Tag: soccer

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Sports

Thierry Henry: The living legend

Henry brings his talent on and off the field

Filling up trophy cabinets was common for former football player Thierry Henry. Unfortunately, Henry’s time as a head coach of CF Montreal did not reflect his career as a player, and had to come to a premature ending.

The all-time top goal scorer for France with 51 goals, he started his professional career in Monaco, where he spent five years. There, he won his first major trophy during the 1996–97 season, lifting up the Ligue 1 trophy and crowning Monaco as French champions.

Henry’s talents were not left unnoticed, and after an uneventful year playing for Italian giants Juventus for the 1998–99 season, he moved to London, where his career with Arsenal would engrave him forever in not only the history of the club, but also the sport.

While playing for Arsenal, Henry changed his play style and became a central offensive player rather than playing out on the left wing. This made a huge difference in Henry’s goal scoring record, where his mentality of quickly controlling the ball and shooting on net became evident and ruthless.

Henry played for Arsenal from 1999–2007, and saw his club lift the Premier League Cup twice. During the 2003–04 season, the London-based club won the Premier League without losing a single game, earning them the title of ‘The Invincibles’ and lifting up a golden trophy; the only team in the history of the Premier League to ever do so.

Henry’s time with Arsenal came to an end in 2007, as he joined famous Catalonian club F.C. Barcelona — the club he had lost to in the Champions League Final in 2006.

Henry’s time with Barcelona surpassed expectations. The striker became champion of Spain in his second year there, and created history once again as Barcelona won six trophies in a calendar year: the Supercopa de Espana, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup, La Liga, La Copa del Rey, and the most famous Champions League. Henry’s influential career with Barcelona came to an end in 2010, when he shockingly joined Major League Soccer (MLS) team the New York Red Bulls.

His player career in the MLS was different from his European past. Henry became a role model for all his teammates, and his influence was greater than ever, a source of discipline, confidence and rigour. Winning only the Supporters’ Shield with the Red Bulls in the 2012–13 season for having the best record in the league, Henry retired in 2014 and meddled in a managerial career soon after.

He became the head coach of CF Montreal in 2019, but unfortunately left his coaching duties this February 2021. During his time in Montreal, the Frenchman continued to elevate the standards of his team, leading CF Montreal to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, but was eliminated by the New England Revolution. Henry’s record for the Montreal-based club is nine wins, 16 losses and four draws for both the 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons. Although these statistics may not seem impressive, Henry’s goal was to build the team from the ground up; a plan which demands time and effort.

Henry had to leave his position last month for family reasons, but his coaching career is nowhere near finished. The Frenchman’s departure has made clubs such as AFC Bournemouth from the England second tier division keen on signing the legend into their coaching spot, whenever he’s ready.

 

Graphic by Sarah Alouani

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Sports

The Club de Foot Montreal aims to change its image and find its identity

New branding, new head coach and eight new players bring hopes that the upcoming season will be better than the last one

The Club de Foot (CF) Montreal has signed eight players this off-season, the greatest number of contracts given by the club since 2015. That year, the team made it to the Concacaf Champions League final. So, what can fans, players, and coaches expect for the upcoming season?

Let’s start by remembering what happened in 2015: the club started its season with seven new players on the starting lineup, and made it to the Champions League final and the Major League Soccer (MLS) quarter-finals. This season was arguably the greatest campaign since the club joined the MLS in 2012.

Compared to 2015, last season is one to forget for CF Montreal fans. Their favourite club was eliminated from the Champions League, finished ninth in the MLS Eastern Conference. Fortunately, the club drastically changed over the winter, in all ways possible.

The club changed its name and logo, Head Coach Thierry Henry left his coaching duties for family reasons and has been replaced by Wilfred Nancy, and eight new players have been signed to the team.

The 2021 season starts on April 17, with the team facing a lot of uncertainty. The lineup that finished last year on the pitch is expected to be very different from the one that will start this season. From the eight new players, four came from free transfers (Zorhan Bassong, Erik Hurtado, Bjørn Johnsen, and Aljaž Struna), two came on loan (Ahmed Hamdi and Joaquín Torres) and two were bought in exchange for allocation sums (Djordje Mihailovic and Kamal Miller).

From all those athletes, two names drew a lot of attention from the media. Mihailovic and Johnsen are the two players raising the most hope for this upcoming season. Mihailovic is a 22-year-old offensive midfielder who played for the Chicago Fire last season. His success will depend on his capacity to work with Samuel Piette and Victor Wanyama to create a solid central midfield. Johnsen is a tall and muscular striker. Last season, he played for Ulsan Hyundai in South Korea. He has a game volume similar to Jozy Altidore.

Since Ignacio Piatti left in January 2020, the club has been searching for a player who is able to regularly create goal opportunities. Mihailovic will probably play as a number 10 behind Johnsen. This offensive duo could become the best attack the club has had since Piatti and Didier Drogba.

So which Montreal FC players can expect to start the season on the field? Clément Diop will surely be the starting keeper, as there is very little competition for his spot. From left to right, the defensive line should be composed of Mustafa Kizza, Luis Binks, Struna, and Zachary Brault-Guillard. MFC should align two defensive midfielders, Piette and Wanyama. The two wingers should be Romell Quioto and Lassi Lappalainen. The offensive midfielder will surely be Mihailovic and the striker should be Johnsen. Whatever the lineup may be, fans can look forward to an exciting season like they haven’t seen in quite some time.

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Sports

Sports in Quebec are controlled differently than elsewhere during the pandemic

Soccer is one sports where the province differs in its COVID-19 restrictions

With most of Quebec in the red zone, new regulations have been put in place by the Quebec government to curb the spread of COVID-19: restricting private gatherings, access to restaurants, recreational activities, organized sports, and much more.

With these restrictions put in place, the Montreal Impact soccer club had to cease all activities for 30 days starting Oct. 8, stating on their website that they will continue to monitor the situation and support the measures of protection given by the government.

Before these new rules came into play, the Impact was the first club in Major League Soccer (MLS) to have fans allowed inside their stadium ― the Saputo Stadium, which has a maximum capacity of 20,801 ― allowing 250 fans per game following the ease of Quebec public health restrictions in late August.

With COVID-19 cases increasing since the beginning of the fall, rising from roughly 150 new cases per day at the start of September to roughly 950 cases per day at the beginning of October, the Impact quickly followed health and safety guidelines, and shut down their facility for the 28-day semi-lockdown ordered by the Quebec government.

In contrast with Quebec, Germany has fewer restrictions for its first and second division soccer leagues ― the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2. With COVID-19 cases slowly increasing, Germany has had 15,580 new confirmed cases from Oct. 8 to 12.

The restrictions there have largely stayed the same since the beginning of the pandemic: entry restrictions for many countries, and if granted entry, self-isolation until a negative test is shown.

German government officials have allowed the Bundesliga to fill 20 per cent of their stadium capacity. Despite rising COVID-19 cases, the Borussia Dortmund stadium, the biggest stadium in Germany with a capacity of 81,365, allowed a sold-out crowd of 11,500 fans on Oct. 3.

The Bundesliga has posted on their website that the German Federal Ministry of Health has given them a basic structure to follow, stating that “the Ministry emphasized that systematic compliance with the highest standards of infection protection is a fundamental requirement for allowing live crowds for football matches again. Allowing fans back in should always depend on the regional trend of infections.”

Without revenue coming in, the Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) stated in mid-April that 13 out of 36 Bundesliga clubs were facing financial problems, with Borussia Dortmund alone losing an astounding $49 million.

In comparison to these numbers, the Bundesliga had an all-time high profitable gain from 28 of their 36 clubs last season, achieving $4.7 billion in revenue, 13 per cent of which came from ticket sales.

Financially, the MLS may be thinking correctly by letting a small percentage of their fans in their stadium, but with the current state of the pandemic, shutting down activities seems necessary.

 

Graphic by @ariannasivira

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Sports

The Montreal Impact needs a new superstar

The team lacks offensive power since departure of soccer legend Didier Drogba

Every Montreal Impact fan remembers when the team acquired Didier Drogba in 2015. The international soccer star, who’s now retired, played in Europe and at the highest levels of the game, and had an immediate impact on the team during his debut in the Major League Soccer (MLS).

Soccer is one of those sports where just one goal is often enough to win the game. Drogba, who played the position of striker, scored 11 goals in his first 11 games in Montreal. He concluded his time with the team with 23 goals in 41 games, playing in 2015 and 2016 for the blue, white and black.

The Impact qualified for the playoffs in both of Drogba’s seasons with the club. In 2016, it was the third time in five MLS seasons that the Impact qualified. However, the team hasn’t made the playoffs since. Last year, the Impact finished the season ranked 18th out of 26 MLS teams, winning only 12 of their 34 games and scoring just 47 goals.

Last year, the Impact added forward Bojan Krkić — known as Bojan to soccer fans — to the team, with hopes to get back what Drogba was bringing to the team: goals, offensive power, and the kind of starpower that puts the Impact on the map.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work as planned. Krkić didn’t perform as expected last season, scoring three goals in eight games. This year, he has only one goal in 10 games. Krkić clearly isn’t the Drogba replacement the Impact hoped he would be.

Montreal sports fans are passionate and want to see their teams win. It’s a sports city with a constant enthusiasm around the local teams. However, when things aren’t working, people can often be quick to ask for change.

It’s hard to acquire such talented superstars like the team did with Drogba in 2015. Yet, it really makes a difference to invest a bit more for a better player. At the end of the day, the team will be rewarded one way or another; even financially, as more fans will pay to come to live games with a superstar on the team.

Since Drogba’s departure, the future has been looking bleak for the Montreal Impact. Getting a new star on offence is a must.

 

Graphic by Rose-Marie Dion

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Sports

Soccer without fans is a different game

Without spectators, the home advantage loses most of its sense

COVID-19 brought all kinds of new protocols and season rearrangements to sports leagues and associations. One of the most drastic changes for those resuming their season amidst the pandemic might be the absence of fans in the stands.

Head coach of both Concordia Stingers soccer teams Greg Sutton said players always want to do well, and having fans to watch them play makes players push themselves harder.

“I think when you add family, friends, or even students in the stands, players want to impress [more],” Sutton said. “It’s only natural, as they simply want to do well in front of others. It makes a difference for sure. It’s also an extra motivation when times are a little bit more challenging.”

Sutton added that he thinks teams playing in front of their own fans have a better chance to win, and that’s something that will never change.

“Let’s think about an important game at the end of a season, in which you know you need the victory,” Sutton said. “You want that big intimidating crowd on your side, not against you. It can be difficult to play visiting stadiums with loud crowds. There’s no such thing as the home crowd advantage. Even if you’re playing in your own stadium, it’s much less of an advantage without fans.”

Concerning the experience of playing inside what we call the “bubble,” which asks team members to avoid contact with anyone outside their team, Sutton said the challenge of playing without fans is even greater for first-year players.

“It’s a lot about the young players, who haven’t really had that experience of playing in front of fans at that level,” Sutton said. “First-year players playing their first games with their team this year … are yet to experience a game with fans of that magnitude. It would be more challenging for them, but of course also for the senior players because it’s much more enjoyable to play in front of your fans.”

Sutton said that playing well in such circumstances also depends on your professional experience. He explained that players who have been on professional teams for long enough understand the level it takes to be successful on a regular basis, even if this time they’re not playing in regular conditions. For the head coach, it’s imperative to find that extra motivation when there’s no fans.

 

Graphic by Taylor Reddam

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Opinions

I’m a Liverpool fan. No qualifications needed.

I’m a Liverpool FC supporter. 

On May 1, I went to my first ever soccer match. It was Barcelona against Liverpool at the gorgeous (and intimidatingly big) Camp Nou, in Barcelona. It was the first leg of the 2019 Champions League semi-finals. I know, WHAT A GAME TO BE MY FIRST, RIGHT?

My amazing mother bought me the ticket as a birthday gift, and although I was seated in enemy territory, the whole experience was spectacular.

Well, getting to watch Liverpool was.

Next to me sat a Barcelona supporter with a beer in his hand. I was seated right above the Ultras (Barcelona superfans), and the men in my row were intense. But this one was kind; he knocked-over my popcorn and instantly went to buy me a new one. Making my way to Camp Nou was intimidating, there were A LOT of people, and the soccer culture in Barcelona, like that of Liverpool, oozes with passion.

I had my Liverpool jersey hidden under a hoodie because I was afraid I would get in trouble if Barcelona fans knew I was rooting for the opposition. The kind man next to me asked me if it was my first game.

“You look nervous,” he said. I laughed and said it was, and that I was more excited than nervous. The players came out onto the pitch for training before the match, and I watched as the 6’4 colossus Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk made his way to my side of the pitch. Dear humans… I peaked in life at that moment. I couldn’t contain my excitement and my teary eyes, and the kind man told me “Barcelona players are amazing, right?” I didn’t even answer, because in came Red’s goalie Alisson Becker. This is what it feels like to be awestruck. It was surreal.

“I’ll explain the game for you,” the kind man quite literally elbowed me back into reality with this. My eyebrows shot up, and I kind of just smiled… He pointed at Mohamad Salah, and said “that’s their best player.” And he went on to explain who everyone is, including Barcelona players.

I thought to myself, did my dumbfounded look make him think I didn’t know anything about soccer, for him to tell me that it’s a corner when the ball went off the defence and out the pitch? Was it the fact that I was silent and just staring at the players? I wish I had asked him, is it because I’m a girl?

In Lebanon, it wasn’t uncommon that I got surprised reactions from boys and men when they found out I liked soccer. It even wasn’t surprising that I was ignored if I had an opinion, or was assumed to like soccer for my boyfriend, who’s also a Liverpool supporter. But to have an assumption thrown at me in Spain was surprising—it made me realize this isn’t a Lebanon thing, it’s kind of a man thing, isn’t it?

The truth is, it was because of my boyfriend, rather than for him, that I’m a Liverpool fan. How come some people don’t see the difference?

“It’s so cute, you watch Liverpool for your boyfriend.” No, dear, I watch Liverpool because of Istanbul 2005. I watch Liverpool because of Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley, and the Fields of Anfield Road. I watch Liverpool because of Sean Cox, because of the 96 fans who passed away in the Hillsborough disaster, and because of Klopp.

No, I wasn’t a supporter all my life. Yes, I’ve only begun really watching the game after getting with my boyfriend. And yes, it has only been three years.

But if I ever hear someone tell me they’ll explain the game for me, or assume anything that isn’t me being a real fan, I will Trent-Alexander-Arnold’s corner your butt.

Photo by Katelyn Thomas

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Opinions

Fans need to learn to separate sports from real life

Soccer supporters are known for many things, but above all, being absolutely insane about their respective favourite clubs.

Since Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United at the end of the 2013 Premier League season, it hasn’t been easy being a fan. The club is throwing money at transfers that, for the most part, haven’t worked out. They have had four different managers and haven’t placed better than second (19 points behind Manchester City in 2018) in the Premier League since Ferguson’s retirement.

Manchester City has since won three league titles, Liverpool has won the UEFA Champions League and are currently on the verge of winning the Premier League for the first time in over 30 years in historically good fashion.

To put this in perspective for non-football sports fans, imagine two of your favourite team’s greatest rivals playing at the top of their league, year after year, while yours struggles to make any impact.

It’s not fun.

Manchester United supporters have stuck by the club through it all. However, the fans protest against the team’s owners, the Glazer family, at matches by wearing green and gold scarves.

The symbol of protest against the Glazers became the green and yellow scarf, the club’s colours when United were initially formed Newton Heath back in 1878.

They’ve called for the Glazer’s to sell the team and fire Ed Woodward, the chief executive overseeing the club’s operations, or in other words, the man responsible for the current state of the club.

On Jan. 28, some fans took things way too far. Some 20-odd fans attacked Woodward’s home with flares. Thankfully, neither Woodward nor any members of his family were home at the time.

As a fan, I too am incredibly frustrated with the club’s executives who have been borderline incompetent over the past seven seasons, but there needs to be a line. Fans of any team, under any circumstances, should not be tracking down a player, coach, executive and hell, even the waterboy’s house. In response to the attack, the club put out a statement condemning the attack.

“Manchester United Football Club have tonight been made aware of the incident outside the home of one of our employees. Anybody found guilty of a criminal offence, or found to be trespassing on this property, will be banned for life by the club and may face prosecution. Fans expressing opinion is one thing, criminal damage and intent to endanger life is another. There is simply no excuse for this.”

The last part is bang on.

“There is simply no excuse for this.”

If it hasn’t been made clear yet, I love sports to my core. They are a part of who I am, as is Manchester United.

When the news broke out about what had happened to the Woodward home, I was not only ashamed of being a United fan—but a sports fan as a whole. I thought to myself there’s no way Montreal Canadiens fans would do anything like this. Impossible.

Well, not so much. It hasn’t happened in recent years, mostly because they haven’t had much playoff success, but Canadiens fans aren’t exactly the most gracious of winners either. Who can forget the riots after their series wins against Washington and Pittsburgh in 2010? What about the riot downtown after beating the Bruins in the 2008 playoffs?

Fans who took part in either events mentioned would argue that they are just showing their passion. Well, passion is one thing, hooliganism is another.

Nobody wants to be associated with the latter—it is shameful behaviour that makes the club/team bad, and more importantly the individuals. It says a lot more about you, who was a part of the chaos, rather than “the team who made you do it.”

There are many ways to deal with frustration caused by clubs. Maybe time for a new hobby?

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

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Sports

Colour Commentary: Christine Sinclair is Canada’s most underappreciated athlete

When you think of great Canadian athletes, nowadays the first names that come to mind are usually Sidney Crosby, Conor McDavid, Bianca Andreescu and Denis Shapovalov.

The last three haven’t been in the conversation for long. However there’s one name missing from that list—Christine Sinclair.

Sinclair burst on to the international soccer scene back in 2000. Since then, she has had an incredible list of accolades, including the 2012 Lou Marsh Award, a 14-time Canadian Player of the Year winner, and has been nominated seven times for the FIFA World Player of the Year award.

Most recently, she scored yet another record breaking goal; undoubtedly her biggest achievement—which is saying a lot considering her resume.

On Jan. 29, playing against Saint Kitts and Nevis in the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship, Sinclair netted two goals, vaulting her ahead of Abby Wambach for the most international soccer goals scored by a man or woman.

The most goals. Of all time. A Canadian. In soccer.

Let that sink in.

Think of all the incredible players in the world—Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Pelé, Abby Wambach… I could go on forever. At the top of the list for international goals, sits the Canadian from Burnaby, British Columbia.

So the question remains: why hasn’t this been made as big a deal as it should be, especially in Canadian media?

Perhaps the timing of Sinclair’s achievement has been overshadowed by the death of Kobe Bryant, the Super Bowl and Canadian prodigy Alphonso Davies playing some of his best football at Bayern Munich, but I don’t think that it’s an excuse for the lack of coverage of this absolutely remarkable feat.

Soccer’s popularity is growing steadily in Canada due in part to the injection of highly touted male, youth players such as Davies, Balou Tabla and Liam Millar. However, the fact still remains that Canada’s male side is ranked 73rd in the world according to FIFA rankings, meanwhile the women’s team is ranked 8th in the world. Christine Sinclair has been must-see-TV for a long time. Let’s hope either TSN or Sportsnet realize this before she retires.

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Sports

Mid-year Stingers grades

It’s report card time for the 11 Stingers teams

 

Football: C+

A lot of the positives from this season came from the individual performances of key players.  Adam Vance threw for over 2,000 yards and was a Hec Crighton finalist. James Tyrrell emerged as one of the top receivers in U Sports, and has now signed a deal with the CFL’s Ottawa RedBlacks. Jeremy Murphy was named the U Sports rookie of the year. Besides that, not too much worked for the Stingers on the field. The team’s defense struggled immensely, the offense faced consistency issues, and the team dropped winnable games against McGill, and ultimately posted the same record as last season. With many of his key players graduating this year, head coach Brad Collinson will have to push for another strong recruiting class.

-Matthew Coyte

 

Men’s Hockey: C-

Where to begin with this team? The season looked really promising after the first two weeks of the season. Then everything went south at the end of the fifth game (in which they actually won 6-5 in OT over Wilfrid Laurier). In the final moments of that game, Philippe Sanche, Alexander Katerinakis and Anthony Dumont-Bouchard all went down with injuries that have kept them out of the lineup ever since. Hockey is an unforgiving game and the Stingers’ 6-7-3 record is a reflection of that. Other teams don’t care about your injuries and you just have to deal with it. One of the bright spots however is rookie forward Tyler Hylland. Hylland has had a seamless transition from junior hockey to U-Sports, putting up 18 points in 16 games. The second half will be a better one for the team as they will be much healthier after the break but they’ll certainly have their work cut out for them if they want to have home-ice advantage in the playoffs – should they qualify.

-Matthew Ohayon

 

Women’s Hockey: A

I’m not sure what more you could ask for from this team. After 10 games, the team is 9-0-1 and has been the top ranked-team in U Sports for seven straight weeks. Head coach Julie Chu continues to elevate her veterans like Audrey Belzile and Claudia Dubois while recruiting rookies who have had an immediate impact like Emmy Fecteau and Léonie Philbert. This team generates an incredible amount of chances, and have managed to shut down the best teams in the RSEQ. Even their one loss was in a shootout in a game where they managed nearly 50 shots on net. Mix in superb goaltending from Alice Philbert and division-leading scorer Rosalie Bégin-Cyr and you have a team that just overwhelms opponents. The only reason I’m not giving them an A+ is because we’re only halfway through the season. The true test for this team begins in January.

-Matthew Coyte

 

Men’s Basketball: A-

There were some question marks around the Stingers after last season’s RSEQ Championship-winning season with Ricardo Monge and Garry Merrisier both leaving the team after graduating. Well, if the first six games of the season were any indication of how the Stingers are as a team, I’d say they are doing just fine with a 5-1 record. It is impossible to pinpoint one game breaker on the team but that is certainly no knock on them. In every one of their wins, it’s been a complete team win. Rookie Ali White and second year players Nathaniel Boisvert, Aleks Simeunovich and Tariq Barki Hamad have been pitching in off the bench as well. This is an incredibly deep and talented team that looks poised to repeat as RSEQ champions. It also helps when you have a very strong coaching staff that has their players buying into the team culture. U Sports needs to start giving this team, and conference, some more respect.

-Matthew Ohayon

 

Women’s Basketball: C+

The case of the women’s team is an interesting one. They are coming off a very strong season that saw them make an appearance in the nationals off the backs of their big three of Coralie Dumont, Caroline Task and U Sports rookie of the year, Myriam Leclerc. This year we’re seeing just how important Dumont was for this team as they hold a 2-3 record. Perhaps the most interesting of all their games was their 70-65 loss at Laval. The Stingers held the Rouge et Or to only five points in the opening quarter and got 20 points out of Sabrina Lineus who only totalled 24 minutes of playing time. The Stingers seem to be a little bit out of sync at the moment but they are a well coached squad who will certainly put it all together for the second half of the season.

–Matthew Ohayon

 

Men’s Rugby: A+

It’s pretty hard to find negatives in the season that team just offered. The Stingers successfully defended their RSEQ title, winning the championship a third straight year. They played solid rugby all season, and everyone contributed to the team’s success. The Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship (CUMRC) was played at Concordia this year, ensuring the team’s participation in the tournament regardless of their results in the RSEQ season. Yet, they proved they deserved their spot among the best of the country. They also played well at the CUMRC, winning their first game, and offering probably their best game of 2019 against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, despite the loss. The semi-final loss was a hard one to swallow, but I think the team can still be proud of their accomplishments this season.

-Alec Brideau

 

Women’s Rugby: A

It’s always great to see both men and women perform at such a high level at the same sport. After only two wins in seven games in 2018-19, as well as not making the RSEQ playoffs, the team bounced back with a perfect 6-0 season this year. The Stingers finished first in Section B and played through the RSEQ semi-final, where they lost 50-5 against the Université Laval Rouge et Or. It’s hard to give less than an A after that season.

-Alec Brideau

 

Men’s Wrestling: B

The men’s wrestling team has started their season well, clocking in at number 10 on the U Sports rankings three weeks running. While they’ve managed to stick around the national rankings, this is largely due to the team’s ability to grab points and not relying on individuals to carry the team. Only Aly Barghout (120 kg) and Julien Choquette (90 kg) are ranked members of the men’s wrestling team. Despite being slightly lower on the rankings than we’ve come to expect from this squad, don’t count them out yet. Wrestlers like fourth-year Francis Carter and Jordan Steen are a constant threat and are more than capable of lifting this team up the rankings.

-Matthew Coyte

 

Women’s Wrestling: B+

The woman’s wrestling team’s early success has come from its ability to get results from a number of different contributors. The team is led by fourth-year —and last year’s Stingers Female Athlete of the Year, Jade Dufour, but she’s not the only one winning matches. Kaleigh Prieur is fourth in the 48kg division, Laurence Beauregard is second in the 59kg division, plus Kaya Dube-Snow (55kg) and Amanda Savard (63kg) are first in their respective divisions. They’ve moved their way into the top three teams in U Sports, and their consistency will be key for success going forward.

-Matthew Coyte

 

Men’s Soccer: B

It was great to see the team participate in the RSEQ playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season. The Stingers faced adversity all season, and had trouble winning consecutive games. However, they still finished the season in fourth place with a 3-4-5 record, and played in the semi-final of the playoffs. I give the team a B because of their respectable season. Also, I think their playoff participation was quite huge for the men’s soccer team. The team knew it was the first time in a while, which represented a step in the right direction for the program.

-Alec Brideau

 

Women’s Soccer: B-

It’s been a bit harder for the women’s team in soccer. Finishing the season 2-7-5, the Stingers only won against the Université de Sherbrooke Vert et Or this year. They managed to get an impressive 1-1 tie against the first-ranked UQAM Carabins, but such results weren’t enough to make the RSEQ playoffs. The team has talented players and great potential. Sometimes, it’s just about luck or little details. At some point, it should click for that team.

-Alec Brideau

 

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Sports

Colour commentary: Ego gets in the way in sports

Sports Editor Nicholas Di Giovanni gives his take on his latest in sports with his weekly Colour Commentary

Kepa Arrizabalaga just another example of player-first mentality

Sports fans around the world witnessed one of the most outrageous incidents in a soccer game on Feb. 24. In the Carabao Cup final—one of England’s cup tournaments—between Chelsea and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium, Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri wanted to substitute his goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, for back-up Willy Caballero.

The game was tied 0-0 in the 120th minute and set to go to penalties. Sarri saw Kepa cramping up, and wanted to take him off before the penalty shootout. Instead, when the coach signalled to his goalie to change, Kepa, who signed for a world-record fee of over US$75 million last summer, simply refused. The keeper told Sarri he would stay on the pitch.

This is Sarri’s first season managing the club, and earlier that week, he was already unsure about his future with Chelsea. Once the goalie refused to change, Sarri lost his temper, started yelling at his staff and players on the bench, and walked towards the door, as if he was lquitting his job, but ultimately returned to the bench.

Kepa won the argument with the manager to stay on, but then his team lost in penalties, 4-3.

It’s understandable why Sarri lost his temper like that. The coach is the head of the team, and no player should ever make, or refuse, a coach’s decision. Of course Kepa wants to help his team win in penalties, and with the money they paid for him, why wouldn’t he? But he has to help his team win by sitting on the bench.

Ego is often too involved in sports now, and some of these athletes forget about the bigger picture: it’s a team sport. I guess these players were never told “no” growing up either.

Kepa also demonstrated that he doesn’t care about his team, his coach, or even his fans. He made an embarrassing decision, which cost his team the game. Luckily for him, Sarri didn’t throw him under the bus in the post-game press conference. Sarri called it a misunderstanding, but responded properly by benching Kepa the next game.

Athletes are role models for kids, and if they see their favourite player disobeying their coach, it’s a toxic influence. These kids will start ignoring their parent’s orders, then their teacher’s, then their boss’s, until we have a world of egomaniacs refusing all rules.

Team sports are all about working with others, and respecting those around you, to achieve a greater goal. If Kepa, or any athlete, refuses to play nice with anyone around him, he should probably play darts.

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Sports

Milan Club Montreal aims to unite soccer passion

Milan Club Montreal gathers at Ciociaro’s bar in St-Leonard to watch A.C. Milan’s games. Photo by Sandra Hercegova.

Fan group trying to modernize itself to attract younger generation

If you walk into Ciociaro Sports Bar and Grill in St-Leonard on a Sunday, it looks like any typical Italian café found in the East End: there’s an espresso bar, a panino counter, and people chatting around tables. But after taking a deeper look, there’s so much more.

Once you walk past the counter, into the back of the café, you can see a few people dressed in red-and-black soccer jerseys watching their favourite team, A.C. Milan, whose nickname is Il Diavolo, or “The Devil.” Ciociaro’s is home to Milan Club Montreal, a fan club dedicated to A.C. Milan fans in the greater Montreal area.

“It’s a camaraderie between fans,” said club treasurer Vince Tavernese. “[We have] people from all different types of cultures and religions, but we just meet up to talk Milan. Whether it’s four people here or 40, it’s the same feeling.”

In that back room at Ciociaro’s, they have their official flag and scarf hung up, with a framed jersey from the last time Milan won the championship in 2011. One piece of memorabilia that stands out is a signed Giacomo Bonaventura jersey, a midfielder for A.C. Milan, that the club received from Italy last year. The club’s president, Marcello Furgiuele, wanted to celebrate their one-year anniversary last year with a gift from A.C. Milan. Originally, Furgiuele asked for a player to visit them in Montreal, although he expected to get refused.

Along with Furgiuele, Tavernese and Polillo, Mario Tenuta (right) is one of the organizers of the club. Photo by Sandra Hercegova.

When Milan got back to Furgiuele, having denied the request, they asked him what can be done to celebrate their anniversary. “I put my thinking cap on, so I thought to ask for a signed jersey that we could hang up at Ciociaro’s,” Furgiuele said. “We asked the members which player they would like, and they voted for Bonaventura.”
A few weeks later, the signed authentic jersey came in the mail. “My hands were trembling, this was the first time in my life I held a player’s jersey, and not one I bought at the store,” the president said. “I was very emotional from it, I couldn’t believe it.”

This version of the Milan Club Montreal started in 2016, after the previous club had been inactive for a few years. Furgiuele said it was run by older men who wanted the club modernized. “The old administrators wanted to pass on the torch, modernize and get with the technology,” he said.

Furgiuele, Tavernese and vice-president Steve Polillo took over to modernize it in an age when soccer fans can watch games anywhere.

“In the olden days, you came to the bar to watch the game because it had it on, or else you’re not watching the game.” Polillo said. “[Now] it’s very hard to attract people to come to one specific location and leave their families to watch the game.”

Part of the club’s plan to attract more youth is starting the Milan Weekly Podcast. Polillo and Tavernese, who run it, wanted to create a way for English-speaking Milan fans to engage with their team. They wanted to emulate Radio Rossonera, a popular Italian podcast for Milan fans.

“Unfortunately, because European football is so European-heavy, it’s very hard to have English content for your team, unless your team is very [modern],” Polillo said. “So we partnered with Radio Rossonera to have an English-speaking podcast.”

Tavernese also said Europeans sometimes think North Americans don’t watch or like soccer as much as they do, but wants to prove otherwise.

“It’s very frustrating because our voices aren’t as heard across the pond,” Tavernese said. “Social media is a tool, so if we use it correctly […] people will know about Milan Club Montreal and the podcast.”

In April, people across North America got to see Milan Club Montreal when they appeared as a guest on La Giostra del Gol, a show that broadcasted weekly Serie A games to Italians worldwide on RAI Italia. They were interviewed before and after the game, as well as at half-time, during Milan’s game against Napoli.

“It was great, we got a lot of notoriety with that event,” Furgiuele said. “All the bars that were showing that Milan game got us free advertising. It was really cool; anyone that participated really enjoyed it.”

On Oct. 21, Milan Club Montreal had another viewing party for a game against Inter Milan. The A.C. Milan-Inter Milan rivalry, otherwise known as the Derby della Madonnina, is interesting because both Milan teams share the same stadium. Even as 80,000 fans watched at the San Siro over 6,000 kilometres away, there were dozens more at Ciociaro’s sharing their passion for Milan. At the end, their team lost 1-0.

“We all have the same interests to see our beloved Milan go back to the top of the world,” Tavernese said. “We’ve seen Milan suffer for the last six or seven years, so we’re all in the same boat.”

All three of them have deep connections to Milan, but Polillo wants his kids to fall in love with the team too. His father was a fan of Juventus, one of A.C. Milan’s rivals, so when his aunt sent him a jersey from her convent in Milan, his father didn’t like it, but allowed it.

“I’m going to be harsher than my father was, my kids don’t have a choice, they’re red and black all the time,” Polillo said with a smile. “It means the world to me.”

Main photo and video by Sandra Hercegova.

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Sports

Stingers lose soccer doubleheader vs Carabins

The Carabins haven’t conceded a goal yet this season, and the Stingers didn’t break the shutout streak Friday night. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Carmen Milne makes 11 saves in loss against ninth-ranked women’s team in Canada /  Yancine Ait Slimane scores lone goal in men’s team loss

Men’s Game

by Alec Brideau

The Concordia Stingers men’s soccer team faced a resilient Université de Montréal Carabins team Friday night. The Carabins scored early in both halves and capitalized on their chances.

“I think that there are moments in a game where you have to capitalize and we had a couple of opportunities in their box, but just couldn’t finish,” said Stingers head coach Greg Sutton. “They won more battles than we did.”

The game was marked by high intensity and physical play. The Stingers received two yellow cards and the Carabins got one; Concordia’s Mateo Zazo and UdeM’s Mouad Ouzane each received red cards.

Despite the loss, Sutton said “it was a good performance.” The Stingers had numerous scoring chances during the game, even hitting the crossbar late in the first half. Unfortunately, they just couldn’t keep the momentum going into the beginning of the second half.

Stingers forward Yacine Ait Slimane scored the lone goal for his team. His performance against the Carabins gave his team a chance to fight until the very last second of the game.

“We’ve been really pleased with the way Yacine has worked and has been committed to his team the right way,” said Sutton about his forward.

Omar Kreim and Frédéric Lajoie-Gravelle scored for the Carabins forty minutes apart.

The Stingers will play the Université de Laval Rouge et Or at home on Sept. 21.

The men’s team fought hard, but couldn’t come back from a two-goal deficit. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
Women’s Game

By Isaiah Martel-Wilson

The Stingers women’s soccer team’s game  the Montréal Carabins on Sept. 14 at the Concordia Stadium posed one of their toughest tests of the season. Montréal, through its first three games, allowed no goals and sat on top of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) standings with a 2-0-1 record.

Following an injury to one of the Carabins, Rose-Marie Julien, they came back strong. Thanks to a fortunate bounce, Maude Leblanc scored the only goal of the game for the Carabins.

Not deterred by their early struggles, the Stingers maintained their composure. Goalie Carmen Milne made it clear that she was going to keep her team in the game and continued to make key saves for the remainder of the first half.

As the Stingers returned to the field for the second half, their new-found aggression may have been misplaced as it led to a free kick. But as she proved during the first half, Milne blocked the shot, breathing life back into her team.

Their defensive pressure forced the Stingers into coughing up valuable possessions, finally opening up scoring opportunities. This culminated in a one-timer that went wide with under 15 minutes to go. The one-goal loss didn’t hurt the team’s chemistry—it seemed to bring them closer together.

“We’re a hard working team and we showed that we can compete with the number two team in the country,” said head coach Greg Sutton. The Carabins are ranked by U Sports as the ninth-best team in Canada, but second-best team from Quebec.

Milne was forced to make 11 saves in the game and attributes her performance to her team’s constant support. “They stayed behind me, they told me to just keep playing,” she said.

The Stingers’s next game is Sept. 16 at Bishop’s University.

Main photo by Hannah Ewen.

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