October 22, 2008 CSL pre-game story on Final (from CSL media release)
On a roll Trois-Rivieres Attak meet attractive Serbian White Eagles in CSL championship Sunday.
2008-10-22
It's an Attak vs. Serbian Eagles final
When European soccer legend Dragoslav Sekularac arrived in Toronto in the spring of 2006 to help launch and coach the new Serbian White Eagles, he hesitated when asked if his team would win the CSL championship in its first year. The former Yugoslavia’s best-ever player was, after all, recruiting no less than nine pros from Europe to take on Canada’s only professional soccer league. FOR MORE STORY AND TICKET INFORMATION ...........
“Well, not the first, but perhaps the second,” predicted Sekularac cautiously, knowing he was up against some of the toughest pro teams in the country.
Serbian White Eagles did not win the CSL championship in its first year, nor did they win the following year in 2007. But they came ever so close in the final game on both occasions, losing 1-0 to Italia Shooters in their inaugural 2006 and losing to Toronto Croatia in a 2-game championship final last year.
Sunday’s CSL championship encounter with Trois-Rivieres Attak at Esther Shiner Stadium will be the third successive final for the Serbs and with today’s blend of some earlier veterans under head coach Milan Cancarevic, like ex-Obilic striker Sasa Viciknez who struck 10 goals in the regular season and young attacking midfielder Alex Braletic, the team is one of the most attractive to watch in Canadian professional soccer. Standout veteran striker Dragan Radovic – 14 goals this season – can also be spectacular and may be fit again following a knee injury from a game against Brampton Lions on September 5.
Trois-Rivieres Attak are on a roll. The reserve squad of the USL’s Montreal Impact under coach Marc Dos Santos has already won the CSL’s National Division by a huge 14 points, losing just three of 22 games played. Last year, they won the Open Canada Cup and in last year’s championship semi-final, Serbian Eagles defeated the Attak 2-1 at Esther Shiner Stadium. In this year’s league action, Serbia nipped Trois-Rivieres 1-0 on August 14 at Centennial Stadium, but the Attak made amends with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Serbian White Eagles in their last meeting on September 27 in Quebec.
Attak’s Nicolas Lesage and Pierre-Rudolph Mayard are two of the most potent attackers in the league and goalkeeper Andrew Olivieri is recognized as one of the top goalkeepers in Canada. He can take credit for his team conceding a remarkable just 12 goals in the 22 regular season games.
One of these teams will win its first CSL championship on Sunday.
The 2008 CSL Championship Final on Sunday, October 26, a 5.45 p.m. kickoff, is being hosted by the North York Astros Soccer Club and a number of different ticket options have been developed ranging from VIP Individual seating, to very affordable Group Packages.
Please call us at 905 564-4460 or email to tickets@canadiansoccerleague.ca
Media enquiries should go to 905 564-2297 .
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