LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Phil Neville wasn’t happy with what he was seeing.
Canada’s new men’s national team assistant coach and Premier League legend barked at the players during training for “cheating” on a similar passing drill the previous day. The barks got louder as he lambasted the group for fumbling passes.
If you closed your eyes, the professionalism and intensity might convince you that Canada had changed from the team who went on strike over financial limitations leading up to the World Cup in Qatar.
“It’s been difficult having that cloud overshadowing everything that’s going on,” Canadian defender Alistair Johnston admitted.
They had entered the 2022 World Cup without a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in place and although they went on to capture the attention of the country and scored their first-ever goal in a World Cup, Canada’s men’s and women’s national teams still do not have a contract in place for match fees and appearances.
In February, players described the situation, including budget cuts, as “unacceptable” to The Athletic. When the men’s national team reconvened in March for Nations League Finals qualifiers, their first games since the World Cup, coach John Herdman said “it should be different” when asked about the trouble…
