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
Board orders deportation for trucker in horrific Humboldt Broncos crash
The truck driver who caused the horrific bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team has been ordered to be deported.
Community mourns victims of fatal boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
The three people killed in last weekend's tragic collision between a speedboat and a fishing boat north of Kingston are being remembered Friday.
A woman took her dog to a shelter to be euthanized. A year later, the dog is up for adoption again
Exhausted and short on options after consulting two veterinary clinics, Kristie Pereira made the gut-wrenching decision last year to take her desperately ill puppy to a Maryland shelter to be euthanized.
Group tied to Islamic State plotted fatal Ontario restaurant shooting: Crown
A gunman who is accused of killing a young Ontario man and shooting four of his family members at their small Mississauga restaurant in 2021 was allegedly part of a trio who had pledged allegiance to the listed terrorist group Islamic State, a Crown attorney said in an opening statement in the Brampton murder trial this week.
'A really bad car crash': Why health experts are raising concerns over surging syphilis cases
A sexually transmitted infection (STI) that was once thought to be a thing of the past is now a public health priority for North American doctors.
Purolator truck drivers from Guelph, Ont. save man walking in Hwy. 407 lanes
A pair of Purolator transport truck drivers from Guelph, Ont. are being hailed as heroes for their efforts in helping a person in crisis.
Trudeau responds to American senators calling on Canada to increase defence spending
Stopping short of offering the assurance U.S. senators are seeking, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is aware there's more work to do in order to see Canada meet NATO's defence spending target.
Toddler dies after being struck by recycling truck in Barrie, Ont. neighbourhood
A toddler has died after being struck by a recycling truck in a Barrie, Ont. neighbourhood on Thursday afternoon.
Milk sold in Canadian grocery stores tested for avian influenza; results released
As avian flu spreads south of the border, Canadian officials are now testing samples of milk sold in grocery stores across the country.