by Gian-Luca
Not a lot has been made of this, but Canada recently reached the semi-finals of an international men's soccer tourney. What's this you ask? It's the 2009 Francophone Games Soccer tournament, this year being held in Lebanon, featuring what is largely an U20 B team for Canada (most of the team that attempted to qualify for the 2009 U20 World Cup was not present, particularly as many of them are with their club teams). 20 Years ago this was a tourney Canada actually won with its senior team against other senior teams - beating Morroco 4-1 in the final, with two goals by Rick Jaskens of the Victoria Vistas of the old CSL (how's that for trivia). I think Lyndon Hooper got one of the others, and all four Canada goals - plus the single by Morocco - came in the same half.
Anyway, that was 20 years ago. This year's tourney saw Canada lose 3-2 to Rwanda to open the tourney, with Whitecaps youth player Alex Semenets scoring both goals (unfortunately one of the Rwanda goals was a Canadian own-goal from a back pass that somehow went into our net). However Canada bounced back to win the other group game, defeating Cameroon no less 2-0 on another goal by Alex Semenets (on a PK) and one (pictured above) by Agustin De Medina of the Brampton Lions - of the current CSL (not the same league that Rick Jaskens played in, in case you were wondering). This meant that Canada won its 3-team group on goal differential as Cameroon had earlier defeated Rwanda by a single goal.
Canada kept up their two-goal-a-game pace in the semi-final match against yet another African team, Congo. But it wasn't enough as the match finished 2-2 and went to PK's, where Canada lost 2-1 after 5 PK's (have to feel for Sunderland keeper Michal Misiewicz who made three saves on the PK and still didn't pick up the win). Canada's goals in this game were scored Jarek Whiteman of the CSL's North York Astros and Reda Agourram of the Montreal Impact's farm team the Trois-Riviere Attak (a team that also plays in the CSL, boy is that a recurring theme or what?)
The tourney's not actually over for Canada - there is a 3rd place game this upcoming Tuesday. But well done to the boys for a good showing against some tough competition, with the typical amount of preparation time for this tourney (which wasn't much). Somebody out there is recognizing your efforts!