From the Star:
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FIFA official favours T.O. over Edmonton
Apr. 12, 2006. 07:16 PM
FIFA vice-president Jack Warner praised Canada's buildup for the 2007 world under-20 tournament Wednesday, but took a swipe at Edmonton for its recent lukewarm reception to soccer.
Edmonton drew 47,484 fans to Commonwealth Stadium in 2002 for the Canada-U.S final at the inaugural FIFA women's under-19 championship, winning rave reviews from FIFA and others.
But for the men's under-20 tournament in 2007, Canadian organizers have opted to stage the July 22 final at Toronto's National Soccer Stadium. The venue, currently under construction, will hold no more than 25,000.
Edmonton will still play a large role as tournament co-host, but will see its participation end at the semifinal stage.
"I don't live here, so I can say quite honestly that I think Edmonton has been lucky to even get a semifinal," Warner, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, said in an interview after a news conference on the grounds of Exhibition Place, a stone's throw from the Toronto stadium construction site.
"While the (2002) women's event was a success, it seems to me from the records we have seen that it could be looked at as an aberration. Because following that, international matches have been played in Edmonton and the (attendance) figures have been from 11,000 to 7,000."
Last September, there were 8,812 at Commonwealth Stadium to see Germany beat the Canadian women's team 4-3 under a light rain. The Canadian men's team drew 9,654 in September 2004 for a 1-1 World Cup qualifying tie with Honduras.
Warner said Toronto was "the logical choice" to host the final because of its new stadium, the diversity of its population and the co-operation of local governments.
Edmonton will host two of Canada's first-round games — the Canadian men's opening outing will be in Toronto — plus two round-of-16 games, a quarter-final and semifinal.
Warner is a FIFA heavyweight who doubles as president of CONCACAF, the continental confederation that covers North and Central America and the Caribbean. He is also chairman of the Canadian tournament's organizing committee.
Warner and other officials have spent the last nine days touring Edmonton, Toronto and the tournament's four other venues: Victoria, Burnaby (Vancouver), Ottawa and Montreal.
Warner and Canadian Soccer officials said the inspection process turned up some issues to be fixed, but nothing insurmountable.
"They are critical, they are important, but in the (overall) scheme of things they are not mind-boggling," Warner said.
With Montreal Impact boss Joey Saputo putting his planned new Montreal stadium on the backburner, the Montreal site remains a question mark. Everyone involved wants to go to Molson Stadium on the McGill University grounds, but the artificial turf there has lines on it and FIFA demands a pristine green surface.
Kevan Pipe, chief operating officer of the Canadian Soccer Association, bit his tongue when asked whether he felt the urge to say `I told you so."
In 2003, when McGill was examining its turf options, Pipe and Canadian soccer officials pressed hard for a plain surface to avoid just this problem. The CFL Alouettes, a major tenant, wanted a football-ready field with stitched in lines.
In the end, the university and CFL thought they had found a compromise with an artificial surface whose lines could be covered up. But that solution never worked.
The options now to make the stadium ready for the FIFA tournament are to spend $500,000 on new plain turf or lay a temporary grass surface.
"The problem is it doesn't fix it for a long-term period," Pipe said of the temporary solution. "If we have the opportunity to do things right, we have to take that opportunity. So that's what we're trying to do right now, we're trying to establish a long-term solution so we can come back to McGill University in future and bring big international games to McGill University."
The issue is who pays for the new artificial turf.
There are lesser issues in Victoria and Burnaby, B.C., involving stadium lighting, dressing rooms and VIP seating.
The CSA and Burnaby have already struck a deal to upgrade Swangard Stadium, Pipe said.
The City of Ottawa, meanwhile, has pledged to replace the artificial turf at Frank Clair Stadium with a higher-grade surface at a cost of $440,000.
Warner raved about Victoria, saying it and Cape Town were two places in the world he would consider retiring to — with Victoria No. 1 on that list.
He also praised Ottawa, saying it was the best venue on the tour while marvelling you can sit in the stands and see boats sailing along the Rideau Canal.
FIFA officials will be back in October to inspect the progress.
Notes: The under-20 tournament — whose official name is the unwieldy FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007 — is second only in size to the men's World Cup, with 24 countries and 52 matches. ... The 2007 tournament will mark the 17th edition of the event. ... Pipe estimates the final will draw a worldwide television audience in excess of 100 million. ... TV talks continue with Canadian networks, he added, with an "opening salvo" goal of airing all 52 matches. ... The plan is to complete the Toronto stadium May 1, 2007, two months ahead of the tournament kickoff. ... Pipe says the CSA has already bid to host the CONCACAF 2008 women's Olympic qualifying tournament, adding Toronto has already been confirmed as one of the host sites for the 2009 men's Gold Cup.
