This is the second in a series of posts dedicated to sharing stories from fans of Canadian soccer about how they came to follow their country and/or local club, and what it means to them. We're told soccer is wildly popular in Canada -- but too often, that means people who play but don't watch, or those who exclusively follow foreign clubs or national teams. While that's all well and good, it's not the same as being a Canadian soccer fan.
To find out how you can be a part of this series and add your voice to the Support Local Soccer movement, see the end of this post. But in this edition, we head all the way out east to find a fan whose passion was born way down south, and whose philosophy should ring true from coast to coast.
Like most kids in Mexico, Clemente spent vast swathes of his youth playing soccer, whenever or wherever he could: "mostly on the streets or really bad fields -- but it was a lot of fun!"
But unlike most kids, he had the skills necessary to compete at a youth academy linked to Mexican heavyweight Cruz Azul for several years.
And rarer still, he now finds himself a proud Canadian hoping to pass along his knowledge and experience to the next generation of young Canadian players -- including his son.
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Clemente first came to Canada in 2000 to further his education, and settled in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. After a trip back to Mexico for several years, he returned to St. John's, where he now lives with his wife and son. Upon first arriving, he felt the itch to play competitive soccer once again, after he'd abandoned the sport for several years in favour of volleyball.
"I am not going to lie," he says. "I thought, 'I am from Mexico, I should kick Canadian ass very easily... and at least in N.L.... it was sort of true.
"I played intermediate level (which is a level below Challenge Cup) for two years and had a lot of fun. I found the game to be very physical but poor in terms of technique (this was in 2001) and game insight."
But 2000 was, of course, the year that expectations were turned on their head in the international game -- especially when it comes to Canada and Mexico. Clemente points to that year's Gold Cup as the moment when his eyes were opened to the soccer potential in his new home.
"Canada beats Mexico in the semifinals and then goes on to beat Colombia to win the Gold Cup," he says, when asked about the moment he became a CanMNT supporter. "Mexico was (and is) a far superior team in terms of technique, but Canada won it by will and that is something that I admire in any team.
"When I was in Mexico, I kept track of their performance but it turned into something serious when I started coaching, as my dream is that one day one of the kids that I coach would be in red playing for Canada."
Indeed, upon his return to Canada in 2008 was when Clemente's "coaching adventure" began. He stepped in when his son's U12 house league team needed a coach; but the coaching bug bit hard, and he took on several different coaching assignments in the years to come, with competitive and traveling teams in the region.
"My goal as a coach is to develop players," he says. "The game here is very physical, so yeah, you gotta be fit to play the game. But my main focus is to develop the players' understanding of the game (what to do without the ball, decision-making at high pace, possession soccer, etc.)
"My philosophy is that I don't care about the score, I care about how the game is played. For me, you need to respect the ball by keeping it on the ground and moving it towards the goal. My two main influences as a coach are Vince Lombardi (in terms of coaching philosophy) and Marcelo Bielsa (in terms of how I see soccer)."
While Clemente no longer coaches his son, that doesn't mean the boy has dropped out of the game. Quite the contrary. He's currently practicing at the Regional Training Centre, a level below the National Training Centre, and is set to represent N.L. in the Atlantics this July. Like his dad, the boy began playing at a very young age (three years old, Clemente says) and showed above-average skills once he got involved in the game in an organized way.
For any young player, surely the dream of a World Cup is in the back of their minds. And Clemente, who still holds a Mexican passport, has put some thought towards that potential possibility for his son.
"There is a long way to go, sacrifices and a lot of work for him to do in order to reach a level where he could be playing professionally or have the level to play representing Canada," he says.
"If that moment comes (where he has to make a choice about what country to represent internationally), what I'm telling him is that it is a personal decision -- but playing for Canada will be a great way to say thank you for the opportunities that he has here. I really doubt that he could have developed into the player he is now in Mexico.
"Representing a country is not about money or who gets the best chance to win the World Cup, it's about representing the values and the people of that country, providing an example and motivation for young generations.
"All I can do is lead by example and in that case, he sees me working every week in the development of players here in Canada, hopefully that will help when/if he has to make the decision."
Clemente's son will get a first-hand look at what he could one day be playing for -- his dad is sending him to Toronto for the men's national team's World Cup qualifier against Honduras on Tuesday.
"This is a good opportunity for him to see the soccer passion in Canada," says Clemente. "And plant the seed to play for the True North if he develops into a national elite player."
But despite his love for all things Canadian soccer, and his dreams for his son, Clemente is also an example of how, in our multicultural society, you don't need to leave behind where you're from to appreciate where you are.
"I do follow and support the Mexican team," he says. "Given the money and infrastructure in Mexico (and the U.S.) it is almost a guarantee that they will make it to the World Cup, so I have no worries there, unlike people from Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, etc.... For them, every game is war as there is only one spot left. (But) I want to see Canada as the third team (to qualify out of CONCACAF).
"I will say that I will support Canada even vs. Mexico, because I know that Mexico will go through even if they lost... (But) in a winner-takes-all game... hmmm, I have no idea!"
Clemente, like every Canadian fan with multiple allegiances, will have to cross that bridge and if when it comes. But for now, there is plenty of local passion for the game that he can continue to build on.
"I know a lot of good people working towards the development of the game (in N.L.). We have now one indoor facility (three-quarters of a full-size field) and four turfs that are making a big difference in the development of the kids. I wish there could be more prepared coaches ... the potential in the kids is there, but they need guidance!"
Guidance, of course, can come from the very top -- that is, the senior national teams. But Clemente knows as well as anyone that the results have rarely been there for Canada in that respect.
"Following the (men's national) team is frustrating as I can see that most of the guys playing have the old school of physical game first, think maybe later," says Clemente. "The lack of game insight and understanding of the game is really really frustrating and I feel bad when I see it.
"I want to see Canada do good, as I know that the sport is big in the country. There is talent to compete, we just need to work with it and make it grow! Every time Canada doesn't do well, I just go back to the training board and say, 'What can I do so my kids can develop and make things happen?'
"If Canada makes it to the World Cup, it will be great! Then we could say, 'They did it, how can we improve that?' It will give the kids an example to follow."
Do you have a story to share about how you, or a friend, were converted to following the Canadian game, at the club or country level? Send an email to canadiansoccerguys@gmail.com, and you might be included in a future edition of Canadian Converts.
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