The Lead
On the eve of Canada’s biggest game since 1998, Sportsnet has laid a giant turd on the Canadian soccer news cycle:
Canada is not just playing for a spot in the fourth and final round of 2014 World Cup qualifying Tuesday afternoon.
Veteran Canadian midfielder Julian de Guzman told Sportsnet Monday evening that his younger brother, Swansea City midfielder Jonathan de Guzman, will play for his home country should Canada earn a positive result versus Honduras.
“He will be there. I can put my life on that, if we make it to the next round,” Julian de Guzman said. “He will be here. He says it. He knows it now.”
Julian De Guzman has yet again decided to put his brother in the news cycle right before a major game. Would he have waited a single day, this would have been a sort-of-okay feel good story, perhaps maybe. And of course, Julian does his brother’s dirty work, in addition to flashing Junior Hoilett’s name:
“[Jonathan] brings Junior, he brings the next Owen Hargreaves-type player. He brings all the other guys who second-guessed Canada. I think it makes sense,” Julian said. “When there is success in the national team, it’s definitely going to attract a lot of people. Not just fans, and marketing, but the right players involved.”
I understand the implications here for Canada, for 2014, for the World Cup in what I’m about to write (not that what I write matters a damn fig). But please, PLEASE Stephen Hart: Just Say No to Jonathan. Canada isn’t some Championship side on the verge of promotion. Playing for your country isn’t a “marketing” opportunity. Yes, Jonathan is holding his own in Michael Laudrup’s Swansea, yes Junior Hoilett would be a welcome addition in any national team side.
But if any of this was serious, Jonathan would already be in talks with the CSA, in private, working out the details. In fact, if Jonathan was serious, this move would have happened already. There are guys out there who have already given their all for this country. Canada didn’t need Jonathan or Junior tomorrow, it needed them today, in Honduras, to help them win or draw.
Please Stephen Hart, don’t do it.
Links
Sid Lowe previews Spain versus France [The Guardian].
Steven Gerrard responds to Patrick Vieira saying something bad about something [BBC].
One match, one goal for team USA [Sports Illustrated].
An interview with Per Mertesacker [Bundesliga Fanatic].
John Brewin previews England’s game against Poland [ESPN].
Ben Massey on Canada and the Hex [Eighty-Six Forever].
Let’s cap them both…
in a meaningless friendly and then never play them again.
ZING!
I’m down with that.
This is what should happen.
Sounds good to me.
Or just use them to get thru the hex, then cast them off
Brilliant plan i’m all for it
I don’t entirely mind the news, as it’s kind of what I’ve expected. They want to play in the world cup, they figure they can’t do it with Canada – but if Canada gets to the hex for the first time since 1996, there’s a 50-50 chance we do make it straight there, and if we don’t there’s an extra 33% to face (likely) New Zealand for the trip. So I can buy this.
What I don’t like is Julian talking about it right before the big game. That seems like self-mutilation to me. But hey, we cheer for the CMNT, we are all masochists in the end.
This. I will be blunt. If either of these guys want to play for Canada, I don’t think we have a choice but to accept them. We may not like their dithering, but if there is an opportunity to tie a very high-quality player to the MNT forever (and don’t kid tyourself – these guys are quality), then we simply can’t say no, regardless of what our pride says.
But to do this on this day specifically is shitty taste on the part of JDG, JDG2, and Sportsnet. Now, you can’t really blame Sportsnet – as a media agency they need to avoid getting scooped by others. But the timing of both DeGuzman brothers is poor to say the least.
JDG should have known better, but the one I really blame is the reporter that asked the question. Seriously? This is what you want people to be reading about, today?
If either JDG2 or Hoilett want to join the fold, and show an appropriate amount of contrition, I’m ready to accept. But it should be the last thing on anyone’s mind today. I don’t think they are saviours at all, but considering how old the core of this team is, we’re going to need warm bodies for the next cycle anyway.
Why are people so bent outta shape about the timing of this story?
It doesn’t change anything. The players are not going to loose focus, they don’t have time to be reading stories on sportsnet. They are preparing for the game.
Right, because that’s what’s going to motivate the guys down in Honduras: “If you guys win, two of you will lose your spots on the team to semi-Canadians!”
The timing is dumb, for sure. However, if Junior or Jonathan wants to put on the Canadian strip, I take them right away.
I don’t think Julian realizes how much his brother is despised in places, at the US Canada friendly this year someone thoght they saw him and the section I was in went nuts, booing, name calling, it was just some poor shmuck wondering what he did wrong when he went to the loo, but it was pretty nasty.
The fact we were from Brampton and heard Ian Hume was starting, then not starting, got us in a bad mood to begin with.
The timing is fine for this. It’s hype for the game. He’s trying to put things into perspective here. He’s telling people what we already know in that if Canada gets results, players like this will actually want to play for Canada, and maybe one day the future stars of the game will even DREAM of playing for Canada.
As for whether Canada takes on players like this or not, I would suggest that if they are willing to play hard for Canada, and Hart thinks they can fit into the system without breaking up the chemistry of the team, go for it. If Hart wants to stick with the team that he’s used thus far, I can understand that too. For me it’d be ideal to play them in some non-qualifiers (friendlies and/or Gold Cup games next year) before bringing them in for WCQ to see if they are willing to play for Canada in the less glamorous games.
I think we should distinguish b/w JDG2 & Hoilett. I’m prepared to cut Junior some slack SOME being the key word. If I was Hart i’d go to Hoilett & tell him if his sorry opportunistic ass isn’t in the lineup for the 1st game of the hex, should we qualify, then he won’t play for Canada thru the rest of it & in Brazil for good measure.
As for JDG2 if can kindly piss off, he’s had his chance. We’re better off w/ some weasel like this. Rather lose than rely on him to succeed
I’mma say it once, and only once…
de guzman and toilett can GO FCK THEMSELVES.