Pura Vida
Dennis Fitter
Dennis Fitter is a freelance journalist.
You can reach him at dennis.fitter@gmail.com
The Joy Of Football
ISM was in San Jose to witness Costa Rican disappointment as their Tico’s lost an important world cup qualifier 0 – 3 to Mexico. It did not matter to the locals they had faced a determined opponent who have recovered their form. Falling from hexagonal group leader to fourth in a single night sunk this futbol crazed nation into a state of disaster, much more newsworthy than the strong earth tremor that shook the northwestern part of the country early the following morning.
As one newspaper reporter put it, “A Mexican tsunami struck Costa Rica and swamped Ricardo Saprissa Stadium with sadness.”
Most Canadian World Cup team supporters would be satisfied if our nation could even qualify for the hexagonal level of CONCACAF qualifying.
In this player development focused issue of Inside Soccer, we have to ask ourselves how a relatively poor country of 4.5 million inhabitants consistently outperform our seemingly well structured, abundantly infrastructured, wealthy Canadian clout.
The common protest, “It is in their blood”, has become too well-worn.
Addressing the post game press, Tico coach Rodrigo Kenton and various of his players made much use of the word “alegria” as they expressed disappointment in not being able to deliver the joy the nation had been anticipating from the match. In complete unison, the instant Andres Guardado tapped a Giovani Dos Santos pass into the open Tico net with 20 minutes still remaining to be played, that blood boiled and there was a mad rush to empty the stadium.
Pura Vida
Culture is a factor. A visit to Sunday in the park confirms it. We might label it a bewildering bustle of darting bodies and bouncing balls but they call it futbol mejenga. The scene I witnessed in the Sabana or central park of the capital repeats itself in every city, town and village across the nation. My restaurant waiter says with alegria, “We are a poor country but every village has two important things you are sure to find; a church and a mejenga campo.”
It is at these weekly football picnics most young players develop their skill and understanding of the game. Playing day-long matches – they seem to have no formal start nor ending – with older players is how they learn. Enter and leave for a snack break whenever you like is how it works. In some instances games were being played in layers on the same pitch with maybe one match running full length and two others going on cross-field. If you are “alegre” this doesn’t create problems; only better ball control. Everyone was “alegre”.
Organized, youth football programs are nonexistent In fact, near the playing fields and on the fringe of the same “sabana” but totally out of touch, stands the recently abandoned home of the Football Federation. So close and yet so far.
It is a wonderful place Costa Rica, where people live the Pura Vida credo. Life is much better than most Latin American countries, and the economic future looks bright. Citizens are proud of their ecology and conservation record and the green movement is proud of them.
Actually San Jose’s streets are clean enough and litter free enough to be reminiscent of Toronto a decade or so ago. Strangely for Latin America, the streets are also clear of kids playing soccer. Many people were asked the best place to get a street soccer photo and the respectfully law abiding reply was always “nowhere” followed by either “it’s not safe” or “it is against the law”.
Really, only mejenga then for these people who have futbol in their blood.
Is it missing awareness or missing need that keeps youth development on a back burner somewhere? That cannot be it. Perhaps just a lack of interest or lack of resources at the top to get things moving.
With the financial help of FIFA’s Project Goal the Costa Rica Futbol Federacion has moved into yet to be completed facilities which are further detached from the football playing populace. Located far out of the city in rural San Rafael de Alajuela and begun in 2004, construction of the building and three playing fields – one of which is artificial surface – has stalled on several occasions, only to be revived by four FIFA cash infusions. The most recent of these, another $400,000 which should be advanced soon, will be paid directly to the contractor to assure all monies reach their intended purpose. It will take more money from the federation – money they are hoping to get by making a world cup appearance – to see the project finally completed in two more years.
It amounts to an isolated national training center with office space for the FFCR and each of 6 leagues which operate in the country, sports medicine facilities, kitchens, and a conference hall. It would seem an originally proposed dormitory has been scratched, at least for now.
In the end, total cost will be 5 to 6 million dollars and seven years of elapsed time.
Development doesn’t run much deeper than mejenga. This is where club teams get their talent. In turn, the club teams supply the national teams program and still, with much too much regularity, it trumps what Canada is able to achieve.
It must be a great feeling of accomplishment for community clubs across our country to see municipalities and private individuals pouring so much money into facilities. Obviously the money is there. In our very next issue, Inside Soccer will be taking a special look at our own facilities situation. A gluttonous comparison it will be.
Most coincidently, a great Canadian equivalent to Proyecto Gol springs to mind.
The Rockwood FC in the municipality of Guelph Eramosa Township awaits a similarly budgeted project of 5 to 6 million dollars. The town of only about 11,000 is constructing an indoor – outdoor soccer complex to rival the Costa Rican national project with one big difference. Groundbreaking will be early in October with completion by spring! But, you will hear more about that next issue.
Somehow with all the organization and all the training and all the administration and all the records keeping and all the rules and all the regulations, something is being missed, something doesn’t flow through the blood of our associations to their members. An important thing is overlooked. It is the something all youngsters thrive on and all adults wish they had been able to keep. That really big, impacting element is not being promoted. Like any product, any idea, it could be. That it is not, holds Canada back.
Could it be “alegria”. We are so close and yet so far.
