Semi-pro soccer squad looks to make Saint-Laurent proud at Canadian Championship
Quebec semi-pro soccer team CS Saint-Laurent is set to face off against Toronto FC in the 2024 Canadian Championship in five days.
On one side will be a former Italian National team striker who makes $14 million per year. On the other side is a group of semi-pro players who juggle one or two jobs during the week on top of training.
It's a true David versus Goliath story.
Quebec semi-pro champions CS Saint-Laurent started the tournament with an upset, beating the Halifax Wanderers Thursday night.
It's the first time a Quebec semi-professional side has eliminated a professional team from the Canadian championship.
"It wasn't an easy game to play, but we got the job done, and we're super happy about it," said goalkeeper Konstantinos Maniatis.
After regulation, the two teams were tied 2-2, and the winner was decided in penalty kicks. Maniatis made a huge save, allowing Mamadou Kane to net the shootout win.
"It feels great, but I can't take all the credit because there's a lot of work behind the scenes that is done when it comes to the penalty shootout process," said Maniatis.
The semi-pro team didn't exist until two years ago. When general manager Mateo Cabanettes was building the team, he wanted men in their 20s who grew up playing for the local club.
"We have all those kids, talented kids, that we want to put on the front of the stage," he said.
The team doesn't even have its own field, playing most home games at Vanier College.
While players make some money, it's not enough to live off of. Most juggle one or two jobs on top of training four to five times a week.
"Everything we do and the way we operate is professional. So maybe our salaries don't reflect that, but our mentality certainly does," said Maniatis.
CS Saint-Laurent now faces Toronto FC in the quarterfinals.
The MLS team features star winger Lorenzo Insigne, who scored 96 goals in Italy's top division and played 54 matches for the Italian National team.
Cabanettes said Insigne's $14-million salary is 100 times Saint-Laurent's budget to manage its semi-pro team.
"So for us is it a bit like David against Goliath," said Cabanettes. "So weird. We're the little guy, of course, and we're going to do everything to be in their way and to play our football."
The team hopes that by achieving this stage, they'll open the door to more opportunities for Quebec players.
"This is for the young people coming up. And to see that it's possible that it could be done and that here in Quebec, when it comes to soccer, we should be respected," said Maniatis.
The first of two matches take place next Wednesday at the Claude Robillard Centre.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Milk sold in Canadian stores tested for avian flu: Results of 303 samples
As avian flu spreads south of the border, Canadian officials are now testing samples of milk sold in grocery stores across the country.
Ontario patients visiting emergency rooms out of fear being booted by family doctor
Ontario patients are now visiting emergency departments out of fear of being de-rostered from their doctor’s office – a loophole that results in hospitals dealing with non-urgent cases, and disrupts continuity of care paramount to family medicine, according to health-care experts.
Putin wants Ukraine ceasefire on current frontlines, Reuters sources say
Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to halt the war in Ukraine with a negotiated ceasefire that recognizes the current battlefield lines, four Russian sources told Reuters, saying he is prepared to fight on if Kyiv and the West do not respond.
Outdated rules and mounting losses: Can anything be done to fix Canada Post?
Canada Post needs drastic measures to staunch the fiscal bleeding and revamp its operations after a tough decade, experts say.
American Airlines retreats after blaming a 9-year-old for not seeing a hidden camera in a lavatory
American Airlines has distanced itself from a court filing in which the carrier said a nine-year-old girl should have noticed there was a camera taped to the seat of an airplane lavatory.
What is 'slapped cheek disease' and should parents be concerned?
Despite its rough name, experts say most cases of 'slapped cheek disease' are mild and not a cause for concern.
Trillions of cicadas are emerging in the U.S. Here's what they sound like
Two broods of periodical cicadas are emerging in the United States simultaneously for the first time since 1803. Here is what their deafening buzz sounds like.
Ontario mother denied boarding flight with her family after ticket mistake
A dream vacation for an Ontario family quickly turned to frustration when a mother’s name on a ticket didn’t match the name on her passport, meaning she was left behind while her husband and two children flew to France.
Competition Bureau probes alleged anticompetitive conduct by Loblaws, Sobeys owners
Canada's Competition Bureau has launched investigations into the parent companies of grocery chains Loblaws and Sobeys for alleged anticompetitive conduct, court documents reveal, with Sobeys' owner calling the inquiry 'unlawful.'