Archive for CSA
On Learning A Thing Or Two From COC
Paul James
Paul James writes the James on Soccer blog. You can reach him at
GlobeSports Blog
Canadian soccer landscape needs to find a dream
As a Canadian viewer it was not easy controlling the lump in your throat during the past few weeks of a wonderful performance by all involved at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Sidney Crosby’s overtime goal was the icing on the cake of a Canadian Olympic vision made possible by the unfairly criticized Own The Podium program.
If the intent by Simon Barnes from The Times in London, who took a scathing swipe at Canada’s performance and ability to host was to embarrass us as a nation then it fell to the ground like a lead balloon. On the contrary, it appeared to propel the Canadian athletes to winning more gold medals in a Winter Olympic Games than had ever been achieved by any other nation.
Barnes’s reference to China and Australia coming of age through their own hosting of an Olympics was ironic when watching the hundred’s of thousands of Canadians taking to the streets to celebrate the athletic success of our own country. A sporting nation was forged as our athletes and supporters came of age in Vancouver. It was good to be a Canadian on Sunday night.
CSA Welcomes CSL
The Canadian Soccer Association announced today that the Canadian Soccer League has been granted full membership. Applying the provisos of the Canadian Soccer Association’s revised Professional Soccer Standards that were recently ratified by the Association’s Executive Committee, the Canadian Soccer League has been provided with the conditions of membership and a set of transitional benchmarks.
“We are pleased to welcome the Canadian Soccer League as a member of the Canadian Soccer Association,” said Canadian Soccer Association President Dr. Dominic Maestracci. “We look forward to a long and rewarding relationship as the professional game develops in Canada .”
At its 2009 Annual General Meeting, the Association granted conditional membership to the Canadian Soccer League on the stipulation that the league met the approval of criteria set by the Association’s professional and technical committees. Having been reviewed against the Professional Soccer Standards, the conditional membership awarded has now been activated. The Association’s Professional Soccer Committee and Staff will work with the Canadian Soccer League to monitor the transition in 2010 and ensure that compliance of the benchmarks established by the Board are achieved.
“The Canadian Soccer League is proud to play an integral part in the development of soccer and its athletes in Canada,” said Canadian Soccer League President Domenic Di Gironimo. “We will continue our commitment to build relationships and partnerships across the nation; we will continue to be sport leaders in the communities in which our teams play.”
“This is an exciting step for the Canadian Soccer League to be granted full membership in Canada,” said Canadian Soccer Association General Secretary Peter Montopoli . “As the Canadian Soccer League continues to grow, it will help expand the popularity and development of our sport in Canada .”
Last season, the Canadian Soccer League featured 10 teams in two divisions. The National Division featured Brampton Lions FC, London City, North York Aeros, St Catharines Roma Wolves, TFC Academy and Attak Trois-Rivières. The International Division featured Toronto Croatia, Italia Shooters, Portugal FC and Serbian White Eagles. The Attak Trois-Rivières won the 2009 Canadian Soccer League championship after winning 3-2 on kicks from the penalty mark following a 0:0 draw with Serbian White Eagles in the final.
This Is Not A Dump On The CSA
Dennis Fitter
Dennis Fitter is a freelance journalist.
You can reach him at dennis.fitter@gmail.com
This week’s commentary: Comments made in a non-malicious way
I can just faintly recall as a small boy sitting in Sunday school and the guy up front telling how the Lord helps those who have squeaky wheels, or something like that. To a little kid, that didn’t seem an unusual assumption considering the physics of the universe and all that. This is not a dump on the CSA commentary. Lets get this right, right off the top. Over the years I have been told by people in the Metcalfe Street mansion my comments were such things as harsh, unfair, unjust – if you can believe that one – and even demeaning.
Through each complete era of Lenarduzzi, Osiek, Miller the interim, Yallop, Hart the interim, Mitchell, and the second coming of Hart the interim, keeping the movement of their employers under a microscope evolved into something resembling a crusade that helped me better understand just how tough a job each of these guys faced.
