georg
06-29-2007, 12:13 PM
Soccer tournament critical for rising stars
Cleve Dheensaw, Times Colonist
Published: Friday, June 29, 2007
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/sports/story.html?id=21bee2b7-b2bc-4e68-a845-aed8fb610c2c&k=47812
The FIFA Under-20 World Cup of soccer is in many ways a preview of the senior 2014 World Cup. It's that significant. In some cases, the impact could be felt as soon as South Africa 2010 -- Lionel Messi went from leading Argentina to the Under-20 crown in 2005 to playing for his senior national side last year at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Canadians are often treated as the puck-addled country bumpkins of the soccer world. But the reality is Canada is a far more sophisticated sporting nation than it is often given credit for. There is every indication Canadians understand the magnitude of the U-20 World Cup and that it dwarfs the world junior hockey championships by several warp speeds. We've even built a new national soccer stadium in Toronto, which will host the championship game on July 22.
It begins tomorrow, when a capacity crowd of 55,000 will gather at Olympic Stadium in Montreal to watch rising American sensation Freddy Adu play South Korea and the famously flashy Brazilians play Poland to kick off the tournament that will put Canada on the soccer map.
A crowd of 55,000 for soccer in Canada? Yes, that's right, and a near-capacity crowd of about 25,000 in Ottawa -- enough to make the CFL crazy with envy -- is expected tomorrow at Frank Clair Stadium as Group E opens.
Both Team Canada and Victoria are up the following day. Suddenly it's all very real.
Team Canada's CBC nationally-televised opener against Chile in Toronto at the new 20,000-seat BMO national soccer stadium sold out long ago with much riding on the outcome because success for the home side can lift an entire World Cup and send the whole tournament soaring to an emotional crescendo.
Victoria is the smallest of the six Canadian host cities, yet ticket sales have swelled to about 10,000 for the Group F openers Sunday at Royal Athletic Park and it looks to be headed for a sellout of 11,400.
"There are still tickets remaining but we're anticipating a full stadium for Sunday," said Harold McNeill, chairman of the Victoria venue organizing committee. "It's hectic around here, but everything is fitting together."
And smile. The magnitude of the event hits home with the massive CBC production trucks parked next to Royal Athletic Park and with the crews in town from BBC-Scotland and Fuji-TV.
The practice pitches are lush and verdant as Oak Bay, Esquimalt and Victoria parks department staff and St. Michaels University School ground crews have done a magnificent job of pleasing these demanding and discriminating coaches and players.
And the sense of escalating tension in the Nigerian, Scottish, Japanese and Costa Rican camps is almost palpable. Many of these players have big money in their pro futures, but right now they are still basically restive teens about to step onto the world stage. Each of the four national sides in the balanced Group F is good enough to survive group play and advance to the playoff rounds. But only two will. There's a lot at stake for both the teams and the players with scouts from big-time pro clubs such as Liverpool to Inter-Milan expected to be watching.
"This is the opportunity being given to them -- to do it for their country and to do it for themselves," said Amanze Uchegbulam, vice-president of the Nigerian Football Association, as he watched his team practise.
The 2005 Nigerian U-20 team, which lost 2-1 to Messi and the Argentines at the last U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands, graduated players such as Mikel John Obi to Chelsea and Taye Taiwo to Olympique Marseilles.
That's the calibre of the emerging pro talent that will be on display in Victoria and five other Canadian cities. Throw in the passion and pride that comes with wearing your nation's colours, and it promises to be a splendid and unforgettable month across Canada.
Cleve Dheensaw, Times Colonist
Published: Friday, June 29, 2007
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/sports/story.html?id=21bee2b7-b2bc-4e68-a845-aed8fb610c2c&k=47812
The FIFA Under-20 World Cup of soccer is in many ways a preview of the senior 2014 World Cup. It's that significant. In some cases, the impact could be felt as soon as South Africa 2010 -- Lionel Messi went from leading Argentina to the Under-20 crown in 2005 to playing for his senior national side last year at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Canadians are often treated as the puck-addled country bumpkins of the soccer world. But the reality is Canada is a far more sophisticated sporting nation than it is often given credit for. There is every indication Canadians understand the magnitude of the U-20 World Cup and that it dwarfs the world junior hockey championships by several warp speeds. We've even built a new national soccer stadium in Toronto, which will host the championship game on July 22.
It begins tomorrow, when a capacity crowd of 55,000 will gather at Olympic Stadium in Montreal to watch rising American sensation Freddy Adu play South Korea and the famously flashy Brazilians play Poland to kick off the tournament that will put Canada on the soccer map.
A crowd of 55,000 for soccer in Canada? Yes, that's right, and a near-capacity crowd of about 25,000 in Ottawa -- enough to make the CFL crazy with envy -- is expected tomorrow at Frank Clair Stadium as Group E opens.
Both Team Canada and Victoria are up the following day. Suddenly it's all very real.
Team Canada's CBC nationally-televised opener against Chile in Toronto at the new 20,000-seat BMO national soccer stadium sold out long ago with much riding on the outcome because success for the home side can lift an entire World Cup and send the whole tournament soaring to an emotional crescendo.
Victoria is the smallest of the six Canadian host cities, yet ticket sales have swelled to about 10,000 for the Group F openers Sunday at Royal Athletic Park and it looks to be headed for a sellout of 11,400.
"There are still tickets remaining but we're anticipating a full stadium for Sunday," said Harold McNeill, chairman of the Victoria venue organizing committee. "It's hectic around here, but everything is fitting together."
And smile. The magnitude of the event hits home with the massive CBC production trucks parked next to Royal Athletic Park and with the crews in town from BBC-Scotland and Fuji-TV.
The practice pitches are lush and verdant as Oak Bay, Esquimalt and Victoria parks department staff and St. Michaels University School ground crews have done a magnificent job of pleasing these demanding and discriminating coaches and players.
And the sense of escalating tension in the Nigerian, Scottish, Japanese and Costa Rican camps is almost palpable. Many of these players have big money in their pro futures, but right now they are still basically restive teens about to step onto the world stage. Each of the four national sides in the balanced Group F is good enough to survive group play and advance to the playoff rounds. But only two will. There's a lot at stake for both the teams and the players with scouts from big-time pro clubs such as Liverpool to Inter-Milan expected to be watching.
"This is the opportunity being given to them -- to do it for their country and to do it for themselves," said Amanze Uchegbulam, vice-president of the Nigerian Football Association, as he watched his team practise.
The 2005 Nigerian U-20 team, which lost 2-1 to Messi and the Argentines at the last U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands, graduated players such as Mikel John Obi to Chelsea and Taye Taiwo to Olympique Marseilles.
That's the calibre of the emerging pro talent that will be on display in Victoria and five other Canadian cities. Throw in the passion and pride that comes with wearing your nation's colours, and it promises to be a splendid and unforgettable month across Canada.