Today’s News, Thursday, Jun.19
Carver won't rush young gun
Ibrahim already raising eyebrows even though he's just 16 years old
MORGAN CAMPBELL
SPORTS REPORTER
The newest member of Toronto FC isn't old enough to vote or buy alcohol, or even drive by himself on Ontario highways.
Abdus Ibrahim received his licence just six months ago in the U.S. and is still too new a driver to qualify for full privileges here.
But head coach John Carver doesn't think the 16-year-old striker is too young to fit in to the team's plans.
The question is, how soon?
Last year FC Dallas selected Ibrahim, then just 15, in the second round of the MLS Superdraft.
Ibrahim won't comment on the situation that led to him leaving Dallas, but he's been in Toronto nearly three weeks, practising with TFC and living with an uncle in North York.
Last Friday, TFC completed a trade with Dallas to make him an official member of the team, and Carver said that if Ibrahim's work permit had been processed in time, Ibrahim would have dressed for last Saturday's game against Colorado.
But dressing is a long way from playing.
Just ask Julius James.
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Canada confident heading into second leg
The Canadian Press
June 18, 2008 at 6:30 PM EDT
MONTREAL — The lush grass pitch at the new Saputo Stadium proved more than acceptable for Paul Stalteri, captain of Canada's national soccer team.
“It's fantastic,” the veteran defender for English club Fulham said Wednesday after his team's first workout at the host stadium for their World Cup qualifying match against St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
“I can't remember the last time I've been on a pitch in Canada that's so nice and flush and flat and smooth. It's up there with the best in Europe.”
Canada hopes to use the Saputo surface, at the wide end of regulation size, to dazzle the Caribbean islanders for a second match in a row when they meet on Friday night. The Canadians emerged from the first leg of the two-game total-goals series with a 3-0 victory in St. Vincent on Sunday.
A win would put Canada into Stage 3 of qualifying in the CONCACAF zone, which will be a round robin tournament against Mexico, Honduras and Jamaica beginning in August.
The top two from that group reach the final qualifying stage, a six-team round robin in which the top three go to the World Cup in South Africa in 2010. The fourth-place team also has a chance, but must beat the fifth-place side from South America.
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SUNSHINE :rolleyes:
