Zizou & Friends BC Place July 4th?

[johnnybluenose]

Some coverage from last night.

TORONTO - Zinedine Zidane showed he still has many of his skills left from his playing days during a charity game in Toronto, and fans at BMO Field showed their appreciation by cheering the French soccer legend during the pre-game ceremonies and whenever he put a deft move on the ball.

Zidane had a few good chances and was a factor in two goals as his charity team, Zidane and Friends, drew 3-3 with the Canadian All-Stars on Thursday before an announced crowd of 10,152 at BMO Field.

"I was taken by surprise when they would call out my name," Zidane said in French at a post-match media conference.

It was the first of three Canadian exhibition matches for Zidane's team, which will follow with stops in Montreal and Vancouver.

Martin Palermo scored twice for Zidane and Friends, while Yannick Lewis added the tying goal in added time in the second half.

Julian Uccello, Calvin Rosario and Matthew Macri scored for the Canadian All-Stars.

"I would have liked to have scored a goal," Zidane said. "But tonight my role was as a passer."

He did start the play that resulted in the tying goal. He also hit a post and was foiled on another chance when he was in clear but he said that he could not chip the ball the way he wanted to because the artificial turf wouldn't allow him to.

Zidane said that he understood why artificial turf is necessary in some climates.

"I prefer grass, of course," he said. "But I understand in a country like Canada with lots of snow and cold that artificial turf allows the children to have more playing time."

Except for the full south-end stands, which the supporters groups jam for Toronto FC's Major League Soccer matches, there were large stretches of empty seats in the stadium that normally draws capacity of crowds of about 20,000 for TFC home fixtures.

Zidane's team opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Palermo, a big scorer for Boca Juniors in Argentina, headed home a cross from former Toronto FC midfielder Rohan Ricketts, who worked the ball from the left side.

The Canadian All-Stars tied the game in the 15th minute on Uccello's left-footed shot from outside the penalty area.

The goal brought an enthusiastic reception from the filled south stands, and Uccello ran over to the southeast corner to celebrate with the fans.

Palermo scored again in the 39th minute with an assist from Zidane. The French star's shot from just outside the penalty area was stopped by John D'Amato, but he allowed a rebound and Palermo was there to knock it home.

The Canadian All-Stars tied the game 2-2 in the 55th minute on Rosario's goal.

With about 20 minutes left, Canadian All-Stars goalkeeper Matthew Grant stopped Zidane when he was put in the clear.

Zidane later hit the post, then had a strong shot stopped by Grant in the 90th minute.

Macri scored for the Canadian All-Stars in the 81st minute, putting in a rebound after goalkeeper Brian Bowel made a foot save.

Zidane had a part in the tying goal during added time. He passed to his right to Dave Simpson, who found Lewis in front of the goal for the tap in.

Zidane's team will play its next exhibition on Sunday in Montreal at Molson Stadium and will finish on July 4 at Vancouver's B.C. Place.

Organizer Ahcene Adlani hopes the games will also raise between $100,000 and $150,000 for charities, including UNICEF.

Some of the players who were mentioned earlier as possible participants did not play, and Adlani blamed that on a lack of co-operation in Canada from soccer authorities.

"I got some resistance, no one believed me that I could bring these players here," Adlani said. "I cannot do all this myself. I did not have the support of any soccer federation in this country. "

He said the resulting delay meant that some of the players already had other plans .

Zidane's team was made up mostly of players who had played in Europe and the Canadian All-Stars had some players who play in the Ontario Soccer League and Canadian Soccer League.

Zidane, 37, whose parents are Algerian, cost Real Madrid a then world-record 46 million pounds (C$87.3 million) when the Spanish power acquired him from the Italian team Juventus in 2001. He helped France win the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.

The smooth-passing Zidane's reputation suffered in the final of the 2006 World Cup when he was sent off for head-butting Italian defender Marco Materazzi. He later said Materazzi had insulted him.

The star midfielder still won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.

Zidane has played in charity events since retiring after the World Cup.

They were charging how much for this!?

Martin Palermo, Rohan Ricketts , and Zizou vs Toronto Amateurs.

You can't make this stuff up! If you are a "Promoter" you shouldn't have to rely on the federations to help. Don't sell Apples and deliver Oranges and then make up excuses to appease VERY upset people in Toronto that wish they hadn't gone.

 

[Regs]

Short clip from last night:

 

[Regs]

Fast forward the following to about the 2 minute mark

 

[thedrake]

Although this does seem like a massive sham, seeing Zizou up close and personal might be worth the admission alone

 

[bergamascho]

Agreed Drake.

 

[Regs]

Thought I would do my part in supporting this and have struct a deal with the organizer to supply the Vancouver Allstars with uniforms.

Proudly,

TTP.

 

[Regs]

15,000 in Montreal, not too bad I suppose all things considered.

 

[Sir M]

News report on the game:

ZIDANE'S TOURING 'ALL STARS' BLAST TEAM OF MONTREAL COPS 10-0

MONTREAL - On Sunday at Montreal's Molson Stadium, former French captain Zenedine Zidane was back on the field in a charity match pitting the "Friends of Zidane" against a pick up club of Montreal police officers and a sprinkling of amateur players.

And indeed, it was as one-sided as the team's lineups would suggest. The final score was 10-0 for the Friends of Zidane, with the former French international scoring three times and assisting on four others.

When the three game Canadian exhibition series was announced in April, organizers promised a star-studded lineup of former and current top-flight players, including Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o, former Italian internationals Christian Vieri and Franco Baresi, and current Italy midfielder Genarro Gattusso. They were all no-shows foir the match, but the friends of Zidane did field big name players Sergei Rebrov, an ex-EPL player and former Ukraine international, and Luch, recent runner up MVP of the Jim Beam League.

After the game, Montreal goaltender Hands of Stone, arguably the whitest person in La Belle Provence this last Sunday, commented, "It was difficult out there today, we missed Izatt in the back. The Luch/Zizou combination was difficult, and with Rangerforever being unavailable due to injury, it was hard to get much of an attack going".

Tickets ranged from $30 to $180 each and reports are that the match was well attended by close to 15,000 local fans, many of which festively dressed for the match as empty seats.

The final game of Zidane's tour is Saturday in Vancouver at B.C. Place.

SMEPR News Service

 

[sixfyv]

Magic.

 

[Sir M]

Is anyone going to this this Saturday?

 

[Pacific2010]

VANCOUVER ALL STARS (VMSL & FVSL) Omari Aldridge; Nico Berg; Brandon Bonifacio; Emilio Bottiglieri; Jeff Clarke; Tino Cucca; Paul Dailly; Steve DeBlasio; Marco Durante ; Tony Giata; Rizal Ganief; Jay Gangnes; Michael Gomes; Darko Jelic; Joseph Marrello; Leo Nash; Mike Perry; Jonathan Poli; Milad Rahmati; Tyler Rosenlund; Didar Sandhu

Marco Durante will play???

Then many TTPers know what will happen at the game:

Penalty on favour of Zizou?

And after that... he will HEADBUTT Zizou.

Any bets????

 

[Sir M]

I don't want to be a prick, but betting is not allowed on this event.

 

[Hands of Stone]

What is the over/under, it should be 9 or 10?

How about the turn out, 5,000?

The luckiest people involved are those players for the vmsl allstars, good on them.

hos

 

[Zaurrini]

I say the All Stars beat Zidane & Friends.

I saw the score line of 10-0 in Montreal.

Every photo of Zidane at the game, had a female in it.

 

[Dude]

Fast forward the following to about the 2 minute mark

YouTube - Zinadine kissed by crazy fan, while entering BMO field (Toronto)

That was strange.

 

[Luch]

News report on the game:

ZIDANE'S TOURING 'ALL STARS' BLAST TEAM OF MONTREAL COPS 10-0

MONTREAL - On Sunday at Montreal's Molson Stadium, former French captain Zenedine Zidane was back on the field in a charity match pitting the "Friends of Zidane" against a pick up club of Montreal police officers and a sprinkling of amateur players.

And indeed, it was as one-sided as the team's lineups would suggest. The final score was 10-0 for the Friends of Zidane, with the former French international scoring three times and assisting on four others.

When the three game Canadian exhibition series was announced in April, organizers promised a star-studded lineup of former and current top-flight players, including Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o, former Italian internationals Christian Vieri and Franco Baresi, and current Italy midfielder Genarro Gattusso. They were all no-shows foir the match, but the friends of Zidane did field big name players Sergei Rebrov, an ex-EPL player and former Ukraine international, and Luch, recent runner up MVP of the Jim Beam League.

After the game, Montreal goaltender Hands of Stone, arguably the whitest person in La Belle Provence this last Sunday, commented, "It was difficult out there today, we missed Izatt in the back. The Luch/Zizou combination was difficult, and with Rangerforever being unavailable due to injury, it was hard to get much of an attack going".

Tickets ranged from $30 to $180 each and reports are that the match was well attended by close to 15,000 local fans, many of which festively dressed for the match as empty seats.

The final game of Zidane's tour is Saturday in Vancouver at B.C. Place.

SMEPR News Service

Nice Sir M... and yes, we put aside our differences and enjoyed one another's company over some quality Mechoui.

 

[Sir M]

Luch is JBL on this week?

 

[sixfyv]

I say the All Stars beat Zidane & Friends.

A win is not likely, but this Allstar side is very good. I anticipate it will be more like 3-2 or 4-3 for Zizou. Definitely not a 10-goal game... the Allstar backline is too strong.

 

[Luch]

Luch is JBL on this week?

Yes... tonight. 6:30, 15th and Grand. Come on out.

~Luch

 

[ShipItMuppet]

A win is not likely, but this Allstar side is very good. I anticipate it will be more like 3-2 or 4-3 for Zizou. Definitely not a 10-goal game... the Allstar backline is too strong.

IF they actually did have Eto, Zizou, Vieri, etc etc all out??

Honestly.....?

I saw Zidane play the same format of a match in France ... against current professionals, and he absolutely made them look silly.

But apparently all Zidane's players have bailed ....