Ball Town

Canadian soccer endures a year of change, disruption and disappointment

December 18, 2023

It was a year of change and mostly disappointment in Canadian soccer.

Captains Christine Sinclair and Atiba Hutchinson called time on their distinguished, talismanic international careers. John Herdman quit Canada to take over beleaguered Major League Soccer team Toronto FC. The Olympic champion Canadian women disappointed at the FIFA World Cup in Australia, exiting after the group stage. But Bev Priestman’s team rebounded in September to dispatch 40th-ranked Jamaica and qualify for next summer’s Paris Olympics.

The Canadian men, meanwhile, collapsed in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against No. 55 Jamaica in November, losing the two-legged series on the away goals rule — a setback that necessitates a March playoff against No. 96 Trinidad and Tobago to qualify for Copa America and earn a date with World Cup champion Argentina next summer.

“All eyes will be on the team. It’s global exposure for the players,” interim Canada coach Mauro Biello said of Copa America, where No. 1 Argentina, No. 35 Peru and No. 40 Chile await the Canada-Trinidad winner in Group A.

Both Canadian teams see brighter days ahead.

“It’s going to be a hard year, obviously. It’s a transition year,” said FC Porto midfielder Stephen Eustaquio, voted Canada Soccer’s Men’s Player of the Year. “Everybody knows that … It’s a transition process but I think we’re good. I think we have a solid team.”

“I think for us there’s a recognition that not every year is not going to be your best year as a team,” added Chelsea midfielder Jessie Fleming, named Canada Soccer’s Female Player of the Year. “Definitely a disappointing summer from us. But I think since the summer it’s been really positive with the group and I think we have good momentum going into the new year.”

But 2023 ends like 2022 did, with a labor black cloud hanging over Canada Soccer and its two marquee teams. Hutchinson, 40, called it quits at the CONCACAF Nations League Finals in June in Las Vegas, coming off the bench in the 76th minute of Canada’s 2-0 semifinal win over Panama for his record 104th cap.

He was a spectator at the final, where the Canadian men were blanked 2-0 by the United States. Hutchinson, who was 19 when he made his senior debut in January 2003, played in six Gold Cups and a Canadian-record 38 World Cup qualifying games. Sinclair ended her 23-year senior international career in early December in a pair of wins over Australia in her B.C. backyard. The 40-year-old from Burnaby leaves with a world-record 190 goals and 331 caps, second only to American’s Kristine Lilly’s 354 caps.

Unlike Hutchinson, Sinclair plans to play one more season with her club team, the NWSL’s Portland Thorns.

Veteran midfielder Sophie Schmidt (226 caps) and goalkeeper Erin McLeod (119 caps) also announced their international retirement.

“When I look back to myself and when I first started out, they welcomed me and other players with open arms,” fullback/midfielder Ashley Lawrence said. “They allowed us to just flourish, spread our wings and be able to grow into the players that we are today.”

In late August, Herdman announced he was leaving the national team to try to lead Toronto back to the MLS promised land after several dismal seasons. He had had enough of the politics and financial challenge of working for Canada Soccer, a governing body in both transition and turmoil.

Nick Bontis, under pressure from provincial and territorial soccer leaders, resigned as president in February, acknowledging change is needed to achieve labour peace. General secretary Earl Cochrane followed him out the door in April, with former Canada captain Jason deVos taking over on an interim basis.

Source: Press, The Canadian. “Canadian Soccer Endures a Year of Change, Disruption and Disappointment.” TSN, TSN, 18 Dec. 2023, http://www.tsn.ca/soccer/canadian-soccer-endures-a-year-of-change-disruption-and-disappointment-1.2050493.