Allgemeines » before Toronto staged a nail-biting

On Tuesday, just as we should be celebrating the kickoff of a third FIFA tournament on Canadian soil in just over a decade (how many have you hosted in this same period, England?), the age-old argument popped up yet again. You know the one. Canada plays a home game and the supporters of our opponent out-sing, out-chant and outright embarrass our soccer humble selves. Or do they? The latest case in point was Tuesday evening and - depending on which newspaper you read or website your frequent - there was either 500 or as many as 1,000 Ghanaians doing their level best to recreate the scenes of the 40,000 seat capacity national soccer stadium in Accra as they cheered on their Black Princesses to the 1-0 victory over the host nation. Lets be clear here - no manner of moaning and laying blame with the Canadian Soccer Association will change this. Football has endured in the hearts, minds and pulsating veins of most, if not all the 200-plus nations which make up planet FIFA, for generations. The beautiful game is a birthright. A lifestyle. Then factor in our splendidly diverse population - comprised of people from these very same FIFA nations. This holds especially true for all our major cities and urban areas, most of which are located by the border. Its why back in 2008, Saputo Stadium was overwhelmed by the unfamiliar blue of Honduras. A country whose citizens flocked in multitudes in support of their nation at no less a football event than a crucial World Cup qualifier. Not so much a travelling support from Tegucigalpa or the murder capital of the world San Pedro Sula. The car parks told the story as you saw license plates from numerous provinces and from as far away as those unfashionable states made famous by the Coen brothers. As some obsessively do the CSA, do we also blame with the Canadian Border Services Agency for this? Personally, I much prefer to take the read of our U-20 head coach Andrew Olivieri who spoke with TSN 690 Thursday evening. Olivieri didnt think there was any issue on Tuesday. "I dont think it was much of a problem at all, I think thats expected," he stated. "Anywhere you go there will always be visiting fans." Olivieri was spot on with his assessment of how things are slowly, but surely, improving soccer culture-wise - as Canadians in higher numbers and increasing decibels become emotionally connected to the worlds game. "You know what a few years ago there may be would have been more Ghanaians than Canadian fans," he added. "The progress our game has made has been fantastic, and the support we have been getting has been fantastic." This was clearly evidenced, in that very same stadium as Tuesdays game versus Ghana, on so many occasions during the Brazil 2014 qualification. It was a watershed moment off the pitch for the sport in Canada. Even the players at times seemed overwhelmed with the support. The scenes and sounds were unprecedented. Fever Pitch indeed. Last springs encounter between the London 2012 semi-final foes was much more memorable for what was happening on the terraces than on the pitch. Irony is a huge force for football supporters. My, how the 22,000 plus who packed into BMO Field let the 2011 World Cup runners up know this was anything but a friendly! Those days have been over since Old Trafford. Long gone are those days the CSA would look to pack the stands with the supporters of our opponents. Or organize half-time entertainment that was more in keeping with the traditions of the visiting nation. If the locals werent rushing to the box office and if having Ziggy Marley scrimmage with the mens national team during a media event 48 hours before 2006s Labour Day friendly versus Jamaica in Montreal would help inflate numbers then so be it. Im no CSA apologist, but what needs to be factored in to those less than halcyon days was the fact the governing body was so utterly dependent on ticket sales. Whilst across the hallways of Soccer House on Metcalfe Street, the phones in the sponsorship and partner departments werent exactly ringing off the hook. Although I would have preferred to have seen ex-pat Canadians in the same number and beer drinking volume as our Australian cousins during last falls MNT game in London we cant deny the fact our soccer culture is maturing. We are a developing soccer nation that will always hit bumps in the road on and off the pitch. And just like when a member of the family, a friend or close work colleague hits experiences adversity our job is simply to support and encourage. The same holds true for our football fandom. Its why were referred to as loyal supporters. None more so in the Canadian national team sense, than that truly inspiring football collective, The Voyageurs. Not sure the American Outlaws or for that matter many other supporter groups across planet FIFA can lay claim that their national domestic cup competition is named for them. My, how much I look forward to a World Cup Finals for Canada, when - just like in 1967 - the travelling Celtic support descended on Lisbon for the European Cup Final. So much did they enjoy their visit many Celtic supporters stayed on to take up residency in the Portuguese capital. Football culture at its most supreme. Makes you wonder how many eight-year old kids are running round the streets of Istanbul with John Lennon accents. In the meantime, our Under 20s are back on the pitch this evening. Heres to a packed and frenzied house as we go in search of a much needed three points. Ill sure to be wearing red and be rather loud in the stands, along with Baby Bear when we play our final group game in Montreal next Tuesday evening. As will most of her club teammates. Not confirmed at this point if North Korea has been given its own supporters section. Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter Nene Jersey . 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TORONTO -- The Toronto Blue Jays dug themselves a massive hole, then almost managed to climb out Saturday against the Boston Red Sox. But when it was all over they had wasted another lead, seen another pitcher flame out on the mound and lost their fourth straight at home. After roughing up Clay Buchholz for three runs in the first inning, Toronto (11-13) found itself behind 6-3 after three innings as starter Brandon Morrow literally lost control. A late comeback by the Jays fell short as Boston (12-13) hung on for a 7-6 win. Morrow (1-2) walked a career-high eight of the 14 batters he faced before being pulled after 2 2/3 shocking innings before an announced crowd of 40,322 under the roof at the Rogers Centre. "Its not a good feeling when you can take the blame for the game and put it squarely on your shoulders," said Morrow, who made no excuses as he threw himself on his sword. "I came in with one goal and that was to pitch late in the game and keep us in it. I let down the team in a big way today." Twice he was rescued by double plays before the bottom fell out in a six-run Boston third that saw Toronto pitching coach Pete Walker ejected for back-chat to home-plate umpire Jeff Kellogg. "Its embarrassing to not be able to command your fastball," said Morrow, who said physically he was fine. "I had decent command of the other stuff." The first walk of the afternoon, to Red Sox leadoff batter Dustin Pedroia, was the 100th Jays free pass this season. Toronto pitchers issued nine walks on the day, with David Ortiz the recipient of three. "Weve been walking way too many guys all year," said manager John Gibbons. "Thats unlike us. Weve got some strike-throwers." A.J. Pierzynski hit his eighth career grand slam to power the Red Sox offence before Toronto staged a nail-biting late comeback. The Jays sent eight men to the plate and scored twice in the eighth before leaving the bases loaded. Jose Bautista, facing closer Koji Uehara, then opened the ninth with his seventh homer of the year -- and 175th as a Jay -- to cut the lead to 7-6. Dioner Navarro and Brett Lawrie singled, around a Colby Rasmus strikeout, to keep the drive alive. But Edwin Encarnacion flied out to end the rally and give Uehara his fifth save. "All year long those guys have been battling," said Gibbons. "Thats all you can ask for as a manager, that they dont pack it in." Over the last four losses, Toronto has given up 36 runs on 47 hits and 22 walks. The Jays allowed their opponents off the hook in three of those games, with the Orioles staging comebacks Wednesday and Thursday. Buchholz (1-2) survived a three-run first to help Boston to its seventh win in 11 games. He gave up three runs in seven innings on six hits, three strikeouts and two walks. Buchholz threw 105 pitches, 67 for strikes. Juan Francisco homered for Toronto, his second blast in as many days, to greet Boston reliever Junichi Tazawa in the eighth. Pinch-hitter Encarnacion then singled home Navarro to make it 7-5 as Tazawa gave up his first runs of the season. Chris Capuano came on with men on first andd third and one out.dddddddddddd He struck out Jonathan Diaz but walked Jose Reyes after a 10-pitch showdown to load the bases. Uehara then induced Cabrera to pop up to shallow left field. On a strange day Toronto outhit Boston 13-5, left 11 men on base to the Red Soxs four, and lost. "Weve been struggling in certain areas, its no secret," said Gibbons, refusing to point the finger at one element of his team. "But were going to get better." Morrow has failed to last six innings in four of his five starts this season, as well as nine of his last 14 dating back to last season. His descent into the pitching mire was swift Saturday. Only five of Morrows 14 pitches in the first were strikes. He was 11-for-31 after two innings and 25-for-66 when he was removed in favour of Chad Jenkins in the third. Morrow wouldve been living only marginally more dangerously if he was juggling chainsaws on the mound. With two out in the third Morrow walked four straight and was removed, with the Jays somewhat amazingly still leading 3-1. Two balls later, Pierzynski slammed the grand slam homer off the newly recalled Jenkins, who promptly gave up a solo shot to Will Middlebrooks for a 6-3 Boston lead. It was the second homer of the season for both. "We took advantage of a high number of walks," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "One of the things we do well is not expand the strike zone and that was the case again today." Morrows outing marked the 11th time a Jays pitcher has given up eight or more walks in a game. The club record is nine, by four different pitchers (Pat Hentgen, Jim Clancy, Chris Carpenter and Jesse Jefferson). Consecutive doubles by Mike Carp and Grady Sizemore in the fifth extended the Boston lead to 7-3 and chased Jenkins in favour of Aaron Loup. Buchholz also had trouble finding the strike zone in the first and paid for it after issuing a leadoff walk to Reyes. The Jays shortstop was running on Cabreras single and came home on Bautistas deep single to left-centre. Cabrera scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0 with no outs. Bautista, who extended his on-base streak 24 games, came home on Navarros deep single to right to make it 3-0. The Red Sox starter threw 26 pitches in the first, with just 13 for strikes. He faced just three batters in the second but needed a successful challenge to remove Reyes, who had been called safe on an infield hit. Buchholz walked two with two out in the third but escaped damage and ended up blanking the Jays for six straight innings. He had gone winless in his first four starts for the first time of his career. But, despite the rocky opening the trip to Toronto proved to be a tonic for the 29-year-old right-hander. Buchholz arrived with a 9-5 career mark and 2.44 earned-run average against Toronto and was 7-2 with a 1.09 ERA in 10 starts at the Rogers Centre. Toronto used six pitchers, with Loup, Brett Cecil, Steve Delabar and Sergio Santos helping douse the fire set by Morrow and Jenkins. Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, on his bobblehead day, is scheduled to pitch Sunday against Boston left-hander Jon Lester in the series finale. Wholesale USA Soccer Jerseys discount uswnt jersey Wholesale AC Milan Jerseys Wholesale Arsenal Jerseys Wholesale A.S. 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