Herdman predicts Canada-U.S. Women's World Cup final in 2015

Usually, news conferences that include politicians, officials from a sport’s governing body and other dignitaries can get downright stuffy – quickly.

But, in a matter of a few minutes, Canadian women’s soccer coach John Herdman managed to make one unexpectedly special Friday. Never mind that this presser, at Terry Fox Plaza outside B.C. Place Stadium, was intended to promote the one-year countdown to the 2015 Women’s World Cup that Canada will host.

Herdman’s team will not be finalized for months, but he boldly promised that Canada will face its arch rival the U.S. in the final at B.C. Place.

“I’m predicting it,” he said. “If it doesn’t happen, I lose my job – but that’s life.”

That point alone was enough to make the presser interesting, but Herdman, an Englishman who guided Canada to a 2012 Olympic bronze medal after taking over the club’s reins in 2011, did not stop there.

“In one year’s time, this team will be ready,” he said. “Ready to do what? (Players) will be ready to make Canada proud, and that’s what we live for. We’ll be ready to make history. Ready to win the first World Cup from Canada. We’ll be ready to inspire new generations of female soccer players, just like we did in 2012. You imagine that opportunity. That gets us out of bed every single morning. Nothing else. I wake up at 5 a.m. every morning, because we’ve got that chance – and it’ll be one chance, because this isn’t going to come back in Canada for a while.

“And, everyone that’s involved in our sport knows that, or ought to. This is the time to do something special for women’s soccer, and you won’t get that chance again.”

Herdman vowed that the Canadian women’s team will be ready to connect the country again, just like it did in 2012, when a referee’s controversial decision ended its gold-medal hopes. As you might recall, Canada suffered a heartbreaking semifinal loss to the Americans after lobbying from U.S. star Abby Wambach, prompted the referee to award the U.S. a free kick because Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod was found guilty of holding the ball too long. The free kick led a Canadian hand-ball infraction in Canada’s penalty area, and a decisive American penalty-kick.

Herdman is ready for more moments – special or otherwise – that help the club bond with each other and other Canadians.

“Whether it’s referee decisions, whatever, we’ll laugh together, we’ll chew our fingernails together, and we’ll cry together,” he said. “And, hopefully, this time, they’ll be tears of joy.”

Standing and listening to Herdman as he spoke passionately during his speech and scrums later with reporters, one could not help but admire his chutzpah while contemplating many other thoughts. For instance, the Canadian squad was lucky that he chose not to put himself in contention for his native England’s women’s coaching job when it became available last year – much to the relief of Canadian captain Christine Sinclair.

Also, the hype that the presser created was more than a little interesting when you consider that it was a women’s sporting event being promoted. Pick another women’s team in any other sport but hockey, during or outside an Olympic year, that generates as much buzz as Canada’s women’s soccer squad. Herdman, with his enthusiasm and never-say-die attitude, has been largely responsible for the hoopla that has been building since Canada hired him after a disappointing early exit from the 2011 Women’s World Cup.

Last but not least, one could not help but be confounded by the hopes and dreams that the Canadian women’s team continues to inspire while the men’s squad, which has not qualified for the World Cup since 1986 and will be watching the upcoming Brazil World Cup with considerable envy, is languishing in the middle of nowhere. Canadian men’s coach Benito Floro, supposedly a Spanish legend has generated little, if any, buzz since he was hired in August 2013

The low-scoring men’s club has an extremely low profile in Canada, often training and playing friendlies against (ahem) juggernauts like Bulgaria and Moldava overseas. Identical 1-1 draws against those two nations this year are considered big rays hope for an eventual return to respectability. Now, contrast that outlook with Herdman’s expectations.

Floro has pledged to involve Canada’s three MLS teams, the Vancouver Whitecaps, Toronto FC and Montreal Impact, which are developing young domestic talent every day, in the national men’s development program. But, again, few, if any, strides appear to be occurring.

Given the many months that it took to hire Floro after Canada’s humiliating 8-1 loss to Honduras in World Cup qualifying, it appears that the men’s program, known for turf wars between soccer’s provincial and national governing bodies, is still in disarray. On the other hand, it seems like the sport’s poohbahs have left the women’s program alone – and it has flourished.

Of course, this is a grand simplification. Canada Soccer puts considerable resources into the women’s program, which has few professional players at its disposal due to limited funding for those assigned to fledgling National Women’s Soccer League teams. (The Canadian, U.S. and Mexican federations pay the salaries of players that they assign to NWSL teams.)

However, when it comes to soccer in Canada and its troubled history on the men’s side, perception is everything. As was clear Friday, John Herdman is creating a positive and highly meaningful image for the women’s program that will remain for decades to come. The men’s team? Not so much.

Sooner or later, the prediction is here, the search will be on for another national men’s coach, and Canada Soccer officials can only hope that they find another one like John Herdman.

In other words, it will be a long time before any Canadian men’s coach dares to predict that his team will win a World Cup.