CANADA WOULD DO WELL TO FOLLOW ICELAND’S MODEL

It has been 30 years since Canada was featured at a men’s World Cup. It hasn’t come close to qualifying since.

There’s no doubt the Canadian Soccer Association should take a good hard look at how Iceland has gone about not only qualifying for a major competition, but beating England 2-1 Monday night in Nice.

“These guys are unbelievable,” Icelandic co- manager Heimir Hallgrimsson said. “Their character — we’ve shown for a few games now how good their character is.”

They’ve been getting better throughout the previous 10 years, actually. How they did it is well documented.

First and foremost, Iceland’s football association commissioned the construction of indoor training facilities following an economic boom. Prior to that, it was impossible to train year- round in the Nordic country.

After that, Iceland start- ed offering UEFA coaching classes in Reykjavik. There’s now a UEFA-qualified coach for every 500 Icelanders, according to the Guardian. In other words, teachers of the game actually know what they’re doing.

Then there’s the spirit ingrained in Icelanders from a young age. The same knowledgeable coaches also preach handwork and resiliency — something England manager Roy Hodgson pointed out prior to resigning.

“After ( beating England), no obstacle is too big for us,” Hallgrimsson added.

Facilities, proper coaching, mentality. Should be simple for Canada, right?

Sometimes, though, it’s easier for smaller communities to bring about change that’s needed to realize results.

The Canadian soccer climate remains far too political at the grassroots and provincial levels.