#CanadaRed soccer notebook: WNT draw the usual tough Olympic lot

With only 12 teams and concentrated into three groups, the group stage at the women’s Olympic soccer tournament is much more difficult than at the World Cup.

Teams that advance from the group stages will have certainly earned them as three of the four teams in each group could be world-class and that’s certainly what Canada drew on Thursday as they were matched with Germany, Australia and debutantes Zimbabwe.

“I said prior to the draw is that it’s three groups of death and whoever Canada was brought into would be the group of death,” said head coach John Herdman in a conference call on Thursday.

“Everyone’s clear that on their day the gap just wasn’t where it used to be and teams like China, New Zealand, South Africa, and Zimbabwe can all push a new level of performance. I think it is going to be tough. We know that but it was tough in 2012. It’s a very similar makeup of the group in 2012.”

Four years ago, Canada was in a group with Japan, Sweden and South Africa and advanced as one of the best third-placed teams.

Canada’s opening game this year on Aug. 3 against Australia in Sao Paulo will really be the game to watch as it could very well determine where Canada ends up when the group works itself out.

With Germany expected to carry the group and Zimbabwe expected to be a likely win for the more established teams, the world No. 10 Canadians will be in tough in that game with Australia.

Canada last played Australia in a friendly in 2008 but did play a closed-door game with them in 2015. That unofficial game is only time Herdman’s coached Canada against Australia after playing them many times when he was coaching New Zealand.

“I’m fortunate to know a little bit about the Aussies because with New Zealand, it was probably the only team we could afford to play at the time just travelling over ‘The Ditch,’” Herdman said, referring to the Tasman Sea that separates the two neighbours. “They have that availability to challenge for the podium. Winning an Asian Championship is pretty tough and it shows that’s a team that’s resilient, talented and connected to be a key threat.”

Third place in the group would be the minimum expectation for Canada as it would put them in position to advance as one of the two best third-place teams but if they’re on the wrong end of results against the Germans and Aussies, they would have to be close games for that to happen.

Taking points off either or both of Germany and Australia in addition to beating Zimbabwe would all but assure Canada’s progression.

Third place in the group would make for a tough quarterfinal game but it would be the same position they found themselves in four years ago in London -- and we all know how that ended.

BC Place the right choice

Canada’s men’s national team could very well be in a fight for their World Cup qualifying lives as the final game of the current round takes place on Sept. 6 and the CSA has rightly gone with BC Place in Vancouver as the host for that game.

“When it comes to World Cup qualifying it’s not about sharing the love, it’s about where we’re going to get three points,” said CSA president Victor Montagliani at a media conference in Vancouver announcing the game. “If our technical staff believe that’s where we need to know, that’s where we’ll probably go unless there’s an outlying reason why we can’t go.”

While a win or a tie in the game before against Honduras could make the El Salvador game a massive encounter with the final round of qualifying in sight, a loss in Honduras on Sept. 2 would put a massive dent into Canadian qualifying hopes, but they wouldn’t be eliminated.

With their chances of qualifying ranging from remote to quite good depending on that game in San Pedro Sula, the CSA went with the venue that has proven support these last few months. BMO Field in Toronto may be available after its renovations but the crowds have never really been earthshattering and advancing to the Hex would attract fans wherever Canada opts to play so it’s wise to go with the venue that’s earned another crack at it.

If Canada advances to the Hex, places like Toronto would then likely get a home game -- but a lot has to happen before that’s a reality.

Montagliani’s CONCACAF presidential odds improving

As the countdown until a new CONCACAF president is selected enters its final month, CSA president Victor Montagliani’s odds of winning that vote keep getting better.

Already the highest-profile name in the race, Montagliani’s competition is now down to just one other candidate as Gordon Derrick of Antigua and Barbuda, and president of the Caribbean Football Union, failed mandatory FIFA integrity checks and was disqualified.

Only Montagliani and Bermuda Football Association president Larry Mussenden remain as candidates.

With Montagliani working with a lot of the FIFA reform committees and someone who’s stayed away from the dodgy workings of CONCACAF of the past, he’s a figure who would present the change that CONCACAF is hoping to achieve.