The recent success of Canada’s National Soccer team reminds me of conversations I used to have with my dad when I was younger about why soccer is one of the greatest games on the planet.
I’m a fan of most sports, but soccer was king in my family. Most of my sisters and brothers played. My father played and coached St. John’s Minor Soccer for ten years. His house league team won the championship the last year he coached. It's poetic when you think about it.
Lawn Shamrocks
When I was young, my dad took me to senior Challenge Cup games at King George the V. It wasn’t the version with the nice seating after the field was remodelled. It was the old, hard wooden benches. It didn’t matter if it was rain or shine or how cold it was. My cold ass had to watch the game win or loss right to the end.
You cheered for the Lawn Shamrocks even though Holy Cross, or the Townie team, as the baymen put it was much better. Sometimes, he tormented the Shamrock fans by sitting behind them in the stands and cheering for Holy Cross. He always laughed when Shamrock fans told him to sit elsewhere if he was rooting for the enemy. Watching teams around the bay earn their bragging rights when they won battles over the townie teams was fun.
Labrador Cup
In Labrador, coastal and mainland rivalries were always present when they competed for the Labrador Cup, a massive indoor soccer tournament at the E.J. Bloomfield Arena. As a young journalist in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, I covered the Labrador Cup for the now-defunct Labradorian newspaper. The annual tournament is well over 30 years old, and it was started by a British Royal Air Force member stationed at 5-Wing, Goose Bay, the CFB military base in the town.
The cup tournament was a big draw for central and coastal communities every June. Teams from Hopedale, Makkovik, Rigolet, Lab City, St. John’s, and the Burin Peninsula, the province's soccer capital, participated—another example in Newfoundland and Labrador of how the game brought communities together.
Organized Soccer in Newfoundland
The Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer Association has been the governing body for soccer on the Rock. The association has men's and women's teams. The premier or senior men's teams play for the Challenge Cup Championship, and the women's teams play for the Jubilee Championship.
Provincial Championships
Since 1950, the Newfoundland and Labrador Challenge Cup has been the premier soccer men’s championship. The competition is held annually, with Holy Cross FC and the St. Lawrence Laurentians winning most of those championships: Holy Cross 22 and St. Lawrence 29. Throughout the tournament's history, the most recent senior men’s team to win the Challenge Cup was the Feildians AA, the 2023 champs.
National Level
In 1988, the Holy Cross FC Men's team won the national title and was runners-up in 1989. In 2019, the province had three Newfoundland teams compete at the Soccer Toyota National Championship.
The Holy Cross Nutra Holdings Jubilee women’s team won the Jubilee Trophy’s national gold medal several times. The team has dominated provincial tournaments and represented the province nationally many times.
Success
The national men’s team's loss to Argentina at the International Copa America earlier this month might be seen as a setback. Still, it’s the second year in a row that Canada has reached heights in soccer that it has never before achieved.
Their historical run began in 2021 when the team earned 13 wins, two ties and four losses. They started the year ranked 72nd overall, but their rise to number 40 came after impressive wins over Mexico and Costa Rica, which qualified them for the World Cup. Their win against Mexico and 4-0 shutout of Jamaica qualified them for the World Cup, which ended with losses to Belgium, Croatia and Morocco. However, the team rebounded in 2023 by appearing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2023 and the Copa America Final in 2024. In 2026, Canada, the United States and Mexico will host the World Cup.
Soccers Appeal
Soccer is a simple and affordable game. The rules are easy to understand, and the equipment is minimal. All you need is a uniform, soccer cleats, and shin guards; everything else is just a ball and a big field to play on.
I am confident that similar stories exist in small towns and cities across Canada about how the game has brought communities together.
It’s mainly because soccer's universal appeal transcends national, cultural, and socio-economic boundaries. Whether you watch it on TV from your armchair, it is a local, regional and global experience. If you can witness it live, you are a fortunate soul.
Soccer has become part of the cultural fabric in some parts of the world. We can only hope the game continues to grow in Newfoundland, Labrador. So, if you are looking for an affordable sport for your kids sign them up for minor soccer. Go see a senior men's or women’s Challenge Cup or Jubilee Championship. Support your local teams!
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