U-Sector – The Original Toronto FC Supporters Group

Club vs. Country, TFC style

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

De Guzman, starring for Canada at Gold Cup 2007.

Yesterday the CSA finally announced what every hardcore Canadian soccer supporter had long known, that its men’s national team would be taking on powerhouse Argentina in Buenos Aires on May 25.

Somehow, little Canada got chosen as the opponent for Lionel Messi and company’s final preparatory match prior to jetting off to South Africa for the World Cup. In fact, the match will also headline Argentina’s bicentenary celebration.

Never mind the fact that the oft-maligned CSA somehow managed to convince a two-time World Cup winner that Canada was a worthy opponent in such an impoirtant match, as this”new” CSA seems to be doing things right more often than wrong these days (that’s not to ignore all that the Association has done wrong over the years, but that’s a much longer tale).

The big story here is that the match – the most glamourous friendly that Canada has been involved in since it hosted Brazil on Edmonton one week prior to the opening of the 1994 World Cup – falls smack dab in the middle of the MLS season, and is not on a FIFA-mandated international date. What this means, of course, is that any club still playing its schedule at the end of May is under no obligation to release its players.

For Argentina this is no problem, as all of its players star in European leagues that will have either ended their seasons or shut down by then for the impending World Cup tournament. For Canada this is a big problem, as many of its key players ply their trade in MLS, which is famous for playing through FIFA international dates and tournaments.

Of course, this game does not fall on a FIFA date, as previously mentioned. But that’s beside the point. Canada doesn’t get invited to such hotbeds of football like El Monumental very often, and some of its MLS players may want the opportunity to play in this match, regardless of the rules.

TFC, for all the criticism its taken from some quarters for fielding players who have skipped the Gold Cup tournament or friendlies to focus on their club, would be well within its rights to refuse Canadian coach Stephen Hart’s request for some of its players, should it come along. But what if star players like Dwayne de Rosario and Julian de Guzman voice their desire to play in Argentina?

Toronto has seven games scheduled for the month of May, including MLS matches versus New England and San Jose on the 22nd and 29th, and what could be the deciding game of the Voyageurs Cup at home against Vancouver on June 2nd. They simply cannot afford to lose even one of JDG or DeRo during such a crucial stretch, let alone any other Canadian players.

Yet, if any of the Canucks in the side quietly asked Preki for permission to play in the Argentina match, would he be able to say “no” so easily? Does Preki want to risk disappointing De Guzman, his highest-priced player and midfield general, should the star ask to go? Will De Rosario, the club’s leading scorer and main attacking talent, take kindly to not being allowed to represent his own country? Will a young stud like Nana Attakora feel alienated by his coach if Preki was forced to deny a request to fly south for a week in the middle of the worst stretch of the 2010 TFC season?

To me, Preki has to say no, as his job is to give Toronto FC the best chances to win games, and losing anyone during the ridiculous May stretch is just not conducive to that goal. That said, if the players ask to go (because I really think it will be up to the players as Hart has no real ground to stand on requesting players on a non FIFA date) does Preki risk the potential rift denying such a request may cause?

Only time will tell, of course, but how typically Canadian soccer it is that this is even an issue.

Posted by Rudi Schuller