January 23, 2014--Canadian Soccer Association press conference in Toronto (by Rocket Robin)

Details of the press conference hosted by the Canadian Soccer Association held at the Delta Chelsea Hotel
in downtown Toronto on Thursday January 23rd, 2014 at 10:00am.

The title of the presentation was "Leading A Soccer Nation--Canadian Soccer Association 2014-2018". The
presentation lasted less than 30 minutes.

A short video presentation of Canada's soccer accomplishments over the last 100 years was shown. Stats
presented led us to believe that Canada had a better qualifying record for FIFA world cups then Germany
and England! Actually if the stretch includes all Women's, Olympic, Para, Beach soccer and Under-Age Cups
that I suppose is technically true because it's hard to qualify for Europe with most competitions only
allowing only four teams from each region.

Peter Montopoli General Secretary of the CSA began the presentation followed by Board of Director member and
Chair of the CSA's steering committee Nick Bontis and then Peter Montopoli, the President of the CSA, adding
further details before Montopoli concluded the presentation.

Montopoli welcomed the guests and the sponsors by name. The CSA has added some more sponsors in the last
few years which should help the game with financing. He outlined what the CSA has done in the last few years
in a mini summary "Laying The Foundation 2009-2013". He said we've proven we can host events like the Men's U-20
tournament in 2007. He said the expectations to perform is increasing and Canadian soccer is growing up. The
mission is to provide leadership in the pursuit of excellance.

Bontis said the CSA is taking a brand new approach which includes being inclusive, focused, and simple and
concise. It will help improve on previous operations thought out by wimpiness and group-think. He went through their
process of gathering information including data collecction, an environmental scan and consultations. This
included survey answers from 3000 respondents, town hall meetings with fans and provincial associations,
consulting with organizers of other sports and other countries soccer associations.

These were the questions asked:

1. What will it take for Canada to be recognized by 2018 as a leading soccer nation, both domestically and
internationally?

2. From your perspective, what has to change if we are going to achieve that goal?

3. What is Soccer Canada's role in making that happen?

4. What is your role?

Responses to those questions were used to decide this presentation titled: Writing the Next Chapter Together.

It turns out everything said including the slides that were used were already being posted to their website.
I didn't know this and was trying to write everything down. The main emphasis was on what the CSA said
was their four strategic priorities (cut and pasted by me from their web document) are outlined below.

The four strategic priorities for the Canadian Soccer Association in 2014-2018 are:

1. Invest in TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP by supporting our players, coaches and officials at all levels of the sport.
2. Ensure CONSISTENT, WORLD-CLASS PERFORMANCES by our National Teams.
3. ENCOURAGE the GROWTH OF THE GAME in our country.
4. GOVERN the game in Canada PROFESSIONALLY in collaboration with our partners.

Details of the above points were read out right until the end of the press conference. Almost
word for word they can be read on the CSA web site in the file named "Leading A Soccer Nation--Canadian Soccer
Association 2014-2018".

The link on my site (in case the CSA removes it in the years to come) is right here:
.....Canadian Soccer Association presents strategic priorities for 2014-2018

Montagliani said this presentation was their first announcement and we can expect more.

Their presentation was suddenly over in less than 30 minutes and the promise was made that questions would be
answered in small breakout groups [to avoid possible embarrassing ones being asked from the floor?]

Biggest talking points were the bid for the 2026 Men's World Cup which they squeezed into the 3rd point.
I know that Canadians wonder how we will build stadiums large enough to hold all the fans required to be
the hosts. I wonder what Canada do with eight to ten stadiums after the World Cup is over with all
but the MLS teams struggling to draw only a few thousand fans.

There was no coverage of the conference in the next day's Toronto Star either in the newspaper nor online
--not even a Neil Davidson Canadian Press story. The Toronto Sun zeroed in on the 2026 World Cup bid and
showing why it won't work. There were some television crews here filming the conference on the follow up scrum.

I wasn't sure until the press conference started what it would really be about. I was expecting a progress
report on the two Women's World Cup tournaments being held this summer and next summer--like maybe stadium
preparation or ticket sales? Maybe announcing some more friendlies for the Men's and Women's teams? Maybe
having some of Women's U-20 or national team take the stage to do some promoting and give interviews? [That
would be too much of a distraction I later realized.]

I noticed Ron Smale, President of the Ontario Soccer Association, in attendance. I had some questions
to follow up a meeting of the newly formed 'League 1 Ontario' men's soccer league that is scheduled to
commence play this spring. I'd attended a meeting on November 30th, 2013 when details of the league
were announced. Deadline for applications was last Friday (Janaury 17th) which ironically was the night
that I was at the premier showing of the movie 'Toronto Croatia-A Great Croatian Story' which detailed
the history of the team which now plays in the Canadian Soccer League which will be operating unsanctioned
this spring after the OSA pulled their approval. Smale said the filing deadline had been extended to the
end of the month [uh oh does that mean some of the potential teams are having trouble securing their financing?]
but they hope to have a strong eight franchises playing. [That could be trouble if they just have the
minimum eight teams before they have their review process completed by the end of February which is supposed to
include a forensic audit of each applicant for finances, stadium availability, quality coaches etc. They will
have to make the process softer or they risk rejecting teams which will cause the league to operate with below
the minimum number of teams and delay the league before it even starts!] A press conference will be held sometime
this spring to announce the start of the league. Understandably Smale wasn't going to name the teams that
had applied at this time.

I bought a copy of Les Jones coffee table book 'Soccer: Canada's National Sport' which I'd had a flip through
at that League 1 Ontario meeting. I also said hello to Earl Cochrane who is now the Deputy General Secretary
of the CSA after being dismissed from Toronto FC in their latest regime change. He has been able to stay
in Toronto rather than move to Ottawa to hold this position.

The swag bag we received when we left included a Canada toque sponsored by sports supplier Umbro, a CSA empty
notebook and a page recapping the presentation we'd just seen which proved this was well scripted.

Peter Montopoli, Victor Montagliani, and Nick Bontis hold a soccer ball after their presentation.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

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