"We will strive to do better": Canada Soccer looking for new opponent after Iran fiasco
Canada Soccer is reviewing its processes and says it’s striving to be better going forward, after a costly mistake.
The Canadian men’s national soccer team was scheduled to play an international friendly against Iran at BC Place in Vancouver on June 5. But just 10 days before the match was set to take place, Canada Soccer cancelled the match.
“Canada Soccer has the best intentions in striving to ensure that the Men’s National Team gains important experience against FIFA World Cup teams in preparation for Qatar 2022,” Canada Soccer explained in a media release Thursday afternoon.
International matches are in short supply, and are vitally important for the Canadian men’s national team ahead of the World Cup in Qatar this November. Iran, ranked 21st in the world, would have presented a big test on the pitch for the 38th-ranked Canadians.
“Over the past week, the untenable geopolitical situation of hosting Iran became significantly divisive, and in response, the match was cancelled. While we considered the external factors in selecting the optimal opponent in our original decision-making process, we will strive to do better moving forward.”
The match cancellation comes nine days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized Canada Soccer for their decision to invite Iran.
“I think it wasn’t a very good idea to invite the Iranian soccer team here to Canada, but that’s something that the organizers are going to have to explain,” Trudeau told reporters.
Canada Soccer had been under fire for inviting Iran, given recent events.
A total of 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents were among the 176 people killed when a commercial airplane was shot down by an Iranian missile minutes after it took off from Tehran on January 8, 2020. The families of those killed were among the people that spoke out against the match taking place.
“Canada Soccer will be conducting a thorough review of our processes for the hosting of international matches to ensure no stone is left unturned in our pursuit of excellence both on and off the pitch, including consultation with all stakeholders. We are committed to creating respectful and inclusive environments for teams, players, and fans.”
The match cancellation will cost Canada Soccer a lot of money, as a sold-out crowd at the 54,500-seat BC Place to see Canada take on the Iranians was looking possible.
“We are working diligently to find an alternative opponent,” Canada Soccer said in its statement, although that may prove to be too difficult given the short timeframe.
Ukraine’s ambassador-designate to Canada has an idea. How about Canada hosts Ukraine, with $400,000 going to humanitarian needs of the Ukrainian people?
Ukrainian football team is ready to play with @CanadaSoccerEN. 🇺🇦 ranks higher – 24th in @FIFAcom rating. And 400K could go for humanitarian needs of Ukrainians affected by russia's war. I guess it’s win-win #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/woD2iVydw6
— Yulia Kovaliv (@kovaliv_y) May 26, 2022
Sounds like a good idea, except for the fact that the Ukrainian men’s national team already has a busy month ahead. Ukraine plays Scotland in World Cup qualifying on June 1, with the winner of that match heading to Wales on June 5 with a trip to the World Cup on the line. Ukraine also has Nations League matches scheduled on June 8, 11, and 14.
Maybe they can play at a later date. The next international window is in September.
Canadian soccer fans on the west coast can still see their World Cup-bound squad play against Curaçao on June 9 at BC Place. All of Canada’s top men’s players, including Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, have been named to the roster for that match.
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