“Julian
De Guzman and
Friends Celebrity
Challenge Charity”
Canada soccer program is picking up momentum
at the right time since the Women U-20 last
week has just defeated USA to win the
CONCACAF tournament and the just concluded
“Julian De Guzman and Friends” Celebrity
Challenge Charity” soccer game held at
Birchmount Stadium in Scarborough Ontario
was well received by the fans in attendance.
The “Julian De Guzman and Friends Celebrity
Challenge Charity” soccer game was presented
by the Annual Robbie Tournament and
sponsored by UMBRO Canada and coordinated by
Kudos Management.
The Celebrity game was reintroduced to allow
the fans to see live some of the players
that they usually see on television. The
Charity game was also geared towards raising
funds for the Cystic Fibrosis foundation and
this year's tournament raised $50,000 for
the foundation.
The
two teams of the Celebrity Challenge were
well balanced and were lead by members of
the Canadian National team with Julian De
Guzman in charge of the Celebrity team
(Whites) and Paul Stalteri in control of the
Inter national team in blue team.
The game started slowly but picked up in
tempo as the Blue team took the lead on
penalty kick which held up until Jonathan De
Guzman worked his magic and equalized early
in the second half in what turned out to be
a see saw battle of some of the best bunch
of talent ever assembled in Canada for a fun
game.
As the game progressed the players were
determined not to over play their options
but with the ability of their opposition
each team had to do extra running to create
space to avoid any serious tackling.
However
soccer is a contact sport and as the
Celebrity team began to take control of the
game Jonathan De Guzman was fouled in the 18
yard box and goalkeeper Brian Bowes was
summons to the spot to take the kick. Bowes
converted the penalty to give the Celebrity
team a 2-1 lead and the edge.
Then
with time running out the elusive Desmond
Humphreys of the blue International team
salad his defender and slotted home the
tying goal from a give and go combination
that broke down the Celebrity (Whites)
defense, leaving goalkeeper Bowes stranded.
With the
game tied at two apiece at the end of
regulation time the teams went straight into
penalty kicks and goalkeeper Brian Bowes
stepped up his game in net to give the
Celebrity team the win.
The Celebrity
was a treat for me because I got to see Brad
Parker a lad I use to tease in the gym on
Saturday mornings when he must have been
around the age of 12.
The game also
gave me the opportunity to meet Jonathan De
Guzman and vice visa since he admitted he
was mystified with the person/s behind
caribbeanstars.com
National
players Atiba Hutchinson and Paul Stalteri
on the blue team look quick and sharp in the
game and I am sure that they must have
appreciated the run and the welcome change
of pace from what is going to be a tough
World Cup qualifying round ahead for Canada.
Missing were
Dwayne De Rosario and Adrian Serioux of
Scarborough who also happens to be starters
on the Canadian team but due to their busy
MLS schedule with the Houston Dynamo and
Dallas Stars respectively they were unable
to participate in the game.
The quality of players are to numerous to
mention so at this point I think you may
have to take a look at the two team
Celebrity team (White): Julian
De Guzman, (Canada National & MVP of
Deportivo), J. Sharman (Footy Show Host)
Ainsley Romany (Orlando Sharks) Daniel
Fernandes (Producer Soccer Central) Mathew
Scianitti (Editor of Soccer 360) Lyndon
Hooper (Former Canadian International) C.
Handsor (MISL) (N. Gionatti (U-19 HIBS
SCOTLAND) A. Stewart (NHL Florida Panthers)
R. Titus (Former TO Lynx) A. De Blasis (TLN
television commentator) J. De Guzman (
Holland) D. Boucher- (Canadian Boxer) B.
BOWES (CSL) P. Haddad
The
Inter national team (Blue): was lead by
P. Stalteri (Canada captain) T. Kouzmanis
(Former Canadian International) D. Pottinger
(Orlando Sharks) M. Vonella (Umbro Rep) W.
Giummarra (Soccer Freestyle) B. Parker
(Former Canadian Int’l and
Feyennord of Holland youth system) A.
Hutchinson (Denmark & Canada) J. Phillips
(GS United) T. Micallef (The Score Tonight
host) R. Dummit (GS United) D. Humphreys (
Canada Futsal National Team) S. Seixeiro
(The Score Tonight host) T. Zagar (Former
Toronto Lynx). Coach J. Bent
Canada will be facing Jamaica at home in
Toronto in the first game of Group 2 on
August 20 at BMO Field and there is no doubt
in my mind that the stands at BMO on that
day will be a carnival like clash of colours
in a festive atmosphere. The Canada-Jamaica
opening game should be a close game
providing the Reggae Boyz enters BMO Field
with the right mind set due to the explosive
abilities of Canada’s midfielder and
strikers.
The return leg of the first game against
Jamaica will be played on 19 November in
Kingston (Jamaica). Canada will play
Honduras on September 6 in Montréal, QC, and
Mexico on October 15 in Edmonton, AB.
Tickets to the Toronto match will be
available through Ticket master (ticketmaster.ca
or 416.872.5000)
while tickets to the Montréal match
will be available through Admission (admission.com
or 514.790.1245). Tickets for the first two
matches go on sale this 14 July.
The
two teams of the Celebrity Challenge were
well balanced and were lead by members of
the Canadian National team with Julian De
Guzman in charge of the Celebrity team
(Whites) and Paul Stalteri in control of the
Inter national team in blue team.
The
Inter national team (Blue): was lead by
P. Stalteri (Canada captain) T. Kouzmanis
(Former Canadian International) D. Pottinger
(Orlando Sharks) M. Vonella (Umbro Rep) W.
Giummarra (Soccer Freestyle) B. Parker
(Former Canadian Int’l
