It was only a matter of time. And the last Friday afternoon in March was apparently that time for now former Canadian men's soccer team coach Dale Mitchell.
Mitchell's critics had been calling for his head since Canada crashed and burned in the early stages of World Cup qualifying last summer. And unfortunately that's how the Dale Mitchell era will be remembered.
Dale is a fine man, and was a helluva player. But it became obvious that he had lost key players along the way during his short run.
Tactically, our team was lost in the wilderness and seemed to regress since those heady days of the 2007 Gold Cup when they were a bad call away from going to the final. And yes the players were consulted during the review process held by the CSA in determining to terminate Mitchell. And he's out completely. He will not be re-assigned within the organization.
The search for his replacement is already underway. But it will take a while. CSA top gun Peter Montopoli told me the next man may only be an interim head coach to get the team through a series of friendlies and this summer's Gold Cup. They seem to be determined to take their time in hopes of getting the right man.
It will come as no surprise to hear that the man they're looking for must have the technical ability required to prepare the Canadian team for top-quality opponents. More importantly the CSA says they need someone who can motivate the team.
And that's where Dale Mitchell was unable to succeed.
