Time to speak up about state of Canadian soccer
I have received numerous requests recently to wade into the murky waters of the ongoing power struggle at the Alberta Soccer Association (ASA). For those of you who are unaware of what has been going on in Alberta, there are two rival Boards vying for control of the ASA.

As the matter is now before a Court of Queen’s Bench justice, pending a decision in mid-August, it is not something on which I can comment. What I can comment on, though, is a letter that was forwarded to me by a member of the ASA in early June.

The letter is dated May 26, 2010, and it is from the Vice-President of the ASA, Mario Charpentier, to all members of the ASA.

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Man U youngsters stun MLS All-Stars
A sellout crowd of more than 70,000 and seven goals provided MLS with the atmosphere and excitement it wanted for the All-Star Game, won by Manchester United, 5-2, Wednesday at Reliant Stadium in Houston.

Here’s what we liked and didn’t like about the 2010 MLS All-Star Game …

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Toronto edges Motagua, 1-0, in CCL start
TORONTO — Chad Barrett’s first half goal stood up to lead Toronto FC over CD Motagua 1-0 Tuesday, moving the Canadian champion closer to its first appearance in the CONCACAF Champions League group stage.

Toronto now takes a 1-0 advantage in the two-leg Preliminary Round aggregate goal series down to the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa for the second leg Aug. 3.

“It’s a great result, it’s a positive thing to take a win out of here. It’s better than last year when we lost to Puerto Rico,” said Barrett. “In Honduras, it’s going to be tough and we’re going to have to be just as good if not better on their own field as they have the thick grass, they got their fans. It’s going to be tough.”

The winner will advance to the group stage and join MLS champion Real Salt Lake, Arabe Unido of Panama and the winner of the series between Mexico’s Cruz Azul and San Francisco FC of Panama.

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Summer Tours: Less than Meets the Eye
The temptation to stick it to the Eurosnobs — again — is bubbling within me. I shall resist it. Or I shall try, though I might as well point out that I have just finished watching the Kansas City Wizards beat Manchester United. The Wizards playing all the second half with 10 men, also needs mentioning.

While I’m about it I might as well tell you that earlier this afternoon (Sunday, that is) I ventured into deepest New Jersey — oddly, that’s where you have to go should you want to see the MLS’s New York team — and saw the Red Bulls beat Manchester City 2-1.

All of which sounds great for MLS — but which is actually not as great as it sounds. Because these games are not what they profess to be, certainly not what they’re advertised as. It’s hardly a secret that both Manchester teams are on tour without their best players.

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Late goals continue to hurt TFC
Toronto FC made a liar out of Preki on Saturday.

The Reds’ coach assured us that his players learned their lesson after conceding an injury-time goal in a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to the expansion Philadelphia Union last week.

“They understand [that game] was maybe a good warning for us at this part of the year [and] that we can’t things for granted,” Preki told reporters ahead of Toronto’s crucial home contest against FC Dallas.

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Turning around Canadian Soccer
It was good to hear Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson being interviewed on TSN’s Off The Record. When asked about Canadian soccer and our lack of success, he commented about the geographic disadvantages we face and the lack of motivation our players have once they reach 16. True enough, although rather simplistic for the 21st century.

Not to be too critical of Sir Alex, after all, he was not asking the questions and what would he know of the ingrained soccer problems we face in our country. He has never lived the experience.

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It’s always soccer season somewhere
I remember standing in the back row of a rickety, bare-bones soccer stadium in – of all places – Venice, Italy.

Venezia. La Serenissima. A town where, on many of its winding, warren-like alleyways, the average building is a 16th-century palazzo.

It was 1997. I hadn’t come specifically for soccer, but I wasn’t going to let this dream vacation pass without attending a match.

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Henry’s arrival stirs memories — but scarves in summer?
After the upheavals to personal lives and routines imposed by the World Cup, things are getting back to normal. What a relief that must be to those poor guys up at ESPN — Chris Fowler, Mike Tirico and Bob Ley, the studio hosts who had to spend a whole month pretending they were English.

It didn’t quite reach the stage where they got dressed up in bowler hats and said Pip! Pip! all the time, but it was bad enough. Someone in the upper reaches of ESPN, one of their soccer geniuses, it might have been the executive producer Jed Drake, decided that they must use English, rather than American terms. Why? Anyone have an answer to that question, one that makes any sort of sense , I mean?

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World Cup heroes and villains
A new world champion on a new World Cup continent. An eighth name has been added to those already engraved on the base of the FIFA World Cup trophy. No more monkeys on generations of Spanish backs.

The great underachievers finally lived up to the hype. In a war of attrition with the Netherlands, Spain won the decisive battle and with it the biggest prize in world sport. Mostly it was ugly, but then wars are never for the faint of heart.

It was never going to be a classic. Both finalists knew there was far too much at stake to allow their opponent to play to their strengths. The opportunity to become world champions comes with conditions.

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Canada needs a soccer identity
smarts and determination from all sectors of our soccer industry.

One could write a lengthy document to outline why Canada will not get to Brazil in 2014, but nevertheless, if soccer stakeholders in our country can wake up to some of the true realities of what it will take to be a winner, then at least some building blocks will be in place for future success in World Cup qualifying campaigns, even if Stephen Hart’s current team fails.

Let’s start with three simple areas that require no more than an attitude shift.

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