Now or never for Arsenal – Nasri

The French midfielder admits it would be unthinkable for the Gunners to finish the season empty-handed again following their Carling Cup final nightmare.

And he is relying on Liverpool doing Arsenal a massive favour by beating United at Anfield tomorrow.

Nasri, 23, insisted: "We can feel the Premier League title at Arsenal this season. This is our time to win a trophy. It would be a huge blow to finish with nothing.

"Chelsea are not as good as they were last year and neither are Manchester United. So it feels like it is now or never for Arsenal.

"Two years ago, United were untouchable with Ronaldo and Rooney scoring every week but this year they have been unconvincing, especially away from home.

"Chelsea were very consistent last year but this season they just fell down after eight games.

"Now if we can beat Sunderland we will close the gap to just one point behind United, who must play at Liverpool on Sunday without Ferdinand and Vidic.

"United's strength this season has been their defence and, without those two, anything could happen at Anfield because Liverpool and United hate each other."

Nasri admits Sunday's shock 2-1 defeat by Birmingham in the Carling Cup final is a massive setback.

He added: "The Carling Cup was never our top target but it was still the trophy that could have given our season a kick-start. Losing to Birmingham was a massive blow because a lot of players at Arsenal have not won anything in their careers.

"We keep hearing we have quality, quality, quality at Arsenal. But we have to prove it and that means winning a trophy.

"We have to show we are not scared of winning.

"The manager didn't say a word after the Carling Cup final and that was really smart because after a result like that you can easily say something mean.

"We just have to accept that defeat and show we are men with the guts to answer in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup."

Nasri knows nothing less than three points against Sunderland today will be good enough but refuses to believe the Premier League is their last realistic chance of glory this season.

On Tuesday, Arsenal must defend a 2-1 Champions League lead against Spanish superstars Barcelona in the Nou Camp.

Then, on Saturday, they face an FA Cup quarter-final tie at Old Trafford.

But Nasri claimed: "When we played there in the league this season, United were scared of us.

"They didn't play their normal game, they played three defensive midfielders and closed the game down.

"They know we can beat them and I am still convinced we can beat Barcelona next week.

"It was really a nightmare when we played Barcelona in the Champions League last season. We didn't touch the ball and it felt like playing 16 men against 11.

"Maybe we were scared of them but we know we are a better team this time.

"Last year, we went to the Nou Camp and didn't have Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, Andrey Arshavin, Alex Song and William Gallas.

"Mikael Silvestre played his first game for three months and he was up against Lionel Messi, who scored four goals.

"This time will be different. We have all grown up and have all learned from our mistakes of the past."

Contrary to recent reports, Nasri has not agreed a new long-term contract with Arsenal and does not rule out the possibility of a move one day.

He says: "I don't make plans for my future. I learned from the past that you cannot predict what will happen.

"At the moment I'm really happy at Arsenal. But I haven't discussed a new contract yet because it's important to focus on our football targets, then we can talk in the summer.

"I have found a fantastic club with a fantastic manager at Arsenal. I've progressed as a player and I didn't think London would be such a great city.

"But I cannot say I will never play for another English club... except Tottenham!

"In France, I could never play for Paris and in England I could never play for Tottenham. I am faithful. I could never play for the rivals.

"Tottenham also have William Gallas. And that's another good reason not to go there!"

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Soccer has passed hockey in popularity with players in Canada

FIFA made a fitting decision in awarding the 2015 women’s World Cup to Canada, because for over a decade it has been the national women’s program that has carried the colours.

And in many ways, that is representative of the strength and weakness of soccer in Canada at a time when it appears to be at a tipping point.

In two weeks, the Vancouver Whitecaps open their inaugural Major League Soccer season against Toronto FC. In June, Canada’s ninth-ranked women’s team will open the 2011 World Cup against Germany at the sold-out, 74,228-seat Olympiastadion in Berlin. Next year, the Montreal Impact will join the Whitecaps and TFC in the MLS. And in 2014, as a precursor to the largest women’s sports event one year later, the under-20 women’s World Cup will be held for the second time in Canada.

Marketing executives such as Sam Galet, vice-president of corporate partnerships for International Management Group (IMG) Canada, will tell you the registration numbers for soccer in Canada make it an easy sell as a grassroots buy; as what he calls an “entrée to talk to moms and dads.”

Don’t get him started about what would happen if the national men’s team stopped being shambolic. Don’t get him going about what would happen if Canada qualified for the men’s World Cup in Brazil in 2014. If only the Canadian Soccer Association could offer sponsors what, say, Hockey Canada can offer with the world junior tournament, never mind the Olympics: a guaranteed, high-profile, nationalistic experience on the international stage.

“That,” Galet said, “would tie it all together.”

The CSA will not release its 2010 registration figures until its annual general meeting in May, and says its 2009 figures are incomplete. But according to the 2008 registration figures, there were 740,073 youth players in Canada, and 873,032 players at all levels. “It will be over one million in the next two years,” Galet said, matter-of-factly.

By comparison, Hockey Canada estimates there will be a 1-per-cent drop in registration this season from 577,077 last season, and the organization has projections showing the number could be down to under 375,000 within 10 years. This is expected to be the second consecutive season in which hockey registration in Canada falls, from its peak of 584,679 in 2008-09.

We are not far off, in other words, from a time where as many girls and women are playing soccer in Canada as there are registered hockey players – men and women.

But you know all this, right? You just assume that, as Galet says: “When new Canadians come to Canada they look for two things: their nearest place of worship – their nearest mosque or church – and their local soccer club.”

You know hockey is ungodly expensive if it is part of your culture, let alone if you didn’t grow up with it. You know soccer has a foothold – but to what end?

Galet sees parallels with the explosion of football in the province of Quebec, spurred when the CFL returned to the province and revived the Montreal Alouettes – and especially when they became hot ticket at quaint McGill Stadium.

Professional teams provide what Galet calls a “pathway to play professionally.” Soccer lost players at the age of 13 or 14 when they went to high school because that pathway didn’t exist – but thanks to the MLS teams and the academies they have pledged to operate, that is no longer the case.