Beyond POV-FS – 2015 Women's World Cup Coverage at Waking the Red

For posterity's sake, a compilation of the Canada 2015 daily recaps that were posted over at Waking the Red.

Day One – Day Two – Day Three – Day Four – Day Five – Day Six – Day Seven – Day Eight – Day Nine – Day Ten – Day Eleven – Day Twelve – Day Thirteen – Day Fourteen – Day Fifteen – Day Sixteen – Day Seventeen – Day Eighteen – Day Nineteen – Day Twenty

It was a lot of fun following what was a very entertaining tournament and it was quite heartening to see so many fans take in the action – could have used a slightly more competitive final, but one cannot have everything.

Beyond POV-FS - Caught in Two Minds – the Joys and Consternations of Julio Cesar Representing Toronto FC at the World Cup

    Post about the ramification of Toronto FC being represented at this summer’s World Cup – it’s amazing, but tinged with a hint of desperation.

    Check it out

Got it; got it; need it; got it; need it…The Economics of Panini Stickers

    The Economist dug into the secrets behind the much-beloved World Cup albums in their series, The Economist Explains.

    In an effort to rekindle the joy of youth, I myself have been indulging a little bit of packet opening – it is quite fun, after all.

    Fans lucky enough to attend Toronto FC’s last match prior to the World Cup break would have been able to get their hands on a free edition of the album – the packs however, will cost you.

    It is available in podcast, or written form, here.

    Expensive stuff – needless to say, most albums will be left sadly unfinished; happy hunting!

POV-FS Mail It in Friday Video – Herbert Zimmerman & the Miracle of Berne

I’ve been reading up on my German fussball history of late – timely, given this weekend’s big all-German encounter in the UEFA Champions League Final - and so this week’s random video clip is a moment of lore from the Miracle of Berne, Germany’s first World Cup victory back in 1954 against Ferenc Puskas's Mighty Magyars; a goal call to be more precise.

What Ever Happened To … Cuba’s Toronto Defectors

    In homage to MLSsoccer.com ‘What Ever Happened To…” series, an update on one of the more intriguing stories Canadian soccer endured in 2012.

    Toronto was captivated when Canada’s World Cup Qualification match against Cuba last October began with the announcement, well not quite that official, that several players – news reports oscillated from seven to four to three - defected prior to kickoff.

    The prematch buzz quietly faded after the initial flurry, but now several months later one of those who chose to start a new life has surfaced on the pitch.

The Cavellini Debate – Will He See the Pitch?

    Nineteen-year-old Lucas Cavellini joined the Canadian National Team as a replacement for the suspended Olivier Occean - who saw an unjust red card in the second half of action against Cuba on Friday.

Cuban News Rounds

    In preparation for tomorrow evening’s match between Canada and Cuba, POV-FS fired up the Google machine and the old-reliable translate function to dig a little deeper behind the upcoming opposition.

    Information was scarce, with Cuba already eliminated and the nation’s sporting attentions more internally focused on Baseball, Boxing, and most-interestingly, Chess, but there were a few tidbits of information that may be of interest to the anorak-enthusiasts out there.

Head-to-Head: Canada vs. Cuba – All-time Results

    Canada and Cuba take to the pitch on Friday evening in the first of two matches that will determine whether Canada will move on to the final phase of qualification: The Hex.

    Cuba, with zero points, has already been eliminated, but don’t let that cloud the fact that they have been much tougher opposition than would have been expected.

    National Team coach Stephen Hart has reiterated the importance of not looking beyond this first match to Tuesday’s meeting with Honduras.

    The full Men’s sides of Canada and Cuba have met ten times previously. Here’s a rundown of past results:

Upon First Glance – Canada vs. Panama

    Last night in Toronto at BMO Field, Canada defeated Panama 1-0 on quickly taken free kick from Atiba Hutchinson after Simeon Jackson had been fouled on the right-side of the pitch. Hutchinson picked out Dwayne De Rosario, sharply placed onside in the six-yard box for a simple, but ever so important, finish into the unguarded net.

First Person View – The Canada Lineup

    A few thoughts on what I’d like to see from Canada to complete the barrage of posts prior to kick off.

Beyond POV-FS – Know Your Enemy: Panama (Home Edition) at Waking the Red

    Preview of tonight’s match at BMO Field between Canada and Panama is up over at Waking the Red.

Panamanian News Rounds

    Again leaving it rather late, but here’s a brief rundown of some news snippets from the Panamanian press.

Head-to-Head: Canada vs. Panama – All-time Results

    Canada and Panama will take to the pitch twice over the coming seven days in the latest fixtures of the third round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualification.

    Somewhat curiously the two have only met on six previous occasions. Perhaps even more surprising, Canada is undefeated against the Panamanians, tallying two wins and four draws.

    Here’s a rundown of those meetings:

Canadian MLS Contingent – Weekend Review

A brief look at the recent form of the nine MLS players called into the Canadian National team.

First Person View – When the Decision Goes Against & Moving On

    Much ink has been spilt over this controversy already, so rather than go over the whole story over again I thought it pertinent to take a look at a few of the parallels that have not yet been mentioned.

First Person View – What’s Going On?

    Since Toronto finally has some time off – and I can relax for a moment, if only a moment – I’ll be taking the next week or so to address some of the changes that have come about over the past month or so.

    There exists a graveyard of pieces littering my unfinished folder and desktop, thoughts on the departures of Julian de Guzman, Joao Plata, and Nick Soolsma, the transition from Aron Winter to Paul Mariner, the wonders of Terry Dunfield’s goal, a different view on the potential of a Canadian World Cup, and a few random others swirling around.

    Hopefully I will get around to them all with nearly ten full days between TFC matches.
   
    So keep an eye out.

Honduran News Rounds

    A little bit late, but nevertheless here’s a run down of the Honduran news, history, and story-lines of interest heading into tonight’s match.

Refereeing in CONCACAF

    With Canada in the midst of a World Cup Qualifying campaign it’s only a matter of time before the age-old complaints about the standards of refereeing begin to rear their heads.

First Person View - Cuban News Rounds

    The Canadian National Team is in Cuba to embark on the next round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualification. This is only the first step of many, but an important, if not vital, chance at road points that could prove crucial to progression.

Canadian Men’s National Team Roster Unveiling – with Video

Coach Stephen Hart announced his twenty-two man preliminary squad for the upcoming round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers this morning.