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

Stay connected

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.

PDL Championship Match-Ups Set

Austin to host Ocean City, Thunder Bay, Victoria

PDL News Release
Sunday, July 28, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. – The Austin Aztex will host the 2013 PDL Championships presented by Nike after a thrilling weekend of action saw four teams advance from the PDL Conference Championships to keep their hopes of a title alive. The Aztex will welcome the Ocean City Nor’easters, Thunder Bay Chill and Victoria Highlanders to House Park for the conclusion to the 2013 PDL season.
Austin claimed victory in the Southern Conference, with more than 5,000 fans on hand at House Park over two days of competition. The Aztex defeated Mid South Division rival the Laredo Heat to earn their berth in the semifinals as Khiry Shelton had a goal and assist to lead his side to victory.
The Aztex will face the Eastern Conference Champion Ocean City Nor’easters in the semifinals after Ocean City defeated the Carolina Dynamo in a penalty shootout in Saturday’s conference semifinals before recording a 3-1 victory against the Ottawa Fury in Sunday night’s final. Coming off back-to-back Mid Atlantic Division titles, this is the Nor’easters first trip to the PDL Championships since joining the league in 2003.
The Victoria Highlanders will also be making their first appearance at the championships after taking a pair of well-fought victories against the Ventura County Fusion and Portland Timbers U-23s to advance as the Western Conference Champion. The Highlanders got three goals in two games from Brett Levis, both of which proved to be game-winners, as they edged out Northwest Division rival Portland 1-0 in Sunday’s final.
The Thunder Bay Chill will face the Highlanders in an all-Canadian semifinal after they booked their return to the championships with a 3-0 victory against defending champion FC London on Sunday evening in the Central Conference Final. The 2008 champion is making its second appearance in the past three seasons after reaching the semifinals in 2011, and its fourth appearance overall at the championships.
The schedule for the semifinals and championship game will be announced shortly, with a full schedule for the championship weekend to be finalized on Monday. 

Highlanders Rally Past Fusion

Will face Timbers U-23s in Western Conference Final

Saturday, July 27, 2013
VENTURA, Calif. -- The Victoria Highlanders FC defeated the Ventura County Fusion 3-2 after extra time on Saturday in the PDL Western Conference Semifinals. The victory pushes the Highlanders into the Western Conference Final for the first time in team history, where they will meet the Portland Timbers U-23s, who defeated the top-seeded Fresno Fuego 4-3 in a penalty shootout in the second semifinal after the two teams finished tied 1-1 after extra time.

The scoring was opened early by the hosting Fusion. A foul on Highlander Riley O’Neill was waved off and the Fusion's Kennedy Chongo was able to capitalize in the sixth minute. Victoria goalkeeper Elliot Mitrou was kept busy in the first half and made a big save in the 19th minute to limit Ventura County’s lead to one. Two minutes later, on a Highlanders’ counter-attack, Brett Levis was taken down in the box and a penalty kick was awarded to Victoria. O’Neill, whose footprints were already all over the game, came in and confidently placed it into the bottom right corner of the net.
With the score knotted at one apiece, the Fusion were able to put on some pressure. Fusion Defender Harrison Delbridge took a knock down in the 33rd minute and was helped off the field and was kept off due to a nagging cut.
The Fusion were able to regain the lead in the 44th minute after lengthy neutral zone play as Chongo’s cross from the wing was put home by midfield John Lopez on a clean volley. Ventura County were able to take the lead into the locker room and neither team was able to come out for the second half with too much force. Tarnvir Bhandal received a caution after holding Chongo back in the 56th minute. At this point Craig Gorman came in for Cam Stokes. Two minutes later Riley O’Neill received a caution of his own.
Victoria managed to hit back on the hour-mark as Levis continued to play a major role in the contest. The 18-year-old sent a blast from 25 yards out that went into the top corner to pull his side back on level terms.
Chongo continued to be a threat but had his next good opportunity called offside in the 66th minute. Mitrou was taken down in the 81st minute, prompting the Highlanders Athletic Therapist to come on field to tend to the ‘keeper. Mitrou would remain in net for the remainder of the match, picking up a caution in the 88th minute for dissent. The Highlanders were unable to capitalize on a corner kick in the 90th minute and the game went to extra time.

Levis broke the tie six minutes into overtime as he broke through the defense and put the ball away to give Victoria their first lead of the match. Mitrou was forced to parry a shot away in order to keep the lead just two minutes later. The first half of overtime ended without many scoring chances for either side.
Ventura County came out pressing in the second half of the additional 30 minutes, but were unable to generate any real scoring chances. Victoria’s Ryan Ashlee was able to make a few key tackles to keep the lead intact as the Highlanders would maintain the lead through the remainder of extra time, sending them through to Sunday's final.
Timbers U-23s Elminate Fuego In Penalty Shootout
The Portland Timbers U-23s defeated the top-seeded Fresno Fuego in a penalty-kick shootout, 4-3, in the PDL’s Western Conference Semifinals. The match was decided on penalty kicks after the two teams traded second-half goals and finished even at 1-1 through regulation and extra time.
The Timbers U-23s captured their second straight shoot-out win to advance to the Western Conference Final on Sunday at Ventura College against Norwest Division-rival Victoria Highlanders FC; kickoff is set for 5 p.m. (Pacific).
Portland will play for the Western Conference championship for the second time in team history. The Timbers U-23s captured the conference title in 2010 on their way to securing the PDL Championship.
For a fourth time in the last five matches, the Timbers U-23s battled back from a deficit to earn a result. Defender Evyn Hewett notched the equalizer in the 80th minute off a corner kick by Jose Ribas. Portland’s goal came just two minutes after Fuego forward Tyler Reinhart, the team’s leading scorer, struck for the opening goal after intercepting a back pass by the Timbers U-23s defense.
For the Timbers U-23s, it came down to a penalty shootout for a second straight playoff match. Shooting first, the Timbers U-23s took an early lead, making their first four penalty kicks, while the Fuego missed on its second attempt. Both teams missed their fifth and final attempts, giving the Timbers U-23s the 4-3 shootout victory.
The Timbers U-23s defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23 on Tuesday in a penalty-kick shootout in a divisional playoff match to reach the conference championships.

FC LONDON DEFEATS COLORADO IN SHOOTOUT TO ADVANCE TO CENTRAL CONFERENCE FINALS

Thunder Bay, ON – FC LONDON claimed a huge win over the Real Colorado Foxes 4-3 in penalty shots in their Central Conference Semi-Final match this evening.

Fans in Thunder Bay were treated to some suspenseful soccer in the first day of the tournament as the game would remain scoreless through regulation as well as the 30 minutes of extra time. “We were unlucky not to score during the 90 minutes,” said FC LONDON Head Coach Martin Painter. “Shot after shot was wide or hit bodies on the way to the net.” London had 11 corner kicks and outshot Colorado 17-5, forcing the Foxes’ keeper to make 10 saves.

The draw would be resolved in a shootout. Painter explained, “We’ve been working on penalty shots during practice for the last few weeks, as soon as we saw playoffs were in sight.” That practice certainly paid off tonight. After going down 1:0 on the first round of shots, Boyd, Cekic, Ayris, and Hemming put away the next four shots and Richardson brought it home with a huge save. “My hat is off to Reece on a solid performance in net. He came up big on a save late in the game and was even bigger on the penalty shots.” This marks Richardson’s fifth shutout of the 2013 season.

FC LONDON will face hosts Thunder Bay Chill tomorrow at 6:00pm. The Chill move forward after knocking out the Michigan Bucks 1-0 with a goal in the 38th minute. Thunder Bay finished the regular season with 37 points at the top of the Heartland Division. They are a well-organized team and Painter is aware that anyone who can take down the Bucks will be a handful. However, he is confident that his squad can come out with a win for the Central Conference Title tomorrow. “We just need to play our game.”

FC LONDON keeper Reece Richardson makes the final save to secure the game in penalty kicks for FC London in their defeat of Real COLORADO Foxes in Thunder Bay CANADA (photo courtesy of Joe Farina)

Rory Winters works to keep Colorado at bay during yesterdays game in the Central Conference Championships in Thunder Bay Canada. (photo by Joe Farina) — 
in Thunder Bay, Ontario.