CSL Open Canada Cup

[soccerman2]

London AEK 5, Hamilton Argentina 0

Games to be played in Round Two:

Open Canada Cup - Second Round

Sunday, July 2, Esther Shiner Stadium, North York 2.30 pm North York Astros vs. Brampton Stallions

Sunday, July 2, Bois-de-Boulogne Stadium, Laval 7.00 pm Laval Dynamites vs. Ottawa St. Anthony Italia

Sunday, July 2, The Soccer Centre, Vaughan 7.00 pm Italia Shooters vs. Oakville Blue Devils

Sunday, July 2, Club Roma, St. Catharines 8.00 pm St. Catharines Wolves vs. London AEK or Hamilton Argentina 78

Sunday, July 2, Brian Timmis Stadium, Hamilton 9.00 pm Hamilton Serbians vs. Toronto Supra Portuguese

Monday, July 3, Cove Road, London 8.38 pm London City vs. Caribbean Selects

Friday, July 14, Centennial Stadium 7.30 pm Serbian White Eagles vs. Toronto Lynx

2005 Open Canada Cup holders Windsor Border Stars gain a bye to third round

[elmparker]

North York Astros 0 Brampton Stallions 5

[Rocket Robin]

Italia Shooters 2 Oakville Blue Devils 0

(more details of this and the Astros game to follow).

[soccerman2]

Open Canada Cup

Second Round

Brampton Stallions 5, North York Astros 0

Italia Shooters 2, Oakville Blue Devils 0

London AEK 1, St. Catharines Wolves 0

Ottawa St. Anthony Italia 4, Laval Dynamites 2

Hamilton Serbians 3, Toronto Supra Portuguese 2

[Grizzly]

It doesn't say much for the CSL's level of play when there are three matches between CSL teams and amateur men's teams and the amateur teams win all three matches.

[Rocket Robin]

Result of the Sunday July 2nd, 2006 game of the Open Canada Cup between the CSL teams North York Astros and Brampton Stallions played at Esther Shiner Stadium in North York at 2:30pm.

48 min…Stallions Andre Andrade GOAL...Stallions Oneil Sang 20 yard freekick from right edge of box 10 yards from end line has wind aided curved shot deflect off bar and a Stallions player on left post taps pass and Andrade skips 5 yarder over prone goalie Arthur Zaslavski into center of net.

50 min…Stallions Ronald Nicholas GOAL…Nicholas 35 yard quick freekick is low up middle and into left side of net. It looked like the Astros weren’t set up for their wall.

65 min…Stallions Helio Junior GOAL…Helio 25 yard freekick is bent into top left corner of net with goalie not even moving.

67 min…Stallions Helio Junior GOAL…Helio on 3 on 1 break rolls 20 yarder to right corner of net.

79 min…Stallions Hugo Herrera GOAL…Herrera on 2 on 1 break beats offside trap and eludes defender to take 18 yard shot into left side of net.

83 min…Stallions RED card…Oneil Sang picks up a direct ejection from referee Geoff Gamble for a two footed sliding tackle on Astros Peter Zorbas in center circle, injuring him.

Final Score:…North York Astros……..0………..Brampton Stallions……….5……….

Attendance was only about 30 on this extremely hot day but with a surprising strong wind from the west. This played a factor in killing punts into the wind. Stallions didn’t take too long to take advantage when they got to defend the west goal in the second half.

Goalie Patrick Osundube earned the shutout without having to do much. He made a mistake in the first minute by coming out of the box while holding the ball that resulted in only a freekick call. The thin yellow 18 yard line could be confused with the thick white 20 yard football line. At 75 minutes Astros Adam Bisgaard took a 30 yard freekick that had Astros Kurt Ramsey head a 12 yarder that Osundube caught just under the bar. The Stallions defenders were effective at blocking almost everything else shot their way before it reached their goalie.

What a difference two weeks makes! I was here exactly that long ago when I saw Astros win 3-0. What the Stallions have done since then is sign three Brazilian players recently cut by the USL Toronto Lynx. The players are forwards Clayson Queiros, Andre Andrade, and Helio Junior. I asked Stallions owner Joseph Fuliere how they ended up on his team. He said he signed them the day after the Lynx released them and he waited for their clearance. Since they had been paid for, he was able to agree with Lynx owner Bruno Hartrell to pay half their salary leaving Hartrell only on the hook for 50%. Fuliere said he wouldn’t have been able to afford them otherwise.

Fuliere introduced me to their agent (he is not the agent for “Neto”, the one Brazilian player that the Lynx still have). He reminded me that these players didn’t have a chance for the Lynx. Clayson had not played for the team, Andre had got into one game for only 15 minutes, and Helio had only been in two games for a total of 27 minutes. One of their efforts was wasted as the Lynx were already a man short. The players will play for the remainder of the CSL season then go back to Brazil.

Last week the Stallions beat London City in a league game 6-0. What a turn around from the first part of the season.

The Astros defence just couldn’t contain them in the second half. Astros goalie Arthur Zaslavski kept his team in the game for the first half.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

[Rocket Robin]

Result of the Sunday July 2, 2006 Open Canada Cup game between two CSL teams, Italia Shooters and Oakville Blue Devils played at The Soccer Centre in Vaughan at 7:00pm.

70 min…Shooters Joshua Jaramillo GOAL…Jaramillo gets the ball on the left after a pass from the center by Shooters Jason DeThomasis. He chipped the charging, sliding OBD goalie Sabrahima Traore from 20 yards and the ball landed in the center of net just under the bar.

87 min…Shooters Kadian Lecky is tripped up while cutting along the right end line when running toward the net by defender Miles O’Conner. Referee Merci Watfa immediately signalled for a Penalty kick.

88 min…Shooters Danny Sanna GOAL…Sanna’s penalty is blasted to the high center of net just over the goalie who crumples to the middle of the net.

Final Score:…..Italia Shooters…….2…………Oakville Blue Devils………0…………

Attendance was about 80 on this hot evening. The game was delayed by half hour because the crew had no assistant referee. Finally they got an official to have a minimum group of three. I was over at the fourth official’s bench and threw an extra ball into play when one sailed into the parking lot. Much like running the scoreboard in the second half at the Astros game when Ennio had to leave the game on short notice.

Camilo Benzi earned the shutout for the Shooters with a few important saves. The Shooters took over in the second half and the Blue Devils just didn’t threaten for the last half of the game. Traore had charged outside of the box to clear through balls a few times in the game but got burned on the goal.

Today’s two games were considered the 1st round of the Open Canada Cup. One game to decide who advances! The few team officials I talked to were not sure of how these games would go about settling these games if their was a tie after 90 minutes. Would it be Golden Goal or Silver Goal…or directly to penalty kicks if another group had rented out the stadium on their time permit. What would the referee do as I’d never seen him at a CSL game before? What if this game was settled one way and some game in Windsor was settled another way? No worries after all about that happening.

Now it can be told by someone who was at the 1st round draw and a team official of another team. The draw was partially fixed to have the Laval Dynamites play the amateur Ottawa team to save on travel expenses. Also the USL Toronto Lynx and the Serbian White Eagles was pre-agreed to by the two teams. Now two weeks to build up some publicity for this game. Well c’mon they’ve got to try something better than the 30 and 80 fans that were at tonight’s game. White Eagles and Lynx draw about 1100 each and both play at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

[jordan]

st anthonys also got loui legakis this year whos back from greece not sure if hes playing yet, since i havent watched many games or even played yet due to injury. But they looked really strong when i saw them play

[soccerman2]

London City 4, Caribbean Selects 1

London City's Marco Peeters opened the scoring for City at the 16 min.mark followed by Michel Daoust at the 19 min. and Johan Wikman at the 39 min to Give London 3-0 lead after the first half. Carribean Selects closed the gap at the 70 min. mark on a goal by Ajani Stapleton. Bruno Mota the youngest player in the C.S.L. scored at the 89 min mark to give City the 4-1 victory

[bettermirror]

side note: any idea if TFC will play in the open canada cup, or the U.S. open cup? or both?

[Elias]

In the huge London derby last night (anybody know what the attendance was?) AEK beat City 2-1. And in typical Canadian soccer style (read: mickey mouse), City gets to play in a wildcard game. Why are Canadian soccer people so special?

It can't be an Open cup if CSL teams get special treatment. And if they are so intent on having a home side in the final 4, then wait until after the QF's to pick a host. Still gives them about 1 month. I'm sure they can arrange for everything like all the hotels that must be booked, all the limos that must be rented, all the special events to be organized, all the media folks that must be taken care of, all the corporate sponsors that must be taken care of, etc. Do I really need a thingy to indicate sarcasm?

Ethnic teams - notice how 4 of the QF's are "ethnic" teams. That's half. And just how ethnic are they? London AEK (as in AEK Athens) goals last night were scored by Cekic and Painter. Obviously those names trace back to ancient Hellenic times.

http://www.cpsl.ca/news.asp?c=4&id=4690

AEK advance

London AEK, an amateur team in the Western Ontario Soccer League, defeated the CSL’s London City 2-1 in a close, hard fought Open Canada Cup quarterfinal game at The Cove in London Friday night.

The victory moves AEK to the semifinals of the popular competition, to be played in London during the Labour Day weekend, with the Open Canada Cup Final slated for Labour Day, September 4. London City, as the host club of the cup weekend, has a wild card opportunity to play their way back into contention and the wild card game is tentatively scheduled for Friday, September 1 at the Cove Road ground, the opposition yet to be determined

Midfielder Haris Cekic of London AEK opened the scoring at the 15th minute mark and striker Martin Painter made it 2-0 eight minutes later. London City’s Bruno Mota cut the lead to 2-1 at 71 minutes, the final score. Keith Andrew of London City found the net for the City at the 90th minute mark, but the goal was ruled offside.

London AEK defeated Hamilton Argentina 78 in the First Round and followed up with a 1-0 victory over the CSL’s St. Catharines Wolves in Round Two. London City had earlier defeated Caribbean Selects 4-1 in Round Two.

[soccerman2]

"We’re celebrating."

That was the reaction of Rick Giamberardino, general manager of Ottawa St. Anthony Italia following the not unexpected, but mild 1-0 upset of two-time Open Canada Cup winner Windsor Border Stars at the OZ Stadium in Carp on the outskirts of Ottawa in Open Canada Cup quarter-final action Sunday, and in CSL regular season play, Toronto Supra Portuguese also celebrated with their first victory of the 2006 season, winning with a vengeance, a 6-1 rout of Caribbean Selects at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke.

Giamberardino praised the Windsor team as being tough and of a standard they expected, but was elated at the win. “I think we deserved it,” he said, giving credit to his players following a game described as a fast-paced, clean encounter in excellent conditions.

Ottawa’s Urbaine Some, playing in a central midfielder role, scored the only goal of the match from a free kick just outside of the 18 yard box, shooting just to the right of Windsor goalkeeper Anthony Santilli who otherwise played a strong game which included saves from Italia’s Souleyme Gugu, who had several opportunities to add to the score. Windsor’s best chance to draw level was a strong drive that hit the woodwork with Ottawa ‘keeper Angus Wong well beaten just before the final whistle.

Ottawa St. Anthony Italia, one of the most prominent and successful senior amateur teams in Central Canada, advance to the semi-finals of the Open Canada Cup to be played at the beginning of September, and are heading also into the quarter-finals of the Ontario Cup for the provincial championship leading to the Canadian title

[soccerman2]

OPEN CANADA CUP

Quarter-final:

Brampton Stallions 1, Italia Shooters 0

[Rocket Robin]

Result of the Monday August 7th, 2006 Open Canada Cup Quarterfinal between Italia Shooters and Brampton Stallions played at The Soccer Center in Vaughan at 7:00pm.

6 min…Stallions Hugo Herrera GOAL…Herrera on rush down right chips 20 yarder into left side of net over goalie Camila Benzi.

62 min…Stallions RED card…Helio Pereira Jr earns it. (I ended up sorting this out with referee Mercy Watfa after the game). Shooters Frank Bruno earned the first card of the entire match for a tackle from behind on Pereira injuring him. Pereira kicked out at him while lying on this back which would have earned a Yellow card but then he got up and spat on Bruno so the referee pulled out a Red card. A huge shoving match was going on by this time between the two teams.

89 min…Stallions RED card…O’Neil Sang earned his second Yellow card for a tackle from behind near center line alone sideline. Stallions then had to survive another four minutes before the game ended.

Final Score:…….Italia Shooters…….0………Brampton Stallions…….1……

Attendance was about 120 on this warm evening with the Shooters having to run into the sun for the first half and may have played a part on the first goal.

Roy Blanche earned the shutout for the Stallions. He had to be sharp in the second half as the game was played almost entirely in the Stallions end once they were shorthanded. One exception was when Hugo Herrera got away a quick kick off a loose ball in middle and goalie Camila Benzi flew to the left to catch the ball and hold it from crossing the line at 69 minutes.

Shooters forwards Kadian Lecky and Jason DeThomasis couldn’t connect and both drew Yellow cards in the second half. At 87 minutes, Shooters Franco Ruscetta earned a Yellow card for diving in the Stallions box trying to draw a Penalty kick. Shooters best chance was at 84 minutes when a player sent in a cornerkick from the left that was cleared to the right; the ball was recrossed into the box and DeThomasis headed from 10 yards on left that the charging goalie blocked.

Stallions now move on to the semi-finals and possible final held on the Labour Day weekend in London with amateur teams London AEK, Ottawa St Anthony Italia, and either Toronto Lynx from the USL or Hamilton Serbians (another amateur team). London City from the CSL is back in the tournament as the hosts. They’ve proved capable hosts before and should be able to bring in a few hundred fans. I don’t know where London AEK plays. I couldn’t see anyone but a CSL team hosting this event.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

[Rocket Robin]

The CSL official report...looks like they missed the first Red card

......................................................................

ADVANCE IN OPEN CANADA CUP

Monday - August 7, 2006

Stallions oust Shooters

A goal by Brampton Stallions forward Hugo Herrera just seven minutes into the game held up to give the Stallions a 1-0 Open Canada Cup quarterfinal victory over Italia Shooters at The Soccer Centre in Vaughan, the only game in the Canadian Soccer League Monday night.

Brampton advance along with weekend winners London AEK and Ottawa St. Anthony Italia, with the fourth quarterfinals game between the Toronto Lynx and Hamilton Serbians scheduled for Brian Timmis Stadium in Hamilton on August 13. London City, as the host of the Open Canada Cup Final weekend, have a wild card opportunity to win their way to the semifinals on Friday, September 1, with the semifinals scheduled for the Labour Day weekend and the final game on Monday, September 4.

Herrera’s goal was a solo effort up the right wing to let fly a shot from 25 yards to find the net out of reach of Italia goalkeeper Camilo Benzi. Attempts by Jason De Thomasis and Franki Bruno failed to provide the Vaughan-based Shooters an equalizer and Roy Blanche in the Brampton goal made good saves, particularly a late effort by Italia’s Rob Black.

Brampton played with 10 men late in the game after losing Oneil Sang who was ejected on a second yellow card.

[Rocket Robin]

Result of the Sunday August 13, 2006 Open Canada Cup quarterfinal game between Hamilton Serbians (amateur) and Toronto Lynx (USL) played at Brian Timmis Stadium in Hamilton at 5:00pm.

81 min…Lynx Matthew Palleschi GOAL…Palleschi gets pass on right and stops and cuts and shoots 12 yarder beyond two skidding defenders and over diving goalie Nikka Prostran into low left corner of net.

Final Score:……Hamilton Serbians……0………..Toronto Lynx………1…………

Attendance was about 400 on this hot, bright sunny afternoon with whoever had to run into the west at a disadvantage. Serbians looked they were allowed to use the stadium but they didn’t have the scoreboard working and the press box was locked. I haven’t been here for a few years but it’s a natural grass field and is located right beside Ivor Wynn Stadium home of the CFL Tiger Cats. The crowd was pro-Serbians or maybe just pro-Hamilton with referee Vito Curalli getting booed for every pro-Lynx call.

The first ten minutes of the game were dominated by the Lynx but as the Serbians held off the onslaught, play evened up. The Lynx made multi subs at halftime with Chris Williams, Matthew Palleschi, Kevin Jeffrey, and Andres Arango replacing Osni Neto, Damien Pottinger, Niels Dekker, and Tony Menezes (injured earlier this year while away at a Canadian national training camp) who was used as a forward with Pottinger in the half they played.

In the second half, the Lynx gradually took control as the Serbians looked like they only had three outfield subs and only made one sub the whole game. For the last ten minutes, the Serbians were out of gas. That seemed to be the difference as the Lynx shooting was inaccurate although they earned most of the corner kicks and enough free kicks. Lynx have had such a hard time this year that when Palleschi scored his goal instead of jumping up and down, he turned to look at the referee’s assistant to make sure there was no phantom offside call.

Richard Goddard earned the shutout for the Lynx without having to make many saves as the Serbians shooting was mostly long range and off target. Their best chance was at 75 minutes when Dragan Despotovic blasted a 22 yard free kick from the left well over the net. His best save was at 24 minutes when Igor Prostran was given a short pass and his sharp 6 yard low shot was stopped on the short side by Goddard’s excellent foot save.

The Hamilton team was unknown to me except for midfielders Igor Prostran who was on the Lynx two ago then was on the CPSL Oakville Blue Devils last year and Nikola Miodrag who started this season with Serbian White Eagles of the CSL.

Lynx coach Duncan Wilde had wished he hadn’t needed to use so many subs in the game (six) as he said his line-up is pretty banged up. He had to sub defender Aaron Steele with newly re-signed Shawn Faria at only 11 minutes. Steele picked up either a stretched or torn quad and will be out either two or six weeks.

Lynx now advance to the Open Canada Cup final four tournament held in London Ontario on the Labour Day weekend. I’ll expect they won’t be forced to play the wildcard game on Friday but have to play one of the semi-final games on Saturday and the Final on Monday, Labour Day. Now only problem is between that they have a USL home game in Toronto against Virginia Beach Mariners. That’s three games in three days if they make the final.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

[soccerman2]

OPEN CANADA CUP

Semi-final

Toronto Lynx 1, London AEK 0

[Rocket Robin]

Result of the Open Canada Cup semi-final match between London AEK and Toronto Lynx played at Cove Road in London at 8:38pm.

17 min...Lynx Osni Neto GOAL...Lynx goalie Richard Goddard picks up ball and punts it downfield and it bounces forward from about 22 yards with two Lynx players and three defenders chasing it. Neto chips ball from 15 yards over goalie John Dreliozis who was coming out about 10 yards off his line and ball is over him and into net.

Final Score:...London AEK......0..........Toronto Lynx......1........

Attendance was about 500 people with the stands overflowing and the excess people lined around the fence on the other sideline. Oooh now that's why the league keeps returning here year after year!

Richard Goddard earned the shutout for the Lynx. He had some bit saves to preserve the lead. At 56 minutes he dived to block an 18 yard shot from AEK Justin Guy and the rebound came out to Paul Arnold who jumped but the ball was kicked wide left from 5 yards. At 88 minutes AEK Stu Pow took a long throw-in from the right sideline and the ball bounced through the box with an AEK player getting away a weak header from 6 yards on the left that was blocked. Maybe too many long punts from Goddard but if it worked the once...

The AEK goalie John Dreliozis looked good except for coming up to take some long freekicks from near the center line. Good late strategy to put everyone up to make the play but his freekicks were low and blocked by the nearest Lynx player and he was in danger of being chipped as he was caught upfield along with his outfield players. More accurate shooting by the Lynx players could have put this game out of reach early. At 22 minutes Lynx Jamie Dodds pushed a 25 yard freekick forward down the right wing instead of into the box and Lynx Gordon Chin running down the wing and cut in towards goal took a 12 yard shot that bends and just missed the top left corner of the net. At 28 minutes Lynx Ryan Anstey knocked down a header on the right and Chin had his 18 yard shot go wide left of net. Chin played his finest game of the season and earned his starting position this game.

Also at 23 minutes, the AEK goalie made one blooper when AEK Ugo DeCandido back passed an easy ball that he should have blasted upfield but instead picked it up and the referee had to call a freekick from only 12 yards. With the entire AEK team standing on the goalline, the Lynx couldn't find an opening to score.

The AEK team looked better than the Lynx last found opponents, Hamilton Serbians in that they didn't just play ten men behind the ball (although that may be because the Lynx couldn't score until late) and they were fitter; at least they could still run after 70 minutes (but that may be because the AEK team had brought enough substitutes to use the CSL seven subs rule to their advantage.

The Lynx defense was solid with Rick Titus just brilliant with him making checks and blocking crosses. Cameron Medwin and Aaron Steele were the other starting defenders. Lynx started the second half with four subs as Joe Marracchione, Marko Bedenikovic, Matthew Palleschi and Niels Dekker came in for Shawn Faria, Cameron Medwin, Ryan Anstey, and Osni Neto. Palleschi made his presence known about three seconds after the half started by drawing a Yellow card from referee Silviu Petrescu for pulling down AEK player/coach Martin Painter while still in the center circle.

Lynx did not have players Tony Menezes, David Diplacido, Chris Williams, JeremyShipherd nor Robbie Aristodemo at tonight's game. There was no team bus and the players had to get here on their own from the 200 kms to Toronto.

One of AEK's assistant coaches tonight was listed as Jason DeThomasis who plays for the team when he's at school at University of Western in London but he couldn't play this game because he was cup tied for his father's CSL team Italia Shooters. The AEK team could have used a big forward tonight like Jason.

The winner of tonight's game earned a spot directly in the Final on Monday. This was done instead of playing the Wild card tonight and semi-finals Saturday as the Lynx have a USL league game Sunday in Toronto against Virginia Beach Mariners. The wild card game will be played tonight in London with London City against Ottawa St Anthony Italia at 7:38pm at Cove Road.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

typed at Head2Head Games Internet Cafe in London.

[Rocket Robin]

Don't know that the players for GS United are Cup tied but they're in the line-up. So what are the rules if Jason Dethomasis couldn't play last night?

.....................................................

Soccer's crazy weekend

Fri, September 1, 2006

By MORRIS DALLA COSTA, FREE PRESS SPORTS COLUMNIST

The guy playing defence is 46. He began playing pro before 90 per cent of his teammates were born.

There will also be three guys who'll become known as "hired guns," here only for the weekend.

You'll see two of the best amateur sides in Ontario and the one true professional soccer team in the province, all in the same tournament.

And who knows what else you might see before this Canadian Soccer League Canada Cup weekend is finished at Cove Road? There's no sign of a donkey dressed in team colours, but stick around, there's plenty of time.

Only in soccer, you say?

You bet.

Oh, and while betting isn't recommended, there is money at stake. The winner walks away with $10,000.

That's a lot of cash in a sport that doesn't see much money at the best of times. Players may tell you they don't think about the dough, but you can bet management does. Ten large buys a lot of schnitzel for those long bus trips home.

London City is playing host to the event. It plays tomorrow in the wild-card game against Ottawa St. Anthony's, one of those amateur sides. Ottawa is good enough to have made it to the Ontario Cup men's final against GS United from Scarborough, the defending Ontario and national men's champs. United is without question one of the best teams in the nation.

United won't be at this tournament, at least not officially. But it will be represented. More about that later.

Opening the tournament tonight will be the other top amateur side, AEK London Olympic. AEK plays in the Western Ontario Soccer League Premier League.

AEK draws the Toronto Lynx, which plays in the United Soccer League's First Division. The Lynx is the true professional team in the tournament.

Waiting for the winner of the wild-card game are the Brampton Stallions.

"The nice part is we have two London teams here," said City coach Harry Gauss. "It should make it interesting for the local fans. It's the first time it's happened. AEK came within a penalty shot of making it last year."

London City is in as hosts. It's been a tough year for the team, but Gauss isn't about to just show up to fill out the schedule. "We're here to win this thing," he said.

So enter the 46-year-old and the hired guns.

Louie Fotia is one of the best-known players in this area. He first played with Gauss in 1978, at age 18. Fotia also played with London Marconi when it had a team in the National Soccer League.

At 46, he still plays regularly with London City in the WOSL First Division.

When Gauss needed players, he called Fotia.

"I'm not surprised to play at this level," Fotia said. "I feel good. I've never missed a year. I've never stopped. I play indoor, outdoor, indoor, outdoor."

What Fotia has lost in speed he makes up for with experience.

"I just patrol the back and control everything. My brains are a lot sharper than most. But my legs are OK too. I may be a veteran in years but not in the heart.

"The secret? Eat lots of pasta fagioli and the hot peppers. That's the secret."

Oh yeah, then there's the hired guns.

Gauss has called in "some markers" he was owed and picked up three players who play for GS Scarborough United.

They're goaltender Brian Bowes and midfielders Darryl Gomez and Chris Handsor. Handsor is a former Canadian National Soccer League and Canadian Professional Soccer League player-of-the-year. Bowes has been considered one of the top goalies at every level he's played, including the CPSL.

His pro rights are owned by Italia Shooters of the CSL.

"They owed me some future considerations for players," Gauss said. He's making no apologies for the airlift (carlift.) "We have a lot of players injured."

Why is United giving up three of its best players, even just for a weekend? United's coach is John Williams, a former London City player.

And Gauss needed the additions for this team to be competitive.

London AEK has drawn the toughest assignment against the Lynx.

"We're definitely big underdogs, but we have everyone back for the first time in a month," said AEK player-coach Martin Painter. "We'll give it our best shot. We've got nothing to lose."

Painter's side is going against a team that practises every day and is used to seeing good competition each game. Fitness may be an issue, although AEK is young and quick and playing at home.

"Logic tells me we'll be lucky to keep it close," Painter said. "But I just have this feeling, I don't know where it came from, but I have this feeling we can win . . . Crazier things have happened."

Crazy and soccer. A match made in heaven.

IF YOU GO

What: Canadian Soccer League Open Canada Cup

Where: Cove Road field, German-Canadian Club

Prize money: $10,000 winner-take-all

Tickets: $20; $25 for final; $30 for weekend pass in advance

Schedule

Tonight London AEK vs. Toronto Lynx, 8:38 p.m.

Tomorrow London City vs. Ottawa St. Anthony's, 7:38 p.m.

Sunday Winner City-St. Anthony's vs. Brampton Stallions, 7:38 p.m.

Monday Final: winner AEK-Lynx vs. Sunday winner, 4:08 p.m.

[Richard]

Attendance around 500 you say. Well the report on the CSL website claims the event was "well-attended" but gives no actual number. I guess 500 is a good crowd then for a CSL type cup game? This is comparable to the sort of crowds the amateur Vancouver Metro Soccer League cup finals draw. What do regular CSL season games really draw I have to wonder. With that kind of attendance the gate hardly pays the facility rental, never mind a wage bill.

[soccerman2]

quote:Originally posted by Richard

Attendance around 500 you say. Well the report on the CSL website claims the event was "well-attended" but gives no actual number. I guess 500 is a good crowd then for a CSL type cup game? This is comparable to the sort of crowds the amateur Vancouver Metro Soccer League cup finals draw. What do regular CSL season games really draw I have to wonder. With that kind of attendance the gate hardly pays the facility rental, never mind a wage bill.

The attendance was just under 800.London City draws an average attendance of around 300+ depending on the team they play.It would be safe to say that in regular league games, London's paid attendance when averaged out at the seasons end is 500+.

[T5]

quote:Originally posted by Richard

Attendance around 500 you say. Well the report on the CSL website claims the event was "well-attended" but gives no actual number. I guess 500 is a good crowd then for a CSL type cup game? This is comparable to the sort of crowds the amateur Vancouver Metro Soccer League cup finals draw. What do regular CSL season games really draw I have to wonder. With that kind of attendance the gate hardly pays the facility rental, never mind a wage bill.

In general they draw poorly. I don't think any of the teams are making money and the players don't make much if anything for wages. Is that what you wanted to hear and are you a bigger man for your degrading of the league?

So too do the Lynx of the USL draw poorly. I have to wonder with their kind of gate how they make ends meet what with facility rental, air travel, and their supposed wage bill. I noticed they squeaked by the CSL's Serbian based team in a penalty shootout to move forward in the Canada Cup and knocked off a decent amateur team (London AEK) by a score of 1-0 to make it to the finals of the Canada Cup. Isn't this the same team that beat the Whitecaps a few weeks ago in their last meeting?

I also wonder how the MLS makes ends meet; or are they the ones who have lost $100m over the past decade?

Vancouver Metro Soccer League and the Whitecaps are are a wonderful league and a fine team and organization. Why must you constantly belittle others soccer efforts.

Kaplan told you he isn't going to force you to join. Your world won't come to an end vis-a-vis the CSL.

[Richard]

Was not setting out to degrade the CSL, sorry if it came across that way. I was surprised that the CSL did not give an attendance number in their report of the game especially as they wrote that it was a 'well attended' event. I would have expected this game in particular to bring in substantially more than a regular CSL game might, especially considering the typical attendance at the amateur VMSL cup games in the BC Lower Mainland.

My interest in this relates to the CSL commissioner's comments in this forum supposedly justifying the large CSL franchise purchase price (50%+ of a USL D1 franchise), the supposed long term asset value of such an investment and proftability prospects for CSL clubs. I just don't see the numbers adding up frankly. As for the USL and MLS, both of which are continental leagues, neither of those leagues even pretend their clubs on their own are profitable.

Why are you so sensitive when questions are asked about the CSL?

[dbailey62]

quote:Originally posted by Richard

Was not setting out to degrade the CSL, sorry if it came across that way. I was surprised that the CSL did not give an attendance number in their report of the game especially as they wrote that it was a 'well attended' event. I would have expected this game in particular to bring in substantially more than a regular CSL game might, especially considering the typical attendance at the amateur VMSL cup games in the BC Lower Mainland.

My interest in this relates to the CSL commissioner's comments in this forum supposedly justifying the large CSL franchise purchase price (50%+ of a USL D1 franchise), the supposed long term asset value of such an investment and proftability prospects for CSL clubs.

IMO, it means ensuring that only ownership that is really serious about a franchise apply for entry into the league. True, at the same time the league needs that money as it comes in (which is what helped kill the NASL) but I do believe that, to a degree, it keeps the fly-by-nighters out of their hair, or at least attempts to do so.

db

[Richard]

I can understand applying a filter to aspiring members but there are better ways of doing it than inflating the 'franchise' fee. No organisation should rely on selling new 'franchises' to pay the bills. Doing so spells inevitable doom as it is not sustainable. Operating expenses should be covered by operating revenues, not capital.