COPENHAGEN – Just minutes into Wednesdays practice, an irritated Brent Sutter stopped the proceedings and called the 25 players over for a stern talking-to. The message was simple. "We needed to be better," the head coach of the Canadian junior hockey team explained. "We need to make sure we form an identity, make sure we have an element to our hockey team that we have to have and thats to be a hard-working team, thats to be a team thats going to play in a way that needs to be played. "Everyone knows that its a skilled group, everybody knows that its a group thats elite in its age group in Canada, but theres intangibles and things that we need to continue to get better at: competing, working, playing hard, winning battles, making sure were responsible defensively, making sure that, in the offensive zone, we got guys going to the net, all the things you need to do to be a successful team. "Practice didnt start off the way I liked and I just addressed it." And if the words werent enough, Sutter put his charges through more than 30 minutes of battle drills, including one called "The Gauntlet." That drill saw all the players line the side boards and then, one-by-one, each would skate down the line on the inside getting body checked every few strides. WATCH: Canadian players go through The Gauntlet: http://bit.ly/19TkOeR "Thats probably the old school coming out of me a little bit," said the 51-year-old Sutter, who is the owner, general manager and head coach of the Western Hockey Leagues Red Deer Rebels. "Its about getting the guys involved. You got to get in the trenches to win hockey games. Youre going to have to give hits and take hits, especially along the boards. The ice surface over here is obviously a little bit bigger, but the board-work and the trench-work is still a big part of the game. "Its just something to get the guys engaged. And you saw it here today, after we did a couple of those types of drills, the guys were more in sync and more in tune with their emotional level, their intensity level picked up." Sutter has employed this drill in the past, notably ahead of the 2007 Canada-Russia Super Series, which saw his team post a dominant 7-0-1 record. But most of the players on the ice in the Danish capital on Wednesday hadnt gone through "The Gauntlet" in quite some time, if at all. "That was a first for me," admitted Derrick Pouliot, a Portland Winterhawks defenceman drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins eighth overall in 2012. "Thats definitely old school. I wasnt sure what was going on and then he said to go through everybody and I was like, Ooooookay." "My dad used to do it with our teams in minor hockey," said centre Scott Laughton, a Flyers prospect, who captains the Oshawa Generals in the Ontario Hockey League. "I think some of the boys were wondering what was going on, but I knew what was up. It was pretty cool to see." "I used to do that when I was a little younger in minor hockey when I first started hitting," said London Knights forward Bo Horvat, who was picked ninth overall by the Canucks in June. "It was good to get the boys going, a little team bonding and I think the boys really enjoyed that." But "The Gauntlet" was far from the only battle drill employed by Sutter, who has a well-earned reputation for demanding discipline, including asking that players shave facial hair and cut any long hair before coming to camp. On Wednesday, he also had the team gather around the centre-ice circle and watch as two guys battled for the puck. "You definitely put more effort into it when you see the whole team there," said Laughton. "I think it brings the guys together when you battle together and you battle with each other. I think it really sends a message." "Everybodys watching," added Horvart, "and you dont want to look stupid out there or anything like that." The battle drills and Sutters speech were designed to set the template for the teams identity. Canada hasnt won a gold medal at the world junior championship in four years and last year missed the podium altogether, snapping a 14-year medal streak. Sutter, who has an unblemished record behind the world junior bench, leading Canada to titles in 2005 and 2006, was brought in to right the ship. "Canadas never won anything when they thought they could win it strictly on skill," Sutter said. "Youve got to have those other things and it doesnt matter at what level. Its stuff that we have to continue to dig in with these guys and get them to understand. And theyre a pretty receptive group, very coachable group and theyre sponges and it showed today." "Weve got to take it day-by-day," said Laughton, a top contender to be Canadas captain when the tournament opens on Boxing Day. "Thats the most important thing and just be a hard-nosed team to play against. Play Canadian hockey: good on the forecheck and good on the cycle. We got a bunch of big guys that can move pretty well so I think thats going to be the identity." "We want to be a hard team to play against," said Horvat. "We want to play hard every game, take it day-by-day, and that message definitely got across at practice." Sutter wants his team to remain humble and hungry so he wasnt thrilled to learn the oddsmakers at Bodog have installed Canada as 7/4 favourites to win the gold medal. The defending champion Americans, host Swedes and Russians, who beat Canada in the bronze medal game a year ago, were all 3/1. "Last I saw, another team won the gold medal last year and we finished fourth so people can say what they need to say on the outside, but we have a lot of work ahead of us," said Sutter. "Youre always favoured. Canada is always favoured, because its our game, you know, its Canada and thats all perception on the outside. 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Sociedad forward Carlos Vela chipped goalkeeper Jaime Jimenez after receiving an equally exquisite lobbed pass from Ruben Pardo to set him up in the 23rd minute at Anoeta Stadium.Shapes of MLS Toronto FC suffered their sixth home loss of the season on Saturday after thoroughly being outplayed by Philadelphia Union, who leave town after taking six points off Greg Vanneys side in four days. Formations Vanney stuck to a 4-4-2 shape, handing Dwayne De Rosario his first start in almost five months and the Canadian international spent most of the first half on the right wing before switching to the left in the second half. His inclusion, with Jonathan Osorio out injured, was one that made sense as Vanney attempted to surround Michael Bradley with outlets and De Rosario did a reasonable job playing narrow and demanding the ball. Bradley Orr came into a back four short on experience, pushing Nick Hagglund to right back and Mark Bloom over to left back. Collen Warner kept his place alongside Bradley but really struggled and was replaced by Kyle Bekker before half-time. Jim Curtin, as expected, kept with his intelligent 4-2-3-1 from Wednesdays win and made just one change, bringing in Vincent Nogueira, back after injury, for Brian Carroll in midfield. The Game Fridays message at training from the players and staff was clear and united. Start well and give the home fans something to be excited about. Expectations may be high but, unusually in professional sports, these come to a franchise whose fan base is haunted and anxious based on the past seven years. After eight minutes, the winds of worry and concern blew across BMO Field when Conor Casey headed home the opening goal. It was a nightmare start for Vanneys men and one that was avoidable as they failed to clear the ball out in their own end. It set the tone for an abysmal afternoon for Toronto while in possession of the ball. Many words will be written and spoken about the manner in which they conceded both goals - unchallenged headers in their own box - but you only had to look at what Philadelphia did with the ball to see the alarming concerns Toronto has when they have it. The Good On a miserable afternoon for the Reds, all the positives came from Curtins team and Torontos 4-4-2 contributed to it. It was alarming to see how a four-band system like Philadelphias can thoroughly dominate a static three-band system. Too much can often be made of systems but at such a crucial time in Torontos season, it remains one of their biggest issues. With so much invested into two big name DP strikers, the club committed to playing 4-4-2 before the season even started but it simply doesnt help any of the other players on the field and allows a deep-lying playmaker to run the game against them. Nogueira was magnificent for Philadelphia, starting transitions, finding space and giving a clinic in distribution. Vanney will have recognised these concerns very early in the game but with Bradley and Warner sitting deep and the two front men operating in advanced areas, the magician in midfield was given free reign to dictate the tempo of the match. In front of him sat Cristian Maidana, a giifted playmaker whose set pieces were outstanding and his movement caused problems for Toronto FC all game long.dddddddddddd The Bad Nogueira and Maidana highlighted all that is wrong with Toronto FC. The French midfielder constantly had an outlet to find when in possession, which can not be said about TFCs midfield talisman, Bradley. Maidana hit set pieces with a purpose and was able to bring a creative spark to an attack from a deeper area. And therein lies a massive problem with Toronto FC. Yes, their back line is missing significant pieces through injury and isnt good enough but as Vanney works on bringing an identity to a team, he does it with attacking players that dont fit a system he has to play. In the 82nd minute, Bradley picked up the ball in his own third and penetrated into the Union half. He then had to kill the attack, and momentum, because he had no outlets. The same thing happened again four minutes later. It is not easy playing up top when you get little service but Gilberto and Luke Moore were poor when balls were played to their feet. Throughout the game, they were passengers waiting for someone to get them into the game and easy to defend against. Vanney understandably wants both on the field, particularly when down early, but his team had two statues up top while the others paid the price. That means TFC are unable to insert midfield dominance where they can dictate everything you need to be successful. Current personnel on the playing staff also plays a factor. It is hard for anyone associated to think long-term with Toronto FC at the moment but whether they make the playoffs or not should not affect how they go about building this club for next season. It is essential for any sports franchise to evaluate their own talent. It is clear the team needs another centre-back in the mold of Steven Caldwell, so badly missed during this horrendous run, but GM Tim Bezbatchenko needs to look at this team and think how he can get the best out of Bradley and whoever his star DP striker will be next season. This is a league built for creative number tens, the ball treasuring space finders who can unlock defences and attract men towards him like Pedro Morales in Vancouver or Maidana for Philadelphia. This allows teams to play a 4-3-3 hybrid that would bring the best out of Bradley in midfield, who then has outlets close to him who demand the ball rather than hiding and running into an area where they can be easily marked. The American international is a gem of a player but many in Toronto dont know how good he is because of the system he is forced to play in. Star man Bradley has the capabilities of taking over a game the way Nogueira did and would have if he was playing for Philadelphia in the heart of their 4-2-3-1. Instead, it was the diminutive former Sochaux man who not only delivered a real dent into TFCs playoff plans but also gave them plenty to think about in terms of how they should be built next season. ' ' '