1st ever Canadian Champions Crowned at Nationals in BC

April 15th, 2009 as published in Inside SOCCER Magazine www.insidesoccer.ca

Photo Courstesy: Bill Fowle of Fowle Photograpghy (official photographer of the BCSA) www.fowlefoto.com

The first ever CSA futsal championships wrapped up in mid-April at Capilano College in BC and it turned out to be a successful tournament.

The event was the first phase of the CSA’s futsal initiative and we can definitely expect further expansion of the championships in the coming years.

    Championship teams from Alberta and Ontario flew in to compete with top squads from BC in two elite 4 team divisions at the U14 level. The girls’ title was a hotly contested battle as Edmonton South West United edged out Ontario’s Russell Raiders by a 3-1 score to become Canada’s first female futsal champions. BC’s powerful North Shore teams missed out on the final but battled it out for the bronze as the Reign beat the Snipers 3-2, with the Reign narrowly missing the gold medal match due to goal differential.

    On the boys’ side, it was an all BC affair as Richmond Madrid took home the gold with a 5-3 win over a strong Langley United side. Edmonton South West United proudly added another medal with a 5-2 win over Glen Shields Red of Ontario in the bronze medal match.

    In all, 109 goals were scored over 16 matches for an average of 6.8 goals a game, showcasing why futsal is such an exciting brand of soccer that is consistently growing across Canada.

    On the same weekend at Rim Park in Waterloo, ONT, AMF (a major organization separate from the CSA/FIFA brand of futsal) hosted their annual men’s and women’s finals. Toronto Deportivo Cuenca won the women’s title by shutting out their neighbours Club Mississauga 3-0.     

    In the highly anticipated men’s final it was Toronto Athletic Nacional, led by a Fitzroy Christie hat-trick, who came out on top with a 10-4 victory over the London Shockers. Desmond Humphrey of the champs won the Golden Boot with 4 goals. For 3rd place, FC Quebec beat FC Granby, also of QUE, 6-3.

    Well that is the end of the Canadian futsal season and what a season it has been. There is now a lot of exciting buzz surrounding the game here and with next year’s World Championships fast approaching hopefully the CBC, which acquired the Canadian TV rights to FIFA events, will broadcast it so Canadians coast-to-coast will have a chance to see just how incredible the 5v5 game is at the top level. The next time you sign up your child for indoor soccer make sure it’s futsal, as they will become more intelligent and skilled players overall than if they play in the traditional seven or eight-a-side indoor leagues. Maybe next year your club team can become a Canadian futsal champion. So if you missed our last few issues, check out some of these websites to learn what futsal is all about. You can thank us later.