Pejic at Vancouver...

It takes about fifteen minutes to reach the Swangard Stadium from downtown Vancouver. A SkyTrain ride to Patterson, followed by a brief stroll through Metrotown’s Central Park leads you to the beams that light up the corner of Kingsway and Boundary. With the autumnal reds and oranges, the uber-white of the Whitecaps entrance and the dyed green-like quality of the sod, someone’s been messing with the contrast levels out here. It’s the Caps against the Portland Timbers, United Soccer League semi-final play-off first leg. In HD.

This is the First Division of Major League Soccer. And this is where Shaun Pejic currently plys his trade. Following a defensive crisis that saw the departures of a couple of long-serving players, the Whitecaps needed cover quickly. The former Welsh Under-21 international had been at York since February on a short-term deal but following contract talks he was released from Kit Kat Crescent and come the start of August, he was on a bus to Portland with his new Whitecaps team-mates. He watched from the stands as his new side lost by a solitary goal in front of almost 11,000 at PGE Park – the same attendance that was at Wembley back in May when Pejic togged out for his final York appearance in their 0-2 FA Trophy final defeat to Stevenage.

The Hereford-born centre-back, a product of the Wrexham youth set-up, fell out of favour at the
Racecourse following relegation to the conference and the arrival of Dean Saunders. Having only broken into the first-team in 2002, Pejic settled into the side just in time for promotion to the 2nd Division and prospered under Dennis Smith. Though injuries cut down his progress, he featured prominently throughout the Football League Trophy winning season before a cruciate ligament injury sustained in August 2005 was a further blow to Pejic’s hopes of establishing himself in the Wrexham XI. A steady partnership alongside Steve Evans was what followed Pejic’s rehab though the arrival of Brian Little as manager, coupled with relegation to the Conference ensured the centre-back would eventually struggle for game-time and it was inevitable that a move was on the cards. Back in February, Pejic (along with ex
central-defensive partner Evans) was released and was picked up by Martin Foyle’s Minstermen.

Pejic’s time with the Whitecaps started impressively. He made his debut in a scoreless draw at home to Carolina Railhawks, afterwards stating how he was impressed with the standard saying it was on par, if not better than that of the Conference, particularly when it came to the technicality and quickness of the players. His new boss, former Icelandic international Teitur Thordarson, seemed pleased with his new acquisition outlining how ‘he (Pejic) wins everything in the air, is tactically very good and plays safely and surely’. The good start went hand in hand with the Whitecaps eventual play-off qualification and with Pejic at the heart of the defence, the club went on a run of just one defeat in ten games. Here at the Swangard Stadium on this October evening in British Columbia, the Whitecaps secure a 2-1 semi-final first-leg victory over Portland in front of a crowd of 4,500 with Pejic looking assured, calm and steady at the back. A 3-3 second-leg draw followed just three days later with the Caps facing Canadian rivals,
Montreal Impact, in the play-off decider.

There was to be no fairytale ending to Pejic’s first season in Vancouver though. In the first leg of the play-off final, his own-goal provided Montreal with a lead they never relinquished – eventually beating the Caps 2-3 at the Swangard. A week later, an elementary mistake from Pejic led to his 28th minute straight red card and saw the Impact move to 4-2 in the series from the resultant penalty. They eventually took the final and the USL -1 Championship 6-3 on aggregate.

One might think that the United Soccer League (or the MLS for that matter) represents a professional graveyard for former ex-English League players. Cynics will point at Justin Fashanu and even David Beckham as examples of ex-shining lights, living out their final years within a sub-standard North American environment. But one thing’s for sure – despite a long-held worldwide reluctance to accept the sport’s existence in this part of the world, it’s still here. And against the odds (and arguably in contrast to its British counterparts), doing more than merely surviving.

Following the inevitable demise of the North American Soccer League in 1984, soccer’s future here looked over. As Hugo Sanchez, Peter Beardsley and Franz Beckenbauer all headed to Mexico ’86, the North American teams they each had romantic dalliances with were no more. The San Diego Sockers, Vancouver Whitecaps and, most illustrious of all, the New York Cosmos, had succumbed to a waning national interest in the sport, subsequent falling numbers at the turnstiles and the harsh reality that seducing big-name legends of the beautiful game was to the long-term detriment of North American soccer. These were the wilderness years.

And yet somehow, Canada were at Mexico ’86. Without a domestic team in a professional league, they held that gorgeous French side of Platini, Giresse et al scoreless until the 79th minute of their opening group game and belied their international experience at the highest level despite exiting the competition at the earliest stage. The man responsible for the international sides’ success was the former England and Blackpool goalkeeper Tony Waiters who had led an unfancied and unfashionable Vancouver Whitecaps to an unprecedented NASL title back in 1979. As the sport self-destructed south of the border, the quiet northern neighbour slipped into the soccer spotlight for a fleeting moment in the summer of ‘86. It was to be twenty years before the country was involved at the highest level of North American soccer again – when Toronto FC were granted an MLS franchise.

Vancouver have featured in the USL for the best part of two decades – originally it was the American Professional Soccer League, then the A-League.Cast in the shadow of Major League Soccer, the United Soccer League’s top division isn’t so much a poor relation but has long since had to deal with the threat of an MLS expansion and the inevitable poaching of the its biggest sides. The fear is not without valid foundation. The most successful of the league’s teams since its conception - the Seattle Sounders - were awarded a top-flight franchise in 2007 and made their debut in Major League back in March with 32,500 people in attendance at Qwest Field.Portland Timbers were awarded their franchise earlier on this year too and will begin their tenure in the Major League in 18 months time while the Montreal Impact’s much-mooted move to MLS is an inevitablity. One other side USL side will soon be joining the Timbers in the illustrious Premier Division of North American soccer – the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The Caps will return ‘home’ in 2011 – their rich soccer heritage, sports-mad city and lease agreement on a renovated BC Place – a 60,000 capacity all-purpose stadium currently hosting Canadian Football League side the BC Lions. It was at BC Place where the John Giles-managed Caps played their NASL home games in the early eighties. Those days of sell-out crowds, glamour players and big games under the lights still remain as history. For both the Vancouver Whitecaps and Shaun Pejic, there’s hope for a repeat. Soon.

Apologies...

Hello all,

Because of a recent move to Vancouver (where I'll be spending the next year), the last number of months have seen absolutely zero new content from me here so deepest apologies for that.

However, above is something I did whip up recently for our friends at Wrexham AFC about Vancouver Whitecaps centre-back and former Red Dragon, Shaun Pejic...

Beckham finally stands up for himself...

The original Welsh wizard, Billy Meredith, the mercurial talisman of Manchester rivals United and City, was once described by The Manchester Guardian newspaper as having such incredible ball control and trickery that the matches he played every Saturday 'were his (Meredith's) one means of communion with his fellow men.'

His breaking bread with fanatical followers is now stuff of legend - an early example of public relations nous or a natural response from a man so revered that his transfer between local rivals failed to affect his legendary status as darling of the beautiful game? As much as the current crop of runts-of-the-litter wannabees and 'gonna-bes' lend themselves to immediate cynical judgment and condemnation, at the turn of the century, football was played by gentlemen with a sparkle in their boots more so than a glint in their eye. They still had chinks in their armor back in the early 1900s though one must argue that nowhere was it as sharp, formal and immoral as is so prevalent in the modern arena. Meredith was famous for chatting to spectators as the action unfolded on the other side of the pitch but was also implicated in a match-fixing scandal for which he received a two-year ban.

I began thinking of Billy Meredith upon watching the footage of David Beckham's recent confrontation with a group of supporters who attended LA Galaxy's friendly with Milan. Clearly unhappy with the Englisman's loan spell with the Rossenieri, fans of theMLS franchise booed Beckham every time he touched the ball and proudly displayed signs that read - "Go Home Fraud" and "23: Repent", "Hey Becks, Here Before You, Here after You, Here Despite You" and my personal favourite, "Is evil something u are ... or something u do?" As the half-time whistle went, Beckham headed for the vocal band of supporters with a degree of purpose not seen in the player since his now infamous flick-out at Argentine Diego Simeone in Saint-Etienne back in the summer of 1998. He gestured toward one man in the crowd, easily interpreted as 'why don't you come down here and say that to me?', which our merry friend duly did with both a steely eye and rather surprisingly, agility akin to that of a cat. And then security came.

It was nice to see Beckham behave in a manner easily related to. Long since diluted and churned out as a key player in the bland, robotic arm of world football's public relations and marketing department, Beckham finally appeared to behave like an actual human-being. Many will insist that in the situation, he should've turned his head, his cheek and irrational thinking and simply trooped off but many have never found themselves in the same scenario. Sometimes, idiots need to be treated with the derision they deserve and in this case, an idiot wearing a baseball cap back to front should feel the brunt of extra retribution. Like the Cantona incident at Selhurst Park fourteen years ago, many players feel that an eye-for-an-eye response goes a long way to potentially eradicating the virus of disgusting and over-the-line verbal abuse, most notably inflammatory comments relating to ones family, sexuality or personal loss.

Do I think Beckham should've hit him? That depends on what the guy said because if 'supporters' think they have a God-given right to come to a football game, or any type of public display be it sporting or otherwise, and hurl vindictive and hurtful abuse at another individual, they should be made an example of. And I don't mean ejected from the arena and handed a ban for twelve months. These parasites will never learn, clearly displayed by Galaxy 'supporters' interviewed minutes after the incident. One 'fan' actually says 'We boo a lot of players - they don't come out and challenge our guys' before another man, calls Beckham 'stupid' for 'calling out a drunk fan'. He continues by outlining that Beckham is a professional and should've kept himself under control. And right there lies the problem - how dare a footballer react to abuse from a brainless group of stereotypical US sports fans - clueless but ruthless owing to their genetic self-belief that everything they speak is the truth.

If these 'supporters' were asked why they were abusing David Beckham, many would say that it's because of the lack of respect he has paid to the LA Galaxy owing to his loan move to AC Milan. I've got my own thoughts on the Beckham commodity and there's not enough space here to go into it but suffice to say that I think that the experiment hasn't worked and Beckham knows it - the effect the move has had on him as a player is worrying and even short stints training with Arsenal and five months with AC Milan renders a bigger debate - that a country's relationship with a sport cannot be traced to the introduction and subsequent role of one player. It's a short-sighted and unimaginative solution to a problem that's been in existence now since the World Cup of 1994. And if MLS chiefs believe that Beckham, Juan Pablo Angel, Temoc Blanco et al are well-placed to co-exist in a mundane and colourless environment, they really are in dire need of re-evaluating things. The real heroes of the MLS in its current state are players like Kenny Cooper, Ricardo Clarke and Conor Casey - guys who the League should be marketed around. Though it's inevitable that the continued over-reliance on NASL-type big player/big-money transfers and media hooplas is thought of as a necessary evil in order to attract attention and investment. But, the MLS needs to back itself more and have faith in its ability. Sooner rather than later, the US are going to get to the quarter-finals of a World Cup and a conveyer belt of talent will continue to grow as football develops amongst the glitterati of leafy subarbia and taps into the political sphere of 'soccer-Moms'.

Where, you may be asking, does Billy Meredith fit into this diatribe? Well, English League football during his time centred around local figures, loved and appreciated by respected clubs' supporters, no matter what jersey they wore. It was a thread that continued into post-War Wembley days out - the likes of Stan Mortensen and Stanley Matthews were beloved by football fans in general while the outpouring of widespread emotion following the Munich Air Crash was a reflection on how appreciated Busby's Babes were on a country-wide scale. It was really only the political tension of the late 70s and early 80s that pushed hooliganism to an obscene level and paved the way for modern day howling and arms-wide remembrance of the '58 disaster by Manchester City fans as well as 14 year old boys being charged with homophobic abuse aimed at Sol Campbell as well as the incredible ignorance to racism in Spain, as perpretated in the direction of Thierry Henry, Emile Heskey and Lewis Hamilton.

So as much as Meredith nattered to supporters when his side were on the defensive, I wonder how he'd react to the current impasse between players and supporters? He abhorred the influence of money within the game and took a leading role in the formation of the Player's Union but something tells me that he wouldn't have simply stood to one side if a fan aimed some venomous comment in his direction. He'd take the tooth-pick out of his mouth and respond with a clever quip before spending the rest of the game weaving and slaloming down the wing, safe in the knowledge that the game needed him more than he needed the game. Remind you of someone?

Tev really needs to shut up...

"It has come about because I could not stand my sporting situation at Manchester United any longer"

"My first year was good in all senses. I played in the games and felt respected by the coach but in my second year some strange things happened that I still do not understand.

"After the game at Old Trafford where Liverpool beat us [4-1, in March], Ferguson ignored me almost as if I was to blame for the defeat when really Liverpool dominated us all over the pitch.

"After that the fans called for me to be in the team but he never took the advice on board because he always knows best.

Carlos Tevez was a so-called 'darling' of Old Trafford.

The supporters and he had an immensely close relationship, apparently. When he laughed, they laughed with him. When he cried, they too shed tears - not least when it became apparent that he was no longer going to be sticking around Old Trafford.The fans railed at the club with chants, banners and heartfelt pleas. When he scored in two successive games - at home to Manchester City and away to Wigan, he had outlined his worth to Manchester United. Q.E.D.

Well, if the Argentine and his beloved band of gullible and foggy-eyed supporters thought it was going to be this simple, they really deserve each other. Firstly, throughout the entire transfer 'saga', Tevez (expertly advised by the lovely Kia Joorabchian) was nothing more than a priss, playing up to his love of the club's fans while at the same time lambasting Sir Alex Ferguson et al for not having ironed out the details of a long-term contract yet. Secondly, the fact that Tevez behaved like this on Argentine radio stations was akin to if David Beckham gave an exclusive to East End Radio post-'flying boot' incident.

The actual comments attributed to Tevez in recent days hint at a player who goes against the work-horse so beloved down Sir Matt Busby Way. He blames Dimitar Berbatov for his departure - the Bulagarian making it harder for him to start games. He blames Ferguson for signing Berbatov in the first place and for also losing faith in him. He blames everybody but himself. If a new signing arrives at a club, one must dig harder and work harder in an effort to win a starting place but Tevez never did that. When given opportunities in the starting lineup, the Argentine failed to shine (particularly away to Villa and at home to Spurs) and it was only as an impact substitute that he showed glimpses of boundless energy and an ability to change a game (at home to Spurs, away to Wigan).

When speaking to a work colleague recently about Tevez' behaviour, I came to the conclusion that it was a cultural thing. Take the role of Kia Joorabchian - upon moving to Brazil and taking over Corinthians, it's clear that the South American obsession with alpha males, 'cahones' and walking the walk while talking the talk infiltrated the Iranian's persona. Perhaps he's always been this way but something tells me that his time building an empire in Sao Paolo taught him that the only way a diminutive, Middle-Eastern university drop-out could succeed in South America was to become South American in every possible way - bolshy, confrontational and ruthless. These personality traits can be viewed as downright stereotypical but one can't hide from Tevez' bolshy, confrontational and ruthless approach to a potential contract with United.

Unfortunately for him, Fergie doesn't respond well to coercion and when forced into the corner, always responds with the biggest punch of the bout - for Tevez, read McGrath, Whiteside, Ince, van Nistelrooy, Beckham, Keane and Ronaldo.

The irony of the whole Tevez story is that his likely destination is going to be Manchester City or Chelsea - two places where the Argentine will flourish but his career will flounder.

More on Madrid...

Following on from the last two posts here, check out this interview with Professor Simon Chadwick from Coventry University.

Simon is the Chair in Sport Business Strategy and Marketing there and spoke with us on 'Off The Ball' on Newstalk last Friday when I was in the producer's chair.

Presenter David McIntyre began the interview by asking him where Madrid are getting all this money from...

Enjoy.

Moderation - a vulgar term for the instigators of the beautiful game...

As Myles na gCopaleen, Flann O'Brien once wrote that moderation was an alien concept to the Irish. But, spare a thought for the Spanish, eh? They find the term disgusting, insulting and clearly believe the idea should not be entertained for long. In a country where spectacle and performance is lauded and appluaded, perhaps we should've come to expect this. At a club where Puskas, di Stefano and Gento instigated global football communities to believe in the fanciful notion of a sport being something 'beautiful', maybe we shouldn't be too surprised.

It's still incredibly strange to accept that with Florentino Perez as President, every door within the Spanish economy seems to open with astonishing ease and a cavalier wink from those on the inside. As details have emerged in recent days about the monetary agreements put in place by Perez in light of the captures of Kaka, Ronaldo and the likely arrivals of David Villa, Xabi Alonso and Franck Ribery, the most interesting pieces of the jigsaw remain question-marked. The Spanish savings bank 'Caja Madrid' has agreed to give Madrid a 76 million euro loan against two un-named pieces of collateral. This collateral cannot be the club's training ground, having been re-zoned back during Perez's first period as President. Is it the Bernebeu? Surely not. Then again, a similar agreement is in place with Banco Santander and would be led to believe that more collateral is in place with this deal.

All this leads one to question how exactly Spain can be entertained by such daredevil financial antics when the country lies in the midst of a forecasted 20% unemployment level for the end of 2010 - a figure that could rise to over 25% given the right set of circumstances. As much as Madrid are the club of the people and Perez is the returning all-conquering hero, all heroes have a price and the astromonical monies quoted in articles featuring Madrid's current planned expenditure are mouth-watering. It's a balance-sheet of gargantuan proportions but one, I'm sure, Perez has the utmost faith in sticking to. One would imagine he's watching his back carefully and is confident of off-loading as many as seven players to help in his ushering-in of a new Galacticos era. But surely a global meltdown has to have an effect on an elite sports brand like Real Madrid?

Then again, perhaps football has beaten the bust. Or is it headed for a spiralling, out-of-control free-fall? It's been threatened with it for years and has always come out the other side; beaming, brazen and richer than ever. And something that was raised in The Times this week - are we just jealous? Should we applaud Perez and his bravery to remain incredibly confident, upbeat and postive in the face of worldwide financial adversity? He hasn't built up a multi-million pound business empire by being stupid and clearly his self-belief outweighs anything else within his psyche. However, when analysts sneered and gesticulated in disbelief during the first Galactico period, there wasn't an economic downturn to use as a stick to beat Perez with. This time around, there is. Currently, all financial institutions around the globe, particularly those dealing in private equity, are in perilous positions, even if your currency is Real Madrid.

Moderation...

The fickle nature of Madrid's philosophy continues...

Just after midnight, I caught the news that Kaka was finally a Real Madrid player. Weeks of intense speculation had finally ceased with Perez beginning casting on this year's summer blockbuster, 'Galacticos - The Return' . The conclusion was somewhat inevitable though my immediate reaction turned to Garry Cook and Manchester City.

Back in January, the City chief executive returned empty-handed from Milan, despite talking the talk in the days leading up to his Italian sojourn. Cook accused Kaka's then-employers of 'bottling' a possible deal between the clubs despite it being apparent that City were ill-prepared for hard-line negotiations. When it became clear that figures and salaries and percentages were still to be ironed out and confirmed by Cook, his employers and a small gaggle of legal experts, Kaka's representatives smelled a rat. They felt that this project appeared to be a fantasy to Manchester City, that this now-flush club had got itself caught up in a land of make-believe and were just happy to play in the sand-pit with the big boys. Ultimately, this was the case, complete with Cook whingeing to all who listened that it wasn't City's fault the deal fell through but Milan's. Oh, and they also broke a confidentiality agreement. So there. Hmmmpffff...

The continental transfer market is like a high-class poker table - in an instant, experienced pros can tell apart the steely veterans from the knock-kneed novices. And the cross-table flirtations between Kaka and City made sure that Florentino Perez was buying in to the next game. He had to be patient though - it wasn't until mid-May when he formally announced he was running to succeed Ramon Calderon as Madrid president. But, the Brazilian playmaker was on his radar. Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite once made the claim that he belonged to Jesus - but Perez fancied his chances. And anyway, he could take Jesus at the poker table.

And so it proved. We're about to return to an era of hard-line serial monogamy at the Bernabéu with Perez flirting with and seducing, not just a host of the world's top players but the club's core fanbase. In both cases, the demographics should know better. Actually, scratch that. The players are pawns in a political game and utimately, are merely stocks and shares. Not that they care. With a glittering move to a club like Real Madrid, the incoming players are insured in an iron-tight, win-win scenario - bank balance increased, profile increased, etc. So, the players probably shouldn't know better at all. The fans on the other hand...

Perez has been at Madrid before - it was a period of constant rumour, suspicion, idle gossip, not-so-idle gossip, four directors of football, six coaches, 20 players and €440m spent in just three years. He sacked Vincente del Bosque who had guided Madrid to 2 European Cups and 2 Primera Liga titles. It's also worth remembering that the Galactico period ultimately won Madrid a solitary Champions League and domestic league title while post 2003, the club failed to win a single trophy in the next three seasons.

But, this is what the fans want. The club has claimed two domestic league titles in the last three years but the supporters want change. They want big names. They want the headlines again. The question is, do they want to sacrifice trophies again?