Dirty tricks are nothing new in world football. Rivals have long looked to give themselves a competitive advantage or to unsettle the opposition.
"The truth is it has gone on forever and I have seen it all," said a former Canadian men's team coach. "Including opposition staff pretending to be cleaning the stadium. I don't condone it and always made it clear to my staff. Unless it was an open training session."
"Not sure it's rampant but I'm assuming others are doing it," said another former Canada men's coach. "The better technology gets, the more it will be utilized to gain a competitive advantage by those that choose to do so."
Both coaches asked not to be quoted by name, saying they wanted to steer clear of the current controversy.
Technology has indeed added to the dark arts arsenal.
Canada coach Bev Priestman, sent home from the Paris Olympics, is currently paying the price for one of her staffers using a drone to spy on a New Zealand training session.
There have been far cruder campaigns.
Canadian teams on the road in CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean, are no strangers to fire alarms being pulled at their hotel or drum-beating fans outside in the wee hours. Or substandard practice facilities
And match day is not exempt.
Jason Bent, now an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Galaxy, recalls being hit with a plastic bag full of urine at a 2000 Canada-Mexico game at storied Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
The Mexican fans were no amateurs. The loosely tied bag, which hit Bent's leg, was designed to open on contact.
Before a World Cup qualifying game against Mexico in Vancouver in the '70s, then-Canada coach Eckhard Krautzun stopped a training session and had a janitor kicked out of the stadium.
At the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in China, Denmark complained of holes mysteriously appearing on pitches overnight and brass bands playing on the sidelines, to secret filming from nearby buildings.
The Danes also alleged that two men tried to film a Danish strategy session from behind a two-way mirror at the team hotel.
"I am in no doubt that FIFA and the Chinese police know who the two men are," Allan Hansen, chairman of the Danish soccer federation, DUB, was quoted as telling the Danish newspaper Politiken at the time. "I and the Danish federation would also like to know who they are and what went on."
China upset Denmark 3-2 at the tournament.
Denmark coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller, who later coached the Canada women, was subsequently banned for two matches by FIFA for failing to shake hands with his Chinese counterpart after the game.
Canada is not exempt from looking to make an opponent's life miserable.
In September 1985, Canada Soccer (then the Canadian Soccer Association) elected to stage a key World Cup qualifier against Honduras in King George V Park in St. John's, N.L., some 4,900 kilometres northeast of the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa.
"We had thought `What the heck is the Canadian Soccer Association doing putting this biggest game Canada's ever played -- in Newfoundland?"' recalled Canada captain Bruce Wilson. "It was an outside park, to start with.
"Before the game, we got there and we were training and preparing and were going `Where are we?' And we couldn't believe it, to be honest."
Then-coach Tony Waiters and CSA president Jim Fleming were following other CONCACAF countries in maximizing the benefits of playing at home.
"It wasn't a very big crowd at the end of the day but I'm going to tell you what when we went out on the field, it was 100 per cent Canadian and they actually put us ahead a goal before the game began," said Wilson. "It was a fantastic atmosphere."
"The other team had no idea where they were," he added. "And we really prospered."
Just getting to St. John's was a challenge. Some Honduran fans never made it, landing mistakenly in Saint John, N.B., where they watched the game on TV.
Canada won 2-1 to secure qualification for the 1986 World Cup.
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes "for several weeks."
Police in Mississauga are conducting a full-scale search of the city’s biggest park for a non-verbal toddler who went missing Thursday evening. Sgt. Jennifer Trimble told reporters Friday morning that there has been no trace of three-year-old Zaid Abdullah since 6:20 p.m., when he was last seen with his parents in Erindale Park, near Dundas Street West and Mississauga Road.
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Beloved Canadian icon Celine Dion made her much-anticipated appearance during the closing of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony.
Canada soccer great Christine Sinclair said on Friday national team players were never shown drone footage during the more than two decades she was on the team, following a spying scandal that cast a shadow over the Canadians at the Paris Games.
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six figure water bill.
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge said Thursday afternoon most of its structures are 'standing and intact,' including its iconic main lodge.
Omaira Gill grew up counting down the days to each Olympic Games. She wasn’t especially sporty, so she ruled out the prospect of competing pretty early on. But she still harboured Olympic dreams – even just spectating would do.
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes "for several weeks."
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge said Thursday afternoon most of its structures are 'standing and intact,' including its iconic main lodge.
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six figure water bill.
The defence lawyer for Pat King, a prominent organizer of the 2022 'Freedom Convoy' in Ottawa says he is not responsible for the mischief that ensued during the protest.
A group of experts is sounding the alarm that Ottawa needs to swiftly make more inroads with Americans, or Canada will be deeply disadvantaged in a looming review of a crucial trade agreement.
Saskatchewan’s Court of Appeal has denied a political group that opposes so-called “gender ideology” intervener status in a legal dispute over the province’s controversial pronoun law.
A powerful Mexican drug cartel leader who eluded authorities for decades was duped into flying into the U.S., where he was arrested alongside a son of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, according to a U.S. law enforcement official familiar with the matter.
A tanker plane that disappeared in eastern Oregon while fighting one of the many wildfires spreading across several Western states has been found, and the pilot on board is dead, authorities said Friday.
A group of 45 American physicians and nurses who volunteered in hospitals across Gaza are sharing their experiences and demanding an immediate ceasefire and arms embargo.
Disgraced and imprisoned movie mogul Harvey Weinstein 'tested positive for COVID and contracted double pneumonia in his lungs,' Juda Engelmayer, Weinstein’s spokesman, said in a statement Thursday.
The endorsement, announced Friday, comes as Harris builds momentum as their party’s likely nominee after President Joe Biden’s decision to end his re-election bid and endorse his second-in-command against Republican nominee and former president Donald Trump.
The Trump campaign said Thursday it would not commit to any future debates until the Democratic Party formally chooses a nominee.
The result for the April-to-May period compared to a $1.5 billion surplus for the same stretch last year.
Prime ministers of Canada, New Zealand and Australia released a letter renewing calls for an “urgent ceasefire” in Gaza on Friday morning.
A group of experts is sounding the alarm that Ottawa needs to swiftly make more inroads with Americans, or Canada will be deeply disadvantaged in a looming review of a crucial trade agreement.
After four years of mask mandates, gathering restrictions, vaccinations and hospitalizations, British Columbia’s provincial health officer has ended the province's public-health emergency for COVID-19.
A new study published Thursday in the journal JAMA Network Open has found that the ending in the 2023 blockbuster film 'Barbie' had an influence on online search interest in terms around gynecology, the branch of medicine that deals with women’s reproductive health.
A Calgary respirologist is advising people to regularly check the outdoor air quality and stay inside as smoke from the Jasper wildfires blows into other parts of Alberta and possibly beyond.
Already more than a month late getting back, two NASA astronauts will remain at the International Space Station until engineers finish working on problems plaguing their Boeing capsule, officials said Thursday.
More than 97 per cent of Windows sensors are back online, CrowdStrike's CEO George Kurtz said on Thursday, nearly a week after a software update by the cybersecurity firm triggered a global outage.
OpenAI said on Thursday it is selectively rolling out SearchGPT, an artificial intelligence-powered search engine with real time access to the information from the internet.
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
A hearing in the case of Justin Timberlake being accused of driving while intoxicated was held Friday, where an attorney for the singer disputed his arrest in June.
Bette Midler and her husband Martin von Haselberg will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on December 16. They will probably wake up in different rooms on the occasion.
Lululemon Athletica Inc. says it is pausing sales of one of its new product lines that have generated complaints from consumers.
The wildfires raging in Jasper National Park and the shutdown of rail traffic through the area are expected to have an impact on Canada's supply chain.
Postmedia Network Inc. announced plans Friday to buy certain businesses belonging to SaltWire Network Inc. and The Halifax Herald Ltd., the two insolvent companies behind Atlantic Canada's largest newspaper chain.
Omaira Gill grew up counting down the days to each Olympic Games. She wasn’t especially sporty, so she ruled out the prospect of competing pretty early on. But she still harboured Olympic dreams – even just spectating would do.
Japan has never been a destination known for hiking up prices for foreigners. But overtourism – fuelled by a combination of pent-up post-COVID demands and the weak local currency – has recently prompted restaurants in the country to consider the merits of differential pricing.
A Las Vegas woman was living with her parents in 2015 when her dog Gizmo slipped past a faulty gate in the backyard of their home and disappeared. After nine years, they've finally been reunited.
John Herdman says he will co-operate with a Canada Soccer review into what CEO and general secretary Kevin Blue called what appears to be 'a systemic ethical shortcoming' within the organization in the wake of a mushrooming spying scandal involving the Canadian women's team at the Paris Olympics.
Celebrating its reputation as a cradle of revolution, Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century on Friday with a rain-soaked, rule-breaking opening ceremony studded with stars and fantasy along the Seine River.
Dirty tricks are nothing new in world football. Rivals have long looked to give themselves a competitive advantage or to unsettle the opposition.
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
A woman in Waterloo, Ont. is out thousands of dollars for a car crash she wasn’t involved in.
Whether it's for parking, speeding or running a red light, no one likes being issued a traffic ticket, but it’s important to be careful how you pay them.
As fire threatened people in Jasper National Park, Colleen Knull sprung into action.
Video posted to social media on Thursday morning appears to show the charred remains of a Jasper, Alta., neighbourhood.
A Saskatchewan-born veteran of the Second World War was recently presented with France's highest national order.
A local First Nations elder and veteran is helping to bring the Ojibwe language to a well-known film for the first time.
A cat who fled her Montreal home nearly a decade ago has been reunited with her family after being found in Ottawa.
A woman in Waterloo, Ont. is out thousands of dollars for a car crash she wasn’t involved in.
A swarm of bees living in a lamppost in Winnipeg’s Sage Creek neighbourhood has found a new home for its hive.
Around 100 acres of Manitoba Crown Land near the Saskatchewan border is being returned to the Métis community.
Nova Scotia is suspending the licensed Cape Breton moose hunt for three years due to what the province is calling a “significant drop” in the population.
Danika Hammond is one of hundreds of people forced to flee their homes this week as wildfires spread in B.C.'s Central Kootenay region.
The BC Maritime Employers Association says it has been told by a lawyer for the foremen's union that an industry-wide strike vote will take place in coming weeks.
Wildfire officials on Vancouver Island say an out-of-control wildfire burning west of Victoria is expected to grow in the coming days before rain and cooler temperatures can help firefighters gain an upper hand on the blaze.
Police in Mississauga are conducting a full-scale search of the city’s biggest park for a non-verbal toddler who went missing Thursday evening. Sgt. Jennifer Trimble told reporters Friday morning that there has been no trace of three-year-old Zaid Abdullah since 6:20 p.m., when he was last seen with his parents in Erindale Park, near Dundas Street West and Mississauga Road.
Police are searching for a man who allegedly attempted to grab a child in east Toronto earlier this month.
The Toronto Zoo has shared the cause of death for a young giraffe that passed away on Thursday.
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes "for several weeks."
A city official says Calgary will remain under Stage 1 outdoor water restrictions while it investigates potential points of concern along its recently repaired feeder main.
The Blue Line will be closed between City Hall/Bow Valley College and Marlborough stations this weekend.
The City of Ottawa is exploring the idea of imposing a levy on private parking spots to help fund OC Transpo operations.
The province of Quebec has joined Ontario in its efforts to help Alberta fight the wildfire that had reached Jasper National Park Wednesday.
A stretch of Highway 417 through Ottawa is closed until 6 a.m. Monday for the replacement of the aging Preston Street overpass. CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at what you need to know about the Queensway closure for the replacement of the Preston Street bridge.
As the wildfires continue to rage in Alberta, a Montreal man who has lived in Jasper for over 20 years watches anxiously, hoping his home will be speared.
Environmental activists have caused disruptions outside Montreal Trudeau International Airport for three consecutive days protesting Canadian fossil fuel policy.
The Quebec Environment Department has confirmed that the two spills in the Pointe-aux-Trembles district involved motor oil that flowed into the river from a city storm sewer. Officials are working with the City of Montreal to figure out how the oil ended up in the sewers.
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes "for several weeks."
The man accused of killing his 17-year-old classmate, Jennifer Winkler, was found guilty of second-degree murder on Friday.
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge said Thursday afternoon most of its structures are 'standing and intact,' including its iconic main lodge.
Colin Tweedie has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in federal prison in the 2019 hit-and-run death of 10-year-old Cape Breton girl Talia Forrest.
Emergency crews in Saint John are responding to a fire burning on the roof at NB Power’s Bayside Generating Station Friday afternoon.
Videos circulating online recently appear to show two separate shark sightings in Nova Scotia waters.
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six figure water bill.
The Manitoba government has confirmed hundreds of people have been evacuated to Winnipeg due to wildfires in the province.
A longtime fixture in the Manitoba music scene who has played with legendary artists including Frank Sinatra has been awarded the province's highest honour.
Saskatchewan’s fire ban has been lifted as of noon on Friday.
A 50-year-old Regina man has been charged with sexual assault and luring of a 16-year-old
Saskatchewan’s Court of Appeal has denied a political group that opposes so-called “gender ideology” intervener status in a legal dispute over the province’s controversial pronoun law.
Federal Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre toured a Kitchener tech hub on Friday, where he spoke to CTV News Kitchener about his key campaign messages.
Scotiabank says it has fixed a technical issue that impacted direct deposits on Friday morning.
Kitchener, Ont. fencer Sabrina Fang has officially touched down in Paris for her very first Olympic Games.
Saskatchewan’s Court of Appeal has denied a political group that opposes so-called “gender ideology” intervener status in a legal dispute over the province’s controversial pronoun law.
The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) says it’s taking bear spray attacks seriously after a string of incidents, one including a 7-year-old boy, earlier this week.
Saskatchewan’s fire ban has been lifted as of noon on Friday.
A northern Ontario driver was travelling almost 40km/h over the speed limit on Highway 69 near Greater Sudbury, police say.
Scotiabank says it has fixed a technical issue that impacted direct deposits on Friday morning.
Vivian Jenna Wilson, Elon Musk's estranged daughter, publicly refuted several recent anti-trans statements her Tesla CEO and X owner father has made about her.
The victim of a serious assault that occurred on July 20 has since died in hospital, according to London police.
Art Stokman partnered with CF Masonville Place to enhance their Home of Team Canada Lounge inside the mall in London.
Earlier this year, 39-year-old Shawn Tinning pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death and leaving the scene of a collision.
A 19-year-old driver was airlifted to a trauma center after a crash left one vehicle overturned with two passengers trapped inside.
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Work crews continue to pound away at a massive multi-million-dollar road project along Highway 169 in Gravenhurst.
Chatham-Kent police say a motorcyclist was taken to hospital with serious injuries after a crash.
The flags across Lakeshore are at half-mast as the community mourns a champion.
The joy and excitement of welcoming a new baby has been marred for a Belle River mom, who says she’s “disturbed” to learn a doctor looking to profit targeted her newborn.
Wildfire officials on Vancouver Island say an out-of-control wildfire burning west of Victoria is expected to grow in the coming days before rain and cooler temperatures can help firefighters gain an upper hand on the blaze.
The BC Maritime Employers Association says it has been told by a lawyer for the foremen's union that an industry-wide strike vote will take place in coming weeks.
After four years of mask mandates, gathering restrictions, vaccinations and hospitalizations, British Columbia’s provincial health officer has ended the province's public-health emergency for COVID-19.
A Kamloops Mountie has been charged with assault and mischief in connection to an incident that occurred last summer, Crown prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Two people are dead after a serious crash that shut down Highway 1 near Sorrento, B.C. Saturday morning.
The number of wildfires in British Columbia has flared as more lightning storms bring the potential for further fire starts.
A Medicine Hat woman is facing drug trafficking charges following an investigation by Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams.
Statistics Canada has released its crime severity index scores for 2023 and for the first time in three years, Lethbridge saw its score go up.
Lethbridge has been no stranger to extreme heat over the last couple weeks.
Wawa is one of three northern Ontario communities to receive government funding to help create and advance economic development, with the township receiving almost $300,000.
A northern Ontario driver was travelling almost 40km/h over the speed limit on Highway 69 near Greater Sudbury, police say.
Two Ontario men are facing $9,750 in fines after they tried to cover up that a bull moose was shot by mistake last October.
Unclaimed bodies are piling up in Newfoundland, and a funeral director says they likely belong to people whose loved ones couldn't get enough government help to pay for a funeral.
The owner of a refinery in Newfoundland has been charged with health and safety violations for a flash explosion at the plant in 2022 that killed a worker and injured seven others.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has sent investigators to Newfoundland to determine what caused a fire aboard a fishing boat that forced the crew to abandon the vessel for a life-raft, leaving them at the mercy of the waves for two days.
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