A week of solid training ended under a broiling September sun Friday afternoon for Canada ahead of Saturday's World Cup Qualifier against Honduras. Unhappily, it was on a pitch that has suddenly started to cause some concern.
It seems like only yesterday the players were complimenting the surface at Stade Saputo as the best in Canada. It still might be, but there's been an unexpected change. It's apparent that the roots of the grass in this new surface have not had enough time to take hold. Combine that with a wet July and August and this pitch is coming apart. When a player plants a foot firmly, up comes a huge chunk. This has been happening with increased regularity over the past few weeks.
Sandro Grande of the Montreal Impact sprained his ankle by stepping into a soft spot last week. The Canadian players are expressing concern. Julian De Guzman, who depends on his quick turns and lightning footwork, has his reservations. And if it rains before game time, look out.
Heavy rolling by the grounds crew has helped and it was better Friday than it was Thursday.
On the goalkeeping front, it definitely will not be Greg Sutton for this game, or next week's follow up in Mexico. He's in the process of becoming a first time Daddy, and that trumps everything. He's been given his release. After talking with coach Mitchell and both remaining 'keepers Friday, I get the feeling Dale has not yet made up his mind. He was non-committal both on and off camera. Pat Onstad says he's ready to go. I chatted with Lars Hirschfeld who says he's ready to go as well. But unlike Onstad, he declined to go on camera and say the same thing. This is one delicate situation. I say start Hirschfeld. We'll see.
And finally, many of you have been wondering about the broadcast plans for the Mexico match next week. Here's your answer: It will be live at 9 p.m. ET on all Sportsnet channels. We have been criticized lately for providing sketchy information on this but trust me, dealing with broadcasters in Latin America is entirely unlike anything that happens in Canada or the United States. Assuming we can get satellite delivery from these places, which is not always a sure thing, we will be airing all Canada's matches as long as the matches continue to matter.
