Canada Soccer 2016 Annual Report by Canada Soccer

TABLE OF CONTENTS THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY Message from the President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Message from the General Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Legacy of Victor Montagliani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Top Canada Soccer Moment of 2016. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3 5 6 9

NATIONAL TEAMS Men’s National Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Women’s National Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Men’s National Youth Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Women’s National Youth Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Para Soccer Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Futsal National Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Awards and Recognition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11 13 15 17 18 19 21

TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Coaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Referees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

GROWTH OF THE GAME Sport Chek National Championships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Futsal Canadian Championship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amway Canadian Championship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ombrelle Active Start Soccer Fests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

29 30 31 33

GOVERN THE GAME Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Professional Soccer in Canada. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Marketing and Communications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Sponsorship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Canada Soccer on Digital Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Financials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

“ 2

CANADA SOCCER

We have brought to life our bold vision of what Canadian soccer could be and should be.

”

THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY Five years ago, when I was first elected president of Canada Soccer, the organization was in the midst of a major shift. It was 2012, the organization’s Centennial year and a new Board of Directors had been elected. A revamped governance structure was put in place—one designed to usher in a new culture reflecting values such as purpose, transparency and accountability. Our goal, as I wrote in my first message as President, was to help the organization “evolve into the world-class football association it is destined to be.” As I look back, the thing I’m most proud of is that we have taken those words and made them a reality. We have brought to life our bold vision of what Canadian soccer could be—and should be.

Message from the President

VICTOR MONTAGLIANI Canada Soccer has evolved into an organization with a business mindset, one that recognizes the importance of corporate partnerships, while still investing in the grassroots, in our people, and continuing to push the envelope on the high performance side. I have been honoured to have been part of a team that, in the last decade, has taken an underestimated and undervalued Canadian football community and not only helped it find its voice—but made sure that voice was heard. Once, we were a federation that accommodated varied interests rather than taking risks and standing our ground. Today, we are not only recognized as a leader among sport organizations in Canada, but our influence has grown around the world. In my new role as President of CONCACAF, I am proud to ride on the shoulders of Canadian sport and be Canada’s voice on the international football stage. The highlight of my time as President was, of course, the opportunity to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™. It was a watershed moment for Canadian soccer. The record crowds that flocked to those matches were a clear demonstration of the way the culture of soccer in our country has changed. But the beauty of our game—its power to bring people together—exists not just on the national and international stage, but is demonstrated every time a group of six-year-olds set foot on a soccer pitch.

It’s been an honour to be part of the Canada Soccer family and to work with our Board of Directors, with Peter and his team, with our provincial and territorial partners, and with all of our stakeholders—sponsors, media and fans. But soccer as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The challenge for my successor will be to continue to work with our members towards better alignment across the country. As we’ve learned over the past number of years, you can’t just focus on your own little corner of the soccer world. It’s important to understand that the game is a business and if we’re to be successful, everyone needs to think globally and act locally. If there’s one piece of advice I can give to my successor, it’s to enjoy the challenge. It’s a privilege to hold this office—one that comes with a lot of hard work. Ultimately, that work is tremendously rewarding because of the great people that make up the Canada Soccer family from coast to coast to coast. The future of Canadian soccer has never been brighter. I look forward to witnessing the continued growth and professionalism of our beautiful game.

Victor Montagliani, President

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

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CANADA SOCCER

The dreaming big and thinking big ethos that Victor instilled in us will continue to guide Canada Soccer as we move forward.

â&#x20AC;?

THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY When I think about Victor Montagliani’s contributions during his five years as President of Canada Soccer, what comes to mind is a phrase that he shared often: Dream big dreams. That phrase means a lot of things to a lot of people, but if there’s one thing Victor taught all of us, it was to think big. He lived up to these words and, in doing so, challenged us to take the sport to another level. From our investments in the women’s game, to hiring the best people, to insisting on best-practice governance, to strengthening Canada’s influence on the international stage, Victor showed us what we are capable of as an organization, as a sport, and as a country. Victor has always had a clear vision for what soccer in Canada could be. He has refused to settle for the status quo. While Canada Soccer had already achieved its dream of winning the right to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ when he took office, it was Victor who urged us to dream even bigger.

Message from the General Secretary

PETER MONTOPOLI Our successful staging of the first major sporting event hosted in this country from coast to coast— which has been called the best-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup™—has made Canada a serious contender to host soccer’s marquee event: the FIFA World Cup™. It was Victor who helped set us on the road to becoming the leading soccer nation that we are. If you’re not thinking and dreaming big, you’ll never get to that level. Canada Soccer is a world leader in hosting, a world leader in the women’s game and we are striving to strengthen and align our men’s program. Thanks in large part to Victor’s efforts, we are also now a strong, credible partner within CONCACAF, FIFA and with professional leagues across North America. Victor’s final year as President in 2016 was marked by a second Olympic Bronze for the Canadian Women’s team in Rio, as well as a FIFA World Cup Qualifier™ hosted in March that drew close to 55,000 fans at BC Place, setting an attendance record for national team sport in Canada. The appointment of Jason deVos to the new post of Director of Development for Canada Soccer—and the positive response so far from our provincial and territorial partners—will help ensure young players are able to access the best coaching and training environments no matter where they live.

In other words, the “dreaming big and thinking big” ethos that Victor instilled in us will continue to guide Canada Soccer as we move forward. Looking ahead, we have set our sights on becoming number one in the world in women’s soccer. We will work towards reenergizing and repositioning our men’s program and will continue to strive to give our top players more opportunities to play at home. Dreaming and thinking big have also propelled us to set our sights on a bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™. No one has committed more to Canadian soccer than Victor Montagliani and he will continue to be an important voice for our country in his new role as President of CONCACAF. I would like to thank Victor for his countless contributions, for his professionalism, his vision, his friendship, and, most of all, for his love of the game. We wish him well as he has been an inspiration for all of us in our great sport!

Peter Montopoli, General Secretary

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY

The Legacy of

Victor Montagliani

Outgoing Canada Soccer President Victor Montagliani has lived and breathed the beautiful game for most of his life. Raised in a soccer family in East Vancouver (his father, Luciano, and brother, Mario, both played), Montagliani was just four years old when he first donned a jersey for Grandview Legion FC. He later played for the famous Vancouver Columbus FC. Along the way, Montagliani earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Simon Fraser University, along with his Canada Soccer Coaching B Licence. He became President of BC Soccer in 2005 and served as Vice-President of Canada Soccer from 2005 until 2012, the year he was elected the organization’s 33rd president. Montagliani has been Canada’s champion on the international soccer stage for years, serving on the FIFA Legal Committee, the FIFA Reform Committee and on the CONCACAF Executive Committee. In May 2016, Montagliani was elected president of CONCACAF on the strength of a platform built around four key pillars: Good Governance, Strategic Planning, a Football First infrastructure program, and Strong Leadership. As the President of CONCACAF, he also serves as FIFA Vice President.

VICTOR MONTAGLIANI ELECTED AS VICE-PRESIDENT, CANADA SOCCER

2005 6

CANADA SOCCER

CANADA SOCCER’S WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM WINS BRONZE MEDAL AT LONDON 2012

CANADA SOCCER HOSTS FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP CANADA 2015™

LAUNCH OF CANADA SOCCER 2014 – 2018 STRATEGIC PLAN: LEADING A SOCCER NATION

CANADA SOCCER HOSTS FIFA U-20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP CANADA 2014

VICTOR MONTAGLIANI ELECTED AS PRESIDENT, CANADA SOCCER

2012

2014

CANADA SOCCER’S WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM WINS BACK-TO-BACK BRONZE MEDALS AT RIO 2016

RECORD CROWD OF 54,798 AT BC PLACE FOR 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP RUSSIA™ QUALIFIERS

VICTOR MONTAGLIANI ELECTED FOR A SECOND TERM AS PRESIDENT, CANADA SOCCER

2015

VICTOR MONTAGLIANI ELECTED AS PRESIDENT, CONCACAF

CANADA SOCCER AND MLS ANNOUNCE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES WITH FOCUS ON CANADIAN CONTENT

2016 2016 ANNUAL REPORT

Melissa Tancredi leads Canada to the team’s first win against Germany

Christine Sinclair scores game winning goal during the Bronze Medal match, on her 250th appearance for Canada

Janine Beckie scored the fastest goal in Women’s Olympic Football Tournament history

Canada win’s back-to-back Olympic Bronze Medals

CANADA SOCCER

THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY

Top Canada Soccer Moment of 2016 The performance by Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games – which earned the team their second consecutive Olympic bronze medal – was voted the top Canada Soccer Moment of 2016. While the team had an excellent year overall, earning their most-ever wins in a calendar year (15) and taking the Algarve Cup for the first time, the Olympic tournament performance was a standout, earning more than 70 per cent of the votes cast by fans in the 2016 Canada Soccer Moments campaign. The Rio Olympics marked a series of firsts for Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team: not only did they become the first Canadian Olympic team to win back-to-back medals at a summer Olympic Games in more than a century, Janine Beckie’s goal at the 21-second mark during the 3 August opening match against Australia set the record for the fastest goal in tournament history. The team went on to become the first Canadian team to win the group stage at an Olympic football tournament – emerging victorious in all three matches.

+ 6 POSITIONS

FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking. As of 26 August 2016

“

Support for #CanadaRED was tremendous both before and during the Olympic Games. From the opening match on 3 August to the 2:1 bronze medal victory over host Brazil on 19 August, fans watched every game live on Canadian television and followed #CANWNT across multiple digital and social networks, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. Following their back-to-back Olympic podium performances, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team earned another first – its highest ever ranking of fourth place in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking. Their massive 93-point gain, which pushed the team up six places from tenth position, marked the first time Canada has moved into the top five. It also set a new record in the history of the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking, surpassing the 87-point gain by Cameroon in July 2015 and the 80-point gain by Equatorial Guinea in December 2008.

Now I think it’s time to push to first place. We are a country that has a depth of talent and we want this team to be the best in the world. That’s what we’re aiming for now.

”

- John Herdman, Head Coach, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

The Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Team before record crowd at BC Place during the national anthem

CANADA SOCCER

NATIONAL TEAMS

INTERNATIONAL FRENDLIES 5 FEB

3 JUN

7 JUN

6 OCT

11 OCT

11 NOV

CAN 0:1 USA StubHub Center Carson, CA, USA

Men’s National Team The scene on 25 March was one for the record books: A massive crowd of 54,798 fans—many sporting #CanadaRED gear—had packed into BC Place in Vancouver to watch Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team take on Mexico in the CONCACAF semi-finals of FIFA World Cup™ Qualifiers. It was a landmark night for soccer in Canada, one that set a national record for the largest crowd ever to attend a national team match for any sport, anywhere in Canada. While Canada’s Road to Russia ended in September, the fan support – which grew to 115,793 cumulative spectators over five home matches in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Qualifiers – was fantastic. »» Canada’s Men’s National Team finished 2016 with a combined record of three wins, one draw and six losses over 10 international matches, with 11 goals scored.

Jamar Dixon, Carl Haworth, Anthony JacksonHamel, Jayson Leutwiler, Michael Petrasso, and Steven Vitória. »» Canada scored three goals at home against El Salvador on 6 September at BC Place. »» A total of 46 players were involved in the Men’s National Team Program in 2016. »» Captain Atiba Hutchinson, Canada Soccer’s 2016 Male Player of the Year, helped Besiktas JK to its first Turkish Super Lig title in seven years and a place in the European Champions League. He was also named to the 2016 CONCACAF Male Best XI.

»» Eight players made their international “A” debut with the team: Scott Arfield, Maxime Crépeau,

CAN 1:1 AZE Stadion Rohrbach an der Lafnitz Rohrbach an der Lafnitz, AUT

CAN 2:1 UZB Thermenstadion Bad Waltersdorf Bad Waltersdorf, AUT

CAN 4:0 MTN Grand Stade de Marrakech Marrakech, MAR

CAN 0:4 MAR Grand Stade de Marrakech Marrakech, MAR

CAN 0:2 KOR Cheonan Baekseok Stadium Cheonan, KOR

25 MAR

29 MAR

2 SEP

6 SEP

CAN 0:3 MEX BC Place Vancouver, BC, CAN

CAN 0:2 MEX Estadio Azteca Ciudad Mexico, MEX

Captain Julian de Guzman played his final match for Canada as the most capped player with 89 apperances

CAN 1:2 HON Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano San Pedro Sula, HON

CAN 3:1 HON BC Place Vancouver, BC, CAN

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

CANADA SOCCER

The Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Team celebrating their back-to-back Olympic Bronze Medals

Women’s National Team

NATIONAL TEAMS Canada Soccer reached new heights in women’s international football in 2016. Not only did Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team win their second consecutive Olympic bronze medal at Rio 2016 – the only nation to return to the podium from four years before – Canada posted five wins in six matches in Brazil. These included victories over confederation champions Australia, Brazil, and Germany, which Canada beat for the first time ever. The team’s 2016 record, which featured an Association-best 15 wins, propelled Canada to fourth in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking. Also in 2016:

»» Canada’s Women’s National Team qualified for the Olympics at the 2016 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifier in Texas with a 3:1 win over Costa Rica in February. »» The team nabbed the 2016 Algarve Cup in Portugal after defeating Brazil 2:1 on 9 March. Canada went on to beat the Olympic hosts again on 7 June at TD Place in Ottawa before their Bronze Medal victory over the home team in Rio. »» Beloved team captain Christine Sinclair, now a 13-time winner of Canada Soccer’s Female Player of the Year Award, scored the winning goal in the Olympic bronze-medal match on her 250th cap. Having scored seven goals for Canada in 2016, Sinclair surpassed USA’s Mia Hamm for second all-time amongst international players.

»» Both Sinclair and Head Coach John Herdman were nominated for FIFA awards. »» The Women’s National Team and Head Coach John Herdman were honoured with the 2016 CONCACAF Outstanding Performance Award after a return to the podium in back-to-back Olympic Football Tournaments from 2012 to 2016. Kadeisha Buchanan, Ashley Lawrence, and Christine Sinclair were also named to the CONCACAF Female Best XI for 2016.

INTERNATIONAL FRENDLIES

11 FEB 14 FEB 16 FEB 19 FEB 21 FEB

CAN 5:0 GUY BBVA Compass Stadium Houston, TX, USA

CAN 6:0 TRI BBVA Compass Stadium Houston, TX, USA

CAN 10:0 GUA BBVA Compass Stadium Houston, TX, USA

CAN 3:1 CRC BBVA Compass Stadium Houston, TX, USA

CAN 0:2 USA BBVA Compass Stadium Houston, TX, USA

2 MAR 4 MAR 7 MAR 9 MAR

CAN 0:1 DEN Estádio Mun. de Albufeira Albufeira, POR

CAN 1:0 BEL Complexo Desportivo Vila Real Santo Antonio, POR

CAN 1:0 ISL Estadio Municipal de Lagos Lagos, POR

CAN 2:1 BRA Estádio Municipal da Bela Vista Lagos, POR

10 APR 4 JUN 7 JUN 20 JUN 23 JUN

CAN 2:1 NED Jan Louwers Stadion Eindhoven, NED

CAN 0:2 BRA BMO Field Toronto, ON, CAN

CAN 1:0 BRA TD Place Ottawa, ON, CAN

CAN 1:0 CHN Stade Sébastien-Charléty Paris, FRA

CAN 0:1 FRA Stade de l’Abbé-Deschamps Auxerre, FRA

3 AUG 6 AUG 9 AUG 12 AUG 16 AUG 19 AUG

CAN 2:0 AUS Arena Corinthians São Paulo, BRA

CAN 3:1 ZIM Arena Corinthians São Paulo, BRA

CAN 2:1 GER Estadio Nacional Mané Garrincha Brasilia, BRA

CAN 1:0 FRA - Quarter-final Arena Corinthians São Paulo, BRA

CAN 0:2 GER - Semi-final Estádio Mineirão Belo Horizonte, BRA

CAN 2:1 BR A - Bronze Medal match Arena Corinthians São Paulo, BRA

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

Ronaldo Marshall goal celebration at the U-15 showcase in Montréal

CANADA SOCCER

National Men’s U-20 Team were successful in Honduras

NATIONAL TEAMS

2,262

PLAYER CAMP DAYS

221

PLAYERS

114

NEW PLAYERS

MEN’S PROJECTS

Men’s National Youth Teams Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Youth Teams posted a positive record of seven wins, three draws and six losses across all youth age groups (U-18 to U-23), with a total of 27 goals scored in 16 international matches. With both the National U-20 and U-17 Teams preparing for their respective CONCACAF tournaments in 2017, the Men’s National EXCEL Program is continuing to identify exceptional young players at an earlier and earlier age – and ensure they’re channeled into the best soccer environments.

»» The National Men’s U-23 Team recorded back-toback wins against Guyana and Grenada in May.

»» A total of 211 male players (U-14 to U-23) took part in Canadian youth camps in 2016, with 114 new players introduced into the youth program including 83 at U-14/U-15 identification camps. From the 211 players, 96 competed in at least one international youth match.

»» Five former National Youth Team players made their International “A” debut with Canada’s Men’s National Team in 2016 (Maxime Crépeau, Carl Haworth, Anthony Jackson-Hamel, and Michael Petrasso), while two others got their first call ups (Tyson Farago and Callum Irving).

»» The National Men’s U-20 Team won away games in England and Honduras. »» In October, the Men’s U-18 Team posted back-toback draws in a two-match International Series against El Salvador, while the National Men’s U-17 Team won away matches in Panama and Jamaica.

INTERNATIONAL FRENDLIES 15 APR

17 APR

15 SEP

17 SEP

27 NOV

29 NOV

CANM17 1:3 USA Lockhart Stadium Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

CANM17 0:4 MEX Estadio Rommel Fernández Ciudad Panama, PAN

CANM17 2:1 PAN Estadio Maracaná de El Chorrillo Ciudad Panama, PAN

CANM17 3:0 JAM Winchester Park Kingston, Jamaica

CANM17 3:1 JAM JFF Football Center Kingston, Jamaica

24 MAR

27 MAR

1 SEP

3 SEP

12 NOV

14 NOV

CANM20 1:4 ENG Keepmoat Stadium Doncaster, ENG

CANM20 2:1 ENG Keepmoat Stadium Doncaster, ENG

CANM20 1:2 CRC Complejo Deportivo Fedefutbol-Plycem San José, CRC

7 OCT

9 OCT

CANM18 1:1 SLV Estadio Las Delicias San Salvador, SLV

CANM18 2:2 SLV Estadio Las Delicias San Salvador, SLV

CANM20 0:2 CRC Complejo Deportivo Fedefutbol-Plycem San José, CRC

15 MAY

CANM20 2:0 HON Estadio Carlos Miranda de Comayagua Comayagua, HON

CANM20 0:0 HON

18 MAY

CANM23 5:1 GUY Providence Stadium Georgetown, GUY

CANM23 3:0 GRN National Athletic Stadium St. George’s, GRN

UNITEC Tegucigalpa, HON

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

Sarah Stratigakis at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Jordan 2016

Gabrielle Carle at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Papua New Guinea 2016

INTERNATIONAL FRENDLIES 18 MAY

21 MAY

8 NOV

CANW20 0:0 MEX Centro de Alto Rendimiento de la FMF Ciudad Mexico, MEX

CANW20 0:2 MEX Cantera Pumas Ciudad Mexico, MEX

CANW20 0:2 FRA Sunshine Coast Stadium Sunshine Coast, AUS

CANADA SOCCER

13 NOV

16 NOV

20 NOV

CANW20 0:5 ESP Bava Park Port Moresby, PNG

CANW20 1:3 NGA Bava Park Port Moresby, PNG

CANW20 0:5 JPN National Football Stadium Port Moresby, PNG

2,524

PLAYER CAMP DAYS

PLAYERS

NEW PLAYERS

WOMEN’S PROJECTS

NATIONAL TEAMS 25 SEP

30 SEP

3 OCT

7 OCT

3 MAR

5 MAR

7 MAR

11 MAR

13 MAR

CANW17 1:2 ENG Al Hussein Youth City Amman, JOR

INTERNATIONAL FRENDLY

CANW17 3:2 CMR Al Hassan Intl. Stadium Irbid, JOR

CANW17 1:1 GER Amman Intl. Stadium Amman, JOR

CANW17 0:2 VEN King Abdullah II Intl. Stadium Amman, JOR

CANW17 3:0 GUA

Women’s National Youth Teams The Women’s National EXCEL Program, designed by Women’s EXCEL Program Director and Women’s National Team Head Coach John Herdman, is widening and strengthening the talent base in Canada and creating more opportunities for Canada to excel in future Olympic Games and FIFA Women’s World Cups. »» A total of 62 female players took part in Canadian youth camps in 2016, with 21 new players introduced into the youth program. »» Having finished second at the 2015 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship in Honduras, Canada participated in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Papua New Guinea 2016. After choosing to test a young starting lineup (average age: 18.8) against some tough teams, the players learned valuable lessons that will serve them well as they track towards the Women’s National Team. »» In March, the Women’s National U-17 Team won bronze at the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship in Grenada. The team qualified for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Jordan 2016, in which Canada posted one win, one draw and one loss.

Grenada Athletic Stadium St. George’s, GRN

»» Canada finished second at the 2016 CONCACAF Girls’ Under-15 Championship held in Orlando, FL, USA. Canada posted six wins in seven matches, falling 0:2 to USA in the final on 21 August. »» The Women’s National EXCEL Program has already produced eight Women’s National Team players (and Olympic bronze medalists) – Kadeisha Buchanan, Ashley Lawrence, Jessie Fleming, Rebecca Quinn, Janine Beckie, Shelina Zadorsky, Deanne Rose, and Gabrielle Carle – three of whom are still eligible for youth competition.

9 AUG

10 AUG

11 AUG

CANW17 7:0 GRN Grenada Athletic Stadium St. George’s, GRN

CANW17 1:2 HAI Grenada Athletic Stadium St. George’s, GRN

CANW17 0:5 USA Grenada Athletic Stadium St. George’s, GRN

CANW17 4:2 HAI Grenada Athletic Stadium St. George’s, GRN

13 AUG 12 JUL

14 JUL

16 JUL

CANW17 1:3 JPN Weifang Olympic Sports Center Stadium Weifang, CHN

CANW17 3:0 NZL Weifang Olympic Sports Center Stadium Weifang, CHN

CANW17 0:1 CHN Weifang Olympic Sports Center Stadium Weifang, CHN

17 AUG

19 AUG

21 AUG

CANW15 6:0 VEN ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Orlando, FL, USA

CANW15 2:0 CRC ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Orlando, FL, USA

CANW15 5:0 JAM ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Orlando, FL, USA

CANW15 6:0 SLV ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Orlando, FL, USA

CANW15 10:0 CUW ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Orlando, FL, USA

CANW15 3:1 MEX ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Orlando, FL, USA

CANW15 0:2 USA ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Orlando, FL, USA

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

NATIONAL TEAMS

Para Soccer Team Canada’s Para Soccer program marked its 12th year in 2016 with an overall record of four wins, one draw and one loss in six international matches at the IFCPF Qualification Tournament held in Vejen, Denmark over nine days in July and August. Canada finished the tournament in 7th place following a 5:0 win over Japan and in doing so qualified for the 2017 IFCPF World Championships. »» Canada’s Samuel Charron, 18, won Most Valuable Player honours at the 2016 IFCPF Tournament and was also named Canadian Para Soccer Player of the Year. »» The 2017 IFCPF World Championships in San Luis, Argentina, will feature 16 nations, including Canada.

29 JUL

30 JUL

1 AUG

CAN 10:0 DEN Vejen Idrætscenter Vejen, DEN

CAN 10:0 FIN Vejen Idrætscenter Vejen, DEN

CAN 7:0 JPN Vejen Idrætscenter Vejen, DEN

CANADA SOCCER

3 AUG

4 AUG

6 AUG

CAN 1:1 VEN Vejen Idrætscenter Vejen, DEN

CAN 1:2 NIR Vejen Idrætscenter Vejen, DEN

CAN 5:0 JPN Vejen Idrætscenter Vejen, DEN

Samuel Charron at the IFCPF Qualification Tournament

NATIONAL TEAMS

Futsal National Team Kyriakos (Kyt) Selaidopoulos was appointed Canada Soccer’s National Futsal Coach in February 2016. Selaidopoulos is a former national Futsal player, having represented Canada in CONCACAF competitions in both 2012 and 2013-14. »» After eliminating USA in a pre-tournament, twomatch play-in series, Canada participated in the 2016 CONCACAF Futsal Championship in Costa Rica in May. »» Canada posted three wins, one draw and two losses in international competition. The National Futsal Team scored 25 goals and conceded 21 goals against in the six matches. At the end of their run, Canada was just one point short of a place at the FIFA Futsal World Cup Colombia 2016. INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY

1 MAY

CAN 3:0 HON Palacio de los Deportes Heredia, CRC

CONCACAF FUTSAL QUALIFIER

4 MAY

5 MAY

Ian Bennett at the CONCACAF Futsal Championship in Costa Rica

CAN 4:4 USA BN Arena San Jose, CRC

CAN 5:3 USA BN Arena San Jose, CRC

17 AUG

19 AUG

21 AUG

CAN 2:3 CRC BN Arena San Jose, CRC

CAN 7:4 CUW BN Arena San Jose, CRC

CAN 4:7 CUB BN Arena San Jose, CRC

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

Kevan Pipe honoured with Canada Soccer Life Membership from General Secretary Peter Montopoli

20 CANADA SOCCER

NATIONAL TEAMS

Awards and Recognition

2016 CANADIAN PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

AUBREY SANFORD MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD

This award celebrates Canada’s top two soccer players in recognition of their achievements with both the National Team and their respective club teams, as voted by Canadian media and coaches. This marks the 13th time in 17 years that Sinclair has won the Player of the Year award. Hutchinson is the first Men’s National Team player to win the award five times, having previously won the title in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2015.

This award recognizes the outstanding service in the growth and development of soccer in Canada of an individual who has at least 20 years of continuous service, and has spent a minimum of 12 years at the national level. Mr. Sharpe, a former President of Canada Soccer, was unable to attend the 2015 awards banquet and was instead celebrated in 2016.

CANADIAN U-20 PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

SUZANNE MORISSET

ATIBA HUTCHINSON & CHRISTINE SINCLAIR

BALLOU TABLA & JESSIE FLEMING

CANADIAN U-17 PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

ALPHONSO DAVIES & DEANNE ROSE

CANADIAN PARA SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR

SAMUEL CHARRON

ANDY SHARPE

RAY MORGAN MEMORIAL AWARD This award is presented to the referee who has shown the greatest progress at the national and international levels.

INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

CAROL ANNE CHÉNARD

This is awarded in recognition of outstanding work as an active referee.

2016 AWARDS OF MERIT

LESLIE BLYTH PERCY HOFF JEANNETTE KUC HUW MORRIS

This award is given to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the sport of soccer in Canada in the areas of promotion, growth and development for a period of at least 10 years.

CANADA SOCCER PRESIDENT’S AWARD

PERCY HOFF KEVIN HOLNESS

The President’s Award is given in recognition and appreciation of outstanding and unique efforts for an extended period of time, resulting in the positive and constructive development of the world’s greatest game at the national level across Canada.

CANADA SOCCER LIFE MEMBERSHIP

KEVAN PIPE

Lifetime memberships in the Canadian Soccer Association are given to individuals as recognition for their outstanding service, commitment and overall contribution to Canadian Soccer.

Atiba Hutchinson and Christine Sinclair are the 2016 Canadian Players of the Year

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

22 CANADA SOCCER

TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP CANADA SOCCER’S EXPANDED DEVELOPMENT TEAM Two new positions were created within the Technical Department in 2016. Former Men’s National Team captain Jason deVos was hired into the newly created role of Director of Development, responsible for the overall management, direction and development of coaching and grassroots development programs across Canada. Dave Nutt, a former Men’s National Youth Team Manager with Canada Soccer and Director of Soccer Operations with the Saskatchewan Soccer Association, was named Manager of Development – Operations. Together, these positions represent a significant investment in technical leadership and support the vision of positioning Canada as a leading soccer nation. They will allow enhanced collaboration with Provincial and Territorial member associations around coach education, club development, long-term player development, and high performance league initiatives.

Development LONG TERM PLAYER DEVELOPMENT IMPLEMENTATION SURVEY In late 2016, a survey was commissioned to assess the degree to which the Canada Soccer Long Term Player Development (LTPD) Model is being implemented across the country. More than 8,000 members of the soccer community responded to the survey, the results of which will help guide future LTPD activities.

FIFA 11+ AND MOVEMENT PREP Work continued on the implementation of the FIFA 11+ and Movement Prep programs. In 2016, this included the creation of resources in both official languages as well as the development of a Memorandum of Understanding and Policies and Procedures for program delivery. The first phase of instructor training for both programs was delivered in Alberta and Ontario with additional calls and webinars taking place with Canada Soccer’s provincial and territorial partners, culminating in pilots of Movement Prep in Nova Scotia and Québec.

REVISED PLAYER AND COACH EDUCATION PATHWAY A revised Player and Coach Education Pathway was developed in late 2016. The new Canada Soccer Player Pathway is designed to capture all of the existing environments in the Canadian soccer system in a format that is clear and easily understood. The Coach Education Pathway was revised to include new Child and Youth licences that are in development and will better align with the Player Pathway.

CANADA SOCCER CLUB LICENCE (CHARTER) PROGRAM Initial work was done to develop a framework for the Canada Soccer Club Licence (Charter) Program. The Club Licence will be a national initiative developed around graduated criteria, culminating in Canadian Approved Youth Club recognition, which carries with it the opportunity to qualify as an MLS Homegrown Players. The Club Licence will be an inclusive program that provides the opportunity for every Club in Canada to participate but also encourages the adoption of best practices to enhance operations in the areas of governance, administration, infrastructure and technical leadership at the Club level.

Former Men’s National Team Captain Jason deVos was hired into the newly created role of Director of Development 2016 ANNUAL REPORT

24 CANADA SOCCER

TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP

35,695 % % 79 21 7,592 28,103

CERTIFIED COACHES IN CANADA

WOMEN

MEN

Coaching Canada Soccer continued to demonstrate its commitment to technical leadership in 2016 by investing in coach education so that all players can be supported in their development with well-trained, knowledgeable coaches and educators.

C LICENCE Implementation continued on the new C License, focusing primarily on further training of Learning Facilitators within the provinces and territories. This training took place in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Québec, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition, feedback was received from provinces actively conducting workshops to review and improve the content of the C Licence course in both languages.

B LICENCE PART 1 In 2016, content was developed for the new B Licence Part 1 and the workshop was piloted in Nova Scotia and Québec.

B LICENCE PART 2 (NATIONAL) In 2016, four B License Part 2 (National) workshops were conducted between May and September. In total, 87 coaches participated and an additional 6 coaches audited the workshops to maintain their certification. Of the participating coaches, 43 passed the evaluation for a pass rate of 49.4%.

A LICENCE Part 2 of the A Licence workshop was delivered in 2016 in partnership with the Montréal Impact at their Academy Winter Facility and included Montréal Impact Academy players in the practical evaluations. The course involved 24 participants, including First Team, Reserve and Academy coaches from three of Canada’s professional Clubs, the Men’s National U-17 Team Coach, as well as Regional EXCEL Program and Provincial/ Regional coaches. Guest instruction was provided by members of the Women’s National Team and Technical Department staff.

COACH EVALUATOR TRAINING Work is underway to develop training for Coach Evaluators for the new licensing workshops. In 2016, this included workshop content development and translation and the delivery of a pilot Coach Evaluator Workshop in Alberta.

NEW COURSE DEVELOPMENT AND ALIGNMENT WITH NCCP Work has been ongoing with the Coaches Association of Canada (CAC) to align Canada Soccer coach workshops with the National Coach Certification Program (NCCP). In addition, the framework for new workshop development has been reviewed and revised and resource material is being accumulated for the new Child and Youth Licences.

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

Carol Anne Chénard officiating the Gold Medal match at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Joe Fletcher officiated the MLS Cup Final between Toronto FC and Seattle Sounders FC

20,877 % % 76 24 5,063 15,814

OFFICIALS IN CANADA

WOMEN

26 CANADA SOCCER

MEN

TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP Fifteen Canadian officials were named to the 2016 FIFA International List. All seven Canadian referees – Marie-Soleil Beaudoin, Mathieu Bourdeau, Carol Anne Chénard, Sheena Dickson, Drew Fischer, David Gantar, and Michelle Pye – were retained from the 2015 FIFA List. Of the eight assistant referees, seven were retained from the 2015 FIFA List, while Richard Gamache received his first appointment. Referee Pierre Acouri and assistant referees Sean Hornsby and Philippe Bettez-Quessy were new appointees to Canada Soccer’s National List in 2016.

INTERNATIONAL APPOINTMENT HIGHLIGHTS: »» Canadian referee Carol Anne Chénard and assistant referees Marie-Josée Charbonneau and Suzanne Morisset officiated at the women’s football tournament during the Rio 2016 Olympic games. They were appointed to the gold medal match between Germany and Sweden. »» Chénard and Charbonneau, along with Michelle Pye, were also appointed to the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in the United States from 10-21 February. »» Marie-Soleil Beaudoin and Suzanne Morisset were appointed to the CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship in Grenada from 3-13 March. They officiated the gold medal match between Mexico and USA. »» Beaudoin was also appointed to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Jordan 2016 from 30 September to 21 October, where she refereed the semi-final match between Spain and Japan. »» Joe Fletcher was appointed to the CONMEBOL COPA AMERICA CENTENARIO in the United States from 3-26 June and also officiated the MLS Cup Final between Toronto FC and the Seattle Sounders at BMO Field in Toronto.

Referees »» Chantal Boudreau was appointed to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2016 in Papua New Guinea from 13 November – 3 December, and was an assistant referee for the quarter-final game between Germany and France. »» Canadian officials were also appointed to various matches in the CONCACAF Champions League and 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Qualifiers. They also officiated in 46 USL matches (including one playoff game) and 32 NASL matches. »» In 2016, 13 Canadian officials and two evaluators were working with PRO (MLS).

NATIONAL LIST OFFICIALS PRE-SEASON CAMP Canada Soccer held a three-day pre-season camp for 2016 National List officials in Toronto from 19-21 February. The camp included on-pitch and in-class sessions and featured 38 officials from the National List representing seven provinces, as well as national referee instructors and members of the Canada Soccer Referees Committee. In 2016, there were 16 male and five female referees on the National List, as well as 17 male and four female assistant referees.

PROVINCIAL/TERRITORIAL REFEREE DIRECTORS MEETING A workshop for referee coordinators and managers and a meeting of the Provincial and Territorial bodies was held in Toronto on 11 November. All 10 provinces and one territory were represented. Participants discussed a range of topics that will assist in in the creation of consistent programs for referee recruitment and development across Canada.

PROVINCIAL PROMOTION COURSE Sixteen officials from seven provinces attended a Provincial Promotion Course held from 27-29 May in Montréal, marking the eighth time the centralized course was run.

FIFA FUTURO III COURSE Three technical instructors and three fitness instructors (from BC, ON, QC, NS) attended the 2016 FIFA Futuro III Course in Montego Bay, Jamaica from 27 September to 1 October.

NATIONAL INSTRUCTORS CLINIC Canada Soccer hosted a clinic for current and future national referee instructors in Toronto from 9-10 December in preparation for changes upcoming in 2017. The 24 participants from nine provinces were brought up to speed on comprehensive changes to the Laws of the Game, the latest FIFA teaching material on general referee skills, and revamped entry-level course materials.

SPORT CHEK NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Approximately 130 referees from coast to coast were involved in the National Club Championships held in Lethbridge, AB, Vaughan, ON, St. John’s, NL, and Moncton, NB. Referees benefited from preand in-tournament education sessions as well as assessment and mentoring during games.

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

28 CANADA SOCCER

U-18 Cup Boys and U-18 Cup Girls Champions at the Sport Chek National Championships in Vaughan, Ontario

GROWTH OF THE GAME The 2016 Canada Soccer Sport Chek National Championships, which give the best amateur club teams the opportunity to showcase their talents – took place from 5-10 October. The event featured 82 teams in eight competitions and welcomed more than 2,500 players, staff and officials from across the country. In 2016, Canada Soccer introduced an enhanced professional approach to the Sport Chek National Championships, appointing staff from its Events and Marketing and Communications Departments to help coordinate the events and provide support to the Local Organizing Committees (LOCs), with each staff member eventually taking on a Match Commissioner role. Canada Soccer also implemented a successful national merchandising program for all hosting venues, with each LOC receiving 25% of the revenues. All four hosting venues had streaming capabilities, with all participating teams enjoying at least one game livestreamed during the tournament. The U-16 and U-18 Cups were streamed live at CanadaSoccer.com and the U-14 Cup and Challenge Trophy and Jubilee Trophy finals were streamed by the local Bell Aliant Network.

Sport Chek National ChampionshipS CHALLENGE TROPHY (ST. JOHN’S, NL)

U-14 CUP (MONCTON, NB)

»» Alberta’s Edmonton Scottish SC defeated Royal Sélect Beauport of Québec to win the title, while Ontario’s Ottawa Gloucester Celtic captured the bronze. The men’s adult tournament featured 12 teams in four groups.

»» The Brampton East Blades of Ontario defeated BC’s Fraser Valley to capture the U-14 Cup boy’s title. Manitoba’s Bonivital SC defeated Alberta’s St. Albert Impact to win the bronze.

JUBILEE TROPHY (ST. JOHN’S, NL) »» Québec’s Royal Sélect Beauport defeated BC’s Richmond FC to win the gold. The bronze medal was awarded to Ontario’s Scarborough GS United. This women’s adult tournament featured 10 teams in two groups.

»» Alberta’s Calgary Foothills SC took the girls’ title with a win over BC’s Surrey United, while Ontario’s Waterloo United captured the bronze.

U-18 CUP (VAUGHAN, ON) »» The Québec boys team CS Repentigny defeated the Alberta Calgary Foothills FC to win gold. Ontario’s Woodbridge Strikers defeated Bonivital SC of Manitoba to take bronze. »» The girls’ competitions saw Alberta’s Edmonton Internazionale defeat Ontario’s Kitchener Spirit for gold, with Nova Scotia’s Halifax County United winning the bronze.

U-16 CUP (LETHBRIDGE, AB) »» After the last day of game play for the U-16 Cup was canceled due to inclement weather, the gold medal game in the boys’ competition was played in Saskatoon, SK on 22 October. Alberta’s Edmonton Juventus defeated Manitoba’s Bonivital SC to take the title. »» The rescheduled gold medal match in the girls’ competition took place in Kingston, ON on 29 October, with Québec’s Lakeshore SC defeating Ontario’s Woodbridge Strikers for gold.

(RIGHT) Royal Sélect Beauport celebrating their Jubilee Trophy win 2016 ANNUAL REPORT

GROWTH OF THE GAME

Futsal Canadian Championship

Ontario’s Toronto United Futsal defeated Sparte FC from Montréal, QC 8-6 to win the 2016 Canadian Futsal Championship, held on 9-10 April at Durham College in Oshawa, ON. The exciting two-leg final was livestreamed at CanadaSoccer.com. Hosted this year by the Ontario Soccer Association, the 2016 edition of the Canadian Futsal Championship provided showcase and development opportunities for referees, coaches, men, women and youth alike. Over the same weekend, the Brampton Blast defeated the Ottawa Storm 7-4 to take the 2016 U-16 Boys Ontario Futsal Cup, while a strong women’s squad assembled from Québec’s top futsal players defeated Futsal Club Toronto’s women 3-1 in an exhibition match also livestreamed at CanadaSoccer.com. The event also featured a futsal-specific coaching clinic run by Kyt Selaidopoulos, Head Coach of Canada’s National Futsal Team, as well as a referee clinic.

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

9 APR

10 APR

30 CANADA SOCCER

Toronto United Futsal 4:3 Sparte FC Durham College Oshawa, ON

Sparte FC 3:4 Toronto United Futsal Durham College Oshawa, ON

Edson Jimenez and Maxime Leconte at the Futsal Canadian Championship

GROWTH OF THE GAME

Amway Canadian Championship Will Johnson scored a dramatic last-minute winner on 29 June as Toronto FC won the 2016 Amway Canadian Championship, their first Canadian title in four years. Vancouver Whitecaps FC were moments away from celebrating their second consecutive title before Johnson scored the tie-breaker from a 2-2 two-leg final series. Toronto FC are now five-time Canadian champions, having also won the Voyageurs Cup in four successive seasons from 2009 to 2012. Over the course of this year’s five-team, eightmatch competition, the ninth edition of the 2016 Amway Canadian Championship set a new record with a total of 114,360 spectators. Attendance for the final leg at BC Place was 19,376. The television audience increased by more than 90% over the previous year as the competition debuted on TSN & RDS. The 29 June final was broadcast live on TSN1 and RDS generating 151,000+ viewers, the top television audience of the 2016 competition.

Toronto FC’s Will Johnson the stunned the Toronto FC’sstunned Will Johnson Whitecaps withWhitecaps his last-minute goal to with his last-minute goal to win the Canadian winChampionship the Canadian Championship

The Amway Canadian Championship is Canada Soccer’s professional competition featuring clubs from Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal.

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

21 JUN

TOR 1:0 VAN BMO Field Toronto, ON

29 JUN

VAN 2:1 TOR BC Place Vancouver, BC

PRELIMINARY ROUND

SEMI-FINAL

1 JUN

8 JUN

OTT 2:0 VAN TD Place Ottawa, ON

VAN 3:0 OTT BC Place Vancouver, BC

1 JUN

8 JUN

TOR 4:2 MTL BMO Field Toronto, ON

TOR 0:0 MTL Stade Saputo Montréal, QC

11 MAY

18 MAY

EDM 0:3 OTT Clarke Field Edmondon, AB

OTT 0:2 EDM TD Place Ottawa, ON

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

32 CANADA SOCCER

GROWTH OF THE GAME

Ombrelle Active Start Soccer FestS As Canada’s largest national grassroots soccer program, Ombrelle Active Start Soccer Fests have supported community soccer activity for more than 20 years through the delivery of financial, promotional and technical resources to clubs from coast to coast to coast. Since its inception, the program has distributed over one million dollars directly to community clubs across the country.

9 19

17 49

7 12

In addition to the financial and technical support provided to all festival hosts, the program’s corporate partners – including Mott’s Fruitsations, Allstate and Teck – enhance the festival events through giveaways, appearances by Canadian National Team athletes, and the implementation of unique technical programming at select festivals. The 20th anniversary edition of the Ombrelle Active Star Soccer Fests in 2016 featured: »» 143 events hosted in all 10 provinces and the Yukon »» 105,572 participating players under the age of 12 »» More than 250,000 total attendees including players, their families and officials

YT1 AB19

SK4 QC17 PE7

BC15 MB6 NB4

ON49 NS12

NUMBER OF FESTIVALS PER PROVINCE

NL9

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

Demographics

GOVERN THE GAME

YK 1,360

YM. . . . . YF . . . . . SM. . . . . SF . . . . .

0.17% OF PLAYERS IN CANADA

715. . . 52.6% 332. . . 24.4% 212. . . 15.6% 101. . . . 7.4%

NT 1,194

0.15% OF PLAYERS IN CANADA

CANADA YOUTH

(18 & under)

YM. . . . . YF . . . . . SM. . . . . SF . . . . .

359. . . 30.1% 406. . . 34.0% 281. . . 23.5% 148. . . 12.4%

NU 253

YM. . . . . 119. . . 47.0% YF . . . . . 134. . . 53.0% 0.03% OF PLAYERS IN CANADA

BC 121,828

14.88% OF PLAYERS IN CANADA YM. . 62,426. . . 51.2% YF . . 37,994. . . 31.2% SM. . 13,227. . . 10.9% SF . . . . 8,181. . . . 6,7%

AB 95,181

11.62% OF PLAYERS IN CANADA YM. . 43,062. . . 45.2% YF . . 27,006. . . 28.4% SM. . 15,074. . . 15.8% SF . . 10,039. . . 10.6%

34 CANADA SOCCER

409,721 Youth Male

261,767

CANADA SENIOR

CANADA PLAYERS

91,668

501,389

(19 & over)

Senior Male

(Total)

Total Male

Youth Female

Senior Female

55,784

317,551

671,488

147,452

818,940

Total Youth

39 % YF

61% YM

SK 23,659

Total Senior

38 % 62 % SF SM

Total Female

Total Players

38.8 % 61.2 % M F

MB 14,161

2.89% OF PLAYERS IN CANADA

1.73% OF PLAYERS IN CANADA

YM. . 10,956. . . 46.3% YF . . . 7,249. . . 30.6% SM. . . 3,392. . . 14.4% SF . . . 2,062. . . . 8.7%

YM. . . 5,750. . . 40.6% YF . . . 4,714. . . 33.3% SM. . . . 2,123. . . 15.0% SF . . . 1,574. . . 11.1%

Registered players in Canada for 2016

818,940 YOUTH MALE

YOUTH FEMALE

SENIOR MALE

SENIOR FEMALE

NL 11,339

QC 179,928

1.38% OF PLAYERS IN CANADA

21.97% OF PLAYERS IN CANADA YM. . 99,298. . . 55.2% YF . . 56,278. . . 31.3% SM. . 14,705. . . . 8.2% SF . . . 9,647. . . . 5.3%

YM. . . 5,732. . . 50.5% YF . . . . 4,159. . . 36.7% SM. . . . . 869. . . . 7.7% SF . . . . . 579. . . . 5.1%

PE 5,155

ON 326,959

0.63% OF PLAYERS IN CANADA

NB 15,057

39.92% OF PLAYERS IN CANADA YM. 160,738. . . 49.2% YF . 106,586. . . 32.6% SM. . 38,449. . . 11.7% SF . . . 21,186. . . . 6.5%

YM. . . 2,337. . . 45.3% YF . . . 2,335. . . 45.3% SM. . . . . 267. . . . 5.2% SF . . . . . 216. . . . 4.2%

NS 22,866

1.84% OF PLAYERS IN CANADA YM. . . 7,646. . . 50.8% YF . . . 5,656. . . 37.5% SM. . . . 1,185. . . . 7.9% SF . . . . . 570. . . . 3.8%

2.79% OF PLAYERS IN CANADA YM. . 10,583. . . 46.3% YF . . . 8,918. . . 39.0% SM. . . 1,884. . . . 8.2% SF . . . 1,481. . . . 6.5% 2016 ANNUAL REPORT

A record crowd of 61,004 fans came to Olympic Stadium to cheer the Impact MontrĂŠal FC for the first leg of the MLS Eastern Conference Final against Toronto FC

Toronto FC won their first MLS Eastern Conference title and hosted the MLS Cup Final against Seattle Sounders FC

36 CANADA SOCCER

GOVERN THE GAME Canadian player Tosaint Ricketts participated in the 2016 MLS Cup

Professional Soccer in Canada On 30 November, Canada Soccer and Major League Soccer announced a series of initiatives to advance youth development efforts, including a joint MLS-Canada Soccer taskforce to further youth development in Canada and the expansion of the Generation adidas program north of the border. As part of this effort, MLS, Canada Soccer and U.S. Soccer agreed to modify the criteria that determine a player’s international status on both U.S. and Canadian MLS club rosters beginning in 2017. Specifically, any player who meets the requirements to qualify as a Homegrown Player as a member of an MLS club academy or has met similar requirements as a member of a Canadian Approved Youth Club will count as a domestic player rather than occupying one of a limited number of international spots on each roster. The joint taskforce, consisting of representatives from Canada Soccer, the MLS League Office and Canadian-based MLS Clubs Impact Montréal FC, Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, will work to formulate and implement future initiatives to advance youth development in the areas of academy environment, coaching, competition, and individualized player development.

In addition, the new Generation adidas Canada will see MLS work closely with Canada Soccer to identify top domestic talent in Canada and sign these players to Generation adidas contracts. Signed Generation adidas Canada players will be made available to all MLS clubs each January via the MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas.

ALSO IN 2016: »» The 2016 MLS Eastern Conference final featured two Canadian teams (Toronto FC and Impact Montréal FC). The match at Olympic Stadium drew a record crowd of 61,004 fans, and marked the second year in a row that a soccer match has drawn the highest one-day attendance for an instadia competition in Canada. »» Toronto FC competed in and hosted the MLS Cup, a first for a Canadian club since Canada joined MLS in 2007.

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

Canadian Goalkeeper and MVP Sabrina Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Angelo celebrating the NWSL Championship with her Western New York Flash teammates

38 CANADA SOCCER

GOVERN THE GAME

National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) For the first time in the four-year history of the National Women’s Soccer League, Canadian players faced off against each other in the 2016 NWSL Championship Final, held at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, TX on 9 October. Diana Matheson, Shelina Zadorsky and Stephanie Labbé wore the blue-and-red of the Washington Spirit, while Sabrina D’Angelo suited up as keeper for the Western New York Flash. The Championship match went to penalties for the first time in league history. D’Angelo made three saves to hand the Flash a 3-2 win, earning match MVP honours. Overall, 11 Canadian players were allocated to six different teams for the 2016 season of the NWSL, a ten-team Division-I women’s professional soccer league featuring national team players from around the world.

CLUB-BY-CLUB CANADIAN ALLOCATIONS:

Janine Beckie playing for the Houston Dash

Houston Dash Janine Beckie* Allysha Chapman FC Kansas City Desiree Scott* Orlando Pride Josée Bélanger* Kaylyn Kyle Portland Thorns FC Christine Sinclair

Washington Spirit Stephanie Labbé* Diana Matheson Shelina Zadorsky* Western New York Flash Sabrina D’Angelo* Adriana Leon *Newly Allocated Player in 2016

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

54,798 fans cheer on Canada against Mexico at BC Place on 25 March for the 2018 FIFA World Cupâ&#x201E;¢ Russia Qualifiers

40 CANADA SOCCER

GOVERN THE GAME

Marketing and Communications

NATIONAL TEAM MATCHES

AMWAY CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

SPORT CHEK NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

»» The Canada v Mexico 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Qualifiers played on 25 March 2016 at BC Place in Vancouver drew 54,798 fans and set a new record for the largest in-stadia attendance for a Canadian national team event, of any sport, ever held in Canada.

»» The 2016 Amway Canadian Championship set an all-time attendance record with over 114,000 fans attending the eight matches, which culminated in Toronto FC winning their first Canadian title in four years.

»» 2016 saw a significant expansion in Canada Soccer’s live broadcasts of the Sport Chek National Championships, with over 100 matches streamed live from four competitions, drawing more than 160,000 unique viewers.

»» 2016 Canadian Championship TV broadcast viewership grew by 90 per cent over the previous year as the competition aired for the first time on TSN & RDS.

»» Canada Soccer also introduced a centralized national merchandise program that resulted in nearly $20,000 in commissions distributed back to the Local Organizing Committees.

»» The WNT ‘Road to Rio’ two-match series against Brazil attracted 52,192 fans across the 4 June match in Toronto at BMO Field and 7 June match in Ottawa at TD Place.

»» A new National Championships mobile app received over 70,000 page views as a result of more than 1,600 downloads during the competition.

»» Canada Soccer’s four home national team matches generated a total attendance of 127,716, an average of 31,929 per match. »» The eight Canada Soccer-controlled Canadian National Team broadcasts on TSN, RDS, and CBC averaged 117,022 viewers per match.

2016 TOTAL ATTENDANCE

127,716 25 MARCH

ROAD TO RIO

6 SEPT.

MNT v MEX

MNT v SLV

54,798

20,726

4 JUNE

7 JUNE

WNT v BRA

28,604

WNT v BRA

23,588

ALL-TIME ATTENDANCE RECORD BROADCAST VIEWERSHIP

114,000 FANS

90%

INCREASE

LIVE STREAMED MATCHES

UNIQUE VIEWERS

100 160,000

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

GOVERN THE GAME

Sponsorship

»» Canada Soccer welcomed Allstate Canada as its newest primary level partner in 2016. Allstate successfully leveraged each of the Canada Soccer properties included in its portfolio to connect and engage with the Canadian soccer community while driving business for its national network of agents. Over the first nine months of its Canada Soccer partnership, Allstate and 75 of its agents were involved with hosting and participating in 49 major soccer events across 34 Canadian cities, directly reaching over 300,000 unique members of the Canadian soccer community.

Junior Hoilett helped Canada Soccer launch the bold new Umbro #CanadaRED home kit.

»» Mondelez Canada introduced its “Pass The Love” Keep-up Challenge grassroots campaign which generated over $100,000 for community soccer clubs across the country. Featuring Women’s National Team midfielder Desiree Scott as its lead spokesperson, the campaign called on Canadians to demonstrate their juggling abilities to earn investment for their soccer team or club. The campaign generated hundreds of thousands of impressions for Mondelez and its brands while directing financial resources to grassroots soccer in Canada. »» Teck Resources expanded its support of grassroots soccer through the Teck Community Soccer Initiative and Local Team sponsorship program. The Teck Community Soccer Initiative provided significant financial grants to four community soccer clubs in regions where Teck has active operations. »» In collaboration with its corporate partners, Canada Soccer’s Local Club Sponsorship program provided valuable resources to more 175 teams across Canada in 2016. As part of its ongoing commitment to encouraging the development of grassroots sports, Mott’s Local Club Sponsorship program supported community soccer clubs in Québec, while Teck’s Local Club Sponsorship funding was focused on clubs based in British Columbia and Alberta, regions where they have ongoing operations and a large community presence.

42 CANADA SOCCER

BISCUITS

S CRACKER

GOVERN THE GAME

Canada Soccer on digital media 157,957

101,623

FOLLOWERS (ENGLISH)

TWITTER

3,534

FOLLOWERS (FRENCH)

FOLLOWERS

25K

FACEBOOK

NEW FOLLOWERS

512

FOLLOWERS (PRESIDENT)

REACHED

150K 76M FOLLOWERS

50.5M

ORGANIC IMPRESSIONS

526,474 CANOPY LABS

30,364

PROFILES

666

FLICKR

FOLLOWERS

Canada Soccer digital communications continued to mature in 2016. Three projects designed to prepare for digital redevelopment work in 2017 saw the launch of new platforms and exponential growth was achieved once again on social media. After launching on Instagram in 2015, 2016 saw 10x growth over the year as users flocked to the platform for behind-the-scenes content of the Men’s and Women’s National and Youth Teams. A second digital platform for never-before-seen content from both programs launched in 2016 as Canada Soccer embraced Snapchat. Canada Soccer Facebook reached a milestone mark, topping 100,000 page likes in 2016. The Women’s National Team saw multiple Olympic posts go viral including the widely shared Olympic Opening Ceremonies remote broadcast from São Paulo. Digital CRM, analytics suite and e-mail marketing solutions launched in 2016 will provide the framework for robust e-commerce, ticket promotion, and #CanadaRED subscriber offerings.

FOLLOWERS

INSTAGRAM

176% FOLLOWER INCREASE

157K

99,697

MAIL CHIMP SUBSCRIBERS

10,457

YOUTUBE

SUBSCRIBERS

WWW

PAGE VIEWS IN 2016