Friday, November 9 ~ VICTORIA.
by Mary P Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
This week the professional soccer dreams of over 225 young men were tested on the Finnerty sports field at UVic. Amateur soccer players mostly ages 18 to 24 came out from across the island, across Canada and beyond for the two-day #GotGame Canadian Professional League (CPL) open trials held November 5 and 6.
The event was hosted by Pacific FC in Victoria, as the wrap-up of a seven-city process to seek out the best aspiring pro soccer players across Canada.
Players were seeking a spot in one of the seven CPL teams of the new pro soccer league. The series of trials held across Canada since September wrapped up with the Victoria-based Vancouver Island tryouts.
Pacific FC games starting April 2019 will be held at the Westhills Stadium in Langford. On-field training there has been active through summer and fall, with signed players to begin training by March 2019.
Series tickets are already on sale. Team gear by Macron was already being worn by coaches on the field during the trials.
Attending the two-day trials were Pacific FC President Josh Simpson, Pacific FC CEO Rob Friend, Pacific FC coach Michael Silberbauer, Pacific FC assistant coach James Merriman, and former Canada Men’s National Team star and Canada Soccer Hall of Fame member Alex Bunbury as trials leader.
[More on page 1 in the November 9 weekend edition of West Shore Voice News]