The Allstate Soccer Show 2024

Details of The Allstate Soccer Show 2024 held at The International Centre in Mississauga on Sunday September 15, 2024 from 11:00am to 5:30pm
(text, sound and pictures by Rocket Robin)

The Allstate Soccer Show 2024 was held this year at The International Centre in Mississauga. Last year's show was held outside the GTA for the first time when it was in Calgary Alberta. The exhibition has been held since 2018 by this sponsor with a few years missed during the Pandemic.

They filled about 2/3's of the floor space of the facilities of Halls 3 and 4 so they have room to expand. Hall 2 was in the middle of its two day 'Fall Canadian Pet Expo' so we saw a parade of people bringing in well groomed dogs.

Admission to our show was a modest $5.00 with all proceeds going the charity KidSport Ontario.

Organizers had learned from past years to start scanning peoples' tickets right out in the parking lot and ink stamping their hands before the doors were opened so there wasn't a hold up when when the event began. A ticket scanner also shouted out for us to proceed directly through Hall 3 (mostly space reserved for soccer drills and fan games) to Hall 4 for those people who wanted to get a wristband for meet and greets with players. Smart so the 95% of the people who came for that didn't have to ask one at a time!

Now what to do?

Meet and Greets

Main Stage panels

Action Activities

I can't be everywhere at once so missed most of the field activities.

I got a purple wristband for the first meet and greet than had some time to look around.

I pose with the North Star Cup given to the CPL playoff champions which is current holder Forge FC so therefore it was displayed at the Forge FC booth. I don't get to wear my jersey at the games because of watching from the pressbox so break it out at shows like this.

Forge have always had a booth at this show since the year before the CPL started. They scooped York 9 FC when they appeared at the 2018 show held in Downsview (which is actually inside the Toronto city limits) and York wasn't here even though York Lions Stadium is only six km away.

Part of the CPL display. Both Kyle Bekker and Mo Babouli in the poster are here today!

The York United booth was besides Forge FC and AFC Toronto. AFC Toronto of the NSL will be a co-tenant with York United at York Lions Stadium. I've asked both teams today and on previous occasions about next year's schedule and neither one could give me an answer. With the NSL signing a network deal with both the CBC and TSN and their French language equivalents, the pressure may be on for AFC Toronto to play a certain day or night of the week or risk only being broadcast in away from home games.

I'm posing with the Voyageurs Cup given each year to the tournament winner. I contributed to commissioning the trophy back in 2002 when it was a competition to find the best Canadian team in the A-League. The title page of my website is me holding this trophy when I was at The Soccer Show in 2018.

Time to join the autograph line which at some times had more than 200 people waiting. Brian Wright has the fourth table in the row of fans who have made their way to top row.

OK the rules were shouted out. Only one item will be signed. If you don't have anything then the players will autograph a card photo of themselves. If you want a selfie, our staff will provide someone to take your picture...and snap off about five rapidly so some won't have you blinking!

With Tristan Borges of Forge FC.

With Jordan Hamilton of Forge FC.

With Mo Babouli of York United FC.

With Brian Wright of York United FC.

I gave each player a business card with my website address so they could read about themselves. I have been finding out this weekend that a few CPL calibre players have had their Wikipedia profile photos updated to contain a photo that I've taken and were already on my site. I had been e-mailed about a month ago to ask if I still had the Creative Commons licence on my page. Yes (which means anyone can use my stories, pictures, interviews, etc if they credit me). So at Friday's York vs Valour game I noticed Jordan Faria, Dante Campbell and newly traded to York player Kembo Kibato had their profile pic updated to them at a 2024 post game press conference photo I took. OMG! So today I was looking up while waiting in line each of them to figure out when they joined the team and found three of the four of them have had the same thing done. Tristan Borges 2019 and Brian Wright 2024. Mo Babouli from way back in 2014 when he was presented with the Golden Boot with Toronto FC III in the first year of League1 Ontario. Only one missing was Jordan Hamilton and he commented that he read my reports from his time with Toronto FC II and Toronto FC back in the day.

While doing this I did miss the Main Stage presentation by the fan group The Voyageurs.

I don't want to miss the next presentation though!

Northern Super League's Chief Growth Officer Diana Matheson with moderator Camila Gonzalez

Northern Super League: From Nothing Will Come Everything (29 minutes, 34 seconds)
Why is the Northern Super League so important?
What inspired you to work towards creating this league?
What is the vision for the NSL going forward for 2026, 2027 etc?
How can we and the young girls here today support the league?
Can you take us through who the teams are in the league?
What is this league's concept and how did this name come about?
Talk to us about the North Star concept in the design.
What's the pathway for young players to be able to play in this league?
How do you think this league will change the landscape for this country?
How will you make sure the league gets the media coverage it deserves?
Is there a timeline for when we can get excited for next year?
Fan questions:...How does this league fit into the soccer landscape with the NWSL and new USL league and what lessons have you learned from leagues in the past so this league will be developed sustainably and equitably?
..............Have you looked into the linking up with men's clubs (ownership wise) like they do in Europe?
..............Are there are any future plans for a championship with the League1 Canada sides?
..............You are an inspiration!
What can fans expect for the competition format of the league?
How are you going to ensure that you have a competitive balance to support the teams?
How will you support the smaller markets that don't have the huge populations?
What fan experience are you hoping to have in the stadiums and online?
Where can fans find more information about the league and each team?

I splurged and bought an X-large sized t-shirt and got a lot of complements the rest of the day. Not quite as much as what I dropped as a deposit for season tickets a few days ago.

Here I am with Diana Matheson. She played for Toronto Inferno in 2003 and I gave her one of my cards so she could read about herself but warned her I had no digital camera back then. I said I'd been asking about getting media accreditation for AFC Toronto and she dropped a name of who on the team I should talk to. She was just 5 foot in her playing days. I was as tall as I am now but a lot thinner. 20+ years ago...this is like a school reunion!

While I was waiting for Diana, (she came with both her parents), I actually remember her mother from those Inferno games so talked with her.

Being at the main stage event meant I missed the autograph line for Elijah Adekugbe and Kyle Bekker and the two MLS CF Montreal players but Adekugbe and Bekker were scheduled for the next main stage event so I just waited there.

Moderator Laura Armstrong with Elijah Adekugbe, and Kyle Bekker

Canadian Premier League: Pathway to the Professional Game (27 minutes, 41 seconds)
How did you guys start out in soccer?
At what point of your career did you realize that you could play professionally?
What would you be doing if you weren't playing soccer professionally?
What are some of the realities you faced as a Canadian trying to become a professional in a country lacking an infrastructure?
Did you ever have a moment that you thought your future wasn't in soccer and how did you get past it?
What do you take from your family/community to surround yourself with the right people?
How have you seen the pathway in Canada change since you began compared to the new guys of today?
(for Elijah) What advice would you give for the youth team that you coach (ie Woodbridge United U-8s)?
(for Kyle) What's the number one question you get asked when Sigma youth players come to talk to you about turning pro?
What does the daily life of a soccer player look like?
What does the evolution of the CPL and the feeder League1 Canada mean for the development of soccer?
What have you seen about the league that you can give advice about opportunities for those that may not have the skills to play professionally?
Fan questions...What was your favourite team to watch growing up?
...............Who was your idol player growing up?
(for Elijah) What did you do to survive as an undersized player?
................What did your training schedule look like while in high school and university?
Could you play a Friday and Sunday game now like you did at school?
................What youth teams did you play for?
................What are your proudest moments in professional soccer?
How have you seen the CPL grow in its last six years?
Tell me why I should go to watch your CPL team?
If you are playing in a CPL final or even the playoffs, what are you expecting in that environment?
What do you hope to see in ten years when you look back on the CPL?

Catching this event meant I missed the autograph session with the next group but they would be on stage for the next interview so I waited there. I don't know if TFC's American goalie Sean Johnson was here today but he wasn't going to be part of the Canadian Men's national team talk.

I remember going over to chat at the media table/soundboard so I could plug in to recharge my phone.

Moderator Camila Gonzalez with Richie Laryea, Jonathan Osorio and Atiba Hutchinson

Canada Soccer's Men's National Team: Copa America Success & The Journey to 2026 (25 minutes, 59 seconds)
(for Atiba) Can you reflect on how the current state of the national team and how its changed since you joined them?
(for Atiba) Have you noticed that fan support has increased through the years?
(for Jonathan) What was it like to play at Copa America and what was the key to making the semi-finals?
(for Jonathan) Do you feel an increase in support from Canadians?
(for Richie) What was your takeaway from the tournament?
(for Atiba) What did you feel during the qualifying World Cup game in 2022?
(for Jonathan) How does the team feel for 2026?
(for Richie) What excites you most about the 2026 World Cup?
(for Atiba) What would you like to see for the future and what would your advice be?
(for Atiba) How can these kids here today go from dreaming to achieving?
(for Jonathan) What do you want the legacy to be for the team in the 2026 World Cup?
(for Richie) How do you think the pregram has evolved from when you first joined the program?
(for Atiba) What are the opportunities and challenges for young kids now?
(for all of them) What is required by the fans to support Canadian soccer?
Fan questions (for Richie) What was it like playing for Canada at the Copa America?
.............(for Jonathan) What does it take for a young kid to play professional?
.............(for Atiba) How do you face new challenges?
(for Atiba) Can young kids do something to focus and ease the pressure?
Fan questions (for Richie) What advice would you give to a talented 9 year old soccer player?
............(for Jonathan) What was your highlight of the Copa America in 2024?
............(for Atiba) Can you think of one key moment that shaped your career?
(for Richie) What do think the landscape will look like in twenty years?
(for Atiba) Please chat about your book!

Oh they are still letting people in for the next autograph session for current and retired Canadian National Women's team players. Red wristband for me please!

With Desiree Scott

With Melissa Tancredi who I've talked to before in the last few years. She wasn't with the Toronto Lady Lynx nor played against them. She is from Hamilton. I thought I'd heard that she managed some team or Caribbean country so asked her about if she'd do something in the new NSL league. She answered she was going to do something for the Vancouver team.

With Robyn Gayle. Thanks to looking at Wikipedia while in line I realized she (like Diana Matheson) was on the 2003 Toronto Inferno team. "You don't have a picture of that do you?" she gasped when I gave her my card. "No digital cameras back then" I reassured her.

This is Jonelle Foligno. She had to leave before I got through the line. She also missed the Main Stage event she'd be part of too. You bet I would have mentioned her time with Toronto Lady Lynx in 2010!

Moderator Camila Gonzalez with Desiree Scott, Melissa Tancredi, and Robyn Gayle

Canada Soccer's Women's National Team: The Future of Women's Soccer (23 minutes, 23 seconds)
(for Desiree) Talk to us how the women's game has evolved since you joined the program.
(for Melissa) Could you share some of the postive experiences you've seen in the game?
(for Robin) Is there a moment in your career where you can see an increase in support for the team?
Fan question: What helps you get through the losses in close games?
(for Desiree) Now that the league has been established, what do you think needs to be done for the sport to grow?
(for Robyn) What excites you about this new league?
(for Melissa) What areas need more support and investment?
Fan questions: (for Desiree) What is your favourite moment with the national team?
The same question for Melissa and Robyn.
What is your top advice for young players taking up the game?
The same question also asked to Melissa and Robyn.
Fan questions: (for Robyn) What has been the biggest setback in your career and how did you get past them?
The same question asked to Melissa and Desiree.
(for Robyn) Where do you see the womens' game ten years from now?
(for Melissa) How would you encourage parents to support their young girls from quitting the sport?

By the time that presentation ended the show was about over with many of the booths packing up. I hadn't wanted to miss what I'd just seen so when they announced the Atiba Hutchinson book signing meet and greet I just slipped him one of my cards with a reference to York Region Shooters and Toronto Lynx written on the back. On my way out I did catch him and took my only selfie of the day. I now had time to mention that I watch Simcoe County Rovers of League1 Ontario (he is one of the owners) and mentioned that a co-owner Doneil Henry has been walking the sidelines doing coaching and still risks drawing Yellow cards for yelling from the bench.

Odds and ends without pictures: There was a game in the activity zone of human foosball where players had to hang onto one spot on a bar and kick the soccer ball so it looked like the table game. Also I caught the end of a demo of youth players from Vaughan Soccer Club demonstrating some strategy play.

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