January 24, 2019...Canadian Premier Soccer Combine of League 1 Ontario invitees (by Rocket Robin)
Today's combine at the Ontario Soccer Centre involved only League 1 Ontario players.
I got there at 8:45am and the players were doing testing. Pylon navigation with
and without a ball. Also sprinting with a bungee cord attached I'll assume increasing
in resistance the further across the field you ran.
There were 47 players listed for the morning games divided into four teams wearing
pinnies I recognized from the CPL open tryouts last Fall. Each team played two 30 minute
half games against the same team ie. Orange vs Green for 60 minutes then Yellow vs Blue.
First game started at 10:14am and second at 11:43am and ended at 12:48pm.
After lunch there was another game with 33 players split into two teams (leaving bench
strength for substitutions). This was also a two 30 minute halfs game.
This was an 'invite only' day involving L1O players that had been prescouted by L1O
and selected to show off for the CPL coaches and officials. These players were not
involved in the open trials that took place across Canada months ago (although some other
L1O players were at trials not just here and Hamilton but the other venues and some
passed for the promise of a tryout--which was later changed to a possibility of a tryout).
Duncan Wilde of Oakville Blue Devils answered me that his team had none of his players
at the Open Trials back in the Fall but some were here today. There were some players
that came from FC London and even one from Ottawa South United—Barou Junior Mbuyamba
who made it to the afternoon session while their goalie Jared St Thomas and defender
Turner Johnson had successfully tryed-out in Hamilton.
Today's players looked better than the 200+ I saw over two days at this location.
That was open to those who put up the $200 fee.
Players may have played on the same club team but today's squads were scattered
about. There were a lot of offsides called in the three games today and the backheel
passes didn't always work because players weren't used to each other.
I've got all the goal scorers from the games. The afternoon session had the
survivors play in Yellow vs Blue pinnies but that meant the numbers worn were different
as some of the Greens and Oranges passed and pinnies were given out at random.
Officials from L10 and CPL seemed glad to see me but I had not been invited and found
out about it from folks on the Voyageurs message board. L1O provided me with a list
of the morning rosters and after the afternoon game I was allowed to take a picture
of that roster on the promise I wouldn't tweet it. Good deal!
Some pictures of the opening drills (pictures of the opening drills by Rocket Robin)
Group pictures of all the players in the morning games.
Coaches of the four teams.
CPL coaching staffs watched from the opposite balcony.
List of League 1 Ontario players at today's combine:
Players name position L1O team in 2018 L1O 2018 All Star? Morning team Afternoon team
Milan Beader FW Alliance Yellow Blue
Parmpreet Singh DM Aurora FC Orange
Matthew Zaikos GK Darby FC Green
Vince Sasso LB Darby FC Green
Christian Moncrieffe MF Darby FC Yellow Blue
Shaun Claud Lawson MF Darby FC Yellow Yellow
Aaron Schneebeli CB FC London Third team Orange Yellow
Ethan Gopaul MF FC London Orange Yellow
Marko Maletic CB FC London First team Yellow Yellow
Mohammed Nafar MF FC London First team Blue Yellow
Connor Wilson FW FC London Second team Blue Yellow
Spiro Koskinas GK Masters Futbol Orange Blue
Maleik De Freitas FW Masters Futbol Orange
Reshon Phillip FW Masters Futbol Blue Blue
Sundin Esperance LB North Mississauga Orange Blue
Anthony Wright CB North Mississauga Green
Rahim Thorpe MF North Mississauga Yellow Blue
Tyriq Armstrong FW Oakville Orange Blue
Lukas Birnstingl GK Oakville* Third team Yellow Yellow
Rajvir Kahlon MF Oakville Yellow Yellow
Carlo Difeo RB Oakville Blue Blue
Khody Ellis MF Oakville Blue Yellow
Barou Junior Mbuyamba MF Ottawa South United Third team Green Blue
Michael Borowski CB Pro Stars Orange Yellow
Uday Arora MF Pro Stars Blue
Nathaniel Rodney-Scarlett RB Sanjaxx Orange
Stefan Nikolic MF Sanjaxx Second team Green
Dieu Merci Yuma FW Sanjaxx Yellow Yellow
Wadohi Fadul MF Toronto Skillz Orange Blue
Zamir Mohammad CB Toronto Skillz Green
Daniel Khalili MF Toronto Skillz Green
Tim Mahabir CB Toronto Skillz Third team Blue Blue
Bojan Zoranovic FW Unionville Milliken Green Yellow
Tre Crosby FW Unionville Milliken Third team Yellow Blue
Eddie Lay MF Vaughan Orange
Riley Ferazzo RB Vaughan Green
Shiquan Lowe CB Vaughan Yellow Blue
Jared Phillips RB Vaughan First team Yellow Yellow
Matt George GK Vaughan** Blue
Daniel Cramarossa LB Vaughan Blue Yellow
Jarek Whiteman FW Vaughan Blue Blue
Noah Pio FW Windsor Green Yellow
Federico Leal MF Woodbridge Orange Blue
Isaiah Johnston MF Woodbridge Green Yellow
Bruce Cullen LB Woodbridge Third team Yellow
Francio Henry CB Woodbridge Blue Blue
Emmanuel Issac MF Woodbridge Second team Blue Blue
* started season for Unionville Milliken
** started season for Oakville
Wow! both Oakville and FC London brought five players to this combine and all survived the 47 player
morning session and were able to play in the 33 player afternoon game.
Interesting that Vaughan's Shiquan Lowe was a successful trialist in the Winnipeg CPL trials back
in October!
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Only three 'First team All Stars' here today? OK that does leave eight.
Midfielder Dylan Sacramento from Vaughan was signed by Valour FC on December 14--his home town
is Winnipeg and his grandmother's house was on Valour Road on which the team was named after.
Forward Austin Ricci from Vaughan was signed by York 9 FC officially December 14 as well although
he was introduced at a fan party the month before.
Defender Afram Gorgees from TFC III I didn't expect as he'd be on the pathway to a career with
Toronto FC or any other MLS team as a 'homegrown' player.
That leaves three guys from Sigma FC--defender Dominic Samuel, midfielder Giuliano Frano,
and forward Kadell Thomas. It wouldn't surprise me if there's something going on with Forge FC
as the Sigma coach Bobby Smyrniotis has moved on to be the head coach of Forge FC. There were
four successful candidates CPL trialists named from the tryouts in Hamilton on October 2 and
one more named from the Toronto tryouts conducted October 12. It's easy to believe they were
tipped to not try out today.
The two other First team all stars missing were Woodbridge goalie Robert Stillo and Oakville forward
Anthony Novak.
Of course reasons could be "I won't give up my career in the GTA to play for $40K on the other side
of the country" or "I've secretly signed for xxxxxx and it hasn't been announced yet".
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Let me now review the games:
Morning Session:
Orange Team 2 vs Green Team 2 (game report by Rocket Robin)
Yellow Team 5 vs Blue Team 4 (game report by Rocket Robin)
Afternoon Session:
Yellow Team 2 vs Blue Team 1 game report by Rocket Robin
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Winners of today were individual players of course who may win a place on a CPL team.
Players on the rise would have to be multi-goal scorers. Oakville Blue Devils midfielder Rajvir
Kahlon scored three goals in the morning game. Oakville teammate Khody Ellis scored two goals
in the morning game (ironically playing against Kahlon) and one game in the afternoon final.
A third Oakville player, forward Tyriq Armstrong scored once in the morning and once in the
afternoon. North Mississauga's Sundin Esperance also scored once in the morning and once
in the afternoon as well but more impressive is he's a defender.
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Although this event was in the GTA so only York 9 FC and Forge FC were 'must attendees', I was
told that were representatives from all seven CPL clubs. I did recognize Steven Hart from HFX
Wanderers and Tommy Wheeldon Jr from Cavalry FC. I didn't notice Bobby Smyrniotis until late
in the afternoon so he may have just arrived.
Jim Brennan head coach of York 9 FC wasn't there but I asked his look-a-like brother Ryan, the
team manager, if he was still in Europe scouting players as I'd been following his tweets.
Assistant coach Carmine Isacco was on the balcony on the other side of the field with the coaches
watching the games. After the afternoon game he was on the field talking to Ilya Orlov, one of
the four squad coaches of today's scrimmages. Isacco is the long time head coach of York University
and Orlov was named head coach of University of Toronto. I'd confirmed earlier today that Isacco
was still going to coach York U and now I first congratulated Orlov and confirmed that he is going
to contine to coach L1O Alliance United. I pointed out the huge rivalry of U of T and York U and
he reminded me that I've seen Isacco coach him. (yeah true as his time as a student at York U and
various teams in the CPSL). I joked there's only 24 hours in a day and Orlov said he's already
overworked! Back in the Fall Isacco did say he'd step back somewhat from his L1O Vaughan Azzurri
coaching duties.
I was able to speak to L1O Commissioner Dino Rossi Jr as he was rushing to a meeting. He answered
there would be 16 men's teams next season (we know that TFC III left the league for the American
USSDA league). He said there'd be a minimum of the same number of women's teams as last year (13)
plus maybe one or two more. He couldn't/wouldn't name them until they were ratified. After he
left I realized on the men's side that Durham United had been announced as rejoining the men's
league (their women's team never left and in fact won the championship) after sitting out last year
so that would make 17. Interesting I spoke to Shaun Claud Lawson on his way out as he was wearing
a Durham United jacket about the return on the team. A lot of Durham players and coaching staff
moved over to new team Darby last season...(their first operating a men's L1O team). He answered
that a lot may stay at the new team. As I watched him leave I noticed a Darby FC backpack strapped
onto him!
I spoke briefly with Tony Camacho of the Ontario Soccer Association about who would be officiating
the new CPL league. He answered that all nationally certified referees and assistants are
automatically approved to officiate. Ontario as instructed has put in a list of five more officials
and are waiting for a decision. It's pretty certain other provincial associations are as well.
I will continue to add more details in the next few days. Stay tuned.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter @RocketRobin01
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