Herdman held in high regard
Oc t avi o Zambrano didn’t just fall short. The Ecuadoran apparently didn’t come close to meeting expectations laid out by the Canadian Soccer Association.
The 59-year-old was sacked late Monday night in a soccer shocker that surprised everyone except for those on the inside, according to multiple well- placed sources.
The “botched hiring,” as one informed source labelled Zambrano, became apparent as “administrative issues” began to pile up less than a year into his tumultuous tenure.
He was late to meetings and struggled to implement a top- to- bottom development plan that encompassed Canada’s youth teams, according to another source in the position to know.
While one current Canadian i nternational said some senior players “loved” Zambrano, the CSA’s top brass weren’t i mpressed with Canada’s recent Gold Cup run, with one decisionmaker giving Les Rouges’ performance a “C- plus” grade.
But Zambrano wasn’t replaced this week for his performance with Canada’s embattled men’s national team. Zambrano was supplanted by John Herdman, Canada’s well- r espected women’s coach, because of his inability to oversee Canada’s entire men’s program, sources said.
Enter He r d ma n , a 42- year- old Englishman who resurrected Canada’s women’s program following its embarrassing last- place showing at the 2011 Women’s World Cup.
Back- t o- back Olympic bronze medals afforded Herdman the right to lean on the CSA as it mulled replacing Zambrano just nine months into his two- year tenure. An informed source speculated the CSA’s board faced a dilemma: Potentially lose Herdman to a European suitor, or promote Canada’s highly valued women’s bench boss. The move afforded the CSA the chance to dismiss a bad hire while retaining a manager it believes will succeed where Zambrano failed.
Herdman is meticulous in his preparation, with a demonstrated ability to cultivate young talent on the women’s side and get results. He’s earned the opportunity an informed source speculated he’d been seeking since the Rio Games. Whether his skill set will translate remains to be seen.
A source close to Herdman warned he’ll have one opportunity to earn the respect of a testosterone-filled dressing room that will be far less emotional and far more skeptical of his ability to transition. He won’t get the benefit of the doubt.
There’s no Algarve or SheBelieves Cup to sort things out prior to major World Cup qualifiers that are “way more” pressure packed than anything Herdman faced with Canada’s women’s team.
Herdman’s going to get the chance to prove how good of a manager he is.
Those quick to dismiss Herdman’s all-female resume have short memories. ExCanada coach Benito Floro fell well short of expectations despite having a mile- long resume that included the name “Real Madrid”.
There’s a reason a front office in Major League Soccer recently considered contacting Herdman. He’s earned respect throughout the region as a leader and a team builder. He even showed a bit of fire last year when he took the Toronto Sun to task over not covering his women’s team with the same enthusiasm it covers the men.
Twelve months l ater, Herdman’s under the media microscope — something that’s going to persist whether he’s a success or a failure.