September 6, 2006 CSL Toronto Croatia vs Serbian White Eagles pre-game comments (from CSL website)
FIRST OF THREE AT LAMPORT STADIUM
Wednesday - September 6, 2006
Croatia, Eagles tonight
If ever Toronto Croatia wants to win the CSL championship, it is now.
The team that won the North American championship in 1976 under the banner of Metros-Croatia, is celebrating 50 years in Canadian soccer.
And they're on a high at the moment after winning the 43rd North American Croatian championship defeating Hrvatski Orlovi of Milwaukee by a 2-0 score at Coral Springs, Florida last weekend.
But the real achievement would be the CSL title and to do that they need to take care of Serbian White Eagles and their outstanding unbeaten record in the League's inaugural International Division season.
Pino Jazbec, an executive in the Toronto Croatia club, admits his team has high hopes of taking the title, but says it's not for political reasons. "We are all conscious of the recent history involving these two peoples, but that was in a far away place and in the past. We in Canada have strong rivalry on the soccer field, always have and always will, and we want to win these games for that reason," he said, referring to upcoming regular season matches that start with the first game at Lamport Stadium on Thursday night.
On the Serbian side, the team that brought legendary former World Cup player Dragoslav Sekularac and nine professionals from that country in an effort to win this year's championship, has other ideas. "Let's face it, our record speaks for itself and we're going to be awfully disappointed if we don't win at least two of the three league games. We expect to get off on the right foot Thursday night," said Eagles' general manager Ken Stanojevich.
It's Toronto Croatia vs. Serbian White Eagles at Lamport Stadium in Toronto, the first time these two teams have met in 30 years. It's on Thursday, September 7, a 7.30 p.m. kickoff, the first of three regular season games as the two teams bid for CSL honours. The other games are next Monday night, September 11 at Brian Timmis Stadium in Hamilton, an 8 p.m. start, and Sunday, September 24 back at Lamport Stadium, a 7 p.m. kickoff.
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