World Cup fever, house-league style

BY MICHAEL PIASETZKI

The Chronicle

Dollard Soccer Association vice-president Sam Gabbay has always held a soft heart for house-league players, and last December, he envisioned an event that would finally put them in the limelight.

It would be the mother of all single-letter tournaments, a grandiose and unique four-week replica tournament of last summer’s FIFA World Cup soccer extravaganza in Germany. It would be the first of its kind in North America, one that would separate itself from all other tourneys by actually inviting set teams to participate, instead of all-star clubs who make up the majority of tournaments.

At first, it was to feature both boys and girls. After realizing such an undertaking would probably strip away any free time he and tournament vice-chairman Pat Casazza along with a group of dedicated group of volunteers would have over the coming months, it was decided only boys would participate this year, with girls taking the stage next summer when the FIFA Women’s World Cup will be played in China.

Actual teams from Vaudreuil/Dorion, Ile Bizard, Pincourt/Ile Perrot, Pierrefonds, Lakeshore, Dollard, Dorval and Pointe Claire would be invited, and in the end, 62 obliged. In World Cup tradition, a lottery was held to find out which country each registered club scheduled to play in the tourney’s three-division setup of under-12, -14- and –16 sides would represent.

Finally, the event would be called the International Cup, Kids playing for Kids. It would begin with the same pomp and glamour as the real World Cup, on Sept. 8 at Dollard des Ormeaux Park, with teams parading out onto the field and national anthems of each country played. The same scheduling format used in Germany would be implemented.

“We actually provided each team with replica jerseys of the country they played for,� said Gabbay. “Teams walked out on the field with the referees in the same format as the World Cup. National anthems were played at every game, with the flags of each country represented. Delegates from consulates in Montreal representing several participating countries actually came down to the games. But, what really made this event so special was the fact it combined the passion of soccer with education. Each team was told to learn about the culture and history of the country it represented.�

It also served as a fundraiser. The slogan Kids playing for Kids meant kids playing for sick children. All money raised through corporate sponsorship from the event was split evenly between the Montreal Children’s Hospital and Ste. Justine’s Hospital. Gabbay said he was looking at a target number of about $5,000. Meanwhile, the organizing committee also raised environmental concerns by dedicating the tournament to the Green Goal Environment Project.

“Every penny counts,� said Gil Lamy, manager of special events for the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation. “Though it’s not the largest part of our campaign, events like these insure a large part of our income over the year. Special events bring in about 30 per cent of our revenue.�

Lamy, who attended both the opening and Sunday’s closing ceremonies along with the foundation’s mascot, said the money raised would be designated to the hospital’s most urgent needs, such as renovation projects, purchase of equipment and equipment updates�

Speaking of Sunday, three finals were also played, albeit in the rain. Call it a coincidence, but just as it had done at Germany, Italy qualified for a title shot, this time however, at the u-16 level. In a game that featured no head-butting incidents, Italy (Pierrefonds 2) lost 2-0 to Portugal (Ile Bizard). Elsewhere, in u-12 play, Ghana (Pierrefonds 2) became the first African country to qualify for a World Cup final, only to lose 2-1 to Brazil (Ile Bizard) while in u-14 action, Australia (Dollard 3) denied England (Pierrefonds 4) the opportunity to win its first World Cup title in 40 years by registering a 1-0 win.