World Cup bidders give FIFA their detailed plans in Paris to host the tournaments in 2030 and 2034 – Soccer

The Canadian Press – Jul 29, 2024 / 9:40 am | Story: 499131

Photo: The Canadian Press

PARIS (AP) — On the sidelines of the Paris Olympics, FIFA has been doing business with its future hosts of the men’s World Cup including Saudi Arabia.

FIFA said on Monday it received in Paris the formal bid books from leaders of the seven member federations which are the exclusive bidders for the World Cups of 2030 and 2034.

The 2030 World Cup is being co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco plus three South American neighbors — Argentina, Paraguay and inaugural 1930 host Uruguay — who will each stage one of the tournament’s 104 games.

Saudi Arabia is the only candidate for the 2034 World Cup which was fast-tracked by FIFA last year.

The two bids are set to be confirmed at a Dec. 11 online meeting of FIFA’s 211 member federations.

First, the proposed World Cup project plans must be detailed in hundreds of pages which FIFA aims to publish later this week. They must include plans for stadiums, hotels, training fields, transport and national security.

“FIFA will thoroughly assess the bid books and publish its evaluation report” due in the last quarter of the year, the world soccer body said in a statement.

World Cup bidders also must now submit to an assessment of their human rights obligations to host the tournament. FIFA was invited in May to work with independent experts to assess the candidates.

FIFA’s human rights policy was introduced eight years ago after it awarded the 2018 and 2022 editions to Russia and Qatar, respectively, and was first applied for the 2026 tournament candidates.

The United States, Canada and Mexico will co-host the 2026 World Cup, the first with 48 teams instead of 32. They beat rival bidder Morocco in a 134-65 vote decided in 2018 in Moscow.

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The Canadian Press – Jul 28, 2024 / 5:21 am | Story: 499022

Photo: The Canadian Press

PARIS — Canada sports minister Carla Qualtrough says the government is withholding some of Canada Soccer’s funding following a spying scandal involving the Olympic women’s soccer team.

FIFA docked six points from the team due to a drone spying scandal at the Paris Games.

It also banned head coach Bev Priestman and two assistants for a year each and fined Canada Soccer around $313,000.

Qualtrough says the funding, which is “related to the suspended officials,” is being withheld for the duration of their FIFA sanction.

She says there is a deeply concerning pattern of behaviour at Canada Soccer.

Two assistant coaches were caught using drones to spy on New Zealand’s practices before the teams played their opening game last Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2024.

The Canadian Press – Jul 27, 2024 / 7:38 pm | Story: 499010

Photo: The Canadian Press

HARRISON, N.J. — Toronto FC has its first-ever Leagues Cup win. And John Herdman’s side has given itself a chance to move on to the knockout round of the 47-team tournament after edging the New York Red Bulls 5-4 in a penalty shootout Saturday.

Toronto goalkeeper Sean Johnson made two saves in the shootout, including one with the game on the line, to secure the win after the contest at Red Bull Arena finished in a scoreless draw after regulation time.

The Red Bulls host Pachuca on Tuesday with the storied Mexican side visiting Toronto on Aug. 4 to complete East Group 6 play.

“Having Pachuca at home gives us, I think, that little bit of an advantage,” coach Herdman said. “We know they’re a top team. We saw what they did to Columbus and there aren’t many teams that do that.

“This is going to be a tough test. But we’re taking ourselves into that game with the best opportunity to progress.”

Pachuca won the CONCACAF Champions Cup last month, blanking MLS champion Columbus 3-0 in the final.

The Leagues Cup, now in its fourth edition, has grown to involve all 29 teams from MLS and all 18 from Liga MX.

Liga MX champion Club America and Columbus have been given byes to the knockout round of 32. The other 45 entries have been divided into 15 groups of three teams.

The top two from each group advance to the round of 32.

Toronto failed to survive the group stage of last year’s tournament, losing 5-0 to New York City FC at Red Bull Arena and 1-0 to Mexico’s Atlas at BMO Field, with the NYCFC loss one of the low points in a dismal 2023 season.

The Red Bulls reached the round of 16 where they lost to the Philadelphia Union in a penalty shootout.

Toronto earned two points for Saturday’s shootout win while the Red Bulls picked up one. A regulation win is worth three points in the tournament.

“We had chances in the 90 minutes to win,” said Red Bulls coach Sandro Schwarz, who also believes his team can still advance.

“We have everything in our hand,” said the German native.

Under Leagues Cup rules, there was no extra time before the penalty shootout.

Matty Longstaff, Kosi Thompson, Derrick Etienne Jr., Jonathan Osorio and Shane O’Neill scored penalties for Toronto.

Red Bulls goalkeeper Ryan Meara, normally the backup to Paraguayan international Carlos Coronel, stopped Jahkeele Marshal-Rutty on TFC’s sixth attempt.

That set up Daniel Edelman for the possible winner, but he skied his shot. O’Neill then gave Toronto a 5-4 lead and Johnson stopped Andres Reyes for the shootout win.

Lorenzo Insigne, aiming for the top corner, hit the crossbar with Toronto’s first penalty attempt.

Lewis Morgan, Dante Vanzeir, Wiki Carmona and Elias Manoel converted their spot kicks for the Red Bulls. Johnson stopped Cory Burke with the game on the line at 4-4.

New York outshot Toronto 11-9 (4-4 in shots on target).

Toronto, which opened with a four-man backline, had more of the ball in a less-than-enthralling first half and managed the lone shot on goal before the break. The game opened up in the second half with both goalkeepers tested.

Johnson preserved the tie with a fine save in the 84th minute, acrobatically pushing a header from Vanzeir over the crossbar. And an unmarked Vanzeir headed just wide in the 89th minute.

Meara stopped Insigne’s low shot from outside the penalty box in the dying seconds of stoppage time. The Italian, who had a quiet night, had a second chance but sent his shot wide.

Herdman fielded arguably his strongest lineup with Kevin Long, Deybi Flores and Etienne coming on for O’Neill, Longstaff and Thompson.

The Red Bulls gave 16-year-old forward Julian Hall his first start.

Toronto (9-14-3) currently sits eighth in the MLS’s Eastern Conference, 11 points behind the fourth-place Red Bulls (10-4-11), who have a game in hand.

Herdman has had more weapons at his disposal in recent weeks with players returning from injury and international duty. Toronto came into Saturday’s game having won two of its last three, including a 1-0 victory at CF Montreal last time out, after a seven-game losing streak across all competitions.

Coming off a 3-1 win over second-place FC Cincinnati, the Red Bulls were unbeaten in their previous eight games (2-0-6). The New Yorkers were also unbeaten in 15 straight home games.

The Leagues Cup, which runs through Aug. 25, began in 2019 and also took place in 2020 and 2023.

Mexico’s Cruz Azul and Leon won in 2019 and ’20, respectively, while Lionel Messi and Inter Miami hoisted the trophy last year. The top three teams qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup with the winner earning a bye to the round of 16 of the elite club championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Canadian MLS teams did not take part until 2023, with only the Vancouver Whitecaps surviving the group stage.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2024.

The Canadian Press – Jul 27, 2024 / 7:13 pm | Story: 499007

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VANCOUVER — What a week it has been for Ryan Reynolds.

Back in his hometown of Vancouver following a whirlwind press tour for the movie “Deadpool & Wolverine” — which opened in theatres on Friday — the co-chair of Welsh third-tier side Wrexham AFC watched his team deliver a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.

At the international friendly at BC Place, many of the 34,738 fans in attendance were decked out in red and white jerseys and scarves, cheering enthusiastically for players such as Ollie Palmer and Jordan Davies who they’ve come to know through the popular FX docuseries “Welcome to Wrexham.”

“It’s beautiful,” said Whitecaps coach Vanni Sartini, untroubled by the final result. “This tells you the power of storytelling. Wrexham tells a story with the documentary, with how people get behind the thing even if they’re so far apart, even if they’re not soccer fans or whatever.”

After starting their weeklong “Wrex Coast Tour” with draws in California against Premier League sides Bournemouth and Chelsea, Wrexham closed out strong win a decisive win.

“You can see Vancouver, they’ve got some real talented players out there in terms of intelligent footballers,” said manager Phil Parkinson. “The rotations are good. They can turn sharp on the ball. And I thought it was a great exercise for us to deal with that kind of rotation all over the pitch.”

The game matched up an MLS squad in midseason form against a Wrexham side that is two weeks away from making its debut in England’s League One, following back-to-back promotions.

“It’s been three really tough games for us,” said Wrexham midfielder George Evans. “We’ve learned a lot defensively. I think even today. It’s been a great preparation trip for us, and we know it’s gonna be a tough season, League One. Feeling ready.”

Sebastian Revan, James McClean, Elliot Lee and Jordan Davies scored for Wrexham, while Giuseppe Bovalina replied for Vancouver. Wrexham led the shots 10-4 (6-3 on target).

Revan scored the only goal of the game’s first half, firing the ball past Vancouver ‘keeper Isaac Boehmer after a tidy cross from Andy Cannon was deflected to him by Lee.

After substitutions began in earnest on both sides in the second half, Vancouver drew even in the 55th minute when Pedro Vite popped the ball loose to Ahmed, who fed Giuseppe Bovalina for the shot.

In the 62nd minute, Boehmer made way for Joe Bendik in the Whitecaps net. Six minutes later, a wide-open McClean paced a perfect header into the net. Lee followed up in the 71st minute and Davies closed out the scoring in the 82nd minute.

“At minute 60, we were 1-1 and probably had more chances than them,” Sartini said. “Then, the classic thing that sometimes happens in pre-season — they put in all the experienced players, we put in all the young players, and it’s a bit of a mismatch.”

With a number of regulars absent or seeing limited minutes, the Whitecaps signed six players from their second team to short-term agreements ahead of Saturday’s game. Defender Finn Linder was featured in the starting lineup, and all six saw match action.

“I told them at the end, take the applause,” Sartini said. “It’s also for you guys.”

Wrexham co-chair Rob McElhenney has accompanied the team on the entire North American tour. He was also in the box beside Reynolds on Saturday.

And while the Red Dragons have grown accustomed to the scrutiny that comes with being documentary subjects, Parkinson admits they might play with a little extra zest when both their owners are watching them live.

“We’ve got to be up for every game because there’s always a spotlight on us,” he said. “Obviously, Ryan’s been incredibly busy with his movie and the PR for that. But you know, if they say they’re going to be somewhere, they’re there.

“I think that was fantastic that Ryan was here today, being his home city. Enormous credit to him to make sure he was here today.”

Former Whitecap and current Canadian national team captain Alphonso Davies also took in the match from a box.

With a successful North American tour now wrapped for a second consecutive year, Wrexham now returns to The Racecourse Ground in Wales to finish out its pre-season against Fleetwood on Aug. 3. The Red Dragons will host the Wycombe Wanderers for their League One debut on Aug. 10.

After they visit LAFC for a Leagues Cup group stage match on Tuesday, the Whitecaps will host Club Tijuana in Cup action at BC Place on Aug. 3.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2024.

The Canadian Press – Jul 27, 2024 / 12:51 pm | Story: 498966

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SAINT-ETIENNE — The Canadian Olympic Committee says it is “exploring rights of appeal” after a FIFA ruling docked six points from the Canadian women’s soccer team due to a drone spying scandal at the Paris Games.

FIFA also banned three coaches – including head coach Bev Priestman – for one year each and fined Canada Soccer about C$313,000.

Two assistant coaches were caught using drones to spy on New Zealand’s practices before the teams played their opening game last Thursday, a 2-1 Canada win.

Canada Soccer was held responsible for not ensuring its staff complied with tournament rules.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has a special Olympic court in Paris that’s set up for urgent hearings and verdicts at the Olympics.

The points deduction, if upheld, does not eliminate Canada from the tournament but makes it much more difficult for the defending champions to advance.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2024.

The Canadian Press – Jul 27, 2024 / 3:57 am | Story: 498937

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MADRID (AP) — Spain defender Robin Le Normand will join Atletico Madrid on a transfer from Real Sociedad, the two clubs said Saturday.

The 27-year-old Le Normand helped Spain win the European Championship earlier this month.

Both clubs said the deal would be finalized “in the coming days.” Neither revealed the financial details of the transfer, nor did Atletico say how many seasons Le Normand would sign for.

Le Normand played 221 games for Sociedad and helped it win the 2020 Copa del Rey. He will join an Atletico side coached by Diego Simeone, who demands tough defense from his teams.

Atletico also said that defender Stefan Savic would be leaving the club after nine seasons.

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The Canadian Press – Jul 26, 2024 / 8:25 pm | Story: 498916

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ORLANDO — CF Montreal surrendered three goals in the first half en route to a 4-1 setback to the Orlando City SC Lions in the group stage opener of the 2024 Leagues Cup on Friday at Inter & Co Stadium.

The Lions, who extended their unbeaten streak to six matches across all competitions, got goals from Dagur Thorhallsson (seventh minute), Facundo Torres (37th minute), Ramiro Enrique (45th minute stoppage time) and Martin Ojeda (57th minute).

After picking up an assist on Enrique’s goal, Facundo Torres recorded his 23rd career assist, passing Kaká for fourth on the Lions’ all-time assist list.

“Well, first, it’s a great night in front of our fans to score four goals against a very difficult rival. Just seeing the team and the evolution that we are looking for. Keeping that momentum that we’ve had in the last six games, it’s all good to see,” said Lions’ coach Oscar Pareja.

“We knew Montréal would come to look for us in the second half and give us some space and that’s what happened. Again, we’re fine in front of the goal and it’s something that makes us look good. Happy with the result but as this competition tells us, we have to get ready for the next one.”

Josef Martínez scored his fifth goal of the year for Montreal in the 69th minute to prevent the shutout.

“Orlando wanted this game more than we did. We need to resolve some defensive shortcomings, get back into the right mindset and turn the page so we can start anew against San Luis,” said Montreal coach Laurent Courtois.

“Now we’re going to get ready for the next game. The result was a disappointment tonight. I can see that we’re struggling in terms of execution and occupying space, as well as making certain decisions. That’s what we’re trying to solve.”

CF Montreal will conclude the group stage of the tournament by hosting Atlético de San Luis of LIGA MX on Tuesday at Stade Saputo.

“I can’t speak for the other players. Sometimes our body language shows frustration when we concede easy goals. I don’t think there’s a tactical problem. We did some good things with the ball. It’s not our weak point,” said Joel Waterman of Montreal.

“However, we were too open and spread out. We need to improve our counterattacking and make ourselves harder to deal with. We left too much space for them to exploit, and they took advantage of it. It could have been better tonight.“

Montreal was outshot 24-10 (10-4 on target) and had two of the match’s seven corners.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2024.

The Canadian Press – Jul 26, 2024 / 6:23 pm | Story: 498897

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IRAPUATO — A goal by forward Mataeo Bunbury in stoppage time pushed Canada to its second win on Friday in the group stage of the 2024 CONCACAF men’s under-20 soccer championship in Mexico.

Bunbury’s goal in the 93rd minute after checking into the match in the 74th minute lifted the Canadian side over El Salvador 2-1, pushing Canada’s record at the international tournament to 2-0-1.

Another forward, Santiago Lopez, scored Canada’s first goal in the 21st minute of the match, a lead held by the Canadian side until Francis Castillo tied it for El Salvador in the 77th minute.

The win leaves Canada undefeated in Group B play, with a 2-2 draw against Honduras on July 20, followed by a 1-0 win over the Dominican Republic on Tuesday.

Canada slightly outshot the El Salvadoran side 16-14 and held possession of the ball for 56 per cent of the game but also conceded eight corner kicks to El Salvador while having only five themselves.

The team now awaits other results that will determine its next opponent in the knockout stage, which is set to begin on Tuesday, July 30.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2024.

The Canadian Press – Jul 26, 2024 / 4:40 pm | Story: 498880

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VANCOUVER — Vanni Sartini has only seen a handful of episodes of “Welcome to Wrexham.”

But the head coach of Vancouver Whitecaps FC said that was enough for him to understand the value of the platform that is being offered when his squad squares off against the Welsh side from the FX docu-series in an international friendly on Saturday at BC Place.

“A lot of the fans that (will be) here are Whitecaps fans that come regularly,” Sartini said Friday. “But maybe some of them are coming because they’re fans of the documentary, or they hope to see if Ryan Reynolds is coming.

“We have a big chance to appeal to a group of people that maybe aren’t following the Whitecaps closely every week. I think we have a responsibility to put on the best show possible.”

Saturday’s match will be the first-ever in Canada for the Red Dragons, who are closing out their “2024 Wrex Coast Tour” after a pair of draws against English Premier League sides in California.

It’s all part of the plan to nurture a global fanbase for the historic club, which was founded in 1864 and is the third-oldest pro soccer team in the world.

Wrexham AFC has risen to prominence since being acquired in 2020 by Reynolds — a Vancouver native — and fellow actor Rob McElhenney.

“Welcome to Wrexham” has become a smash hit and captured the club’s meteoric improvement under its new ownership group. The docu-series won five primetime Emmy awards in 2023, is nominated in six categories in 2024 and has now been renewed for a fourth season.

After earning promotion in back-to-back years, Wrexham is about to kick off its new season in League One, the third tier of English football.

Reynolds’ promotional duties for his new blockbuster film “Deadpool & Wolverine” kept him away as his squad delivered a pair of good results in California — a 1-1 draw against AFC Bournemouth in Santa Barbara on July 20 and a 2-2 draw against Chelsea in Santa Clara on Wednesday.

He will be on hand Saturday for the match at BC Place, Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson confirmed on Friday.

“I think him and Rob have been incredible for, not just the club and the town, but for the whole league, really,” said Wrexham defender Eoghan O’Connell. “Kind of opening people’s eyes to what can be done when you have owners that really care and really want to work and put into the club.

“And, yeah, they’re the same behind the scenes.”

Striker Paul Mullin, Wrexham’s top scorer from each of the last three seasons, did not make this year’s trip to North America. He underwent minor spinal surgery in June to correct a lower back and hamstring issue and will miss the beginning of the League One season.

The Whitecaps will be without their captain, Ryan Gauld, who suffered a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his left knee in the first half of the Whitecaps’ 4-3 loss to the Houston Dynamo last Saturday. Fafa Picault, who has four goals in his last three matches, will also be unavailable due to league-mandated time off.

WREXHAM AFC AT VANCOUVER WHITECAPS

Big turnout: Over 30,000 fans are expected at BC Place on Saturday. Pre-match festivities include a street party starting at 1:30 p.m. and an opportunity for fans to meet players from both the Whitecaps and Wrexham, starting at 2 p.m.

Real grass: By Wrexham’s request, the artificial turf at BC Place has been replaced with real grass for the match. Though temporary, the process is helping the stadium’s technical team gather information ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. BC Place will host seven matches for that tournament, all on grass.

Leagues Cup: With MLS regular-season action paused until Aug. 24 due to the Paris Olympics, the 11-8-5 Whitecaps sit fifth in the league’s Western Conference with 38 points. Vancouver’s next action will be in the group stage of Leagues Cup play, visiting LAFC on July 30 before hosting Club Tijuana on Aug. 3. The Round of 32 will begin on Aug. 9.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2024.

The Canadian Press – Jul 26, 2024 / 4:20 pm | Story: 498875

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A complaint was filed against Canada at the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship, alleging the Canadian women’s team had used a drone to watch a rival country’s training session.

CONCACAF confirmed the complaint was made against Canada by a rival federation, but said nothing came of it.

The federation in question, believed to be Panama, made the allegation after seeing a drone at training that did not belong to them.

“They suspected it was Canada,” said a CONCACAF spokesman.

Canada Soccer denied any involvement when contacted by CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America as well as the Caribbean.

Given the lack of evidence, the complaint did not make it to CONCACAF’s disciplinary committee.

The Canadian women beat Panama 1-0 in group play — on July 8, 2022 — and eventually finished runner-up to the U.S. at the eight-team tournament, which served as a World Cup qualifier.

Canada, which lost 1-0 in the final in Monterrey, won the tournament’s Fair Play Award.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2024.

The Canadian Press – Jul 26, 2024 / 2:52 pm | Story: 498858

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TORONTO — Like the rest of Major League Soccer, Toronto FC is taking a break from regular-season play to focus on the Leagues Cup.

After the grind of a busy summer schedule, the annual cup tournament for MLS and Liga MX sides offers a new challenge. Toronto, which currently sits eighth in the Eastern Conference at 9-14-3 and occupying one of the final two wild-card playoff berths, will resume its post-season push when league play resumes Aug. 24.

Toronto opens Leagues Cup play Saturday at the New York Red Bulls, with an Aug. 4 visit by Mexico’s Pachuca to come.

“An exciting opportunity for the team,” said Toronto coach John Herdman. “We’ve been battling in MLS and had a lot of games in recent times, fighting for the playoff spots … This is sort of a welcome distraction for the group to focus on a one-off game — that’s really what these are.”

“There’s just been a light, bright mood around the camp this week,” he added.

Plus, the Leagues Cup comes with a trophy, Herdman said.

“Big players, they get excited when there’s silverware right in front of them,” he noted.

The Red Bulls (10-4-11) are fourth in the East, 11 points ahead of TFC with a game in hand. The New Yorkers are coming off a 3-1 win over second-place FC Cincinnati and are unbeaten in their last eight games (2-0-6).

Toronto has won two of its last three, including a 1-0 victory at CF Montreal last time out, after a seven-game losing streak in all competitions

The Leagues Cup, now in its fourth edition, has grown to involve all 29 teams from MLS and all 18 from Liga MX.

Liga MX champion Club America and MLS title-holder Columbus Crew have been given byes to the knockout round of 32. The other 45 entries have been divided into 15 groups of three teams.

The top two from each group advance to the round of 32.

The tournament, which opened Friday and runs through Aug. 25, began in 2019 and also took place in 2020 and 2023. It was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic and was replaced by a scaled-down eight-team event in 2022 due to the FIFA World Cup.

Mexico’s Cruz Azul and Leon won in 2019 and ’20, respectively while Lionel Messi and Inter Miami hoisted the trophy last year. The top three teams qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup with the winner earning a bye to the round of 16 of the elite club championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Canadian MLS teams did not take part until 2023, with only Vancouver Whitecaps FC surviving the group stage.

Newly signed Toronto defender Henry Wingo will not make the trip to New Jersey so he can continue training in Toronto. Herdman also said forward Deandre Kerr is doubtful with a foot injury.

Midfielder Brandon Servania, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in October, has resumed full training while wingback Tyrese Spicer is back running after suffering a “slight fracture” to one of his vertebrae. Midfielder Alonso Coello (thigh) is several weeks away from returning, however.

Toronto lost 3-0 to the Red Bulls when the clubs met in league play at Red Bull Arena on June 22 in a game delayed for one hour and 40 minutes due to inclement weather.

TFC’s Leagues Cup campaign was short and not very special last year.

Toronto lost 5-0 to New York City FC at Red Bull Arena and 1-0 to Mexico’s Atlas at BMO Field, with the NYCFC loss one of the low points in a dismal 2023 season.

Montreal defeated Mexico’s Pumas 4-2 in a penalty shootout and lost 1-0 to visiting D.C. United, also failing to move on.

Vancouver edged Mexico’s Leon in a marathon 16-15 penalty shootout at B.C. Place Stadium and beat the Los Angeles Galaxy with two late goals on the road before losing at home to Mexico’s Tigres 5-3 in a penalty shootout in the round of 32.

Miami defeated Nashville SC in last year’s final via penalty shootout while the Philadelphia Union blanked Mexico’s Monterrey 3-0 in the third-place game

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2024

The Canadian Press – Jul 26, 2024 / 12:30 pm | Story: 498826

Photo: The Canadian Press

Dirty tricks are nothing new in world football. Rivals have long looked to give themselves a competitive advantage or to unsettle the opposition.

“The truth is it has gone on forever and I have seen it all,” said a former Canadian men’s team coach. “Including opposition staff pretending to be cleaning the stadium. I don’t condone it and always made it clear to my staff. Unless it was an open training session.”

“Not sure it’s rampant but I’m assuming others are doing it,” said another former Canada men’s coach. “The better technology gets, the more it will be utilized to gain a competitive advantage by those that choose to do so.”

Both coaches asked not to be quoted by name, saying they wanted to steer clear of the current controversy.

Technology has indeed added to the dark arts arsenal.

Canada coach Bev Priestman, sent home from the Paris Olympics, is currently paying the price for one of her staffers using a drone to spy on a New Zealand training session.

There have been far cruder campaigns.

Canadian teams on the road in CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean, are no strangers to fire alarms being pulled at their hotel or drum-beating fans outside in the wee hours. Or substandard practice facilities

And match day is not exempt.

Jason Bent, now an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Galaxy, recalls being hit with a plastic bag full of urine at a 2000 Canada-Mexico game at storied Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

The Mexican fans were no amateurs. The loosely tied bag, which hit Bent’s leg, was designed to open on contact.

Before a World Cup qualifying game against Mexico in Vancouver in the ’70s, then-Canada coach Eckhard Krautzun stopped a training session and had a janitor kicked out of the stadium.

At the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China, Denmark complained of holes mysteriously appearing on pitches overnight and brass bands playing on the sidelines, to secret filming from nearby buildings.

The Danes also alleged that two men tried to film a Danish strategy session from behind a two-way mirror at the team hotel.

“I am in no doubt that FIFA and the Chinese police know who the two men are,” Allan Hansen, chairman of the Danish soccer federation, DUB, was quoted as telling the Danish newspaper Politiken at the time. “I and the Danish federation would also like to know who they are and what went on.”

China upset Denmark 3-2 at the tournament.

Denmark coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller, who later coached the Canada women, was subsequently banned for two matches by FIFA for failing to shake hands with his Chinese counterpart after the game.

Canada is not exempt from looking to make an opponent’s life miserable.

In September 1985, Canada Soccer (then the Canadian Soccer Association) elected to stage a key World Cup qualifier against Honduras in King George V Park in St. John’s, N.L., some 4,900 kilometres northeast of the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa.

“We had thought ‘What the heck is the Canadian Soccer Association doing putting this biggest game Canada’s ever played — in Newfoundland?’” recalled Canada captain Bruce Wilson. “It was an outside park, to start with.

“Before the game, we got there and we were training and preparing and were going ‘Where are we?’ And we couldn’t believe it, to be honest.”

Then-coach Tony Waiters and CSA president Jim Fleming were following other CONCACAF countries in maximizing the benefits of playing at home.

“It wasn’t a very big crowd at the end of the day but I’m going to tell you what when we went out on the field, it was 100 per cent Canadian and they actually put us ahead a goal before the game began,” said Wilson. “It was a fantastic atmosphere.”

“The other team had no idea where they were,” he added. “And we really prospered.”

Just getting to St. John’s was a challenge. Some Honduran fans never made it, landing mistakenly in Saint John, N.B., where they watched the game on TV.

Canada won 2-1 to secure qualification for the 1986 World Cup.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2024.