June 28, 2008 CSL TFC Academy vs Trois-Rivieres (by Steve Sandor of 24 Hours)
Jul 02, 2008
07:16 am, Steven Sandor / General, 428 words
Men vs. boys
In my weekly Red Card column, I try to give readers snapshots of Toronto FC and the MLS. But, this week, I went off the beaten path and wrote about TFC Academy, the club's youth-development system. Go here to see the article . (Once you have the paper up, go to P. 27)
On Saturday, I saw TFC Academy's U-18 side play the Trois-Rivieres Attak in Canadian Soccer League action at Lamport Stadium. I was among a group of about 100 fans who took in the game. It's pretty bare-bones at Lamport; the snack bars aren't open, so you have to get your hand stamped (for readmission) and then head across the street to a convenience store for refreshment.
Unfortunately, it's a case of men vs. boys when it comes to TFC Academy taking on men's teams in the CSL. In the 3-0 loss to Trois-Rivieres I watched, it was hard to pick out many standouts among the teens, even though Shawn Kodejs, the big centre-back from Halifax— the only non-Ontarian in the Academy at the moment — had moments where he looked strong on the ball. In the first half, Josh Junniere was lively out on the right side, and was able to cause some uncomfortable moments for Trois-Rivieres' defenders.
TFC made the decision that, rather than play in a developmental league that allows the kids to play only in the summer months, it would be best for these teens’ progress to play in a full men’s league that operates into October. As it stands, TFC Academy have won just three out of 10 games. An illustration of what TFC Academy is up against? On Saturday, Charles Gbeke, a veteran striker, scored for Trois-Rivieres. His rights were later traded by Montreal to the Vancouver Whitecaps. On Monday, he played against Toronto FC in the Nutralite Canadian Championships. The kids are facing players who, in some cases, are good enough to make the jump to much higher levels of senior soccer. To me it would be like putting a decent junior hockey team into the AHL. And, in the end, it may be too much to ask of teenagers.
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