Today's News,Monday, June,07

[denime]

Mornin'


No tell-Teal signs


Bunbury comes home


SUNSHINE

[Fort York Redcoat]

So translation,

Teal Bunbury will pick a "home" to play for after a couple seasons in MLS and see if the US wants him.

Canada could use him now.

[keem-o-sabi]

Coed Girls 1 and 2 both chicks were in the armed forces, very nice.

[DichioTFC]

So translation,

Teal Bunbury will pick a "home" to play for after a couple seasons in MLS and see if the US wants him.

Canada could use him now.

If the CSA cant convince its brightest Canadian soccer players to play for its squad, its going to have a hard time convincing me to support it.

I know theres more to the situation, there always is, but seriously, with the quality of players we have who stopped calling Canada home after growing up here (Hargraves, Begovic, Bunbury, JDG2) is insane.

Those four, plus DeRo, JDG, Nana and we're halfway to a WC-quality squad

[shutupkid]

SSG " the hazel-eyed beauty" has the most photoshopped blue eyes I have ever seen. Idiots.

[scooter]

mornin d

[Oldtimer]

Bunbury said on the Fan590 Soccer Show that he for sure wanted to play for Canada (he has duel Canada-US citizenship).

Now the US has come knocking and he's not so sure.

If he doesn't feel any pride wearing the maple leaf, I don't want him on the squad.

[Roogsy]

Do you know what the funny thing is about these guys? None of them have any sense of reality and perspective. They are just bad, bad businessmen.

Bunbury would have almost a sure-shot at being a regular on the Canadian national team.

On the US side? It's a dogfight.

Say Bunbury gets tied to the US squad at some point but then some up-and-coming kid takes his spot at a future event like the next World Cup. Boy, that Canadian spot would look mighty attractive AND unavailable wouldn't it?

[CretanBull]

Do you know what the funny thing is about these guys? None of them have any sense of reality and perspective. They are just bad, bad businessmen.

Bunbury would have almost a sure-shot at being a regular on the Canadian national team.

On the US side? It's a dogfight.

Say Bunbury gets tied to the US squad at some point but then some up-and-coming kid takes his spot at a future event like the next World Cup. Boy, that Canadian spot would look mighty attractive AND unavailable wouldn't it?

I think that's the lesson that JDG2 is in the process of learning...the problem (or is it fortunate thing?) is that new FIFA rules don't hold players to their decisions like they did in the past. So there's nothing to stop Bunbury from shooting for America, but settling for Canada if it doesn't work out for him. From a Canadian perspective, there's pros and cons to that...

[Darlofletch]

Do you know what the funny thing is about these guys? None of them have any sense of reality and perspective. They are just bad, bad businessmen.

Bunbury would have almost a sure-shot at being a regular on the Canadian national team.

On the US side? It's a dogfight.

Say Bunbury gets tied to the US squad at some point but then some up-and-coming kid takes his spot at a future event like the next World Cup. Boy, that Canadian spot would look mighty attractive AND unavailable wouldn't it?

a) that same scenario could happen with the Canadian team as well, it's unlikely but there's no guarantees.

b) I think it's fairly natural among elite level athletes to aim as high as you can and really challenge yourself, and want to play with and against the best.

Say he settles for the safe pick, gets tied to Canada, then really develops into a top top player, then has to sit back and watch as lesser players make their way in to the U.S team and get to play in the world cup. Unless you're super patriotic about Canada, and couldn't stomach the idea of playing for someone else, then it makes sense to keep your options open, at least while you're still developing and haven't reached your peak yet.

Admittedly that's all hypothetical and this is where the sense of reality and perspective comes in, because he certainly didn't look impresive on saturday.

[James17930]

I wish people would stop asking guys like Bunbury though -- it just shows our anxiety and insecurity.

He'll choose when he chooses. And if he doesn't choose Canada then fuck him.

[DichioTFC]

^ the problem is that we need our best talent to make the WC, and that means asking / reaching out to people who feel Canada is secondary. From a strategic standpoint, it might be better to convince him now (Canada being out of WC qualifying, USA a strong WC side with strong domestic players) as opposed to when qualifying comes around and some US coach soups his head up about his chances to make it on the US team.

[bgnewf]

I wish people would stop asking guys like Bunbury though -- it just shows our anxiety and insecurity.

He'll choose when he chooses. And if he doesn't choose Canada then fuck him.

Fully agree with this.

I want players to want to play for Canada. If they don't want to come here or are hemming and haweing over a choice that they might have then are they the kind of player we want to cheer for anyways?

On the flip side I am hopeful that the CSA and Steven Hart can create enough of a successful program that Canadian players that have this kind of choice actually choose Canada first.

And to back up James here, if they don't then fuck them and the horse they rode in on.

[Fort York Redcoat]

If the CSA cant convince its brightest Canadian soccer players to play for its squad, its going to have a hard time convincing me to support it.

I know theres more to the situation, there always is, but seriously, with the quality of players we have who stopped calling Canada home after growing up here (Hargraves, Begovic, Bunbury, JDG2) is insane.

Those four, plus DeRo, JDG, Nana and we're halfway to a WC-quality squad

Sorry but Why would you support the CSA?

Not a pisstake. I fully expect you to hope he jumps. I would.

[Fort York Redcoat]

I think that's the lesson that JDG2 is in the process of learning...the problem (or is it fortunate thing?) is that new FIFA rules don't hold players to their decisions like they did in the past. So there's nothing to stop Bunbury from shooting for America, but settling for Canada if it doesn't work out for him. From a Canadian perspective, there's pros and cons to that...

Difference being the leagues the most recent batch of turncoats all play overseas away from the footie spotlight here.

This lad and others that hopefully follow playing in their own league will have to revisit these questions a few times a year.

[zamperina]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/columns/story/_/id/5253790/ce/us/us-team-decades-futility?cc=5901&ver=us

ESPN article detailing the difficulties of The USA qualifying from 1954 - 1986...They have qualified for every WC since '90...The article sounds like it could be written for Canada's continuing troubles.

[[NBF]]

The CSA is a volunteer group that seems to hold alot of power for whatever the reason, something tells me that the way this country runs the soccer system will end up with more players wanting to play for whoever gives them an out.

[Flipityflu]

really, if you have to THINK about it, concerns about committment arise...

[gtaguy]

I wish people would stop asking guys like Bunbury though -- it just shows our anxiety and insecurity.

He'll choose when he chooses. And if he doesn't choose Canada then fuck him.

Amen to that..

[TFC07]

I would be shocked if he played for USA. He already played for Canada's U-17 and U-20 teams and his father is a legend in Canadian soccer. I am sure he'll eventually get called up by national team soon (I wouldn't be surprised he gets called for Peru match in Toronto).

[TorCanSoc]

^ Friendlies no longer count toward declaring your country. He's half-American no? So his split in loyalties can be understandable.

[bgnewf]

In this video blog I explain what is going on in the mind of maligned MLS official Balderomo Toledo and why he feels the need to ruin Soccer games, plus some perspective on the first third of the season going into the World Cup Break, and how to recognize me at TFC games for the rest of the season.

http://viewfromthesouthstands.com/2010/06/toledo-sucks/