How the MLS can change soccer in Canada...

I was working in the US when the MLS was born. I remember watching the first All Star game, in 1996, from a regional Olympic Development Camp and I clearly remember thinking that this league might change everything. Ten years later I was at the MLS Cup final in Dallas with 22,000 other people in a soccer specific stadium and everything had changed.  I was fortunate enough to see the first MLS game in Vancouver, this time my thought was that this league could change everything for us here in Canada, but will we have to wait 10 years to see change, and more importantly: what is the change that MLS has brought to soccer in North America.

Prior to the MLS American players had to leave the country to play at a decent level, Mike Sorber for instance currently one of Bob Bradley’s assistants played in Mexico from 94 to 96 before coming back to the US. The US World Cup 94 squad was littered with players playing all over the world, on the playing side things don’t seem to have changed too much as the 2010 US Squad only had 4 players playing in MLS.

The real change in the soccer landscape in the US has been in the coaching department. Take a look at the US National coaching staff:

Bob Bradley coached in the MLS, Mike Sorber played in the MLS, Jesse Marsch played in the MLS and Lubos Kubik also played in the MLS. Interestingly enough Kubik managed Torquay United but was fired after 2 wins in 15 games! Recently fired U20 Coach Thomas Rongen coached in the MLS and current U18 coach Mike Matkovich also coached in the MLS. Major League Soccer has become the breeding ground for American coaches. Since the league started in 1996 only three non US nationals have won the coach of the year award, Rongen in 96, our own Frank Yallop in 2001 and Steve Nichol in 2002, all the other winners have been home grown American coaches. Does anyone doubt that Real salt Lake’s Jason Kreis will join that list?

I had the pleasure of working with Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis and their GM and VP Garth Lagerway for a very brief period of time in 1994. I would doubt that they have much memory of me, but I remember them very clearly as two young guys who were even then, professional in their approach to the game. Both are first class guys, and products of the American new soccer culture. The MLS has provided them with an opportunity to follow their trade and they are working at the top of the game. 

What about Canadian Coaches?

There have only been two Canadian Coaches in MLS history, Frank Yallop and Nick Dasovic are the only two Canadians to have coached in a league that is almost 17 years old. That is the same number of coaches that Vancouver has had in half a season and a third of the coaches Toronto FC has had in their short time in the league. The Canadian versions of Kreis and Lagerway are certainly out there but will there be opportunities for them to play and ultimately coach in a domestic league? I am hoping that in time we will see more Canadian’s on the coaching staff of the soon to be three Canadian MLS franchises.

Frank Yallop has proven to be a great success in the MLS and in my opinion Nick Dasovic was never given an even chance in Toronto, the ownership was far to busy planning the Dutch revolution to seriously consider Dasovic. In order for our game to continue to grow we need to produce home grown coaches and these coaches need a place to coach.

I bumped into Victor Montagliani a few weeks ago and we talked a little about the current CSA moratorium on Canadian franchises applying to join US leagues. At first glance I along with many others couldn’t understand the thought behind this, but I think the CSA wants to check on quality control before it rubber stamps any new ‘clubs’. This makes perfect sense to me now, because at this point in time the last thing we need is new clubs appearing and disappearing because they don’t have a sustainable model.  I have seen far too many of these clubs try to run before they can walk and disappear without a trace during a season, and this reflect poorly on the whole soccer community. Maybe the CSA should look at imposing the same Canadian content rules in clubs as Canadian radio stations do! If that produced the footballing equivalent of The Arcade Fire, we would all be happy.

Now, back to the MLS, it’s not going to happen overnight, but Canadian content both on the field and in the dug out has to be the best chance we have of getting back to a World Cup.  It must be very difficult for the National program to find any continuity between training camps and games as the squad is so spread out. We have recently seen a number of International teams base their operations in Europe as the vast majority of their players are over there and they have the finances to travel at will. At the moment we seem to be stuck between a rock and a hard place as we have some players playing in Europe and some of them here in the MLS, and we all know that the CSA isn’t rolling in cash.  A long term solution could be getting our players back here playing in a North American league for Canadian coaches in front of Canadian fans. Here’s hoping it doesn’t take 10 years!

Just a quick reminder, the next Lower Island Soccer Coaches Association meeting is on Friday 24^th June at 6pm at the Braefoot turf field in Victoria. The session will focus on basic dribbling and turning skills and our guest coach will be Dominic Butcher who will be introducing us to some basic movement skills.

Thanks to Lakehill Soccer association for the use of the field and as always remember to bring your boots!

It’s technique stupid…

Bill Clinton won the 1992 US Presidential election for a number of reasons, but a key turning point in the campaign was the Democrats phrase “It’s the economy stupid”. Once they woke the American public up to the fact that economy wasn’t that great the rest, as they say, is history. I have just spent the best part of three months conducting evaluations, I have been doing them that long that the other day I managed to select an over 35 men’s team from the line up at Tim Horton’s in Esquimalt! After 10 weeks of assessments I have an answer to the question, what do you look for in a player…Its technique stupid! I am using the work stupid for effect, so please don’t take offence.

Identifying speed and size is easy, but speed and size don’t guarantee anything. We have all seen the big donkey up front who couldn’t hit a barn door and the flying machine out wide that can’t cross a ball. The key ingredient and missing factor in so many players is lack of technique.  If a player has poor technique they will never reach their full potential. 

We all witnessed a technical master class from Barcelona in the Champions League final against a pretty good Manchester United team and I am hopeful that the one thing we will all take away from the Barcelona experience is that commitment to technical perfection.

Since the final there have been numerous articles that tell us we must copy Barcelona, this isn’t uncommon in soccer. We all want to imitate Brazil and try to play like the Dutch. The issue with trying to copy Barcelona is this, it’s not a style of play it’s a culture. Players in La Masia are schooled in the Barcelona culture, doing the things the right way and with style. As I previously stated, I don’t think you can copy a culture, but you can copy traits of that culture.

When I watch Barcelona play three things are always apparent in their play.

First of all, technical ability of the highest order across the team, they do the simple things perfectly and therefore always have time on the ball regardless of the pressure applied by their opponent.

Secondly, an amazing work ethic and commitment to winning the ball back as soon as possible. It’s not uncommon to see Messi chase the ball across the opponents back four at high speed for 40 metres. The oppositions have no safe space to play into and no area of the field to build in because of this pressure.

Finally: a commitment to team over the individual.  Billy Bremner, of Leeds and Scotland, was famously quoted as saying “Team before self every time”. There are many other great things this team does but they are truly a team and this is linked to the work ethic. If a player sees the greatest of his generation, Messi, or Iniesta or Xavi, working overtime to win the ball back then he will be inspired to follow the example. Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney possess similar qualities to Messi but lack his technical ability, Christiano Ronaldo matches Messi in technical ability, in my opinion but he couldn’t play for Barcelona as his ego would not allow him to become part of the collective.

Can we take these three traits, technical excellence, hard work and team work, from the Barcelona culture and apply them to youth soccer in Canada?

There is no reason why not, we just need to raise the bar and educate our players in the art of teamwork and hard work. I am not a big hockey fan, but I know a group of players committed to a cause when I see one. I would like to see the Canucks with the Stanley Cup because it’s clear that they are a group of players that have a deep understanding of what it means to be on a team and the commitment it takes to be the very best. If they manage to win the Cup than we have a great example to show our players that team sport is more about the group than it is the individual, sadly this seems to be something that is lacking in other team sports at the moment.

Barcelona and the Canucks, if successful, are great examples for our players to follow, both are highly skilled team filled with great players who play an exciting brand of their sport. More importantly they are great role models, which as a parent of a young son is a key part of my admiration for both teams.

Now, back to technique, the next Lower Island Soccer Coaches Association meeting will take place on Friday 24^th June at Braefoot Turf field month, the topic will be dribbling and basic turns. Our special guest will be Dominic Butcher who will talk about Fundamental Movement Skills, thanks to Lakehill Soccer Association for the use of their field.

I hope to see as many of you as possible and don’t forget to bring your boots.