Le Canada contre le Luxembourg et l'Espagne
Publié : 14 juillet 2005 19:00
Canada to face Spain in high-profile soccer friendly in September
(CP) - Hola Canada. Out of the depths of its early Gold Cup exit, the Canadian men's soccer team can at least look forward to a high-profile match against Spain in the fall.
The Canadians, ranked 85th in the world, will visit the ninth-ranked Spanish on Sept. 3 in either Valencia or La Coruna. "A huge game," said coach Frank Yallop. Spain will be the second major European power Canada will have faced this year. Yallop's team was beaten 4-1 in Portugal, ranked ninth at the time, in March.
Canada is also coming off a 2-0 loss to the 10th-ranked Americans in the Gold Cup.
The friendly would serve as a warmup for the Spanish for a key World Cup qualifying game against Serbia and Montenegro on Sept. 7. Spain (3-0-4) currently leads Group 7, one point ahead of the Serbs (3-0-3).
The Canadians are also slated to play Luxembourg on Nov. 16. The tiny principality is ranked 155th in the world and currently languishes in the basement of Europe's Group 3 in World Cup qualifying with an 0-8-0 record.
Both Nov. 12 and 16 have been reserved for internationals on the FIFA calendar.
Canada is also making plans for October but Yallop said nothing has been confirmed yet.
Canada has only ever played Spain and Luxembourg once before. Canada won 2-0 in Luxembourg in October 1973 and lost 2-0 to Spain in Montreal in June 1994 in the buildup to the '94 World Cup in the U.S.
Yallop played in the game against Spain, as did Paul Dolan, Nick Dasovic and Colin Miller, all of whom now are involved in coaching with the Canadian Soccer Association. Carlo Corazzin, who also played that day, is a player-coach with the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Canada was coached at the time by Bob Lenarduzzi, who recalls a frantic schedule of five games in 12 days: against Morocco (1-1 in Montreal), Brazil (1-1 in Edmonton), Germany (2-0 loss in Toronto), Spain and the Netherlands (3-0 loss in Toronto).
The travel and schedule had taken its toll by the time Canada faced Spain. Lenarduzzi says the Canadians were "a little bit legless at that point."
Miguel Angel Nadal, a giant defender whose nephew is teenage tennis star Rafael Nadal, stood out for Spain.
"He was just a specimen. The guy was massive," recalled Lenarduzzi, now director of soccer operations for the Vancouver Whitecaps. "He played in the middle of the back. We'd play long balls out of the back and he'd be pulling balls down on his chest and just always looking real comfortable. He was a special player."
Spain scored in the ninth and 89th minutes at Claude Robillard Stadium. Canada had a Geoff Aunger goal called back for offside.
The Spaniards went on to make it to the quarter-finals of the '94 World Cup, losing to Italy.
Notes: Katie Thorlakson, a forward from Langley, B.C., who led the U.S. in scoring and helped Notre Dame to the NCAA title, lost out in voting for the ESPY Award as top female college athlete. Cat Osterman of the University of Texas softball team won. ... Philippe Eullaffroy, a 41-year-old who holds dual French and Canadian citizenship, has been named coach of the McGill men's soccer team. He succeeds Adam Mar, who stepped down to pursue post-doctoral research in neurology at the University of Cambridge. ... McGill forward Danielle Day and Western Ontario midfielder Eva Havaris will lead the Canadian soccer team next month at the 2005 World University Games in Izmir, Turkey. Day was CIS player of the year in 2004 while Havaris won the award in 2003.
(CP) - Hola Canada. Out of the depths of its early Gold Cup exit, the Canadian men's soccer team can at least look forward to a high-profile match against Spain in the fall.
The Canadians, ranked 85th in the world, will visit the ninth-ranked Spanish on Sept. 3 in either Valencia or La Coruna. "A huge game," said coach Frank Yallop. Spain will be the second major European power Canada will have faced this year. Yallop's team was beaten 4-1 in Portugal, ranked ninth at the time, in March.
Canada is also coming off a 2-0 loss to the 10th-ranked Americans in the Gold Cup.
The friendly would serve as a warmup for the Spanish for a key World Cup qualifying game against Serbia and Montenegro on Sept. 7. Spain (3-0-4) currently leads Group 7, one point ahead of the Serbs (3-0-3).
The Canadians are also slated to play Luxembourg on Nov. 16. The tiny principality is ranked 155th in the world and currently languishes in the basement of Europe's Group 3 in World Cup qualifying with an 0-8-0 record.
Both Nov. 12 and 16 have been reserved for internationals on the FIFA calendar.
Canada is also making plans for October but Yallop said nothing has been confirmed yet.
Canada has only ever played Spain and Luxembourg once before. Canada won 2-0 in Luxembourg in October 1973 and lost 2-0 to Spain in Montreal in June 1994 in the buildup to the '94 World Cup in the U.S.
Yallop played in the game against Spain, as did Paul Dolan, Nick Dasovic and Colin Miller, all of whom now are involved in coaching with the Canadian Soccer Association. Carlo Corazzin, who also played that day, is a player-coach with the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Canada was coached at the time by Bob Lenarduzzi, who recalls a frantic schedule of five games in 12 days: against Morocco (1-1 in Montreal), Brazil (1-1 in Edmonton), Germany (2-0 loss in Toronto), Spain and the Netherlands (3-0 loss in Toronto).
The travel and schedule had taken its toll by the time Canada faced Spain. Lenarduzzi says the Canadians were "a little bit legless at that point."
Miguel Angel Nadal, a giant defender whose nephew is teenage tennis star Rafael Nadal, stood out for Spain.
"He was just a specimen. The guy was massive," recalled Lenarduzzi, now director of soccer operations for the Vancouver Whitecaps. "He played in the middle of the back. We'd play long balls out of the back and he'd be pulling balls down on his chest and just always looking real comfortable. He was a special player."
Spain scored in the ninth and 89th minutes at Claude Robillard Stadium. Canada had a Geoff Aunger goal called back for offside.
The Spaniards went on to make it to the quarter-finals of the '94 World Cup, losing to Italy.
Notes: Katie Thorlakson, a forward from Langley, B.C., who led the U.S. in scoring and helped Notre Dame to the NCAA title, lost out in voting for the ESPY Award as top female college athlete. Cat Osterman of the University of Texas softball team won. ... Philippe Eullaffroy, a 41-year-old who holds dual French and Canadian citizenship, has been named coach of the McGill men's soccer team. He succeeds Adam Mar, who stepped down to pursue post-doctoral research in neurology at the University of Cambridge. ... McGill forward Danielle Day and Western Ontario midfielder Eva Havaris will lead the Canadian soccer team next month at the 2005 World University Games in Izmir, Turkey. Day was CIS player of the year in 2004 while Havaris won the award in 2003.
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