Canada World Cup 2026 is a great idea

Photo credit: bigsoccer.com

Last week we read that Canada is ready to make a bid for World Cup 2026. Even though twelve years away, for us in North America it's a welcome sign and the promise of a new start for the game and for FIFA once the curtains have closed over Qatar 2022.

Yes, FIFA should be listening to this and the world should be ready also. Canada boasts the kind of infrastructure required for an event like the World Cup. It also has the type of openness necessary to host a global tournament. Finally, if FIFA is truly looking to continue breaking new ground and exploring new frontiers then this surely is a top of the list.

Canadian soccer is a microcosm of US Soccer. Not the number one sport. No megastars. And a women's team that greatly surpasses the men's on the international stage.

Canada has limited soccer culture, perhaps only there thanks to the ill-fated NASL of Pelé. They are underdogs and underachievers, just as the United States in 1990. But unlike team USA, they had very little presence in international soccer before the 1980s. USA got to the semifinal in 1930 and had a historical win over England in 1950 before all went quiet for 40 years. Canada has been to one World Cup, 1986, although they came close in 1982 and 1994.

The landscape has been changing for the Canucks in recent years, however, with the addition of top soccer through MLS teams Toronto FC (2008), Vancouver Whitecaps (2011) and Montreal Impact (2012). Expansion has been talked about for Ottawa, who had a team with the classic NASL. In addition, Edmonton plays for the current NASL.

The club soccer scene has brought quality players to the country on a regular basis, from Camilo (Vancouver) to Frings (Toronto), Di Vaio (Montreal) and now Michael Bradley and Jermain Defoe (both Toronto). In addition, they have nurtured their own players in Dwayne De Rosario and Julian De Guzman, with the former one just having re-singed with Toronto. Canada's players have also enjoyed development in other MLS teams: Will Johnson (Portland), Ante Jazic (Chivas USA) and Kyle Porter (DC).

With MLS on board, the soccer infrastructure has been established in the major cities and, along with soccer-specific venues for club teams, large stadiums belonging to Canadian Football are also available for a World Cup. Unlike Qatar, the summer tournament would benefit from great weather conditions throughout the country.

A World Cup for the Maple Leafs would also be great for the US. In fact, a case could be made for a joint tournament between the two nations. FIFA has always been clear about the importance of MLS and here is a perfect opportunity to continue this relationship. So bring it on, Canada 2026, North America deserves to have big soccer back.

Portland Timbers vs Vancouver Whitecaps: The live experience

The Cascadia Cup sets the stage for a magical mini tournament in the best soccer region in North America: The Pacific Northwest. The teams are the Portland Timbers, Vancouver Whitecaps and Seattle Sounders, and the best attendance records in the league. The FutbolUSA desk was granted the opportunity to watch the match at Jeld-Wen field and the teams did not disappoint. True, as local Timbers followers, the 1-1 final score wasn't the best. But it was the experience that counted.

Today the skies were clear to begin the match and the pitch was a deep, bright green that some in our company thought was artificial grass. Nope, the real thing. The crowds of the Northwest are exemplified by the boisterous Timbers Army and the small band of Vancouver followers. The ride on the MAX was full of chants from supporters of both clubs. The General Attendance sector--Timbers Army territory--never quieted down, relented or were subdued by the weather or Vancouver's tying goal.

John Spencer was quoted as saying his team had played some of the best football this season, and the Scott is correct. It was a fast-paced game and very vertical at times with overlaps between Alexander, Chara, Alhassan and Nagbe. The goal was a justification of 13 shots on frame, and as the ball went in we all cheered in unison. Among our company were first-time spectators of the sport, and they yelled along with the rest of us for uncalled penalties, opening goals and the disillusionment of the opposing side's score.

The Portland Timbers have a long way to go this season if they aim to make the playoffs. Last year they were close due to impeccable home form. They have lost a couple here and it hurts more when they are unable to earn wins away. The Nagbe-Boyd tandem works great and the verticality and passing is also there. A couple of missing pieces in the back line due to injury and suspension derailed what could have been another 3 points in a 4-game unbeaten streak. Let's stress the unbeaten... they have to win, not tie if they want to make it far in the tournament. Until then and beyond them we shall keep on cheering and singing along "when I root I root for the Timbers!"

MLS 2011 Attendance Statistics Game Week 9

The MLS stats may be getting a bit lost amongst all the European (and Mexican) season closure craziness. But we still wonder about our own league and our version of the sport. This week's post is brief, but I'd like to mention (or reiterate) the importance of the Pacific Northwest. If the season ended right now, the average attendance would be 17266. That's up 550 from last year. If we take away Seattle, Portland and Vancouver, it drops down to 15553. Taking Seattle out alone for last year brings that total to 15397. Above is a pie chart of the Western conference total attendance by percentage. The Cascadia teams alone rack up 48% of the 9-team conference. And yes, Seattle's numbers are always above 36,000. All the more reason to include its influence.

MLS 2011 Attendance Statistics Week 4

We are now in the 4th week of play and attendance remains strong for the most part. FC Dallas, although only having an average of just under 12,000 for their last couple of matches, still pulls off an average of over 14,000 given their sellout opening game. They are clearly doing something right both on and off the pitch. Vancouver has also had the novelty sellout crowds and continue to show how strong soccer is in the Pacific Northwest market. The Portland Timbers open their new home venue at Jen-Weld Field on Thursday. This match attracts special interest on my part, as I will probably attend a few games this season.

Some of the weaker markets are already showing their poor attendance, however. Most notable are New England and Columbus. A more detailed look at the difference between seasons is presented in the two plots above. For the yellow bars (2011-2010), New England lags behind last year's average by over 3,000. Compare that to 2009 (green bars) and it is over 4,000. Something needs to be done to address this. Not to mention that their total numbers are in the four-digit category. New England used to be one of the strongest markets early in the league's history. Is it management? Players? The venue? Steve Nicol is a great coach but sometimes fresh ideas can inject energy into a team (and crowd). Hyndmann did it for Dallas.

Also on the losing end is Columbus. The 2008 champions have struggled in attendance for the past couple of years, even with the presence of Barros-Schelotto. They also recently lost their jersey sponsor, Glidden, before their contract was up. Finally, Chicago is also well below their past attendance numbers when C. Blanco was playing. Bringing is Ljundberg and Nery Castillo payed very little dividends and aren't in the team anymore.

Expect other markets like Houston and Toronto to stabilize. Their fan base is strong and their stadiums are usually full. More stats will come by the middle of next week as a combo of weeks 5 and 6.

MLS 2011 Attendance Statistics Week 3

Week 3. Interesting trends. Scheduling is always tough in a sports-mad society like America. With MLB opening days and March Madness, not to mention ongoing NBA, and one has to have priorities. Clearly, for some of the markets, MLS isn't a priority. New England continues to struggle with their attendance no matter who comes to town. This time it was the Timbers and I enjoyed watching some Timbers fans in the stands. Also on the same boat is Red Bull New York. Their impressive stadium always looks a bit sad when the Red Bull logo is so prominent in place of spectators.

Dallas, who had an impressive opening day, also collapsed in the second week. The same is true for the reigning champs: Colorado Rapids. Their figures for this week didn't hit the 5 digit mark. Granted, it was cold and snowy, but that usually doesn't stop fans in this country. And props to those that showed up. It's tough getting there when the weather's bad. I know first hand. And yet, the LA Galaxy holds strong in their attendance, nearly 25,000 this week. And the signs held up by fans reading "We love Beckham" brings it right home. It's about stars, and it's worth it when it is. Then again, the west coast is much more consistent in attendance than the east. Just have a look at the relative attendance as of week 3:

MLS 2011 Attendance Statistics Week 1

Just a quick update. I have posted the new graphics on the right hand column. A more substantial post with some analysis of the first two weeks of MLS will be posted after this weekend's matches. This has been a very interesting and successful start for the season, with sellout crowds in Vancouver, Dallas, Colorado, LA, to name a few. Quite a difference from recent years. More to come.

MLS 2011

In my last post, I recounted the experience at the MLS First Kick 2011 opening match between the Seattle Sounders and the Los Angeles Galaxy. Last year I was also fortunate to watch the Colorado Rapids' home opener in April 2010. Perhaps next year I can experience another home opener. And that's what brings me to today's post: a look ahead at MLS in 2011 and what the league has to offer.

Little did I know in 2010 that the Rapids I watched from the Dick's Sporting Goods Park stands would be the eventual MLS champions. This was over the resilient, steady FC Dallas in a 2-1 finally that went into overtime. This was after FC Dallas had dispatched heavily-favored LA Galaxy by 3-0 and semifinalists San Jose Earthquakes had humbled Henry and Marquez's New York Red Bulls. This season, the Galaxy and the Red Bulls are once again heavily favored due to their considerable pedigree and depth. Real Salt Lake is also quite deep and swelling with talent. The same can be said about the Seattle Sounders, although their finishing needs to improve.

There are also teams in rebuilding mode and others that are, at least in paper, good enough to challenge for silverware. Such is the case with the four-time champion DC United. The club boasts not only Andy Najar (18, 2010 Rookie of the Year), but also newly acquired Dax McCarty, impressive rookie Perry Kitchen, veterans Josh Wolff and Joseph Ngwenya, but also the resurgent Charlie Davies. Clearly a team to watch.

The re-branded and remodeled Sporting Kansas City is coming to the fold with US international Teal Bunbury and Mexican star Omar Bravo. Salt Lake upgraded Saborio to Designated Player (DP) status and has kept its core of players, becoming deeper and more stable. Such is also the case with the Earthquakes, who are hoping Ike Opara can return to form and Wondolowski can continue to impress. New York has Agudelo to build around Henry at forward and Marquez in the back line alongside Tim Ream. Also in the mix are Tchani, John Rooney, Lindpere and Dane Richards. LA may have lost Edson Buddle, but have gained Juan Pablo Angel--how's that for a triple whammy with Donovan and Beckham?

Also on the upswing is the Houston Dynamo. Rookies Kofi Sarkodie and Will Bruin complement Brian Ching and a solidified back line with Hunter Freeman as a new addition. The New England Revolution, Chicago Fire, Toronto FC and Columbus Crew are at a crossroads right now, in a continuously difficult rebuilding process. This was evident in RSL's demolishing of the Crew in Concachampions play. Toronto has much to prove after years of impressive fan base but not enough on the pitch.

Seattle and Philadelphia, recent additions to the league, are going through different growing pains. Seattle is still looking for a stabilizer in its back line and a creative force in the attack. Losing Nkufo and Ljundberg have hampered its ability to finish their chances (clear evidence of this occurred in Tuesday's match). Piotr Nowvak has yet to find a winning form for his Philadelphia Union. The sophomore year for this franchise should be an interesting one now that players like Orozco and Fred have left and Faryd Mondragon and Carlos Ruiz have taken their place.

Not to be outdone, not by a long shot, are the two newcomers: Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps. True to their USL and NASL roots, the Cascadia teams have taken similar, yet uniquely distinct paths to the MLS. Portland boasts impressive rookies like 2nd overall Darlington Nagbe, with experience national team players Kenny Cooper (striker) and Perkins (goalkeeper). Vancouver went for the biggest longshot in league history by snatching 17-year-old Omar Salgado as the number 1 pick and the fullback--and World Cup star--Jay DeMerrit. Portland has a stocked offense. Vancouver is still building theirs, with Salgado months away from being allowed on the pitch given FIFA rules (American with a Canadian team).

So tomorrow as some of us watch intently the NCAA brackets unfold and others catch the early European games, a new chapter will be played out in MLS history. The 2011 season is upon us and the league is 18-team strong and 16 years old. Stars will rise and fall but one thing is clear... American soccer is here to stay. Enjoy the games.

Photo credits MLS