Jack Todd: Canada Soccer fought its personal gamers, and now they're out of the World Cup

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It was a catastrophic ending to the World Cup for Canada’s defending Olympic gold medalists.

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They had been trounced 4-0 by the Australian Matildas in a match that may determine whether or not they superior — and in equity it ought to have been 5-0 if not for an inexplicable VAR evaluation that negated what seemed to be Australia’s second aim.

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No worries, because the Aussies say. Two minutes later they pounced to attain a aim that even VAR couldn’t reverse. It was 2-0 and the rout was on.

On Canada Soccer, that’s. If ever a staff was defeated by its personal federation, this was the staff. With its funding yanked early in a World Cup yr, the ladies discovered themselves in a cage match in opposition to former president Nick Bontis and Canada Soccer, their energies dedicated to battling for a minimal stage of help and a few clarification as to the place the cash went and why — and what was Canadian Soccer Enterprise all about, anyway?

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They had been (and nonetheless are) the Olympic gold medalists from Tokyo in 2021. Canada. Not Germany, not France, not Sweden, not the Netherlands, not even the mighty, chest-beating braggarts south of the border with their legion of obnoxious followers.

Canada beat the world in Tokyo. It was the best feat in Canadian soccer historical past — by no means thoughts the hype when the boys’s staff really certified for a World Cup last. Canada’s ladies received gold in Tokyo and as gold medalists, that they had each proper to count on that they’d be handled like royalty again residence.

Sadly, the folks working Canada Soccer noticed themselves as royalty and the gold medalists as little greater than pests. As they tried to arrange for this World Cup, Canada’s ladies had been greeted with contempt, misogyny, bullying and threats.

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Once you’re an elite athlete competing on the world stage, you shouldn’t must ask the place the cash has gone. You shouldn’t must threaten to strike to get satisfactory coaching funds and services.

Not that Canada Soccer was all that was incorrect with this staff. By way of the primary two matches Down Below, Canada was underwhelming. They had been held to a 0-0 tie by Nigeria after the legendary Christine Sinclair received slightly too cute with a penalty. They fell behind a tricky Irish staff, 1-0, however had been capable of battle again for a 2-1 win.

They had been ready to advance to the Spherical of 16 with a mere draw going into Monday’s match in opposition to Australia. It wasn’t to be. Canada wasn’t dangerous, it was terrible. Particularly the again finish, which was totally discombobulated. Arguably the tightest bunch of defenders on the Olympics, they had been content material to be mere spectators far too usually in opposition to the Matildas.

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There was loads of blame to go round Sunday, and that features coach Bev Priestman, who merely didn’t have her staff ready for a important sport. Adriana Leon performed, apparently, however I do know that solely as a result of I checked the lineup. Even Sinclair contributed little other than her distinctive stiff-shouldered stroll.

Little question the potential beneficiaries of the largesse from Canadian Soccer Enterprise might be disenchanted they aren’t in line for sponsor bonuses that ought to have been reserved for the gamers. In that there’s some satisfaction.

The true takeaway from this debacle is that Canada Soccer, like Hockey Canada, is an entity that needs to be torn aside and rebuilt from the bottom up. Half measures should not almost sufficient.

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Summer season: Whereas the ladies’s staff was falling aside in Australia, one other Canadian athlete was making historical past of a special type in Fukuoka, Japan.

Swimmer Summer time McIntosh, on the tender age of 16, now has 4 gold medals on the World Aquatics Championships, a Canadian report, after profitable the world title within the ladies’s 400-metre particular person medley.

McIntosh failed to interrupt her personal world report of 4:25.87, which she set in Toronto in April, however she nonetheless recorded the third quickest time in historical past. On the breaststroke, supposedly her weakest, McIntosh merely buried her closest rival, American Katie Grimes.

She additionally received the 200-metre butterfly, matching the double championship she received in Budapest final yr. Going into the Olympics, McIntosh would be the star to observe — and based mostly on what we noticed from Fukuoka, she received’t disappoint.

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Touchdowns, anybody?: The Alouettes seemed good in Sunday’s 25-18 victory over the Calgary Stampeders.

However they nonetheless managed to place up 25 factors with out scoring an offensive landing. The offence strikes the ball, they create alternatives, however they’ll’t appear to determine the right way to punch the ball ultimately zone.

Sunday evening, the one TD for both staff got here on an interception return by Kabion Ento. By some means, we doubt that’s the path to the Gray Cup.

Heroes: Summer time McIntosh, Linda Caicedo, Jéssica Silva, Hayley Raso, Kabion Ento, Kaion Julien-Grant, Terence Crawford, Oscar Piastri, Sinéad O’Connor &&&& final however not least, my former highschool classmate, Randy Meisner.

Take it to the restrict another time, Randy.

Zeros: Canada Soccer, Nick Bontis, Hockey Canada, Alek Manoah, the F1 dash race, Alex Galchenyuk, Chris Jones, Claude Brochu, David Samson &&&& final however not least, Jeffrey Loria.

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