Benito Floro is introduced as the new Canadian World Cup and Olympic Coach

All of us involved in Canadian soccer wish Benito the best of luck, but we know it’s going to need more than luck to get the team into contention for World Cup and Olympic qualification.

There is a large pool of talent in Canada that is being ignored by the “Powers-That-Be.”  These are the kids in the inner cities many of which are refugees and immigrants.  They have limited opportunity to play – certainly not in the mainstream soccer programs.rawtalentpic

For one thing they cannot afford to play.  Many are from single parent families with no convenient transportation alternatives.
These kids come from some of the world’s most difficult environments, but what they have is a love for soccer.  It has been part of their background and culture from birth.  And when you see the talent they have, one can only wonder what could be done if they had a half-decent opportunity.  But don’t tell Canadian Soccer.  They don’t want to know.  It would be too big an undertaking.

In the United States, we are beginning to see the emergence of Hispanics and African Americans in the professional and national teams – even with the competition of football, basketball and baseball.

These relocated Canadian kids don’t associate with the American sports and hockey is well beyond their pocket books, so they naturally relate to soccer.

Has anyone in Canada – or elsewhere for that matter – got any ideas on how we can get this raw talent into the upper echelon of the game?