QMI Agency[/caption]Stephen Hart stepped down from his position as the manager of Canada’s men’s national soccer team after his squad self destructed in an 8-1 loss to Honduras in a World Cup qualifying game on Oct 17. The Canadians have now been officially eliminated from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil a full two years before it’s even kicked off.
It was the country’s biggest defeat since 1993 when they were hammered 8-0 in Mexico. Canada just needed to tie the game in Honduras to guarantee themselves a spot in the next CONCACAF qualifying round.
The Canadian Soccer Association is now looking for a new manager and according to Victor Montagliani, the president of the association, is trying to find one who can strengthen the players; psychological resolve.
Hart waited two days after the humiliating defeat before resigning from his post. Many soccer experts felt he might leave the team after he said Canadian soccer fans would never forgive him for the loss. Montagliani said that Canada first has to improve in its own division before it can think about competing with the best nations in the world.
The game in Honduras was played in front of 40,000 fanatical supporters and Canada simply fell to pieces shortly after the kick off. Montagliani said the team must be a lot mentally tougher if it hopes to succeed in making major soccer tournaments. He claims the players are suffering from a psychological barrier and it need to be overcome soon.
Canada hasn’t advanced to the final round of World Cup qualifying since back in 1997 and has only qualified for one World Cup in the team’s history, which was in 1986 in Mexico. Needless to say, they lost all three games at the tournament.
Montagliani said that Hart was a good man and a fine manager, but a change needed to be made. In total, Hart was in charge of the team for 45 games and led it to a record of 20 wins, 10 ties, and 15 losses. He took over the team in 2006.
Montagliani said the men’s team is in the same position the women’s team was in last year after flopping at the Women’s World Cup in Germany in 2011. Carolina Morace stepped down as manager after the tournament and John Herdman took over. The team improved pretty quickly and won a bronze medal at this year’s Summer Olympics in London, England.
He added that the new manager of the men’s team doesn't need to be Canadian. However, he must have experience as well as a successful track record, especially when playing on the road. The CSA hopes to have a new manager in place by the end of October.
However, there doesn’t seem to be any rush since Canada doesn’t really have anything to play for over the next few months with their World Cup hopes already being thrown out the window.
