where did it come from?

[Franky]

aahhhh, what the heck....G-L, we sort of have the same start.

My cousins and uncles took me to the Metros-Croatia starting back in 1976 and when Eusebio was playing for them and supposedly???? i witnessed Pele play during this period with the Cosmos, as well. Don't ask for details, i was only four and it is just a blur to me, i do remember heading to the venerable varsity stade at times, but thats it, unfortunately, i don't remember them even winnning the Soccer Bowl that year.

Also, started playing CYO soccer at six and being a Blizzard ball boy at Excercism Stade back in 1979, not to mention, playing at half time during at a Blizzard game in 1980. 1983, the Blizzard made it to the Soccer Bowl final and lost to the Roughnecks and finally, the best soccer season that i could never forget was the Blizzard's playoff run which they lost to the eventual Soccer Bowl winners, the Sting. i think i have never heard Varsity Stade that loud before in my life and nothing after that ever compared, 18,000 hysterical soccer fans!!

[Franky]

ps - G-L, that Gerry Gray's goal called offisde in 1984 Olympics against Brazil still feels like i watched that yesterday, although i have never seen a replay of that since, i think???? memories.

[Gian-Luca]

Yeah, I was initially thinking about the Gerry Gray goal against Mexico in 1980 in the first round of qualifying when we tied them 1-1 at Azteca Stadium - a direct free kick, no less! Probably the last time a Canadian scored on one of those (and the last time we went to Mexico & didn't lose). But you're right, I have vivid memories of the Gerry Gray goal that was disallowed against Brazil in those Olympics, and of Armitage & Leggatt going ballistic over the call!

I also played at halftime at Exhibition Stadium, during a Blizzard-Whitecaps match in 1983. The game ended 0-0, with the Blizzard winning on a shoot-out - those old NASL-style shootouts where keepers like Tony Chursky would charge out of the net to make the save on the player who was charging in from the 35 yard line.

[Christian B.]

quote:Originally posted by Franky

ps - G-L, that Gerry Gray's goal called offisde in 1984 Olympics against Brazil still feels like i watched that yesterday, although i have never seen a replay of that since, i think???? memories.

I have a tape of that game. CBC and SRC were presenting the game with many pauses to showcase other sport's highlights. I would say I have 80% of the play including the 2 goals, the wrongly disallowed one and the full penalty shoot-out. It's the oldest game in my collection. More you watch the game and more you believe that we should have won that match. The offside call was certainly not legitimate IMO.

[Vancouver Fan]

I was born in Italy and have black and white pictures of myself with a ball at my feet at 3 years of age.A year later my family came to Canada and not too long after that my older cousin got me into organised soccer.I never made it to pro but I've had teamates and kids I've coached make it to various national teams and pro clubs.

Like redhat,my first recollection of the pro game on t.v. was soccer made in Germany on PBS around 77,78.(What was that hosts name?Toby Charles?)I was a regular at Empire Stadium at Whitecaps games.There was a group of 16,17 year olds from my school that were into singing and chanting and banging on drums.

In 1979,of course the Whitecaps won Soccer Bowl and really fueled my interest with Canadian soccer.Lenarduzzi and Valentine were key members of the National team.

Like Gianluca,I got real sense of the World Cup in 78 although I don't recall seeing many games.I did here a lot about it at family get-togethers.It wasn't until 82 that I got excited about the World cup after watching Italys games.The Italy/Brazil match is still my favorite match today.I have VHS tapes of all of Italys games from 82.

Some big matches I've attended in Vancouver would have to include Canada/England just before the 86 World Cup.I never thought that 17 years later we would be even further behind England then we were back then.That match gave me hope that we could compete against the big teams.A few weeks later we lost 1 nil to France and I felt even stronger about our future.

I got a real jolt of reality when we lost out to Guatemala in WC Qualifying for the 90 cup.A rained soaked Swangard pitch and a spirit that was even more dampened.

A few years older today but still optimistic about our team nonetheless.

[hamiltonfan]

I got into the MWC team after they won the gold cup in 2000. I didnt find out about this site untill the Hamilton Thunder came to hamilton and then i got more into soccer.

[snake]

the press given to the whitecaps was huge, three page game previews,mid season report cards etc.watched the caps always beat up on top euro clubs at empire.still have the caps they used to giveaway at select games.

[The Coach]

I started to play in 1981 the same year of the Montréal Manic debut in the NASL, I was 13 year old. I watched my first World Cup in 1982 seeing Paolo Rossi and Dino Zoff win the precious trophy against Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and the FRG. I started following the Nats in 1986 with the WC in Mexico. The most funniest thing about 86 is that the husband of my sister is Mexicain and he came from a little town near Leon and has assisted personally at two WC matchs of Canada (against France and Hungary), we have talked a lot about this.

I've never stop loving soccer since then. I have done a lot in my region, playing, coaching, managing during several years. Today I'm still playing but just for fun with a bunch of old legs every Wednesday nights. I coach the team of my seven year old son every Saturday morning.

[Cheeta]

quote:Originally posted by Gian-Luca

Yeah, I was initially thinking about the Gerry Gray goal against Mexico in 1980 in the first round of qualifying when we tied them 1-1 at Azteca Stadium - a direct free kick, no less!

Damned if I can remember who we had in net, but somehow I seem to recall the Mexican goal being a real piece of crap too. Struck from a harder angle 12-14 yards out right at the 'keeper. Not especially hard but mishandled through the arms, off the chest, between the legs and into net:(. Bloody, bloody, hell.

(Seem to just die on rubbish like that. Was it Dolan who let that 50 yard cross just hang forever through the box to fall at the far post for France's goal in Mexico? Ug. Killed me. Just killed me.)

Gray's goal was wonderful. Don't know if he ever hit one like that again. My man, Gerry! Wonderful stuff.

[matthew]

Yeah Dolan came off his line and back-peddalled past the far post on a long cross that went over his head against France. Someone nodded it across the face of goal near the end line and it was tapped in by Papin.

I think that's how it went in. Poor Dolan. Don't know why they started him and then they yank him for the last two games after he played pretty well against France and made one mistake.

cheers,

matthew

[strobe_z]

I played soccer as a kid, starring sweeper on a kids team where "midfield" was just something everyone booted the ball over. Ended up doing an awful lot of running back and forth and can remember thinking "what's this?" when they handed me the ball to take the individual and team pictures at the end of the season. I had the unfortunate luck of being friends with more gifted son of recent Euro immigrants and had the devastating experience of trying out for a real city 'club' side and being cut right off the bat while he got in.

I also have dim memories of going to a couple of Drillers games back at old Clarke Stadium in the 80's.

I didn't really get into the game again until I went to university in Korea. That's back in about '96 when they were bidding against Japan for the WC and the whole country was in a bit of a fever. Didn't really keep it up when I got home to this wasteland of soccer and somehow missed most of France '98 (funny I remember more of USA '94.. probably 'cause it was in the same timezone).

I didn't even know we had a MNT until the Gold Cup 2000. I had the unbelievable experience of being back working for the Alberta Government in Korea at the time (and feeling a little more focused patriotism). Korean newspapers at the time were talking all about the 'good preparation' they'd get against the USA and Mexico and Colombia. I actually watched the Canada-Korea match in my office with my Korean co-workers on an extended lunch hour ("international relations"). I was hooked... especially after I got to see the Korean reaction to that famous coin toss up close and personal. Luckily a few days later I was able to console my fellow co-workers by saying... "could be worse... you could be Mexican..."

After that I was hooked.... I even made one of my co-workers stop during a business road trip for an early lunch to watch the Canada-Colombia final. We had to go to 2 places before we found a little 'restaurant' by the side of the road that had a tv. When we walked in and switched on the game.. it got about as much reaction as a Colombia-Korea match would get at a roadside diner in Canada. Heh.. by the time deVos scored that header... I had the whole joint cheering on our boys! Great experience.

It stuck that time... I wasn't hooked on soccer... I was hooked on CANADIAN soccer. I can remember landing in Vancouver on a Saturday morning and catching EPL action on Sportsnet 10 minutes after clearing customs. Almost missed my connection to Edmonton.

[fanatic]

woa, i didn know i was going to get so many replies is such little time, well i guess i shud expand my version a bit, like i said it started with a visit to europe, belgium to be exact, i saw a game of la louviére klukowski's team and surprisingly i saw canadian flags so thats pretty much it, the winning of that game also played a big part... I also visited englands stades (arsenal and manchester), i thought it was awsome, no words for it

[fza]

quote:Originally posted by snake

anyone remember super socco

Good memory!!..I remember that juice, especially grape and orange flavour!!..

Does anyone remember that soccer cartoon "The Hurricanes"? They used to show it after soccer saturday, obviously on a different channel!!

[Varsity Tyler]

Once in a while I'd hear my dad tell stories of he and my grandfather watching the Blizzard out of Varsity. I know that my dad's team once played for the Ontario provincial crown, too. Soccer has been in my dad's side of the family since for a long time.

Growing up my dad and I used to do our groceries at Knob Hill Farms. We always used to see huge posters advertising the Canada Cup and all of Canada's friendlies. Also growin up, my dad and I casually watched Canadian matches whenever they were on. My first Canadian memories were of Samuel and Bunbury, and asking my father, "Brazil. They're good, right?" when TSN said that we tied them 1-1.

Flash forward to 1998 when I read that Varsity Stadium was to be demolished, and that Canada was playing Jamaica to close out the place. I suggested that my dad and I check out the game as a bit of a memory jog for him. When Brennan scored from that huge run down the left flank it was magic.

I've watched Gold Cup wins and Gold Cup disappointments, and I've seen Canada live three times at home and another three abroad. I love the game and I love the atmosphere. Great thread!

[argh1]

Since we're all spilling our guts 'bout soccer.

My dad was from Holywood County Down Northern Ireland and talked non-stop 'bout THE RANGERS. I was a typical Canadian kid hockey, hockey , hockey, box LaCrosse a few summers.Tried H.S. soccer but wasn't allowed in the H.S. league as I played junior hockey (rules suck)

CBC in my day, the 60's showed some English or Scottish games after church on Sundays.I saw a team named Rangers , thought that's who dad meant, but it was QPR.One of the house rules was we HAD to read the newspaper daily and The Halifax Mail-Star had a soccer column every week (from some national service).So I kept track of the ups and downs of QPR and still do.Threw the years I now follow 3 teams closely QPR , Hearts .....only cuz they are not Old Firm I think...and Portadown , the only IFL fan in Canada:DSadly I haven't followed much Canadian soccer.But the Impact and A-League these last few years are taking more and more internet time[]

[Guest Dave]

Well guys, beleive it or not my interest in soccer was directly caused by Canadian MNT (and its lack of success)

Back when I was a kid during the 70s, I remember being sick at home one day and, being bored, I was leafing through one of my parents' Readers Digest magazines. In it I found an article about the Canadian MNT. As I recall, the article was pretty condescending. It started off something like "Most Canadians probably don't even know their country has a soccer team." They went on about how we usually lost to these crappy little third world countries. Well, being a rebellious little tyke, I of course decided right then and there that I wanted to see our MNT, and would cheer for them, if only to spite the know-it-all author of that article. (Hey, I cheered for the Leafs during the Ballard era, in a house full of Montreal fans, so that tells you something about my propensity to cheer for the unpopular underdog!) Anyhow, as luck would have it, a few weeks after reading that Readers Digest article I was watching CBC, and lo and behold they showed Canada playing a friendly against England. (or it may have been an English club team, not really sure). I remember at half time we were only down 1-0, and the play by play guy was celebrating this as a great accomplishment for Canada! [] I ws hooked... defeatism AND an unpopular underdog. What else could a future punk-rock fan have asked for?

And that, my friends, is the honest truth. I became a soccer fan simply because it was so unpopular in this country!

[Chet]

For me it came from playing. I started playing soccer as an eight-year-old in Prince Albert. That would have been 1968 or 1969.

All my friends played hockey and that was all they ever talked about. I envied them. I was a huge hockey fan (Bobby Orr was my hero), but I couldn't skate, so I was pretty much left out. In Saskatchewan, if you haven't learned to skate by the time you're eight, you might as well forget about it. It's too humiliating to show up at the rink at that age if you can't skate.

But all my friends were involved in sports, so I wanted to get involved in sports too. Soccer was a natural fit for me. I wasn't strong enough for most sports, but I was the second-fastest sprinter in my school. All my hockey-playing buddies played soccer in the summer.

Our local 8-and-under team had a great coach named Mr. Kerr. He coached me for the first three years I played. Most of what I know about the game even now is stuff he taught me as a kid. We had a lot of good coaches in P.A. at that time. I discovered I had a head for the game that made up for my lack of athletic ability. We practiced twice a week and played once a week. In the off-season our team practiced indoors every week all winter long.

As a kid we were always playing soccer -- in the park on weekends, every day at school during recess, even when the snow was literally up to our waists and the ball would sit on top of it so you had to punt it forward with your knees and then wade after it. It never occurred to me until now that it was something unusual for Canada.

At some point I remember seeing the Canadian Men's team on CBC. It must have been the early 70s because I was still playing organized soccer and my team-mates and I would get together to watch the games, sitting on the floor in front of a black-and-white TV.

I stopped playing organized soccer by the time I reached my teens. But I never stopped loving the game. I've been following the men's national team ever since.

[Guest Jeffery S.]

I started playing when I was six, was total crap until I actually began to get very fast and fit around the age of 13. Those seven years were pretty much a waste, my Scottish coach Mr. Strange never taught us anything, the good athletes were good players and the rest of us clueless. I give credit to my dad who took me week in week out to games and practices in Vancouver, lots of muddy dirt fields in the rain and cold. And those silly half oranges at half time, as if we were going to suffer from scurvy.

I saw my first Whitecaps game around 1973, and followed them here and there until the big year. After we won the Cup I took out season's tickets with my sister who started to play, and we had a good time in a bad year watching Grobelaar, Beardsly, and of course Lenarduzzi.

By my teens in the 70s I actually started to score goals playing left wing, I began to cross effectively from both sides and use both feet. I could outrun most defenders and had tons of breakaways that I could not finish. Played until maybe I was 18.

After that things died down, I studied, but when I stopped playing I started watching more seriously. I remember seeing Cruyff for the Diplomats at Empire early 80s, remember one extraordinary control in the midfield that was worth the whole game (full flight running forward, took a bullet pass head height, nodded it onto his feet without breaking a stride, the whole crowd went "ahhh").

The WC in Spain was a big moment, I remember skipping out of summer work and watching games. Great cup that was, inspiring Italian side. I also think that seeing so many interesting cities and such beautiful grass got me thinking about this country. I saw the scoreless tie vs. Peru at BC Place, think that was around 85. Our World Cup was also inspiring. But not until I came to Spain in 87 did I begin to really see the game, understand its sense, its strategies, and see too how the game could be different. And I lost track of Canada and settled in to the great Barça under Cruyff, who taught us all a lot about the game. And realized that I was a true fan, that I loved the game and all my youth play came back to me, mostly wondering why we couldn't have learnt more in all that time.

One day reading one of the sports dailies I read a little paragraph about how Canada had made the semis in the Gold Cup. Then the win. And that was when I clicked back in to my homeland and eventually found this site, which has been a real pleasure, as I realized I did indeed have another team, Canada, and that we had a lot to play for, a lot of growth to do as well.