ISM Issue 98

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Informing and Entertaining the Canadian Soccer Community Since 1992

Robyn Gayle (left) and Carmelina Moscato after winning the Bronze Medal.

Christine Sinclair’s efforts were monumental throughout the medal pursuit.

THE

E D I U G 2 2TO01 R

O O D N I R SOCCE

E: U S S I S I H T IN ENT:

EN MOM ZE D L O G ’S A D A N CA BRON E H T G N I N N I W TSAL 2012 FIFA RFEUVIEW WORLD CUP P CER OLYMPIC SFOECRENT IS DIF

Carmelina Moscato and Diana Matheson.

Christine Sinclair and Karina LeBlanc show off their Bronze Medal’s after the medal presentation.

ISSUE #98 OCT/NOV 2012

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IN THIS ISSUE...

8 OH... CANADA! OUR WOMEN ROCK THE NATION!

BY MIKE TOTH 12 THE SOUP TASTES GREAT!

BY KRIS FERNANDES 14 IS CANADA TOO POLITE TO PLAY “THE GAME”?

BY STEVEN SANDOR

SPECIAL FEATURE:

17 2012 GUIDE TO

INDOOR SOCCER

32 CANADA’S GOLDEN MOMENT: WINNING THE BRONZE 38 2012 FIFA FUTSAL WORLD CUP PREVIEW

BY KRIS FERNANDES 40 TORONTO FC AT THE KIA TRAINING GROUND

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN 42 OLYMPIC SOCCER IS DIFFERENT

BY BOB KOEP 44 LADNER STORM – BMO TEAM OF THE WEEK 2012 CHAMPIONS!

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN

46 THE REF’S NOT DEAF! ...OR BLIND! ...OR BIASED!

BY LES JONES – COVERSHOTS INC. 48 THE NASL REALIGNMENT... HOW DOES IT AFFECT FC EDMONTON?

BY STEVEN SANDOR 50 SOCCER WITH HEART

BY RICHARD BUCCIARELLI 52 INAUGURAL FESTIVAL OF FOOTBALL KICKS OFF!

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN 53 CANADIAN SOCCER LEAGUE: AN UPDATE ON WHERE IT FITS IN THE CANADIAN PRO SOCCER LANDSCAPE

BY STEVEN SANDOR 56 NSDC: A LEGACY PROJECT IN THE MAKING

BY MARTIN MACMAHON 58 THE MAKING OF THE IMPACT IN THE MLS

BY NICK SABETTI 60 CDS ATHLETE RECEIVES MULTIPLE DIVISION 1 OFFERS

BY KIM SILCOX 62 AFTER THE OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDAL

BY TOKUNBO OJO 63 INSIDESOCCER MARKETPLACE

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5 February/March 2012

OH...

CANADA! More than anything else, Canada’s Olympic bronze medallist women have proven beyond a shade of a doubt that they’re a truly resilient collection of gifted footballers.

BY MIKE TOTH

OUR WOMEN ROCK THE NATION!

Photographs Courtesy of Les Jones – Covershots Inc.

“John Herdman has made us believe that we can beat any team in the world.”

Christine Sinclair

Robyn Gayle (left) and Carmelina Moscato after winning the Bronze Medal .

8 October/November 2012

Barely a year before the kickoff to the London Olympics, they went into the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany high on expectations, ranked a lofty sixth among all nations for the first time in history, and even considered title contenders. They

didn’t even get out of their qualifying group and finished dead last in the field of 32 – a huge disappointment collectively and individually for coach Carolina Morace and her crestfallen players.

Morace, considered one of women soccer’s all-time great players and a coach with outstanding credentials, departed from the Canadian scene quickly, quietly and clearly disappointed following the World Cup disaster. The ensuing global search by the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) unearthed British-born John Herdman, who had done an admirable job while coaching in New Zealand. In less than a year in his new job, Herman has shown that he was (and is) indeed the right man for the task at hand, achieving admirable and instant results with the Canadian Women’s Team.

“John has taken us to an entirely different level,” says defender Robyn Gayle who, possibly more than anyone else on the team, had grown into her own as a solid, reliable backliner under Herdman’s guidance.

Central defender Carmelina Moscato echoes her teammate’s sentiments. “John Herdman had prepared us for everything,” Moscato says. ”We went into the Olympics with a plan – and not just Plan A. We also 5 February/March 2012

had Plan B and Plan C that made it easy for us to meet expectations. We felt we were in control of our destiny.”

That destiny led to the podium, making them the first Summer Olympic medal winners for Canada in a traditional team event in 76 lo-o-o-ong and frustrating years. The last time Canada managed to win a medal in team sports was at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, runners-up to the United States in men’s basketball.

“For our girls, the world will never be the same,” says noted Canadian soccer historian Colin Jose.. “Soccer in Canada will never be the same. In two games they have done what we have all been trying to do for 50 years.

“John Herdman has made us believe

that we can beat any team in the world,” scoring ace and team captain Christine Sinclair told reporters when she arrived back home in Vancouver. “With this medal, the expectations are going to be on us.

Canada is hosting the next Women’s World Cup (in 2015). I can’t wait.”

In his straight-to-the-point comment Coach Herdman also had his say: “The bar has been raised. We finished third in the world.”

Newly minted CSA President Victor Montagliani also joined in the applause.

“This third place finish in a major international competition is the best-ever result recorded in the Women’s National Team program’s history,” he said noting the importance of support of sponsors, the Government of Canada, Own the Podium initiative and the Canadian Olympic Committee. “We (the CSA) also want to thank the millions of Canadians who have embraced this team and given them unprecedented support to reach the podium. We are extremely proud of the incredible strength, character and courage that has captured the country’s imagination and inspired the nation.”

Just to what extent the nation’s imagination had been captured coastto-coast-to-coast is reflected by the InsideSOCCER 9

Carmelina Moscato phones home after receiving the Bronze medal

television ratings, including those released

by Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium that showed the Canada-U.S. semi-final thriller was the second mostwatched Olympic event ever in Canada.

The broadcast reached an average of 3.84 million viewers, trailing only the Canadian Men’s gold medal game at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

It also goes down in history as the most dramatic and controversial game of the 2012 Summer Olympics. Three times Canada went ahead on a magnificent hat-trick by Sinclair and each time the Americans responded with goals, the third following a pair of controversial decisions

by Norwegian referee Christina Pedersen.

The Canadians were livid with Petersen, who whistled goalkeeper Erin McLeod for time-wasting and awarded an indirect free kick just inside the penalty area during the dying seconds. Making matters worse, Petersen also awarded a penalty kick seconds later when the ball hit a Canadian defender on the arm, enabling the U.S. to square the score.

Alex Morgan’s 123rd-minute goal ended Canada’s gold medal hopes, sending the Americans on their way to an eventual gold medal.

“We feel like we didn’t lose,” a frustrated Erin McLeod and the Women’s National Team came home to a warm welcome from fans across the country 10 October/November 2012

and disappointed Sinclair was quoted as saying. ”We feel like it was taken from us.”

Instead of crying in their suds, the Canadian wonder women came back with another solid effort in the bronze medal game, defeating France 1-0 on Diana Matheson’s dramatic goal. Matheson labeled the bronze medal performance “a catalyst” for Canadian soccer’s future – both for men and women. “It’s fantastic.

We wanted to leave some sort of legacy coming out of the Olympics,” she said. ”I think this is even bigger than we had anticipated.”

Little did Matheson and her teammates dream of the enthusiastic receptions awaiting them when they arrived home to

Christine Sinclair & Sophie Schmidt

various airports in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Quebec City, Montreal and Toronto. At the Lester B. Pearson Airport in Mississauga, the crowd was one the largest ever.

Just how large? Well, it took Moscato almost 30 minutes to finally fall into her Mom’s arms.

Matheson, who hails from neighbouring Oakville, was wildly cheered and mobbed, and so were Mississauga natives Moscato and Gayle, both products of the Dixie minor soccer system (together with striker Jonelle Filigno who had flown direct to New Jersey, where she is attending university). Hundreds of young players from the Dixie club were on hand to cheer

Desiree Scott saves the day for Canada against France with her now famous clearance off the line

their special heroes.

“This welcome was simply overwhelming for us in every possible way,” commented Moscato. “I mean we never really have been afforded this kind of reception. “(It is) gratifying to see a new generation of players being inspired by our performance, by what we have achieved, looking up at us.”

Gayle’s comments echoed Moscato’s: “It was beyond anything we could have expected. It definitely was the highlight of my whole Olympic experience.”

The three players were still in the arrival lounge two hours later, signing autographs and having their photos snapped, posing with wide-eyed young

admirers and total strangers.

Both Gayle and Moscato emphasize that London’s Olympic success didn’t just suddenly materialize out of thin air. “We, as a team, are very rare, having come together from different places,” says Gayle.

“The core of this team has been together for at least ten years, if not more.”

Says Moscato: “We very much wanted to come out with a medal; but, honestly, first and foremost we wanted to inspire a [new] generation and leave the game better than it was when we came in 10 years ago.”

Moscato and Gayle both say that despite the 2011 World Cup fiasco, former coach Morace deserves some credit for

the success. “I thought she was the perfect middle person for us,” Moscato says.

“Carolina had changed our game for the better and gave us new confidence. (Going into the Olympics) all the components were there. John Herdman built on it and made it better. Herdman’s approach is different (from Morace’s), he is an educator, motivator and positive thinker.”

Gayle points out that over the past decade Canada had three coaches at the national women team’s level: first kick‘n’run long-ball specialist Even Pellerud, followed for a short spell by Morace, and Herdman the latest. “Each contributed in their respective fashion,” she explains. “Carolina helped us as soccer players… John has taken us to an entirely different level.”

That “entirely different level” will be of utmost importance when Canada hosts the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup with the core of the Olympic team remaining committed and anxious to stay onboard.

The three years Herdman has at his disposal also present a great chance to take a good look at the up-and-coming talent pool – inspired by a great group of highly resilient, somewhat older and battle-tested women footballers.

Canadian Women’s National Team Head Coach John Herdman 7 February/March 2012

InsideSOCCER 11

TO 2014 ROAD BRAZIL THE

SOUPGREAT! TASTES

BY KRIS FERNANDES

Photograph by Kathleen George

Who would have thought that a soup metaphor would work? But that’s just what seems to be happening as a result of Coach Stephen Hart’s catchy comment designed to get more Canadian fans to come out and support the national team.

It all started just over a year ago, during a media conference call held after Canada defeated Puerto Rico in a World Cup Qualifying match in San Juan.

“It’s almost like (saying) taste the soup,” he said, when questioned about support for the men’s national team. “Come out and see what it’s about and push the team along. If it’s truly something you want to see, your team getting to a World Cup, you could be a big part of that. And you could also have bragging rights to say I was there from the very beginning.”

The rest has been history, as “Taste the Soup” has become a rallying cry of sorts in support of Canadian soccer. Since Hart’s off-the-cuff comment, Canadian fans have gradually tried the flavour, with attendance at each of the following five home games at BMO Field cracking at least the 10,000 mark.

In a tune-up for qualifiers, 15,247 showed 12 October/November 2012

up when Canada played their Centenary match against the U.S. back in June. Nine days later, the Honduras game generated a robust 16,132.

The victory against Panama last month was witnessed by just over 17,500 raucous supporters, who were overwhelmingly behind Canada. One of the fans getting his first bowl of soup at that match wasn’t even a Canadian.

While waiting for the bus to get down to the stadium, I spotted a wide-eyed Spanish guy sticking out like a sore thumb in his Honduras jersey, looking around in bewilderment at all the red-and-white supporters around him. I introduced myself, and he politely smiled and replied in an almost comical tone: “Hello, my name is Hector. I love football.”

It turns out Hector had just moved from Central America a month earlier to work in construction. He was feeling good that day

because Honduras had soundly defeated Cuba hours earlier in the other group match. But he regretted not being able to watch the match live and had not attended a soccer game since his arrival. I spontaneously invited him to join us for the Canada game, as well as a pregame party that was happening a few blocks from the stadium. He enthusiastically accepted.

It was at a large lounge off of Lakeshore Boulevard, where hundreds of energetic Canadians, many of whom had travelled from as far as Vancouver, were whetting their appetites for the match. Venue management had demanded that organizers ensure a large contingent to make it a profitable event, and they weren’t disappointed. In fact, they were overwhelmed with the huge turnout that at times left them barely able to keep up with the strong demand for suds.

After fans constantly chirped him for sporting his Honduras jersey – but always in our notoriously respectful Canadian way – young Hector wisely invested $10 in a bright red Voyageurs t-shirt that allowed him to blend in a lot easier. The sense of pride on his face was evident as he slapped his chest in an expression of support for his new home.

Created and hosted by The Voyageurs (the organization of Canadian soccer aficionados that debates the beautiful game on the group’s web forum) hit a golazo with this event. Led by the tireless volunteer efforts of 42-year-old Vancouver native Jamie MacLeod, these pregame festivities have become the Canadian soccer equivalent of football’s tailgating. Affordable pints of frosty beers to wash down soulful street grub, fuel the random high-fives, fist-bumps, and boisterous banter shared among supporters.

And it isn’t just for men either. Close to half of these supporters are women of varying ages. Some participate as already established supporters of the game, others accompany

boyfriends, and still others simply buy tickets for a girl’s night out. But all come out to have a good time.

These events came about when MacLeod, along with other progressive minded and hard-willed Canadian soccer fans, like Dino Rossi, owner of semi-pro club Milltown FC, became frustrated by lacklustre attendances for Canadian team matches and decided to do something about it. And they have succeeded in putting many new bums in seats through multiple avenues, including promotions on the Voyageurs website, heavy social media blitzes, a logical and mutually beneficial partnership with the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), and strongly pushing supporter groups of Canada’s MLS clubs to bring a few friends out to a game. .

MacLeod and Rossi alone have sold thousands of tickets to national team matches during the last two years. As a result, they have helped build a fan base that previously ignored the Canadian squad, whilst cheering for foreign powerhouses such as Brazil, Italy, or Holland. Indeed, the efforts of dedicated volunteers like MacLeod and Rossi are bearing tremendous fruit for the national program.

With tickets in the supporter’s section going at a very reasonable $20 a pop, the entire south end of BMO Field for the Panama match was sold out days before kick-off, a huge achievement in consolidating Canadian support far from the scattered bunches that dominated various stadia in years past.

The array of banners adorning the edges of the railings, along with ferocious whipping of flags and scarves by Canadian supporters, was a sight to behold from the bird’s-eye

view up in the press box. Rarely, if ever, has the coordination between the red-andwhite faithful been as loud and consistent throughout a game.

There are concerns at home matches that opposition fans will flock in droves across the border to support their country and drown out the usually tame Canadian crowd. That was definitely not the case at BMO Field that evening. In fact, one would be hard-pressed to imagine that even 500 of the 17,000 were supporting Panama. The noise was dictated

by Canadians and by all accounts was one of the best match day experiences ever had at a national team game.

The recipe for the evening was simply brilliant and really could not have been better: perfect late-summer weather conditions, with a refreshing breeze blowing off of Lake Ontario; the women’s national team being honoured before kickoff for their bronze medal performance at the London Olympics; Dwayne De Rosario becoming the men’s all-time leading goal-scorer; and, of course, winning the match. All were monumental in keeping the vibrant atmosphere going strong throughout all 90 minutes.

When the big screen displayed Scarborough-born De Rosario’s feat of 20 career goals for Canada, the crowd erupted with thunderous applause. It was one of the loudest and proudest moments in Canadian soccer history and allowed new fans to identify with a local hero.

Support for the men’s national team has come an agonizingly long way from the days of World Cup Qualifying games at Varsity and Commonwealth Stadium, where

crowds were patchy, relatively reserved in enthusiasm, and largely ineffective in providing a home advantage.

Inevitably, home games will once again be played at venues spread across the country instead of just in Toronto. One can only imagine what the possible racket that 20,000+ under a noise-preserving roof at BC Place could do for atmosphere, while generating another batch of Canadian fans.

But for now, BMO Field will continue to host the next -- and, we hope, not last -- qualifying match. If the last one proved anything, it is that the next should be just as good, if not bigger and better.

The Panama pregame hype, and the victorious match experience itself, led the newly converted to ask when they could get another bowl of the proverbial soup? That will be October 12th, when Canada hosts Cuba in the second last match of this stage. It is a must win for the team, if it hopes to have any chance of advancing to the final qualifying round.

I lost Hector on the march to the stadium and wondered what his thoughts were on his first taste of Canadian soccer. He responded a few days after and expressed his sincere gratitude to the Canadians who showed him a great time. Though bound by blood – he’ll always be a Honduras supporter first and foremost – his last comment showed that he enjoyed his taste of Canadian soup: “I had a great time,” he said. “Please let me know when I can come again to watch Canada play.”

If a guy from Central America, who has lived here for just a few weeks, can enjoy the soup, so can you.

Dwayne De Rosario became the men’s all-time leading goal-scorer as he notched his 20th career goal against Panama.

5 February/March 2012

InsideSOCCER 13

TO 2014 ROAD BRAZIL IS CANADA TOO POLITE TO PLAY “THE GAME”?

BY STEVEN SANDOR Photographs Courtesy of the Canadian Soccer Association.

The Canadian team bus weaved its way through the streets of Panama City, on its way to deliver its passengers to a training session at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez.

A car stopped in front of the bus and parked, blocking the way. The bus driver had to take the big vehicle out of a tight spot. The coach traveled forward, then was blocked by another vehicle. Then another.

And it became clear that these were no accidents; Panamanian soccer fans coordinated their efforts to make it as difficult as possible for the Canadian team to get from its hotel to its training session at the stadium.

“We are trying to remain calm and have a laugh about it,” said Canadian coach Stephen Hart.

Hart likely wasn’t laughing after the Sept.

11 match in Panama, which saw the hosts dominate the Canadians for 90 minutes and earn what was a fairly comfortable 2-0 win. Just days after Canada beat the Panamanians 1-0 at BMO Field — a win which temporarily gave our national side top spot in Group C— the game in Panama 14 October/November 2012

City was a sobering reality check.

Now Canada will go into the October qualifiers without all-time leading scorer Dwayne De Rosario, who suffered a Grade III

sprain of his medial collateral ligament after colliding with Panamanian Felipe Baloy in the 2-0 loss. And, despite only having scored two goals through its previous four qualifiers, it needs to rout Cuba in Toronto and likely get at least a point out a road date in Honduras.

And surely, when the Canadians go back to Central America, they can expect the same or worse than they got in Panama. For two nights before the game, Panamanian fans partied outside the Canadian team’s hotel, banging drums, singing and shooting off fireworks. The goal? To prevent the Canadians from getting restful sleep. And, how did the fans know where to go? Well, the Panamanian Football Federation told the fans to come down via its Twitter feed. It was a coordinated effort to make the trip as inhospitable as possible.

It worked. Canada did not look assured.

It did not keep possession. Strikers stabbed at the ball when it came to them. No one held the ball up. Rolando Blackburn scored on a header when no Canadian

Simeon Jackson, Julian de Guzman, Patrice Bernier and the rest of the CanMNT enter the lions den at Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City.

Luis Henriquez vs.

Simeon Jackson defender attacked a corner kick. And Alberto Quintero, the magical Panamanian winger, put Canadian fullback David Edgar in his pocket, dancing around him before squaring the ball to Blas Perez for Panama’s second goal.

It was a lethargic display. And, despite Hart’s claims that the team could laugh it off, like so many other CONCACAF road trips that came before, Canada looked like it had been intimidated and outfoxed by the notso-gracious hosts.

And this is a major, major issue with the Canadian Soccer Association, Hart and even our supporters. We are the only country in CONCACAF that plays nice.

In Canada’s first Group C match, the Cubans not only hosted the game on a field that would be regarded as unplayable in most Canadian beer leagues, but scheduled kickoff on a Friday afternoon, when the heat

was at its height.

When Canadian striker Tosaint Ricketts came home to Edmonton over the summer, he told me he was yanking massive weeds out of the pitch right before kick off. When I asked him how long the weeds were, he pointed to his knee.

“Came up to here,” he said.

Whether Canada qualifies for the Hex, or if we have to rethink our strategy for Russia 2018, it’s time for the CSA to start taking lessons from the other CONCACAF nations.

They never play nice. They go out of their way to make the venues as uncomfortable as possible for the visitors.

Even the United States Soccer Federation plays the game. In its most recent home qualifier, against Jamaica, the game was hosted at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. There aren’t many direct flights from Columbus to the European cities where the Americans play. But they didn’t care. They understood, while New York, Los Angeles and Chicago had bigger, better facilities, Columbus offered the Jamaicans a tougher trip — and less chance of road support being in the stands.

The Americans will play their next home World Cup qualifier in... Kansas City. While Stephen Hart, although surprised, wasn’t fazed by the antics in Panama.

7 February/March 2012

New York or Los Angeles would offer better chances to promote the team and get more media headlines, the road teams would likely be more comfortable in those centres, too. World Cup qualification is about getting points, not promoting the team.

This is not meant to disparage the wonderful fans in Toronto who have come to BMO Field and, quite frankly, erased the memories of embarrassing home games from two decades ago held at Varsity Stadium. But we have to think outside the Toronto box.

The Canadian Soccer Association gave Hart the right to decide where qualifiers should be played. And he made the call that it was important to make his players as comfortable as possible, and schedule all of the Group C home matches in Toronto.

They’d get direct flights, a great practice pitch, comforts.

Yet, there’s the counterpoint: It’s the easiest, most comfortable city for the opponents, too. The Americans have figured it out: You schedule games based on what makes your opponents miserable, not what makes you comfortable. It’s the great equalizer for the gamesmanship we see in

“We are trying to remain calm and have a laugh about it,” said Canadian coach Stephen Hart.

Central America.

But in Canada, we are such gracious hosts. Canada already allowed two home points to slip away in a draw to Honduras.

And, it took some quick thinking of a free kick for Canada to get the winner against Panama, because it wasn’t coming out of open play.

Before he became president of the CSA, Victor Montagliani made his feelings known about how Canada should look at hosting WC qualifiers — to make the visitors as uncomfortable as possible.

“In the past, we haven’t done it that way,” he said. “But, if we need the three points, we’ll play in the Yukon.”

The irony is that he made that statement when he was in Edmonton on a Women’s InsideSOCCER 15

Dwayne De Rosario goes down early after colliding with Panamanian Felipe Baloy.

De Rosario suffered a Grade III sprain of his medial collateral ligament.

World Cup site inspection, and at the same time announced Hart would get to make the choices on where we’d play our games.

And, Hart chose to go the easy way.

You can argue that BMO Field is the only major stadium with grass. But who said the stadium needs to be major? If the visitors would have to suffer a long trip to Moncton

or Winnipeg or St. John’s or, heck, the Yukon, as long as the field is up to snuff it should be good enough for us. We aren’t the kind of people who would stalk an opposing team at the hotel. But we should use geography and weather to our advantage.

We are Canadians. That means it’s in our blood that as soon as the temperature goes a degree above freezing, we’re OK going out in shorts and short sleeves. We don’t even break out our winter jackets until it hits -15 C. That’s something that’s bred into us. We are OK with travelling long distances; to us a three-hour drive between Edmonton and Calgary is a short commute.

Our players will be fine with an added trip to a qualifier. They are born this way. But the opposition wouldn’t.

We will never make the Panamanians or the Hondurans or the Cubans change their ways. The fact is, in CONCACAF, nice guys might not finish last, but they certainly don’t get to the World Cup.

NORTH, CENTRAL AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN STANDINGS GROUP A Team Guatemala USA Jamaica Antigua and Barbados

MP 4 4 4 4

W 2 2 2 0

D 1 1 1 1

L 1 1 1 3

GF 6 6 4 2

GA 4 4 3 7

Pts 7 7 7 1

GROUP B Team Mexico El Salvador Costa Rica Guyana

MP 4 4 4 4

W 4 1 1 0

D 0 2 1 1

L 0 1 3 4

GF 8 8 6 5

GA 2 8 5 12

Pts 12 5 4 1

GROUP C Team Panama Honduras Canada Cuba

MP 4 4 4 4

W 3 2 2 0

D 0 1 1 0

L 1 1 1 4

GF 5 4 2 0

GA 1 2 2 6

Pts 9 7 7 0

16 October/November 2012

2012 GUIDE TO INDOOR SOCCER Name of Facility: Aurora Sports Dome Address: 115 Industrial Parkway N. City: Aurora Province: Ontario Postal Code: L4G 4C4 Contact/Operation Manager: Chrystal Good Phone: 905-727-2552 Fax: 905-727-2592 Email: info@auroradome.com Website: www.auroradome.com Hours of Operation: 8am – 1am Number of Fields: 3 Rental Fees: $180.00 per hour plus tax for prime time. $125.00 per hour plus tax for non-prime hours (Non-prime hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, and 11pm to 1am).

Type of Turf: In fill Leagues: • Men’s • Ladies • Co-Ed • Children Tournaments: • These are run by the local soccer club Clinics/Special Events: • After school clinics run by the dome History: • Started in 2005 by the Redvers family, in co-operation with the town of Aurora and the Aurora Youth Soccer Club • Multi sports camp run in the summer months Additional Information/Other Sports: • We have hosted Girl Guides, Jujitsu competitions, rugby tournaments, police training and pre-season football training

2012 GUIDE TO INDOOR SOCCER

3 February/March 2012

Name of Facility: Bell Sports Complex Address: 8000 Boulevard Leduc City: Brossard Province: Quebec Postal Code: J4Y 0E9 Contact/Operation Manager: Nick Sisti Phone: 450-926-2887 # 225 Fax: 450-926-2885 Email: nsisti@bellsportscomplex Website: www.bellsportscomplex.com Hours of Operation: 7a.m to midnight / 7 days per week Number of Fields: 1 full 11 vs 11 field or 3 7 vs 7 fields Rental fees: $170/$510 per hour Type of Turf: Fieldturf (FIFA 2 star) Leagues: • Adult Soccer leagues (male and female) • Adult flag football league • Ultimate Frizbee league Tournaments: 4th Annual International Senior Women’s Soccer Tournament. For more information visit www. just4kickstournament.com or call Cathy at 514-889-7627 History: • The new Bell Sports Complex, which opened to the public since November 15, 2008, is the most modern facility of its kind • It boasts two ice rinks, one of which hosts the Montreal Canadiens hockey team, 11 vs. 11 soccer fields or 3 x 7 vs.

7 soccer fields & 12 dressing rooms.

• A fully serviced restaurant and bar a sports boutique, two clinics and a complete fitness center complete the services in our facility.

Additional Information/Other Sports: • Corporate events, trade shows and team building seminars are other services that the center provides

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Name of Facility: BMO Centre Address: 295 Rectory Street City: London Province: Ontario Postal Code: N5Z 0A3 Contact/Operation Manager: Tom Partalas Phone: 226-289-2838 Fax: 519-850-3662 Email: info@bmocentrelondon.com Website: www.bmocentrelondon.com Hours of Operation: Day/Evening Number of Fields: 4 - with access open into international regulation field Type of Turf: State of the art artificial turf Leagues: • Men’s – Premier, Division 1, 2 & 3, Masters • Women’s – Premier, Division 1, 2 & 3, REC 101, Masters • Alumni Co-ed (ADULT) • Youth – Co-ed, rec, competitive Tournaments: • Scrooge Christimas Tournament (Youth) • March Madness (Youth Tournament) • Family Day Tournament (Adult) Clinics/Special Events: • Skills and Drills History: • Established in 2004, the London Optimist Sports Centre (LOSC) is an incorporated not-fot-profit organization which currently owns and operates the BMO Centre. We are a community minded facility providing a safe and affordable place for all to enjoy sports.

Additional Information/Other Sports: • Facility is open to other sports • Includes a 450+ metre exercise track • Large meeting room 288 • Small Meeting Room 60 • Catering • Change Rooms-Showers-racks • Full service concession • Free ample parking • Monitored by CCTV with controlled access as needed

Name of Facility: Bradford Sports Dome Address: 2971 Sideroad 10 City: Bradford Province: Ontario Postal Code: L3Z 2A4 Contact/Operation Manager: Bronna Gerry

18 October/November 2012

Phone: 905-778-9154 Email: Bronna@bradfordsportsdome.com Website: www.bradfordsportsdome.com Hours of Operation: Mon – Fri: 4pm – 12am, Sat – Sun: 8am – 11pm Number of Fields: 1 Full, 3 Mini Rental Fees: Vary Type of Turf: Infill Turf – Field Turf Leagues: • Youth • Adult History: • Seasonal indoor sports facility • Grand Opening – January 2010 Additional Information/Other Sports: • 200’ x 300’ Infill Artificial Turf Accommodates Most Field Sports • 2000 sq ft Clubhouse with Snack Service • 2 Change rooms

Name of Facility: Calgary North East Sports Facility Address: 401 – 33 Street NE City: Calgary Province: Alberta Postal Code: T2A 7R3 Contact/Operation Manager: Perry Logan Phone: (403) 248-0500 or (403) 279-8445 Email: booking@subwaysoccercentre.com Website: www.subwaysoccercentre.com Hours of Operation: Field rentals can run from 8am to 12am.

Number of Fields: 3 indoor turf fields and one hard court Rental Fees: October 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013 Non-Prime Time (before 5pm weekdays): Fields E1 and E2: $77.91/hour (includes GST) Field E3: $91.27/hour (includes GST) Hard court/Gym floor: $64.55/hour (includes GST) Prime Time (5pm and on weekdays and all day weekends): Fields E1 and E2: $122.43/hour (includes GST) Field E3: $144.69/hour (includes GST) Hard court/Gym floor: $100.17/hour (includes GST) Rental rates and updates can be found at http://www.subwaysoccercentre.com/book.html Type of Turf: Indoor Artificial Turf Leagues: • The Calgary North East Sports Facility is home to a variety of leagues and groups, including Fusion Soccer, International Eastside Soccer Club, Calgary Sport and Social Club and Strive Athletics.

Clinics/Special Events: • Birthday parties • Team Wind-ups

• Corporate team building • Corporate parties Additional Information/Other Sports: • The Calgary North East Sports Facility’s fields are rented through the Subway Soccer Centre.

Name of Facility: Centrefield Sports Indoor Sports Complex Address: 25 Midpark Crescent City: London Province: Ontario Postal Code: N6N 1A9 Contact/Operation Manager: Adam Stern, Owner, or Tracy Regan, GM Phone: (519) 691-1200 Email: info@centrefieldsports.com Website: www.centrefieldsports.com Hours of Operation: Winter Hours - Monday – Friday 2pm – 11pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am – 10pm Number of Fields: Our field can be used as a full field (150’x 120’) for large groups/half field (75’ x 120’) for games and practcies / or quarter field (75’ x 60’) for drills training.

Rental Fees: (Special summer and off peak prices available) • ¼ field - $55/hr + HST • ½ field - $99/hr + HST • Full field - $199/hr + HST Type of Turf: Professional INFILL turf.

Leagues: Many leagues are run and held at Centrefield Sports including soccer, baseball, football, dodgeball, and slo pitch.

Clinics/Special Events: We have regular clinics that run throughout the year. Visit our website for details on the most current clinics available.

History: Established in 2007, Centrefield Sports is one of the largest indoor sports facilities in Canada. Our owner Adam Stern has played professional baseball with Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers. In 2010 he decided to expand his training facility substantially by moving into a 35,000 sq ft indoor multi-sport training complex.

Additional Information/Other Sports: • Soccer, Baseball, Softball, Slo-pitch and Football • 20,000 sq ft professionally turfed field • 9 full batting cages with pitching machines • Cardio Conditioning area • Professional sized soccer nets • Members lounge • Pro shop • 1,500 sq ft Strength and Condition - Weight Room

Name of Facility: COM DEV indoor Soccer Park Address: 745 Fountain St N City: Cambridge Province: Ontario Postal Code: N3H 4R7 Contact/Operation Manager: Derek Bridgman Phone: 519-653-8800 Fax: 519-653-7892 Email: clubhouse@cysoccer.ca, rental@cysoccer.ca Website: www.cambridgesoccer.ca Hours of Operation: 9am – 1am 7 days/week Number of Fields: 3 Rental Fees: Primetime: Monday - Friday 6pm to 1am, Saturday 7am – 1am, and Sunday 7am – 12am • Full Field - $180/hr plus HST • 2/3 Field - $125/hr plus HST • 1/3 Field - $75/hr plus HST Non Prime Time: • Full Field - $100/hr plus HST • 2/3 Field - $70/hr plus HST • 1/3 Field - $45/hr plus HST Type of Turf: Nexxfield Leagues: Afilliated with SWRSL Men’s and Women’s Leagues, Tiny Tots, U4/U5/U6 Micro, U8/U10 Mini Soccer, U12/U14/U18 House League History: • Built in December 2007, this 38,000 square foot facility boasts 3 fields of 68 feet by 115 feet and a smaller practice area of 55 feet by 122 feet • The full-field size of 115ft by 210 feet easily accommodates 9 v 9 adult games Additional Information/Other Sports: • The Com Dev Indoor Soccer Park caters to soccer, football, rugby, ultimate Frisbee, baseball, lacrosse and more

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Name of Facility: Innes Field- Crescent School Address: 2365 Bayview Avenue City: Toronto Province: Ontario Postal Code: M2L 1A2 Contact/Operation Manager: Laura Paisley Email: lpaisley@crescentschool.org Website: www.crescentschool.org Hours of Operation: Mon-Fri: 6:30pm – 11PM, Sat/Sun: 8am – 11pm Number of Fields: 1 Rental Fees: $155/hr Type of Turf: Artificial

Name of Facility: Cyclone Dome Address: 13415 Dufferin Street City: King City Province: Ontario Postal Code: L7B 1K5 Contact/Operation Manager: Bassam Naim Phone: 905-313-8661 Fax: 905-313-1666 Email: dome@cds.on.ca Website: www.cds.on.ca Number of Fields: 1 ( 60M X 40M) Rental Fees: $300 per hour Type of Turf: Polytan from Germany Additional Information/Other Sports: • The Dome is the Home of the ANB academy and it is open for outside rentals.

20 October/November 2012

Name of Facilty: Dôme Louis Riel Address: 1659 Bearbrook Rd City: Ottawa Province: Ontario Postal Code: K1B 4N3 Contact/Operation Manager: Sophie Lecot Hearn Phone: 613-830-1993 Fax: 613-830-6093 Email: dome @cepeo.on.ca Website: www.DomeLR.cepeo.on.ca Hours of Operation: 7am –Midnight Number of Fields: 3 Rental Fees: 60$-170$/hr Type of Turf: Artificial Grass Leagues: • Youth • Adult • Old Timers • (7V7, 11V11 and 9V9) Tournaments (Christmas/ March Break): • Visit website for details:www.domelr.cepeo.on.ca Clinics/Special Events: • Visit website for details: www.domelr.cepeo.on.ca History: • In 2003, the Eastern Ontario French Public School Board (Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario) innovated with the decision to construct of a super dome at the Louis Riel French Public High School • The Dôme@Louis-Riel can accommodate all track and field sports, and is able to meet the pressing needs of other sports like soccer, football, ultimate Frisbee and many more…

• In addition, the facility holds offices, a multi-purpose room, a sports medicine and physiotherapy clinic,a weight room and 4 changing rooms to accommodate all its users including wheelchair users • Construction began in fall 2004. The sports field welcomed its first users in April 2005 and the 400m Mondo track was completed in September 2005 Additional Information/other sports: • Track & field, football, ultimate frisbee, baseball, rugby, softball, volleyball, summer camps are also offered in the summer as well as mini Olympic corporate events

7 February/March 2012

Name of Facility: Extreme Kicks Sports Centre Address: 10481 Yonge Street City: Richmond Hill Province: Ontario Postal Code: L4C 3C6 Contact/Operation Manager: Spiros or Daniel Phone: 905-737-7222 Fax: 905-737-7220 Email: info@extremekicks.ca Website: www.extremekicks.ca Hours of Operation: Mon-Fri: 8am – 1am, Sat/Sun: 7am – 1am Number of Fields: 5 + 1 Rental Fees: $129/hr and $99/hr plus HST We offer discounted rates for long term bookings with multiples hours per week.

Contact us for more details.

Type of Turf: XGRASS (no fill) Leagues: • Men and Women Open • Men and Women Over 35 • Adult Co-Ed • Youth Training Clinics Tournaments: • Christmas – December 27, 28, 29 • March Break – March 13, 14, 15 Adult and Youth Clinics/Special Events: • Birthday Parties • Madskills Inc. Training Clinic and Shows • PA day events History: • The warehouse on site has been converted to 6 high quality turf fields with no infill, and upper level private function room for birthday parties, corporate meetings, team meetings and other use Additional Information/Other Sports: • 5 fields at 40’ x 120’, 1 field at 30’ x 80’ • Available for cricket, lacrosse, football, baseball and other sports.

• 2 turf volleyball courts available.

Name of Facilty: Hershey Centre Address: 5500 Rose Cherry Place City: Mississauga Province: Ontario Postal Code: L4Z 4B6 Contact/Operation Manager: Craig Codlin Phone: (905) 502-9100 Fax: (905) 615-3299 Email: craig.codlin@mississauga.ca Website: www.hersheycentre.com 22 October/November 2012

Number of Fields: 1 Full size FIFA field Rental Fees: Contact for more information Type of Turf: FIFA Turf Field Clinics/Special Events: • Book your clinic/special event today History: • Opened in October 1998 after only 9 months of construction, the Hershey Centre has quickly become the premier sports and entertainment facility in the Greatet Toronto Area.

Additionally the three attached ice surfaces are the home of hockey teams in all of the major Mississauga/Toronto leagues Additional Information/Other Sports: • The Hershey Sports Complex offers a full-size FIFA indoor turf field that can be split to a quad format for tournament play or single field rental with our state of the art custom curtain system • 5500-seat multi-purpose arena • 7000-seat capacity for concerts • 3 additional NHL size community rink ice surfaces • Indoor soccer field • Triple Gymnasium • Gymnastics Centre • Portable FIBA size basketball court • 2,000 parking spaces • Two outdoor lit soccer pitches

Name of Facility: Major League Sportsplex Address: 641 Danforth Road City: Toronto Province: Ontario Postal Code: M1K 1G1 Contact/Operation Manager: Chris Kolovos Phone: 416-264-7000 Email: Chris@mlsportsplex.com Website: www.mlsportsplex.com Hours of Operation: 10am – 2am (Monday - Friday), 8am – 2am (Saturday – Sunday) Number of Fields: 1 Official size Rental Fees: Please Inquire Type of Turf: Astro turf 3D gameday grass Leagues: • 7 vs 7 – Under 9 & 10 boys and Girls • 9 vs 9 Under 11 Boys and Girls • 11 vs 11 Under 12 and up Boys and Girls • Leagues start November 2, 2012

Tournaments: • U9 and U10 Boys – 7v7 Festival – December 28, 2012 • U11 Boys – 9v9 Festival – December 27, 2012 • U12/U13 Boys – 11v11 Tournament – January 2, 2012 • U14/U15 Boys – 11v11 Tournament – January 3, 2012 • U16/U17 Boys 11v11 Tournament - January 4, 2013 Clinics/Special Events: • The Dero United Development and Power Training Soccer Camp. October 20th – December 15th, every Saturday Additional Information/Other Sports: • Fields • Full size field 300’ x 200’ can be divided into half or quarters • Second Field with sports court surface made for Futsal • Inline Hockey and Ball hockey • Futsal on the Sports Court • The MLS Bar and Grill

Name of Facility: Milton Soccer Centre Address: 821 Main Street East City: Milton Province: Ontario Postal Code: L9T 3Z3 Contact/Operation Manager: Uwe Samstag-Schnock Phone: 289-971-9208 Fax: N/A Email: info@miltonindoor.com Website: www.miltonindoor.com Hours of Operation: 6am – Midnight Number of Fields: 1 Rental Fees: $185 - $210 Type of Turf: 2011 Astro-Turf X52 Leagues: Youth, Adult, Co-Ed, Seniors, Skills Development.

Bocce ball and lawn bowling leagues Clinics/Special Events: Spring soccer clinic for competitive players, Pick up Soccer every Saturday all year for $5 per player History: • Brand new facility (2011) • 6v6 for adults and 7v7 for youth • Lockable team change rooms with showers • Free Parking • Convenient and central location Additional Information/Other Sports: • Meeting room with kitchen • Birthday parties • Corporate events • Soccer, rugby, field hockey, football ultimate, bocce

Name of Facility: Moose Jaw Field House Facility Address: 1220 High St W Box 1390 City: Moose Jaw Province: Saskatchewan Postal Code: S6H 4R3 Contact/Operation Manager: Jasmine Jackman Phone: 1-306-694-4560 Fax: 1-306-694-0022 Email: jjackman@moosejaw.ca Website: www.facebook.com/moosejawfieldhouse Hours of Operation: Mon-Fri: 6am-11pm. Sat/Sun: 8am-9pm Number of Fields: One 60x100 Meter Field-Rented out in quarter fields Rental fees: $78.75/$95 Youth/Adult per quarter per hour Type of Turf: Astro Turf Leagues: • MJSA Soccer League • MJ Adult Touch Football League • MJ Minor Lacrosse • Ultimate Frisbee League History: • The facility’s artificial field turf provides a spring underfoot that no gym floor could ever match • The Field House has six change rooms and two locker rooms on its main level. Patrons are encouraged to bring their own locks to make use of the lockers. The upstairs mezzanine boasts a bird’s-eye view of the turf and a place to sit and enjoy a snack or beverage. A concession is also available for sandwiches, salads, drinks and much more.

• The Field House’s fitness centre has just opened September 1st!

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Name of Facility: Pine Glen Soccer Centre Address: 150 Pine Glen Road City: Oakville Province: Ontario Postal Code: L6M 4P4 Contact/Director of Operations: Lynn Joiner Phone: (905) 849-4436 x 4443 Fax: (905) 849-3677 Email: ljoiner@oakvillesoccer.ca Website: www.oakvillesoccer.ca/facilities/about-pine-glensoccer-centre Number of Fields: 1 Full Sized Type of Turf: Field Turf Leagues: • Youth, adult, co-ed Clinics/Special Events: • Birthday parties, coaching clinics History: • Pine Glen Soccer Centre, Oakville Soccer Club’s home, opened in 2009 to rave reviews.

Additional Information/Other Sports: • The 100,000-square-foot centre has a full-sized regulation FIFA sized turf field that can be divided in half or quarters.The centre’s primary use is to provide soccer programs and services to the OSC’s 10,000 registered players, as well as offer opportunities for community members to rent the facility for parties or functions.

• In addition to the OSC offices, the facility offers change rooms, public washrooms, a community meeting room and the Red Zone, supplying soccer apparel for on and off-pitch use.

Name of Facility: Players Paradise Sports Complex Inc. Address: 565 Seaman Street City: Stoney Creek Province: Ontario Postal Code: L8E 5Z5

24 October/November 2012

Contact/Operation Manager: Tasha Mazza-Kelton Phone: 905-643-3200 Email: tasha@playersparadisesoccer.com Website: www.playersparadisesoccer.com Hours of Operation: 8am – 11pm 7 days a week Number of Fields: The fields consist of a FIFA-approved (200ft × 360ft) field that can be broken out into 4 playing fields (90ft × 200ft). Each field is separated by a state-of-the-art mechanical mesh screen system (which just happens to be the largest of its kind in North America!)

Type of Turf: Premium Synthetic Turf System using TruBounce technology for superior performance and safety.

Additional Information/Other Sports: • There are 11 comfortable change rooms with showers and washrooms in each.

Name of Facility: Soccer Nova Scotia Training Centre Address: 210 Thomas Raddall Drive City: Halifax Province: Nova Scotia Postal Code: B3S 1K3 Contact/Operation Manager: Robert Tobin Phone: (902) 445-0265 Fax: (902) 445-0258 Email: gm.snstc@soccerns.ns.ca Website: www.soccerns.ns.ca/facilities/soccer-nova-scotiatraining-center/ Hours of Operation: 6AM-Midnight 7 days/wk Number of Fields: 4 @ 200x100 (main facility also configured to full field (316 x 200) Rental Fees: from $60/hr to $143.75 /hr per ea 200 x 100 field Type of Turf: Greenfields V-Shape Synthetic Turf Leagues: All levels-all ages Clinics/Special Events: • Baseball; Aikido; Ultimate Frisbee; After School Advantage Program; mini trade shows; Club, Regional and National Training Centres History: • Original Facility (Subway Ctr -single Surface (25,000 sq ft) opened in 1999. Full field Multi-Purpose facility (72,000 sq. ft. turf) opened in November 2011)

Additional Information/Other Sports: • Football, lacrosse, Frisbee, martial arts, baseball and open to other options

Name of Facility: Soccerworld Polson Pier Address: 176 Cherry Street City: Toronto Province: Ontario Postal Code: M5A 3L1 Contact/Operation Manager: Matt Braithwaite Phone: 416-466-5493 Fax: 416-466-0454 Email: info@soccerworldcentral.ca Website: www.soccerworldcentral.ca Hours of Operation: 9am - 1am Number of Fields: 2 indoor fields (90’ x 190’) Type of Turf: Field Turf Leagues: • Youth Leagues: Boys/Girls Competitive and House League • Adult - Men’s/Women’s and Co-ed Tournaments: • Holiday Tournament • March Break Tournament Clinics/Special Events: • Adult and Youth Clinics • Rush clinics with Coach Rick History: • Based downtown in the regenerating Portlands of Toronto, Ontario, Soccerworld Polson Pier was established to provide a personal growth experience through the game of soccer and to promote lifelong participation in the sport. Since its formation in 2003, Soccerworld has grown to serve over 5,000 youth and adult players on an annual basis. As a member of the Toronto Soccer Association (TSA) & Ontario Soccer Association (OSA), the club offers recreational and competitive programs for all ages and abilities.

Additional Information/Other Sports: • Ultimate Frisbee, touch football, rugby, lacrosse, Field Hockey, and Film production

Name of Facility: Spiplex Multi Sport Indoor Facility Address: 7939 Highway # 7, RR # 2 City: Peterborough Province: Ontario Postal Code: K9J 6X3 Contact/Operation Manager: Biren Patel Phone: 1-705-755-0432 Fax: 1-705-755-0432 Email: info@spiplex.com Website: www.spiplex.com Hours of Operation: 9am – 11pm Number of Fields: 1 Rental Fees: $65 - $125/hour plus HST Type of Turf: Field Turf Leagues: • Youth • Men’s • Women’s • Co-Ed Soccer leagues • Ultimate Frisbee, golf • Rugby • Touch Football History: • Built in 2006, Field can be split into 3 for official Futsal games • Outdoor training fields

Name of Facility: Sportstown Sports Complex Address: 4991 No. 5 Road City: Richmond Province: British Columbia Postal Code: V6X 2V5 Contact/Operation Manager: Colin LaRiviere Phone: 1-604-273-7366 ext. 224 Fax: 1-604-279-1538 Email: info@sportstownbc.com Website: www.sportstownbc.com Hours of Operation: 8am – Midnight Number of Fields: 4 Rental Fees: $65 to $160/hr Type of Turf: Sprint Turf and Field Turf Leagues: Sportstown runs a variety of indoor soccer leagues for adults.

Whether you’re interested in a men’s competitive league, a recreational co-ed league, or anything else, we have a league that fits your team. With a full indoor soccer arena, complete with artificial turf, Sportstown is your destination for indoor soccer.

• Adult Co-ed – Recreational and Competitive • Men’s – Recreational and Competitive Tournaments: • Christmas Power Tournaments

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• Visit www.powertournament.ca Clinics/Special Events: • TSS Academy • www.tssacademy.com History: • Sportstown BC officially opened its doors in 2011 and quickly became an indoor soccer destination for Lower Mainland soccer enthusiasts • Located in Richmond, BC, Sportstown is home to adult indoor s occer leagues, a tennis club featuring 5 indoor courts, a youth soccer academy, a retail soccer shop, and a full-service sports bar and restaurant Additional Information/Other Sports: • Private tennis Club • Full-service sports bar and restaurant • Indoor bubble, complete with 3 sepa

Name of Facility: Subway Soccer Centre Address: 7000 – 48 Street S. E. City: Calgary Province: Alberta Postal Code: T2C 4E1 Contact/Operation Manager: Perry Logan Phone: (403) 279-8445 Fax: (403) 279-8796 Email: gm@subwaysoccercentre.com Emails for other departments can be found on the Subway Soccer Centre’s website.

Website: www.subwaysoccercentre.com Hours of Operation: Administration Office: 9am – 5pm Monday through Friday. Field rentals can run from 8am – midnight Saturday through Sunday.

Number of Fields: Four indoor artificial turf fields and one outdoor field. The Subway Soccer Centre has two new projects to expand field availability – three outdoor artificial turf rectangular playing fields and a new Annex building with four indoor artificial turf rectangular playing fields.

Rental Fees: October 1, 2012 – March 31, 2013 Non-Prime Time (before 5pm weekdays): $131.25/hour (includes GST) Prime Time (after 5pm weekdays and all day weekends): $178.08/hour (includes GST) Rental rates and updates can be found at http://www.subwaysoccercentre.com/book.html Type of Turf: Artificial Indoor Turf Leagues: • Calgary Minor Soccer Association (www.calgaryminorsoccer.com) • Calgary Women’s Soccer Association (www.womensoccer.ab.ca) • Calgary United Soccer Association (www.cusa.ab.ca) • Indoor Co-Ed Rec Soccer (www.calgarycoedsoccer.com) • Calgary District Lacrosse Association (www.calgarylacrosse.com)

26 October/November 2012

Tournaments: • Various tournaments are held by the sports leagues each year.

As well, the SSC is home to a variety of events.

Clinics/Special Events: • Birthday parties • Team Wind-ups • Corporate team building • Corporate parties History: • The Subway Soccer Centre just celebrated its 20th year in Calgary on September 8th, 2012.

Additional Information/Other Sports: • The SUBWAY® Soccer Centres facilities can accommodate a variety of sports and training activities. Book a field today for your league, practices, special events or tournaments.

Name of Facility: Summer 365 Indoor Sports Centre Address: 1140 Ringwell Drive City: Newmarket Province: Ontario Postal Code: L3Y8V9 Contact/Operation Manager: Colin Berenhaut Phone: 905.898.1350 Email: info@summer365.ca Website: www.summer365.ca Hours of Operation: 10am-12am Number of Fields: 1 Rental Fees: Please inquire Type of Turf: FIFA rated synthetic turf with infill system Leagues: 3v3 (no GK) 4v4 with GK Tournaments: March Break - Christmas Cash 3v3 Tournament History: • New facility in Newmarket just opened in July, 2012 • Grand opening celebration September 30, 2012 Additional Information/Other Sports: • Indoor batting cages & baseball development complex • 3 batting cages, Probatter Virtual Pitcher – the only one in Eastern Canada • Lounge365 private players/parents lounge • House Sports Rehabilitation Centre

Education With Balance

THE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL (JK-12) is a co-ed, nondenominational, university-preparatory school. We offer a superior, balanced education that challenges the student, develops the mind, and strengthens the character. We educate in innovative ways through integrated, leading-edge technology in sophisticated facilities for academics, athletics, visual and performing arts. Please contact us at any time to arrange a personal tour.

OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE: Thursday, October 11

9am - 12pm 7pm - 9pm Saturday, October 27 10am - 1pm Thursday, November 15 9am - 12pm Applications received by December 14, 2012 will be considered for first-round offers.

13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario 905.833.1220 13 February/March 2012 admissions@cds.on.ca www.cds.on.ca/whowillyoube

CDS Inside Soccer.indd 1

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Name of Facility: Terrasport Address: 149 Rowntree Dairy Road City: Woodbridge Province: Ontario Postal Code: L4L 6E1 Contact/Operation Manager: Frank Iaizzo & Peppe Mattace Raso Phone: 1-905-264-9733 Website: www.terrasport.ca Number of Fields: 2 (5 v 5) Type of Turf: Artificial Grass Clinics/Special Events: • Christmas Camps • March Break Camps • Summer Camps History: • Established Fall 2009 Additional Information/Other Sports: • Club and Academy Training • Birthday Parties • Athletic Fitness • Elite Soccer Development Programs • Private and Semi-private lessons

Name of Facility: The Soccer Centre Address: 7601 Martin Grove Road City: Vaughan Province: Ontario Postal Code: L4L 9E4 Contact/Operation Manager: Dan Berger Phone: 1-905-264-9390 x 224 Fax: 1-905-264-9445 Email: booking@soccer.on.ca Website: www.ontariosoccer.net Number of Fields: • One Full Size field or 3 indoor soccer fields in a 25,000sq/ft bubble • 2 International size outdoor grass fields • 1 International size outdoor artificial turf field Rental Fees: Indoor Fieldhouse Primetime: Monday - Friday 6pm to midnight, Saturday and

• Sunday - 8am to 11pm

• Single Field (Indoor) - $190/hr plus HST • Full Field (Indoor) - $570/hr plus HST Non Primetime: Monday - Thursday before 6pm, Friday before 6pm and after midnight, Saturday and Sunday after 11pm

• Single Field (Indoor) - $90/hr plus HST

• Full Field (Indoor) - $270/hr plus HST Type of Turf: Artificial Grass Leagues: For my information on leagues visit: www.ontariosoccer.net/Competitions/Leagues

28 October/November 2012

History: • The facility features a 130,000 square foot field house that can accommodate three indoor soccer fields or one full size 11-a side game • In the winter months, a 25,000 sq ft bubble encompasses 1/3 of the outdoor FieldTurf field, creating additional training space • The Soccer Centre has two international size outdoor grass fields, one international size outdoor artificial turf field, a sports therapy clinic, a restaurant and lounge, and is located on a 25 acre parcel of land that is easily accessible from Ontario’s major highways Additional Information/Other Sports: • Tenants include The Ontario Soccer Association, The Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum, and all of Ontario’s Provincial Leagues • The Soccer Centre is ideal for leagues, tournaments, and clinics • There are meeting rooms that can accommodate as many as 100 people, and a restaurant and lounge that can be made available for special events

Name of Facility: Toronto City Sports Centre Address: 32 Curity Avenue City: Toronto Province: Ontario Postal Code: M4B 0A2 Contact/Operation Manager: Lou Kitevski Phone: (416) 751-9800 Email: info@torontocitysportscentre.ca Website: www.torontocitysportscentre.ca Rental Fees: $150/hour Clinics/Special Events: • From birthday parties to corporate team building events to family reunions and fundraisers, an event at TCSC is bound to be a success. Full use of the field, equipment and clubhouse are available along with our friendly, knowledgable staff and coaching team.

History: • Since opening our doors in 2009 we have welcomed an average of 4000 visitors per week. Toronto City Sport Centre is owned and operated by Toronto City Church.

Additional Information/Other Sports: • Toronto City Sports Centre is a 23,000 sq. ft. air supported sports facility in the heart of Toronto. Located in East York we are easily accessible by both TTC and car.

• State-of-the-art indoor training facility. An air-supported dome covering a 118 x 200-foot artificial-turf playing field that serves

as a venue for a wide range of recreational programs with a fully equipped, adjoining clubhouse that offers: • Accessible washroom facilities • Comfortable lounge area with large flat-screen TV • Coffee and snack bar • Clean and bright change rooms • Spacious party room, ideal for hosting pre- or post-game events

Name of Facility: Trio Sportsplex Address: 601 Cityview Blvd.

City: Vaughan Province: Ontario Postal Code: L4H 0T1 Contact/Operation Manager: Rick DiGironimo Phone: 1-905-417-3700 Fax: 1-905-417-8854 Email: info@triosportsplex.com Website: www.triosportsplex.com, www.vssoccerleague.com Hours of Operation: Mon – Fri: 2pm – 12am, Sat: 8am – 10pm, Sun: 8am – 12am Number of Fields: 5 and 1 Arena Rental Fees: $155/Hour Plus HST Leagues: • Adult • Kids • 9v9 U11 and U12 • 7v7 U9 and U10 • Men’s Indoor Soccer League – Divisions 2, 3 and 4 • 9v9 Men’s open and Reserve U18 – U20 Tournaments: • Money Tournaments • Midnight Tournaments Clinics/Special Events: • To book your next event please contact the office Additional Information/Other Sports: • Yoga and Zumba • Ball hockey • 27 change rooms • A Sports Bar • Soccer Fitness Inc. located on the 2nd floor

Name of Facility: Ultra Sports Centre Inc. Address: 1510 Birchmount Road, Unit 150 City: Toronto Province: Ontario Postal Code: M1P 2G6 Contact/Operation Manager: Courtney Frappier Phone: 1-877-469-2452 Fax: 1-877-469-2439 Email: info@ultrasports.ca Website: www.ultrasports.ca Hours of Operation: 9am – Midnight Number of Fields: 4 Rental Fees: Soccer: $200 + HST per hour Type of Turf: 2 x Field Turf, 2 x Hard Courts Leagues: • Adult: Men • Women • Co-Ed Clinics/Special Events: • March Break Camp: Power Soccer. Power Soccers March Break Camp will take place right here at Ultra Sports Centre, from the 12th of March to the 16th of March. The program will offer Full Week, Full Day and Half Day options.

History: • New management started in the 2011-2012 season • 15,000 square foot expansion opening this season Additional Information/Other Sports: • Basketball, volleyball, floor hockey, cricket, lacrosse, sepak takraw, football

Name of Facility: Whitby Soccer Centre Address: 695 Rossland Road West City: Whitby Province: Ontario Postal Code: L1R 2P2 Contact/Operation Manager: Bill Sidsworth, Executive Director Phone: 1-905-626-1303 Fax: 1-905-666-2431 Email: executivedirector@whitbysoccer.com Website: www.whitbysoccer.com Hours of Operation: Mon – Thurs: 10am – 7:30pm, Fri: 10am – 5:30pm

InsideSOCCER 29

NI

P E G S OC CE R

WI N

Number of Fields: 2 Rental Fees: Depends on rental term, etc…

Type of Turf: Field Turf Leagues: • Senior • Youth Recreational Tournaments: • Christmas • March Break (depending on interest) History: Facility opened in Feb 2009 - primarily used by the Club for its own indoor programs as well as competitive team training, technical sessions, etc..

Additional Information/Other Sports: • Other sports who use the facility: Lacrosse, rugby

FEDERATION INDOOR SOCCER COMPLEX

Name of Facility: Winnipeg Soccer Federation Indoor Soccer Complex Address: 211 Chancellor Matheson Road City: Winnipeg Province: Manitoba Postal Code: R3T 1Z2 Contact/Operation Manager: Barb McTavish Phone: (204) 953-4747 Fax: (204) 261-3168 Email: barb@wpgsf.com Website: www.winnipegsoccerfederation.ca Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday, 9-5pm (office hours) and the facility is open for rentals anytime as needed (all year) Number of Fields: one full field (210’ x 330’) which can be divided into two half fields or four quarter fields Rental Fees: Prime time rentals: Mon – Fri 6pm-11pm, Sat – Sun All day – 11pm.

• Quarter Field: $170.00/hour for each quarter field • Half Field: $340.00/hour for each half field • Full Field Game Play: $420.00/hour. Note: this rate is for game play only on the full field set-up and does not apply to using two half fields or four quarter fields.

• Full Field Divided (four quarters or two halves): $680.00 per hour • Special events will be quoted separately Non-prime time rentals: Mon – Fri 9am – 3pm • Quarter Field: $105.00 per hour • Half Field: $210.00 per hour • Full Field (Divided into any field formation): $420.00 per hour Type of Turf: synthetic grass turf Leagues: Open to all renters Tournaments: Open to all renters Clinics/Special Events: The indoor complex is available for special events such as tournaments, fundraisers and corporate functions.

Additional Information/Other Sports: Ideally suited for soccer, the WSF Indoor Soccer Complex can accommodate other sports such as football, baseball, rugby and ultimate disc. The complex is also well-suited for activity sessions, fitness evaluations, clinics and school programs. We would be pleased to work with you to develop a fun and exciting event for all your participants!

30 October/November 2012

17 February/March 2012

CANADA’S GOLDEN MOMENT: WINNING THE BRONZE

BY STEVEN SANDOR Photographs Courtesy of Les Jones – Covershots Inc.

Usually, when a country has a defining moment at an Olympic Games, it’s because of a golden result – all apologies to lovable losers like Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards and the Jamaican bobsledding team.

But, in three separate Olympics, Canada’s best moments came not as the results of gold, but of other podium finishes.

The first two: Greg Joy’s 1976 silver in the high jump at Montreal and Elizabeth Manley’s silver in figure skating in the 1988 Calgary Games. Both of those had some things in common. Those super non-golds occurred on Canadian soil; they were the highlights of Olympics we hosted but did not send an athlete to the top of the podium. Joy and Manley represented the best we did.

The third defining moment, however, was very different. Canada had a gold at London 2012, Rosannagh MacLennan on trampoline. But the performance that had all of Canada talking was that of the Canadian women’s soccer program, which rebounded from a heartbreaking winless 32 October/November 2012

three-and-out at the 2011 Women’s World Cup to win bronze at the Olympics.

Often, the term “winning” bronze is overused. After all, it’s the medal that goes to third place, which, isn’t really winning, is it? But, in the case of the women’s soccer team, it’s OK to use the W word.

That’s because its road to bronze featured more adversity than should be packed into four or five Olympics, not just one soccer tournament. There were a series of injuries that forced Coach John Herdman to rebuild his back four. There was a spirited comeback against Sweden. There was a controversial refereeing decision that turned the semifinal against the U.S. upside down. And, despite being emotionally spent and physically exhausted, Canada somehow found a way to beat France — a team that has dominated Canada over

the past two years — in the bronze-medal showdown.

ROUND ROBIN

Most Canadians outside of the soccer community weren’t paying much attention to the team through its first two groupstage matches, held in Coventry. A tournament-opening loss to the reigning World Cup champions from Japan was expected and any fanfare around the game was muted because it was staged two days before Danny Boyle’s grandiose opening ceremony. The second game saw Canada handle the minnows from South Africa, three points that were considered in the bank once the draw was announced.

So, the third match of the group stage, which saw Canada needing points against the Swedes, was really the first time the women’s team moved into the media mainstream. Canada had based its preparations assuming that the Newcastle date with the Swedes would be the one that would be its most important groupstage match. And, 16 minutes into that game, many Canadian soccer followers were venting their frustration. Sweden was up 2-0, Marie Hammarstrom scored on the counter, and Sofia Jakobsson tapped in after keeper Erin McLeod misplayed a cross.

On Twitter, we were all griping that, just like in 2011, the Canadian women didn’t live up to their promise. But, the Canadian women showed that the mental-toughness training they had taken under Dr. Ceri Evans was not for naught. Herdman, who left the New Zealand post to take over as Canadian coach after Big Red went winless at the World Cup, had talked and talked to the media about how he always felt the Canadian women had the talent to beat any of the top-ranked sides in the world, but that potential just had to be “unlocked.”

“They never had a proper leadership structure,” said Herdman before the tourney. “The girls have the character and competence to be in those positions.”

In the Sweden match, Canada found the key.

Melissa Tancredi scored before the stroke of halftime, then threw herself at a cross delivered by Christine Sinclair to give Canada a vital point — and give the team belief going into the quarterfinals. All of a sudden, Canada was no longer a team that couldn’t overcome adversity, no longer a team that refused to play to its potential. Now, it was a force to be reckoned with.

But, there would be huge issues on the backline that Herdman would have to address. Defender Chelsea Stewart had to get surgery before the tournament. Then, central defender Emily Zurrer got hurt in the days before the Olympics. Candace Chapman, another central defender, was forced out of the game against Japan. Robyn Gayle, moved into the middle of the defence to help plug the injury hole, hurt herself against South Africa.

So, Canada would have to go into the elimination round with a badly depleted squad. .

BEATING THE BRITS

Canada went to the quarter-finals and faced the hosts. Despite the hype placed on the Great Britain team, this was basically the same British side Canada had handled before, with the addition of Scottish sparkplug Kim Little. And, it was a match that Canada dominated; despite being at home, the Brits were no match for our higher-ranked team. Jonelle Filigno scored with a fantastic volley after a corner and Sinclair added a free-kick screamer. The 2-0 scoreline actually flattered the Brits, as Canada never allowed the hosts to get any momentum in front of their home fans.

That set the stage for the game that turned the Canadian women’s team into cult heroes.

THE CALL

The semifinal against the Americans was a soccer match that will be remembered like no other Canadian national team encounter — women or men.

Canada was shellacked by the Americans in the final of the CONCACAF qualifying tournament. It lost by a goal to the U.S. in a pre-Olympic friendly in Salt Lake City. But, for a large number of Olympic watchers who normally don’t watch women’s soccer, this game was attractive just for the fact that it was a Canada-U.S. rivalry match. There is something about playing Americans, our big brothers and sisters to the south, that brings out our pride and insecurities like no other international opponent.

When we play the Americans, no matter the sport, every moment of the game is analyzed. It is part of our Canadianness to wonder if every rub of the green that the Americans get has to do with the fact that they are our bigger, more glamorous neighbour.

The semifinal was a prime example. It represented the finest 120 minutes of soccer that Christine Sinclair — our country’s bestever player, male or female — had ever played. But Sinclair took a back seat to the Canada’s goalkeeper Erin McLeod infront of Wenlock the mascot.

5 February/March 2012

refereeing decisions of Norwegian official Christina Pedersen.

Sinclair gave Canada the halftime lead with her first of three goals, a clever extra touch in the box giving her the space to beat American keeper Hope Solo. Then, after some terrible communication in the box between Canadian keeper Erin McLeod and her back line allowed American midfielder Megan Rapinoe to equalize with a corner that went straight in at the near post, Sinclair rose to give Canada a 2-1 lead with a powerful header.

Rapinoe equalized with a wonder strike, and Sinclair struck back with another header, bringing Canada off the ropes every time that the Americans landed a telling blow. And then the game went from being a riveting battle of Sinclair vs. Rapinoe to a question of officiating.

As the Americans trailed 3-2, U.S. veteran Abby Wambach counted out loud every time keeper Erin McLeod had the ball in her hands, reminding Petersen of a rarely enforced rule that a keeper must play the ball within six seconds. Late in the match, Petersen awarded the Americans a free kick

“To the young kids out there. I hope you have seen: never give up, just never give up.”

John Herdman from the top of the box after she ruled that McLeod had held the ball too long.

Rapinoe’s effort slammed off the arm of defenceless Canadian midfielder Diana Matheson and then off the arm of defender Marie-Eve Nault, who was called in from the taxi squad because of the injury crisis.

Petersen didn’t feel that it was a case of ballto-hand, and awarded a penalty kick, which Wambach converted.

Alex Morgan broke Canadian hearts InsideSOCCER 33

2012 OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDALLISTS

Photo by Les Jones – Covershots Inc.

Back row from left to right: Melanie Booth, Erin McLeod, Brittany Timko, Jonelle Filigno, Melissa Tancredi, Sophie Schmidt, Candace Chapman, Karina LeBlanc, Lauren Sesselmann, Kaylyn Kyle Front row from left to right: Marie-Eve Nault, Kelly Parker, Christine Sinclair, Rhian Wilkinson, Diana Matheson, Desiree Scott, Chelsea Stewart, Carmelina Moscato

7 February/March 2012

when she nodded home the winner just seconds before the game would have gone to penalties. The final, 4-3 to the U.S. But Petersen – not Morgan, Rapinoe or Wambach – was what was on the minds of Canadian fans. While the call was correct, it was one we rarely see, like an NBA official deciding to actually make a traveling call with two minutes left in Game 7 of the finals.

And, if she was going to make the call, wasn’t she obliged to also be counting every time Solo had the ball? Solo also clearly violated the rule after the Americans had got the equalizer.

One thing is for sure – when the U.S. plays in Canada at the 2015 Women’s World Cup, Solo will hear thousands upon thousands of fans counting every time she touches the ball. With the kind of fan intimidation Canadian supporters will likely aim towards officials when the Americans play on our soil, it could very Desiree Scott’s now famous clearance off the line vs France

36 October/November 2012

well be a case that the U.S. finds out that it will pay in 2015 for a call that was made in 2012. Knowing the psyche of Canadians, we may take as much pride in sabotaging the American World Cup effort as we do in propping up ours.

But, Herdman said he didn’t feel Wambach’s counting reminders were unsportsmanlike. “It shows that she’d do anything to win a football match.”

And, what’s often forgotten in analyzing this match – how would Canada had done had it had a full roster of defenders? Would that first Rapinoe corner gone in? Would they have been better able to cope with America’s offence?

VIVE LE CANADA!

After dealing with the emotional rollercoaster of a semifinal — a game that was physically draining on a squad that was short — the realist would have said that Canada had little chance at a bronze.

France’s semifinal loss to Japan was heart wrenching – as a penalty was missed that

would have allowed it to draw level – but it was over in 90 minutes. And, France had outscored Canada 6-0 in two previous meetings, at the 2011 WWC and the 2012 Cyprus Cup. France wasn’t as athletic as the Americans, it didn’t have the talent the Americans did, but it was a tactically superior side. The Americans were happy to simply go up and down the field and let their talent shine. The French played a calm, collected, analytical game, the kind of team which had traditionally given Canada fits.

But, maybe Lady Luck gave back what she took away in the semifinal. The French, as expected, dominated the possession.

Gaetane Thiney rang a shot off the post.

Elodie Thomis smashed a shot off the bar. Corine Franco had her attempt cleared off the line by Canadian midfielder Desiree Scott.

Then, with time running out, Canada created its one lone chance on goal it would get all afternoon. A blocked Sophie Schmidt shot fell fortuitously to the feet of Matheson,

who converted. Canada got its medal with the 1-0 win – and Herdman came through with his promise.

“To the young kids out there. I hope you have seen: never give up, just never give up,” Herdman was quoted on the Canadian Soccer Association’s Twitter feed after the match. “Football is cruel; France will walk away with nothing. I think everybody back home put a force-field in front of our goal.”

In less than a year’s time, Herdman inherited a Canadian team that had gone through a psychologically damaging World Cup and helped the team transform into one with mental strength and character. It was a bronze result, but a golden effort.

We can’t wait for 2015 to arrive.

WOMEN’S TOP SCORERS MP

G

SINCLAIR, Christine

6

6

WAMBACH, Abby

6

5

LLOYD, Carli

6

4

TANCREDI, Melissa

6

4

HOUGHTON, Stephanie 4

3

MORGAN, Alex

6

3

OGIMI, Yuki

6

3

RAPINOE, Megan

6

3

FISCHER, Nilla

3

2

KIM, Song Hui

3

2

Lauren Sesselmann

Carmelina Moscato embraces Diana Matheson (right), who scored the game winning goal for Canada in the bronze medal match against France 9 February/March 2012

InsideSOCCER 37

2012 FIFA FUTSAL WORLD CUP

BY KRIS FERNANDES

PREVIEW

There is no turf or carpet, no inflatable dome overhead and no bouncy size 5 ball.

Instead, there is a rocket of a ball being whipped around a fast court inside of a packed and raucous crowd of die-hards, with five players on each team fiercely battling for indoor soccer’s most coveted crown.

The world’s most significant indoor championship is only a couple of weeks away, when the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup gets underway in Thailand from November 1-18th.

With the global popularity of futsal rising exponentially over the last decade, the World Cup has, for the second straight time, increased the amount of participants, with this year’s edition adding another four entries for a total of 24 nations from all six confederations.

Although Canada failed to make the World Cup after losing all three of their matches at this year’s CONCACAF Futsal Championship, Canadians from coast to coast will be able to catch the action, as CBC and Sportsnet have the rights to broadcast matches of the World Cup. In addition, the plethora of high-quality internet streaming options will allow Canadian soccer and futsal fans unprecedented access to one of the most exciting competitions in sports.

While most average Canadians are unfamiliar with futsal and immediately conjure images of foosball, this tournament will give action-starved sports fans a fresh game that mixes elements of soccer, basketball and hockey, while being played for a relentless 40 minutes.

The format will feature 24 squads set into six groups of four, with the top two from each 38 October/November 2012

group advancing along with the four best 3rd place finishers to the knockout stages.

Like many of the powerhouses in soccer, it is the usual suspects that are the cream of the crop in world futsal.

THE COURT KINGS

Brazil and Spain are the only two nations to have won the World Cup since FIFA launched it back in 1989. Brazil won the first three events (‘89, ‘92, ‘96), before Spain defeated them in two straight events in 2000 and 2004. The two juggernauts also faced off in the last tournament in Brazil, where the hosts edged them out 4-3 in penalties to win their fourth title.

BRAZIL: The samba boys are gods in futsal, producing some of the most brilliant players and teams. However, despite coming in as defending champions, the Brazilians were recently shocked in their qualifying campaign where, after winning their four group stage matches while allowing one solitary goal, they lost in their semi-final to Paraguay and settled for third.

It was especially a shock when you consider that Brazil has won 19 of the last 20 Futsal Copa Americas (South American Futsal Championships) since 1969. Despite this year’s setback, the Brazilians will come into Thailand as monster favourites. With the disappointing bronze finish along with the world’s most famous futsal player Falcão playing in his last World Cup, the motivation will certainly be there for them to deliver.

World Ranking: 2nd /Odds: 2.

SPAIN: Despite the penalty loss in

the final four years ago, Spain has yet to lose a match in regulation or extra time in 108 consecutive games. They have also gone undefeated during qualifying with an astounding 5-0 record and no goals conceded – something absolutely unheard of in this high-scoring sport.

They were on the verge of defeat at the European Championships earlier this year, but a last minute goal sent them to extra time, where they netted two more to win their third straight European crown.

With star quality such as Kike, Ortiz, and Luis Amado, Spain could easily be on the podium lifting the trophy for a 3rd time.

World Ranking: 1st/Odds: 2.3

THE DARKHORSES

Although Brazil and Spain boast all the hardware, futsal has grown tremendously over the last four years. With the increased level of play and investment in high-performance, futsal has led to an emergence of some very talented squads that could very well break the duopoly this time around. Despite the dominance of the aforementioned two kings (who have reigned at every World Cup), here is a look at some of those who could pull off an upset and leave Bangkok with the title.

RUSSIA: Led by Pula, who was the top goal-scorer at the 2008 World Cup with 16 marks, the Russians made a strong statement of intent to the world at the Futsal Euro in February when they were 34 seconds away from dethroning Spain as European champions. Instead, they lost 3-1 in heartbreaking fashion during extra-time in a match that Spanish coach José López said Russia “probably deserved to win.” They have made the semi-finals in each of their

last three entries in the competition and will be one of the toughest teams in this edition.

World Ranking: 4th/Odds: 9 PARAGUAY: After finishing second to Colombia in the group stage at the South American Qualifiers, Paraguay sent shockwaves across the futsal world when they eliminated Brazil 5-3 in extra time.

When it was brushed off as a fluke, they then took Argentina to the very brink in the final, losing in penalties 7-6. After years of getting no respect, Paraguay now has everybody’s attention. In the 2008 tournament, they finished ahead of powerhouses Italy and Portugal and are sure to be favoured to advance in a group featuring Ukraine, Costa Rica, and host-country Thailand.

Paraguay could easily be a major surprise when the knockout stage hits.

World Ranking: 9th/Odds: 81 PORTUGAL: Though a dangerous contender in every competition, the Portuguese futsal team, like their outdoor team, has never made it over that last hump, always falling short of championship glory, with their closest chances coming in the 2010 Futsal Euro and the 2000 World Cup, where they finished second and third respectively. They lost to Italy at the quarter-finals of this year’s Euro and were knocked out in round 1 at the last World Cup on tiebreakers, even after winning three of four games. But Edmonton-born Head Coach Jorge Braz feels the title is a real possibility this year, and with 2010 World Futsal Player of the Year Ricardinho, along with loadas of other European club championship players at his disposal, he has the tools to get the job done. They are in the group of death with Japan, Libya and Brazil, so the litmus test will come early on.

World Ranking: 5th/Odds: 26 ITALY: Considered as one of the top five futsal teams in the world for the last decade, the Italians will embark on a quest to win their second major title after winning the 2003 European Championship. They finished as runners-up for the world crown in 2004, won bronze in 2008 and a bronze at this year’s Futsal Euro, having been beaten

by Spain in the knockout rounds each time. Only two players remain from the 2008 squad, as Coach Roberto Menichelli, a player himself at the 1992 edition, is looking for a fresh start. They should easily advance with Argentina out of their group.

World Ranking: 3rd/Odds: 15 IRAN: The “Kings of Asian Futsal” are no longer undisputed as they, like Brazil, did not add what was expected to be another continental title to their trophy cabinet.

After winning 10 of the first 11 Asian Futsal Championships, Iran fell to Thailand 5-4 after extra-time during the semis in one of the biggest upsets of the year. Even though they won bronze, it was a huge disappointment to a team that had only lost 3 games in 75 matches during the tournament’s 13-year history. Still, they are expected to get back on track, and with tournament newcomers Morocco and Panama in their group, Iran will be favoured to advance, even though their first match will be against the mighty Spaniards in what is sure to be an epic clash.

World Ranking: 7th/Odds: 34 ARGENTINA: The surprise winner of the South American Qualifiers, Argentina narrowly beat out Paraguay in penalties for the top spot, after posting after wins over Bolivia, Chile, Peru and a tough Colombian squad. With the exception of the 2004 World Cup, in which they finished

FIFA FUTSAL WORLD CUP THAILAND 2012 GROUPS GROUP A

GROUP B

GROUP C

Thailand

Spain

Brazil

Costa Rica

Iran

Japan

Ukraine

Panama

Libya

Paraguay

Morocco

Portugal

GROUP D

GROUP E

GROUP F

Argentina

Egypt

Russia

Mexico

Serbia

Solomon Islands

Italy

Czech Republic

Guatemala

Australia

Kuwait

Colombia

4 February/March 2012

fourth, Argentina has never made it past the second round of the competition; nevertheless, they are being touted by many to produce their best showing ever in Thailand. Their toughest test will be against Italy, but they should do well enough against Mexico and Australia to advance.

World Ranking: 6th/Odds: 34

THE STARS

Every sport has needed stars to shine in order to attract fans. The rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird produced the NBA’s boost during the 80’s, before Michael Jordan took it global. Wayne Gretzky made hockey cool internationally when he played in Los Angeles, and we all know how monumental David Beckham’s signing five years ago was for MLS’ international exposure. Well, futsal has its own superstars, and the 2012 World Cup will be the platform to showcase their extraordinary skills and, with any hope, push the sport further towards the mainstream.

FALCÃO: The most famous futsal player of all time, Brazil’s Falcão, has played in the last three World Cups; this will be his last.

The YouTube legend has scored 34 goals in 25 World Cup games, and should he score 10 in this edition, he’ll become the competition’s all-time leader. He was the 2008 World Cup MVP when he led Brazil to the title, while winning the Silver Boot. He also won the Golden Boot in 2004 with 15 goals. Needless to say, this competition is where he shines brightest.

RICARDINHO: Just two months after he turned 15, Ricardinho was the youngest player to ever participate in and score at a World Cup. Today, at 27, he will be making his fourth appearance at the tournament, and the diminutive Portuguese star appears ready to shine. Nicknamed “The Magician” due to his uncanny control with the ball, he was dubbed World Futsal Player of the Year in 2010 and has five Portuguese league titles with Benfica, as well as a European Club title under his belt.

Kike (pronounced Kee-Kay):, the 34 yearold Spanish defender has won an astounding five European Futsal Championships, including this year’s edition, in which the was named UEFA Golden Ball winner after inspiring La Roja to a comeback victory over Russia in the final. He also finished second in the tournament assists category, is a twotime World Cup winner and is considered Spain’s heart and soul.

InsideSOCCER 39

TORONTO FC

TORONTO FC AT THE TRAINING KIA GROUND

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN

Photographs Courtesy of Toronto FC

There really is no place like home. BMO Field has hosted Toronto FC for many years now, and the surrounding stadiums have been used by the Reds for various training exercises and practices, but the one thing Toronto FC lacked was a place they could call their own.

They’ve found a home in the Kia Training Ground and Academy, a development project soon completed at Downsview Park. You would never know it, driving around the area, that North America’s finest football grounds was situated nearby. It’s not visible on the road, making it a hidden treasure and a treat to stumble upon for the wandering Toronto FC fan.

Surrounded by go-kart raceways, sports complexes, circuses, skate parks, and even a massive festival ground (which recently played host to the likes of Marilyn Manson and System of a Down at Heavy TO), Downsview Park is by no means a quiet place. Yet, amidst the bustling and busy atmosphere, Toronto FC has nested, and with construction nearly complete, Toronto FC has begun using the facility.

40 October/November 2012

The Kia Training Ground and Academy headquarters is a stark contrast to the training facilities of old. Situated right across from the new Toronto FC

training grounds sits The Hangar, an old, indoor soccer league building. The glass panes that make up the outside façade are old, many chipped, cracked or simply smashed. The road leading to the building is bumpy and dusty. It is, in every way, unfit to host a professional football team.

Yet for five years, Toronto FC has used this old building, amongst other stadiums and fields across the GTA, to host practices and training camps. They experienced the pains of artificial turf, indoor facilities, scheduling conflicts and inconsistent travel plans. Now, smack dab in the middle of Downsview Park, Toronto FC has built themselves a shrine.

In the last issue of InsideSOCCER Magazine, I had outlined the importance of having a training center Toronto FC could call their own. The $21 million project includes residency, shared grounds between the senior teams and academy outfits, and numerous, topof-the-line soccer necessities (such as numerous fields, goalkeeping sections, gym/exercise equipment, and offices).

The building itself is an impressive feat of architectural vision coupled with practicality and comfort. Built on 14 acres of land, the grounds feature seven different fields and a large central building. Inside, larger locker rooms play host to a plethora of Toronto FC sides, from all age groups.

The outside of the main building looks about as professional as any European equivalent. Sharp, modern and adorned with the club logo and colours, Toronto FC has set themselves up for a state-ofthe-art facility for generations to come.

Player accommodation is key. Where BMO Field can host 18 players in the locker room, the Kia Training Ground has a locker room large enough to house 30. A large theatre room seats the entire team and coaching staff, as they review matchday tapes and prepare for upcoming games A shared kitchen ensures every player is well fed, following the team’s unique and well-researched nutritional guidelines. Sharing every meal allows coaches and trainers to keep track of player nutrition, but it also builds a sense of community and togetherness – team chemistry for a side that has rotated

many a player in their short existence.

The rehabilitation facilities within the building allow for physiotherapy, and also feature recovery pools, a luxury for a Major League Soccer side. It’s all part and parcel of Toronto FC’s multi-million dollar investment in their side’s future. Nothing is left out. Every aspect of the building screams Toronto FC – from the red brick walls to the massive logo adorning the windows, it’s quite obvious who occupies this brand new facility.

As fancy as the indoor building may be, Toronto FC is a football club first and foremost, and the outdoor fields don’t hold back either. A mix of natural and artificial turfs gives Toronto FC training options all year round, with a bubble dome covering the grass during winter months, allowing Toronto FC to play in the same location throughout the MLS season.

It’s a place where Toronto FC can learn the fundamentals of football, practice those set pieces, and build a roster that can compete in Major League Soccer.

Senior team aside, however, the Kia Training Ground is also the home of the Toronto FC Academy. This step will be crucial to the success of the team over the long-term.

Having the Toronto FC Academy at a centralized location not only gives

3-D Computer rrenderings of the KIA Training Ground & Academy exterior facade & facilities.

the young players a place to play in; it also introduces them to the world of professional football. Living away from home allows these players to gain independence and learn the trade of football.

This will be key for Toronto FC’s youth, who are going so far as playing for their national teams at this stage in their careers – five Toronto FC players, including Oscar Cordon and Tyler Pasher, were called up to Canada’s U-20 side for

a training camp in Florida.

The interaction between senior and academy sides was also discussed in the previous issue, but it’s important to note that having the facilities to support this relationship is a crucial factor to this bond. With enough fields to practice on, both the TFC senior team and their academy counterparts can practice at the same time, but also have enough space to themselves to ensure that coaches can focus on each side’s individual needs.

Toronto FC has often pictured the footballing ideal. The results on the field have, as of late, missed that target. It is no stretch to say that, when it comes to actually playing the game of football, Toronto FC has come up short. However, Toronto FC has found a lot of success with their off-the-field endeavors; the Kia Training Ground and Academy is the perfect example of Toronto FC doing all the right things where it counts.

The dream, of course, is to see this project make Toronto FC a better team.

Here’s hoping that that dream becomes a reality in 2013.

InsideSOCCER 41

OLYMPIC SOCCER IS

DIFFERENT!

BY BOB KOEP

Photographs Courtesy of Les Jones – Covershots Inc.

Olympic soccer is fun, it’s unique and, yes, it is different. Every fan of the game has his own set opinion of who is a favourite, who is a strong contender and who lives at the bottom of the pack.

Well, yes, this goes for established senior international teams heading for World Cups, European championships, the Copa America and so on. But throw in an under-23 tournament for the Olympics and people are usually puzzled. Nobody really knows what to expect.

There are barely any known stars, no 42 October/November 2012

history for comparison and no current records. As a matter of fact, the Olympic under-23 rule is only in effect because FIFA doesn’t want the Olympics to be in competition with its own World Cup. So full senior sides for men are out. Women field full senior teams.

As a result, rather unknown men’s

teams get a chance to be in the limelight and are having a lot of fun playing for a one-time chance for glory. After all, the Olympics are the Olympics.

There are various tournaments around the world to qualify for the summer games.

Some of them are different from others, and somehow 16 teams end up playing in the men’s tournament. There is a 16-team limit for the men’s competition mainly because there is no room for more, as there are only 17 days to complete the schedule and more teams in the fold would require more time.

As for qualifying, take Europe for instance. There, the under-21 tournament of a year earlier is used as qualifiers, and those players will be 22 or nearly 23 come Olympic time.

Mexico’s Oribe Peralta (#9) slips by Brazilian defenders Juan Jesus (#4) and Marcelo (#6) during the Olympic Gold Medal match.

Great Britain’s Craig Bellamy gave GB a first half lead against Senegal. The victory was spoiled as the match ended in a 1: 1 draw.

It so happened that Spain won that title in Europe ahead of Belarus and Switzerland.

In the women’s section, the previous World Cup was the selection criterion. There Sweden and France made the grade, while usual powerhouse Germany got wiped out by eventual world champion Japan in the quarter finals and thus missed the boat to England. There, only the top two European teams in that World Cup made it to London and, of course, the host gets a bye.

The women’s competition only has 12 teams (three groups of four) in the tournament, making it a bit of a crap shoot to qualify. With the men’s under-23 competition only used for the Olympics once every four years and nowhere else, a lot of countries do not bother with a strong build up and, consequently, you get to see teams playing for the podium whose names are not all that familiar.

Moreover, nobody can judge any chances a team might have because, after winning the qualifying ticket, a coach can put anybody on the team, including three overage players who are banned from playing in the qualifying stages.

We had such countries as Belarus, Gabon, Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Senegal in the tournament, not necessarily household names in the sport. And then we had a team that doesn’t even exist at all in the world of soccer: Great Britain.

Since the host country has to field

They barely managed to beat the UAE team, but then lost the rest and were gone.

Meanwhile others were having a lot of fun. Japan, (South) Korea and Honduras all left a mark, with Honduras almost upsetting favoured Brazil. Both Japan and Korea got to the game for third place, where Korea picked up the bronze medal. But when it came to the gold medal game, better known countries Brazil and Mexico played in the final with Mexico—a surprise 2-1 winner for the gold.

For the future, even as early as the next World Cup, Mexico showed a lot of promise, and that country’s reputation as a serious contender appears to continue. Already, Mexico beat Brazil earlier this year, 2-0 in a full international. One wonders whether Brazil’s days of misery continue to haunt the five-time world champion even in its home World Cup two years down the road.

Nothing much has gone right with Brazi,l lately, and even the much talked about rising superstar, Neymar, failed to convince the onlookers in London.

However, there is a youngster by the name of Leandro Damiao who turned many a head by scoring six goals for Brazil in the five games he played. A striker for the Porto Allegre team in Brazil, this talented young man may well be the player his country needs to put the ball in the net come World Cup time. Still, he was kept off the score sheet by the alert Mexican defence in the final, probably the main reason why Brazil had to settle for the silver medal.

Oribe Peralta, of Santos Laguna in the Mexican league, put his name on the map by scoring both goals in the final and nearly had a hat trick. But his third goal was called offside and that call robbed him of entering the record book. Peralta, at 28, was one of three overage players on his team, and he is an established player on his country’s full international side.

As for the British, this one-shot assembly of “Team Great Britain” will now disappear and never be seen again unless London hosts another Olympics maybe 50 or 100 years down the road.

a team and the IOC only recognizes sovereign states, (in this case Great Britain) it cannot admit England or Scotland, and the poor Brits are forced to throw together a team representing the U.K. As it turned out, most players were English, but a couple of Welshmen rounded out the roster with 38-year-old Ryan Giggs of Manchester United being the star, thrown in as an overage player. This was the first time in 52 years “British” teams appeared in an international tournament and they, both men and women, didn’t do so well on home soil.

As it turned out, other big name sides (by World Cup standards) didn’t do all that well either. Take Spain for instance. Rated tops in the world on the seniors level – and in this case under-21 champions of Europe got wiped out handily in London – they exited after the round robin section without having won a game or scored a goal.

Another prominent victim was Uruguay.

The Mexican squad came away with the gold medal after defeating Brazil 2 : 1

5 February/March 2012

InsideSOCCER 43

Ladner Storm – BMO Team of the Week 2012 Champions!

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN Ladner, British Colombia, home of the Ladner Girls Soccer Club. Decked out in green jerseys and blue shorts, Ladner Storm is now one of the luckiest teams in Canada.

Votes came in from across the country to decide the winner of the BMO Team of the Week contest and the Ladner Storm U10 Girls was awarded the title of BMO Team of the Week 2012 Champions.

Leading up to the final vote, Ladner Storm rallied, gaining the backing of their community and reaching out to local news outlets. The team pushed to win the final vote, beating out 14 other sides across Canada.

Now they are crowned champions, a mighty position atop the mountain of Canadian football’s youth level. These are the glory days in Ladner, BC, and the west coast club will be relishing every minute of the upcoming year as the BMO Team of the Week 2012 champions.

“It was exciting to be recognized as a finalist, but winning the Championship is an honour that means so much more,” said Robb Semler, Head Coach of the 44 October/November 2012

Ladner Storm. “A lot of people believed in us, and we saw incredible support. This win isn’t just for the team and the Ladner Girls Soccer Club. It’s for the community, and everyone who had faith in us.”

Earning the most votes and beating out the Ottawa Royals Futuro and the Valley Garden Rockets from Winnipeg, the Storm now revel in the spoils of victory. This will be a memory they will remember for years to come.

Ottawa Royal Futuro and the Valley Garden Rockets also get a special treat: getting decked out in MLS or Canadian national team jerseys for the whole team.

As for Ladner Storm, who already have been visited

by Whitecaps player Carlyle Mitchell, the spoils of the Championship became real in a Champion’s weekend hosted by BMO in Vancouver last month. The weekend included a branch celebration, where the team was presented with the $125,000 grand prize. Plus, the Storm was treated to a Whitecaps home game, which they watched from a private suite!

And in a true spirit of community, the team stayed local and picked BC Children’s Hospital as the recipient of a $5,000 donation from BMO. What they’ll do with the grand prize has yet to be decided, but it will go towards soccer field upgrades within the community. This could include new equipment, goal posts, field maintenance/upgrades, paint, stands and so much more. Rebuilding this center of the community not only gives the current crop of Storm players a top-class ground to play on, it also allows the sport to continue growing, giving future generations a place (rather, a palace!) to call home.

“Thank you to everyone who voted for us, and thank you to BMO for a gift and an experience that will never be forgotten. This prize will go a long way in Ladner,” added Semler.

The BMO Team of the Week competition ran from April 18-July 25. Each week, a team was chosen as the BMO Team of the Week and was given a variety of prizes, including pizza parties, soccer balls, new equipment, jerseys, and $500 to donate to a charity of their choice.

BMO celebrates youth soccer, encouraging Canadian sides to show team spirit as they continue to develop the sport across the nation.

THE REF’S NOT DEAF!!

OR BLIND!... OR BIASED! The 2012 OLYMPIC FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

BY LES JONES It was a bit of a five-ring circus. Commentators, fans and players castigated the referee after Canada lost to fierce rivals U.S.A. in the Olympic football semifinal.

Even FIFA got involved, declaring an investigation of the comments and actions of Canadian players, including Sinclair and Tancredi, post-match. The vitriol in the Canadian press exceeded even that usually reserved for the likes of Harold Ballard and other owners of The Toronto Maple Leafs.

The defeat was devastating and heartbreaking. The Norwegian referee, Cristiana Pedersen, first penalized goalkeeper Erin McLeod for time wasting and then awarded a penalty for hand-ball against Marie-Eve Nault from the free kick.

That led to Wambach’s equalizer with just 10 minutes to go.

The despair and frustration was exacerbated when the U.S. notched the winning goal and a berth in the Olympic Final during the last 30 seconds of addedtime. It extended Canada’s futile attempts to beat their local rivals to 27 games and 11 years and helped the US maintain its record of appearing in every Olympic final!!

Penalizing keepers for holding the ball more than six seconds died out with the dodo. To help speed up the game, referees do not call infringements, except in especially egregious circumstances. Goalkeepers now routinely handle the ball for 10 seconds or more, and no one can remember the last time it was declared an infraction.

So why Erin? For one, she was making a habit of it. With the score 1-1, twice she delayed releasing the ball, once for 16 seconds. At that stage of the game, it wasn’t intentional time-wasting, but an official did indicate to her that she should speed things 46 October/November 2012

up. With 11 minutes to go and a 3-2 lead after diving to catch the ball, she took 10 seconds before kicking downfield.

Normally that delay would be ignored but three strikes and you’re out. An indirect free kick was awarded inside the penalty area.

What really infuriated the press was that U.S. striker Abby Wambach put pressure on the referee by counting down, in the ref’s vicinity, the time the ball was in Erin’s possession – both on her fingers and out loud. She did it several times during the game, “because the U.S. was trailing and did not want to lose playing time to timewasting.” Canada would likely have done the same in the opposite circumstances.

As the free kick came towards the edge of the Canadian wall, Nault turned to shield her face, and the ball struck the back of her upper arm. It was an instinctive gesture, without any intent to handle the ball. But FIFA’s interpretation of the law leaves little room for leniency for instinctive responses. If your movements result in a hand-ball inside the penalty area, it is a penalty. Referees have little choice. Similarly, if players raise their hands, instinctively, to protect their face from a hard shot, it’s an infraction! Hand to ball!

Gord Arrowsmith, currently an MLS referee assessor, points out that the referee always has some flexibility, as most interpretations are preceded by the phrase “if in the opinion of the referee ….” However, the official has a split-second to react and doesn’t have the benefit of repeated, slowmotion replays.

In Nault’s case, the hand-ball was unfair

and unfortunate. If she hadn’t moved, the ball would still have bounced away. But until FIFA changes their definition of “intentional,” the penalty remains valid.

As with the indirect free kick, other circumstances made the decision particularly hard to bear. Rapinoe, the U.S. mid-fielder had clearly handled the ball some minutes earlier, but no call was made, adding to the perceived injustice and claims of biased refereeing.

The disappointment and the outrage are understandable. However, the Norwegian referee is a respected and impartial official, and she made the correct calls, as hard as it was on Canada. She should really be admired for making such contentious decisions at such a crucial time.

And what goes around comes around.

When Diana Matheson scored in the last minute of play against France to earn Canada an undeserved (based on that particular game) bronze medal, Kaylyn Kyle was in a blatantly offside position. She made strenuous efforts to avoid the ball hitting her (which would have resulted in an offside call), but surely when you are standing in the middle of the goal a few feet from both the goal-line and the goalkeeper, and the ball comes straight towards you, you are a distraction and interfering with play, even if you don’t touch the ball.

I don’t recall too many complaints by the Canadian media.

Two other Canadians appeared at two of the most prestigious football stadiums in the world during the Olympics: Carol Anne Chenard, with assistant referee Marie-Josee Charbonneau. They had a ‘fantastic’ experience and were wowed by ‘the electric atmosphere’. They officiated at the key Great Britain-Brazil game, won 1-0 by the hosts in front of over 70,000 at Wembley Stadium in London. They had previously been selected for the Columbia – (North) Korea DPR game at Hampden Park, Glasgow. This was the game where the South Korean flag was shown on the stadium screen when the teams were being announced. The North Korea team protested against this action by refusing to take to the pitch and as a result the kick-off was delayed for 40 minutes.

UP YOUR GAME

with Merit Sports at the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida

© Disney

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For more information, contact your Merit Sports Travel representative: Michael LeBlanc | 855.226.9233 | michael.leblanc@merit.ca meritsportstravel.com Please contact us for details. ON–4499356/4499372 | BC–33127/34799/34798 | QC–7002238 | 200–111 Peter Street, Toronto, ON M5V 2H1 | Canadian owned

FC EDMONTON

FCE striker Sérisay Barthélémy outruns Puerto Rico midfielder Osei Telesford at Clarke Stadium

NASL REALIGNMENT...

THE

HOW DOES IT AFFECT FC EDMONTON?

BY STEVEN SANDOR Photographs Courtesy of FC Edmonton

FC Edmonton missed the NASL playoffs in 2012. But, with six of eight teams making the postseason, the Eddies stayed in the chase until there were just three matches left in the schedule.

Next year, there will be no autumn plaNext year, there will be no autumn playoff races with mediocre-to-poor teams fighting for a No. 6 seed. As the 2012 NASL regular season wound down, the nine governors —including the New York Cosmos, who begin play in 2013 — 48 October/November 2012

unanimously voted in a radical change to the competition format.

The 2013 season will be split in two.

At the end of the first half, which will run from late March to early July, the winner gets a spot in the Soccer Bowl. A second half will be played from the end of July to

early November.

“There has not been a lot of feedback, yet,” said NASL commissioner David Downs. “This is a unique approach and a unique concept. We will have to wait and see how it works next season.”

Other than the Soccer Bowl, there will be no other post-season. No sixth-seed Cinderella stories, like the Minnesota Stars winning the title in 2011. But, in exchange, if a team has a bad start, it can begin anew in late July.

“I think the second half it will create some excitement if you are lower down in the standings or something like that,” said Eddies’ owner Tom Fath, who is bullish about the new format. “It will give you a fresh start.”

How does the schedule work?

In each half of the season, every team in the league faces the other clubs one time each at home, and one time each away. That means, if Minnesota remains in the NASL next season, and there is no further expansion, FC Edmonton would play 16 games in each of the halves. The New York Cosmos would come to Clarke Stadium once in the first half, and once in the second half. And the team would have to make two draining trips to Puerto Rico, one in the spring and another in the late summer/autumn.

Which team hosts the championship game?

Judging from feedback I have received and the talk shows I have done, this is the thorniest part of the proposal. As it stands, the spring champion gets to host the big game. Of course, that begs the big question, what is the first-half champ’s motivation to excel in the second half? From what I have been hearing from fans, they want to see the team with the best record over the

be especially beneficial to the Cosmos – which already has an internationally recognized brand.

And, the NASL clubs don’t have to worry about fixture congestion if they do line up some opponents from outside the continent.

Fath said booking friendlies is not something Edmonton is looking at doing for 2013 but that “no question that sometime in the future that we will be coming back to that.”

FCE Striker Kyle Porter

two halves of the season get home-field advantage, which gives the first-half champ reason not to rest players in the second half.

How does it affect FC Edmonton?

Won’t canceling almost all of the playoffs hurt the league financially?

No. In fact, when Minnesota went to the final last year, it cost a lot. NASL has no huge TV deal. So, when a team gets to the playoffs, it will likely stage some money-losing games or have to go on bank account-draining road trips.

Because you can’t book playoffs well in advance like regular-season matches, flights and hotels cost more.

A road game can cost a team roughly

match. It cuts the travel cost significantly.

With the new format, there will be no more Puerto Rico double-dips. So FCE is guaranteed two draining trips to the far side of the Caribbean in 2013. That’s roughly 18 hours worth of flying and connecting. It usually takes three flights to get the team from Edmonton to San Juan.

So there are tradeoffs.

What will starting the season in March mean?

With the season starting so early, and FCE guaranteed not to play a home game until at least the third week of April, it means the Eddies will start the year on an extended road trip.

But, there are positives. Starting at the same time as MLS does means that the Eddies will be on the same preseason cycle as the MLS teams. The Eddies hold their preseason camp in Casa Grande, Ariz., a facility used by many MLS clubs.

If they are on the same sked, the Eddies could get some preseason matches

What if the same team wins each half?

Then the Soccer Bowl opponent will be the club with the second-best record in the NASL over the two halves. Of course, the game would be hosted by the first-half winner.

What do teams do with a month off in July?

First, the focus is to allow the teams the chance to sign players with the transfer window being open. Teams can have new training camps, integrate the new players, and try to fix what they thought was broken in the first half of their season.

And, because places like Edmonton, Minnesota and New York City can get awfully cold in the winter months, there’s no chance of adjusting the calendar to match the Europeans.

“We definitely have to build it around the reality of our North American winters.

That’s why we are splitting it when we are,” said Fath.

As well, with most of July off, teams can try and attract European touring clubs. We know that MLS’ July schedule is jammed with league matches and friendlies. In NASL, clubs can now go out and try to book friendlies, which might Edmonton FC’s Paul Hamilton attempts a diving tackle against the Minnesota Stars Justin Davis

Kyle Porter (left) and Kenny Caceros fight for possession as FC Edmonton takes on the Carolina RailHawks at Clarke Stadium $20,000. Now, with no playoffs, only one team – the visitor in the Soccer Bowl – will have to go on the road on an expensive itinerary.

But, each team will have to make two trips a year to New York, one of the world’s most expensive cities, and two punishing trips to Puerto Rico. Edmonton prefers to play Puerto Rico twice on one road trip, as it did in 2011: You get to the Caribbean in midweek, play a game, and then stay a couple of days and then play a weekend

against MLS opposition, not struggling to find games against semi-pro or NCAA squads, which, frankly, don’t provide the level of competition FCE needs.

And, FCE has not done well in two years’ worth of Amway Canadian Championship appearances. The April games come so early in the Eddies’ season.

If the Canadian Soccer Association keeps the ACC to a similar schedule in 2013, the Eddies will now have far more league matches under their belts by the time the tourney starts. And that will help the Eddies’ competitiveness.

InsideSOCCER 49

FIT FACTS

SOCCER WITH HEART

BY RICHARD BUCCIARELLI A common challenge among fitness coaches working with soccer players is the ability to accurately monitor and quantify the intensity of their workouts.

Heart rate monitors, which record the heart rate in beats per minute (BPM – the number of times the heart beats in one minute), are an efficient and accurate way for these measurements to be taken. This article will discuss the rationale for using heart rate monitoring, as well as feature some popular and common methods of heart rate monitoring and how they are applicable to soccer.

Why Measure Heart Rate in Soccer?

So that working muscles may continue to contract and move when exercising, one’s heart rate must increase in order for the heart muscle to supply enough oxygenated blood to those working muscles. During an intermittent sport like soccer, players will perform several hundred different actions over the course of a 90-minute game, with a change in activity – and intensity – happening every 3-5 seconds. These short, intermittent bursts of activity affect the heart rate by 50 October/November 2012

continuously raising and lowering it in response to the raised/lowered energy demands of each activity. The resulting heart rate may be very high (>= 200 BPM) at times, and very low (<=100 BPM) at others. In a recent study by Helgerud et al (2008) the average heart rates of 26 players playing in both the English Premier League and the UEFA Champion’s League was 180-190 BPM during games.

Players in this study covered an average of 8-12 kilometers at approximately 8090 percent of their maximum heart rates throughout the games they played.

Monitoring players’ heart rates during training is important in order for fitness coaches to ensure that the intensity of training is high enough to match or exceed the intensities experienced during competitive matches, as described above. If players’ heart rates are too low during training, they will never achieve the improvements in aerobic endurance necessary to be able to compete at higher levels of play.

Conversely, consistently high heart rates during training, specifically during

interval training, may indicate that the recovery periods between intervals are not long enough to facilitate adequate recovery, which can also compromise results and performance.

Several different methods of monitoring heart rate are currently being used by fitness coaches and sports scientists working with athletes. Three in particular have garnered acceptance from athletes, including soccer players, in training and competition: 1.

2.

3.

Heart rate monitor with chest strap sensor Wrist watch heart rate monitor with finger sensor Wrist watch heart rate monitor with built-in sensor

Below is a brief summary of each method of heart rate monitoring, including advantages and disadvantages of their use in soccer.

1. Heart rate monitor with chest strap sensor

This is the most conventional and traditional method of monitoring heart rate during exercise. There are several different models of heart rate monitors that use straps wrapped around the athlete’s chest, which record heart rate and send the information either to a wrist watch and/or to software programs for analysis. Polar and Suunto, two companies based out of Finland, sell sets of 10-20 straps, plus software programs that are in use by several professional and college teams throughout North America and Europe.

ADVANTAGES • the chest straps provide very accurate heart rate measurements • the software programs provide coaches and athletes with detailed summaries and analysis of the heart rate data recorded .

DISADVANTAGES • chest strap can be uncomfortable to put-on/take-off, and wear • straps are time-consuming to use with a full team • straps require cleaning and sanitizing after every use

2. Wrist Watch with Finger Sensor

Using a relatively new technology, these watches provide accurate heart rate measurements without the use of chest straps. The original watch with finger-sensor technology, developed

by Canadian inventor Liz Dickinson and marketed through her company, Mio, has been on the market for more than five years now. Athletes wearing the watch can check their heart rate by holding their fingers to the small sensors on the watch face for 4-6 seconds to get a reading.

ADVANTAGES • the finger sensor technology provides an accurate and (relatively) quick heart rate reading • the watch is used without chest strap, so it is easier to use, and requires much less cleaning/maintenance DISADVANTAGES • sensors only provide a reading when they are toughed/held, so it is not possible to get continuous heart rate recordings with this watch • it takes 4-6 seconds to get a reading, making it difficult to obtain any instantaneous measurements of exercise intensity

by Liz Dickenson, this product uses revolutionary electro-optical technology that shines a light through the skin in the wrist and measures the impedance – or interruption – of that light in order to read athletes’ heart rates. This extraordinarily unique technology has been proven to be ECG (electrocardiogram) accurate at running speeds up to 12-20 mph.

The Alpha watch impressed us so much at Soccer Fitness that we have decided to include it in our Treadmill and Plyometric training sessions at the Soccer Fitness Training Centre. Its functionality and ease of use mean that we can now continuously and accurately measure our athletes’ exercising heart rates throughout their treadmill, plyometric and strength training workouts. Among the many useful measurements the Alpha watch allows us to take are:

• •

•

•

•

heart rate response during warm-ups average heart rates during high speed, high incline treadmill workouts peak heart rate during maximal speed treadmill running heart rate recovery during breaks between treadmill/plyometric intervals heart rate recovery post-exercise during cool-downs

Richard Bucciarelli is the Owner and Director of the Soccer Fitness Training Centre, located on the 2nd floor of Trio Sportsplex at 601 Cityview Blvd. in Vaughan. A new feature of the training protocols at the Centre during the Fall 2012 season will be the Alpha strapless heart rate watch. For more information, please visit www.soccerfitness.ca.

           

3. Wrist Watch with Built-In Sensor

This revolutionary new product, called the Alpha, combines the best features of both the chest strap (continuous monitoring) and finger sensor (convenience and ease of use) methods described above. Also invented

   

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   

A new feature of the training protocols at the Centre during the Fall 2012 season will be the Alpha strapless heart rate watch.    

   

       

   

     

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INAUGURAL FESTIVAL OF FOOTBALL

BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN KICKS OFF! Photographs Courtesy of Festival of Football

The first thing you notice at the inaugural Festival of Football, held at Eglinton Flats, is the smell of soccer grass.

It’s a very distinct smell, not like the grass in a park, or a golf course, or even a freshly mowed backyard lawn.

This is the smell of grassroots soccer: leather shoes, polyester shirts, an intoxicating mix of kicked-up dirt and sweat—a familiar ode to the soccer lover’s senses. It doesn’t hurt that a trio of food trucks serving up gourmet burgers, fish tacos and cupcakes were parked on the grounds for the day, each giving off a unique and appetizing aroma throughout.

The sights and sounds of soccer were also in full force. The dull thud! of numerous footballs being booted, the familiar swish! of a goal well placed, and the ever-present “Man on!” that precedes each and every ‘umph!” as a beautiful slide tackle rips the player of possession. Each field, perfectly mowed, freshly painted and picture-perfect green, hosting team after team but holding up for each and every game.

52 October/November 2012

In the centre of it all, Diana Matheson, recent bronze-medal winner with the Canadian Women’s National Team at the 2012 London Olympics, sits at a table, her bronze medal in full sight, signing autographs and sharing a laugh with the old and the new generation of soccer supporters. Former Canadian International, Craig Forrest, made an appearance as well and was all smiles.

A shrine to Canadian football, adorned with pictures and jerseys, gave fans an upclose look at the history of soccer in this country. Along with numerous games and activities sprinkled across the grounds, the Festival of Football had a little bit of everything for every kind of soccer fan.

It’s a rare sight to see in Toronto, but with the Festival of Football, the soccer movement in this city, which was kicked off by the introduction of professional soccer with Toronto FC, has sparked a new interest in an already popular sport. It’s this renewed interest that has extended past TFC and spread to all facets of Canadian soccer.

The Festival of Football is the first of its kind for Toronto, but it’s also one of many fundraising events in the city. Where hockey, bicycling and running have made great strides, the Festival of Football hopes to replicate. Its support goes to West Park Healthcare Centre’s $100 million “I CAN” campus development plan.

The I CAN Campaign is the largest fundraising campaign in adult rehabilitation

in Ontario and will raise funds for the hospital’s new state-of-the-art Patient Care Centre, enabling 9,000 Ontarians per year to live life to the fullest.

With the backing of the community, as well as corporate sponsors Heineken and Inaria, Festival of Football played host to roughly 60 teams and 600 players. With this high a turnout, the first Festival of Football was a great success. Its mission, to prove that soccer can fundraise on the same level as other sports, was clear throughout the event.

“The Foundation was thrilled with the turnout for this launch event. Incorporating ‘Football/Soccer’ into our fundraising approach helped us to reach many new communities, businesses, media and individuals,” said Mike Fenton, Executive Director, West Park Healthcare Centre Foundation. “In addition, by promoting our Campus Development Plan, we were able to broaden the awareness of West Park Healthcare Centre and our mandate to become the leader in rehabilitative care in Ontario.”

With great food, entertainment, celebrity guests, inspirational speakers (many of whom are connected to West Park Healthcare Centre) and a rich history of soccer newly rejuvenated, the Festival of Football was a pleasure to attend for this soccer writer.

To top off a day of football fun were the West Park Healthcare Centre patients themselves, who held their own and played

against other teams, showing the quality of the centre’s care.

The second Festival of Football will be hosted in the summer of 2013 and it promises to be bigger than ever. With a solid first year, the Festival of Football has become a key fundraising event in Toronto.

Make sure to attend next year’s Festival of Football in 2013!

CANADIAN SOCCER LEAGUE: AN UPDATE ON WHERE IT FITS IN THE CANADIAN PRO SOCCER LANDSCAPE Q&A WITH CSL MEDIA DIRECTOR, STAN ADAMSON

BY STEVEN SANDOR Photographs by Carol Kan & Cam Vassallo

The Canadian Soccer League (CSL) – Canada’s only pro league, which has its foundation in Southern Ontario – has had to deal with many, many issues this year, including allegations that surfaced out of the 2011 trial of Croat match-fixers Ante Sapina and Marijo Cvrtak.

The two were convicted of being part of a global ring that rigged results around the world — including a Sept. 12, 2009, game that saw Toronto Croatia lose 4-1 to the Trois-Rivieres Attak, the then-farm team of the Montreal Impact.

“The Canadian Soccer Association is taking the lead on the matter and will be working with FIFA,” CSL chairman Vincent Ursini said back in 2011. “They are waiting for the German court case to complete its findings.”

When CBC aired a 14-minute documentary on match-fixing in the CSL in September of 2012, the CSL was still waiting on FIFA. Inside Soccer contacted FIFA after the CBC special aired and soccer’s world governing body issued the following statement to the magazine.

“FIFA is aware of the game that you refer to, and is of course also well versed with the ‘Bochum Trial,’” the statement read. “ F I FA has a zero-tolerance policy [towards match

FIFA may be involved in, whether they are related to disciplinary issues, match-fixing, or other forms of legal disputes, we are not able to provide large amounts of detail prior to their respective conclusion. The topic you refer to has been discussed between FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association.”

But, while the CSL cannot speak to the match-fixing case while FIFA’s investigation continues, the league’s director of media and public relations, Stan Adamson, took time to discuss where the league stands as it ends the 2012 campaign.

IS: With three Canadian teams in MLS, one in NASL – and another one to come – what gap does the CSL fill in the Canadian pro soccer scene?

SA: With soccer now so deep-rooted throughout the country, many communities are eager to have something more than a senior amateur level and an affordable second level semi-professional team.

The CSL fits very well with the economic realities of the usually prohibitive high cost associated with upper professional sports.

To sustain a team of mostly professional players, even with the modest incomes associated with part-time professionals, still requires serious capital, demands a strong marketing program and a well prepared business plan. Looking at the CSL from a national perspective, the much-needed stronger Canadian professional soccer structure encouraged by FIFA President Sepp Blatter during that rare FIFA visit to Canada now 12 years ago, the CSL plays a role of augmenting the compact top-tier threesome of Montreal Impact, Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps, together with FC Edmonton, Canada’s only member of the new second tier NASL. IS: While the league has lost a couple of teams over the last couple of years – it actually has enlarged its footprint in southern Ontario, has it not?

fixing] and our objective, as stated by FIFA’s Director of Security Ralf Mutschke, is longterm success in order to make the sport of football cleaner.

“FIFA is engaged in discussions with many Member Associations around the world currently, either with regard to historical or current cases, or in regard to organising workshops and seminars, working together with Member Associations to discuss how best to tackle the global problem of match-fixing.

“As with many different forms of cases that

SA: The Canadian Soccer League structure, its skill level and its modus operandi is somewhere between first-entry pro soccer and the top-flight Canadian teams in MLS. Precisely where the league is positioned is not important, but what is important is the extent to which and why the league is adding more teams each year —10 teams in 2007, 28 in two divisions in 2012 — and why it is attracting a large number of good players from Canada and elsewhere who see the skill level as a stepping stone, providing an increased InsideSOCCER 53

opportunity to be recognized by nationalteam selectors in an environment that accelerates their development.

IS: First, let’s talk about the CSL’s role in Canadian player development. Who are some of the players who have benefited by playing in the CSL? SA: Today, player development is very much a part of the CSL culture, and the CSL clubs have been home to more than 40 players selected for various national teams during the past three seasons.

Bermuda-born Andre Manders, a 26-yearold fullback with the CSL’s York Region Shooters, told us he attributes his selection to the Bermudian National Team CSL experience.

“Playing for the Shooters, definitely helped me get into the national team of Bermuda and probably helped me get into the starting 11,” he said. “Playing here has helped me physically and mentally.”

Manders is not the first player with the York Region Shooters to make a national team. The Shooters, Ali Hanam, played for Lebanon. Atiba Hutchinson is probably their best known and most outstanding success, having played (many) times for Canada.

Brampton City United goalkeeper Adam Janssen was selected for Canada’s U-23, making his debut against the United States in 2011. Canadian national team centre back Doneil Henry captained the Toronto FC Academy team in the CSL for two seasons, and several Toronto FC Academy players have been selected for Canada’s youth teams, the most recent being centre

back Nikola Paunic, who also played for Serbian White Eagles, centre back Skylar Thomas, fullback Dino Gardner (who just made the move to FC Edmonton, but was earlier with York Region Shooters), full back Jordan Murrell, defender Tyler Pasher, and midfielders Keven Aleman, Bryce Alderson and Oscar Cordon. Earlier selections for one of Canada’s national teams were Justin Maheu, Sergio Camargo, Jonathan Lao, Brennan McNichol, Matthew Stinson and Ashtone Morgan.

Odaine Demar, 19, of the CSL’s Capital City FC in 2011, was selected for the Jamaican U-20 national team for the CONCACAF championships, and the Ottawa-based team also had Julien Edwards and Taylor Benjamin selected for Guyana. Kingston FC, a new team in the CSL First Division, has Stephane Emard, who has been named to the St. Lucia team for the Gold Cup qualifiers.

The Montreal Impact Academy, also playing in the CSL First Division, has several players selected for one of Canada’s national youth teams, the most recent being former players Alessandro Riggi and Stefan Vukovic, the CSL’s leading scorer in 2011 who has played for the Montreal club’s academy side following a stint with TFC Academy. Invited to the U-20 national team camp early September for upcoming games against Trinidad and Tobago were Kevin Luarca and Kai Morton. Earlier, striker Reda Agourram was selected to represent Canada at the youth level and so was midfielder Pierre-

Several Toronto FC Academy players (red) have been selected for Canada¹s youth teams.

54 October/November 2012

Rudolph Mayard and former Trois-Rivieres Attak player defender Karl Ouimette (who is now in MLS). Aron Mkungilwa is currently with Canada’s U-17s.

Goalkeeper Quillan Roberts was moved up from the TFC Academy team to the first team, as were Doneil Henry, Oscar Cordon, Nicholas Lindsay, Ashtone Morgan, Keith Makubuya. And FC Edmonton has former London City striker Elvir Gigolaj and Capital City FC midfielder Kenny Caceros.

IS: TFC Academy has been with CSL since 2008. Why is it better for the club’s teenagers to play men in the CSL rather than other teenagers in an elite youth league?

SA: When Toronto FC decided to enter their first academy team in the CSL in 2008 after studying the soccer landscape, it was for reasons of the league’s skill level, pace of the game and the tough competitive nature.

I have this quote from Toronto FC Director of Business Operations Paul Beirne: “When we needed to find a league that would test the mettle of the best players in the academy, we wanted something that would test them technically, physically, and tactically – after all, in most countries in the world U18s are in professional environments — but, at the same time, wouldn’t jeopardize their amateur status and the CSL was an ideal fit.” While the CSL adds teams and more good players, it is anxious to form an academy environment to utilize the broader technical and important peripheral skills in a league enriched by those with solid, deep experience in high-level soccer in other parts of the world. To interface this often hidden dimension of the CSL with the competition makes for an effective player development program from which young players can benefit enormously.

According to Paul Beirne, Toronto FC’s Director of Business Operations at the time, Toronto FC decided to enter their first academy team in the CSL in 2008 after studying the soccer landscape; it was for reasons of the league’s skill level, pace of the game and the tough competitive nature.

Recently, Thomas Rongen, the Academy Director for Toronto FC and former U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team head coach, said he prefers the CSL to the highly touted United States Soccer Development Academy, where the competition is considered to be the top tier of youth soccer in the United States. The USSDA includes youth clubs from MLS, the NASL and the USL. “I think the success from our (academy teams)

in-the-making, and he’s someone that we think we can build our 2013 Kingston FC team around.”

SC Toronto president Isac Cambas made the trip to Colombia to put 20-year-old Janer Guaza Lucumi under contract after he was selected for the Colombian U-20 national team.

Rade Novkovic (red) a 32 year old pro with the CSL’s London City, battles it out in a tough encounter that ended in a 2-2 tie on June 15.

IS: While all that is well and good, how does the league ensure that these players – especially the Eastern European imports -- aren’t affiliated with match fixers?

Considering the allegations against Croatia, touting your connections with Eastern Europe makes you look like you are turning a blind eye to reality. is because our guys are used to playing against faster and quicker guys,” Rongen told TopDrawerSoccer.com in an interview.

[Editor’s Note: Rongen was not referencing Toronto FC’s record; he was referring, instead, to Toronto FC academy teams].

IS: The Mississauga Eagles, which joined CSL in 2011, has enjoyed particular success exporting players to Europe. Coach Josef Komlodi said, “playing in the CSL Second and First Division helped these players polish their skills and abilities to play on the highest international levels.” Komlodi’s Hungarian roots show with the club: The logo is a green eagle similar to that of Hungary’s most famous club, Ferencvaros.

Talk about the Eagles’ talent factory.

SA: Mississauga Eagles FC, the CSL pro team within the Erin Mills Soccer Club, has transferred several players, while others are on trial in Europe. The most recent successes are Gil Hong and Christian Kusiewicz, transferred to the Hungarian First Division Club Gyori ETO FC, a team best known for reaching the semi-finals of the European Cup 1964-65. Andrew Ornoch, the Mississauga Eagles FC midfielder, signed for SC Telstar of the Netherlands in 2011, and Igor Pisanjuk signed for Kecskemet FC of the Hungarian First Division (after he played for Ferencvaros). Other Mississauga Eagles FC players on trial this summer were goalkeeper Matt George, David James, Antoine Paul, Tristan Scott and Thomas Szczotka.

IS: Can you name other clubs that have been able to export players recently?

SA: Waterloo transferred Captain Haris Fazlagic, a very good striker, to FK Slavija in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while St. Catharines Wolves gave a send-off this year to Fidan Nika to FC Heidenheim of the

German second division; Danny Dragoi, a midfielder with Windsor Stars, has been playing for Kastrioti Kruje of the Albania Superliga and Chris Suta played for UTA Arad of the Romanian Second Division; Adrian Butters and Jordan Webb spent time developing with York Region Shooters before playing professionally in Singapore; and Rick Heron played in Jamaica.

IS: But you have been able to import players, as well?

SA: Today, CSL clubs are home to more than 40 players selected for various national teams during the past three seasons.

Some players moving into the CSL from other parts of the world have often been young fringe players with high profile clubs, while some are veterans, having played at the highest level, and arrive in Canada to play in the CSL while in the twilight of their careers. Sasa Viciknez, the crafty playmaker and goal scorer with Serbian White Eagles, who played in the European Champions League, fits the latter category, while Vitaliy Sidorov, a 22-year-old talented midfielder from Novosibirsk, Russia’s third largest city located in Siberia, who signed for Kingston FC in August, enters the CSL as a stepping stone to a higher level.

For an expansion club like Kingston FC, the opportunity to sign a young professional with Vitaliy’s international experience was one we leapt at, and we think we hit the jackpot,” recalls Lorne Abugov, the Kingston FC’s chairman who joined in late stage negotiations through a Russian translator.

“Vitaliy has brought a package of highlevel technical skills, tactics, soccer sense, dedication and maturity that are rare in a 22-year-old and his team-mates are that much better for having the chance to train and play alongside a gifted young CSL star-

SA: Absolutely not true. First of all, we’re talking about one case on record, and it would be patently unfair to say that one instance of corruption defines all of Eastern Europe. That said, however, we’re not blind to what is a despicable event. The price-fixing scandal is an issue that hurts the CSL and the beautiful game itself – not to mention the fact that it is illegal. We are committed to working with the clubs to prevent this type of activity from ever occurring. We are dedicated to making sure our players don’t get involved in these kinds of things, and the best way of doing that is to let everyone know that we will do anything we can to ensure that players who engage in these nefarious actions never play soccer again.

IS: Can the CSL capitalize on the Canadian women’s bronze-medal success in the 2012 London Olympics?

SA: The CSL is making a bid to launch a much-needed first ever Canadian women’s professional league, after watching women’s soccer grow in Canada horizontally, more of the same at the amateur level, but with no vertical expansion similar to that which has occurred in the United States.

Stan Adamson is the media director with the Canadian Soccer League, after holding a similar position with the Toronto Lynx, while a member of the Division One USL. He has published two newspapers, including the nationally distributed The Soccer News; has served on the board of the Canadian Soccer Association, while chair of the CSA Professional Soccer Committee; was earlier on the board of the Ontario Soccer Association and the Toronto Soccer Association, where today he is a Life Member.

InsideSOCCER 55

WHITECAPS FC

NSDC: A LEGACY PROJECT IN THE MAKING

BY MARTIN MACMAHON

Photographs by Bob Frid/Vancouver Whitecaps FC

In order for a plant to grow, the conditions must be right. Good soil, enough water, decent exposure to sunlight – and, of course, the quality of the seed must be up to par.

It’s no different when it comes to the development of elite soccer talent.

For far too long in Canada, the infrastructure hasn’t been there. Strong talent can spring up at any time, as it can in any corner of the globe, but if there’s no place to go, that potential will most likely

56 October/November 2012

shrivel up and disappear.

It’s an all-too-familiar story in this country, with gifted prospects regularly turning away from the game due to hitting a brick wall – perceiving, often accurately, that there’s nowhere meaningful to go.

While the mission to create a formulaic

road from youth soccer to the professional ranks (and eventually on to the national team) in this country is still very much a work in progress, the announcement in early September of a planned National Soccer Development Centre at the University of British Columbia, to be fully operational by 2015, is a step in the right direction.

The facility will include five new or upgraded fields – three grass, two artificial – as well as a fieldhouse, and will function as a base for the Vancouver Whitecaps, as well as the men’s and women’s national teams.

The ‘Caps are backing this $32.5-million project in a big way, essentially financing half the project with a contribution of $15-million. The British Columbia government is chipping in $14.5-million, and UBC is providing land for the project, valued at $3 million.

The club will use the facilities just under half the time, with “more than 50 percent” of field time going toward community use.

Between the Whitecaps’ men’s, women’s and ever expanding residency and youth programs, there was a major need for a permanent facility.

The men’s team in particular was screaming out for a proper training field, having practiced on a number of pitches throughout Metro Vancouver over its first two seasons without basic amenities like showers and change rooms.

Such was the situation in Year 1, that players would often train at a grass field at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex, before carpooling over to the temporary stadium at Empire Field and jumping in showers set up in a portable.

Things have improved slightly with the opening of the newly renovated BC Place, as the team often trains there and has access to the basic essentials most professional athletes come to expect, but the team doesn’t train there every time, meaning the same basic problems still exist.

Apart from the practical side of things, there are other issues at play which made the facility literally mandatory – when the club was awarded an MLS franchise in 2009, it said it would develop a training base.

Three years later and the Whitecaps were hearing plenty from the league office, wondering exactly when this facility was going to spring up.

“It was a condition when we applied to get into MLS,” club president Bob Lenarduzzi said following the announcement. “We assumed

Bob Lenarduzzi, President, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

that the training facility was going to happen much sooner, and they understandably asked questions about that, so this is a fulfillment of what we had committed to do when we were accepted into MLS.” The club, in all of its various forms since 1974, has never really had a permanent soccer-specific facility, so it has been trying for about seven years to secure a base.

“It’s been 38 years that I’ve been in the sport at this club, and we have never had a place to call home,” Lenarduzzi said. “With the national team, we were training at the local parks – big potholes. You can have the best players in the world, but if you don’t have the facilities to properly prepare, it’s going to be a massive miss.”

There were a number of possibilities on the table, with plans to set up a similarly priced structure in Delta announced in 2009.

That plan never got off the ground, with that municipality claiming the public would not get enough access to the proposed facility. Advanced talks also took place to set up a facility in Burnaby, but ultimately UBC won out.

“It’s a great setting – a beautiful campus,” Whitecaps head coach Martin Rennie said following the announcement. “It’s a lot quieter than some of the places (where) we train, so that’s important for coaching and the players. It’s a great location, and it just adds to the quality of the facility.”

Top training facilities are also a selling point for convincing big name players to come to the city, according to the club.

“The idea of playing on turf, the actual games – not a big deal for players,” Lenarduzzi said. “But the idea of not being able to get on a good grass field – I think most players just assumed it would be the case, and nobody really asked the question.

“We had hoped that this facility would have been announced three or four years ago, long before we got into MLS. So the

fact we now have it – there’s no question it helps our recruitment of players.”

While the team practiced on grass quite frequently during its first season in MLS, this campaign has seen that number reduced, with most training sessions on artificial turf at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex or at BC Place.

“It’s not something that the media would have been that aware of,” Lenarduzzi said.

“The majority of our away games are on grass surfaces, so if we can’t train on a good grass surface before we go there, that’s a competitive advantage for the team we’re playing against.”

The team will have a number of practices at UBC before the 2012 MLS season is out, with training sessions moving there full-time for the 2013 campaign at a temporary clubhouse after the first phase of construction wraps up.

But it’s not all about the Whitecaps – the national program is also set to be a beneficiary of finally having a proper training ground – specifically the women’s team, which has essentially been based in Vancouver under head coach John Herdman.

Lenarduzzi said. “This is certainly something that fulfils that objective, and we feel like we now have a place that not only the Whitecaps, but our national teams can call home.”

Under Herdman, who lives in Vancouver, the women’s team held a number of training camps on the West Coast ahead of winning bronze at the London 2012 Olympics – the

With the national team, we were training at the local parks – big potholes. You can have the best players in the world, but if you don’t have the facilities to properly prepare, it’s going to be a massive miss.”

Bob Lenarduzzi team also qualified for that tournament here, as Vancouver hosted the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic qualifying tournament.

“We achieved a bronze medal, but one of the things that will always nag at me is -- would we have achieved gold if we had a decent facility to train in consistently when in our residency program?” Herdman pondered following the announcement.

From left to right: Louise Cowin – vice president, students for University of British Columbia, Chelsea Buckland, Women’s National Team Head Coach John Herdman, Minister Ida Chong, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC President Bob Lenarduzzi Like the Whitecaps and MLS, the facility fulfills mandated requirements ahead of the 2015 Women’s World Cup, which will be hosted in Canada, with Vancouver touted by some as a possible destination for the final.

“One of our core objectives is growing the sport in British Columbia and Canada,”

“Without the sirens, without the balls from other fields hitting us on the head?”

Soon, those sorts of questions will thankfully be part of Canadian soccer history.

InsideSOCCER 57

MONTREAL IMPACT

THE MAKING OF THE IMPACTIN MLS

BY NICK SABETTI Photographs Courtesy of IMPACT DE MONTRÉAL

The Montreal media wasn’t invited to Saputo Stadium for a press conference on that July morning last year.

Montreal Impact President Joey Saputo, Sporting Director Nick De Santis and Director of Soccer Operations Matt Jordan simply wanted to chat.

Only a few months away from beginning the MLS entry process, the Impact felt they needed to give the media an overview of the league’s rules

58 October/November 2012

and procedures and explain how the club was preparing for the jump to a bigger and better league.

At the time, the Impact was having a torrid time in their last season in the North American Soccer League. With rampant cynicism amongst the fans about whether or not the men upstairs

would actually be able to build a good side in MLS, Saputo, De Santis and Jordan wanted to assure the media and fans that they had a handle on things, and that they knew what they were doing.

Since the Impact was going to need to essentially build a whole new team from scratch, De Santis stressed the importance of having good contacts in football circles both in North America and around the world.

Most of the players, however, were going to come from the United States, which is why when it came to hiring a coach, the Impact eventually picked Jesse Marsch. Though Marsch had never actually been a head coach before, he played for over a decade in MLS and worked as an assistant under Bob Bradley with the American national team. His very extensive knowledge of players and personnel in the American market made him an ideal candidate.

De Santis also explained that if the team was going to be successful, it would need three key players, or “difference makers”: one at center back, one in the center of midfield and one in the attack.

But these high quality impact players weren’t going to come from the MLS expansion draft and the MLS Superdraft, nor were they going to be easy to find in the rest of the North American market.

Having good contacts in the major

Defender Matteo Ferrari

football markets in both Europe and South America was going to be crucial. It was also something De Santis claimed the club had been working on for some time.

“We’ve built good relationships,” he said. “In South America, we have met with people who have good connections in Colombia, Argentina and Paraguay.

We built a good relationship with Fiorentina in Italy, and we have already had several discussions and meetings with their technical staff and sporting director. We’ve also made good contacts in Scandinavia and elsewhere in Europe.

“These are the kind of things that we’re trying to work on and to this end we hope to be able to bring in the best possible players.”

The networking efforts began to show their fruits in October when the Impact signed former Inter Milan defender Nelson Rivas, the team’s first signing in MLS. When the expansion draft in November and the MLS Superdraft in December failed to create significant fanfare in Montreal, Saputo and De Santis became determined to look for a designated player.

In February they went to Bolonga to meet with Marco Di Vaio, who would become the Impact’s first DP. “Good contacts make for great meetings, (and) thanks to VV and GP we

may have found our guy,” said Saputo via his Twitter account.

Giuseppe Pezzano (“GP”) lives in Seattle and has been a consultant for the Impact over the last few years. He’s helped the team foster relationships with different clubs in Italy, especially Fiorentina, who played the Impact in a friendly at Saputo Stadium in 2010.

Pezzano has also helped organize camps for the Impact academy and preseason training camps for the Impact first team in Florence.

But arguably his most important contribution has been helping the Impact meet and acquire players in Italy, most notably Marco Di Vaio, who greeted Pezzano like a relative when he arrived at Montreal’s Trudeau airport in June.

When Saputo and De Santis were in Bologna for Di Vaio, they were also notified of the availability of Italian defender Matteo Ferrari. Ferrari eventually signed with the Impact a few weeks later and has become one of MLS’ best defenders this season.

Signing Di Vaio and Ferrari would also pave the way for the acquisition of forward Bernardo Corradi, who played a big hand in helping an initially thin Impact attack at the beginning of the season.

But the Impact really made its mark in Europe when the club signed defender Alessandro Nesta in July. Nesta came to

visit his childhood friend Di Vaio in late June when the Impact took on Toronto FC at Saputo Stadium. With the Impact losing the game 0-3 and the team’s defensive woes hitting new lows, Saputo approached Nesta immediately after the game and signed him.

Between the drafts, the trades during the season and the European acquisitions, the Impact have already built a strong side during its expansion season, one that would only just fall short of making the playoffs.

Agents in Italy and across Europe are now familiar with the Impact and know that it is a place where players could potentially ply their trade in the future.

Di Vaio and Nesta have already been contacted numerous times by players in Italy who have shown a great deal of interest in playing for the Impact, and when the European transfer market opens in January, many players will surely come calling.

A lot of work has been done over the last few years to network with important people in different circles across the football world, and the Impact are now reaping the benefits of their efforts.

Saputo and De Santis have shown that they’re up to task. A solid foundation has been laid, and the Impact will surely only get stronger for it.

Marco Di Vaio

InsideSOCCER 59

CDS ATHELETE RECEIVES MULTIPLE DIVISION 1 OFFERS

BY KIM SILCOX

Photographs by Stan Behal

Bennett Jull doesn’t quite qualify as a CDS lifer, but he comes close. Having started his journey at The Country Day School in King, Ont. in Grade 1, he left for a year in Grade 11 to pursue his dream of professional soccer, and then returned for Grade 12, graduating this past June.

60 October/November 2012

Throughout his CDS experience, Bennett was known for his athletic prowess, and eventually came to split his time playing on CDS and Toronto Club teams, focusing on soccer in particular.

As a top-ranked high school defender, Bennett received multiple NCAA Division I offers this spring to play soccer south of the border. He has accepted a full scholarship to Robert Morris University outside Pittsburgh, Penn., and left his home in Schomberg, Ont. earlier this month for training camp.

Bennett’s soccer highlight at CDS was captaining Mr. Nugent’s CISAA winning team in 2010 where he “learned a great deal about leadership.” However, it was during his Grade 11 year that his skill set

really developed when he was invited to play full-time with the Toronto Football Club Academy, which meant leaving CDS for a year. Bennett tried out last summer for both the French PSG team outside Paris and the Borussia Dortmund team in Germany, and while the interest was there for him to return and play, he thought long and hard about his choices.

“I decided that there was a lot to gamble on by taking the professional route,” recalls Bennett. “My parents and I agreed that I wanted to attend university and get a business degree to fall back on. In order to best achieve this, we decided I would come back and finish my final year at CDS.” Last September Bennett returned to play defender for the CDS Cyclones and also for the Soccer Club of Toronto (SC Toronto), travelling to tournaments across the United States. Despite his busy club soccer schedule, he did his best to be at practices and games with his school team. His CDS coaches Walter Guerra and Sandy Townsend agree that Bennett was “one of the few players in the league that had the skills to change the flow of a game with one single play. We knew Bennett would be our key defensive player at the beginning of the year and built a strategy around his ability to take charge of the back line.”

Bennett’s decision positioned him nicely for exploring NCAA Division I university soccer programs. With the guidance of David Huckvale, CDS’ Director of Admission and University Placement, Bennett and his parents researched all 204 DI programs online, focusing on the Northeast and schools that offered strong business programs.

Eventually they narrowed it down to 25 schools. Bennett emailed each coach and assistant coach his academic and athletic profiles, as well as a schedule of the U.S. tournaments he would be playing in.

The coach from Robert Morris University was the first to reply. Bennett garnered scholarship interest from a number of schools, including Robert Morris, Purdue University, Fort Wayne University, Duquesne University and James Madison University. After visiting James Madison and the University of West Virginia, he was then invited for an official visit to Robert Morris University.

There was no contest.

“Robert Morris courted me from day one and made me feel wanted,” said Bennett. “I didn’t feel like just another

kid they were trying to recruit. They even allowed me to choose my team number right away –#3 – it just felt right.”

Four years from now, Bennett would like to pursue his dream of playing professional soccer again. If not, he will have a business administration degree in his name and be ready to pursue a career in the business world. Sounds like a winwin situation.

“I decided that there was a lot to gamble on by taking the professional route,” recalls Bennett. “My parents and I agreed that I wanted to attend university and get a business degree to fall back on”.

ADRIANA LEON

SCORES HAT TRICK FOR CANADA!

BY KIM SILCOX Adriana Leon, a 2010 graduate of The Country Day School, is only the third Canadian to score a hat trick at the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, an exclusive club that includes Team Canada’s Christine Sinclair.

Adriana scored three goals in the first half of Canada’s opening game against Argentina on August 20, which Canada went on to win 6-0. This year’s U-20 World Cup was held in Kobe, Japan.

“Wearing my Canadian jersey, I wanted to win, and I knew that if I worked hard we would be successful,” said Adriana. “Scoring three goals in a game is the best thing a forward could ask for. Of course I was ecstatic, but I was more content with the way our team played. Everyone’s individual jobs were met, and that’s why we were so successful on the pitch.”

As a student at The Country Day School, Adriana earned team MVP honors in each of her high school seasons from 2005-2009 and was named Athlete of the Year in 2009. She

also earned MVP honors for Rugby in 2008. Adriana went on to play NCAA Division I soccer at the University of Notre Dame as a freshman and sophomore. Upon her return from Japan, she will be playing for the University of Florida Gators while pursuing a degree in Anthropology.

The U-20 Canadian Women’s team went on to lose to Norway (2-1) and then to North Korea (2-1) – exiting the tournament sooner than they had hoped. Team members found solace in knowing that Canada will host the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, as well as the 2015 Women’s World Cup, of which they will be one of 24 countries participating. This event is the largest single sporting event for women in the world and will take place in six cities across Canada: Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Moncton.

Here’s hoping that Adriana will be wearing the red and white of Canada again in 2015!

InsideSOCCER 61

AFTER THE OLYMPICS’

will host the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Since the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) does not have a functioning technical department at the moment, this year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup and FIFA U-17 World Cup might offer Herdman some options to work with in the interim. This global age-group tournament system is the pivotal axis upon which the future national women’s soccer program rests at this stage. Hence, he needs to start comparing notes with the coaches of these junior national teams, while doing

option. It seems, however, that since the formation of the first women’s national team in 1986, women’s soccer has always been an afterthought for the CSA. Almost half of kids and youths that play soccer in this country are female. But the CSA has not deemed it fit to have solid, comprehensive, seminal programs for them to grow and develop their technical skills. To grow and mature through the game, many of the current and past national team players have had to turn to the U.S, college soccer system. No wonder our Canadian players are always playing “catch-up” with their American counterparts.

With the exception of a handful of academies, such as the Vancouver Whitecaps, there isn’t much here for them to work with.

That’s part of the reason that Canadian Sydney Leroux has pledged her allegiance to the U.S. national team, despite starting here. There is an urgent need for contingency plans to ensure that the national women’s soccer program does not fade into obscurity like the men’s national soccer program did after the 2000 Gold Cup trophy.

There cannot be sustainable growth for Canadian soccer without coherent development plans. One way to secure that future and ensure sustainable development is through the establishment of a national league. Experiences in Japan, France and Germany have shown that a national league is pivotal to the growth and long-term development of the game.

his own scouting. He might be fortunate to unearth a few future stars for the senior national team in the process.

That said, it isn’t ideal that these global youth tournaments are the only means by which we unearth players for the senior national team; to be sure, if the CSA had taken a more proactive approach to the women’s soccer program from the beginning, the tournaments wouldn’t be our best available

Apart from honing players’ skills and building competitive edge for our national teams, the national league would allow young players to grow and mature through the system. It would also allow them to build their careers and make a living.

If Canada wants to be a world champion, it is one of the essential things to do now … and the CSA is the catalyst that must set the ball rolling for the future!

BRONZE MEDAL, WHAT IS NEXT FOR THE WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM?

BY TOKUNBO OJO Photographs Courtesy of the Canadian Soccer Association

Now that the Olympics and the celebration of Canada’s bronze medal in women’s soccer are over, the inevitable question is: What’s next for the women’s national team?

No doubt, Captain Christine Sinclair and her golden generation excited the nation with their amazing performance at the London Olympics. It was a historic moment when Diana Matheson scored the 92nd minute goal that gave Canada the Olympic bronze. It is Canada’s best accomplishment in soccer so far.

Through the excitement that trailed their performance, in particular the semi-final match against the U.S., there is no doubt about soccer’s stature in this country. Soccer and its “fever” are here forever. However, for Canada to be the team to beat in the world, more needs to be done in terms of technical development and investment in the game.

This is all the more crucial because the members of the London Olympics’ bronzewinning team will not be around forever.

By the time Canada hosts the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, 14 of the current squad of 20 players will be 30 years old or more.

While this can be a blessing in disguise for Canada at the 2015 World Cup, it can also be a double-edged sword that might sharply pierce our hearts.

On paper, the wealth of experience and maturity these players have might make Canada a championship contender. But, the form, fitness and speed of aging players are not always guaranteed in most cases, especially given that the women’s professional soccer league has never taken off in Canada and North America at large. That means Coach John Herdman will have his work cut out for him between now and 2015, when Canada 62 October/November 2012

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