With Mario Gotze鈥檚 goal in the final in Rio, which won the 2014 World Cup for Germany, came the reset for every other national men鈥檚 soccer team to start afresh for Russia 2018.
Everything 2014 was washed away, including the horror-show 8-1 loss in Honduras that ended sa国际传媒鈥檚 dreams of getting to Brazil.
The drive to Russia 2018 begins today for sa国际传媒, with a road qualifying game in Dominica, and with it starkly different scenarios for two Island players who were part of the Brazil 2014 qualifying campaign.
Defender Adam Straith of Victoria, a 24-year-old pro with Fredrikstad in Norway, was selected to the Canadian team for today鈥檚 opener.
鈥淎dam is a very good player and nice person,鈥� said Canadian head coach Benito Floro, who has shown great loyalty to the 22-time capped Bays United and Lower Island Metro product, even when Straith was recently unattached and without a pro team.
鈥淎dam plays well and strikes the ball long [downfield], which is very important in what we do,鈥� said Floro, during a teleconference call with Canadian sports media.
鈥淓ven when he had no team, Adam was training by himself and was always in good shape. His signing [by Fredrikstad] is very good news. We continue calling on Adam because he has been a very good player for us.鈥�
But in a huge blow for sa国际传媒, 43-time capped midfielder and Juan de Fuca youth association-product Josh Simpson announced his retirement this month at 32 following a multiple-bone leg break three years ago while playing for Young Boys in the Swiss Premiership, from which he could not recover. It is one of the most devastating career-ending injuries suffered by an Island athlete in any sport.
鈥淲hen we qualified through the first round of 2014 with Josh Simpson, we had a complete game,鈥� said Julian de Guzman, who will captain sa国际传媒 into 2018 qualifying play.
鈥淲e definitely missed him dearly in the second stage of 2014 qualifying鈥� after the injury.
The Belmont Secondary-grad and Lower Island Metro product鈥檚 impact is still being felt on the national side, even though Simpson鈥檚 presence won鈥檛 be on the road to Russia 2018.
鈥淲e will use Josh as an example of what he brought to the national team,鈥� said de Guzman.
鈥淎fter all his appearances, we are definitely going to miss him.鈥�
Despite what happened to Simpson during the career-ending tackle, de Guzman said professionals can鈥檛 worry about that and can鈥檛 play hesitatingly.
鈥淲hen you are going in to tackle, you have to give it all you鈥檝e got,鈥� de Guzman said.
鈥淯nfortunately, these things happen. It鈥檚 part of the trade.鈥�
sa国际传媒, ranked 109th in the world, today takes on a country with a population less than that of Saanich.
The return match against 168th-ranked Dominica is on June 16 at BMO Field in Toronto. The winner of the two-game set advances to the next round of CONCACAF qualifying for Russia 2018.
sa国际传媒 has not qualified for the World Cup since its inaugural appearance in 1986 with a team that included Island players Ian Bridge, George Pakos and Jamie Lowery.
