Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan delivered a message that 'The medium is the message'. But on Saturday in Seattle, the Canadian duo of Dwayne De Rosario and Julian de Guzman delivered a message from the midfield which may resonate all the way to South Africa in 2010.
On the eve of the marquee friendly against Brazil, the self-appointed 'Double-De' spokesteam used the exposure to fire a warning shot over the bow of the war-torn Canadian Soccer Association. Staking their reputations on their words, the two players challenged the financial shortcomings which have become synonymous with soccer in Canada.
"I am sure the CSA know that we have a good enough team to qualify, but are they willing to take that risk?" de Guzman quipped to the Globe & Mail before answering his own rhetoric. "This is the perfect time to take that risk."
The risk de Guzman alludes to is of course the $1 million set aside for qualification. (South Africa unveiled their budget for the 2010 World Cup, and R8.5 billion capital expenditure plan has been designed to ensure the country is ready.)
"It's not enough," said De Rosario of the 2008 budget, "and they know it's not enough."
Canada lost by one goal (3:2) to a fully-stocked and No.2-ranked Brazilian men's national team but a small victory was achieved as De Rosario and De Guzman validated their mettle with arguably the strongest performance seen from a Canadian men's national team in close to a decade.
To warp a sports cliché: The soccer ball is now decidedly in the CSA's half.
In two weeks Canada begins their qualifying run in earnest against Saint Vincent & the Grenadines. The Canucks must win its two-match set in June to advance to Stage III (August to November). A decisive win over the 145-ranked nation will place a foot in the ring and maybe a hand in the CSA pockets.
As an aside, one must wonder to whom de Guzman was thrusting the maple leaf on his jersey at when he scored the goal that drew Canada even with Brazil on Saturday.
The obvious answer is the Canadian supporters in attendance.
The coy answer might be the CSA, as de Guzman added his own gauntlet to the pile by echoing DeRo's words by saying after the loss to Brazil: "It's the World Cup or nothing. We want to prove (to the CSA) that we deserve more respect."
But the audacious answer might be his younger brother Jonathan, who shrugged off the nation-wide pressure to join Julian in the Canadian midfield and answered the call of his adopted country (Holland). Neither brother has ever displayed anything less than unabated support for the ambitions of the other but while Jonathan continues to learn the game as a member of the Dutch under-23 team (he was not named to the Euro 2008 squad), his older brother is scoring goals for his country on a much bigger stage.
Here's hoping both brothers achieve their soccer dreams, but one is left to imagine what could have been if the dream were to be pursued together.
