From the Halifax Wanderers all the way to Langford's Pacific FC, the Canadian Championship is a yearly tournament to determine which is the best soccer team in Canada. This year 14 teams will fight for the Voyageur's Cup. The three teams from Major League Soccer as well as the eight Canadian Premier League teams and finally League 1 winners from Ontario, Quebec and the League 1 BC Champions: Burnaby's TSS Rovers.
Swanguard Stadium last hosted a Canadian Championship game back in May 2010 when the Vancouver Whitecaps faced off against Major League Soccer's Toronto FC. On that day, despite playing in a lower league, the Whitecaps were able to hold TFC to a stalemate. April 19th will see a similar David vs. Goliath match-up as the Rovers hope to advance past Winnipeg's Valour FC. And given that every game is a do or die affair with the winner advancing and the loser being eliminated, anything can happen.
The only certainty you can take from past competitions is that outcomes are always impossible to predict. CPL teams have beaten MLS teams and League 1 champions have bested CPL opponents. There are bound to be upsets and high drama along the way, shoot-outs and extra-time heroics.
TSS Rovers: Developing Future Stars of Canadian Soccer
The mandate of the TSS Rovers to develop players. As coach Will Cromack explains, "The idea of the club itself is to try to help guys get themselves to Pro". And they have been very successful in this enterprise. In the last 5 years, no less than 21 players have gone on to turn pro including national team defender, Joel Waterman and Julia Grosso, who famously scored the penalty kick in Toyko that gave Canada their first Olympic gold medal.
This year, the young Rovers players have a unique chance to showcase their talent thanks to the exposure that competing in the National Championship provides. According to Cromack, "They have the opportunity to go and prove that they can be there and maybe someone will tap them on the shoulder and take them one day".
A Pathway to Success
If a player does find themselves in the spotlight, it wouldn't be the first time it has happened. Canadian National team defender Alistair Johnston went from playing for League 1 Ontario's Vaughan in the Canadian Championship to a brief MLS career. Four years later, on the heels of an impressive World Cup performance, he suits up for Scotland's largest and most successful club, Celtic. At just 15 years old, Canadian superstar Alphonso Davies played his first professional game in this competition. Three years later, he won the European Championship with Bayern Munich. There is no better place for a Canadian to build their reputation.
However, it's not just the players who can advance their fortunes through the tournament. Beyond being crowned the Kings of the North and lifting the Voyageurs Cup, whichever team wins the Canadian Championship also qualifies for Concacaf Champions League, a tournament that determines the best team in on the continent. Just competing in that competition adds to a club's prestige and renown. Although no team from Canada has ever won that competition, if teams like the Rovers continue to get opportunities to test their mettle against top opposition they will continue to develop better and better players which can only strengthen every part of the Canadian Soccer pyramid going forward.
If you want to see the future stars of Canadian soccer, tickets for the April 19th match are still available: https://www.tssfc.ca/tickets
The game will also be broadcast on Onesoccer.ca, Telus 980 and Fubo.tv
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In second half stoppage time last weekend, I sat and watched in dread as Dallas’ Jáder Obrian stepped around his marker and threaded a pass to the penalty spot where Jesús Ferreira was waiting. Here we go again, I thought, another promising effort undone by a defensive lapse in the second half. But before Ferreira could slot the ball home, a streak of blue and white overtook him and threw a desperate leg in to deflect the shot out for a corner. No need to check the number of the game saver. Andrés Cubas is where opposition attacks go to die. While it’s the strikers, play-makers and keepers who get all the glory, teams succeed or fail on the strength of their mid-field. Among these positions, there is none more important than the role of the number six, the defensive midfielder. As Carlos Ancelotti puts it, “The number six position is the key to everything. He must be a player who can defend, support the attack, and control the game’s rhythm.” Over the past year, Whitecaps fans have had the opportunity to witness first-hand just how crucial the role of the defensive midfielder is in the modern game. When the Whitecaps belatedly made the signing of Andrés Cubas official last April, few fans had ever heard of the Paraguayan international. Despite his Boca Juniors pedigree, cynical Vancouver fans questioned whether a player from a recently relegated Nîmes Olympique side could really change the team’s fortunes. It would be almost two months before they got the opportunity to find out. By the time Cubas made his first start on June 18th in Dallas, the Whitecaps had only managed to win five of their first 15 games, tying two others and losing the rest. And while other factors played a part in their resurgence in the second half of the season, there can be little doubt that Cubas had a starring role in both their league play and in their Canadian Championship victory. The role of the number six is to disrupt and generally create chaos in the opposition attack. They must be both physically and mentally agile in order to read the play, anticipate their opponents’ movements, and position themselves effectively to deliver tackles and make interceptions.
Just how good is Cubas at this? Despite playing only 18 games last season, he led the team in tackles with 36. If he maintained this rate over the course of a full season, he would have finished second in the entire MLS (which, coincidentally, is where he finds himself today after three games). He also led the Whitecaps in interceptions with 34. Again, at that rate, over the course of a full season he would be in the top three in MLS. But Cubas doesn’t just win possession. As the number six, he is also the pivot. He transitions the team from defense to attack. Although he doesn’t often appear on the score sheet for assists, Cubas is second only to Gauld when it comes to completed passes in the forward zone and he might have led the team if he played a full season. Among all Whitecaps who have played any real minutes last year, he had the second highest passing accuracy. When Sporting Director Axel Schuster announced the signing of Cubas as their new number six he said: “We think that he is the difference maker in his position as Ryan Gauld is at his. It was a waiting game for the right guy. We are up to wait. And now we have to get him in and to show everyone that he is the right guy.” A year later we can safely say that Schuster and director of recruitment Nikos Overheul found their man. While he will seldom lift the fans out of their seat, Cubas is among the very best in the league at his position, the kind of relentless destroyer that gives opponents nightmares. His contributions might not always be as obvious as a game saving block in stoppage time, but they are plain to see once you start to look for them. Whitecaps fans should appreciate what they have in Cubas. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world for a simple reason: soccer is the ultimate team game. When you watch a good soccer team, the game stops being about the individual players and becomes all about the collective. On a good team, players’ movements are so connected, it seems like they can read each others’ minds. While this is true of many sports, there is something different about soccer. It seems to hold a near universal appeal. Maybe this is because everyone, even those in the poorest villages, learns to kick a ball when they are young. We all have played some form of soccer which makes it the global game. And because everyone can learn to play it, great players can come out of nowhere. They can sometimes even emerge in Canada. Now the Canadian women’s team have been good for a long time. If you weren’t aware of that, you need to stop reading this and go and watch every game of theirs in the 2010 London Olympics women’s soccer tournament. You will witness a performance that has to be seen to be believed. Christine Sinclair was in a league of her own. The whole team was great and they did everything right but… well, you just have to watch it. On the men’s side however, it’s been a different, and sadder, story. I’ve followed the men’s team for a long time and there have only been two highlights. In 2000, after winning a coin toss to get into the playoffs, Goalkeeper Craig Forest elevated his game to unbelievable heights and Canada prevailed over Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago and finally Columbia to win the tournament. Lady luck was on their side. Before that, the height of success was the team qualifying for the World Cup in Mexico back in 1986. They played well, but went home after three games without having scored a goal. But for those of you who haven’t been following men’s soccer lately, the long drought of success is coming to an end. The team suddenly finds itself with an embarrassment of soccer riches. First among them is the team captain, Atiba Hutchinson. At 39 years of age, you would be forgiven in believing he is past his prime, but you would be mistaken. He just captained his team Beşiktaş to the league title in the Turkish Super Lig. He did it along with fellow Canadian striker Cyle Larin. The former MLS rookie of the year, who, just this year, finished second in league scoring with 19 goals. For those of you who don’t follow the game, that’s a lot. In goal, we have Milan Borjan who plays for Red Star Belgrade in Serbia. They just won both their league and their league cup thanks to two of his saves in the penalty shootout. We have yet another league winner up front in Johnathan David. He just won the French league title with Lille, scoring a goal and drawing a penalty in the final must-win game. Lille (which pays its players approximately £25,241,892 per year) won the title on the final day of the season by a single point over Paris St-Germain (£202,254,468 per year). And that’s another reason to love soccer, money can’t buy titles. It helps, but it can’t guarantee them. Then there is the once in a generation talent: Alphonso Davies. Born in a refugee camp, he immigrated to Canada when he was five. Ten years later he made his debut for the Vancouver Whitecaps and two years after that, he was traded to European giant Bayern Munich. They won every major title in soccer in his first year. He is undeniably a superstar, the top left back in the world, as well as the United Nations Refugee Agency’s Goodwill Ambassador. He is also only 20 years old.
He is a big part of Canada’s first Golden Generation, but he isn’t alone. Twelve members of the named to the squad for world cup qualifying are 24 or younger. Coach John Herdman, who so adroitly coached the women’s team for a decade, is doing his best to meld youth with experience as the team heads into what may be a defining year for the team and soccer in this country. He has all the pieces he needs. If he can bring these outstanding individuals together into a collective, there is nothing that these players can’t achieve. It’s time to forget about the past, the future starts now. You can watch the World Cup qualifiers this weekend only on Onesoccer.ca. The 2021 Gold Cup begins July 11th. This past July was the hottest month in recorded history. An estimated 9,060 square km of the Amazon rain forest were lost to wild fires this summer. That’s an area about a 1/3 the size of Vancouver Island. At the same time, more than 10 billion tons of ice melted into the Atlantic from Greenland. Dorian, the 5th category 5 Hurricane in the past 4 years has hit the Bahamas and is presently bearing down on the east coast of Florida. The effects of global climate change have never been more obvious. With the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicting that we have less than 12 years to act to prevent potentially irreversible and catastrophic warming, teachers may understandably feel an urgency to address the effects of climate change with even young students. However, teaching children about fossil fuels, carbon footprints, melting ice caps and deforestation will only produce confusion, anxiety or despair. There is a reason climate change, as well as the fossil record that informs us of it, doesn’t appear in the BC curriculum until Grade 7 Science. It is only when students have matured into what developmental child psychologist Jean Piaget labelled the “Formal Operational Stage” of intellectual development (around the ages of 11 or 12) that they are capable of genuinely wrestling with abstract ideas and concepts such as geological time, climate and morality. However, it is essential to cultivate an environmentally-friendly perspective in younger children. To do so, it is best to focus on their immediate surroundings, that which they can hear, see, feel, touch and even taste and combine this with a series of values and habits that lead to more sustainable future. Build Connections to the Natural WorldThe best way to learn about the environment is to spend time outside: rain and shine. The benefits of walking in nature are well documented. It lowers blood pressure, strengthens bones and muscles, improves focus, boosts creativity, reduces stress and elevates your mood. It also gives students a much greater appreciation for the natural world and its inhabitants. Whether you take your students to the sea shore for a field-trip or walk in the local forest, make sure your students get into wild spaces early and often throughout the year. In class, bring in lots of life. Plants will not only improve the air quality of your classroom and make the space less institutional, caring for them cultivates a feeling of responsibility in children for their environment. On the topic of cultivation, consider planting a vegetable garden in the spring or at the very least, take advantage of the spuds in tubs program. It’s important to see life growing and build a feeling of interconnectedness. Many schools bring in butterfly pupa for their kindergarten classes, but why stop there? The Eggucation program allows children to see chicks hatch and grow. The addition of an aquarium can likewise bring students a greater appreciation for life unlike our own. The salmonids in the classroom program run through the Department of Fisheries is free and has accompanying teaching resources that drives home the importance of salmon to BC’s ecology. In your teaching, make time to document the passing of the seasons and bring students’ attention to the changes occurring in the natural world: the autumn leaves, salmon spawning, the phases of the moon, the shortening of days, bird migrations, frost, the rising streams in spring, fresh shoots and buds. As David Suzuki writes: “Unless we are willing to encourage our children to reconnect with and appreciate the natural world, we can't expect them to help protect and care for it.” Empower Your Students: Set Achievable GoalsWe must show children how meaningful action leads to appreciable results. Students may not have much of a say in their family’s behaviours, but at school they need to engage in efforts to reduce waste and conserve energy. Introduce litter free lunches and take compositing and recycling seriously. Every time you find something in the garbage instead of the compost or recycling, address it. Organize book and toy swaps. Celebrate Earth Day. Plant trees. Promote green initiatives like walk and bike to school week with enthusiasm and celebrate your successes.
Finally, as a teacher model more sustainable behaviours yourself and make explicit the reasons behind your choices. Take transit, bike or carpool to work if you can. Make your next car electric or hybrid. Try to eat less meat and more seasonal fruits and vegetables. Bring your snacks in reusable containers. Turn off electronics when you aren’t using them and the lights when you exit your classroom. Most importantly, talk to your students about what you are doing and why. This education might seem insufficient to meet the challenges of the future, but as educators our goal can’t be to burden children with the world’s problems. We must prepare them to continue the work we are undertaking today. To do that they need to see both that Nature has an intrinsic value and, perhaps more importantly, that our health depends entirely upon the health of our planet. The proverb “Waste not, want not” is almost 250 years old, but its message about the importance of conservation has never been more relevant. We got into teaching to make a difference, this is our opportunity. Well this is it. The second big day in your schooling.
Do you remember your first- starting kindergarten? What about the parents out there? Do you remember that day? It was a little scary wasn’t it? It was a big change in their lives and in yours. Just between you and me, they were a little worried about your future. Would you be happy? Would you make friends? Would you find success at school? Well parents: so far, so good. On behalf of all of the teachers at Taylor Park, it is my privilege to tell you how proud we are of the growth you have achieved over these years, the skills you have learned and especially of the people you have become. You are a kind and capable group. Which isn’t to say you don’t make mistakes, as we all do, but you’ve getting better at recognizing and fixing them. That’s not a small thing. That shows us that you are maturing, becoming more responsible. Which means you deserve greater independence and freedom. You will find these things at high-school. I don’t know what the road ahead looks like for any of you. The future is a little like the archery course at camp. You have these targets in front of you that you are aiming at and sometimes you get a bull’s eye, exactly what you wanted, often you will not, but sometimes your arrow will soar far further than you ever imagined it could. For the past eight years, your teachers, parents and friends have been doing their best to aim you in the right direction. Take a moment today to thank them. You don’t know when you will see some of the people in this room again and many of them played a part in your growth. Teachers know better than anyone that saying goodbye is always bittersweet. You would think that it would get easier with all the practice we get, but it doesn’t. We will remember you and from time to time, we will look at the class photo on the wall or the tile on the ceiling and we will think of you and wonder what you are up to and how you are doing. So occasionally, when the mood strikes you, come back and say “Hi”. We are always happy to hear from you. You are still at the beginning of a long journey. As you leave here, I know you are going to meet a lot of new people on your way. Like you they are going to be looking for happiness, trying to make friends and searching for success. Travel together. Surround yourself with good people and help one another. Keep each other company and share your joys and your sorrows. I hope you know by now that no one can find happiness, friendship and success on their own. On behalf of all the staff here at Taylor Park, we wish all safe journey and the best of luck on the road ahead. Thank-you. |