport Stadium this season, so let's make this an epic night and have some fun.


TICKETS ARE $10.


June 8th
12:00 pm - Poland vs Greece (euro)
2:00 pm - Cuba vs Canada (World Cup Qualifier)
2:45 pm - Russia vs Czech Republic (euro)
8:00 pm - SC Toronto vs TFC Academy

more info is here: http://redpatchboys.ca/forums/showthread.php?26664-Toronto-FC-Academy/page23
and here https://www.facebook.com/events/232839513487301/


So at noon, regardless if you're watching TSN in Roncesvalles or on the Danforth you can take in the Canada game on Sportsnet at the Duke Gloucester, back to TSN for match 2 of the Euro and STILL get to the Accies match!!

[Canary10]

It just sunk in to me that our game is at 2:00 on Friday. Obviously the Cubans weren't thinking about maximizing tv audiences....

[Stouffville_RPB]

It just sunk in to me that our game is at 2:00 on Friday. Obviously the Cubans weren't thinking about maximizing tv audiences....

No they weren't. Cuba doesn't care about TV ratings in Canada they are trying to qualify for the World Cup. The decision was made to try to make it tougher for the Canadians by playing at the hottest time of the day. Simeon Jackson isn't looking forward to it. He said on twitter that he was dying in Miami last week and isn't looking forward to the heat at that time in Cuba.

[Dreadlocks]

It just sunk in to me that our game is at 2:00 on Friday. Obviously the Cubans weren't thinking about maximizing tv audiences....

More than likely maximizing the extreme weather in Cuba at 2 PM in the afternoon for more of a home field advantage.

[tfcleeds]

No they weren't. Cuba doesn't care about TV ratings in Canada they are trying to qualify for the World Cup. The decision was made to try to make it tougher for the Canadians by playing at the hottest time of the day. Simeon Jackson isn't looking forward to it. He said on twitter that he was dying in Miami last week and isn't looking forward to the heat at that time in Cuba.Which makes me wonder why we don't try to "game the system" more by holding more of our home qualifiers in less desirable locations to give us more of an advantage. The other nations all do it, we should do it more. One of the big reasons we qualified in 86 was because we played the decisive game in a rainy, cold, St. John's. If we had played that game in Toronto, we very well may still have never participated in a World Cup.

[Canary10]

Yeah, I know all those things. The tv audience comment was more sarcasm. I absolutely know why they're doing it.

Everything become more real when I started to think how I was going to sneak out of work Friday afternoon to catch the second Euro game, and realized it's actually the earlier 2:00 game I need to get out for...

[Fort York Redcoat]

Which makes me wonder why we don't try to "game the system" more by holding more of our home qualifiers in less desirable locations to give us more of an advantage. The other nations all do it, we should do it more. One of the big reasons we qualified in 86 was because we played the decisive game in a rainy, cold, St. John's. If we had played that game in Toronto, we very well may still have never participated in a World Cup.

Disagree. While weather could be worse in one place to the next, I don't believe our players get that much an advantage. It's no new opinion but I don't think it's worth the trade of consistency when it comes to where the players play.

This is my opinion and obviously up for debate but look at recent results:

-Good or bad, people I talk to know where Canada plays. That's from consistency.
-The recent Womens China match held in Moncton didn't even sellout. The CSA counts on those smaller cities and areas to get behind Canada when they are awarded a match. People have been saying for years that that game in particular, China, would've been a goldmine played here or Vancouver.

[ManUtd4ever]

I've been to Cuba at this time of year in the past and that start time was definitely intended to create more of a home field advantage. It could easily be 40 degrees celsius at game time. Maybe our boys will luck out and it will rain.

[Stouffville_RPB]

I think the reason Canada doesn't do it more is that like FYR said, they don't get the support. If games are taken to North Bay for example what are the chances of getting 15k spectators?

Look at Squizz's "Mission Moncton". All he was trying to do was to get signatures of people who would be willing to go to a CMNT game in Moncton if the CSA held a match there. I think he got a couple of hundred signatures (under 300), would that many people actually travel? Who knows?

If it isn't convenient Canadians won't go out of their way to support so to the CSA it isn't worth it.

[tfcleeds]

I agree MOST of our matches should be played in places like Toronto or Vancouver, but if it ever came down to a final match again to determine qualification, I would have no problems playing the match in a place like St. John's or Winnipeg. Remember, St. John's only got 6,000 people for that final match vs. Honduras - but the point is they were all Canada fans that showed up, which is definitely an advantage. And if the conditions weren't great for the Canadian players, imagine what they would be like for our opposition. And if it came down to one match being the difference, I think you'd get that support, regardless of where it was held.

[Fort York Redcoat]

I agree MOST of our matches should be played in places like Toronto or Vancouver, but if it ever came down to a final match again to determine qualification, I would have no problems playing the match in a place like St. John's or Winnipeg. Remember, St. John's only got 6,000 people for that final match vs. Honduras - but the point is they were all Canada fans that showed up, which is definitely an advantage. And if the conditions weren't great for the Canadian players, imagine what they would be like for our opposition. And if it came down to one match being the difference, I think you'd get that support, regardless of where it was held.

I think we've both seen the stats on this incredible game and what kind of perfect storm it was. China in Moncton proved that it needs to be more than an anniversary friendly, like Toronto, except we had 3 times the number of Canadians at the match.

[jabbronies]

With more of our national team being made up of international based players coming from different places around the world, logistics plays a big role in where we play.
Getting a dozen guys from different parts of the world to land in Moncton, NB may not be as simple as a direct flight to the local airport. What about Moncton to Cuba - is there a direct flight for that game as well or do they have to travel out of Toronto for that?

Do players really want to travel around the country for 2-3 weeks on top of traveling abroad to play in qualifiers on top of traveling to and from their current home location?
Different for European countries where the travel time isn't as great. Time zones play a big factor as well.

if we are successful in this round, I can see the NT setting up shop in one location that is convenient for the players and to the location of the games to be played. Gives the players some sense of stability and allows them to relax and focus on the game as oppose to travel.

[Joe Kool]

I've been to Cuba at this time of year in the past and that start time was definitely intended to create more of a home field advantage. It could easily be 40 degrees celsius at game time. Maybe our boys will luck out and it will rain.

Forecast is 31 degrees (feels like 42 with humidity)...POP 80% with Thunder-showers. Looks like definite rain and maybe even game delay if lightning shows up during the match. Did the Canada national team borrow our weather machine that we used on Vancouver last year?

[ManUtd4ever]

Forecast is 31 degrees (feels like 42 with humidity)...POP 80% with Thunder-showers. Looks like definite rain and maybe even game delay if lightning shows up during the match. Did the Canada national team borrow our weather machine that we used on Vancouver last year?

LOL, maybe mother nature will be on our side after all.

[Lumpy]

I thought it was a long time since de Rosario scored an open field goal for Canada but I was really surprised it's been almost 4 years since he scored on anything other than a penalty. Maybe it's time to give someone else a shot. Canada needs to score more goals to advance.

[Richard]

I thought it was a long time since de Rosario scored an open field goal for Canada but I was really surprised it's been almost 4 years since he scored on anything other than a penalty. Maybe it's time to give someone else a shot. Canada needs to score more goals to advance.

Holy crap. Just curious how many games did he play since then though? Scoring penalties is also easier said than done, i would like to know his assit total as well.

[spe18]

With more of our national team being made up of international based players coming from different places around the world, logistics plays a big role in where we play.
Getting a dozen guys from different parts of the world to land in Moncton, NB may not be as simple as a direct flight to the local airport. What about Moncton to Cuba - is there a direct flight for that game as well or do they have to travel out of Toronto for that?

Do players really want to travel around the country for 2-3 weeks on top of traveling abroad to play in qualifiers on top of traveling to and from their current home location?
Different for European countries where the travel time isn't as great. Time zones play a big factor as well.

if we are successful in this round, I can see the NT setting up shop in one location that is convenient for the players and to the location of the games to be played. Gives the players some sense of stability and allows them to relax and focus on the game as oppose to travel.

The Americans have alot of foreign based players too, and 2 of their qualifiers will be in Tampa & Kansas City.

[jabbronies]

The Americans have alot of foreign based players too, and 2 of their qualifiers will be in Tampa & Kansas City.

Again, logistics play a big role in where they play.
the Americans are not flying from Tampa to Kansas. Those games are 4 months apart so logistics are not that much of a concern for them. Kansas is also mid-america so flying anywhere from there isn't that bad. the americans also have cash to pay for things like chartered planes. Canada doesn't. With that being said can we get the NT from Moncton to the Caribbean as easily as we would if we left from Toronto? Probably not. That's what I mean by logistics.

At the end of the day I think the NT is realizing they don't have the luxury that other countries may have. Our roster isn't that deep so to flying players all over the place and tiring them out isn't ideal considering our bench isn't good enough to step in and maintain the consistent level that the starters bring.

Not saying it won't happen, we could very well play games in Moncton and then call it a day, but the reality is with money constraints, lack of depth and just location and transportation limitations with being out that far, I think the NT is starting to reconsider how it deals with qualifiers and how to get the most out of what little they have.