The Ontario Soccer Centre
December 17, 2019--York 9 FC U-21 Identification Camp Open Trial...The three days of trials...Day 1 (by Rocket Robin)
This was the announcement of the event which I was e-mailed last week although I'd heard these dates mentioned months ago.
York9 FC Looking to Help Aspiring U-21 Soccer Players Pursue their Dream Career Club Open Trials on December 17-19 at Ontario Soccer Centre Toronto, ON (December 12, 2019) – York9 FC is pleased to announce today that it will be hosting U-21 Identification Camp Open Trial on December 17 – 19. Male U-21 players born 1999-2003, from across Ontario are invited to showcase their skills to a Tier 1 Men’s professional soccer Club. Open trials will take place at the Ontario Soccer Centre and led by York9 FC Head Coach, Jimmy Brennan. Players will be taken through the paces and assessed by members of the York9 FC coaching and technical staff. “We saw a lot of great and local talent come out for the #GotGame Open Trials in 2018,” said York9 FC Head Coach, Jimmy Brennan. “Midfielder, Emilio Estevez and fullback, Morey Doner are two prime examples of standout trialist that had great success this past year with York, and now are re-signed to the 2020 roster.” The first two days players will be evaluated through a series of fitness exercises and testing, soccer-specific drills and assessments and small-sided games. At the end of Day 2, following some 11 vs 11 matches where a select number of players will be selected and invited back for the final day where playing football both small-sided and big field matches will be the focus. At the conclusion of the trials, potential prospects will be invited to attend York9 FC training camp in February. As part of a League for Canadians, by Canadians, York9 FC believes there are players across this country who have yet to be unearthed and who could have what it takes to earn a place on a professional club roster. Trialists must come prepared with their own gear and equipment. Interested participants can sign up, here in advance of December 17th.
Tuesday December 17, 2019...Day 1 of the Trials
The trials were scheduled for 2:00pm each day. Today I arrived at 1:30pm in time to see players still checking in. Players would be between the ages of 15 (by a few weeks) to 20. I said hello to York 9 FC head coach Jim Brennan passing by and team president Preban Ganzhorn watching the registration proceedings. It was Ganzhorn who told me that the team had just signed Chris Mannella. I had worked in the morning (cellphones turned off is strongly encouraged) and then drove over (cell phone off of course) so it was a slight surprise although I read the rumours over the weekend.
I asked at the registration table after the check-in was over how many registrants were here. One of them had said about 90. I watched from the balcony above the field and counted over 80, couldn't see from the overhang how many were under it and the line hadn't completely cleared from the front and there'd still probably by guys in the dressing rooms.
I was looking for logos on the track bags the trialists brought with them and their sweat shirts but I didn't notice any League 1 Ontario ones. In the parking lot I noticed one Quebec licence plate on my way inside and while leaving saw a mini-van with decals from an academy I'd never heard of before but plan on looking more closely tomorrow. An L1O official I recognized when the first day was almost over couldn't give me an estimate how many from that league were here (I don't have enough time to follow the L1O U-21 league) stressing that L1O is not running this and it is an 'open trial'.
I was at last year's CPL Open Trial and it was much larger but there were coaches from all seven of the CPL teams as the trials crossed the country, one each week, east to west. Those were two day trials and in Vaughan had the coaches in the balcony watching from a distance with the first day taken up with fitness tests including some conducted outside in the mid-October weather.
Only conditioning I saw was a warm-up for the first twenty minutes starting just before 2:30pm with some stretching and short runs in one giagantic group then the guys were broken up into teams of eight for some short run and pass drills. After that those teams of eight (they were on lists called out by the coaches so you couldn't stand beside the guy who looked most like Lionel Messi and expect to be on his team).
There were enough 'teams' to have three crossfield games at once with a second set of players taking their place as a whole at 15 minute intervals. After their 15 minutes the original players would come back in for another team. Your teammates were the same eight guys and your opponents were the same eight guys. The games were actually 7 v 7 with one extra guy rotating in between plays as another came off for a few minutes. One game in the west end had 6 v 6 with two guys rotated in but that may have been the coach's preference. No variation meant you might look better if you were the Messi's playing the Messy's but not so good if you were playing for the Messy's.
The games had the York 9 coaches on the sidelines each watching a game. I didn't notice assistant coach Carmine Isacco here today.
The only varience was in goal where the goaltenders played the whole time. They were using undersized nets. It appeared there were only six goaltending trialists. I have a theory about this. The cost of the trial was $150 (CPL trial last year was $200) but York 9 made such a big deal about publicizing that they'd re-signed Nathan Ingham and Colm Vance it may have scared some goalie's away. Ingham had played 26 of the 28 regular season games and, I believe, all six of the three Canadian Championship rounds that York played. Vance had one game and Matt Silva had the other if I remember right.
The players wore either home or away York 9 kits plus a numbered pinney but I couldn't tell the players apart. It was also hard to memorize the shout outs of who would be on each team. Only name I recognized was 'Marvelous Drumps' who I remember from last year's trials who survived the cuts at least the first day.
Only unusual thing was a tipped ball hit the fire alarm on the end wall causing it to start ringing but it was easily turned off.
I don't think I lost count but the first set of teams got three mini-games and the second set only two but it's possible the second teams had longer games.
The new York 9 FC signing Chris Mannella was present until the trialists were picked for the 8 v 8's. I caught him on his way out, shook his hand and said "Welcome home!". I watched him play for Toronto FC Academy and then Toronto FC II who at the time played right outside on the turf field. Then he was dropped from TFC and ended up the last two years playing for Ottawa Fury and he'd break out of line getting off the team bus to walk over and say hello the one year TFC II played at Lamport Stadium. TFC II then dropped down a division so I didn't see him in 2019. I said he can't wear jersey #5 as Justin Springer has that and said that no-one can be #9 (I as a fan have my own custom marked #9). He answered that he's going to try for #0.
Defender Diyaeddine Abzi was also here and stayed right until the end.
The first day ended at 4:20pm and the players were all given a talk in the center of the field. Then they were named off to drop off their pinneys in a pile. I thought this was an elaborate way of cutting the roster. I asked Jim Brennan after the players went back to the locker room about how many players would be back tomorrow and he said "all of them" so there were no cuts today. I also asked how many trialists there eventually were and he did hint that they made 100. Ahh that sounds so much better in their press clippings.
A York 9 official earlier said that for Day 3 they'd likely retain thirty players to have enough for their 11 v 11 games.
Second day of the trials is tomorrow at 2:00pm.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter @RocketRobin01
The Ontario Soccer Centre
A very busy registration desk.
Trialists do some stretching warm ups.
One of the three simultaneous crossfield games.
Players hear they'll all be back tomorrow!
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