Quote:
Originally Posted by CroFlames
This might be a cause that the players can rally and unite around. Go to war for the man next to you type of deal.
It could also be a disaster with disunity between players and association leading to massive distractions.
Frankly at this point my hope is Canada doesn’t get embarrassed in Qatar.
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Nah the team on the field will be fine. They qualified with all this going on in the background and grew up in this system with all this sort of stuff going on in the background, so it’s nothing new, it has just come to public light, finally.
I am sure if you ask any MNT member from the last 30 years, none of this CSA political and behind the scenes garbage is new to them in one form or another, this team just had a strong leader in Herdman who wouldn’t give into the usual CSA suggestions, and, without the success they had, there was no brighter spotlight on the CSA and thus no Rick Westhead to take this cause up. Seriously, of all the press in this country, for the organization that oversees the largest participation sport in the country, only one guy is raising these red flags?
Again, Herdman ironically himself as coach because the CSA didn’t want to have the massive embarrassment of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars and a year of time more to find a new coach after doing the same for the last one, and the last one didn’t want to deal with their #### after 8 months, so they moved the womens coach over in Herdman, overnight and without warning.
Other previous MNTs didn’t have this leader. That said, Herdman took the job and asked for assurances (because it was so rushed and CSA so desperate) that previous coaches didn’t get, probably most around meddling from people within the CSA, so he also has luxuries previous coaches (and their teams) didn’t have when dealing with the CSA day to day.
I am sure internally Herdman uses this Mickey Mouse organization as motivation and taking points with the players but you won’t see those speeches on this CSA produced series.
That said, post World Cup, it could get ugly. Herdman would have to be extended. Or maybe he wants to leave. Players will ratchet up demands that have yet to be addressed 7 months after they first came to light, but a CSA who was defiant at the time and still appears to be now. You have the star player taking up the mantle a bit already (Davies and used his likeness and jersey sales)and he should continue to use his influence to affect change. But, soccer will be out of sight out of mind in this country come January for a couple years.
I have no doubt there will be a bit of a house cleaning at all levels of the CSA for optics only, but like the history of the CSA, it’s just the next political infight to get the next semi corrupt leader who will come in and use buzzwords like “inclusion” and “making things right” (ie not handing in tracksuits) and have the support of half the CSA board and have enemies with the other half. Same old, same old.
And now the CSB is a huge x factor, who answers to no one, collects all the money generated by MNT WNT and provincial associations, as a for profit, and is involved through the 2026 WC.
With no qualifying to worry about, as mentioned WC soccer will be out of the big media spotlight in this country for the next 2.5 or 3 years probably until things like ticket packages and the 2026 WC draw occurs, so it’s good that there is a Westhead to have a voice for the players and to keep people in general informed of the BS ongoing behind the scenes with the sports national governing body….it’s never been done and the reckoning is required.
