It was a pleasure to have contributed play-by-play commentary on Canadian Premier League (CPL) and Canadian Championship matches for OneSoccer once again during the 2022 season. The CPL continues to be an entertaining product and provides opportunities for Canadian players, coaches and officials to be showcased in a top domestic league. As evidenced by the big crowds that attended playoff semifinal matches in Hamilton and Ottawa this past weekend, the league continues to attract new fans and, with the entry of an expansion team in the Greater Vancouver area in 2023, a new untapped fan base will join the eight markets already established in the league.
Chronicling the many storylines that play out on the pitches every week, the OneSoccer streaming service is now established as the primary source of soccer news and information in Canada with live game coverage, pre- and post-game studio analysis and twice weekly discussions on football in Canada and around the world, as well as regular features, profiles and player interviews. I’m fortunate to work alongside a team of respected Canadian soccer broadcasters like Andi Petrillo, Gareth Wheeler, Oliver Platt and Adam Jenkins, with regular contributions from notable personalities like Kristian Jack, Jimmy Brennan, Terry Dunfield and Iain Hume.
I’m positive the investment that Mediapro Canada has made in the sport will continue to reap benefits as more and more people are drawn to the CPL and, by extension, the Canadian Championship and the Concacaf Champions League. As new technologies and innovations are introduced into the broadcasts, soccer viewing in Canada will become as engaging and immersive as in many other parts of the world.
Having watched and covered Canadian soccer as a broadcast journalist for over 35 years, it’s rewarding to finally see the many milestones our Canadian men’s and women’s teams have achieved in the sport on a national and international level.
Once the CPL season winds down with the Championship final this weekend, attention will immediately turn to our Canadian National Men’s Team and their appearance at the World Cup next month. The simple fact that we’ll be competing on a stage with the 32 top nations in the world is reason enough to celebrate but, those of us who have been following the sport closely know Canada, as regional champions, will give a good account of itself in Qatar.
Hopefully that experience will create momentum in our sport that will carry over into widespread interest in domestic competitions in 2023 and beyond.
ADB Creative Consulting 