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18 for 2018, Part 1: The biggest Canadian soccer stories of the year
This was a big year for soccer in Canada. Whether through the successes of the men's and women's national teams across all age groups, or the endeavours of clubs new and old throughout the year, or the individual players who call Canada home, 2018 was defined by the reaching of greater heights with one eye toward an even brighter future. With that in mind, the editorial staff at CanPL.ca each submitted their top 20 moments, with the 18 combined top vote-getting stories making up this final ranking. Here are stories 18 through 13 in Part 1 of this three-part feature exploring the biggest moments from Canadian soccer in 2018:
18) Major manufacturers Nike, Macron invest in Canada
Soccer has never been cooler in Canada. Whether through the growth of the sport across the country or in fashion, music and art, the beautiful game has transcended those 90-minute matches and become a cultural phenomenon. Nike's recently-announced partnership with Canada Soccer will see the national team decked out in fresh gear as they continue pursuing success on the international stage, while Macron's partnership with the Canadian Premier League sees bespoke uniforms tailor-made for each of the league's seven founding clubs.
17) Karina LeBlanc named head of women's football in CONCACAF
On July 15, CONCACAF named former Canada goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc as Head of CONCACAF Women's Football. LeBlanc, who made 110 appearances for the Canadian women's national team, is responsible for helping "strengthen and grow the women's game throughout the CONCACAF region." CanPL.ca reached out to Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO of the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS), who said: "It's so exciting to see CONCACAF invest in the growth of women's soccer, and Karina is the perfect choice to make an impact for women and girls in the game. Her incredible dedication to the sport, and to the women's game in particular, is evident throughout her career and will benefit everyone in the soccer community." We agree!
16) Jonathan David emerges at KAA Gent
Young, Canadian players breaking through in Europe's top leagues are always a cause for celebration, and Jonathan David's 2018 certainly fit the bill. The versatile and pacy attacker joined Belgian outfit KAA Gent during the January transfer window and immediately made his presence felt, scoring in his debut match. He followed it up with goals in the Europa League, scoring five times in his first five matches. It was enough to earn a contract extension through 2022 at Gent – as well as call-ups to the Canadian national team. And, at only 18 years old, his story has only just begun.
15) Atiba Hutchinson enjoys Champions League football at Besiktas
As usual, Atiba Hutchinson put in the sort of consistent showings expected of him in midfield, enough to prove himself, once more, as one of Canada's top talents of all-time. The man known affectionately as "The Octopus" in Turkey enjoyed a solid showing during Besiktas' 2017-18 campaign, guiding his club through the trials of the UEFA Champions League in matches against tough opponents like FC Porto, RB Leipzig and AS Monaco. Despite the odds, Besiktas topped the group due, in part, to Hutchinson's incredible performances in midfield, before losing 8-1 on aggregate to Bayern Munich in the knockout phase. Can't win 'em all, we suppose.
14) Canada sets new win record with 8-0 victory over U.S. Virgin Islands
Canada midfielder Jonathan Osorio summed up the CONCACAF Nations League qualifying fixtures succinctly enough, calling the matches "easy, but important." Indeed, Canada was barely tested at all as the upstart group trounced the U.S. Virgin Islands 8-0 to open this new campaign, setting the mark for the largest margin of victory in the team's history. In a one-off tournament that will decide both qualification for the 2019 Gold Cup and the allocations for the Nations League, Canada has done well to establish itself as a frontrunner, sweeping aside other challengers like Dominica and St. Kitts and Nevis, the latter, a 5-0 win at BMO Field. Next up? A tilt against French Guiana at B.C. Place Stadium on March 24, 2019.
13) Joe Fletcher referees in 2nd FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the biggest international soccer story of the year, and while Canada's men's team hasn't qualified for the grand affair since 1986, Canadian referee Joe Fletcher has qualified for the previous two, in Russia and Brazil. The experienced Niagara Falls, Ont. native served as an assistant referee for group stage matches between Portugal and Morocco, and South Korea and Germany, as well as a knockout tilt between Colombia and England. He also manned the video room as a Video Assistant Referee in its first World Cup usage. While Fletcher didn't make headlines – most referees tend to prefer avoiding them entirely – his individual accomplishments this year were certainly worthy of note in our eyes. Part 2 of this 3-part series will be posted on Dec. 28, and the final six stories will be revealed on Dec. 30.
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This was a big year for soccer in Canada. Whether through the successes of the men's and women's national teams across all age groups, or the endeavours of clubs new and old throughout the year, or the individual players who call Canada home, 2018 was defined by the reaching of greater heights with one eye toward an even brighter future. With that in mind, the editorial staff at CanPL.ca each submitted their top 20 moments, with the 18 combined top vote-getting stories making up this final ranking. Here are stories 18 through 13 in Part 1 of this three-part feature exploring the biggest moments from Canadian soccer in 2018:
18) Major manufacturers Nike, Macron invest in Canada
Soccer has never been cooler in Canada. Whether through the growth of the sport across the country or in fashion, music and art, the beautiful game has transcended those 90-minute matches and become a cultural phenomenon. Nike's recently-announced partnership with Canada Soccer will see the national team decked out in fresh gear as they continue pursuing success on the international stage, while Macron's partnership with the Canadian Premier League sees bespoke uniforms tailor-made for each of the league's seven founding clubs.
17) Karina LeBlanc named head of women's football in CONCACAF
On July 15, CONCACAF named former Canada goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc as Head of CONCACAF Women's Football. LeBlanc, who made 110 appearances for the Canadian women's national team, is responsible for helping "strengthen and grow the women's game throughout the CONCACAF region." CanPL.ca reached out to Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO of the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS), who said: "It's so exciting to see CONCACAF invest in the growth of women's soccer, and Karina is the perfect choice to make an impact for women and girls in the game. Her incredible dedication to the sport, and to the women's game in particular, is evident throughout her career and will benefit everyone in the soccer community." We agree!
16) Jonathan David emerges at KAA Gent
Young, Canadian players breaking through in Europe's top leagues are always a cause for celebration, and Jonathan David's 2018 certainly fit the bill. The versatile and pacy attacker joined Belgian outfit KAA Gent during the January transfer window and immediately made his presence felt, scoring in his debut match. He followed it up with goals in the Europa League, scoring five times in his first five matches. It was enough to earn a contract extension through 2022 at Gent – as well as call-ups to the Canadian national team. And, at only 18 years old, his story has only just begun.
15) Atiba Hutchinson enjoys Champions League football at Besiktas
As usual, Atiba Hutchinson put in the sort of consistent showings expected of him in midfield, enough to prove himself, once more, as one of Canada's top talents of all-time. The man known affectionately as "The Octopus" in Turkey enjoyed a solid showing during Besiktas' 2017-18 campaign, guiding his club through the trials of the UEFA Champions League in matches against tough opponents like FC Porto, RB Leipzig and AS Monaco. Despite the odds, Besiktas topped the group due, in part, to Hutchinson's incredible performances in midfield, before losing 8-1 on aggregate to Bayern Munich in the knockout phase. Can't win 'em all, we suppose.
14) Canada sets new win record with 8-0 victory over U.S. Virgin Islands
Canada midfielder Jonathan Osorio summed up the CONCACAF Nations League qualifying fixtures succinctly enough, calling the matches "easy, but important." Indeed, Canada was barely tested at all as the upstart group trounced the U.S. Virgin Islands 8-0 to open this new campaign, setting the mark for the largest margin of victory in the team's history. In a one-off tournament that will decide both qualification for the 2019 Gold Cup and the allocations for the Nations League, Canada has done well to establish itself as a frontrunner, sweeping aside other challengers like Dominica and St. Kitts and Nevis, the latter, a 5-0 win at BMO Field. Next up? A tilt against French Guiana at B.C. Place Stadium on March 24, 2019.
13) Joe Fletcher referees in 2nd FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the biggest international soccer story of the year, and while Canada's men's team hasn't qualified for the grand affair since 1986, Canadian referee Joe Fletcher has qualified for the previous two, in Russia and Brazil. The experienced Niagara Falls, Ont. native served as an assistant referee for group stage matches between Portugal and Morocco, and South Korea and Germany, as well as a knockout tilt between Colombia and England. He also manned the video room as a Video Assistant Referee in its first World Cup usage. While Fletcher didn't make headlines – most referees tend to prefer avoiding them entirely – his individual accomplishments this year were certainly worthy of note in our eyes. Part 2 of this 3-part series will be posted on Dec. 28, and the final six stories will be revealed on Dec. 30.
Continue reading...
