That women's national coach John Herdman has called up Melissa Tancredi is neither a criticism of the coach nor of the player, who has not played since the Olympics. As TSN's Jason deVos writes, it is an indictment on the youth development system in Canada. ...more
Following the 1998 World Cup, in which Germany suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Croatia, they rebuilt their soccer infrastructure. As evidenced by their Champions League success, it's time for soccer in Canada to take notes from the Germans' lead. ...more
In the wake of a recent announcement by the Ontario Soccer Association – in 2014, it is launching a standards-based high performance youth soccer league in the province called the Ontario Player Development League – there has been a great deal of discussion and debate regarding the value of national coaching licences. TSN soccer analyst Jason deVos explains. ...more
The vast majority of fans just want their MLS team to win, regardless of whether the players are Canadian or not. They just want to be entertained by a winning team. TSN's Jason deVos believes that Canada's MLS teams want to produce their own players, but it might take too long. ...more
The Easter Bunny brought disappointment for Canada's three Major League Soccer teams this past weekend. Toronto FC gave up a late goal to draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy, the Montreal Impact lost to Sporting KC, while the Vancouver Whitecaps dropped a decision to Chivas USA. TSN's Jason deVos offers his thoughts on the weekend's action. ...more
There were plenty of positives for Toronto FC head coach Ryan Nelsen to take away from the first victory of his young managerial career. Most impressive for me, though, was the team's work-rate and attitude towards defending as a group. For the first time in what seems like years, Toronto FC has collectively found the will to fight for each other. ...more
At present, Americans are considered domestic players on both American and Canadian MLS teams, while Canadians are not considered domestic players on American teams. Many wish it was quid pro quo, but MLS commissioner Don Garber explained why it's not that simple. Garber spoke about the policy to TSN soccer analyst Jason deVos. ...more
I've spent a lot of time recently - more than I would have liked - clearing up some misconceptions about LTPD (Long-Term Player Development, introduced by the Canadian Soccer Association in 2008, for those of you who are new here). The biggest misconception regards the removal of scores and standings in youth soccer for kids under the age of 12. ...more
There have been a number of articles published recently, focusing on a small component - the removal of scores and standings for youth soccer below the age of 12 - of the Canadian Soccer Association's long-term player development plan (LTPD). Some of the articles have been reasonably balanced and fair, while others have missed the point completely. ...more
In a discussion on Twitter recently about the caliber of coaching on offer at the grassroots level in Canada, an interesting point was raised. How do we balance 'quantity vs. quality?' Is it better to get as many kids playing the sport as possible or should we instead extend the participant base only so far as the qualified coaching capacity can sustain? ...more
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