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Caribbean Selects were the Stars in their First Win

Caribbean Selects of the Canadian Soccer League (CSL) enjoyed their first win over Border Stars 2-1 in just their fourth game of the young 2006 season. The team was on a two game skid after losing the two games in three days last weekend at the hands of Toronto Croatia 5-1 and Italia 2-1.

Border Stars are the reigning 2005 CPSL Canada Cup Champions from the Windsor-Detroit border and the Selects were determined to send a signal to the other teams in the league that they intended to earn their respect. The team under coach Corcel “Edu” Blair worked on their defensive schemes after the domination by Croatia and as such had improved their showing with the close score against Italia and finally achieved their first win which usually takes new franchises an eternity to accomplish.

It is ironic that the word Stars had to be omitted from the Caribbean franchise for Selects to avoid identity confusion. But on this day, Caribbean Selects was the Stars by virtue of a late goal scored from 17 year old Osman Samura and managed to leave Windsor with a 2-1 win and the maximum (3) points.

The Selects has one of the youngest team in the CSL and coach Corcel is hopeful that with the victory his team will be able to go on a winning streak to be a legitimate contender in the tough International Division.

  Caribbean Selects Tie 0-0 in CSL Season Opener

Caribbean Selects team shown above is from left to right:  Back row– Coach Corcel Blair, Osman Samura, Fuad Mude, Simon Mais, Kamal Mude, and Ajani Stapleton: Middle row- Paul Okumu, Craig Steven, John Lewis, Kevon Chambers, Mensah Kojo, and Maxime Donaval: Front row– Jamo Welch, Quincy Cooper, Dixon Modeste, Douglas Sereti, Mohamed Kanu, and Dustin Chun

Caribbean Selects Tie 0-0 in CSL Season Opener

Caribbean Selects earned a point after playing to an exciting 0-0 tie with North York Astros at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke. It was the Selects first competitive game of their 2006 soccer season and the first in the short history of the newly formed Caribbean franchise. The Selects will be competing in the Canadian Soccer League (CSL) formerly the Canadian Professional Soccer League (CPSL) International Division.

The point earned was a good start for the Selects organization and may be motivation for the team to try and win their next game against the Serbian White Eagles.

The Serbians have also gotten off to a good start by beating Italia Shooters 3-2 in their home opener last week. With the two new teams (Caribbeans and Serbians) off to good start it has increase the popularity of soccer in Ontario.

The Caribbean Selects definitely looked like the better team in the game with the Astros but it seemed like the team has some kinks to iron out when it comes to the execution of their plays and their offensive finishing after they squandered several scoring opportunities. The Selects back line was exceptional as a unit but the midfield seem a little disjointed at times. This flaw resulted in the Astros spraying dangerous diagonal passes that resulted in dangerous crosses around the Selects goalmouth towards the latter part of the game.

The Selects roster is one of the youngest in the league and with their experience players it is possible that it may take some time for the team to gel in the CSL. The Caribbean Selects next game is on Saturday June 3rd at Lamport Stadium at 7pm against division leaders Serbian White Eagles which will be a very tough inter-division game for the Caribbeans.

Caribbean Selects game Rained Out

Caribbean Selects received bitter sweet news from the game officials on Saturday that the Lamport Stadium field condition was not conducive for play. Due to excessive water lodged under the surface of the carpet (turf) and around the goal area the field was deemed unfit for use. The Selects game was supposed to be against division leaders Serbian White Eagles and it would have been the third game of the publicized Caribbean selects soccer weekend.

The first two were played by Jamaica Reggae Boyz against England and Trinidad and Tobago Soca Warriors against the Czech Republic. The Caribbean teams did not fear well in those encounters as the Reggae Boyz were soundly beaten by England 6-0 while the Soca Warriors was dominated by the Czech Republic 3-0. The score in the Warriors game was unchanged after half time, when the Czech made several substitution 16 minutes into the second half.

The Caribbean Selects is in second place in their division and was said to be ready for the Serbs heading into the match. But in spite of the optimism, it seemed like the rained out game could have been interpreted as a blessing in disguise since it gave Selects more time to prepare for the very strong Serbian team.

But nevertheless the Caribbean Select players (in picture) seemed very disappointed in their change room after getting word from the officials on the status of their game against Serbian White Eagles.

However gathered their belongings (Below) and posed for a picture before leaving Allan Lamport Stadium.

Next weekend the Selects play matches against teams in their division with one on Friday June 9 at Streetsville Memorial Park in Oakville against Toronto Croatia at 8pm and another on Sunday June 11, when they travel to the Soccer Centre in Woodbridge to play Italia Shooters with a 7pm kickoff time.

Caribbean Selects game rained out 

  Story on Caribbean Selects (by Rocket Robin) June 3, 2006

The Saturday June 3rd, 2006 CSL game between Caribbean Selects and Serbian White Eagles scheduled for Lamport Stadium in Toronto at 7:00pm was cancelled by referee Isaac Raymond due to a waterlogged field. This was expected as it had been raining hard all day and the field was flooded (Astroturf with a concrete base).

A Selects official recognized me and thanked me for coming and went back to the dressing room and brought out Coach Corcel Blair to talk about the team. I had asked for a program which had a list of tonight’s roster of both teams and pictures of the Selects roster. I didn’t recognize too very many players with CPSL experience but Blair filled me in on who the players were.

The Caribbean Selects are a blend of three teams, Toronto Santos, Caribbean Stars and the Brampton Dynamic Kickers. Toronto Santos has a link with the team Santos of Jamaica.

Kareem Reynolds (midfielder) and Quincy Cooper (defender) had played for Metro Lions last year. Steven Craig (striker) had played for Laval. Dixon Modeste (goalie) was on the roster of USL Rochester Raging Rhinos. Maxim Dorneval (midfield/striker) played last year for the CPSL cup champions Oakville Blue Devils. Mohammed Kanu (midfielder) and Osman Samaru (midfielder/striker, only age 17) just finished winning the Toronto high school championship with George Harvey SS and next is their school playing in the Ontario provincial championship.

Also listed were John Lewis (defender), Paul Okumu (defender/midfielder), Mensah Kojo (midfielder/defender), Kevon Chambers (defender), Dustin Chung (defender), Ajani Stapleton (not listed tonight), Kamai Mude (midfielder) and Fuad Mude (midfielder), Simon Mais (midfielder), Jahmo Welch (midfielder), and Douglas Seretti (midfielder/striker).

Blair says he expects the team to be stronger in the middle of the season and will be the surprise of the league. The team expects that U-23 Jamaican international and Harborview player Richard West will play with them.

Tonight’s cancellation probably helps the team in that the gate would have been impacted by few fans showing up because of the strong rain. A gate with White Eagle fans showing up could have added thousands. The delay gives the Selects more time to practice and avoids the undefeated White Eagles for now. Putting this game off until maybe August will allow the team to hold it at their real home Birchmount Stadium that is currently undergoing renovations. Since they have to play some home games until then, they are scheduled to wander between Lamport Stadium, Esther Shiner Stadium, and Centennial Stadium.

This was the only game in town tonight so it wasn’t as bad as finding last Sunday’s Toronto Supra Portuguese called off for field conditions and being marooned downtown because I’d come by transit with not enough time to take in another game. This night I could walk to Joe Mercury’s Bar and play trivia with my friends. With the final music Playback question being “In this song a woman reads a newspaper story of an actor who had died when he was drinking”: with of answers: Torn, Brick, Tom’s Diner, One Headlight, or Building A Mystery. I saved our bar by getting us the right answer “Tom’s Diner” and getting us into 8th place in all North America out of over 1800 bars. But that’s the other half of my web page.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
CARIBBEAN SELECTS ENTER CPSL’S INTERNATIONAL DIVISION

by Stan Adamson    Sunday – April 23, 2006

When Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz attracted world-wide attention by reaching the World Cup finals in 1998, it signaled the beginning of an era that the West Indies, and even the wider Caribbean, was in the business of soccer.

The excitement was followed by a wave of players entering top club soccer throughout Europe and the enthusiasm was felt in Toronto.

It’s not surprising, therefore, that a newly-formed Caribbean Selects is one of the first clubs to join the CPSL’s International Division which kicks off the 2006 season next month.

Aldwyn McGill, an attacking midfielder turned striker in the ’70s when Trinidad & Tobago was making its mark in world soccer, who found his way to Canada to be one of the more prominent members of the Toronto soccer community, is one of the principals behind the launch. So is Neil Palmer of the Brampton Kickers Soccer Club to the northwest of Toronto who also helped to launch the professional Brampton Stallions in 2005.

McGill, who coached Metro Lions of the CPSL (now Oakville Blue Devils) and has the soccer skills to go with a reputation of being a top soccer administrator and writer for the Carribean Camera newspaper, expects the Selects to be the product of a gradual building process over time.

‘While we will be making every effort to win our games from the word go, it’s going to take a little time to build a team to win this new division,” said McGill.

Caribbean Selects are still conducting tryouts every Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 12 noon at Downsview Park on Keele Street just north of Wilson Avenue in Toronto. For more information, call (416) 286-6292.

Caribbean Selects is one of five teams in the new International Division to play an interlocking schedule with seven community teams in the National Division, to kickoff the CPSL’s ninth season on May 19. Other International Division teams are Italia Shooters, Portuguese Toronto Supra, Serbian White Eagles and Toronto Croatia. Additional teams are being interviewed for entry in 2007 when the total number in the new division is expected to reach eight.

Caribbean Selects Try out Weekend

The Caribbean Selects tryouts at Lamport Stadium was well attended with 26 players on Saturday and 23 on Sunday. On Saturday the players were taken through several drills and skill test and ended the day with a 30 minute game between Reds and Yellows. On Sunday the players were selected to play an exhibition game against Magic Athletic Club and were divided into two teams Blues and Reds.

The game was played in thirds with the Blue team starting the game while the Red team played the second third. The Caribbean Selects try out players were mixed and matched to play in the final third which ended goalless.

Magic scored the only goal of the contest in the second third and had the better team play and time of possession. At the end of the day both organizations felt that the friendly match was well worth the effort especially this early in the outdoor season. As such, there is a good possibility of the clubs having a rematch.

Soccer Try-outs at Lamport Stadium

Caribbean Selects will be having their official try outs at Allan Lamport Stadium 1151 King Street (I block east of Dufferin St) on Easter Weekend Saturday April 15, and Sunday 16, 2006 from 1pm to 4 pm on both days. Players are asked to dress appropriate for the weather and walk with black shorts and a white and dark colored jersey to add to their comfortable turf shoes.

Subsequent team practices will be held on Saturdays and Sundays 10:AM to 12 noon at Downsview Park 2 lights north of Wilson on Keele Street (on the east side).

“Caribbean Selects” New Franchise Name

The Caribbean Stars team name originally accepted by the CPSL had to be changed to Caribbean Selects by the Caribbean franchise over the weekend. The name change became an issue when Border Stars representatives forward a motion that the two teams names were similar and would have presented confusion when referencing Caribbean Stars.

The name change situation was discussed at the League’s (AGM) meeting where a decision was reached to request Caribbean Stars to consider changing its name. The request stated that the word “STARS” would have presented media confusion if it was allowed and based on the league’s seniority rules Caribbean Stars had to adjust and honor the “change request”.

The name Caribbean Selects was the unanimous choice over the other names considered by the organizations and the new name was submitted to the league’s office. Caribbean Selects name was accepted and recorded by the CPSL league Office on Monday March 20, 2006.

In moving forward the Caribbean Selects organization is confident that the new name will reflect the accumulation of their star studded team which will be representing the Caribbean community at the highest level of soccer in Canada.

Try-Outs for Caribbean Selects are expected as soon as field facilities are secured. Please send your feedback to info@caribbeanstars.com

Caribbean Stars Return to Pro Soccer

After years of absence Caribbean Stars Inc represented by Aldwyn McGill of Caribbean Camera and partner Neil Palmer of Kicker Sports Production has entered a franchise team “Caribbean Stars” into the Canadian Professional Soccer League (C.P.S.L.) for the 2006 soccer season. Caribbean Stars was one of the original members of the Canadian International Soccer League (C.I.S.L.) better known as the Puma league and has had a successful run from amateur to the professional ranks. The team won the 1996/7 CISL Indoor Championship and has advanced to the play-offs semi finals every season.

Caribbean Stars move to the CPSL is based on the belief that the timing is right, due to the implementation of the league’s Ethnic division which will give the Caribbean community the opportunity to showcase the soccer talent and with the help of the media, will be able to promote and circulate information that would increase the support base of the team to boost game attendance.

The offer to join the CSL was very tempting. The thought of an Ethnic division was hard to overlook on the heels of a number of successful soccer events in the Caribbean Community over a stretch of 17 months.

One of these events was the International game between Portmore United (Jamaica) and Metro Lions (CPSL) in September of 2004. This event started the wheels in motion and the mind interaction. After the Portmore game it was felt that the Caribbean community had made significant progress based on the encouraging attendance of the game.

The Portmore United-Metro Lions game was played to a sold out crowd at Birchmount Stadium and an enormous outpour of support by the media and business community. The momentum build when the game had to be postpone a week to allow Portmore players and staff to catch a flight out of Kingston, Jamaica from the brunt of Hurricane Ivan destruction.

Caribbean Stars Community Productions promoted the game with Nicey’s Foot Mart as one of the main distributers of ticket sales. Based on the extent of the media coverage and community support the proceeds from the game (through the Metro Lions establishment) were donated to the Hurricane Ivan Relief Fund.

The sentiment at the International game was that the community needed more soccer events of that nature.

A second noticeable event occurred at Caribbean Stars Sports and Family Day where a match was organized between the Toronto Lynx of the United Soccer League (USL) and a Toronto Caribbean Soccer League (TCSL) All Star team. The purpose of the game was to showcase the elite talent of the community to the Lynx coach.

The TCSL All Stars surprised everyone including the Lynx with their level of skill and soccer display. They kept up with the Lynx players stride for stride and was definitely the quicker team to the ball in spite of losing the match 3-1. The Lynx prevailed on its team chemistry which turned out to be the difference over the 90 minutes.

The third event occurred Last September when two Stop the Violence benefit games were organized by the TCSL two weeks apart. It was organized to bring awareness to the alarming increase of crime in the Caribbean Community.

On both of these benefit games the All Star team played at a high standard and in front of encouraging crowds. In addition the previous 2005 season a vast majority of the Community games Caribbean Stars covered also attracted large crowds.

In looking forward to being part of the CSL Caribbean Stars is hopeful that the business community will recognize the need and support the new franchise which will give the youths in the community the positive exposure needed to reach their full potential.