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NEIL DAVIDSON
The Canadian Press
December 22, 2008 at 8:56 PM EST
Prior to their failed World Cup qualifying campaign, Canadian players talked of the need for change within the Canadian Soccer Association.
While there were larger complaints, mostly of the need for better funding, some pointed the finger at the team's travel and training arrangements.
"Little details do make a difference," midfielder Julian de Guzman said in September 2007.
"Those are the little things that add up and make a difference when you're trying to prepare yourself for this kind of competition," goalkeeper Greg Sutton echoed earlier this month, citing poor training pitches among other issues.
"You look at a couple of times the way we travelled last year, we were spending long hours in airports, and long hours in flights and long hours in layovers," he added. "That obviously takes a toll on your body, especially the older guys. You're staying in hotels with average beds compared to nicer beds. It makes a difference. All those things add up."
Canada's elite soccer players may not travel like the millionaires that wear the England shirt, but a look at the bottom line shows that the Canadian Soccer Association considerably upgraded travel arrangements for World Cup qualifying.
And CSA officials like Peter Montopoli (general secretary) and Morgan Quarry (national team manager) defend the way the team travelled and was treated during qualifying.
"I can say in dealing with the players and Paul [Stalteri] in particular as the captain, that we've had those discussions and he was very positive in terms of what the CSA had laid out for the team in terms of the preparation and what the players were asking for from a travel perspective," Montopoli said.
"Given what was put forward for this past year, 2008, for the World Cup qualification, we do feel that the organization was solidly behind the team in terms of the preparation phase," he added.
Coach Dale Mitchell, while noting the CSA had budgetary limitations, has said he had no complaints about the team's preparation.
Stalteri, who has signed with Borussia Monchengladbach of Germany's Bundesliga, has 73 caps and ranks as one of the senior statesmen of the sport in Canada at just 31. He said the CSA lived up to what was bargained over travel.
"I can't see a player having a go at the travel arrangements," said the former Spurs fullback, who played in all six qualifying games in the last round.
"Let's face it, we didn't qualify for the World Cup because the accommodations and our flights weren't appropriately booked, let's put it that way."
"At the end of the World Cup qualifying campaign, as players we can only speak on behalf of what we did, and what we did wasn't good enough in the six games, particularly the games at home when we lost a total of seven points from three games. ... I think most of us will come to the conclusion that we weren't good enough ourselves and the only ones to blame are the players," he added bluntly.
Privately, CSA officials are "absolutely gutted and devastated" at the failure to reach the final round of qualifying this time, given the talent at their disposal. They're not about to have a go at their players. But while recognizing change is needed in CSA funding, structure and other matters, they are not willing to take it on the chin when it comes to team arrangements during World Cup qualifying.
Players from Europe were flown business class across the Atlantic for the World Cup qualifiers this time, at least while the team was still in contention. That followed a request from players following the first qualifying games against St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
In 2004, the team flew business class for World Cup qualifying but that was because the CSA managed to secure upgrades. This time, it paid for the better tickets.
Air travel for the Aug. 20 game against Jamaica in Toronto alone cost $100,000, according to figures provided by the CSA.
"No player travels in a roundabout way in order to save money on his flight," said Quarry. "In fact it is quite the opposite. If we can get a player to a destination as quickly and comfortably as possible then that is what we do, regardless if it costs us more to fly them direct."
After the Sept. 6 game in Montreal, the team flew on a $120,000 charter to Tuxtla Gutierrez and back to ease travel for a Sept. 10 game with Mexico. Flying domestically would have been $80,000 cheaper but would also have involved a 4:30 a.m. wakeup after the Honduras game in Montreal and almost 22 hours of travel with a lengthy layover in Mexico City.
The charter from Montreal to Mexico took eight hours, with a stopover in Houston for refuelling.
The next two games — Oct. 11 in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and Oct. 15 in Edmonton — also did not come cheap. The team assembled in Florida for a four-day camp prior to flying to Honduras. Just getting goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld from his club in Romania to Florida and then from Edmonton to Romania cost $12,000.
In all, the CSA spent $1.3-million on the men's national team in 2007, not including salaries. In 2008, that figure was closer to $2.4-million.
The 2008 breakdown includes a training camp and friendly game against Martinique in January ($143,000), friendly in Estonia ($75,000), friendly against Brazil ($108,000), and World Cup qualifiers — in St. Vincent and the Grenadines ($213,000), against St. Vincent and the Grenadines in Montreal ($235,000), against Jamaica in Toronto ($376,000), against Honduras in Montreal ($370,000), in Mexico ($233,000), in Honduras ($209,000), against Mexico in Edmonton ($415,000), and in Jamaica ($185,000).
The CSA is responsible for all costs involved in World Cup qualifying at home and abroad. That's different from exhibition games, when the host association normally picks up the tab for local transportation, hotel accommodation and meals and often provides a travel subsidy or game fee.
In 2008, the CSA paid its team $530,000 in player compensation for the World Cup qualifying games and three friendlies. In 2007, the figure was $350,000 (for the Gold Cup).
On the road, the Canadian players share a room and get $10 a day for incidentals. Meals are covered, usually at the hotel, but when they eat out, the players get $35 for dinner. Expenses such as taxis to the airport or parking are also covered.
Canada stayed at the Hilton in Kingston, Jamaica, the InterContinental in Toronto, the Meridien in Montreal, the Hilton in Honduras (where they stayed on the VIP floor), the Crowne Plaza in Mexico and the Delta in Edmonton.
"We're not staying at the Ritz-Carlton, but we are staying in top-of-the-line hotels," Quarry said.
The Canadian Press
December 22, 2008 at 8:56 PM EST
Prior to their failed World Cup qualifying campaign, Canadian players talked of the need for change within the Canadian Soccer Association.
While there were larger complaints, mostly of the need for better funding, some pointed the finger at the team's travel and training arrangements.
"Little details do make a difference," midfielder Julian de Guzman said in September 2007.
"Those are the little things that add up and make a difference when you're trying to prepare yourself for this kind of competition," goalkeeper Greg Sutton echoed earlier this month, citing poor training pitches among other issues.
"You look at a couple of times the way we travelled last year, we were spending long hours in airports, and long hours in flights and long hours in layovers," he added. "That obviously takes a toll on your body, especially the older guys. You're staying in hotels with average beds compared to nicer beds. It makes a difference. All those things add up."
Canada's elite soccer players may not travel like the millionaires that wear the England shirt, but a look at the bottom line shows that the Canadian Soccer Association considerably upgraded travel arrangements for World Cup qualifying.
And CSA officials like Peter Montopoli (general secretary) and Morgan Quarry (national team manager) defend the way the team travelled and was treated during qualifying.
"I can say in dealing with the players and Paul [Stalteri] in particular as the captain, that we've had those discussions and he was very positive in terms of what the CSA had laid out for the team in terms of the preparation and what the players were asking for from a travel perspective," Montopoli said.
"Given what was put forward for this past year, 2008, for the World Cup qualification, we do feel that the organization was solidly behind the team in terms of the preparation phase," he added.
Coach Dale Mitchell, while noting the CSA had budgetary limitations, has said he had no complaints about the team's preparation.
Stalteri, who has signed with Borussia Monchengladbach of Germany's Bundesliga, has 73 caps and ranks as one of the senior statesmen of the sport in Canada at just 31. He said the CSA lived up to what was bargained over travel.
"I can't see a player having a go at the travel arrangements," said the former Spurs fullback, who played in all six qualifying games in the last round.
"Let's face it, we didn't qualify for the World Cup because the accommodations and our flights weren't appropriately booked, let's put it that way."
"At the end of the World Cup qualifying campaign, as players we can only speak on behalf of what we did, and what we did wasn't good enough in the six games, particularly the games at home when we lost a total of seven points from three games. ... I think most of us will come to the conclusion that we weren't good enough ourselves and the only ones to blame are the players," he added bluntly.
Privately, CSA officials are "absolutely gutted and devastated" at the failure to reach the final round of qualifying this time, given the talent at their disposal. They're not about to have a go at their players. But while recognizing change is needed in CSA funding, structure and other matters, they are not willing to take it on the chin when it comes to team arrangements during World Cup qualifying.
Players from Europe were flown business class across the Atlantic for the World Cup qualifiers this time, at least while the team was still in contention. That followed a request from players following the first qualifying games against St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
In 2004, the team flew business class for World Cup qualifying but that was because the CSA managed to secure upgrades. This time, it paid for the better tickets.
Air travel for the Aug. 20 game against Jamaica in Toronto alone cost $100,000, according to figures provided by the CSA.
"No player travels in a roundabout way in order to save money on his flight," said Quarry. "In fact it is quite the opposite. If we can get a player to a destination as quickly and comfortably as possible then that is what we do, regardless if it costs us more to fly them direct."
After the Sept. 6 game in Montreal, the team flew on a $120,000 charter to Tuxtla Gutierrez and back to ease travel for a Sept. 10 game with Mexico. Flying domestically would have been $80,000 cheaper but would also have involved a 4:30 a.m. wakeup after the Honduras game in Montreal and almost 22 hours of travel with a lengthy layover in Mexico City.
The charter from Montreal to Mexico took eight hours, with a stopover in Houston for refuelling.
The next two games — Oct. 11 in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and Oct. 15 in Edmonton — also did not come cheap. The team assembled in Florida for a four-day camp prior to flying to Honduras. Just getting goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld from his club in Romania to Florida and then from Edmonton to Romania cost $12,000.
In all, the CSA spent $1.3-million on the men's national team in 2007, not including salaries. In 2008, that figure was closer to $2.4-million.
The 2008 breakdown includes a training camp and friendly game against Martinique in January ($143,000), friendly in Estonia ($75,000), friendly against Brazil ($108,000), and World Cup qualifiers — in St. Vincent and the Grenadines ($213,000), against St. Vincent and the Grenadines in Montreal ($235,000), against Jamaica in Toronto ($376,000), against Honduras in Montreal ($370,000), in Mexico ($233,000), in Honduras ($209,000), against Mexico in Edmonton ($415,000), and in Jamaica ($185,000).
The CSA is responsible for all costs involved in World Cup qualifying at home and abroad. That's different from exhibition games, when the host association normally picks up the tab for local transportation, hotel accommodation and meals and often provides a travel subsidy or game fee.
In 2008, the CSA paid its team $530,000 in player compensation for the World Cup qualifying games and three friendlies. In 2007, the figure was $350,000 (for the Gold Cup).
On the road, the Canadian players share a room and get $10 a day for incidentals. Meals are covered, usually at the hotel, but when they eat out, the players get $35 for dinner. Expenses such as taxis to the airport or parking are also covered.
Canada stayed at the Hilton in Kingston, Jamaica, the InterContinental in Toronto, the Meridien in Montreal, the Hilton in Honduras (where they stayed on the VIP floor), the Crowne Plaza in Mexico and the Delta in Edmonton.
"We're not staying at the Ritz-Carlton, but we are staying in top-of-the-line hotels," Quarry said.
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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