It has been nearly three decades since Croatia SC has anticipated as big a Thanksgiving weekend as this one coming up.
The East Vancouver men’s soccer club plays its first game today in Vaughan, Ont. to represent British Columbia at the Canadian Soccer Association's National Club Championships. Last spring, Croatia SC earned their berth in this year's Challenge Trophy tournament by upsetting defending champions Surrey United Firefighters 1-0 in the B.C. Provincial Cup final at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex.
Unlike most of their provincial counterparts from across Canada, Croatia SC has had to wait nearly five months to compete for a national title since they qualified. For head coach Tony Francisco and his side, they time has been filed with preparation on the soccer pitch and off of it with plenty of fundraising.
"We got a few different players, but the chemistry is still the same as last year," said Francisco. "We trained for about a month and a half to two months before the season started, with a few exhibition games."
Part of Croatia SC's preparation was embarking on their 2014-15 Premier Division campaign in the Vancouver Metro Soccer League last month. Despite a win, a draw, and two defeats to start the new season, Francisco does not think his team's early league results will affect their performances at nationals.
"As a team, we're still trying to get blended in with each other and get a good feeling," he said. "A lot of the guys that are going to the nationals have not played in the league, so it will be a little bit of a different team from the guys that have played this season, but I think we're okay. We're confident."
As they prepare to take on the country's best men's amateur soccer teams, the select edition of Croatia SC represents a club that has been part of the city’s soccer scene for more than half a century. Founded in 1961 by community organizer Djuro Djurkovic, Croatia SC claimed its first Provincial Cup title in 1970.
Yet, for those closest to the club, the dynasty years of the mid-1980s are what live long in the memory. In 1985 and 1986, Croatia SC went on an unbeaten run of 54 consecutive wins. It was in 1985 when the club followed its second Provincial Cup title with its first and only Canadian championship crown when the side defeated Montreal Elio Blues 3-0 in the Challenge Trophy final in Edmonton, Alta.
The 1985 triumph was a special moment for Rudi Gasparac, who was in his first season with the club as an 18-year-old midfielder.
"I remember really lousy weather in Edmonton and a very partisan crowd in the semifinals when we played Edmonton Ital-Canadians," Gasparac said. "They had a bunch of semi-pro guys that played there and they were the favourites coming into it all.”
To qualify for the championship final, Croatia SC was leading 1-0 when he was issued a red card in the 58th minute, leaving his side with 10 men. The Edmonton hosts scored to draw even before Croatia scored the go-ahead goal. But what no one forgets is the first goal of the game.
“Our goalkeeper Brian Kennedy punched the ball out at the top of our 18-yard box, and on the hard ground, the wind took it down the field, where their keeper came out of his goal,” said Gasparac. “The ball went over his head and in for the winning goal. It was a very tense game — at times controversial — but that game stands out, even after 29 years."
An Edmonton Journal sportswriter called it “the flukiest of goals” in a story headlined “Ital bounced by bizarre goal.”
Croatia SC's 2014 quest to win a second Challenge Trophy title begins with two matches versus Atlantic Canada opposition. Drawn in Group B, they start their tournament versus New Brunswick's Fredericton Picaroons on Oct. 5 before taking on Nova Scotia champions Dartmouth United Golden Goal on Oct. 7. Depending on their group results, Croatia SC will play three more games at nationals over the weekend and potentially on Thanksgiving Monday.
The Canadian club championship will not only bring challenging opposition, but also a test of endurance for Francisco's squad. "Tournaments are always tough when you're playing five games in six days. It's necessary to have a big squad," he said.
"We've got 18 guys going and I would like to try and rotate them as much as I can to keep them fresh, but obviously, it all depends on how the games go. If they're tough, I may have to stick with the starting line-up."
Former Canadian U-19 and Vancouver Whitecaps FC striker Johnny Sulentic will captain Croatia SC at nationals. Fully aware of the success of the 1985 squad, the 34-year-old is determined to add a new chapter to the club's rich history.
"We want to bring that legacy back and have our own legacy of 2014 and let people 30 years from now talk about the 2014 team," said Sulentic.
— With reporting from Megan Stewart.
Simon Fudge has covered the beautiful game in Canada and the United Kingdom for print, web and radio. A gift of family inheritance, he supports Bristol City FC. Reach him at [email protected].
