2020

Toronto Tigers defeated St. Catharines Hrvat 2-1 in the only game played in the Canadian Soccer League’s ProSound Cup competition Tuesday.

It was an entertaining, physical encounter at Centennial Stadium with Toronto Tigers taking the lead from the penalty spot following a foul inside the box at the 33^rd minute mark. Midfielder Raphael Barboza da Silva found the net past St. Catharines goalkeeper Eric Griffin and it was 1-0 at the break.

Midfielder Gregor Zugelj  equalized for St. Catharines Hrvat  with a free kick from 25 yards at 48 minutes and Egrinaldo de Souza Tavares struck the winner for Toronto Tigers at the 54 minutes for a 2-1 final score.

It was the first win for the Toronto side following a 6-1 defeat  by Scarborough SC in the opening game on August 28, while Friday’s game was the first in the league competition leading to the playoffs  and the ProSound Cup Final for St. Catharines Hrvat.

There are three games Saturday with EURU Academy at home to Atletico Sporting Toronto in the opener at 3 pm, BGHC 1 will host Scarborough SC at 5 pm and FC Vorkuta is the home team against Serbian White Eagles at 7 pm.

St. Catharines Hrvat will play its second game against the visiting EURU Academy, a 9 pm kickoff on Tuesday, September 14. All games are at Centennial Stadium in Toronto’s west end.

Stan Adamson

Wabila Wallace of Atletico Sporting Toronto scored twice in the first half to register a surprise 2-0 victory over Serbian White Eagles in a match that was cut short in the second half Tuesday due to lightning.

The two teams were bidding to qualify for a playoff spot in the ProSound Cup competition and the game was abandoned at 69 minutes by referee Timur Qayoumi when lightning was closing in during heavy rain at Centennial Stadium in Toronto’s west-end.

Atletico Sporting struck early when Wallace cut in from the left wing to beat Serbian White Eagles’ goalkeeper John Trye with a drive from inside the box at the 7^th minute mark and the midfielder scored his second goal from a breakaway on the right wing for a 2-0 lead just before the half-time whistle.

Canadian Soccer League rules consider the score stands if the abandonment is due to weather conditions and the first half is complete.

Atletico Sporting Toronto were elated with its first victory in a CSL competition, particularly over Serbian White Eagles with a long successful history in Canadian soccer.

“We are very pleased to win this game tonight, we deserved the score and the team played very well,” said Colombian-born head coach Ronald Brinez.

ProSound Cup games resume in the CSL on Friday, September 10 with a St. Catharines Hrvat opener against Toronto Tigers, a 7.45 pm kickoff. There will be a full slate of three games the following day, Saturday,  September 11, all games at Centennial Stadium in Toronto.

 

Stan Adamson

PICTURE: Vorkuta midfielder Viktor Raskov (left) moving in to challenge Wabila Wallace of Atletico Sporting Toronto in Saturday’s encounter at Centennial Stadium. Vorkuta were  3-0 winners. PHOTO: Samad Kadirov

 

Prolific midfielder Mykola Temniuk struck twice in the early stages to lead FC Vorkuta to a 3-0 defeat of Atletico Sporting Toronto in the opening match of three in the ProSound Cup competition played at Centennial Stadium, Toronto Saturday. Scarborough SC midfielder Taha Ilyass also scored twice with a goal in each half for a 3-0 win over Serbian White Eagles and in the late game, BGHC 1 defeated Euru Academy 4-2.

Temniuk, who scored in Vorkuta’s opening game on August 28 and was the league’s leading scorer for the 2019 season, found the net just inside the post from 15 yards for a 1-0 Vorkuta lead at 14 minutes and beat Academy goalkeeper Kevin Lumbsden to make it 2-0 at the 19^th minute mark. Serhii Ursulenko scored the third Vorkuta goal at 90 minutes.

Ilyass scored the first Scarborough goal at 22 minutes for a 1-0 lead at the interval against Serbian White Eagles, midfielder Gonzalo Matias Cabrera Celis and Ilyass scored late goals for a 3-0 score at the final whistle.

Midfielder Ryan Sturdy opened the scoring for a 1-0 lead by Euru Academy over BGHC 1, Haris Redzepi  equalized from the penalty spot for BGHC 1 at 29 minutes, Petar Dordevic put BGHC 1 ahead 2-1 at 42 minutes and increased the lead to 3-1 with a second goal at the 47^th minute mark.

Academy midfielder Albasan Shaqiri reduced the lead to 3-2 at 59 minutes and Milan Beader  completed the scoring 4-2 for BGHC 1at 66minutes.

The Serbian White Eagles vs Atletico Sporting Toronto postponed due to ground flooding on Saturday, August 28 is rescheduled to be played this coming Tuesday, a 9 pm kickoff and this will be followed on Friday, September 10 by the St. Catharines  Hrvat opener against Toronto Tigers, a 7.45 pm kickoff. There will be a full slate of three games the following day, Saturday  September 11, all games at Centennial Stadium in Toronto.

Stan Adamson

 

 

The introduction of three of the four new teams taking part in the invitational ProSound Cup will be a feature of the upcoming games in the Canadian Soccer League during the period this Saturday, September 4 into the following week with a game scheduled on Tuesday, September 7 and another on Friday, September 10.

These games are in the second week of the ProSound Cup invitational competition consisting of the 4 CSL teams and 4 invited teams  in a 32-game league  format to be followed by playoffs leading to the final game. The CSL Championship will follow, moving the four CSL teams to the semi finals and final to conclude the season.

Atletico Sporting Toronto and Euru Academy can be seen for the first time on Saturday, while St. Catharines Hrvat will play its opening game against Toronto Tigers on Friday, September 10.

Atletico  meets the current CSL defending champions FC Vorkuta in the 3 pm first game on Saturday, while EURE Academy’s opener  against BGHC 1, will be the third of the three,  a 7 pm kickoff.

The introduction will not be an easy one for the Hamilton-based academy organization as it meets a team selected from Brantford Galaxy and Hamilton City following a recent merger of these two southwestern Ontario neighbours. The Galaxy, with the encouragement and support of the late Walter Gretzky, father of hockey icon Wayne Gretzky, is best known for a shock memorable victory to win the CSL championship in the new club’s inaugural 2010 season.

Toronto Tigers had a good share of the first half play in the first of three games scheduled for  last Saturday, August 28, but collapsed to a 6-1 victory by 2019 CSL champions and 2020 championship finalist Scarborough SC.

Atletico Sporting Toronto’s opening game against the CSL’s Serbian White Eagles, the third of three on Saturday, was postponed due to a severe thunderstorm that eventually flooded the Centennial Stadium playing surface. That rescheduled game is set for Tuesday, September 7 a 7.45 pm kickoff.

The upcoming games:

SATURDAY:

3 pm – Atletico Sporting Toronto  vs  FC Vorkuta

5 pm – Scarborough SC  vs  Serbian White Eagles

7 pm – Euru Academy   vs  BGHC 1

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7

9 pm – Serbian White Eagles vs Atletico Sporting Toronto

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

7.45 pm – Toronto Tigers vs St. Catharines Hrvat

All games are at Centennial Stadium, Etobicoke, close to Hwy 427 and Burnhamthorpe Rd in Toronto’s west end.

STADIUM REQUIREMENTS

A  limited number of spectators are allowed into the stadium with a $10 day pass on Saturday. Spectators are required to wear a mask or face covering in a manner that covers their mouth, nose and chin, unless they are entitled to an exemption. While seated in the stadium, the face mask can be removed.  Physical distancing is required.

Stan Adamson

The Canadian Soccer League will kickoff the new season with eight teams on Saturday, August 28 following the postponement of the opening day schedule of August 14 due to an insurance issue at the city-owned Centennial Stadium at Etobicoke in Toronto’s west end.

The CSL teams taking part are the defending CSL champions FC Vorkuta, the 2020 finalist Scarborough SC, Serbian White Eagles and BGHC, a team representing southern Ontario neighbours Brantford Galaxy and Hamilton City which have completed an arrangement to merge. The four teams invited to take part in a league format competition for the newly-introduced  ProSound Cup are Atletico Sporting Toronto,  Euru Futbol Academy, which is based in Hamilton, Ontario, St. Catharines Hrvat and Toronto Tigers.

The  3-game opener will kickoff the ProSound Cup invitational competition consisting of the 4 CSL teams and 4 invited teams  in a 32-game league  format and this will be followed by the CSL Championship playoffs moving the four CSL teams to the semi finals and final to conclude the season.

The opener on Saturday will remain the same schedule arranged for August 14, with Scarborough SC hosting Toronto Tigers in the first game at 3 pm, BGHC will be at home to FC Vorkuta at 5 pm and Serbian White Eagles will host Atletico Sporting Toronto at 7. All games will be played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke.

The Canadian Soccer league has also announced that the normal league rules and regulations will apply to the ProSound Cup competition.

In the event of a tie on points following completion of the 32-game schedule the Section 2009 tie-breaker rule applies:

1.  Total wins during the 32-game competition
2. Head-to-head record based on total points
3. Goal difference
4. Goals scored

The league discipline rules will apply including Rule 97005 that in all circumstances a player receiving a red card will automatically be suspended for the next game and the player is subject to additional game suspensions depending on the severity of the offence.

STADIUM REQUIREMENTS

On kickoff day, Saturday, August 28, a limited number of spectators are allowed into the stadium from 2.30 pm until  the final whistle of the third game at approx, 9 pm. An opening day pass for all three games is available at the gate for $10. Spectators are required to wear a mask or face covering in a manner that covers their mouth, nose and chin, unless they are entitled to an exemption. Physical distancing is required.

Stan Adamson

 

 

The Canadian Soccer League has announced the postponement of the opening day August 14 three–game schedule due to a delay in obtaining the necessary insurance at the city-owned Centennial Stadium in Toronto’s west-end.

The postponed games are expected to be rescheduled the week of August 16 and played at the same ground on August 28.

“It is with regret and we thank you for your understanding,” explained the CSL’s  Peter Kovacs on releasing the decision to the teams on Friday afternoon.

 

Soccer in Canada is better and bigger than most people realize. Despite player registrations in organized soccer exceeding hockey and many more than baseball, football and basketball, the beautiful game in Canada is overshadowed by the greater popularity of the mainstream sports. Canadian soccer needs help, more exposure to unveil the many young players across the country showing promise of having the skills and talent to be on the edges of a high level game anywhere in the world.

That’s the opinion of Igor Demitchev after attending hundreds of matches in southern Ontario following his arrival as an immigrant from his native Russia. Demitchev, a Toronto lawyer and principal sponsor of the highly successful FC Vorkuta, will air his views nationally in a documentary on the beIN SPORTS channel to be released soon.    .

Demitchev with Samad Kadirov, another Russian immigrant, launched the FC Vorkuta team in a Toronto area indoor league in 2008, a venture that led to the outdoor amateur game in the Thornhill Soccer League in 2009 and several seasons in the Richmond Hill Soccer League to win league and championship titles along the way. Then came the big leap into the professional Canadian Soccer League as an expansion team in 2017.

Professional players from Europe were signed to strengthen the club (with major assistance of head coach Denys Yanchuk ) for entry into Canada’s top league of the day and the Vorkuta team, named after a community on the edge of the Arctic Circle in northern Russia, was an immediate hit. They won the first division league title in the inaugural season, followed by a  CSL championship victory in 2018 to continue unabated a winning way and winning attitude that attracted wide attention in the Canadian soccer community.

The flow of players arriving from mostly eastern and central Europe to Vorkuta and other teams in the CSL, all requiring work permits or visas, is subject to reciprocal provisions under the Refugee, Citizenship and Immigration Canada guidelines and is intended to result in a neutral labour market impact with Canadian players having similar reciprocal opportunities abroad.  The clause is intended to maintain a reasonable balance between foreign players entering Canada to play for Canadian teams and the number of Canadian players being received by other countries.

While some considered the federal government’s recent close scrutiny of the reciprocity requirement a threat to the ease with which overseas players can be transferred to Canadian clubs, Demitchev considered it an opportunity. The government emphasis means more young promising Canadian players will be accepted abroad for trials with high level clubs, he reasoned. Vorkuta became the first team in the CSL to initiate an exchange program with overseas clubs. The encouragement of team visits and even programs to fight racism in soccer, were included in the deal with multiple clubs in Europe.

Such partnerships are encouraged by the ministry and there has been some early success with the transfer of Fadi Salback, the university student from Bowmanville Ontario, spotted in 2019 by an always searching FC Vorkuta. Salback is now playing for FC Podillya Khmelnytskyi in the Ukrainian Second Division and the Israeli-born goal scorer was described in local media recently as a fan favourite.

“And there are many more on the way as we develop relationships with clubs overseas,” said Demitchev, who grew up in the remote Vorkuta community and who in recent times while in Canada has identified these exchanges as one opportunity to accelerate and do more for the development of Canada’s promising young players, a prerequisite if Canada is to be more competitive on the world stage.

 Today, FC Vorkuta is a diverse club of many nationalities with a dozen Canadian league titles and championships since being formed in 2008. Date for release of the FC Vorkuta documentary, which is produced by Alex Bastyovanszky, will be announced soon to be shown on the beIN SPORTS Canada network. BeIn SPORTS is known for its comprehensive sports coverage including gaining the rights to many of the high level soccer events including UEFA club tournaments, top European leagues and South American competitions.

Stan Adamson

 

 

PICTURE: Fadi Salback now recognized by town’s residents as a celebrity. IM PR INC EIN PRESSWIRE

Fadi Salback, the university student from Bowmanville Ontario, spotted in 2019 by FC Vorkuta during a winter off-season indoor soccer game and signed for a trial in the Canadian Soccer League team’s reserve squad to score four goals in his opening game, has caught the eye of the European media and the fans while playing for FC Podillava Khmelnytskyi in the Ukrainian Second Division.

Salback, 22, with promising credentials prior to that indoor match, was promptly moved to the Vorkuta first division squad where more goals followed in quick succession.

Salback’s earlier signs of talent came when the Israeli-born striker was selected for Ontario’s Provincial U-16 team before entering Ontario Tech University at Oshawa, Ont. to study software engineering. Selected also for the university team, he scored a record 16 goals in his first season, was named the all-Canadian Rookie of the Year and named an east division first team all-star.

Salback was signed by the Ukrainian club following a two-week trial late summer and has now caught the eye of the European media after scoring five goals in his first six games since Ukraine kicked off a new season in October. One news report explains that when Salback walks through Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine, he’s recognized by the town’s residents as a celebrity.

Vorkuta GM Samad Kadirov considered Salback to be an exceptional player when he was first seen by Kadirov, Vorkuta FC owner Igor Demitchev, and Steve Kokkoros of the Thornhill Soccer Club just north of Toronto during that indoor winter season match. “ We are pleased to sign him and he’s now considered one of our top assets with real promise for the future,” said Kadirov at the time.

Demitchev takes it a step further and believes the local youth talent has contributed greatly to the success of his club since its launch at the amateur level in Toronto in 2008. The team, formed by Demitchev and Kadirov, both immigrants from Russia, stormed into professional soccer as an expansion team in the Canadian Soccer League in 2017. With high level players from Eastern Europe and local players with promise, FC Vorkuta has attracted a lot of attention while winning two Canadian Soccer League championships and three league titles in just four seasons. FC Vorkuta is today one of the top teams in Canadian soccer.

Demitchev, a Toronto lawyer, considers his club has been successful while partnering the Thornhill Soccer Club to select local youth for competition in the tough CSL, then continuing with a process that provides every opportunity for further development and eventually the all-important recognition of a player destined for an even higher game elsewhere. “Fadi Salback is living proof of what can happen,” he says.

Soccer in Canada has grown in leaps and bounds during the past 30 years with now more player registrations than hockey and more than baseball, football and basketball combined and there are signs that more high level players are emerging. Demitchev considers that aligning his club with youth soccer helps to make young special players more visible, and they are surrounded by coaching skills from abroad, all of which contributes to furthering the Canadian game.

Fadi Salback’s new-found success follows a number of CSL players that have made the grade at a higher level, including Jonathan Osorio from SC Toronto to Toronto FC, Paul Munster from London City to Slavia Prague and a number of others stretching back to Atiba Hutchinson who played briefly for York Region Shooters before moving on to play for the Toronto Lynx and five teams in Europe before joining his present club, Besiktas of Turkey.

Igor Demitchev and FC Vorkuta also believe the increased popularity of the game in Canada is about to pay dividends as more players surface for the highest level professional ranks in Europe and other parts of the world. Transfer fees are expected to exceed the recent Canadian record $46.5 million paid by French club Lille for Jonathan David of Ottawa. That fee was quick to eclipse the earlier fee of more than $20 million, which included bonuses yet to be earned, for the transfer to Bayern Munich of Alphonso Davies from the Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer.

In the meantime, the progress of Fadi Salback is of interest from a number of points of view, not the least of which is the rarity of a Canadian being signed in a country with limited opportunities for the abundance of local soccer talent attempting to enter a relatively small professional football structure.

PICTURE: Mirko Medic (right), an outstanding defender in Europe before joining Serbian White Eagles to be part of the memorable Dragoslav Sekularac team of 2006, is the new head coach announced by Scarborough SC GM Kiril Dimitrov.

When Scarborough SC lost its third championship final in four years following a 2-1 defeat at Racco Park in Vaughan just north of Toronto on October  17 at the end of last season, a loss that came after the Toronto east side team were on top of opposition Vorkuta and led 1-0 into the second half, it became clear that changes would come to continue the club’s incremental improvements strategy that started shortly after  professional soccer returned to Scarborough as an expansion team in the Canadian Soccer League  in 2015.

GM Kiril Dimitrov, given complete control to develop a championship-winning side by owner Angel Belchev during those early days, had a strong professional career in Europe and knew the CSL well following a period with Serbian White Eagles and SC Waterloo. The year-by-year strengthening of the Scarborough franchise has since paid big dividends with a First Division championship in 2020, a CSL Championship title in 2019 and CSL Championship finalists in 2017, 2018 and 2020.

Dimitrov has now announced one of the club’s more significant additions with the signing of the impressive Mirko Medic of Serbian White Eagles as Scarborough’s head coach.

Medic is a seasoned professional following several years as a player in the former Yugoslavia with Buducnost Valjevo and FK Zeleznicar before signing in 2001 with First Division side FK Miadost Lucani of Serbia. A standout defender, Medic arrived in Canada in 2006 to sign for a CSL expansion Serbian White Eagles team to be coached by one of Europe’s earlier greats Dragoslav Sekularic. Medic was an immediate success and was selected during that year to the CSL All Star team for a match against visiting Clyde FC of the Scottish First Division. Medic was a member of a successful Serbian White Eagles side that won the International Division of the CSL and the championship winning Serbian White Eagles team of 2008. In 2009 he was named the Canadian Soccer League’s Defender of the Year and the following year was in the Toronto FC side at the BMO Field against visiting Bolton Wanderers of England.

Medic was transferred to the CSL’s Brampton City, returned to Serbian White Eagles the following year and was assigned coaching and managerial positions.

“We are very pleased Mirko Medic has chosen to join our club where he will be in complete charge of the team.“ said Scarborough owner and GM Kiril Dimitrov.  “Mirko has a first class reputation as a winner and Scarborough SC and the players will benefit. We also expect Mirko will identify players available in Europe and we will continue to provide opportunities for local players as well,” he added.

The CSL expects to play a five-month full season in 2021, setting the kickoff date mid-May  through to the end of October.

 

 

PICTURE: Sierra Leone international goalkeeper John Trye (right) signs with Serbian White Eagles president Dragan (Doug) Bakoc before leaving on February 7 to join the West African team in training for an upcoming World Cup qualifier.

Despite the uncertainty of scheduling matches for the upcoming season due to the prevailing government regulations during the pandemic, team owners in the Canadian Soccer League are upbeat in their approach to the upcoming 2021 campaign. New signings, transfers, players called up by their national teams, a leading team is about to announce a new coach, are all part of the activity with three months to go to a mid-May kick-off-time, and however tentative that may be there is cautious optimism that a full season will be played in 2021.

Goalkeeper John Trye, who has played a major part in the success of Scarborough SC since joining that club in 2016, is newly signed by Serbian White Eagles just weeks after being called up by his Sierra Leone national team preparing for World Cup qualifiers. Trye,35, was first invited to the West African country’s national team in 2011 and last played in 2014, losing 3-1 to Congo in a Group D qualifier for the African Cup of Nations.

Trye’s professional career started in 2002 with FC Kallon, one of the top clubs in Sierra Leone’s National Premier League, then in 2007 with Alianza of San Salvador in El Salvador. In 2011 the 6ft 2in. Trye signed with Northern Virginia Royals of the U.S Premier Development League, then ASA Charge of the U.S.National Premier League before signing for Scarborough.

Fadi Salback continues to impress with Ukrainian club FC Podillya Khmelnytskyi  where the former Vorkuta FC forward is listed as the leading scorer at the half-way mark in the season. There is now interest by the European club in another Vorkuta player, Jon Michael Perkins, a defender, sometimes midfielder. Perkins, 23, born in Kingston, Jamaica and now living in Bowmanville, Ontario, was a regular with the soccer team at St. Bonaventure University in New York State for four years before joining the CSL club.. Perkins has been listed twice in the U-17 and U-20 Jamaican National Team player pool.

Vorkuta’s management considers that following the explosion of youth registrations in Canadian soccer some years ago, following which the game became the most played team sport in the country, there are now many young talented players ready to take the first step into high level football if given the opportunity.

Canadian players in other countries has a beneficial effect with the federal government’s reciprocity policy which requires some reasonable balance of player movement between countries if they are to allow foreign players into Canada.

“ FC Vorkuta is proud to play a strong and constructive role in developing young Canadian soccer talent into future international soccer stars and the club’s approach to reciprocity between the Canadian club and clubs in Ukraine is some indication that there can now be an explosion of Canadian soccer talent being recognized internationally,” said FC Vorkuta owner Igor Demitchev.

GM Kiril Dimitrov of Scarborough has indicated an announcement will be made soon of a new coach in good time for the approach to the new season.

PICTURE: Enio Perruzza (left) received a special CSL Broadcaster Award in 2012

Enio Perruzza will always be known as one of Canada’s top announcers in sporting events but for many years he held a private but proud memory of playing a game in the Canadian Soccer League. It was on September 5, 1999 when one of the league’s top teams, the Toronto-based North York Astros, had three goalkeepers on the injured list and a hurried transaction at the league office provided a temporary permit allowing Perruzza to play in an important match at Dufferin Park in Thornhill, just north of the city. It was a disastrous CSL debut for the  sports announcer and commentator with the Astros losing 7-0 to Glen Shields Sun Devils. The amiable, always fun to be with Perruzza, entered the game as a substitute and did not concede all goals, nevertheless quickly returned to using his booming voice at the microphone, leaving the business of playing soccer to the players.

Enio Perruzza died on January 15 at the age of 54 after being admitted to hospital in York Region several times during the past two years for surgery and treatment of a heart condition.

While an avid fan of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and a follower of many sports, soccer was the Italian-born Perruzza’s favourite and his talent for detail and clarity that could often be heard outside a stadium, attracted attention during the summer of 1986 which led to an invitation to announce a Toronto Blizzard game on August 3 that year.  The appointment was the beginning of 34 years of announcing and commentary of more than 3,000 events.

In his itinerary were many visiting teams including Benfica, Red Star Belgrade, the Mexican under 20 side and the Italian military team, but he held a pride also in being invited to announce 18 Ontario Cup finals and the occasional appointment to provide colour commentary on television.

Perruzza was recognized for his work in Canadian soccer, including a special broadcaster award at the Canadian Soccer League’s annual awards banquet in 2012.

David Rumack, who often assisted at games and stepped in when Perruzza was double booked, knew Enio well and was saddened by the news of his passing. “ Enio was a natural behind the microphone. An amazing professional he was great to work with, often well dressed and wore a tie for his work. His always wide smile was quick to greet many special guests to the press box. We in the soccer community are going to miss Enio greatly,” he said

Dragan Bakoc, president of the Canadian Soccer League, paid tribute to Enio Perruzza: “Enio was very much a part of the CSL as a friend and colleague covering many games for a very long time. Enio was known for his happy personality and great sense of humour while being highly professional with his announcements. He was very much in our plans when games resume this year and I know he would be looking forward to that time. This is a sad time and Enio will be missed for a very long time in the future,” he said.

Similar sentiments were expressed by Cyndy De Thomasis of York Region Shooters, a team that engaged Perruzza to announce home games on a regular basis over many seasons: “We are very saddened by the news and I am quite shocked. Enio was well liked by everyone at the club, also the fans he often greeted as they arrived. The players enjoyed his careful pronunciation of their names and got to know Enio as ‘the voice of the CSL’, he was clear and loud and at times could still be heard during a microphone malfunction. But apart from all of that, Enio was a nice guy with a very pleasant personality, always positive. He’s going to be a big miss for us and the soccer community,” she said.

Enio Perruzza is survived by parents Crescenzo and Angela, sisters Rosanna (Joe) Cuzzolino and Maria (Paul) D’Aguanno. Enio was uncle of Julia (Mark), Ashley (Jonathan), Gian Paolo and Alessandro, loving great zio of Sarino and Lorena.

A private visitation and service has taken place. In lieu of flowers donations would be appreciated to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or the charity of choice.