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by Andy Fraser

Depends who wins

Wasn't it interesting to see how unimportant the
Trans Atlantic Challenge Cup became on Monday
after Whitecaps ended up in the runner up

position?

Suddenly many of the
vocal experts were saying
how the tournament had
been set up for Cosmos to
win all along, and how Roma
and Manchester City weren't
Only poor teams, but didn't
even bother to bring their
best, and how they came
only for the holiday, and 1!
was a silly idea anyway.

Nonsense.

Alter the scenarno just a
touch. Just suppose that the
strange and controversial
goal bad been disallowed.

Suppose that Whitecaps
had held on an had won the
match 1-0 and the tourna.
ment with five points to
Cosmos four

Would the Challenge Cup
have then been a silly idca’
Would the esteemed media
types say the cahbre of the
teams was low?

THE BEGINNING

60,000 fans in Rochester, or
Auianta. or Edmonton or
Vancouver? Do you think it
would have had the hype
with the Drillers, Chiefs,
Rogues or Lancers instead of
Cosmos? Nope.

And, by the way, those
other teams were trying.
They will not relish the idea
of having to go home with
the third and bottom places
sewn up. It was a blow to
their pride and to thew
Associauons who have been
downplaying the NASL.

ICs a tournament that
given time and some hard
work at the committee level
will be a good one in years to
come

BUT THE OFFICIALS

The only problem with the
tournamenat ts something
that ts plaguing the league
The officiating It's bad

Of course the goal that

only problem. Anyone can
make a mistake, and a bad
one. But it ts more than
comcidental that so many
etrors aad so much inconsis-
tency is croppmg up game
after game.

There was an exception.
Against Manchester City,
Gine D'‘appohto called a
good game. He didn't im-
terrupt the flow of the game,
and im fact, it’s hard to
remember when he blew his
whistic.

The same can't be said for
the match with Roma and
the Whitecaps. Time after
tame the play was acediessly
stopped. In fact that game
threatened to become a bit
rough in the late stages, not
because of any dirty tackles,
but because of the frustra
tion caused by the officials

lt happens all too often in
leaguc play Ths milhoo
dollar sport docsn't seem to
feel they aced compctent
referees nght down the hne
Of course this ss a totally
foohsh concept

To see games ruincd by
the mcompctenace of the

a form of suicide.

The Canadian Football
League also suffers the same
malady with inconsistent
officiating causing games to
stutter and stall totally
destroying the appeal.

A well officiated game, no
matter what sport, is when
no one can remember who
the referee was, or what he
did on the field. Regrettably
the officials in football or
soccer in too many cases
seem to think they work on
commission. Quality, not
quantity, is the key to being
‘big league.’

When Whitecaps return to
action at Empire in league
play next Wednesday, it will
be interesting to see if the
Lenarduzzi boo birds are out
in force agam.

He has come a long way
from his days with the
Grandview Legion and the
pros know his worth.

How come then all the
jeerting and booing from
good old ‘sports’ fan?

There are a couple of
reasons. One 1s that it is not
only Lenarduzzi. [It happens
mght across the country in
many different sports. When
the local boy makes good,
many of the fans turn on
him.

It seem to be an in
fenonty complex within the
fan who feels inadequate and
aceds to try and bring down
his ‘peer ~ And it also seems
to be a gealousy thing

But the saddest part of 11 1s
that it happens nght across
the country in all sport and
regrettably seemsto be very

much a Canadian sporting

\

B3-Wednesday, May 28, 1980 - North Shore News
x

FOOTBALL

REGISTRATIONS
MAY 31

The Gordon

Sturtridge Footbail
League will be holding registrations
this Saturday

Boys on the North Shore trom Deep
Cove to Squamish can register for
the following diusions

Flag Ages 7, 8.9 - 85 ibs
Minor 108&11-100lbs
Jr. Bantam 128&13-120 Ibs
Bantam 14815-1400 Ibs
Midget 16817 (open weight)

Equipment provided - Age defined by calendar year
Birth certificate required.

REGISTER:SATURDAY, MAY 31
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Norgate Park
(opposite International Plaza)

Phone: 980-2750

Officials & coaches required
GORDON STURTRIDGE FOOTBALL
LEAGUE

Not on your muserable hfe gave Cosmos was contro league by failing to produce — tradition
The tournament would have versial But that's not the top officials is omore thas
been just the beginning of a frustratng It's hhe watching
challenge senes that would. - _- _
tna couple of years, be just
shghtly less important than G O oP
the World Cup And the .
Whitecaps would be leading | BZ TIME JULY 1980 PRICE 2000 PER WEEK
the way
However, no one cver said Seymour Golf & Country Club
that people inthis busincss still has a few memberships
had to have a good perpe< . :
tive on sports to be '¢ aperts ’ available in
The tournament was a good Men S Full Play category.
idea. and for a first cffort For information please phone
was caceplionally well run
Of course it was a New York The Pro The Office
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would have drawn mare than -
b
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