It’s been said before, but it bears repeating.
Canada needs to do more to ensure other nations aren’t scooping its national team players.
Last Friday, the Canadian Soccer Association called a press conference to outline its plans for the 2010 calendar. Those plans include high profile friendlies with the likes of Argentina and Honduras – as well as three other national team games, including two on home soil.
Canada should be commended for its proactive approach to going out and landing these games – especially in a non-World Cup qualifying year – but a larger issue still looms.
Last year saw a low point for the Canadian game, as the “goalkeeper of the future,” Asmir Begovic, walked away from the nation the raised him to be capped for Bosnia-Herzegovina, the nation that birthed him.
Canada had ample time to cap Begovic when he was on the bench for Canada during the World Cup qualifying campaign, but through a series of mismanagements and FIFA rules changes, he was never permanently tied to the Maple Leaf.
Now Canada is faced with a similar situation in Teal Bunbury.
Bunbury, born in Hamilton to an American mother and former Canadian National team legend Alex Bunbury, was drafted fourth overall in the MLS SuperDraft and is widely regarded as a striker who could play a major part in the national team program for years to come.
Word as of late has the U.S. Men’s National Team, suddenly short on the depth chart with recent injuries at the striker position, looking to shore up its resources for the future — that includes taking a hard look at the young striker who scored his first MLS goal last week.
I spoke to the younger Bunbury just hours after the CSA presser. He dismissed any notion U.S. team officials had approached him but admitted he hadn’t ruled out playing for the U.S.
“Right now my national team venues are open and obviously I’ve talked to (National Team head coach) Stephen Hart and (U-20 head coach) Tony Fonseca earlier in the year about their thoughts of me as a player and they told me they were going to be keeping me in their thoughts as the year comes about,” Bunbury said. “But right now I’m trying to work on my life as a professional in Kansas City and when opportunities arise with the national teams, I’ll take care of them when things like that happen.”
Hart is obviously taking the right steps to ensure this young talent doesn’t go astray by keeping in contact with him and letting him know where he stands in their plans but he and Fonseca should take it a step further and eliminate any doubt – invite him to play at the friendlies and then cap tie him at the next CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Hart’s predecessor, Dale Mitchell, missed that opportunity with Begovic when he kept him on the bench throughout World Cup qualifying.
Canada can’t make the same mistake with Bunbury.
– Watch Ben Rycroft on the It’s Called Football show every Sunday at www.metronews.ca;
ben.rycroft@metronews.ca.
