Thousands of people eagerly left their houses two Saturdays in a row to witness a revolution in Montreal. The buzz around the usually empty Olympic Stadium was magical — the chants worthy of a European championship game — as thousands joined in singing “Montreal, Montreal, Montreal, olé olé olé.” The deafening crowd erupted with joyful cheers as Italian star Marco Di Vaio scored a goal during two back-to-back games. The reasoning for our joy? The Montreal Impact was in town.
Montreal’s sports scene is going through a change. Where it was until very recently dominated by our beloved Habs, the Impact’s debut in Major League Soccer was met with flying numbers and die-hard fans. Not to mention, the acquisition of two star Italian players in the likes of Alessandro Nesta and Di Vaio have Montrealers feeling as if they’re actually attending a real European soccer match.
The truth is that soccer is a European sport. ‘Fútbol’ is to Europe as hockey is to Montreal. They live it and breathe it every day. Therefore, seeing soccer succeed in Montreal is attributed to the fact that our city has the true characteristics of a mixed European city. We are a melting pot of international cultures that enjoy this sport more than anything. It is therefore reasonable to say that some of our residents have probably never even heard of hockey prior to living here, although they end up getting engulfed in our passion. However, give them a good soccer team, a sport that is internationally renowned and successful, and you have yourself a serious moneymaker and a lot of room for growth.
Now that we finally have a team in a respectable league that we can support, it’s no wonder the Impact is becoming a team stars will want to play for. Our fan base is incredible, our city passionate and winning here will be glorious for any athlete.
The players are feeling it and the fans are feeling it; a soccer team that will soon have the entire city behind it.
Last year, the Impact broke a Canadian record in attendance for a soccer game when David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy came to the Olympic Stadium for the first time, beating Toronto and Vancouver’s attendance for their opening games when they first joined the MLS. Although there’s no doubt in my mind that soccer can succeed in these two other Canadian metropolises, it’s clear to all that Montreal has a soccer flare that these two haven’t quite grasped.
Finally, Montreal can boast about having multiple sports teams, especially one that can survive at the same time as the Montreal Canadiens. More than 38,000 showed up to watch the Impact’s 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, despite the Canadiens playing only 20 minutes after the game finished.
If you would have told me 10 years ago that Montreal would have a world class soccer team playing in the MLS, led by a star Italian forward, no less, I would have laughed and shook my head. But this is the reality for all sports fans: Montreal is a booming soccer town, and it will be for the years to come.
The year 2012 is coming to a close my dear friends, and what a year it’s been. From American politics to Montreal soccer, we’ve summed up some of the most interesting events of the past year here.
Image via Flickr.
Robin Della Corte Assistant news editor
In a province that is so often identified by it’s language issues, having an English mayor elected in office is a very symbolic moment for many people around the Montreal area.
Michael Applebaum’s election not only shows diversity, but a change in the right direction. After Pauline’s Marois’ election, I was terrified to live in a province where language mattered more than economic and social issues and where putting money towards ‘language police’ was a priority. After Applebaum’s victory against a French-speaking candidate I felt as if, politically and socially, things had changed slightly. Applebaum, being both English and Jewish, was elected, and it seemed as though most of the people in power didn’t care so much as to what language he spoke, but actually what he was going to do to improve our city and have the job done right.
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Stephanie La Leggia Life editor
Image via Flickr.
Even with all the warnings and evacuation calls, Hurricane Sandy came as kind of a shock to me. Many underestimated its power and potential level of deconstruction, destroying homes and diminishing people’s lives and belongings to a suitcase.
Although I may live in Montreal, I’m a New Yorker at heart, travelling down at least three times year. With family and friends to worry about, I constantly checked CNN for updates. Although the video footages and article were quite alarming, it wasn’t until I saw photos of the aftermath that the horror of it really hit me; photos of people line-up to get their fill of gas, giant trees in the middle of the street, the diminished Jersey shore boardwalk, and people’s belonging scattered about like they were insignificant pieces of junk.
While some simply lost power in their skyscraper apartment building, others were not so lucky. When people think of New York, they narrow their focus to Manhattan, forgetting about the other burrows that were so badly hit, like Staten Island. Not to mention the damages the hurricane caused in Haiti. The photos of the aftermath and the personal stories of those without a home and insurance really put things in perspective for me. While my biggest concern may have been an assignment due by the end of the week, these survivors had to worry about basic needs like heating and food, needs that we take for granted on a daily basis.
You ask me what affected me most this year as 2012 comes to an end, it’s Hurricane Sandy, a hurricane so powerful it stood up against the Big Apple.
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Image via Flickr.
Kevin Duarte Sports editor
The event that affected me the most in 2012 was the Montreal Impact’s inaugural season in Major League Soccer. To start, I am a diehard football fan… the real one, played with a round ball on the floor. Football, or to make it less confusing, soccer, is an integral part of my life. Right up there with breathing and eating, I’d say. The Impact expansion into the MLS finally gave me a chance to watch some decent soccer in my hometown. Prior to this year, Montreal was playing in the second tier of North American Soccer, a league that never really meant much at all. This past year, they just finished their first season in North America’s top flight. Fans got a chance to see some world-class players visit Saputo Stadium. More importantly for me, someone who studies the game as a coach, it was the higher quality of the sport that I enjoyed the most.
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Image via Flickr.
Casandra De Masi Staff writer
Thousands watched, as did I, as Pauline Marois gave her acceptance speech in September. She had just become the first female premier of Quebec, and in the same night lived through an alleged assassination attempt. It all happened so quickly and it almost overshadowed the election itself. Throughout the election campaign, the wedge between the Francophone and the Anglophone community became larger and sharper. There were arguments and all-around ignorant behavior from both sides. This was the icing on the spoiled cake. As someone who lives and works in a French community, but was raised in a primarily English household, it just puzzled me as to why so much emphasis was being put on language, with so many other issues plaguing our province.
As horrible as the shooter’s actions were, especially because he killed an innocent man, he led people to a realization. People realized that, ‘Hey, maybe we should band together and focus on things that affect all of us, no matter what language we speak.’
That week, people came together, condemning this man’s actions. Just to see people agreeing that we should learn to coexist, that this silly war needs to end, was refreshing. It was hopeful. It didn’t last long, but knowing it is possible is what counts.
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Image via Flickr.
Paula Rivas Managing editor
An event that kept me on the edge of my seat, as odd as it may sound to many people my age, was Obama’s victory in the American elections. The buildup from the presidential debates left my head spinning and I was looking forward to the elections like a child waiting for Christmas Eve.
The day of this historic event, I turned off my phone, avoided plans with any of my friends, and watched the CNN coverage like a hawk while Wolf Blitzer and other A-team reporters announced the advancement of the polls. My heart jumped with excitement as the state I spent 10 years of my life in, Maryland, turned blue in support for Obama. The blue wave that followed as the hours passed made me swell with pride to again see a glimpse of the United States that I love — not the ugly, homophobic and closed-minded side, but the side that many Canadians unfortunately don’t get to see. I’m talking about a United States that stands up to defend women’s rights when archaic restrictions were being suggested to govern women’s bodies and also to defend Hispanics when immigration laws were threatening to throw out hard-working citizens.
My own family was once living illegally as Hispanics in the States and we felt the harsh reality of being treated like second-class citizens. But most of all, to defend an America devoted to the idea that coming together as one is stronger than the idea that every man is out there for themselves. Thanks Obama, you made my year.
The 2012-13 soccer season at Concordia was one of the best of the past few years with both the men’s and women’s teams vastly improving compared to previous seasons. Although finishing the regular season in last place, the men’s team catapulted into the playoffs due to roster problems with McGill, Université de Montréal and Sherbrooke. The women’s team was two wins away from the post-season.
Men’s soccer
Headed by a technical staff featuring head coach Lloyd Barker and assistants François Bastien and Greg Sutton, the Stingers men’s soccer team had playoff expectations before the start of the year.
After dropping the season-opener 0-5 to Université de Montréal, Concordia was able to bounce back and go undefeated for the next three matches. Five straight losses after that crushed the team’s hopes of making the playoffs.
The men’s side ended the season with two victories, eight losses and two draws. Days after the end of the regular season, McGill and Montréal were forced to forfeit most of their wins for using an ineligible player. Both sides, therefore, were given losses for every match the ineligible players participated in. As a result, the Stingers were given three more victories and ended the season with a new record of five wins, six losses and one draw.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Stingers lost to the first-place Laval Rouge et Or one-nil. An own goal right before halftime was the difference.
Striker Andrew Bryan led the team in scoring with five goals in nine appearances. He was named to RSEQ’s first all-star team and was named a second team all-Canadian by the CIS.
Women’s soccer
The women’s soccer team was the better-of-the-two team this fall. Head coach Jorge Sanchez and assistants Alex Eskanazi, David Cerasuolo and Sabrina Cerasuolo led the team to a record of six wins, five losses and three draws. The team’s 21 points was their best since 2005.
Like the men’s team, the women’s team lost their opening game to Université de Montréal by the same 0-5 scoreline. In the next three matches, the team would collect two wins and one draw. Concordia remained in the playoff hunt for the entire season by never losing more than two matches in a row.
The team’s playoff hopes came down to the final match of the season. They faced the Laval Rouge et Or, who were three points ahead and occupied the final place in the standings. With a victory, Concordia would have swapped places with Laval. Unfortunately, the Stingers lost the game 0-2 at home.
Striker Jennifer Duff was a key component to the team’s success. She ended the season with 12 goals, which was the second highest in the league. Duff was the only Stingers player named to RSEQ’s all-star team.
Both the men’s and women’s team will take the months of November and December off before returning in January for the RSEQ interior season. The action starts on Sunday, Jan. 13, when the women’s team plays the McGill Martlets at the Stinger Dome. The men’s team plays right after at 3 p.m. against the Redmen.
The Stingers men’s soccer team suffered their sixth straight loss on Sunday, losing 6-2 at the hands of the province wide second-place Montreal Carabins.
The Carabins came out strong and dominated the first half. Their advantage in speed and height was absolutely no match for Concordia’s sloppy play.
The visiting Montreal side wasted no time getting on the score sheet. In the ninth minute, midfielder Paolo Demanga out-ran a Stingers defender to play a perfect ground cross to Damir Rosic, who then managed to squeeze it past Remo Taraschi in goal.
“We gave up an early goal, which is not the script you want to begin a game,” said Assistant Coach Greg Sutton.
The Carabins showed no signs of letting up the pressure. In the 18th minute, Abdoul Bah fired a shot that just went over the bar.
Concordia struggled offensively, sending long balls that had almost no hope of finding a striker. Their best chances would come in the form of free-kicks, all taken by midfielder Joseph Couto. The only goals scored off these chances were field-goals.
The Carabins had a free kick of their own in 27th minute. Maxime Laurey showed the Stingers how it’s done by perfectly placing the ball in the bottom left corner of the net, leaving Taraschi with no chance.
Photo by Marie-Josée Kelly
The visitors kept on their relentless pressure, backing a hopeless looking Stingers defense to the goal line more than once. Just as the first half was about to end, Rosic was found alone with the Stingers keeper and effortlessly placed a shot in the right corner, putting the Carabins up 3-0 at the half.
The second half was a completely different game.
It started much like the first did. A perfect cross from a Carabins midfielder saw Vincent de Bruille completely unmarked and he smoothly tucked the ball into the right corner. It was now 4-0, and all hope was lost.
That’s when the game changed, and the Stingers found a spark.
“We had to change our game plan up, going into the second half,” said Sutton.
It took but one minute for Concordia to get a goal back. Stingers defender Enos Osei found himself with the ball after a nice passing play in midfield. He had time, picked his spot, and triggered a low shot that found the back of the net. The goal ended Montreal’s chance of keeping a clean sheet.
The goal sparked the fire even more, and with 40 minutes remaining, the Stingers took control of the game and became the dominating team. They won one-on-one battles and were first on the ball – aspects of their game that were non-existent in the first half.
“The guys were committed a little bit more and I think that we worked harder than Montreal in the second,” said Sutton. “We were able to come back and get some goals.”
The Carabins keeper, frustrated with the relentless pressure coming from the Stingers, went on to kick Stingers defender Jayson Gallahue, earning him a yellow card and giving Concordia a penalty kick in the 60th minute. Ramin Mohsenin easily put it in the back of the net, and Concordia were well on their way for an amazing comeback. At least, the fans thought so.
Head coach Lloyd Barker put on another striker to try and make the pressure stronger. A pair of chances in the 66th and 70th minutes saw Concordia’s attempts miss just wide.
As the time wound down, Carabins striker Alexandre Kénol took matters into his own hands, outrunning Stingers defenders to then tuck it in off the post on the keeper’s right side.
To make matters worse, Stingers defender Mohsenin committed a foul in the box in stoppage time, earning him his second yellow card and a sending-off. The game ended with Carabins striker blasting it in from the spot to make the final score of 6-2.
Concordia now sits dead last in the conference with only three games remaining. Their next game will be on Sunday, Oct. 21, against UQÀM at Concordia Stadium.
The Stingers women’s soccer team gave first place Université de Montreal Carabins a run for their money but came up short in a 3-2 loss on Sunday afternoon at Concordia Stadium.
The last time these teams met this season, the Carabins beat the Stingers by a score of 5-0. The team has substantially improved and has one thing they didn’t have in the first game, according to head coach Jorge Sanchez.
“A lot of what we have more of is confidence,” said Sanchez. “Results get confidence and confidence gets results.”
This loss is the first for the Stingers in five games. Their last loss came on Sept. 23 against Sherbrooke. Since then, they won and and tied twice and lost once, including today’s result.
“It’s tough, we’ve been on a good run,” said Sanchez. “We took goals from Laval, we took points from McGill, and taking points against them would’ve been a great accomplishment. They’re the second ranked team in the country.”
The game started with both teams getting their equal share of chances. Stingers keeper Saby Dagenais kept the score even when she pulled off an amazing fingertip save in the 22nd minute.
However, the Carabins did manage a goal in the 27th minute. Samantha Gauthier showed great individual skill, splitting the Stingers defence with a burst of speed to smoothly put it over the keeper with a nice touch.
Concordia worked hard to get back into the game, and they got their chance with a set of corners in the 32nd minute. Philippa Lyttle had her volley blocked after a corner, leading to another one. She then got the ball in the box from the second corner kick, spun around, and placed it in the bottom corner. The game was tied at one apiece.
The second half started in the same fashion as the first, both teams getting their fair shares of opportunities. A good set of runs on the wing by Stingers forward Melissa Kedro gave Concordia two good chances to take the lead, but both were parried by a strong Carabins defensive line.
The deadlock broke when Carabins midfielder Éva Thouvenot-Hébert hit a free kick from 35 yards out in the 58th minute that eluded the Stingers keeper and found its way in the back of the net.
The Stingers proved that they’re capable of coming back from behind. A partial break from Stingers Gabriela Padvaiskas was impressively saved by the Carabins keeper. The time was quickly winding down.
After a Concordia corner was cleared successfully by Montreal’s defense, a quick counter from the Stingers defenders led to Padvaiskas having her shot trickle into the back of the net in the 73rd minute.
The game remained tied, but the Carabins got more chances, hitting a crossbar and a post in the process. As time winded down, the unthinkable happened. A Carabins player came in from the left side, cut in perfectly, and hit the bar. The rebound was smoothly put in by Carabins striker Isabelle Dumais.
Despite the loss, coach Sanchez said he was happy with the game.
“We were five minutes away from tying a great team,” he said. “We were competitive, we fought hard and we stayed in the game. I’m very proud of the girls.”
The Stingers find themselves four points out of a playoff spot with four matches remaining. The next game is on Oct. 19 when they travel to play the last place Bishop’s University.
Photos by Derek Drummond, courtesy McGill Athletes & Recreation
History was made for Concordia’s women’s soccer team on Thursday night. The team visited Percival-Molson Stadium for the second leg of back-to-back matches against the McGill Martlets. Jennifer Duff’s goal in the second half brought the Stingers to victory.
The Stingers came into this match shorthanded after missing players due to injury as well as other reasons. Head coach Jorge Sanchez had to make a few adjustments to his team’s starting line. Duff and Gabriela Padvaiskas paired up once again as striker. Shauna Zilversmit, Elizabeth Allard, Kayla Myre and Melissa Kedro were in the midfield. Valerie Ishak was a new face to the back line. The usual centre midfielder played as a defender with Alexandra Dragan, Philippa Lyttle and Shannon Travers. Saby Dagenais got the start in goal.
Concordia had a poor opening 45 minutes. McGill threatened with chance after chance, but was ultimately unable to get a clear shot on goal. The Martlets controlled the play from the opening kickoff and attacked through flanks.
McGill’s attacking trio of Julia Conzon, Hannah Rivkin and Meghan Bourque were responsible for all of the Martlets’ eight threatening scoring chances. Most plays came from crosses, however, the ensuing shots or headers were never on target.
The Stingers new back line was busy all half, defending waves of McGill attacks. Fortunately, the team was able to keep the score leveled at the interval.
In the 50th minute, the home side was close to finally getting the first goal of the match. Rivkin controlled a pass, cut towards the goal and curled a left-footed shot inches from the top corner.
On the hour mark, Concordia would make the most of their only significant opportunity. Duff received a flick-on pass by Myre in the midfield. The redirected ball split McGill’s two centre backs leaving Duff alone with the goalkeeper. Concordia’s leading scorer made no mistake slotting in her seventh goal of the season.
In the 77th minute, a bad Concordia foul gave McGill a free kick from a dangerous location near the Stingers goal. The kick was struck from the left and was heading straight for the near side’s top corner. Dagenais made a spectacular diving save denying the Martlets once again. McGill ended up putting the rebound in, but the goal was cancelled due to an offside. Dagenais would end up getting ‘player of the game’ honours.
McGill kept threatening and ultimately could not finish any of their chances. Concordia’s 1-0 win over the Martlets is the first time the team has been able to beat their rivals since 2002. The Stingers beat McGill in a penalty shootout in the semi-finals that year.
“We have a game plan and we’re going to play to our strengths,” said Sanchez. “We’re going to give up a lot of possession and chances. Our goal is not to give up chances from in close, to not make key mistakes in our third of the field and to take advantage of the few chances we get. And we did.”
With the win, Concordia is undefeated in their last four matches. The team currently sits in fifth place and one point out of the playoffs.
The Stingers will look to carry this confidence into their next match on Sunday against league-leaders Montreal Carabins at Concordia Stadium. Kickoff is at 3 p.m. following the men’s game.
The future looks bright for soccer at Concordia this year. In the past five years, neither the men’s nor women’s teams qualified for the RSEQ playoffs. After passing the midway point of the season, the women’s team sits in fifth place, two points from the final playoff spot in their league. The men’s team is only four points away from the final playoff spot.
The women seem to have turned it around this year. Last season, the team finished in second-to-last place with two wins, nine losses and three draws. After seven matches, the team had one win, five losses and one draw. In seven matches this season, the squad has already topped last season’s point total.
A major difference from last year is confidence. The team looks confident when they take the field. Besides a heavy loss to the Montreal Carabins at the start of the season, coach Jorge Sanchez’s group has been able match every other team in the league.
Come game time, the squad remains hopeful leading to better performances. In possession, the Stingers are able to transition up the pitch with few problems. Support from the midfielders is present allowing the team control the pace of the match. Though, the team has to gain efficiency when finishing scoring chances.
On the men’s side, game performances has improved despite what standings may suggest. The team sits in last place in the league with five points. However, unlike the women’s standings, things are much closer for the men. The team is four points away in the fight for the last playoff spot, and only eight points away from first place.
The men may have lost big in their first match but they picked up one win and two draws in the following three fixtures. Three losses in a row now see them slip to last place. Fortunately, other results in the league have allowed the team to stay in the playoff race.
In the 2011-12 season, the men’s team had three wins and four losses after seven matches. Two of these wins came from forfeits. This season, after seven matches, the men have one win, four losses and two draws.
Without looking at the standings or stats, performances on the field are better than last year. The biggest difference is up front. The addition of a few new players – plus an altered formation – now sees a more threatening team. The midfielders are also able to win their battles and this is one of the reasons the Stingers are able to dictate play.
This weekend, both teams had two tough away matches against the Laval Rouge et Or and the UQTR Patriotes. The women’s tied Laval 2-2 on Friday evening and picked up a 3-2 win against the Patriotes on Sunday. The men lost both matches with the same 3-1 scoreline.
The women’s team face McGill on Wednesday night at Concordia Stadium, while the men’s team will look to regroup for their next match on Oct. 11.
The Stingers women’s soccer team followed up their last victory with a 3-0 loss against Sherbrooke on Sunday. In a match played at Concordia Stadium, the Vert et Or scored three second-half goals to secure a win.
Head coach Jorge Sanchez opted for a different formation to start this match. Concordia lined up 4-1-4-1, with Saby Dagenais as the goalkeeper. Gabriela Padvaiskas led the attack, playing ahead of Melissa Kedro, Jennifer Duff, Kayla Myre, Alexandra Dragan and Valerie Ishak. The defense stayed the same with Katrina Filiatrault, Elizabeth McDonald, Shannon Travers and Lindsey Brooks.
Concordia survived a scare early in the match. Five minutes in, a quickly taken Sherbrooke free kick resulted in a tap-in goal. Fortunately for the Stingers, the assistant referee had his flag up signaling an offside.
The next chance came in the 33rd minute. A Vert et Or midfielder sent in a low cross, which was unable to be converted by forward Chloé Belhumeur Limoges.
One minute later, Sherbrooke’s Marie-Eve Jacques received a through ball and set off towards the Concordia net. Her weak shot was easily handled by Dagenais.
Despite being outplayed throughout the first 45 minutes, the Stingers managed to keep the match scoreless.
The visitors turned up the pressure in the second half. Two minutes in, the Vert et Or struck the crossbar twice in one play. Concordia’s defense was left scrambling, but they somehow managed to keep the ball out of the goal.
Concordia had their first major opportunity in the 55th minute. Myre received a good pass, found some space, but her shot was blocked in front by a Sherbrooke defender.
In the 69th minute, the Vert et Or finally found finished one of their chances. Midfielder Camille Vandenberghe found time and space outside the Stingers box and accurately placed her shot to the right of Dagenais.
Concordia almost tied the game from a corner kick eight minutes later. The ball bounced to substitute Shauna Zilversmit who quickly fired a shot. It went over the bar.
In the 78th minute, Sherbrooke added a second goal. Midfielder Andréanne Gagné dribbled through the middle and shot from 25 yards out. Dagenais was unable to stop the powerful blast.
One minute later, the Vert et Or took advantage of the frustrated Stingers team. Substitute Isabelle Genest made a good run down the right wing. She delivered a perfect cross to an unmarked Belhumeur Limoges who made no mistake heading the ball in from close range.
The first goal deflated the Stingers, as they conceded two more in the span of ten minutes. It was only a matter of time before Sherbrooke scored. Concordia was poor in transitioning from the back to the front, often giving away possession in bad spots. The visitors were constantly testing Dagenais with shots and crosses.
“We knew we were going to give up a lot defensively,” said Sanchez. “Our goal was to not break, keep the ball in front of us, defend well and hope to get one or two good chances up the field.”
Despite being outplayed at times, the Stingers did show some flashes of brilliance. Sanchez believes the team has to make better decisions when they have the ball in the attacking third.
“I think we’re progressing,” he said. “Even when we were struggling, we were still able to link passes together. I think we’re just missing that killer instinct in the last 20 yards of the field.”
The Stingers join the men’s team on the road in Quebec City and Trois–Rivières this coming weekend. The action begins on Friday evening against the Université de Laval, followed by an afternoon visit to face the UQTR Patriotes on Sunday. Both games are available for viewing online.
After Thursday’s draw at UQÀM, the Stingers men’s soccer team were back in action on Sunday afternoon. The team played host to a victorious Sherbrooke Vert et Or at Concordia Stadium.
Concordia made two changes from last Thursday’s match against the Citadins. Striker Andrew Bryan returned to the starting lineup, after coming on as a substitute on Thursday. Midfielder Claude Diesse got the start at right midfield, replacing Gabriel Quinn.
In the early moments of the afternoon, Concordia’s Eduardo Mazzonna almost gave his team the lead. However, his shot was straight at Sherbrooke goalkeeper Shawn Galego Do Couto.
Almost 20 minutes later, the Vert et Or came close to opening the scoring. Sherbrooke’s Kalambayi Junias Ngoyi got on the end of a corner kick, but his quick shot on goal was blocked in front of the goal.
In the 30th minute, Concordia had more difficulties defending a corner kick. This time, the visitors made up for their earlier miss. Center back Ilunga was left unmarked in the middle of the box and made no mistake driving home his header.
Five minutes later, Sherbrooke almost caught the Stingers on the counter-attack. Attacking through the right flank, the team was able to find space and send in a low cross. The ball bounced around inside the Concordia box until it was blasted over the bar.
The Stingers were defending more times than they had hoped for in the first half. Besides the one slip-up, the team was able to keep the score at 1-0. Fabrice Ilunga got the game-winning goal scoring with a header in the 30th minute.
In the 55th minute, the maroon and gold almost levelled the score from their own corner. Bryan got on the end of Mazzonna’s delivery, but the header was over the crossbar.
Sherbrooke continued to work the flanks. Twelve minutes later, midfielder Mohamed El Bachir Haddadi fired his cross in front of the Con U goal. Forward Djibi Diao came within inches of doubling his team’s lead.
As the match neared the end, Concordia started to see more of the ball. Unfortunately, the team made poor decisions with their possession. The Stingers were never able to connect in the final attacking third. They were unable to find the equalizing goal.
“To be honest, I don’t think we deserved to win,” said assistant coach Francois Bastien. “I think we were limited. I give all the credit to Sherbrooke because they got the three points.”
Even though Bastien conceded defeat, he does not feel Sherbrooke dominated the 90 minutes. Rather, he feels his side did not play to their potential.
“I don’t think they [Sherbrooke] did anything special,” he admitted. “I think quality was missing everywhere. It was a shocker today. We’re disappointed.”
The Stingers have a tough road trip this coming week. They travel to Quebec City on Friday to face Laval and head to Trois–Rivièresto take on the Patriotes on Sunday. Concordia already has one win against UQTR this season.
“Next weekend is crucial,” said Bastien. “We need to come out with a minimum of four points to stay in the playoff hunt.”
The Stingers men’s soccer team hosted rivals McGill at Concordia Stadium on Friday night. Concordia grabbed the lead in the first half, but McGill equalized the score in the 78′ minute off a corner kick.
Concordia made three changes to their starting lineup. Midfielder Joseph Couto and forward Gabriel Quinn replaced Anasse Brouk and Sammy Tork. Goalkeeper Remo Taraschi made his first start of the season ahead of Nicholas Giannone.
The visitors threatened early in the match. In the 3′ minute, McGill’s Alexis Pradié got on the end of a cross and narrowly missed his header attempt.
Eight minutes later, the Redmen were at it again. This time, it was forward Marc Palaci-Olgun who fired his shot over the bar.
The Stingers recovered after their slow start and started to find some rhythm. In the 24′ minute, midfielder Eduardo Mazzonna picked up a loose ball in midfield and took off towards the net. He sent a pass to Andrew Bryan, whose first-touch allowed him to beat a McGill defender. Bryan centered a low ball for Mazzonna who continued his run towards goal. He made no mistake in
tapping the ball past the goalkeeper. This goal separated both sides at half-time.
Four minutes after the restart, McGill came close to tying the game. Stingers goalkeeper Taraschi made a fingertip save to keep his side ahead.
Two minutes later, Concordia striker Bryan almost doubled his team’s lead. He was played in by a good pass, but his shot did not test the McGill goalkeeper.
The next chance came in the 76′ minute. Stingers substitute Claude Diesse recovered a bouncing ball just outside the box and fired a driven shot inches wide. McGill made the Stingers pay for that miss.
In the final seconds of the match, the Stingers produced one last effort. Midfielder Fabian Troche found space, but he struck his shot just left of the goal.
“I think we played well,” said Mazzonna, who scored his first goal of the season. “We should have stayed more compact on defense. We let it slip at the end.”
“It was the best game of the season by far,” said assistant coach Francois Bastien who filled in for coach Barker. “We are progressing every game and I think we deserved the three points.”
Bastien sees a major difference in this year’s team compared to last year’s. The Stingers are more organized on both sides of the field, they just needs to work on defending set-pieces.
“We have to work on set-plays,” he added.”Defensively, we’ve been struggling all year with those, and it cost us again. We were in the driver seat this game. We controlled and had chances. When McGill started pressuring at the end we struggled a little bit, but overall it was a good game.”
The Stingers next match is Thursday, Sept. 20 against the UQÀM Citadins at Collège Bois-de-Boulogne. Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m.
After Friday night’s game was called off because of the weather, the Concordia Stingers women’s soccer team was back in action on Sunday when they hosted the Bishop’s Gaiters at Loyola Stadium.
Head coach Jorge Sanchez made one change to his side since last week’s victory over UQTR, starting midfielder Bella James at right midfield. The back line stayed the same with Katrina Filiatrault, Shannon Travers, Elizabeth McDonald and Lindsey Brooks. The new midfield was Alexandra Dragan, Valerie Ishak, Kayla Myre and James. Melissa Kedro and Jennifer Duff played up front. Brittany O’Rourke got the start at goalkeeper.
The Stingers couldn’t have asked for a better start to the match. In the 13′ minute, Duff beat her defender and slid a ball under Bishop’s goalkeeper Molly Bucholtz. Bucholtz ended up having a busy night guarding the Gaiters’ goal.
The Stingers took a deserving lead into half-time.
In the second half, the home team’s relentless attacks continued.
The visiting Gaiter’s did not have many chances in the match, but they managed a way to score.
In the 56′ minute, Duff and Kedro almost combined for the go-ahead goal. Duff received a through ball from the midfield had her shot saved by the Bishop’s goalkeeper. Kedro was right there for the rebound, but the keeper’s quick reaction save kept the score level.
Bishop’s had their final two chances near the 70′ minute. Burnett and Henry-Cotnam combined twice, but one of their efforts missed the net, while the other was saved by O’Rourke.
The Stingers had a few more opportunities, but ultimately could not find the winning goal. The 1-1 draw felt like a loss to head coach Sanchez.
“This was a game we expected to win, a game we should have won and I think we gave away two points,” he said. “It’s going to make our lives a little harder down the stretch.”
The Stingers were the dominant team in this match. A failure to finish chances, combined with an outstanding performance by the Bishop’s goalkeeper led to the team dropping two valuable points at home.
“We have to bury our chances,” Sanchez said. “I think it would have been an avalanche. Had we scored the second goal, I think you would have seen three, four or five go in.”
The Stingers will have four days to prepare for their next match. They face the UQÀM Citadins Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne.
Concordia women’s soccer team rebounded from their opening loss by beating the UQTR Patriotes on Sunday afternoon. The Stingers scored two second-half goals, four minutes apart, to collect their first three points.
Photos by Brianna Thicke
Head coach Jorge Sanchez lined his side up in a 4-4-2 formation. Katrina Filiatrault, Shannon Travers, Elizabeth McDonald and Lindsey Brooks made up the back line. The four midfielders were Melissa Kedro, Valerie Ishak, Kayla Myre and Alexandra Dragan. Jennifer Duff and Gabriela Padvaiskas were paired as the two strikers. Saby Dagenais was the goalkeeper.
UQTR took control early, but only had their first chance in the 19’ minute. Patriotes forward Marie-Michelle Lapointe found herself on a breakaway and ended up rolling her shot at Dagenais.
Six minutes later, UQTR were at it again. Claudia Languedoc almost put the visitors up with her shot inside the box but Concordia center back Shannon Travers did well to block the effort.
The Stingers had their best chance of the half in the 39th minute. After a failed corner kick, the maroon-and-gold recovered the ball and sent in a cross. The ball found Kendro at the far post, but she sent her shot over the bar.
Two minutes later, the Patriotes should have opened the scoring when Lapointe went in on another breakaway. Dagenais was forced to make a terrific stop to keep the score level.
Concordia came out flying after the halftime break. In the 53’ minute, Padvaiskas scored her first goal of the season after receiving an accurate pass from Kendro.
Four minutes later, substitute Shauna Zilversmit made it 2-0. Her powerful shot from the left side of the box found the far side of the goal. Duff picked up an assist on the play.
The two quick goals took any UQTR momentum away; they could not find an answer. Lapointe, the team’s most dangerous player, missed two more chances to reduce the deficit.
The Stingers stayed in command and almost added a third goal in the 84’ minute. Substitute Bella James lobbed a pass to Duff inside the box. Her redirecting shot hit the crossbar and bounced off the line.
The match stayed at 2-0 and ultimately ended that way. The Stingers have now racked up one win and one loss this season.
“What I like about this team is that we kept our head in the game for a lot of the time,” said Sanchez. “We moved the ball around, and for the most part, we stuck to the game plan, kept possession, made them chase us and took advantage of the two good chances we had. That was the difference.”
Concordia’s next match is at home on Friday, Sept. 14 against the McGill Martlets in another edition of the Erica Cadieux Memorial Game. Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m.
