As the old saying goes, it’s better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all.
For fans of the Canadian men’s national team, who had to endure 13 games without a win – and with only one goal scored – in 2013, that aphorism will be of little consolation. But for Canadian Soccer Association president Victor Montagliani, it would likely be a fitting synopsis of this year’s place in the grand scheme of things.
“The fan in me sometimes is as impatient as anyone else, but I think we’re following the right process and we’re doing the right things,” Montagliani (above, left) told MLSsoccer.com recently.
“Notwithstanding the results … playing 13 games in the year after you’ve been knocked out [of World Cup qualifying] shows that [the CSA is] committed like we’ve never been before. I’m quite proud of that, as we all should be.”
It was an unusually busy year for Canada, who played 10 friendlies in addition to three games at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Most of them took place under interim head coaches – FC Edmonton manager Colin Miller or CSA technical director Tony Fonseca – as the CSA took its time finding a new full-time head coach, before installing Benito Floro (above, right) on Aug. 1.
In such a transitional year, Montagliani says, the focus was always going to be on the long term.
“Our emphasis has to be on the development, and accelerating the development [of players],” he said.
Perhaps no player better symbolizes that idea than Kyle Bekker. The 23-year-old played just 335 minutes for Toronto FC in his rookie year, but racked up more than twice as many minutes (672) for Canada.
“A lot of countries don’t use their senior men’s team as a development tool; it’s where you go when you’re a finished product,” Montagliani said. “We’re not in that situation.
“Is that the CSA’s fault? Maybe. But I think we are all responsible for that. The reality is, we are trying to accelerate the development of some of our young players – the [Jonathan] Osorios, Bekkers, [Russell] Teiberts of the world – so they can become international players.”
While the on-field results didn’t materialize for this new generation in 2013, Montagliani said it was a good year for the CSA on the business side, with several major corporate sponsorships signed. That newfound financial stability will allow the federation to continue investing in the program’s “long-term vision” – including, perhaps, a few more home games.
“Some years it’s more difficult to play home games than others,” Montagliani said of 2013, in which Canada played at home just once – a friendly in Edmonton in May. “[In 2014], we’re looking at potentially hosting a home game before the World Cup.”
As for the man appointed to oversee this long-term transition, Montagliani remains as confident as ever in Floro.
“He brings a wealth of experience … he brings a unique and completely different perspective in terms of how he sees things,” said Montagliani of the 61-year-old Spaniard. “The attitude that is brought from a discipline standpoint is significantly different than what we’re used to. … [traditionally, Canada] might be a little more lackadaisical when it comes to certain things.”
While Montagliani concedes that 2013 was a difficult year for fans, he says the program is simply seeing the results of a lack of investment 10 to 15 years ago – but he’s also confident that the trials and tribulations of the year will eventually pay off.
“The beauty about football is that it’s a game that every time you’re getting ready to play 90 minutes, you always have optimism,” he said. “I don’t care who you are, what level you’re playing, it’s just the nature of our game.”
