about those open tryouts......

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

35 minutes ago, Rocket Robin said:

I was just looking at who passed to the second day of tryouts in Hamilton. (58)  I thought there'd be more L1O guys...

Maybe worth bearing in mind that there is no L1O team in Hamilton and the Niagara peninsula. Beyond that is L1O really any better than what's left of the CSL and the top Ontario Cup entrants from leagues like the OSL and HDSL? Not a rhetorical question by the way, because we would need an integrated league system with promotion and relegation to find out for sure who deserves to be in the top league in the Golden Horseshoe.

[Rocket Robin]

4 hours ago, Rocket Robin said:

I was just looking at who passed to the second day of tryouts in Hamilton. (58)  I thought there'd be more L1O guys.  

def Kyle Walton, mid Justin Stoddart and Christian Samaniego, and forward Daniel Jodah

all from Sigma!  hmm and Bobby S has been in charge for how many days?  

http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports18/18l1o135.htm

Here's a game report from earlier this summer where they were all on the Sigma lineup and Kiril Dimitrov from Unionville Milliken (and the CSL Scarborough FC) who passed the Halifax tryouts. 

Atif (Hamud) Ali  defender for Sanjaxx Lions (and the CSL Scarborough FC)  

http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports18/18l1o136.htm

Jared St Thomas goalie for OSUF (Ottawa)  

I also see the name of defender Daniel Whyte.  He is from North Mississauga SC but I read that he passed the Halifax tryouts so why would he try again?   Even Paula Abdul wouldn't do that! ?

 

 

 

 

So final day and all the names I mentioned passed to training day invites except Christian Samaniego of Sigma but suddenly Charlie Anagho-Ntamark from Sigma who wasn't mentioned as a first day pass made it through to get a training camp invite.  

[El Diego]

As someone who doesn't follow the provincial leagues, can anyone give me a general idea where these guys who made the final cuts are coming from? Is it a bunch of high level kids playing club soccer? Is it university/college guys? Is it older men in the top provincial leagues? Are they completely random dudes? I am gonna guess it is a mix of all four, but was wondering what the proportions are.

I was thinking about this because I recognized three names from the Halifax tryouts (Gaudet and the two Rahman brothers) but I didn't recognize any from the Quebec or Hamilton tryouts.

[Rocket Robin]

2 hours ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

Maybe worth bearing in mind that there is no L1O team in Hamilton and the Niagara peninsula. Beyond that is L1O really any better than what's left of the CSL and the top Ontario Cup entrants from leagues like the OSL and HDSL? Not a rhetorical question by the way, because we would need an integrated league system with promotion and relegation to find out for sure who deserves to be in the top league in the Golden Horseshoe.

That won't be happening.  I can only take it from two team officials on Unionville Milliken who came over from 2017 CSL York Region Shooters champions (bringing their roster) that CSL is better because L1O makes their teams play with an almost 50% of U-23 players.  But then isn't that what's good for Canadian soccer?   The rosters of the CSL teams I can never find except on Wikipedia are listed as mostly newcomers from Eastern Europe like Serbia, and Ukraine etc.  When I've seen them waiting to get in to the locker rooms after an L1O game ends they look older than the L1O rosters.  

Seeing the list of successful trialists and talking to L1O team officials over the last three weeks, the consensus I've come to is there's been some pre-scouting but if you're not the first/second or third best player on your team or maybe anybody from a non-playoff team then join this free-for-all to get noticed.   

[Cplfanboy1996]

Does anyone know if Andrew gordan got a training invite? Quality player deserves a shot in this league ! 

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

9 hours ago, Rocket Robin said:

...But then isn't that what's good for Canadian soccer?

I have no problem with that U-23 angle to things for league that are sanctioned to be semi-pro and thought that the Easton report was sensible in its conclusions. Think the main criticism has been that L1O and OPDL have not been as open to academies as they should have been and are too dominated by large suburban youth clubs. That's where more of a pro/rel angle might help winnow out the wheat from the chaff.

[Rocket Robin]

I hadn't noticed defender Turner Johnson passed the two stages of the Hamilton trials.  He played for Ottawa South United Force (so does goalie Jared St Thomas who also made the cut). 

Here's a League 1 Ontario game from about 6 weeks ago that they were both in.  

http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports18/18l1o192.htm  

Also noticed successful trialist Adrian Butters a defender who played for the PDL era Toronto Lynx and 2016 Vaughan Azzurri of L1O.  

 

[Unnamed Trialist]

Just now, Rocket Robin said:

I hadn't noticed defender Turner Johnson passed the two stages of the Hamilton trials.  He played for Ottawa South United Force (so does goalie Jared St Thomas who also made the cut). 

Here's a League 1 Ontario game from about 6 weeks ago that they were both in.  

http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports18/18l1o192.htm  

Also noticed successful trialist Adrian Butters a defender who played for the PDL era Toronto Lynx and 2016 Vaughan Azzurri of L1O.  

 

Really appreciate such knowledgeable comments, RR, I am sure most here do as well. 

Just wondering: seems there are few GKs trying out. This is hard because you really have to separate them for some drills, and test on different parameters as well. You can see a lot with specialised coaches with them, and then, in games, if the defense is not coordinated they can get scored on easily, or the opposite, is really good, they may not have to make saves or show anything. So GK tryouts need separate criteria overall.

There are other problems: what if none of the GKs is up to par? I would have brought in some keepers to play who were NOT tryng out (ask some university kids to help fill in), just to ensure you had enough for the scrimmages, or certain attacking drills, regardless of the tryout quality. Was that done anywhere?

[Rocket Robin]

7 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Really appreciate such knowledgeable comments, RR, I am sure most here do as well. 

Just wondering: seems there are few GKs trying out. This is hard because you really have to separate them for some drills, and test on different parameters as well. You can see a lot with specialised coaches with them, and then, in games, if the defense is not coordinated they can get scored on easily, or the opposite, is really good, they may not have to make saves or show anything. So GK tryouts need separate criteria overall.

There are other problems: what if none of the GKs is up to par? I would have brought in some keepers to play who were NOT tryng out (ask some university kids to help fill in), just to ensure you had enough for the scrimmages, or certain attacking drills, regardless of the tryout quality. Was that done anywhere?

I may be able to find that out as I was sent an invite to observe the tryouts in Toronto.  

I'll trust the coaches can see through the goalies.  Successful trialist Jared St Thomas had a GAA of 3.33 (i.e.. 50 goals in 15 games) playing for OSUF in L1O but with a decent defence in the trial games and/or good test results for the drills he has earned himself an invite to a training camp next spring.   

[Unnamed Trialist]

4 hours ago, Rocket Robin said:

I may be able to find that out as I was sent an invite to observe the tryouts in Toronto.  

I'll trust the coaches can see through the goalies.  Successful trialist Jared St Thomas had a GAA of 3.33 (i.e.. 50 goals in 15 games) playing for OSUF in L1O but with a decent defence in the trial games and/or good test results for the drills he has earned himself an invite to a training camp next spring.   

Thanks. It is really about evaluating a different skill set. I have watched pro teams practice and I must admit, you can see some technical details when you are watching a full set of drills with keepers. But to really evaluate you need specialists, and specific drills, and I am not even sure all of the CPL coaches are qualified to do this properly. I am not saying I am, I just recognize there is another set of criteria in place and its tough.

BTW, best keeper I ever saw in practice was Victor Valdes, impeccable. 

[CanSuffer]

Anybody know where/when(time) the tryouts in Toronto are? Is it open to the public to view from the stands? Don't know if I can make it, but would be curious to check it out for a short while.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

On 10/5/2018 at 12:00 AM, Unnamed Trialist said:

Thanks. It is really about evaluating a different skill set...

Any time I used to play indoor games in London Ont against guys like Semir Mesanovic that played professionally they stood out a mile despite the difference in format involved because they do all the basics better than everybody else and have superior athleticism.

 Most of the players showing up for these tryouts are probably either doing it just to be able to say they were there or are complete Walter Mitty types, so I suspect it's easy enough to identify the ones that are worth a second look on day two in an 11 v 11 game and then whittle it down from there to a few training camp invites.

If they have been doing their job properly the staff of the various teams will already know who the genuine prospects are in top youth, amateur and D3 teams in their immediate vicinity. Most of the coaching hires made make sense from that sort of standpoint in terms of hiring locally. I would expect/hope that a lot of players in that sort of category were identified and invited long before these tryouts.

{Edit: misread the post I was responding to now I look at it again}

[Unnamed Trialist]

I'd love to hear about specific requirements for keepers and if anyone observing trials could report back. 

[Wingback6]

15 hours ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

Any time I used to play indoor games in London Ont against guys like Semir Mesanovic that played professionally they stood out a mile despite the difference in format involved because they do all the basics better than everybody else and have superior athleticism.

 Most of the players showing up for these tryouts are probably either doing it just to be able to say they were there or are complete Walter Mitty types, so I suspect it's easy enough to identify the ones that are worth a second look on day two in an 11 v 11 game and then whittle it down from there to a few training camp invites.

If they have been doing their job properly the staff of the various teams will already know who the genuine prospects are in top youth, amateur and D3 teams in their immediate vicinity. Most of the coaching hires made make sense from that sort of standpoint in terms of hiring locally. I would expect/hope that a lot of players in that sort of category were identified and invited long before these tryouts.

{Edit: misread the post I was responding to now I look at it again}

I get the impression that the physical testing is also used to sort the wheat from the chaf, a la Gridiron combines. I figure that it is for that reason that only the second day of tryouts in Winnipeg are open to the public. There will already be some cuts from the first day, but maybe people who have attended some of these tryouts already can correct me on that.

[Blackjack15]

I think it’s fair to Say The Toronto Trials will have the most talent

How do the rules work? York9 gets first dibs on who they want to invite back to Camp  

Jim Brennan will have his hands full 

[Kent]

1 hour ago, Blackjack15 said:

I think it’s fair to Say The Toronto Trials will have the most talent

How do the rules work? York9 gets first dibs on who they want to invite back to Camp  

Jim Brennan will have his hands full 

I don’t think we know that for certain. Toronto has already been mined for talent by TFC, plus it’s worth asking yourself, which cities produced players bought by Barcelona and Bayern this year?

[Bison44]

3 hours ago, Blackjack15 said:

I think it’s fair to Say The Toronto Trials will have the most talent

How do the rules work? York9 gets first dibs on who they want to invite back to Camp  

Jim Brennan will have his hands full 

I think it will go back to the "pools" of talent thing and a fair bit of cooperation making sure there some local talent to get each city's fans excited.  I didnt hear any specific mention of "dibs" but these tryout guys are likely going to be the tail end of the roster making the least amount of money.  It makes sense for them to play for the team in the area they are from.  And remember, you cant call dibs from the kitchen, you have to be in the same room as the tv to call dibs.  

[Unnamed Trialist]

6 hours ago, Blackjack15 said:

I think it’s fair to Say The Toronto Trials will have the most talent

How do the rules work? York9 gets first dibs on who they want to invite back to Camp  

Jim Brennan will have his hands full 

Brennan's problem is that if they sign anyone half-good, that will inevitably cut into his salary package.

[shorty]

One of the trialists to make the first cut in Toronto is called Marvelous Drumps.

That. is. AWESOME.

http://canpl.ca/video/making-the-cut-list-of-trialists-in-toronto-to-advance-to-day-2-of-the-open-trials

[Rocket Robin]

my report from what I saw at the first days of the CPL trials in Vaughan.  

Sorry no time to add pictures until at least tomorrow.  

http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports19/CPLF1011

[Zem]

Probably the most interesting out of all the trialists is Julian Wade,  Dominica's star stiker who just happens to be in town for the Nations League match.

[Rocket Robin]

OK I count 12 guys from L1O that made it the second day in Vaughan and they're updated on that link I posted earlier tonight.  

And you conspiracy theorists will have the same thoughts as when Bobby S was named head coach of Forge and two days later the trials were held in Hamilton and oh look....four guys from Sigma passed the second day.   

Today three Aurora guys made it (and we know what team Jimmy B coached a few years ago).  goalie Sunny Dhaliwal, Basel Rashrash (was with Unionville Milliken earlier in season then finished on Aurora--I thought he'd succeeded at an earlier tryout), and midfielder Maximillian Ferrari.  

 

[Kent]

12 hours ago, Zem said:

Probably the most interesting out of all the trialists is Julian Wade,  Dominica's star stiker who just happens to be in town for the Nations League match.

Good catch. If he doesn't make the cut after day 2 I wonder what that will do for his confidence going into Tuesday.

[Keegan]

13 hours ago, Zem said:

Probably the most interesting out of all the trialists is Julian Wade,  Dominica's star stiker who just happens to be in town for the Nations League match.

I’d argue Emilio Estevez is the most interesting trialist... I wonder if that’s a ringer they put in undercover, that would be a hilarious viral video. 

[deschamp86]

36 minutes ago, Keegan said:

I’d argue Emilio Estevez is the most interesting trialist... I wonder if that’s a ringer they put in undercover, that would be a hilarious viral video. 

Will be interesting to see if the Flying V translates to soccer