European's are unlike Canadians in more ways than one, and their approach to soccer is one of the most significant examples. That's not to say the other differences aren't significant; my experiences today with the seemingly lazy approach of TAP (Portugal's national airline) which ended up 3 hours late and missing my connection in London, were very different than my experience with Air Canada who worked very hard and promptly to get me on a flight to Edmonton and did so while dealing with a plane load of displaced passengers. I am not, however, comparing airlines; instead, I am attempting to examine what had brought the Southern European success where we Canadians have failed in the sport, and focus on the different approaches to youth soccer between the two nations.
I am simply going to try and make observations from my last few weeks in Spain and Portugal and both what I have seen on and off the field as well as what I have heard from people in the federations. I am by no means an expert, and I am sure the people at Canada Soccer have been searching for an answer to the same question for many years and continue to search for an answer. I would like to attempt to investigate the attitude of parents and supporters, the grassroots development of players, and the goal and opportunity for advancement in the sport.
In Canada we have great fans in sports such as CFL and NHL. While these fans are enthusiastic, they are not near as fanatical as the fans we see in Europe. After speaking with Joao Capella, a Fifa referee, and the referee of the final between Sporting Lisbon and Benfica, one of the biggest rivalries in sport, it became clear just how intense the fans were. These fans are hit hard by the economic downturn in Portugal, and soccer is seemingly the last thing they have going for him. These people would rather lose their houses than their season's tickets, and when they felt that Mr. Capella robbed them of the championship, they felt worse than if they were robbed of their car. After calling a controversial game, albeit a correct one, Mr. Capella received death threats, non-stop phone calls, and even personal visits from losing supporters faulting him for the loss. In Canada, we have without a doubt felt robbed by a referees decision (2004 Stanley Cup Final game 6), but in our wildest dreams, would we ever go after the referee like that? Maybe it is our Canadian politeness, just alike how we can tease an opposing fan, but we would not consider setting fires in their stadium as Sporting Lisbon did to SL Benfica.
It is clear that there is a difference in how the game is treated and approached, but how does that play into player development and program success? From a young age, children are taught the importance of winning in soccer. They witness the highs and lows and see the struggle for promotion and relegation, which is a very distinct system: either you are a winner, or you are a loser. This is reflected in the children, they are taught to do whatever it takes to win, and failing that, you have lost. This then breeds the tactics we see in Southern European soccer such as the time-wasting, the whining, the diving, and of course the dissent. Who is there to teach the proper etiquette? coaches are there to win, parents are there to be proud of their son, and everything the players have been taught is to win. The Spanish players think they know etiquette, they were eager to kick the ball out when a player is injured, and yet three teams in knockout matches had numerous players sent off after the match for verbally assaulting the referee simply because they wanted more stoppage time. This is due to the attitude surrounding the game, and this attitude does bring success, but does it breed fair play and sportsmanship?
Along with the attitude comes the idea to start teaching the game at a younger and younger age. In Europe, players are being picked up into professional academies such as Olympic Marseille or Athletic Madrid at the U12 and U11 age now, so in order to be ready for this chance, the game is ultra-competitive and training is more intense at a younger age. Sam Anderson, a great ref, had to abandon his semi final Under 10 match of the Iber Cup because of the violence and abuse he faced because these 8 and 9 year olds were being pushed so hard. He had an 8/9 year old player kick an opponent with excessive force away from the ball, so after showing the child the red card, one would expect the coach to reprimand the player yes? Wrong, instead, the coach grabbed the referee's shirt, and refused to be expelled from the field so the match was abandoned. For the coach, his team (and likely his son) was playing a must win match. If they won they would proceed to a final in front of 2500 people that was televised, maybe his kids could be picked up by a professional academy. Lets remember, this is at 8 and 9 years old.
I have had the privilege to referee and be a part of numerous youth matches in Calgary, and in the city, it is all developmental until under14. That's not to say that it is not competitive, but the primary objective is to develop, not to win. Both systems come with their pros and cons, but there is no question as to the strength of Southern Europe compared to North America when it comes to soccer, but at what expense does that come for our kids. While it is easy to harangue on the European win at all cost mentality, it also must be credited for the importance placed on technical skills. The Europeans believe in working tirelessly and non-stop with a ball, and through sports such as futsal to develop the touch. This is so important in the high level game, and Canadians have not shown that kind of determination yet, as illustrated by their rejection of Futsal in Alberta. It is not possible for us to instantly start training like the Spanish, and then field a national team capable of winning a World Cup, but I believe we should start emphasizing the technical side of the game, which in turn will increase the standard of play. On the flip-side, I believe the casual Southern European player would find a much more enjoyable experience playing in Canada then in Southern Europe if the love of the game is all that motivates.
There is little question that European players are more competitive at a young age, and the root cause of this is that they have reason to be. There is a clear path to playing a pro, and there is a true likelihood of them making it pro. They have the role-models and they have leaders to inspire them. Us Canadians, we have Owen Hargreaves, who else? Every child in Europe wakes up wanting to be a footballer, and yet how often do Canadians get that opportunity. They are so competitive and seek to win so young because it makes sense for them to do so, its a chance at success early. The past two weeks I have seen 10-16 year olds play for professional teams, the system is so different in European Football, and it would probably take a whole other post to explain how leagues work over there to an American sports fan. In short, it is as if bantam hockey players were playing for say the Buffalo Sabres, and were owned by the Sabres and taught and developed until they were old enough to play first team. While this may seem crazy, think about it. It works fantastically, and it creates opportunities and development like no other. While there are still private academies and Sunday teams, there are clear paths to success. On the contrary, in Canada, the path is very convoluted, and I have no idea to be quite honest how one would make it through to a pro team, and if you have a better idea then please comment it below.
The biggest problem that we have when compared to European soccer is the lack of a professional level for Canada that is large enough to accommodate a promotion relegation system. In England, they had something like 9 divisions starting with the Premiership, which creates a wealth of opportunity, until Canada has at least something, all the aforementioned flaws in our development will persist. I haven't at all been trying to lay out a solution, or for that matter stating that there is a problem with Canadian Soccer. We are the best in the world when it comes to hockey, mens moguls, mens skeleton, and some 13 other winter olympic events, so does soccer need to be something for us to win? Right now, we have 1 million youth playing soccer in Canada, and I believe that we have 1 million young athletes staying active and enjoying themselves. While the Spanish are the World and Euro Cup winners, can we say the same thing about the enjoyment and benefits of the average athlete. In Portugal last week, 12 matches were either abandoned or had fights at the end, some involving police, spectators, and assault. In Brazil, a referee stabbed a player and then was beheaded. Ultimately, it does come down to attitude, and we as Canadians are content to be active and have fun, which is all that we need sometimes, quite the contrast to the European win at all cost mentality.
My apologies for how jumbled this post is, as I was simply trying to get my thoughts down on paper and get people thinking and try to examine the root differences between the two countries and styles. This is all just what I think based on my experience as a referee, and my knowledge of the two systems, and facts may be off, but the ideas are there. I am not at all saying that Canadians are better or that Europeans are better, but I just wanted to look more at the why and how. Make your own decision as to what you think is better, and what should be done moving forward for Canada Soccer, as they have set their goals to make the 2020 World Cup. Is this realistic? What do you think should be done to achieve this? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
Let me know what you think
Kevin
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