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20.4.12

Support Canada's National Team


Men's CONCACAF World Cup qualifying is entering into its next and second last phase. Canada, quadrennial failures, is preparing once again for another run. I prefer at the moment to be realistic about Canada's chances - slim - at qualifying because there will be plenty of time later for me to get caught up in the hopes and dreams and likely disappointment...

Nevertheless, win or lose, Canada's national soccer teams have some of the best fans in North America. Best in terms of being positive, proud and most of all entertaining. Known as the Voyageurs, they will show up to cheer, sing and party for the local guys and girls in red. Standing with these people is a great time - and not that expensive.

If you've only watched soccer on the television, you should get off your butt and stand - yes stand, don't be lame and sit - next to the Voyageurs. Better yet, tickets with the Voyageurs are often a steal.

The dates for upcoming qualifying matches:
June 14, 2012 vs. Honduras
Sept. 7 2012 vs. Panama
Oct. 12 vs Cuba

And the 100th CSA Anniversary Friendly vs the Yankies:
June 3rd

You can buy tickets here.

More importantly, even if you are not a big soccer fan or don't live in Toronto, there is a chance for you to participate - or at least send someone in your place. The Voyageurs have partnered with Toronto Community Housing, which has a Youth Engagement program with 800 involved youths, to offer charity tickets (right now still real charity and not tax-evasion). You can buy a ticket to the Honduras match ($20 each) for one - or MORE!!! - of these kids. Toronto Community Housing provides low-rent alternatives to 164 000 tenants in the city, people from a diversity of backgrounds. Being on the other-side of the world, I've decided to send the equivalent of my fanaticism and bought three tickets.

Send some kids now!

Teó Gutiérrez and how to play in the Libertadores

If you asked me who the next big transfer target in Argentina for European clubs, I couldn't tell you. It seems that many of the best players in the league are too old – often on the tail end after some years in Europe – or too much of a liability. Case in point: Teófilo Antonio Gutiérrez.

The Colombian is a player brimming with on the field talent and at age 26 should be reaching his peak. And playing at Racing Club, one of the 'big five', should be enough to warrant continued attention for Teó, despite a failed attempt in Europe while playing for Trabzonspor of Turkey (8 goals in 23 matches) in 2010/11. And if 2011/12 had gone like the 2011 Clausura, where Gutiérrez scored 11 in 16 for Racing, he would have once again generated interest across the ocean. It wasn't to be.

Racing, while under pressure to gain some distance for the promotion, were not only doing well but challenging for the top of the table. Gutiérrez had other plans on his mind – if not plans, some sort of thoughts that weren't related to helping. While bagging 6 goals, he mistakingly believed seven yellow and two red cards to be his real purpose on the field. The worst came in a stupid expulsion for pushing the referee during the Boca-Racing clasico. The match was the last serious challenge of Boca's undefeated championship and Gutiérrez's red card was the moment that really took Racing out of the match.



First came the pictures. In Argentina, big club players drive big expensive cars. So it was quite comical to see Teó walk out of Independiente's stadium to a common taxi, probably waved down off the street. Teó had been kicked off the bus – both literally and figuratively. Then came the news why. Following a heated argument with his fellow teammates Teó pulled out a gun, a paint-ball gun, in the dressing room. Understandably nobody felt comfortable sharing a bus with Teó.

At the same time that the Mario Balotelli experiment at Manchester City seems to be coming to an end, teams would be wise to think deeply about their ability to harness the capabilities players with known concentration problems. Racing for the moment has given up on the Teó experiment.

You would think that pulling a gun, even a paintball gun, on fellow teammates would be enough to end one's competitive career. Yet somehow, the incident appears to be a 'step up' for Teó, at least till the end of the season, because he will be playing in the prestigious Copa de Libertadores for Lanús. While not necessarily a historic powerhouse, Lanús has recently had decent form and one would think decent management.

If given such power, I would generally side on cautious and long-term management of players. To me a 'professional' footballer should respect the position and opportunities they are given, which come from the thousands of hard-working supporters who make football 'valuable' in a dollar-and-cents kinda way. Introducing the Balotellis and Teós of the footballing world into a relatively stable dressing room can be a disaster. I also find it insulting.

But from the perspective of Lanús, I presume, Teó is seen as a high quality – but relatively cheap given the circumstance – reinforcement for the Libertadores. Until now, being a smaller club has meant Lanús has had to choose between the league and the cup, electing to keep the best players rested for Libertadores ties while their league form suffered. Bringing in Gutiérrez might be a solution to this problem but comes at high risk. For the moment Lanús players have decided to welcome Teó. Hopefully Lanús, for the whole team's sake, is only giving him this one chance.

16.4.12

Occupying the Bombonera

After half a year watching football in Argentina, I've been to a many of the famous stadiums in the region: El Monumental, El Cilindro, and Uruguay's Centenario, but I hadn't been to arguably the most famous: La Bombonera – the chocolate box, as the home of Boca Juniors is named. Going to a Boca Junior match, a highlight of a lot of generally ignoranti tourist's visits to Buenos Aires, has not made it onto my list of activities. My problem is that it is very difficult to get tickets without spending a fortune. Boca benefits from being a hugely popular team that is winning, with the ability to aggressively promote its corporate image internationally. For those reason, as someone posting a comment on an Ole article noted, there are only seats in the Bombonera for “socios, turistas, y ladrones” (members, tourists, and thieves). Tickets from members are often sold to tourists, sometimes by thieves, for 200 and often more pesos; at least twice the cost of the most expensive popular tickets for other Argentine clubs. They say the Bombonera is one the experiences in world football, but for me I'd rather see All Boys play surrounded families wearing the black and white rather than in a herd of 20 tourists ushered past paid off security guards. So for all my time here, I'd not been in the Bombonera.


Until last weekend that is, I can now say I've stood, sang and celebrated not just one but three local goals in the tribuna of the Bombonera. And unlike other foreigners, I entered with my socio card. A perfect solution:
San Lorenzo was forced to play their local match against Godoy Cruz in the Bombonera after the Nuevo Gasómetro was closed for safety reasons. Two weeks ago a strong wind storm blew through Buenos Aires, living significant damage, collapsed buildings, and several people were killed. Thousands were without electricity in the poor parts of the city for several days as trees and buildings had fallen on power lines.
The athletics facilities of the Club Atlético de San Lorenzo de Almagro were amongst the most damaged, including a collapsed roof over the roller hockey and debris destroying the windows of the capilla de San Lorenzo. A young female athlete was also injured by falling bricks while training. And a large section of the visitor's tribuna was blown out:
It was decided that this damage was significant enough to force San Lorenzo away from their stadium and given the complexity of matches this weekend – the “superclasico de Avellaneda” and Huracan visiting El Monumental de River – it was chosen to host San Lorenzo in the Bombonera. No word on what San Lorenzo will be doing in two weeks, their next home match.
While we didn't fill the the Bombonera with socios, turistas and ladrones (we were missing out on many from each category), we did fill the Bombonera with a few songs from the banda of the Gloriosa Butteler.
We sang,

and sang,

and sang,

(I was somewhere above the second trapo from the left, that feel at some point in the match because of all the jumping).

I need to keep better statistics and it may be creeping bias, but I don't think I've heard any other hinchada sing as many different songs for their team. And there are dozens more, since retired from the stadium, that you now only hear sung on the travelling buses. In spanish “fuimos a copar la Bombonera”.
And for the first time, I've seen San Lorenzo win a 'local' match, coincidentally when they were not in their local. Godoy Cruz is having a difficult time likely because of their efforts to play in both the Libertadores and this championship and falling behind in both. Good for San Lorenzo, who completely dominated, winning 3-nil even with a missed penalty.
Because of the win, San Lorenzo continues to sit just above Tigre, who also won against Boca 2-1 this weekend, a spot away from the direct relegation. Every one of the last 9 matches are high pressure 'finals' for San Lorenzo, every win is a chance to celebrate:
Next Sunday, the banda of the gloriosa travels to the suburb of Banfield.
iIgnorant because many tourists often do not know anything more about Argentine football beyond “Boca Juniors”.

9.4.12

'Clasico de sufrimiento'



El Clasico de San Lorenzo - Racing no tuvo un nombre 'oficial' como "superclasico" o "clasico de Avellaneda" antes ahora. Para mi, es claro que esta noche ellos vayan a jugar un clásico de sufrimiento y esperanza. Un club tiene un nuevo técnico, el otro un técnico que pueda ir después de hoy. Los dos están muy lejos de ser campeón con intereses a mantener su posición en la A. Si San Lorenzo ganaré puede superar unos equipos en el ascenso y Racing tiene la oportunidad a ganar tres puntos importante para el año que viene.

En mi opinión Carusso es un loco, posiblemente esto es suficiente para ganar los últimos partidos del campeonato y salir (este año) del ascenso. SanLore necesita toda la suerte que no tuvo antes que hoy para hacer esto, y para mi, nadie puede seguir con su sufrimiento sin la esperanza que mañana va a ser diferente.

Y en reconocimiento de este 'clasico de sufrimiento' voy a llevar mi camiseta de Toronto FC; a ser hincha de TFC está en el diccionario bajo la palabra "sufrir".

____

Today is the "Clasico" between San Lorenzo de Almagro and Racing Club de Avellaneda. Unlike the 'superclasico' or 'clasico de Avellaneda', this clasico doesn't have a name. As I see it, tonight they will be playing the clasico of suffering and hope. One club, San Lorenoz, has a new manager, while Racing's could lose his job after tonight. Both are very far from the top of the table and are focused on staying in the Primera A. If San Lorenzo wins, they will rise in the ascenso while Racing needs the three points for next year's ascenso.

In my opinon, Carusso, San Lorenzo's new manager, is crazy. Maybe this is what San Lorenzo needs to win the final matches of the season but they need all the luck that they haven't been getting this year. They can only with their suffering with the hope that tomorrow they will be better.

In honour of the "clasico of suffering" I'm going to wear my TFC jersey, because in the dictionary below the word "suffer" is the definition "to be a supporter of TFC".


Image from: http://playfutbol.infobae.com/notas/641162-Racing-San-Lorenzo-un-clasico-de-necesitados-y-que-tendra ; http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1122548-struggling-reds-to-battle-mexican-power-santos-in-concacaf-semi-final-play

Can you 'pick' your team?

One of the most basic questions in Argentina is ¿De quien sos?, who are you from? It's a football question. In most contexts, few here will think you are asking about their parental or nationalist history, though both are deeply intertwined with football. I've tended to follow this question with a second, ¿Porque?, why?

I'm starting to realize that this might be the wrong question, or one without a very good answer. The typical response is because someone in my family, usually the father, is from the same club. I've been told that the feeling one has for your team is something inexplicable, like love. You can have 'reasons' but these do not explain why you have such a deep feeling. At least there is no systematic way to categorize how someone becomes a supporter of a team. It is something you carry with you 'in your blood', for some it is their blood. I've heard a San Lorenzo supporter defend their fanaticism by pointing out, "what colours are your blood? You have blue blood and red blood, just like San Lorenzo."

For a Canadian football ('soccer') fan, fairly removed despite the internet and television, from most of the major footballing cultures it is hard to participate in the cultural processes that make the deeply emotional experiences that many supporters feel. For a long time, small bars hosting Saturday morning Premier league games served as the small enclaves of social interaction that I'd argue is an important part of the emotional development of a supporter. Football culture is starting to open up in Canada, however, and has gone 'public' with the re-invention of professional soccer in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and now Montreal. Previous street celebrations in ethnic neighbourhoods during World Cups and Euro Cups have also played a big part. Hopefully the national teams will also play a bigger role in the coming years.

Nevertheless, soccer is not broadly embedded into the social culture. In Canada, Who you are from? is a question about your ancestors. And if you encounter a soccer supporter who has a team in Canada, their response to my second question "why?" is a rational question that you respond to with reasons. Recently, on the Footy Blog journalist Richard Whittall provided a "Guide on How to Pick a Football Club", advising you on the criteria that you can use to 'pick' a European team. Whittall suggests you can pick a team based on a moment of glory, results, team history, or personal ancestry; and support local (don't be a snob!).

It is an interesting example of how 'relevant' soccer is becoming in Canada, that people are interested in having 'my team' and reasons 'why'. The comments are interesting; a mixture trying to fit into the categories given, while a few are sublimely unreasonable: Adam @ 4/5/12 3:31pm writes "Gunner till I die!!!!!!!!!" or Johnny @ 4/8/12 3:34am, who writes:

Lazio till death do us part.
Loved them since I saw Signori wear the magical Sky blue.
I’m football crazy! Just like Giorgio Chinaglia.
Curva Nord forever!

I think these unreasonable posts 'make the most' sense to the question of "why" you are a supporter. In reflection of all the responses I've heard here in Argentina to "why", the most understandable response is that there is not a reason "why" - you just are. The same person who compared their team to love explained how he had taken eight of his nephews and children to see Racing Club play every game, bought them all Racing clothes, and in the end "only" two turned out to be 'from' Racing - as if it was determined. A few, inexplicably, turned to rivals Independiente. There is no 'reason' or explanation he told me just the feeling. When you have a team you 'know it' deep inside of you. It's a very romantic response within a world seeking 'rationality' to the acceptable response.

It forces me to rethink the question from ¿porque? to ¿como y cuando? - How and when? When did you know you were from X club? And, How did you know? If being of a team (or 'having' a team) is truly a deep feeling, as I'm pretty sure it is at least in Argentina, then the moments that make such passionate fanaticism will be meaningful and often memorable. At the very least, the next time I ask a taxi driver how they can support Boca, I'll hear more than the dull and fairly meaningless excuse "because my father was from Boca".

3.4.12

No way to celebrate a birthday

As the clock turned to midnight, a thousand or more cuervos celebrated the 104th anniversary of their club's foundation. Thirteen hours later, San Lorenzo de Almagro should have played in front of tens of thousands of more. But the dozens who were allowed into the stadium to watch San Lorenzo play to Velez Sarsfield had this view:

Adding further pain to the celebration of the historic club's past, San Lorenzo lost the match 2-nil. A disappointing (pathetic?) show for everyone forced to watch it on television.

Visiting fans from Velez had already been suspended because of a recent history of violence between supporters of the two teams, including the shooting death in 2008 of Velez supporter Emanuel Álvarez en route to a San Lorenzo match and the death of San Lorenzo supporter Ramón Aramayo as the result of claimed police violence before last year's match.

The Asociación de Fútbol Argentino (AFA) suspended local supporters earlier last week because of confrontations between the police and dozens of persons from the platea following San Lorenzo's last home match. Those confrontations were sparked by the controversial goal decision of the referee. I would have to add, from what I've heard (I'd left the stadium before incidents had taken place), the lack of proper preparation of the police in an obviously explosive situation that led to a strong overreaction, in which several members of the San Lorenzo community who had not attempted to enter the change room were pepper sprayed and hit with police weapons.

Watching the match on television, there were periodic shots that panned the stadium, empty. Normal angled shots revealed the advertising that is normally covered by banners that proudly claim "I am here" from the various barrios and cities in-and-around Buenos Aires and from further away. In the background, each kick of the ball echoed around the stadium and the shouts from the managers could be clearly heard. As a supporter of the Canadian national teams, I've seen more than a fair share of streamed matches in front of empty stadiums (thankfully a quickly disappearing occurrence if played in Canada). But still, it was eeiry. I'd never seen many parts of the stadium empty and it didn't 'look right'.

Certainly not the best way to celebrate a birthday. San Lorenzo had a little bit of luck on the day as Rafaela, Tigre, Olimpo, and All Boys all lost their matches, meaning they didn't fall into a deeper hole on the table of average points-per-match. But a better present would have been to benefit, with a home win, and leave the descenso.

El Ciclón will have to try again next Sunday, visiting Racing Club de Avellaneda - a Easterday 'clasico' (has a North American sports-day feeling!), and under a new manager. Madelón renounced his position immediately following the loss; his charismatic passion for the blue-red not being enough. I think it is better to say I'm watching a soap opera unfold.

The birthday party that was kept to the streets and out of the stadium: