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Sunday, July 31, 2011

FIFA WORLD CUP BRAZIL 2014 Rio draw pits Spain against France

Rio draw pits Spain against France  

The road to the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ shifted firmly into focus as 166 countries around the globe discovered the challenges ahead at the Preliminary Draw in Rio de Janeiro.

Eighty-one years to the day since Uruguay became the first team to win the Jules Rimet Trophy on home soil in Montevideo, world football’s biggest prize was in the limelight once more and if FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter, in his introductory speech, described football as Brazil’s “beating heart”, there were pulses accelerating inside the Marina da Gloria and far beyond as the draw unfolded.

Some of the greats of Brazilian football helped FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke in conducting the draw – including Bebeto, Cafu, Ronaldo, Mario Zagallo and Zico – and it threw up some intriguing contests, not least in the European Zone where holders Spain were drawn against France, winners in 1998, in Group I. These rivals last met in the second round of the 2006 finals in Germany where France won 3-1 en route to the final. The third seeds in Group I are Belarus who have taken four points off France in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying.

Four-times winners Italy will face Denmark in Group B, Germany, the most successful team in qualifying history, must tackle Sweden in Group C, while England – 55 years to the day of their 1966 FIFA World Cup triumph – were pitted against Ukraine and Poland, the co-hosts of next year’s UEFA European Championship, as well as a Montenegro side they are currently competing against for a place at the European finals.

In the African Zone, a Côte d’Ivoire side who were present at Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010 will face Morocco – four-time finalists and the first African side to win a World Cup match – in Group C of qualifying Round Two. As for Ghana, quarter-finalists in South Africa, they will count Zambia as their most formidable rival in Group D.
Zico, the one-time coach of Japan, helped make the draw for Round Three of the Asian qualifying competition and his old team must pit their wits against Korea DPR in Group B – a potentially daunting section given these were two of the region’s four South Africa 2010 representatives and they must also face Uzbekistan. In Group D, an Australia side chasing a third successive finals appearance will face Saudi Arabia.

In the CONCACAF Zone, Mexico will face a Costa Rica team led by their former coach Ricardo La Volpe in Group B of preliminary Round Three. The duo could also find themselves up against 2006 finalists Trinidad and Tobago should they prevail in Round Two Group B. USA’s opponents in their section will include the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica.

In Oceania, New Zealand – who went home from South Africa 2010 as the only unbeaten team – may not have it all their own way in Group B where they find themselves up against a traditionally strong Fiji side, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Should New Zealand prevail in Oceania qualifying they would face CONCACAF opposition in the Intercontinental play-offs while teams from Asia and South America would contest the other play-off. The South American group is as always save for the absence of Brazil, who qualifying automatically.

A record 203 teams will be competing in the preliminary competition for Brazil 2014 – a number that will be whittled down to the 31 who will join the hosts for the 20th FIFA World Cup finals which kick off on Thursday 12 June 2014.

THE DRAW RESULTS



These are the results from the Preliminary Draw which took place at the Marina da Gloria in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday 30 July.

Intercontinental play-offs Asia – South America
North, Central America and the Caribbean - Oceania

African Zone Draw Group A: South Africa, Botswana, Central African Republic, Somalia or Ethiopia
Group B: Tunisia, Cape Verde Islands, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea or Madagascar
Group C: Côte d'Ivoire, Morocco, Gambia, Chad or Tanzania
Group D: Ghana, Zambia, Sudan, Lesotho or Burundi
Group E: Burkina Faso, Gabon, Niger, Sao Tome e Principe or Congo
Group F: Nigeria, Malawi, Seychelles or Kenya, Djibouti or Namibia
Group G: Egypt, Guinea, Zimbabwe, Comoros or Mozambique
Group H: Algeria, Mali, Benin, Eritrea or Rwanda
Group I: Cameroon, Libya, Guinea-Bissau or Togo, Swaziland or Congo DR
Group J: Senegal, Uganda, Angola, Mauritius or Liberia

Asian Zone Draw Group A: China, Jordan, Iraq, Singapore
Group B: Korea Republic, Kuwait, UAE, Lebanon
Group C: Japan, Uzbekistan, Syria, Korea DPR
Group D: Australia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Thailand
Group E: Iran, Qatar, Bahrain, Indonesia

North, Central America and the Caribbean Zone Draw (Round Two) Group A: El Salvador, Surinam, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic
Group B: Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados, Bermuda
Group C: Panama, Dominica, Nicaragua, Bahamas
Group D: Canada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico, St Lucia
Group E: Grenada, Guatemala, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize
Group F: Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, Curacao, US Virgin Islands

North, Central America and the Caribbean Zone Draw (Round Three) Group A: USA, Jamaica, Winner of R2 Grp E, Winner of R2 Grp F
Group B: Mexico, Costa Rica, Winner of R2 Grp A, Winner of R2 Grp B
Group C: Honduras, Cuba, Winner of R2 Grp D, Winner of R2 Grp C

Oceanian Zone DrawGroup A: Vanuatu, New Caledonia, American Samoa/Cook Islands/Samoa or Tonga, Tahiti
Group B: Fiji, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea
European Zone Draw Group A: Croatia, Serbia, Belgium, Scotland, Macedonia, Wales
Group B: Italy, Denmark, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Armenia, Malta.
Group C: Germany, Sweden, Republic of Ireland, Austria, Faroe Islands, Kazakhstan.
Group D: Netherlands, Turkey, Hungary, Romania, Estonia, Andorra.
Group E: Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland, Albania, Cyprus, Iceland.
Group F: Portugal, Russia, Israel, Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan, Luxembourg
Group G: Greece, Slovakia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lithuania, Latvia, Lichtenstein
Group H: England, Montenegro, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, San Marino
Group I: Spain, France, Belarus, Georgia, Finland

Stars struck by FIFA World Cup fever

Stars struck by FIFA World Cup fever  
There are still three years to go before the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ begins and although the hosts are not taking part in the qualifiers, that does not mean to say the country’s football stars are not already playing an active role in the competition.

A handful of them were on duty in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, lending FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke a helping hand as the Preliminary Draw was made.

Among them were youngsters Lucas Piazon, Neymar and Ganso and legends of yesteryear such as Zico, Cafu and Bebeto. And as FIFA.com found out, both the old hands and the new boys on the block were delighted to be taking part.
“I am thrilled to be taking part in the draw for the preliminaries,” said Neymar moments before going on stage with Cafu to draw the groups in the Africa zone. “I’m so excited that it’s happening here in my country and I’m very honoured.”

No less elated at the prospect of the second FIFA World Cup to take place on Brazilian soil, Zico teamed up with Lucas to decide the fate of the Asian teams, and had this to say: “We hosted the World Cup in 1950, when the sport wasn’t what it is today. It was after that competition that Brazil became what it is in football, and if any country deserves to stage the World Cup, it’s this one.”
I hadn’t realised the scale of this until now, but the fact is the World Cup starts here. Obviously I’m dreaming about Brazil 2014, though it’s still a long way away. 
Lucas Piazon, Brazilian midfielder


In contrast to the great Zico, Lucas Piazon is taking his first steps in the game and has just been representing his country at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011. The teenager joins Chelsea at the end of the year and perhaps not surprisingly, found Saturday’s show in Rio a little awe-inspiring: “I hadn’t realised the scale of this until now, but the fact is the World Cup starts here. Obviously I’m dreaming about Brazil 2014, though it’s still a long way away. First of all I’ve got to think about establishing myself at Chelsea and trying to fight my way into the team. If I can do that, then I’ll have a chance.”

Another young man with a similar dream is Flamengo fledgling Mattheus, whose father is none other than Bebeto and whose birth the former goalscorer famously celebrated when hitting Brazil’s second goal in a memorable quarter-final against the Netherlands at USA 1994.
“It’s so wonderful to welcome the whole world to our country for the draw,” said the ex-striker. “I’m just sorry I never experienced this as a player, though I’m dreaming of seeing my son fulfil that dream for me. A lot of things are going to be happening in the run-up to 2014. A new player comes through every year and who knows, Mattheus might be one of them. I always think he was destined to do it as soon as I did that goal celebration.”

After the legendary Mario Zagallo and Fellipe Bastos determined who faces who in Oceania it was on to the most eagerly awaited part of the evening and the European draw, which was performed by Paulo Henrique Ganso and Ronaldo.
“All I can do now is cheer Brazil on from the sidelines,” said Ronaldo, who appeared in four FIFA World Cups and is the leading all-time goalscorer in the competition. “I’d love to play in a World Cup in Brazil but my time has gone.”



Brazil kicked off the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in typically exuberant style with a festival of music and football at the Preliminary Draw show on Saturday 30 July in Rio de Janeiro.
The beautifully decked-out Marina da Gloria provided the perfect setting for Brazilian President Dilma Roussef, who took to the stage to declare: "Brazil has now been admired for a lot more than its football, its music and its popular celebrations. I invite people from the whole world to meet Brazil and the Brazilians.
"Whoever comes here will find a country perfectly prepared to host the FIFA World Cup. You may be sure that this new Brazil will be perfectly ready to enchant the world in 2014, with its joyful, generous people that loves not only football, but also freedom, social justice and peace."
I'm happy to say today: 'Let the 2014 FIFA World Cup begin'.
FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter had earlier opened proceedings, saying: "We are very happy to be back in Brazil 61 years after the last FIFA World Cup here, in a country whose heart beats with football. Brazil has always produced stars who make world football richer.
"The world is expecting a wonderful FIFA World Cup and for that we will have the support of everyone, in particular the 190million football lovers. Brazil is not only about football, it's also a multicultural country with a rich culture and a booming economy, now ranked seventh in the world. I'm happy to say today: 'Let the 2014 FIFA World Cup begin'."
The show, hosted by model and actress Fernanda Lima and TV presenter Tadeu Schmidt, then moved on to the main event: the draw. Former Brazil captain Cafu had been asked to conduct the draw for Africa, and the 2002 world champion made his way onto the stage accompanied by the rising star of Brazilian football, Neymar, fresh from scoring an incredible goal for Santos just a few days ago. The pair took to their task with relish, and when matters had been decided, Côte d'Ivoire and Morocco were left rueing their luck at being handed such a tough group.
Australia, Japan face challenge in Asia Legendary playmaker Zico was next up, accompanied by another new talent fresh off the Brazilian production line, Lucas, to conduct the draw for the Asian Zone. This time around it was Japan and Australia who found themselves facing a stern qualifying challenge.
Now two musicians took centre stage to the delight of the audience. Ivan Lins, the first Brazilian to win the album of the year at the Latin Grammy Awards, back in 2005, and Ana Carolina, one of the most celebrated singers of the last decade, provided the perfect musical interlude.
Then it was the turn of 1994 world champion Bebeto to take a bow, along with young Lucas Piazon, striker for the Brazil side that reached the semi-finals of the recent FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011. Their job was to pick out countries for the North, Central America and the Caribbean Zone, and under the watchful eye of master of ceremonies FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke, Mexico were handed a potentially tough draw.
Pianist and composer Daniel Jobim, grandson and rightful heir to the great Tom Jobim, provided another beautiful passage of music before Mario Zagallo and Felipe Bastos were called up to conduct the draw for Oceania.
Next it was the turn Ivete Sangalo to thrill the assembly with a delightful perfomance. The Bahia-state native, who has won a host of awards overseas for her music, was accompanied by the Heliopolis Symphonic Orchestra, which was set up by the Baccarelli institute in 1996 to provide grants to muscians from disadvantaged backgrounds to enable them to pursue their love of music.
Spain and France drawn together in Europe
The recently retired Ronaldo, top scorer in FIFA World Cup history, was last up, accompanied by the young prodigy from Santos and A Verde e Amarelo, Ganso. By the time they had finished pulling out the European countries, the likes of Croatia, Spain and France, all of whom find themselves in hard groups, were probably wishing they hadn’t bothered.
A final video promoting sport as a source of hope for a better future marked the end of a memorable show that set the stage for next Soccer World Cup.

Rio catches FIFA World Cup fever

Rio catches FIFA World Cup fever 
Her back to the Copacabana shoreline, camera in hand, 44-year-old Italian teacher Angelica Poeta prepares to take a holiday snap of her daughter Mariana in Rio de Janeiro. But for once, Brazil’s most famous beach is forced to take a backseat, with the family from Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais state instead focusing on a piece of installation artwork located in front of Avenida Atlantica, which bears the official logo of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™.
“It’s really cool to see a World Cup atmosphere beginning to build in Brazil,” said Angelica, who is making the most of the school holidays to spend a week in Rio. “It seems like there’s still a long way to go, but actually it’s almost upon us already. Wherever we look, we see some World Cup symbol or other. Us Brazilians are used to spending a month totally wrapped up in the World Cup, but this time around we’re going to have the chance to really savour the event, that’s going to feel much more personal, for the next three years.”

With the competition’s official logo already catching the eye of football fans in one of Rio’s most iconic picture postcard spots, another of the city’s popular tourist destinations is preparing to host the first major event on the road to the FIFA World Cup. Indeed, Saturday’s hosting of the Preliminary Draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, which will soon define the route national teams must take to stay in the running for the most coveted trophy on Planet Football, has changed the face of the Marina da Gloria.
It feels like the World Cup has arrived in Brazil almost overnight, with people starting to get involved and the tension mounting.
Rio taxi driver Sergio Mendonca


For the past two months, a megastructure has been set up at the marina to host a huge show featuring musicians, performers and footballing big names from Brazil and across the globe. The sheer scale of the event has caught many people by surprise, with few expecting such a level of furore prior to the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013.

“I didn’t think there’d be something so big so soon,” said local taxi driver Sergio Mendonca. “As soon as I saw this enormous pavilion here, I knew it was an event related to the 2014 World Cup. The structure they’ve set up is really impressive. It feels like the World Cup has arrived in Brazil almost overnight, with people starting to get involved and the tension mounting.”

In a city where, even on a normal day, stumbling upon impromptu matches on the street, the beach or any number of pitches is almost a given, the reach of the beautiful game is even more all-pervasive at the moment. For the people of Rio, there can be no doubt that the build-up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup has begun in earnest, while those arriving in the city for the Preliminary Draw will take at least one image home with them: nowhere lives and breathes football like Brazil.

Modern qualifiers add to dramatic history

Modern qualifiers add to dramatic history 
The preliminary draw for the FIFA World Cup™ has produced some truly unforgettable fixtures over the years. The hand of fate has no favourites and cares little for hierarchies, meaning that teams are often faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles on the road to the finals. It is this unpredictability that has helped create so many classic matches.
In the second of a two-part series, FIFA.com looks back at some of the most memorable matches from past qualifying campaigns, including times when fancied teams realised that their journey to the finals might not be as straightforward as they had hoped.
One step from changing historyFew could forget the great Dutch side of Germany 1974, but did you know that they very nearly failed to qualify for the tournament at all? The Netherlands finished level with Belgium at the top of their qualifying group, with only goal difference putting them through to the finals. In the same campaign, England’s hopes of qualifying were shattered by a Poland side that featured the talents of Grzegorz Lato and Wadyslaw Zmuda. Elsewhere, Mexico lost 4-0 to Trinidad and Tobago in one of the biggest upsets in FIFA World Cup qualifying history. In the end, though, it was Haiti who qualified for the 1974 finals, beating the Soca Warriors 2-1 in Port-au-Prince along the way.
The preliminary draw for Argentina 1978 produced another heavyweight clash, this time with Italy and England sharing the same qualifying group. The campaign was once again to end in tears for the Three Lions, whose failure to qualify was made all the more painful by the fact that only goal difference denied them a place at the finals. There was no such disappointment for Spain, however, as they finally overcame their bogey team, Yugoslavia, to secure a trip to Argentina.

With the number of teams increased to 24 for the Spain 1982 finals, the preliminaries were more competitive than ever before. Two-time runners-up the Netherlands were handed a group that included near rivals Belgium and a talented French side, and the sands of time caught up with the Dutch, as they failed to qualify for the main event. In the North, Central America and Caribbean Zone, Mexico were once again left to reflect on what might have been. The competition was held in Honduras, where a Mexican side featuring Hugo Sanchez finished behind the hosts and El Salvador to miss out on a finals berth.
The Mexico 1986 qualifying competition featured a match between Scotland and Wales that remains one of the most memorable encounters in FIFA World Cup qualifying history. The match ended in a draw, which was enough to secure Scotland a play-off against Australia, but ended in tragedy with the death of legendary manager Jock Stein.
The road to Italy 1990 proved to be a rocky one for France. The Mexico 1986 semi-finalists never recovered from a poor start and finished the qualifying campaign behind Yugoslavia and Scotland. Four years later, in another unforgettable encounter, France conceded a last-minute goal to lose 2-1 at home to Bulgaria when a draw would have been enough to see them through to USA 1994.

Revenge and joy It was also during the USA 1994 preliminaries that Japan suffered one of the biggest blows in their football history, conceding a last-minute goal against Iran to send Korea Republic to the finals. The Samurai Blue exacted revenge four years later, however, with a now-legendary 2-0 win against their arch rivals in Seoul. In South America, Bolivia achieved an historic qualification for USA 1994 by beating Brazil 2-0, with both goals coming in the last two minutes.
The biggest story in qualifying for Korea/Japan 2002 was the Netherlands’ failure to reach the finals, losing out as they did to Luis Figo’s Portugal and Roy Keane’s Republic of Ireland. Elsewhere, England inflicted a 5-1 defeat on Germany in Munich that ultimately forced their old rivals into the play-offs. In Africa, Senegal sprung a major surprise by qualifying from a group that featured some of the continent’s most feared opponents.  
Germany 2006’s preliminary competition produced an enthralling four-way tussle between France, Switzerland, Israel and Republic of Ireland. The group was decided almost right at the very end, with France eventually clinching top spot and with it a place at the finals. However, the real drama was to be found in the African section. With the exception of Tunisia, all of the teams that qualified for Korea/Japan 2002 failed to reach the showpiece event in Germany.
Interestingly, the qualifying campaign for South Africa 2010 created the fewest surprises, although it is worth noting England’s concern at being drawn alongside Croatia – the side that denied them a place at UEFA EURO 2008. As it turned out, their fears were groundless and Fabio Capello’s men qualified with relative ease.

OYSL: Great night in Toronto for Pickering Power SC: 2-1 win over Sporting Club at Brockton Stadium

OSA CLUB DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE 2011: First Annual Club Development Conference Wrap

 VAUGHAN, ON — It’s summer time in Ontario and soccer is in full swing, but a number of dedicated Clubs added one more special event to their busy calendars — the Ontario Soccer Association’s 1st Club Development Conference held on July 23-24, 2011 at the Hilton Suites and Conference Centre in Markham.
2011 Club Excellence 3OSA Special Projects Coordinator, Matthew Greenwood, opens Conference
The Club Excellence Awards presentation was originally conceived as a banquet to honour the 2011 Club Excellence Award recipients, but the event subsequently morphed into a two-day conference where Clubs and Districts were able to share knowledge, participate in organizational development workshops and network with some of The OSA’s community partners.
Clubs came from across the Province and there continues to be an overwhelming amount of positive feedback on the Club Development Program from all attendees.
Day 1 of the Conference was packed with 3 sessions of carefully selected Club Development Workshops.
Brett Knox of The OSA and Alan Hollingsworth of HKMB Hub International teamed up to deliver a Risk Management workshop specifically around The OSA’s insurance coverage and to field commonly asked questions for Clubs and Districts. The response to this workshop was tremendous as the 90-minute presentation quickly surpassed the time allotted.
2011 Club Excellence Award 2Roland Vidal (Respect Group, Inc.)
The second session was a split presentation addressing the issues of Harassment. Roland Vidal of Respect Group Inc. was able to provide an overview of the Respect in Soccer program and the significance this program can play in helping leaders of the game.
Joyce Stewart of the OSA, complemented this presentation by addressing Harassment on a club administrative level, discussing issues of risk, liability and policies associated with running a club and or district.
The workshop portion of the day concluded with a lighter presentation from Janice Arnoldi, Robin McPherson and Judy Sims of arnoldi:mcpherson and CanSport Live who provided participants of this workshop an opportunity to learn about some of the tools available to appropriately develop and market their organization through effective social media strategies and an attractive website.
Saturday evening showcased the 1st annual Club Excellence Awards Banquet. Recipients included new applicants to the Club Excellence program as well as those that have gone through the renewal process for 2011-2013.
2011 Club Excellence AwardsKara Lang with Georgetown SC Club Excellence Award recipients
As the Master of Ceremonies for the event, Anthony Totera graciously beguiled the audience with his passionate comments during the guest presentations and the spontaneous question-and-answer session with guest speaker, Kara Lang.
With introductions by the Club Development team, participants also took the opportunity to connect with some of The OSA’s community initiative partners. Attendees were able to interact and engage with each of the presenters who provided information about the All Star Snack Playbook from the Hamilton Health Unit, the Play, Live, Be Tobacco Free opportunities with the Regional Municipality of York and the work that Active Living Alliance is doing across Ontario with The OSA to bring awareness around the issue of Accessibility.
The Club Excellence Awards Banquet also had on display some soccer-related initiatives that deserve more exposure for their positive soccer significance.
The Ontario Para Soccer team was showcased for their hard work at the 2011 CP-ISRA World Champions, where they finished 12th overall and proudly represented Canada.
Street Soccer Canada was also in attendance and were called upon to talk about the significant impact soccer plays in the lives of even the most unfortunate. Their moving stories showed just how strong an influence “The Beautiful Game” has on people from all walks of life.
At the conclusion of a delicious 4-course meal, the 2011 Club Excellence Awards in their respective levels were awarded to:
GOLD Aurora youth S.C.
Burlington Youth S.C.
Erin Mills S.C.
Glen Shields S.C.
Kleinburg Nobleton S.C.
Milton Soccer Academy
Newmarket United S.C.
Pickering S.C.
SILVER
Capital United S.C.
Cataraqui Clippers S.C.
Georgetown S.C.
Innisfil S.C.
Lakehead Express S.C.
Russell S.C.
West Rouge S.C.
Whitby Iroquois S.C.
Windsor F.C. Nationals
BRONZE
Alliston S.C.
Ancaster Youth S.C.
Brockville S.C.
Carleton Place S.C.
East Gwillimbury S.C.
Fergus Elora S.C.
Guelph S.C.
Kemptville District S.C.
King City Royals
Maple Leaf-Cavan FC- Bronze
Milton Youth S.C.
Nepean City S.C.
North Toronto S.C.
Orillia S.C.
Oshawa Turul S.C.
Pegasus S.C.
Perth United S.C.
Scarborough Women’s United S.C.
Teutonia S.C.
Thornhill S.C.
Uxbridge S.C.
Vaughan S.C.
Windsor S.C.
Woodbridge S.C.
Four new awards were also handed out. Uwe Samstage-Schnock from Milton Soccer Academy and Karen Bajic from Georgetown Soccer Club were awarded the Volunteer Appreciation Honourable Mention Award for their continuous hard work and dedication to their organizations and to soccer as whole.
John Brown from Oshawa Turual Soccer Club was awarded the 2011 Volunteer Appreciation Award for his outstanding volunteer contribution that has gone above and beyond the call of duty.
The 2011 District Recognition Award was given to York Region Soccer Association, for their immense support to their clubs and for the Club Excellence program.
The evening was filled with passionate support for all volunteers, clubs and districts involved in the game of soccer in Ontario.
As a wrap-up to the weekend, the Club Development Team offered one last workshop on Sunday morning with the help of the Club Excellence Gold Clubs in attendance.
This workshop gave clubs and districts the opportunity to share best practices and listen to some of the ways issues concerning facilities and Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) were handled by some of their neighbouring clubs.
The positive feedback and gracious support from all involved in the 1st Club Development Conference was overpowering. The Club Development team looks forward to next year’s Club Development Conference and working with more of Ontario’s Soccer Clubs and District Association.
Reported by Charonne Thomasos / OSA Club Development

U-16 Girls National Champions: Nichelle Prince opening some eyes on the pitch with Pickering Power SC

Nichelle Prince opening some eyes on the pitch






The players captured the championship by defeating Montreal Extreme in the final with a resounding 4-1 victory.  This is the umbrella tournament for Canada's premier amateur soccer competitions.  The 2010 championships featured 12 competitions in six venues, with more than 3,000 players, staff and officials.
Mayor Ryan presented the team with a certificate of recognition and sport chairs for every player with their winning title screened on the back.
Included in the presentation were Mayor Ryan, and players Kayla Adams, Katelyn Arathoon, Colleen Beesley, Tessa Edwards, Rachel Hoekstra, Madeline Iozzi, Ashley Nater, Danielle Pierce, Nichelle Prince, Chanice Rhoden, Danielle Rotheram, Diarra Simmons, Amani Thomas, Paul DeAbreu, Lola Leon, Mario Iozzi, Phil Frampton, Gino Sgovio and Nina Cancellara.  Players absent were Katharyn Avery, Margaret Carmichael, Lauren Henderson, Noelle Leon-Palmer and Tamara Orlando.
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HAMILTON -- Nichelle Prince continues to make quite a name for herself on the soccer scene.
The Ajax resident and standout athlete, who is about to enter Grade 11 at Pickering High School, put her Ontario team on her shoulders over the weekend, scoring all three goals in a 3-2 victory over Quebec in the final of the Nutrilite U16 All-stars event in Hamilton.
Prince's three goals were the first three of the game before Quebec came roaring back trying to make a game of it.
Afterwards, not surprisingly, Prince was feeling great not only about Ontario's win, but her performance.
"I feel amazing," Prince said after the match in a story that appears on the Canada Soccer website. "I know I couldn't have done it without my teammates, they helped me through everything. Without them I wouldn't have scored this many goals, so I'm proud of the whole team for what we achieved today."
Prince scored seven goals throughout the tournament and cemented her position as one of the brightest stars in Canada's women's youth program.
This is just the latest chapter in the book of successes for Prince. For the second consecutive year at the U16 national championships, Prince was named the recipient of the Golden Boots award.
A multi-sport star, Prince has also enjoyed success on the track. Competing as a junior at the OFSAA track-and-field championships in June, Prince won silver in the girls' 100m event, bronze in the 200m race and gold in the girls' 4x100m relay.
Prince was joined on the Ontario roster by three others from these parts. Ajax's Madeline Iozzi of the Pickering Soccer Club and Whitby's Kailen Sheridan of the Toronto Lynx, along with Alexandria Lamontagne-Maycock, also of Whitby and a member of the Ajax Soccer Club, were also part of the championship team.
Head coach of the program, Joey Lombardi, was complimentary of all those involved afterwards.
"I'm very happy," he said on a video posted on the canadasoccer.com. "Proud of the players. They put the work in on the field this week and in training camp and throughout the season with the provincial program and this is just a product of the hard work that they've put in."
Leading up to the final, Ontario participated in group one with Team Atlantic and British Columbia, while group two consisted of Alberta, Team Manitoba/Saskatchawan and Quebec.

Pickering Power Green U16 girls recognized in council

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Team won 2010 Canadian championship
Jul 13, 2011 - 08:18 AM
PICKERING -- The Pickering Soccer Club U16 girls were recognized by mayor and City of Pickering council for winning the 2010 Canadian National Championships.
The players captured the championship by defeating Montreal Extreme in the final with a resounding 4-1 victory. This is the umbrella tournament for Canada's premier amateur soccer competitions. The 2010 championships featured 12 competitions in six venues, with more than 3,000 players, staff and officials.
Mayor Ryan presented the team with a certificate of recognition and sport chairs for every player with their winning title screened on the back.
Included in the presentation were Mayor Ryan, and players Kayla Adams, Katelyn Arathoon, Colleen Beesley, Tessa Edwards, Rachel Hoekstra, Madeline Iozzi, Ashley Nater, Danielle Pierce, Nichelle Prince, Chanice Rhoden, Danielle Rotheram, Diarra Simmons, Amani Thomas, Paul DeAbreu, Lola Leon, Mario Iozzi, Phil Frampton, Gino Sgovio and Nina Cancellara. Players absent were Katharyn Avery, Margaret Carmichael, Lauren Henderson, Noelle Leon-Palmer and Tamara Orlando.




2010 Milestones and Successes - -
If you are a team Coach or Manager and would like to share one of your team's recent successes on this page,
submit a summary and picture (if possible) to manager@pickeringsoccer.ca for posting.  
Newspaper articles about team successes can be found under "Media Releases".

 
Pickering Power U11G (1999) All Stars - Finalists in Whitby - Sept. 25, 2010
The Whitby tournament was played this past Sat Sept 25th as a one day tournament.  The Pickering Power U11G All Star team worked hard all year long and in their last run as a team took home the great prize of Finalist in Whitby’s All Star Tournament.  The day started with a 4 -2 win vs. Kitchener with goals scored by Felicia, Devyn, Gillian and Brittney; (special mention to Alexis who set up 3 of those 4 goals that game).
Our 2nd game was a nail biter vs. Ajax and with minutes remaining Vanessa scored the go ahead goal to win the match 2 -1.  The other goal scored was by Felicia.
The last game was a tough one and Pickering ended up losing to Aurora in the final 5 – 1, with our only goal scored off a penalty kick by Erin.  Our Goalies Charlize and Claudia Z played wonderfully and kept us competitive with all the teams we faced all day long.
“The team worked extremely hard all year and if any one group of girls deserved this it was them. I was proud to be a part of this team and I wish them all well and even more success in the seasons to come. I am sad the year is over but I look forward to another run next year. Also I would like to thank Pickering Soccer Club for a great 2010 All Star program and our sponsors Lone Star Grill and Gino Sgovio - Treco Real Estate for all their support.”

Left to Right (Front):  Coach Chris Ford, Katrina Belcastro, Olivia Henry, Claudia Zelko, Vanessa Stamos, Hillary VanBerkum, Riley Dawson
(Middle): Felicia Chin King, Charlize Theodoru, Elaina Niciforos, Gillian McLaren, Alexis Sgovio, Brianna Bush, Brittney Yiu, Claudia Houde
(Front): Erin Leung, Devyn Ford
Missing from picture: Natalie Andrews, Danielle des Vignes


Pickering Power U14B (1886/7) All Stars - Victorious in Whitby - Sept. 25, 2010

“I believe that a great part of their successes this year could be attributed to the players’ willingness to work hard and to play together as a team.  It also highlights the power of commitment and positive thinking, because after losing our third final of the season in Barrie, the guys became committed to the belief that they could, and would, win this final tournament – for which they worked very hard, and as they so capably did.  I believe this past season has provided a great deal of fun and learning regardless of tournament results; but, I think the joys of victory and sorrows of defeat that accompanied each of their three prior championship attempts became assimilated into the deep sense of satisfaction they could each have in knowing they had finally achieved a victory for which every player had worked so hard.  I am proud to know every member of this team – they have taught me much.”  Coach Jamie Simm.
We started our last game with one man down due to injury and having to face our most challenging contender: Brampton Blast.  Pickering won their division and the tournament with 9 points.
 L to R - (Front) Matthew Steinsky, Alex Spartinelli, Christien Soosaipillai, Andrew Fernandes and Althaf Abdeen
(Back) Rossana Figueroa (manager), Jamie Simm (coach), Abdul Macci, Armando Figueroa (MVP), Lorenzo Pistritto, William Charles, Michael Parisi, Marcus Parisi (asst.coach)

Missing from picture: Stephen Devitt, Joseph Avarino, Chris Papaconstantinou, Nick Servos and Sam Dinally
 

Date of Tournament: September 25, 2010
Result of the games:   Pickering Power 3 - Stouffville 2
Pickering Power 4 - Malton 0
Pickering Power 2 - Brampton 1
Goal scorers: NIck Servos (3), Armando Figueroa (2), Joseph Avarino (2), Chris Papaconstantinou (2)
Goal keepers: Michael Parisi & Alex Spartinelli
Coach/Staff information:
Coach: Jamie Simm                                            Assistant Coach: Marcus Parisi
Team Manager: Rossana Figueroa                        Asst. Team Manager: Fazila Macci

Pickering Power U11B (1999) All Stars - Season Ending Tourney in Whitby - Sept. 25, 2010
“The boys had a great 1st season together. It was truly a pleasure watching them develop as soccer players and team mates” states Coach Dave.
“A special thank you to our sponsors and to Liz Keen, Pickering Soccer Club All-Star Director for your help and enthusiasm.”


Pickering Power U14B (1996/7) All Stars - Barrie, Aug 28/29 - Finalists

The U14B team has had a great season, being finalists in 3 out of the 4 tournaments we took part in.
Our last Tournament is in Whitby on September 25th.  Hopefully we can bring a championship to PSC.

Pickering Power Green U9G (2001) - A Summer of Success! North Toronto Mini Cup Sweep & DSL Cup Champions!

The 2001 Power Green girls continued their terrific season by winning the Durham Soccer League Cup on the weekend of August 21/22.
The Power were drawn into a very difficult first round group, with Whitby “A” and Darlington “A”. The Power faced Darlington in the first game and the day and served notice that they were serious about challenging as Champions. The Power ran away 4-1 winners.
The second game of the day vs. Whitby “A” was another classic. Both teams created numerous chances, but could not find the back of the net. The game ended in a 0-0 tie. The Power then took on Whitby “B” in their crossover game and won 6-0.
The Power finished 1st in their group and faced an extremely stubborn Oshawa Tural in the semi-final on Sunday. The Power took the early lead and finished the game as 4-1 winners.
The Cup final was a rematch from the round robin, as Whitby “A” also won their semi-final game. Whitby scored half way through the first half and defended extremely well for the remainder of the game. With time running out and the Power winning a corner kick, they threw their goalkeeper forward who was able to poke the ball past a helpless Whitby keeper. The goal was the last kick of the game for either team in regulation.
Two 5 minute overtimes solved nothing and the Cup final was headed to penalties. Whitby scored on their first kick and missed the next two, the Power scored on all four penalties to be crowned Champions of the Durham Soccer League Cup.
Congratulations to the girls who were fantastic all weekend, you deserved it!
Power Green Team:  J Riviere, Coach Peter Hogg, A Clarke, H Gibson, G Cornacchia, Coach Barry Donnelly, C Donnelly, C Hogg, Coach Josee Primeau, E Kozma, S Wilson, C Michalicka, N Lamana, T Cultraro, M Castellano, Manager Stephanie Wilson.

The Pickering Power Green U9 Girls rep soccer team recently won their second tournament of the year after being crowned Champions of the North Toronto Mini Cup.
The Power won all three games in the round robin, beating Unionville, North Toronto and Woodbridge. Having secured first place by winning all three games, the Power then faced North Toronto in the Sunday morning semi-final.
The Power saved their best soccer for Sunday as they controlled the play and ran away winners to head to the Final.
Pickering faced Unionville in the final and made sure that they would be declared Champions as the stole the ball on the opening kick off and marched up the field to take the early lead. The Power never looked back from that point and scored 7 more to runaway with the Title.
The Power would like to dedicate this tournament win to their sponsors: Meridian Credit Union – Nick Tsiogas, Sylvan Learning, On the Beach – Caribbean Restaurant, Pharmasave – Dilbreet Arneja, Dr. Dagmar Justa, Dale’s Pharmacy, Remax Reality – Steve Nasello, Fairport Pharmacy, System Music Warehouse, Hydro One Inc, JVL Corporation, Durham Dance Centre, Pickering Tennis Pros and Ajax Winter Tennis Inc.

Pickering Power U12G (1998) - Power U12 tops in Kingston -

Pickering Power U8B (2002) - Tiamo Festival Cup Winners in St. Catherines
In the Tiamo Festival Cup round robin, the boys defeated Thorold 4-1, Concord 5-2 and Niagara Falls with a shutout of 4-0.  In the semis, the team dominated the game defeating Ancaster 5-1.  The final game was against Woodbridge, always a strong competitor, but the U8 PSC boys were ready.  In regulation play, the game ended 2-2 which resulted in overtime.  In double OT, Pickering triumphed with a golden goal in the final two minutes of play.

Pickering Power U11B (1999) All Star Team - Oshawa, Aug 14/15, 2010 - Finalists
The U11B All Star team made it through to the final at the Oshawa tourney on 'goals for' (tied with East York on points and goals against).  The final game was played against the Brampton Blast.
It was an uphill struggle for the boys in the final and they finished second to Bramption with a final score of 6-1 for the champs. The game was physical, and the Power boys gave it their all for a well earned 2nd place finish. An excellent accomplishment for a team that has only been playing together for 2 months. We are all so very proud of our boys!

Pickering Power U7G (2003) All Star Team - North Toronto Mini-Cup, Aug 14/15, 2010 - Finalists
Our girls had quite a successful first tournament on the weekend at the North Toronto Mini-Cup.  Some of our other PSC teams did very well too.  We were able to bring home the finalist trophy losing to Ajax in the finals.  It was a very exciting tournament and we want to contragulate all the efforts our girls displayed!   Way to go girls!

Pickering Power U8G (2002) - Power reach Finals in Aurora - click to read more.

Pickering Power U10G (2000) - 3rd Tournament Win: Team adds Kingston Title - click to read more.

Pickering Power U14B (1996) All Star Team - Lake Simcoe Tourney - Finalists
The Pickering Power U14 Boys All-Star team went to the finals in the Lake Simcoe All-Star tournament on July 25th, losing to Stoney Creek 2-0 in a game which was played fast and hard by both teams. A pretty darn good performance after a shaky start, and just three practices.

Pickering Power U9G (2001) - Champions of the 2010 Ottawa South United Nike Challenge - click to read more.

Pickering Power U18G (1992) - Winners at the 2010 Peterborough Challenge Cup - click to read more.

The Pickering Power Green 2001 Girls kicked off their 2010 outdoor season with 4 wins and 0 losses in the Frank Sobil Classic in Oshawa.
The 2001 girl’s tournament was delayed until late afternoon on Saturday as the fielded flooded due to the bad weather.  Pickering Power finally played their first game at 5:20 pm on Saturday and took advantage of a tired Oshawa side. Power scored early and ran away 6-0 winners.

Sunday morning saw Pickering Power take on North Mississauga. With their usual Pickering style, the players hand delivered one rose to each of their mothers just before kick-off to wish them a Happy Mother’s Day.  Once again, the Power girls played extremely well; they were able to move the ball around and created numerous chances. The eventual score was 7-0 in favour of Pickering.

The next two games would prove extremely difficult for the girls as they faced Darlington and Burlington. The Pickering Power girls were outplayed for much of the Darlington game, but were able to regain some confidence and took control of the game late in the second half.  Pickering scored the winner with 10 minutes to go to seal a 1-0 victory.
The final game of the tournament was against Burlington. Both teams are very skillful and hard working. Pickering seemed to take control at the 15 minute mark of the first half as Burlington were playing their fourth game of the day and fatigue set in. Despite having more of the ball in the second half, Pickering was not able to score until late in the game. Burlington pressured late, but the team defended well and held on for a 1-0 victory.
The coaching staff was delighted with the girls effort throughout the weekend, the conditions weren’t ideal for soccer, but they played very well and worked extremely hard.





 
 


- - 2009 Milestones and Successes - -
  
At last year’s Ontario Soccer Association AGM, The OSA announced the first award recipients in the GOLD level category. This is the highest level of the Award and recognized the excellent work that these Clubs are carrying out off the field and in the community.  Only three Clubs in Ontario received this award, with Pickering being one of three.




 Left to Right: Vince Marchese (President, Glen Shields SC), Ron Weese (President, Aurora Youth SC), Roz Lavoie (Secretary, Pickering SC) and Ron Smale (President, Durham Region SA).