Four points over two World Cup qualification games is a decent return for Canada’s national team.
The professional performance in their recent 1-0 win in the heat of Cuba was promising, but the draw against the much-fancied Honduras, where Stephen Hart’s men looked the better side, was particularly encouraging. The 0-0 friendly draw against United States that began their June schedule, however, was my pick of the bunch.
Jurgen Klinsmann’s starting eleven included Fulham’s fantastic Clint Dempsey and LA Galaxy’s Landon Donovan. They also had their defence marshalled by Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard, who conceded the third-least amount of goals in the past Premier League campaign. Their strength in depth also allowed them to introduce the likes of Jozy Altidore and Maurice Edu in the second half.
Canada wasn’t embarrassed by The Stars and Stripes’ ranks though. Dwayne De Rosario, even if he drifts out of a game, always looks capable of springing a surprise. There are options up front too: Hart favours Olivier Occean, but the forward will feel the undercurrent sweep him out of his boss’s plans if Simeon Jackson and Iain Hume make waves in England next season.
One Canadian player who stood out for me that day was Julian de Guzman. He was tenacious in the tackle and chased down loose balls like a bored vet. He maintained possession well, displaying strength that made me at a loss to understand why he’s called Julian. (Julian’s not a hard-man’s name.) Rather than enjoying de Guzman’s work ethic for his nation, I instead wondered why he continues to underachieve in a Toronto FC shirt.
De Guzman signed for TFC as a designated player in September 2009, sparking much jubilation amongst the club and its fans. It made it even better that he was born and raised in Scarborough.
The joy that met de Guzman’s return to Ontario was deserved. The midfielder made his professional debut for German second-tier club FC Saarbrucken, but, after their relegation at the end of the 2001-02 season, he moved up a division instead to Hannover 96. He progressed in northwestern Germany and, after allegedly snubbing a move to Tottenham Hotspur, he moved to a north-west team again; this time to Deportivo de la Coruna.
He was an integral part of the Spanish La Liga side. He bolstered the midfield, allowing Diego Tristan to front an attack which helped earn the Galicia club a respectable eighth place finish. The 2007-08 season was even better: he helped lift his team away from relegation and up into the UEFA Cup places. He claimed the club’s player of the year award for his efforts, and followed this up with Canadian player of the year a few months later.
A year later, Julian de Guzman was back in Toronto. What a signing.
Well, it should have been.
De Guzman is responsible for much supporter gameday chagrin. If he loses the ball, misses a tackle, or does anything else deemed weak, the crowd — and this includes myself — are much louder in voicing their disappointment than they are to any other player. Why do we do it? Because he’s paid $1.9 million a year. A lot of the time he ambles around like a spectator with the best seat in the house. There’s no excuse either because he’s supposed to have been injury-free for a while now.
At $1.9 million a year, de Guzman is the second highest paid player at the club, behind captain Thorsten Frings. His salary makes him paid almost three times more than last year’s MVP and current player of the month Dwayne De Rosario. You could have both MLS top scorers Kenny Cooper and Chris Wondolowski over three times on that wage. And for the centre-back many TFC support crave, you can have the 2011 MLS defender of the year Omar Gonzalez, on his salary, seven-and-a-half times. How depressing.
He’s not an awful player; you can’t fake playing good football in Europe over a nine year spell. He’s far from the second best at the club though. Perhaps he has crumbled under the pressure that comes with being a designated player.
Despite not proving his worth, the TFC management have insisted he’s an important aspect of the Total Football philosophy they’re trying to instill at the BMO Field. However, was this just hot air from Aron Winter? Does Paul Mariner share the departed Dutchman’s beliefs?
De Guzman’s contract is up at the end of the year. But his many haters should put away their party poppers — I wouldn’t be surprised if he stayed. It would be ludicrous to keep him on astronomical wages, but if they can get him closer to the club average I think it would be a decent move. If he can’t agree a deal at the club, he’ll probably do an Edson Buddle and have an absolute barnstormer and wherever he is the season after.
Let’s get him signed up on compensation he deserves and free up space for a new designated player. Jonathan de Guzman anyone?
Daniel Rouse is a columnist and podcaster for Red Nation Online, and a short story writer. He moved from England in 2011. Follow him on Twitter.