Ottawa Intrepid was a professional soccer team based in Ottawa, Ontario that competed in the original Canadian Soccer League . They were founded as the National Capital Pioneers (also spelled National Capitals Pioneers ) and played in Aylmer, Quebec in 1987, before being re-structured for 1988 as the Ottawa Intrepid and moving to Ottawa.
45-654: The club was an original member of the original Canadian Soccer League founded in 1987, under the ownership of local businessman Earl Himes. In their inaugural season they were known as the National Capital Pioneers. The Pioneers played their home games in 1987 across the Ottawa river at Aydelu Park in Aylmer, Quebec . With the CSL adopting the playing rules of FIFA in which games must be played on natural grass,
90-438: A 125-page report by McLaren Global Sport Solution, commissioned by Canada Soccer, concluded that Canada Soccer mishandled sexual harassment allegations in 2008 against then Canada U-20 women's soccer coach Bob Birarda, who was later found guilty of three counts of sexual assault . It said Canada Soccer was "described by many as being dysfunctional and inefficient" in 2007 and 2008, and concluded among other things that "harassment
135-783: A fully professional Canadian-only league, the Canadian Professional Soccer League was formed, but it failed to last a full season before disbanding. Following the folding of the NASL, the Canadian Soccer Association created the Canadian Soccer League (CSL). It was the CSA's second attempt at a national professional league, following the failed CPSL in 1983. The CSL was formed in the aftermath of Canada 's participation in
180-465: A leap in credibility when an agreement was reached with TSN to broadcast a CSL Game of the Week , allowing a nationwide audience to view a game on domestic cable TV each Sunday evening. Broadcasts featured play-by-play commentator Vic Rauter and analyst Graham Leggat . The league received sponsorship from companies such as Gatorade , Gillette , Chrysler , Molson , and Umbro , among others. Also
225-481: A longstanding practice of major Canadian sports franchises competing in American leagues. CSA does not have a sanctioned second-division men's soccer league; however, they do have a third-division sanctioned league: League1 Canada which was founded in 2022. League1 Canada is contested by clubs from four divisions; these are Ligue1 Québec , League1 Ontario , League1 British Columbia , and League1 Alberta for both
270-460: A low of 6 clubs. Some clubs involved in the league, such as the Vancouver 86ers and Toronto Blizzard , existed prior to the formation of the CSL and would go on to play in other leagues after the CSL's demise in following the 1992 season. Clubs participating in the CSL throughout its six years of existence included: Twenty-six players from the Canadian Soccer League have since been inducted in
315-508: A new Canadian professional league, the Canadian Premier League was launched, serving as the country's first national professional league since the end of the CSL. The Canadian Soccer League showcased 13 teams throughout its six-year history, debuting in 1987 with 8 clubs. The league reached its peak of club participation and national exposure in the 1990 season with 11 clubs, while closing out its final season in 1992 with
360-589: A new Canadian women's professional league which will start play in April 2025. Matheson and Project 8 Sports Inc. are leading this effort while Sinclair is involved in an advisory role. Six teams are expected to play the inaugural season of the Northern Super League . Halifax Tides FC, AFC Toronto, Calgary Wild FC, Montreal Roses, Ottawa Rapid and Vancouver Rise are expected to take the field in 2025. In July 2022, an independent review summarized in
405-577: Is a non-profit organization governed by a board of directors consisting of 14 directors: a President, Vice President, six elected directors, and six appointed or independent directors. Each of the six elected directors is elected from one of six geographic regions. The board must include at least three men and three women. Canada Soccer is administered by the General Secretariat, which is led by general secretary Peter Montopoli and deputy general secretary Earl Cochrane. The general secretary
450-630: Is awarded the Voyageurs Cup and a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup . Canada's best performance in the CONCACAF Champions Cup came in the 2014–15 competition, when Montreal Impact reached the finals. Toronto FC also reached the final in 2018 where they fell in penalties to C.D. Guadalajara . As of 2023, Canada does not have a professional women's league . The CSA previously had an affiliation with
495-587: Is the chief executive of Soccer Canada, and is appointed by the board of directors. Canada Soccer is a member of the worldwide soccer body FIFA and the North American soccer body CONCACAF and also has a relationship with the International Olympic Committee . Canada Soccer's objectives, as described in its by-laws, are to: The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at
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#1732801101114540-481: Is to "bring our players home." In its first season the league had 138 Canadian players across its eight teams and most of the players from Canada’s 1986 World Cup squad joined the league. Learning from the CPSL failure, the organizers attempted to lay the foundation more successfully, with several teams coming from existing franchises in the provincial leagues, including a team salary limit of $ 300,000 for players. In
585-430: The 1986 CONCACAF U-20 Tournament to qualify for the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship , and winning the 1996 CONCACAF U-20 Tournament to qualify for the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship . The women's youth team most significant achievements are winning the 2004 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, winning the 2008 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship to qualify for the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup , and winning
630-458: The 1986 World Cup finals tournament held in Mexico, for which Canada was an oddity as a country whose association was able to qualify a team despite not having a domestic professional league, or even a domestically based professional team with the demise in 1984 of the U.S.-based North American Soccer League . Founding league commissioner Dale Barnes voiced sentiment aptly when he said the league
675-506: The 2010 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship to qualify for the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup . Canada Soccer Association oversees and promotes the development of many youth national teams: Despite a long history of professional soccer in the country, Canada have struggled to build and sustain domestic soccer leagues. They have gone through many different iterations, finally landing on the Canadian Premier League that
720-540: The 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup . The Canadian team also won a gold medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics . The women's national soccer team has played at the FIFA Women's World Cup on eight occasions (missing only the inaugural 1991 edition), most recently in 2023 . The team reached international prominence at the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup , losing in the third place match to the United States . Canada hosted
765-623: The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup , and reached the quarterfinals. The team has played at the CONCACAF W Championship on ten occasions, most recently in 2022 . It hosted the tournament in 1994 and 1998 . Canada has played at the Summer Olympics on four occasions, most recently at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where they were crowned champions for the very first time. The men's youth team most significant achievements are winning
810-623: The Canada Soccer Hall of Fame . From that group, 11 honoured members made their professional debuts in the Canadian Soccer League. Canadian Soccer Association The Canadian Soccer Association ( French : Association canadienne de soccer ; branded as Canada Soccer ) is the governing body for soccer in Canada . Headquartered in Ottawa , Ontario , the federation is a full member of FIFA and governs Canadian soccer at
855-721: The Canadian Premier League began play in 2019. Professional soccer existed in multiple form in Canada in the decades prior to the formation of the CSL. In 1926, the National Soccer League was formed in Canada, which evolved into the modern edition of the Canadian Soccer League , but was more of a semi-professional nature. From 1960 to 1961, the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League (ECPSL) operated in
900-612: The FIFA World Cup on two occasions, in 1986 , and 2022 . They have yet to make it through to the knockout stages. By qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup , Canada ended a 36-year drought. Canada with Mexico and the United States will jointly host the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the first 48-team event. Canada have played at the CONCACAF Gold Cup on eighteen occasions, most recently in 2021 . They co-hosted
945-480: The Hamilton Steelers in a 1–1 draw, in a steady drizzle, in front 2,500 spectators. That season they finished with a 7–9–4 record, placing second in the CSL's Eastern Division with 23 points. The Pioneers hosted the 3rd place Toronto Blizzard in the 1987 CSL Eastern Semi-Final and lost a 2–1 decision to the visitors at Aydelu Park. The Pioneers were managed into bankruptcy in their inaugural season, but
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#1732801101114990-502: The National Capital Pioneers and the Hamilton Steelers and finished in a 1–1 draw, in a steady drizzle, in front 2,500 spectators. That season, Hamilton won their division both in the regular season and in the playoffs, as did Calgary. The final saw the top point-getting team in the regular season, Calgary, defeat the second-best side, Hamilton, 2–1 at home in a winner take all one game final. The league gained
1035-513: The Nova Scotia Clippers . Financial instability was common with many teams folding during the years. Only four clubs - Vancouver, North York, Toronto, and Winnipeg - participated in all six seasons. In early 1991, league commissioner Dale Barnes retired before the start of the 1991 season, with Hamilton Steelers owner Mario DiBartolomeo becoming the interim league president. The next year, Montreal Supra owner Frank Aliaga being named
1080-749: The Canadian Soccer Association in 1971. Canada Soccer has hosted several global soccer tournaments, including the 1976 Olympic football tournament , the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup , and will co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup along with Mexico and United States. The association has also hosted the FIFA U-20 World Cup ( 2007 ), the FIFA U-16 World Championship ( 1987 ), and the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup ( 2002 , 2014 ). Canada Soccer
1125-612: The Division 1 league by the USSF. Vancouver cited financial stability and higher growth prospects with the league expected by some to become the USSF's Division 1 league as required by FIFA when awarded the United States the 1994 World Cup. Even with the Vancouver defection to the United States, the CSL planned to have seven clubs for the 1993 season as of mid-December 1992 including a Burnaby , B.C.-based team; however, opposition from
1170-792: The North American Soccer League years. As of 2014, after the 1986 World Cup, players from the CSL cohort have still progressed the furthest in World Cup Qualifying and formed the veteran core of the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup winning squad. Following the demise of the CSL, Canadian professional teams such as the Montreal Impact , Vancouver Whitecaps , and Toronto Lynx continued to play in US-based professional leagues, with later teams such as Toronto FC and Ottawa Fury FC forming as well. In 2019,
1215-623: The Pioneers were forced to play in Alymer since Lansdowne Park , a much larger CFL football stadium in the city of Ottawa, had artificial surface which forced the club to seek a playing surface in Aylmer, QC for the 1987 season. Aylmer offered the club 51% of the park plus concession rights for the ability to have a club in the national league play in the city. The Pioneers hosted the league's inaugural match on June 7, 1987, in Aylmer, Quebec against
1260-483: The U.S.-based National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) where some Canada women's national soccer team players were assigned to NWSL clubs. This affiliation ended after the 2021 season when the allocation system was abolished, although many Canadians continue to play in the American league. In 2022, former national team player Diana Matheson and then national team captain Christine Sinclair announced
1305-646: The Vancouver 86ers stymied this ownership's efforts. However, the Toronto Blizzard and Montreal Supra had also planned to join the APSL, although it was not able to meet the financial requirements for the league and instead a new club, Montreal Impact formed and joined the APSL. Meanwhile, Winnipeg and North York joined the Canadian National Soccer League . When the dust cleared, there were not six Canadian professional teams,
1350-676: The Vancouver 86ers' owner was the only team to fully pay league dues during the final season and had injected $ 65,000 for the London Lasers to finish the season, and paid playoff travel and accommodation expenses for the Toronto Blizzard. On October 6, 1992, the day of the CSL final, it was announced that Vancouver joined the APSL , a league trying to show the USSF it had the wherewithal, new higher standards for 1993 (financial capitalization, salary budget, $ 1 million operating budget, front office, coaching, market size etc.), to be chosen as
1395-665: The club was re-structured and renamed as the Ottawa Intrepid. They moved into Terry Fox Stadium in Ottawa for the 1988 season, which seated approximately 2000 spectators. In 1988, the Intrepid finished the season with an 8–11–9 record, finishing 4th in the CSL Eastern Division, failing to qualify for the playoffs. For the 1989 season, the club brought in national team player Paul James as the club's player-coach signed US national team forward Ted Eck who led
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1440-668: The country, at times attracting crowds of around 10,000 spectators. From 1968 to 1984, the US-based North American Soccer League (NASL), a top division professional league, contained two Canadian teams at its inception (the Toronto Falcons and Vancouver Royals ), rising to five Canadian teams at the time of its folding - the Calgary Boomers , Edmonton Drillers , Montréal Manic , Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto Blizzard . In 1983,
1485-477: The international, professional, and amateur levels, including: the men's and women's national teams, Canadian Premier League , youth organizations, beach soccer , futsal , Paralympic and deaf national teams. The Canadian Soccer Association also administers and operates the Canadian Championship . The Dominion of Canada Football Association , today known as the Canadian Soccer Association,
1530-488: The league adopted the standard FIFA points system (2–1–0, then 3–1–0) as well as allowing for draws instead of 'Americanizing' the points system with bonus points and two different categories for both wins and losses unlike the NASL or the APSL which was to follow. Over the course of the league's six seasons, various teams joined the league including Montreal Supra , Victoria Vistas , London Lasers , Kitchener Spirit , and
1575-484: The league in scoring with 21 goals. The club finished with a 7–11–8 record, once again finishing fourth in the Eastern Division and missing the playoffs. In 1990, Drew Ferguson and Ted Morawski became the team's coaches. The club finished with a 2–15–9 record, finishing in sixth. The club ceased operations following the season, marking the end of professional soccer in the city until 2014 when Ottawa Fury FC
1620-600: The league's inaugural season, eight teams were divided into two divisions. The East Division consisted of National Capital Pioneers , Hamilton Steelers , Toronto Blizzard , and the North York Rockets . The West Division comprised the Calgary Kickers , Edmonton Brick Men , Vancouver 86ers , and the Winnipeg Fury . The league's inaugural match took place on June 7, 1987 in Aylmer, Quebec between
1665-537: The men's and women's divisions. In 2022, Toronto FC II and Whitecaps FC 2 began play in MLS Next Pro , a USSF-sanctioned third-division league. At the professional level, Canada's domestic cup is the Canadian Championship . Founded in 2008, the Canadian Championship is an annual tournament contested by Canadian professional teams and the champions of each League1 Canada division. The winner
1710-422: The minimum for a league, that survived in any form for the 1993 season, and the league officially folded, bringing an end to the first truly national Canadian league to finish a season. This was a major blow for the Canadian Soccer Association and Canadian soccer, as the CSL had been enormously successful in providing Canadian players with a higher level of competition than had been available at any other time than
1755-401: The new league president. The Vancouver 86ers became the dominant team in the league, winning the four consecutive league titles from 1988 to 1991. In 1992, the Winnipeg Fury ended Vancouver's run, winning the final MITA Cup, before the league folded. The league and its franchises struggled with financial issues throughout its tenure. After the 1991 season, four franchises folded, which
1800-401: The senior men's level. Their most significant achievements are winning the 1985 CONCACAF Championship to qualify for the 1986 FIFA World Cup , winning the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup to qualify for the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup . A Canadian club team also won a gold medal in the 1904 Summer Olympics . The men's national soccer team have played at
1845-457: The tournament in 2015 , where they finished 4th in their group, and did not advance to the knockout stage. The Canada women's national soccer team represents Canada in international women's soccer competitions at the senior women's level. Its most significant achievements are winning the 1998 CONCACAF Women's Championship to qualify for the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup , and winning the 2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying to qualify for
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1890-676: Was founded in Winnipeg , Manitoba in July 1912. The organization joined FIFA on December 31, 1912. On June 21, 1926, the DCFA resigned from FIFA, only to rejoin on June 20, 1948. The governing body of the game retained that name until it was changed to The Football Association of Canada on June 6, 1952. The association later changed its name to the Canadian Soccer Football Association in 1958 and then at last to
1935-630: Was founded in 2019. The Canadian Premier League (CPL) is the top division of soccer in Canada. It is the only fully professional, and only fully national league in the system. Founded in 2019, the CPL is composed of eight teams and is sanctioned by the CSA. There are also three Canadian teams which play in Major League Soccer , the first-division league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation , reflecting
1980-399: Was founded. as National Capital Pioneers as Ottawa Intrepid Canadian Soccer League (1987%E2%80%931992) The Canadian Soccer League was a Division 1 professional soccer league that operated for six seasons between 1987 and 1992. It was a nationwide league that had teams in six provinces over the course of its history. It was the last top-division league in Canada until
2025-420: Was the start of the end of the league. The financial picture did not improve during the season, and with dysfunction about the most sustainable path for professional soccer, concerns about club stability – declining attendance and red ink continuing to mount in most markets, the resignation of Canadian soccer advocates such as Mario DiBartolomeo, Frank Aliaga, and Karsten von Wersebe. Vancouver media reported that
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