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SC Waterloo Versus London City Friday September 6, 2013, Marin Vucemilovic Grgic, last year's MVP in the Canadian Soccer League (With Toronto Croatia) and leading goal scorer for London City this year, scored all three goals for his team to defeat SC Waterloo Region 3-2 in a highly entertaining encounter at the Hellenic Centre ground in London Friday night. 

By SportsGameLive

In Pictures: The 2013 PDL Championship The best photos from the Austin Aztex's victory

PDL Feature

Thursday, August 8, 2013
The Austin Aztex claimed their first PDL championship this past Sunday night in front of a crowd of 4,253 fans at House Park. Take a look back at the action with some of the best photos of the Aztex’s 3-1 victory against the Thunder Bay Chill.

The Austin Aztex, in white, and Thunder Bay Chill process onto the field ahead of the 2013 PDL Championship Game, led by PDL Senior Director Ryan Brooks and Thunder Bay Chill Owner John Marello, who greeted the teams before kickoff.

The Austin Aztex and Thunder Bay Chill, and the packed crowd at House Park, face the flags for the singing of national anthems of Canada and the United States. The 4,253 in attendance was a record crowd for the Aztex.

Austin Aztex goalkeeper Devin Cook, who was an All-Southern Conference selection in 2013, prepares for kickoff in front of the Aztex’s supporter’s group, Eberly’s Army.

The Thunder Bay Chill celebrate Pedro Adan’s second-minute goal that gave them an early lead against Austin. Adan was on hand to blast home a rebound after Zetroy Alexander’s initial shot had been turned on frame to put the regular-season champions on top.

Austin’s Sito Seoane puts away a penalty kick past Thunder Bay goalkeeper Daniel Alvarado to tie the game in the seventh minute. The penalty kick was Alvarado’s first action in the game after he was brought on to replace starter Stephen Paterson, who had been sent off after bringing down Aztex forward Kris Tyrpak in the fourth minute, a foul which resulted in the penalty.

Austin forward Sito Seoane claimed the PDL Championship Most Valuable Player award after scoring twice in Sunday’s 3-1 victory. Seoane finished the postseason with five goals in four games, including the game-winning goal in each of the Aztex’s victories on the way to the title.

Austin Aztex captain Zack Pope, left, and Aaron Guillen celebrate following a stoppage-time goal that gave the Aztex a 3-1 halftime lead against Thunder Bay. Pope played a big role in the side’s success during the weekend, providing the cross that led to the second goal in the championship game.

The Austin Aztex regroup in front of Eberly’s Army after taking a 3-1 lead against the Thunder Bay Chill in first-half stoppage time.

A panoramic view of House Park at the start of the second half between the Austin Aztex and Thunder Bay Chill. The 2013 PDL Championship Game was the highest-attended since 2007, when the game was also hosted in Texas by the Laredo Heat.

Austin Aztex captain Zack Pope lifts the PDL Championship Trophy following his side’s 3-1 victory against the Thunder Bay Chill. The win capped a remarkable season for Austin that saw the club go 10-0-0 in the PDL at House Park, lose just once in league play, and see standout forward Kris Tyrpak earn PDL Most Valuable Player honors and Paul Dalglish take Coach of the Year honors.

London majors win Game 1 6-2 over Burlington Bandits

The London Majors are a step closer to changing their first-round woes after beating the Burlington Bandits 6-2 at Labatt Park on Friday (Aug. 9).

New Zealand ace Andrew Marck took to the mound to start the Majors first game of the playoffs and pitched masterfully, giving up just six hits and collecting seven strikeouts in 8.2 innings.

The Majors didn’t fair much better in the batter box getting just eight hits in 31 at-bats (.266 hitting average), but they managed to take advantage when it counted.

In just the five walks Burlington’s pitcher Matthew St. Kitts threw in eight innings of work, two of the free bases led to runs on the scoreboard.

In just two errors by the Bandits, the Majors were able to bring in a run after London’s Chris Stewart tagged first base with a mistake by the Bandits’ shortstop Jeff Kosta.

Paul Young and Ryan Lapensee (hitting in the third and fourth spot in the lineup) led the way for the Majors, both going 4-for-2 with two RBIs and one run.

It’s a good start for London, who lost in the first-round of the Intercounty Baseball League playoffs the last two years. In neither of those series did the Majors win the opening game.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven first-round series will be held Saturday (Aug. 10) in Burlington with the first pitch thrown out at 1 p.m., before the series comes back to Labatt Park for Game 3 Sunday (Aug. 11) at 1 p.m.

London Knights Horvat Signs with the Canucks

After being selected ninth-overall in the 2013 NHL Draft, it was announced Bo Horvat signed a contract with the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday. 

London Knights Bo Horvat is officially a Canuck.

The Vancouver Canucks president and general manager Michael Gillis announced Tuesday (Aug. 6) his team signed their first-round 2013 draft pick.

Selected ninth overall, Horvat played 67 games in the 2012-13 Ontario Hockey League regular season and picked up 61 points. The Rodney, Ont. native also scored a league leading 16 goals in 21 playoff games.

The 6-foot, 206-pound forward also collected four points in five games in the 2012 Under-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, where Team Canada won gold.

Captain Back Friday August 9 after missing 10 Games

London City’s captain returns for late push

In London City Soccer Club’s 2-0 loss to Toronto Croatia on Friday (Aug. 2) there was something missing from them — and not just a ball in the back of the net.

In fact, it has been missing the last 10 games.

Nenad Begovic hasn’t stepped on a Canadian Soccer League (CSL) field in the London black or red colours since the team’s fourth game of the season held June 2 on the road against North York’s Astros Vasas FC when City’s captain was issued a red card for allegedly assaulting an official.

“

Mr. Begovic (player #15) sprinted in a threatening way towards me yelling at me using foreign language and stopped face to face with me then proceeded to headbutt me,” wrote Hassane Rifai, the harmed referee in question, in a witness report to the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA).

The CSL deals with all league discipline, except for abuse of an official. In that case the governing body CSA handles the incident.

The 33-year-old London player was suspended indefinitely until further notice by the CSA.

Begovic, and his team, vehemently denied the allegations and had a personal hearing with the CSA Discipline Committee to appeal the decision on July 13 in Toronto.

London City general manager Jasmin Halkic and teammate Aldin Kukic spoke at the hearing in Begovic’s defence.

There’s a YouTube video of the incident, which the Committee looked at as well and can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDJX-w0qOv0.

When it was all said and done the suspension was dismissed.

“The Committee is unable to agree and support the allegations brought forth by the CSL against Begovic,” the CSA wrote in a letter to London City announcing their decision on July 30. “From the angle of the video of the alleged incident, the Committee determined that the match official’s head did not move back at any time to indicate that he had been head butted by Begovic. To support this finding, the players on the field would have responded or reacted to any physical act or contact by Begovic towards the match official, especially a headbutt.”

The infraction had originally been posted in the discipline section of the CSL’s website in bold red letters reading Bega wouldn’t return to a field until next year. Now the infraction isn’t even publicized, unlike the rest of the yellow and red cards that have gone and past. It’s like the incident never even happened.

But it did, and it cost Begovic and his team seven games together.

“He’s the team leader, he’s the team captain and he’s the most experienced player here,” London City’s leading point-getter Marin Vucemilovic Grgic. “We need him.”

Just as Begovic was about to take back his captain duties from defender Zvonko Bakula, who has filled in the role in the meantime, the reinstated pro player received a call from back home in Belgrade, Serbia.

His mother-in-law had died and Begovic returned to his European home to be with wife and pay his condolences. With that, he missed another three games.

His teammates kept in constant contact with Begovic since he returned to Serbia and they could hardly await his return to the Forest City when he flew into Toronto on Saturday (Aug. 3).

According to Grgic, teammates would be meeting Begovic at the airport with a sign reading, “Team captain, we miss you.”

“When one player goes home because of a death in the family that affects all of us,” Grgic said in describing the closeness of his team. “We always called him asking, ‘Are you coming back?’”

Begovic’s return can’t be understated.

London City did fine without him, going winless with a 0-2-2 record to start the season and following it up with a 5-4-1 record with Begovic gone.

There’s no doubt he can help his team pick up a few extra points though, but what Begovic does transcends outside of the field.

He’s been the face of the team since London City changed ownership last year and completely revamped its roster.

In a club where English isn’t most of the players first language, he’s been the one answering questions.

When City’s head coach mysteriously left midway through last season, Begovic was the one organizing practices and running drills.

In other words, since joining the team in 2012 Begovic has been London City’s “guy.”

At the end of the day the suspension is off the CSL’s website and you would be hard pressed to find mention of it anywhere. The standings, however, will never be taken down and London, currently in sixth place, will most likely only go up in the rankings with Begovic back in his spot in midfield and eight games left.

“Definitely we need him in the game. He’s a quality player,” said London’s new coach Tomo Dancetovic, who has two games under his belt with the team. He previously coached Begovic on the Brantford Galaxy. “He’ll definitely be a big help for the team.”

Begovic is expected to make his return in a London City jersey Friday (Aug. 9) when the team hits the road to take on the St. Catharines Roma. He’ll make his first home appearance Aug. 17 against the Serbian White Eagles.

Aztex Claim 2013 PDL Championship

Seoane has two goals in 3-1 win against Thunder Bay

Sunday, August 4, 2013
AUSTIN, Texas – The Austin Aztex claimed their first championship as they rallied from an early deficit to defeat the Thunder Bay Chill 3-1 in front of a crowd of 4,253 fans at House Park in the 2013 PDL Championship Game presented by Nike on Sunday night. Sito Seoane capped an outstanding postseason, and claimed Most Valuable Player honors, as he scored twice and added an assist to lead the Aztex’s victory, while Thunder Bay was forced to play most of the game with 10 men as goalkeeper Stephen Paterson was sent off early in the contest.
Seoane had five goals in four games in the PDL Playoffs, including the game-winning goal in each of the Aztex’s four victories on the way to the championship. He pulled the Aztex even from the penalty spot following Pedro Adan’s early goal had given the Chill the lead. Seoane then added a second midway through the first half before assisting on Khiry Shelton’s finish just before the break.
“It’s unbelievable,” Seoane said. “Thanks to my teammates, they were supporting me the whole season, and without them I couldn’t have done this. It’s unbelievable, to win a championship in front of all of your fans. There are no words.”
The game got off to a flying start, with Thunder Bay taking the lead in just the second minute. After a long throw-in from the left by Paul Dillon was half-cleared by the Aztex, the ball came to Zetroy Robertson 20 yards from goal. His long-range shot was redirected on frame in front, and parried away by Austin goalkeeper Devin Cook, only for Adan to be on hand to blast home the rebound.
Austin responded immediately, and momentum swung in their direction two minutes later as Tony Rocha slid a pass through the Thunder Bay defense that allowed Kris Tyrpak to break in on goal. Paterson came out to challenge, but brought down Tyrpak just inside the penalty area, which earned not only a penalty kick but also a red card for the goalkeeper. Daniel Alvarado came on to face Seoane’s penalty kick, but went the wrong way as Seoane’s shot went into the upper-left corner for his fourth goal of the playoffs.
“When they scored, we were like, ‘we’re here, we’re in the national championship, we’ve got to step it up, we’ve got to come back and get one back as fast as we can’,” Tyrpak said. “That run that I did, me and Tony have been working on that all year, we worked on it every day in practice, and we just made eye contact and he put it where I needed to be. Unfortunately for the goalie came out, he caught my foot and we tied it up.”
With a man advantage, the Aztex tried to drive home their advantage quickly as Shelton threatened twice on the left side. Austin was able to take the lead in the 22nd minute as Zack Pope overlapped and sent in a low, near-post cross from the left side that Tyrpak beat his man to. The ball deflected perfectly to Seoane eight yards out, who lashed home a finish into the roof of the net from just outside the left corner of the six-yard box.
Thunder Bay’s best chances to get back on level terms mostly came from set pieces, with Dillon’s long throw-ins a consistent threat. The Chill came close in the 45th minute as a header by Axel Sjoberg went straight at Cook, but saw the hill they had to climb get steeper in the first minute of stoppage time as Seoane played a pass to Shelton in the right channel, and the rangy forward rifled a low shot into the left corner for a 3-1 halftime lead.
The Chill came out aggressively to start the second half, and were offered an avenue back into the game in the 54th minute as Sullivan Silva was brought down in the penalty area by Aaron Guillen. Dillon stepped up to take the kick, but sent his shot wide of the left post as the Aztex held onto their two-goal lead. The Chill were able to continue to generate chances from set pieces, Nolan Intermoia’s header forcing a save from Cook in the 58th minute, but as the second half wore on, the chances became fewer as playing down a man took its toll.
Austin did have chances to add to its lead, the best coming to Tucker Hume as he was played into the left side of the penalty area in the 66th minute, only for Alvarado to come off his line quickly and make a fine save. Jesus Cortes also had a pair of opportunities, both of which missed the target, but they were academic as the Aztex sent their fans, led by Eberly’s Army, into massive celebrations as the final whistle went.

London City snaps win streak

Friday’s (Aug. 2) 2-0 loss to Toronto Croatia at the Hellenic Community Centre. 

 

If the London City Soccer Club has recently picked up their pace through July, then they missed a step to start August during Friday’s (Aug. 2) 2-0 loss to Toronto Croatia at the Hellenic Community Centre.

A heavy rain pour in the first half quickly changed the game to a slip n’ slide soccer with and splashes at every step, which proved to be trouble for London as they brought the ball past midfield less than a handful of times.

Third-place Toronto had a much easier time and scored at 10-minute mark.

The second-half of the match was much closer with both squads trading shots and going end-to-end, but only the away team was able to capitalize by scoring on a free kick just outside the 18-yard box right before the final whistle.

The loss breaks a three-game win streak for London, in which they picked up more than half of their wins on the season.

“We played a terrible game. I think this was the worst game of the season for us,” said London leading point getter, Marin Vucemilovic Grgic. “We played a terrible game. I think this was the worst game of the season for us.”

London will hit the road for their next game on Aug. 9 when they take on the Windsor Stars, before coming back home Aug. 17 to play against St. Catharines Roma.

London City Soccer Club - To Media:Press Release (to whom it May Concern)

Fenix rises from the ashes and sending of a message to all the CSL teams, bring it on!

Third consecutive away win London City Soccer Club, only professional soccer club in London, shows that London City Soccer Club A team is still alive and kicking.
Win against the best team in the CSL demonstrates the correctness of the opinion that London City will not only play in the playoffs, but also directly participate in the fight for the championship CSL. If you want to be part of the history of London City you are all welcome and especially all the local media, and for those which do not like us, you have to admit that we are really good.

London city soccer club have a new couch and his name is Tomo Dancetovic former couch of CSL Champions Branford Galaxy 2009/2010.

Away Game vs. Brampton City ll Division CSL [Canadian Soccer League], ended London City 0 – Brampton City 2, and did not change noting regarding standings in ll CSL division, London City still numero uno! Last week middle season London City B record 8-7-0-1= 21 points, first place, middle season CSL champions and making History for London City! Congratulations to all London City B players on their efforts and we invite all the Londoners to support us in the second part of the CSL ll season and we invite all the London MEDIA to support us because 99% of London City B team players are local Londoners!

Congratulations to all London City team/s players and staff on their work. We ask/seek to all Londoners and MEDIA to help and support the work of London City Soccer Club only professional soccer club in London.
All players and staff London City you can have them in your press, interview, radio, TV!
London City A team, has won three away matches in a row, and we are confident that with your help we will win and the fourth in a row, so come out and cheer yours the only professional soccer team in London.

Home Game Friday August 02 at Hellenic Centre [133 South dale Rd W London, ON N6J 2J2], London City against Toronto Croatia, beginning at 8:30 pm. Admission Adult/s $10 - Children under 12 FREE.

Thank you and see you at the field. Any more info, please contact me at info below.

LCSC – General Manager Mr. Jasmin Halkić

www.londoncity.ca
info@londoncity.ca
[519] 701-1202

Dave Bolland to bring the Stanley Cup to London Thursday

Chicago Blackhawks' Dave Bolland celebrates with the Stanley Cup after the Blackhawks defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 6 of their NHL Stanley Cup Finals hockey series in Boston, Massachusetts, June 24, 2013.

David Bolland is making London a part of his Stanley Cup celebration.
The former Knights star and new Toronto Maple Leafs centre, who scored the Cup-winning goal for the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 6 of the final last month in Boston, will kick-off his 24-hour whirlwind with the famous mug Thursday morning with stops at the London Children's Hospital, his local gym (Empower Conditioning on Piccadilly) and his golf course (the Highland Country Club).
“I wanted to take it to the hospital because it's always a big thing for the kids,” he said. “I remember when I was a kid what a big deal it was (to see the Cup).”
The two-time Cup champ's local stop will be considerably less public than last year's day with Los Angeles Kings Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty, who rode downtown in a police tactical rescue vehicle before showing off the Cup at Budweiser Gardens.
Bolland plans to depart the city around 11:30 a.m. and return to his home in Mimico for a carbon-copy of his 2010 day with the Cup – an afternoon town parade followed by a party at The Blue Goose Tavern.
“For sure, it'll probably be a little easier this time knowing what's going to happen,” the 27-year-old said. “You get back to Toronto and it'll probably be packed down there.”
Bolland, a member of the 2005 Memorial Cup champion Knights, wanted to make sure he included London this time around. He has purchased an off-season home here.
“It's just a few minutes away from where Dale and Dylan (Hunter) live,” he said. “I love it. I'm not too far from Toronto if I have to get there and London's a nice place just to get away.
“It'll always be a special place for me.”
This is going to be a memorable year for Bolland. His wife Julia is expecting their first child at the end of September.
“It's two months off now and it's right in a good time before (his first Leafs) training camp,”he said. “For sure, I'm nervous. I should ask how everyone else on the team, with kids, what it was like for them (in the beginning).
“I'm really excited to be a parent.”
The Leafs, who traded for him six days after his Cup-winning goal, expect him to be his old ornery self on the ice for them this season. Bolland still remembers his first game back in Toronto with the 'Hawks against the Leafs.
“I had the game-winning goal at the (Air Canada Centre) against them,” he said. “It's going to be crazy. It's fun when you're going to play for Toronto. It's the Mecca of hockey. They're a huge team in the NHL and I'm excited to play for them.”
Not many days go by that Bolland isn't asked about his famous Cup winner with 58.2 seconds left in the third period to beat the Bruins.
“You don't expect to be the one to score it,” he said. “That'll always be a fun moment in my life.”

PDL All-Conference Teams Announced

Aztex have league-best 4 players honored

Tuesday, July 30, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. – The PDL announced its 2013 All-Conference Teams today, honoring the players from among the league’s 64 teams who shone the brightest during the 2013 regular season. The teams were selected through a vote of team management.
All four teams headed to the 2013 PDL Championship presented by Nike this weekend in Austin, Texas are represented on the All-Conference teams. The host Austin Aztex lead all teams with four players selected, including goalkeeper Devin Cook, defender Max Gunderson, midfielder Antonio Rocha and forward Krystopher Tyrpak.
The Eastern Conference champion Ocean City Nor’easters are represented by forward Dwayne Reid, the Central Conference Champion Thunder Bay Chill are represented by defenders Nolan Intermoia and Axel Sjoberg, and the Western Conference Champion Victoria Highlanders had defender Tyler Hughes and forward Brett Levis selected.
Next behind Austin with three selections each are the Ottawa Fury of the Eastern Conference and Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23 of the Western Conference. Five players are making their second consecutive PDL All-Conference appearance, including Jordan Green of the Kansas City Brass and Bryan Ciesiulka of the Chicago Fire (Central), Taian de Souza of the Panama City Beach Pirates (Southern), and Gunderson and Tyrpak of the Aztex (Southern).
The 2013 PDL All-League Team will be announced on Wednesday and the finalists for Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, and Young (U21) Player of the Year will be announced on Thursday, with the awards presented at Saturday’s PDL Championship banquet in Austin. Goalkeeper of the Year will also be presented at the banquet.
The 2013 PDL Championship presented by Nike will kick off at 5 p.m. CT Friday when the No. 4 Highlanders face the No. 1 Chill, followed by the No. 3 Nor’easters at the No. 2 Aztex at 7:30 p.m. CT. The winners advance to meet for the 2013 PDL Championship on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. CT.
2013 PDL All-Conference Teams
Eastern Conference
GK – Chad Bush, Ottawa Fury
D – Shaun Foster, Ottawa Fury
D – Damion Lowe, Reading United AC
D – Gilbert Manier, GPS Portland Phoenix
D – Hugh Roberts, Baltimore Bohemians
MF – Brandt Bronico, Carolina Dynamo
MF – Brayan Martinez, Jersey Express
MF – Jason Plumhoff, Reading United AC
F – Peter Caringi, Baltimore Bohemians
F – Carl Haworth, Ottawa Fury
F – Dwayne Reid, Ocean City Nor’easters
Central Conference
GK – Tyson Farago, WSA Winnipeg
D – Brandon Fricke, Des Moines Menace
D – Tyler Hemming, Forest City London
D – Nolan Intermoia, Thunder Bay Chill
D – Axel Sjoberg, Thunder Bay Chill
MF – Bryan Ciesiulka, Chicago Fire
MF – Jordan Green, Kansas City Brass
MF – Matt Walker, Michigan Bucks
F – Moses Danto, WSA Winnipeg
F – Oliver Gore, Real Colorado Foxes
F – Zach Steinberger, Michigan Bucks

Western Conference
GK – David Meves, Portland Timbers U-23s
D – Derrick Bassi, Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23
D – Chris Brundage, Sounders FC U23
D – Tyler Hughes, Victoria Highlanders FC
D – Trevor Spurgeon, Fresno Fuego
MF – Zach Barnes, Portland Timbers U-23s
MF – Paul Islas, Fresno Fuego
MF – Bobby Jhutty, Van. Whitecaps FC U-23
F – Niall Cousens, Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23
F – Brett Levis, Victoria Highlanders FC
F – Tyler Reinhart, Fresno Fuego
Southern Conference
GK – Devin Cook, Austin Aztex
D – Taian de Souza, Panama City Beach Pirates
D – Max Gunderson, Austin Aztex
D – Walter Kromholz, Houston Dutch Lions
D – Felipe Souza, Laredo Heat
MF – Itode Fubara, Orlando City U23
MF – Jack McVey, VSI Tampa Bay FC
MF – Antonio Rocha, Austin Aztex
F – Adam Black, Oklahoma City FC
F – Tyler Blackwood, Orlando City U23

PDL Regular Season Honors Announced

Baltimore’s Caringi takes scoring crown, Golden Boot

 

Monday, July 29, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. – The 2013 PDL regular season honors were announced today with Baltimore Bohemians forward Peter Caringi leading the way by earning both the Scoring Champion and Golden Boot awards.
Caringi, set to play his senior season at UMBC, led the Bohemians (8-1-5) to second place in the Mid Atlantic Division while tallying 16 goals and 37 points in 12 games. He edged out Ottawa’s Carl Haworth by a point in the scoring race and finished one goal ahead of Real Colorado’s Oliver Gore and Orlando City U23’s Tyler Blackwood in the goal-scoring race.
Haworth is the PDL’s 2013 Assist Champion after tallying 12 in 12 games for the Northeast Division Champions, who finished 11-1-2 and advanced to the Eastern Conference Championship, where they fell 3-1 against the Ocean City Nor’easters. Haworth is a Niagara University grad who has represented Canada on the international stage.
Haworth’s teammate Chad Bush ran away with Goals-Against Average Champion honors, posting nine shutouts in 10 starts for a miniscule 0.104 GAA. A sophomore at Duke University, Bush also has Canadian international experience and was recently chosen to participate alongside the Canada Under-20 National Team as they prepared for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey.
The 2013 PDL All-Conference Teams will be announced on Tuesday, followed by the All-League Team on Wednesday. The finalists for Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, and Young (U21) Player of the Year will be announced on Thursday, with the awards presented at Saturday’s PDL Championship banquet in Austin, Texas. Goalkeeper of the Year will also be presented at the banquet.
The Austin Aztex will host the 2013 PDL Championships presented by Nike and will welcome the Ocean City Nor’easters, Thunder Bay Chill and Victoria Highlanders to House Park in Austin, Texas this weekend. The Semifinals will be played Friday, with the winners advancing to meet for the 2013 PDL Championship on Sunday.

Canadian Clubs turning heads with PDL success in 2013

Carl Haworth, PDL Super Star - Canadian Soccer Association

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Their are eight Canadian clubs in the PDL and this year four of them made it all the way to the final eight and two managed to reach the semifinals. The question is what does all that success have to do with Canadian soccer going forward?

The USL PDL final four is all set and it includes a pair of Canadian clubs as both the Victoria Highlanders and Thunder Bay Chill continued their impressive seasons by claiming conference titles over the weekend. The weekend also saw defending champions FC London eliminated in the final eight along with the Ottawa Fury.

That was a whole lot of Canadian content in both the final eight and the final four. Now with Victoria and Thunder Bay set to meet in the semifinals there will once again be a Canadian club competing for the PDL championship. With just 8 Canadian clubs in the league that performance becomes all the more impressive.
Canada is currently represented in the PDL by Victoria, Thunder Bay, London, Ottawa, Vancouver Whitecaps U-23, WSA Winnipeg, Toronto Lynx, and K-W United. It is a good representation across the country in what is supposed to be North America's top development league for amateur players.
For those not familiar with the Premier Development League it is part of the United Soccer Leagues which make up a big part of the American soccer pyramid on both the men's and women's side. The PDL has some unique roster rules that ensure rosters are made up primarily of young players who are looking to move up in the game. Each club's 26-man roster is allowed to include a maximum of 8 players over the age of 23 and at least 3 must be 18 or younger.
That means the majority of players on each roster are university players who are looking for playing time during the summer at a high level. In recent years the league has become a good showcase for some of the top talent in NCAA soccer and with every passing year the number of MLS players with PDL experience continues to grow. It is a list that includes 6 former number one picks in the MLS SuperDraft including the last two as both Andrew Wenger and Andrew Farrell played at least one summer in the league. The league has also boasted 7 players with a MAC Herman trophy on their resume as the top NCAA player.
The league has also been a stepping stone for a number of Canadian internationals over the year. Randy Edwini-Bonsu, Lars Hirschfeld, Olivier Occean, Kyle Porter, Adam Straith, and Russell Teibert have all spent time in the league before pulling on Canadian colours just to name a few of them.
Over the years the Vancouver Whitecaps U-23 team has been the top producer of talent among the Canadian clubs with the team serving as the final step in the organization's development ladder before joining the first team. They joined the PDL for the 2008 season and have been routinely successful since then and have done so with rosters stacked with young Canadian players. Their focus has been on talent development though so finishing in the middle of the division was the norm but this year they claimed a third place finish and a first round play-off exit.
The success has not been limited to Vancouver in recent years though as other Canadian clubs have been producing results to be proud of.
Thunder Bay Chill: the first Canadian club to win a PDL Championship back in 2008, three time playoff finalists, winners of 6 out of the last 7 Heartland Division championships, and the 2013 regular season champions (first Canadian club to do so since Calgary Storm in 2001)
Victoria Highlanders FC: founded in 2007 with their season ticket holders making up a share of the ownership, reached the playoffs for the first time in 2011, won their first Northwest Division title in 2013, and made their first finals appearance in 2013.
Ottawa Fury: founded in 2005 the club has found success with their men's and women's team, won 4 of the last 5 Northeast Division championships, and three time Conference playoff finalists.
FC London: founded in 2008 they joined the PDL in 2009 they became the second Canadian team to win the PDL Championship in 2011, have reached the playoffs every year of their existence finishing in the top three of the Great Lakes division five straight seasons, and won their division for the first time in 2013.
WSA Winnipeg: having been founded in 2010 they just completed their third season in the PDL and despite finishing near the bottom of the Heartland division each season they have become the top club in the Winnipeg area and consistently fielded a team built around local talent.
K-W United FC: 2013 waas the club's first in Kitchener-Waterloo after being moved over from Hamilton. They played two season in Hamilton finishing near the bottom of the Great Lakes division each time and struggling to attract local interest. The move to K-W breathed new life into the franchise which had its best season just narrowly missing out on a playoff spot in 2013.
Toronto Lynx: they took the step down to the PDL in 2007 when Toronto FC came onto the scene as the top club in the city. In their seven seasons since then they have struggled along in the Great Lakes division with their best season coming in 2008 when they finished 3rd making their lone PDL playoff appearance.
There have been mixed results for the Canadian clubs in terms of on field performances with a few clubs languishing near the bottom of their respective divisions but there are also plenty of success stories to be excited about. The continued strong performances from Canadian clubs in the league are something that merits the attention of fans interested in the state of the game in this country.
Each club has developed their own approach to building a roster and have different aims for their club. Some clubs have worked to attract the top talent available to their roster building a squad filled with nationalities from all over the World. Others have built their team primarily around local players and stocked up on Canadians. The last two teams standing prove that both ways can bring success in the league as Thunder Bay have a roster built of players from a variety of countries while Victoria are stocked with local players with many who play at nearby colleges.
The good news is that all eight of the clubs are home to Canadian talent and as they continue to succeed and the league attracts more talent it becomes a crucial part of the development structure for the country. With three MLS clubs now in place and a second NASL club on the way the top of the pyramid is getting stronger with each passing year but young Canadians still lack quality development opportunities which is a void the PDL clubs are helping to fill.
The PDL has 62 teams and only 8 of them are in Canada. It is a start, a solid one, but it is not enough if the end goal is for Canada to finally turn into a competitive soccer nation. Too many talented players still seem to fall through the cracks and miss out on the development opportunities that they need. Every club in place with a clear pathway for players to follow to the top is one step closer to addressing some of the major issues in development.
This is where the Easton Report, the findings of which were published within "In a League of our Own", comes into the picture. The report was commissioned by the Canadian Soccer Association to look into the viability of a national division two league.
The report concludes that the best option for the Canadian Soccer Association to pursue was a regional U-23 league across the country. A league that would have a lot in common with PDL should it come to fruition but instead of providing playing opportunities for hundreds of Americans it would do the same for Canadians.
The Canadian equivalent would likely have its own set of rules for over-age players and international players but the basics would be quite similar to the PDL. Like the PDL it would be built around regional divisions to limit the travel costs teams incur and work around the fact that many players would likely also have jobs during the summer. It would be an amateur league with most or all over the players being under the age of 23.
There are areas that a Canadian league would need to improve upon the PDL mode though. The main concern is the fact that the PDL season is only three months long and the regular season only sees each club play 14 matches. When combined with playing in NCAA that means a young player who is in need of regular playing time in a competitive environment is only getting that for around 5 months out of the year and that is not enough.
There has been a push to extend the NCAA season so that players get more competitive games in outside of the fall season but that has made little progress thus far. The new Canadian league would be wise to address that concern from the beginning and ensure players are in a competitive setting for more than just the short period they currently get with PDL teams and provide development opportunities and training throughout the year for talented young Canadians looking to make the jump to the professional level.
That was what the Easton Report recommended to the CSA and was adopted by the governing body. When it is eventually implemented it would become the third division of soccer in Canada behind MLS and NASL. That would put the National U-23 league a tier above the PDL which is considered the fourth division in US soccer behind MLS, NASL, and USL Pro.
The question now is where will the PDL clubs fit into the future of Canadian soccer. They have managed to find success playing in the American league and many of them field squads in a variety of other USL leagues and are not just concerned with their PDL side. That might make it tricky to convince some of them to move their organization from the PDL but it could prove to be crucial to the viability of such a league.
A new Canadian league will rely on the support of the existing professional clubs who should all field some form of reserve team or senior academy team in the league but that alone will not be enough to bring success to a regional u-23 league. The five professional clubs can lead the way but the viability of the league will come down to attracting other dedicated ownership groups. Some of those potential groups can be found running the successful PDL clubs.
The likes of Ian Campbell (owner of iConect) in London, John Marrello (CEO of the Port Arthur Health Center) in Thunder Bay, Alex Campbell Jr. in Victoria are the sort of people who a new league could be built around. Canadian soccer is not exactly flush with money so when you do find people willing to spend their personal wealth supporting soccer they need to be key parts of moving the game forward.
Ottawa and Vancouver have ownership groups that will be focused on competing in MLS or NASL but they could also field teams in a national league. That leaves 6 other ownerships that are already investing heavily in soccer and should continue to be leaders going forward.
The success of Canadian clubs and the investment of their owners in PDL soccer is a good start towards what the Easton Report calls for but it is not enough. The CSA will need to entice these groups to join any new Canadian League since when you combine them with the existing professional clubs you would have a solid foundation already in place around the country for a national division three league.
In the meantime the CSA needs to continue to extend the olive branch to these clubs and once potential way to do that would be inviting them into the National Championship, the Voyageurs Cup. Their American counterparts get the chance to compete in the US Open Cup and it would be great for the same to happen in Canada since it would cast an increased spotlight on these clubs to see them going up against NASL or MLS clubs in cup competition.
For now it is nice to see so many Canadian clubs doing well in the PDL but it is not enough. Not if the end goal is to have Canada developing players talented enough to carry the country forward to a potential World Cup spot down the road. If that is the goal then there needs to be more done and the existing clubs need to play a big role in moving the game forward. They have made a good start but that is all it is, a start.
Hopefully, the recommendations from the Easton Report will be implemented in the coming years and a new Canadian league will open for more young players to develop at a high level and hopefully reach the professional ranks. Until then though Canadian soccer fans should enjoy the chance to see two Canadian clubs competing for the PDL Championship this coming weekend down in Austin, Texas.
With so little to celebrate in Canadian soccer it is worth taking time to highlight the good things that are being done around the country.

YORK REGION SHOOTERS MAKE IT EIGHT IN A ROW...Toronto Croatia rebounds while Brampton falls to London City

York Region Shooters extended their winning streak to eight games, Toronto Croatia bounced back with a victory over Burlington SC and Brampton City Utd fell to London City, three games in the CSL Sunday. It was scoreless for most of the hard-fought contest at Victoria Park in Brampton with the first goal coming at 78 minutes when London City midfielder Harris Faziagic opened the scoring for the visitors, a well-taken goal while cutting in from the right wing to drive the ball in off the post away from a beaten Camilo Benzi in the Brampton goal. Just six minutes later, Benzi was shown the red card by referee David Di Pasquale who ejected the Brampton goalkeeper for Violent Conduct. Brampton pressed to get on even terms in the latter stages, but London increased their lead when Jefferson Omide Agaiha scored into an empty net at 99 minutes while substitute Brampton goalkeeper Euloge Kodzo Awitor was caught out of position. The defeat is a set-back for the home side while bidding for the First Division title. The GTA side are third in the standings with an 8-3-0 for 24 points, while London City improve with a 5-5-3 record for 18 points. It was a chippy encounter at the St. Joan of Arc ground in Maple where the home side York Region Shooters eked out a 1-0 victory over SC Waterloo to extend their winning streak to eight games, but it was all in doubt until the final whistle.  The first half was scoreless but not without incident with referee Ramee Arbaji extended to keep the game under control.  York Region Shooters opened the scoring at 65 minutes, a goal by midfielder Ali Hamam, his sixth of the season. Hamam drove the ball from 12 yards on to a Waterloo defender and the ball deflected to enter the net to the right of goalkeeper Imad Hakura. It was a close contest through the second half  and Waterloo had an opportunity to tie the game from the penalty spot when referee Arbaji called a foul inside the box at the 94th minute mark, but Drazen Vukovic hit the post with the Shooters goalkeeper Adrian Ibanez well beaten.  The eight game winning streak gives York Region a 9-2-1 record for 28 points, tied with Kingston FC for the top position. SC Waterloo has a 5-3-3 record for 18 points and still very much in contention. It was a ding-dong affair at Nelson Stadium in Burlington where the lead changed hands starting with Burlington scoring a go-ahead goal against Toronto Croatia at the sixth minute mark, a goal by midfielder Nicholas Lindsay.  Tihomir Maletic tied the game 1-1 for Toronto Croatia at the 18th minute mark, the score at half-time,  and the prolific striker again beat Burlington goalkeeper Vladimir Vujasinovic  at 55 minutes for a 2-1 Croatia lead. The goals were Maletic’s 5th and 6th of the season. Lindsay struck again just three minutes later for the home side to level the score 2-2,  his 7th goal of the campaign, but Toronto Croatia forward Kresimir  Prgomet scored the winning goal at 71st minutes.

FC LONDON’S SEASON ENDS IN THUNDER BAY

Thunder Bay, ON – FC LONDON’s quest for back-to-back PDL Championship titles came to an end on Sunday with a 3-0 loss at the hands of the Thunder Bay Chill in the Central Conference Finals.

Despite dominating possession early on, FC LONDON was down 2-0 after the first half on goals by Compano Franco and Dillon. “We were unfortunate to give up two goals in the first half, both our fault,” said coach Martin Painter. “You can’t give a team like Thunder Bay that kind of opportunity at this level.”

In the second half Painter changed his formation, putting 5 across the midfield hoping to keep creating offensive chances. “Pushing for comeback goals can leave you vulnerable at the back and Thunder Bay capitalized on that weakness.” Forward Sunny Omoregie scored the third and final goal of the game on a counter-attack in the 84th minute.

The Chill played a physical game with 16 fouls in order to keep London off the scoresheet. The boys in blue outshot Thunder Bay 12-9 and forced 6 saves by keeper Stephen Paterson. FC LONDON maintained pressure through to the end of the game, showing their character.

This is the fourth Central Conference title for Thunder Bay, who won the 2008 PDL Championship. The Chill advance to the final four with the Victoria Highlanders, Austin Aztex, and Ocean City Nor’Easters.

“Overall tonight’s game was a disappointing result, especially with the quality we have on this team,” said Painter. “But we’ve still had some landmark accomplishments this summer.” Despite an early end to their post-season run, FC LONDON has had a successful 2013 season. They finished the regular season top of the competitive Great Lakes Division and won the UMBRO Cup.

President and CEO Ian Campbell is proud of his club, “Although we didn’t make it as far as we would have hoped in the playoffs, we have had a great season. We had amazing talent on the pitch this year. We won our first divisional title, and were able to treat London to some exciting matches. We’d like to thank our fans and sponsors for their enthusiastic support this summer and we wish our boys all the best as they return to their schools for pre-season over the next couple of weeks.”

Halfway there

 

An unsuspecting Thunder Bay Chill coach Tony Colistro is doused with water Sunday night at Fort William stadium, after leading his team to a fourth PDL Central Conference championship win in six seasons. 

  A year ago, Forest City London stunned the Thunder Bay Chill on the first day of the Premier Development League playoffs.

On Sunday it was the defending playoff champion’s turn to leave the field in disbelief, their season over at the hands of their Canadian rival.

Sergio Campano Franco and Paul Dillon scored first-half goals and Sunny Omoregie added an insurance tally late in the second, the 3-0 win sending the Chill to their fourth PDL final four in the past six seasons, a run started with a 2008 championship win. The league announced late Sunday the final four will be held in Austin, Texas. Other teams joining Thunder Bay are the host Austin Aztex, the Ocean City Noreasters and the Victoria Highlanders, who the Chill will play in Friday's semifinal.

“For 10 months I’ve been having that sour taste in my mouth, thinking about how London knocked us off last year and they only had one chance,” said Dillon, who made it 2-0, drilling a laser through traffic that eluded London keeper Reece Richardson.

“For this year, getting over them and getting over the (Michigan) Bucks was huge.”

Dillon, blessed with one of the strongest legs in the league, said he just wanted to put the ball on the net and hope for the best.

“You hit it low, you put it off the frame and you never know what happens. We’re playing on turf and it’s got some weird bounces. Luckily it went in. It rattled the keeper for the rest of the game and it kind of set the standard."

The goal came in the 42nd minute, some nine minutes after Campano Franco eased the tension blanketing the stands at Fort William Gardens as the two sides bitterly fought for field position and scoring chances. The Spanish import lifted the ball high in the air over Richardson, who could only watch as it deposited itself into the London net.

Chill coach Tony Colistro, doused with a Gatorade bucket full of ice-cold water by his players, was all business after the contest.

“Now that we’re Central Conference champions, which is where we wanted to be, again we’ve got to go back to work next week and hopefully take the national title again.”

The storyline couldn’t have written itself any better, Colistro added.

“Ontario champions, they beat us last year. They were PDL champs. It was all there. Obviously playing London it was a sweet victory for us, since they knocked us out last year. They’re a good side. They’re a strong side and I thought we played well enough to beat them tonight.”

The difference, he added was just telling his players to go out and play like they did all year in compiling a league-best 12-1-1 mark.

“There wasn’t a lot of coaching points at the beginning of the game.”

While the offence got much of the glory, it was the Chill’s stifling back-end that deserved most of the credit. Whether it was keeper Stephen Paterson turning aside threats, or defenders like Zetroy Robertson and Axel Sjoberg clogging up the lanes and frustrating the London attack, the Chill’s opponent just couldn’t find a hole.

“From the start of the season Tony told us for us to win this championship, we had to defend,” Robertson said. “And the last two games it wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t how we play, but we defended. We knew if we gave them one goal it would bring them back in the game, so we just fought for it.

“It’s just the feeling from losing last year. You don’t want to go back to that point and it was heartbreaking when we realized (last year) we weren’t in the final four. We decided this year we were going to fight for it. If we’re going to lose, we’re going to losing trying, real hard.”

Pitch marks:  Only once since 1997 has the regular-season champion managed to win the PDL title. IN 2010  the Portland Timbers U23 went undefeated on their way to a title, knocking off Thunder Bay in the championship game ... The final is set for Sunday.