By Chris Rivers

It was announced this week that the FA were scrapping Under-8s competitive leagues claiming there is too much emphasis on winning. Having grown up in a time where England hasn’t won anything apart from the Rugby World Cup in 2003 surely they should be keeping this emphasis in an attempt to give people something the English have lacked within sport for years, a killer instinct.

 In Australia children are taught that winning is important from a young age in their sporting academies and look how that has worked out. Everything the Aussie’s touch they seem to be successful at. In England though there has always been the idea that it is the taking part which counts rather than the winning. Whilst it is still important to make sure children enjoy playing sports in a competitive match the people involved should be focused on winning. This just might be that I am a competitive person myself but I take a lot more enjoyment out of a sport when I have succeeded in it.

 It seems ridiculous that at a time when English football is at a low for producing quality home-grown players that we should take away part of the enjoyment of the sport. I can understand where the FA director of youth football Trevor Brooking is coming from, there is a need for children to develop their skills rather than just smash the ball up field as far as they can. However I thought that was the point of mini-soccer, a scheme introduced a good few years ago where children between the ages of seven and 11 played on a small pitch to allow them to have more touches of the ball and to learn not to just kick a football as hard as they can. This seemed like a fairly good idea to me because the trouble with children’s eleven-a-side games are that, speaking from experience, you don’t get enough touches of the ball when you are younger.

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NUTRILITE CANADIAN SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPON TLN TELEVISION

Toronto FC vs Montreal Impact

Tuesday July 22, LIVE at 7pm/et 

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 (TORONTO, ON) – In conjunction with CBC’s  broadcast of the 2008 Nutrilite Canadian Championship, TLN Television, home of the best international soccer will broadcast the Toronto FC vs Montreal Impactmatch, which is part of the CONCACAF Champions League Canadian qualifying tournament, LIVE on Tuesday July 22 at 7pm/et.

The Italian language broadcast will feature the play by play of Canadian renowned world soccer expert and TLN sportscaster Alf DeBlasis.  As Canada ’s three qualifying teams all fight for a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League, Mr. De Blasis will keep us all on the edge of our seats with his Latino inspired goal calling (“Gooooooool!!!!”).

 GolTV Match Schedule – June 28-July 4, 2008

Among this week’s highlights include:

• LIVE coverage of the first leg of the Colombian Copa Mustang Championship Final, featuring America De Cali versus a yet to be determined opponent on Wednesday, July 2 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

• A total of three LIVE Ecuadorian league matches including Dep. Azogues vs. El Nacional on Saturday, June 28 at 4:30 p.m. ET, followed by a pair of matches on Sunday, June 29 headlined by Dep. Quito vs. Macara at 10:45 a.m. ET and Universidad Catolica vs. Barcelona at 1:00 p.m. ET.

• LIVE coverage of a Colombian league match, featuring Chico and Deportivo Cali on Saturday, June 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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Watch the First Leg of the Copa Mustang Championship Final on GolTV GolTV will air the first leg of the Copa Mustang Championship Final on Wednesday, July 2, as America De Cali takes on a to be determined opponent, LIVE at 9:00pm ET.

Be sure to watch three LIVE Ecuadorian league matches beginning on Saturday, June 28, as Dep. Azogues takes on El Nacional at 4:30pm ET. Tune in on Sunday, June 29 at 10:45am ET, as first place Dep. Quito takes on Macara, followed by Universidad Catolica vs. Barcelona at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Don’t forget to catch Extra Time on Friday, July 4 at 6pm ET for a complete Euro 2008 wrap-up with Lee Godfrey,  Paul James, and Mo Johnston. Paul James returns to the show after helping Canada’s Women’s Under-20 team  qualify for the 2008 FIFA Women’s Under-20 World Cup in Chile. Watch for full coverage of the Canadian Nutrilite Championship, and another edition of “Mojo Unplugged” with Toronto FC Director of  Operations, Mo Johnston.

ESPN’s unprecedented coverage of the UEFA European Football Championship 2008 will conclude Sunday, June 29, on ABC at 2:30 p.m. ET with a matchup featuring the two top-five teams in the world - Germany, ranked No. 5 in FIFA World Ranking, vs. No. 4 Spain, live from the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna, Austria.

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A violent thunderstorm in Austria caused a power cut at the Euro 2008 International Broadcast Centre in Vienna last night, resulting in television broadcasters worldwide losing their signal at several points during the Germany-Turkey semi-final.