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Soccer in Toronto 2004 Review ( by Rocket Robin)


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Soccer in Toronto 2004 Review

by Rocket Robin

February 7th, 2005.

Toronto Lynx (14 home games 7 wins--7 losses). The Lynx miss the playoffs again this year with a final record of 10W-16L-2T. Their early record of a poor start meant that many fans knew how difficult a playoff run was less than halfway through the season. The crowds looked to be larger than last year but didn't show up in the announced attendance. There seemed to be less padding for announced numbers than in other years from what I observed. At the end of the season, head coach Duncan Wilde resigned and went back to coaching the Lynx Youth Academy. Former goaltender Hubert Busby Jr was announced as coach. He has been involved in coaching from the last few years including a stint with the CPSL Ottawa Wizards and is a former Lynx player.

Toronto Inferno (7 home games 2 wins--5 losses). I was disappointed in this year's edition of the team. The players tried hard but the first half of the season their bench was extremely short. There were no substitutes to bring into some of the early games. The players would just tire out. Their overall record was 3W-11L. The team lacked National team players except for Melanie Booth. Most of the Canadian Nats ended up playing for Vancouver. Inferno games were poorly attended.

During the off season, the Toronto Lynx organization bought the team from the previous owners. I could see that had something to do with the team expanding their soccer academy to include girls. The ownership should provide stability with the team being able to play all their games at Centennial Stadium rather than the two or three fields they got shuffled around to each year.

CPSL (an eleven team league this year from Southern Ontario).

Awkwardly divided into two geographic divisions with the Toronto area teams being split into each division. Since they played a perfectly balanced schedule this year, I didn't see a reason to run anything but one table. The Eastern conference of five teams had the three strongest teams all play against each other before crossing over to the playoff winner of the Western conference. A great variety of teams all had reason to celebrate. The Canada Open Cup winner Windsor Border Stars; Conference winners were Hamilton Thunder in the West and Toronto Supra in the East over a 20 game schedule, and a tournament of playoff teams found Toronto Croatia on a long winning streak win the Rogers Cup. London City discovered the eventual league's leading scorer Paul Munster while he was rehabbing. Only the expansion Durham Storm had a disastrous year; not winning until the second last weekend of the season. The teams were more than competitive against international teams Boavista from Portugal, La Sangiorgese from Italy and Portmore United from Jamaica.

National Team Games

Well these were easy to follow. There weren't any games in Toronto this year. A new stadium is finally going to be built in this city but it was awkward deciding on it. The CSA (Canadian Soccer Association) was falling all over themselves in the last two years first announcing that a site at Exhibition Stadium was ideal. That got bumped to the site of the University of Toronto and the same suits were saying how great that was then local residents got an order that the stadium would have to be realigned so that sight was lost. Then the York University proposal got moved to the top and...there they were again about this being the best proposal ever. Well this city will wait to see if the stadiums ready by 2007 to be one of the hosting cities for the Men's Under 20 World Cup.

My soccer watching might be curtailed in 2005 as my time is being restricted by family commitments. I probably thought that at the beginning of last year too but I ended up seeing 16 Toronto Lynx regular and exhibition games, the 7 Toronto Inferno games, and 57 CPSL games. I kept updating my sight which is something that tails off even by some club teams as the season nears its end. I found an outlet for my game reviews at socceronline.com. My web site style looks very outdated. I'm not one who has a lot of pictures although that would increase my hit count. I have more than 2000 'pages' of soccer and music trivia news and reports so I have to watch my web space. The mainstream newspapers of Toronto have no stories about the players or the games so I can see I still have a roll to fill.

My web page is at http://home.eol.ca/~robing/soccer00.htm

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

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Rocket Robin,

In no way did the Lynx buy the Inferno from the current owner. The franchise rights were taken away from the Inferno and then given to the Lynx. The USL didn't even notify the Inferno owner of their decision to do so.

Everybody, including the Inferno's owner and it's staff found out through a press release from the Lynx.

Yes, I gree with you that the on field results were poor, but the team was coming together, and the players on the team had no regrets with their choice to play with the Inferno last summer, with a majority of the team commited to returning for the 2005 season.

When posting info like this, you should know all the facts before hand.

joeboy

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C'mon people, spill the beans...can't leave us hanging like this...

Who, what, when, where, why, how?

Why was the franchise taken away? An more importantly, why was it given to the Lynx?

The Lynx can barely run the men's team, now they're in charge of a women's team too?

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quote:Originally posted by Elias

C'mon people, spill the beans...can't leave us hanging like this...

Who, what, when, where, why, how?

Why was the franchise taken away? An more importantly, why was it given to the Lynx?

The Lynx can barely run the men's team, now they're in charge of a women's team too?

It appears a business decision by the USL who lost confidence in the Inferno ownership and apparently had confidence in the Lynx, but there are no details, and those that worked for and owned the Inferno aren't spilling the beans, maybe for legal or career reasons. The USL has not given reasons. Up to the announcement, the Inferno president Mr. Marmo was planning on running the Inferno in 2005 according to poster TorontoInferno who worked for the club. The employees were all caught by surprise by the announcement of the franchise being switched.

Discussion here:

http://www.canadian-soccer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5049&whichpage=1&SearchTerms=Lady,lynx

Not much anywhere else, was even less discussion and nothing new on GoBigRed (with all due respect to Elaine, one of my heros, she has contracts with the Sudbury Canadians, who have had very close links with the Lynx, so she has not tried to stir the pot), and nothing on the Inferno site (still on, but static: www.torontoinferno.com ) since the takeover.

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Sorry. I lost track of this thread over this last week.

Private e-mail for me received directly from Bruno Hartrell today February 15th...

Hi Robin, Nice posting. The Lynx did buy the franchise from the USL not from Marmo. We were offered it after the League decided to terminate the Inferno rights for non-payment of dues(among other things). The USL called us up and said they were terminating the rights and that they had serious interest from two other parties in Toronto. The purchase price was $25,000 u.s .These facts are 100% accurate, you can quote me but don't pass on my email address. Thanks, BH

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For the most part, what BH said in his email is true. The lynx did purchse the franchise from the USL, and if he says for $25,000, then I'd have to believe him. BUT there is more to the story of the Inferno not paying past league fees, and because of legal reasons, and professional reasons, this forum is not the place to discuss them.

I do wish the Lynx all the luck in the world, and hope that they take the team to new levels, both on and off the field.

The reason for my original post was to set everyone straight, that the Lynx did not buy the franchise from Mr. Marmo. Tony should be commended and praised for the sacrafices he's made, both personal and professional, to keep the Inferno alive for the past 6 years with hardly any help with the financials that it takes to keep a team like that going.

Well Done Tony!

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quote:Originally posted by joeboy

BUT there is more to the story of the Inferno not paying past league fees, and because of legal reasons, and professional reasons, this forum is not the place to discuss them.

Go to an internet cafe, use a fake name, create a fake name here, and post the details. Nothing that will reveal your identity. :)

I find it very hard to believe the USL just took away the team without a warning or anything, and the Inferno found out through a press release. Who runs the place, the CSA? Fire Yallop!

Although, I do think it is better to have the A & W League clubs under one roof, I just think it's under the wrong roof. But to be fair, the Lynx owners have made it last for like 10 years now so we should give credit where credit is due.

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  • 2 weeks later...
quote:Originally posted by Rocket Robin

Soccer in Toronto 2004 Review

by Rocket Robin

February 7th, 2005.

Toronto Lynx (14 home games 7 wins--7 losses). The Lynx miss the playoffs again this year with a final record of 10W-16L-2T. Their early record of a poor start meant that many fans knew how difficult a playoff run was less than halfway through the season. The crowds looked to be larger than last year but didn't show up in the announced attendance. There seemed to be less padding for announced numbers than in other years from what I observed. At the end of the season, head coach Duncan Wilde resigned and went back to coaching the Lynx Youth Academy. Former goaltender Hubert Busby Jr was announced as coach. He has been involved in coaching from the last few years including a stint with the CPSL Ottawa Wizards and is a former Lynx player.

Toronto Inferno (7 home games 2 wins--5 losses). I was disappointed in this year's edition of the team. The players tried hard but the first half of the season their bench was extremely short. There were no substitutes to bring into some of the early games. The players would just tire out. Their overall record was 3W-11L. The team lacked National team players except for Melanie Booth. Most of the Canadian Nats ended up playing for Vancouver. Inferno games were poorly attended.

During the off season, the Toronto Lynx organization bought the team from the previous owners. I could see that had something to do with the team expanding their soccer academy to include girls. The ownership should provide stability with the team being able to play all their games at Centennial Stadium rather than the two or three fields they got shuffled around to each year.

CPSL (an eleven team league this year from Southern Ontario).

Awkwardly divided into two geographic divisions with the Toronto area teams being split into each division. Since they played a perfectly balanced schedule this year, I didn't see a reason to run anything but one table. The Eastern conference of five teams had the three strongest teams all play against each other before crossing over to the playoff winner of the Western conference. A great variety of teams all had reason to celebrate. The Canada Open Cup winner Windsor Border Stars; Conference winners were Hamilton Thunder in the West and Toronto Supra in the East over a 20 game schedule, and a tournament of playoff teams found Toronto Croatia on a long winning streak win the Rogers Cup. London City discovered the eventual league's leading scorer Paul Munster while he was rehabbing. Only the expansion Durham Storm had a disastrous year; not winning until the second last weekend of the season. The teams were more than competitive against international teams Boavista from Portugal, La Sangiorgese from Italy and Portmore United from Jamaica.

National Team Games

Well these were easy to follow. There weren't any games in Toronto this year. A new stadium is finally going to be built in this city but it was awkward deciding on it. The CSA (Canadian Soccer Association) was falling all over themselves in the last two years first announcing that a site at Exhibition Stadium was ideal. That got bumped to the site of the University of Toronto and the same suits were saying how great that was then local residents got an order that the stadium would have to be realigned so that sight was lost. Then the York University proposal got moved to the top and...there they were again about this being the best proposal ever. Well this city will wait to see if the stadiums ready by 2007 to be one of the hosting cities for the Men's Under 20 World Cup.

My soccer watching might be curtailed in 2005 as my time is being restricted by family commitments. I probably thought that at the beginning of last year too but I ended up seeing 16 Toronto Lynx regular and exhibition games, the 7 Toronto Inferno games, and 57 CPSL games. I kept updating my sight which is something that tails off even by some club teams as the season nears its end. I found an outlet for my game reviews at socceronline.com. My web site style looks very outdated. I'm not one who has a lot of pictures although that would increase my hit count. I have more than 2000 'pages' of soccer and music trivia news and reports so I have to watch my web space. The mainstream newspapers of Toronto have no stories about the players or the games so I can see I still have a roll to fill.

My web page is at http://home.eol.ca/~robing/soccer00.htm

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

You forgot to mention the two big friendlies at Skydome between

Celtic and Roma and Liverpool and Porto with both matches brining in a

total of 90,000 fans. Lets see the CSA do that, or the LYNX.

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