With the thrill of the World Cup fresh in their minds, federal politicians are asking how soccer can become more of a force in Canada.
Recreational soccer in this country attracts 800,000 registered players annually - 300,000 more than hockey - but Canada is not a factor in international competition and ranks just 63rd in the world. Some opposition MPs say we can do better.
Glenn Thibeault, the NDP sports critic, said Tuesday that Canada needs a long-term vision for soccer. "It's something Canadians are passionate about," he told The Globe.
Mr. Thibeault says Canada needs more coaches, better infrastructure, improved co-ordination of competitions, and an increased investment in the game.
"I am talking about a couple of million dollars to provide the Canadian Soccer Association with the necessary dollars to compete on the international stage," he said.
The financial documents of the Canadian Soccer Association say the organization received $1.76-million from Sport Canada in 2009, which was less than the $1.88-million it received in 2008.
The federal government, however, notes that it also spent more than $800,000 in direct assistance to athletes to help with living expenses, tuition and other costs in 2009-2010.
Vanessa Schneider, a spokeswoman for Sports Minister Gary Lunn, said the government is "very proud to support Soccer Canada at all levels."
But Mr. Thibeault points out that Australia, with a smaller population, invested more than $4-million in Australia's soccer federation in 2009, including more than $1.3-million for college and university programs.
Canada did a great job hosting the Olympics and it would be wonderful if it could host a World Cup, he said. "But we will never be able to host that if we can't make the World Cup."
Denis Coderre, a Liberal MP who is also a former sports minister, disagrees. He said that when the Liberals were in office, he was making preliminary arrangements to bring the tournament to Canada.
But he agrees with Mr. Thibeault that the sport needs to be developed.
"Soccer is probably one of the greatest natural games where you can have some immediate links between amateur sports and professional sports," Mr. Coderre told The Globe. Soccer needs to be elevated in terms of its priority within the hierarchy of Canadian sports and needs to be funded on an ongoing basis, he said.
There is a clear policy gap and there needs to be input from all levels of government, Mr. Coderre added.
"You need to find a way for people to practice the sport even more in school so you need a relationship between the provincial jurisdictions," he said. "You need an infrastructure strategy to see that at the municipal level and at cities everyone is participating in the process."