Toronto Croatia
1478552
225650194
2008-07-14T19:01:09Z
99.249.177.77
{{Football club infobox |
clubname = Toronto Croatia |
image = [[Image:Torontocroatia.gif]]|
fullname = Toronto Croatia |
nickname = The Croats |
founded = 1956 |
ground = [[Hershey Centre]] |
capacity = |
chairman = [[Josip Cvitanović]] |
manager = [[Tom Granic]] |
league = [[Canadian Soccer League (current)|Canadian Soccer League]] |
season = [[2007]] |
position = 2nd, Champions |
pattern_la1= |pattern_b1= |pattern_ra1= |
leftarm1=DD0000|body1= DD0000|rightarm1= DD0000|shorts1=ffffff|socks1= 003399|
pattern_la2= |pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2= |
leftarm2= 003399|body2= 003399|rightarm2= 003399|shorts2= 003399|socks2= 003399|
}}
'''Toronto Croatia''' (Croatian National Sports Club Toronto Croatia) are a Canadian [[soccer]] team, founded in [[1956]]. The team is a member of the [[Canadian Soccer League (current)|Canadian Soccer League]], the highest professional Canadian soccer league, and play in the International Division. Toronto Croatia are the current champions of the [[Canadian Soccer League]].
The Croatians currently play their home games at the [[Hershey Centre]] in the city of [[Mississauga, Ontario]], around 20 kilometres west of downtown [[Toronto]]. The team's colours are red, white and blue, similar to those of the [[Croatian national football team]]. The club's identification with its Croatian roots remains strong to this day. It is a regular participant in the [[Croatian-North American Soccer Tournament]].
==History==
The team has had a very storied history, considering it was formed by such a small diaspora group. The team played in the [[Canadian National Soccer League|National Soccer League]] until [[1975]] when they purchased the [[Toronto Metros]] of the [[North American Soccer League]] to form [[Toronto Metros-Croatia]]. During this period the team attracted many soccer stars, such as Portuguese superstar [[Eusébio]], and were successful enough that they won [[Soccer Bowl]] '76 -- a 3-0 win over the [[Minnesota Kicks]] -- at the [[Kingdome]] in [[Seattle]].
However, the [[North American Soccer League|NASL]] was never comfortable with the [[Croatia]] link (an obvious [[ethnic]] connection), and in [[1978]], the team was bought out, leaving the [[Toronto Blizzard]] in the NASL, while Toronto Croatia returned to the NSL. In [[1994]], Toronto Croatia joined the [[Canadian International Soccer League]]. In [[1997]], a new league was formed, the [[Canadian Soccer League (current)|Canadian Professional Soccer League]], which Toronto Croatia joined in 1998. The club's successes despite the instabilities it found in each of the leagues in which it has played is a testament to what a small ethnic group could accomplish in [[North America]]n sport.
In [[2006]], the club celebrated its 50th anniversary. To commemorate this, the team went on a tour of [[Croatia]] and [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]. Toronto Croatia played the [[Dinamo Zagreb]] B team at [[Maksimir Stadium]] before the [[Croatian Supercup]], [[NK Široki Brijeg]] and [[NK Primorac Biograd]].
In [[2007]], Toronto Croatia participated in the first ever [[Croatian World Club Championship]] in which clubs from the Croatian diaspora compete against each other. The club emerged as the victor of the first tournament with a 3 - 1 win over [[Canberra Croatia]] in the final. The team was awarded the championship trophy by [[Croatian Football Federation]] president [[Vlatko Marković]]. Toronto Croatia capped off its remarkable year with a 4-1 total goals aggregate victory over the [[Serbian White Eagles]] to claim the Canadian Soccer League title.
[[Toronto Croatia]] and other teams of the CSL will not be competing in the new [[Canadian Championship]] being used to determine a national champion of Canada and to decide the nation's representitive in the [[CONCACAF Champions League]].
==Supporters==
The Toronto Croatia fan base is mostly made up of people from the local Croatian community of the [[Greater Toronto Area]]. This fan base is made up of both Croatian and Canadian-born [[Croat]]s. The club is highly regarded amongst the Croatian community across North America. This respect was particularly garnered during its North American Soccer League days. The club's storied history is a symbol of pride for the Croatian community in Canada.
Its fans appear in several highly rated videos on [[Youtube]]; in particular, the battles involving the rival [[Serbian White Eagles]]. These videos are viewed by Croatian-Canadian soccer fans including Croats as far as [[Croatia]] and throughout the worldwide [[Croatian diaspora]].
==Secondary Roles of the Club==
===Social===
The club has and continues to play an important social role for the local Croatian community. Post [[World War II]] migration to Canada changed the [[demographic]] make-up of the country. Croatians along with other European [[migrants]] entered a society that was at the time quite unwelcoming to these new arrivals. Soccer clubs were formed based around ethnic communities. Toronto Croatia became a focal point for the local Croatian community, as it was just as much a social club as a soccer club. It provided Croatians with a place to gather where they could feel comfortable in their new home. A place where they could associate with their own and speak their [[mother tongue]]. The club allowed for the preservation and celebration of Croatian identity, tradition, culture and language, as well as promoting it to others. The club continues to be an important institution for the local Croatian community as Croatian culture and tradition gets passed onto the next generation.
===Political===
In its early years Toronto Croatia played an important political role, with the club being a symbol of Croatian [[nationalism]]. The local Croatian community was made up of people who had fled from the [[communist regime]] of [[Yugoslavia]]. Thus, Toronto Croatia served as a political statement of their desire for an independent Croatian state. Using the club, the community was able to promote and bring awareness to the Croatian plight and independence movement. This role continued into the 1990s, after Croatian independence in [[1991]], with the outbreak of war in [[Croatian War of Independence|Croatia]] and [[Bosnian War|Bosnia]]. Toronto Croatia served as a symbol of pride for the community in this dark period, energizing the community’s support for the club. Since then with Croatia being independent and stable this political role no longer exists in the same manner.
==Current squad==
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=1|nat=Canada|name=[[George Azcurra]]| pos=GK|}}
{{Fs player|no=2|nat=Croatia|name=[[Robert Fran]]| pos=DF|}}
{{Fs player|no=3|nat=Croatia|name=[[Ante Brkic]]| pos=DF|}}
{{Fs player|no=4|nat=Croatia|name=[[Domagoj Sain]]| pos=DF|}}
{{Fs player|no=5|nat=Argentina|name=[[Jonathon Bustamante]]| pos=MF|}}
{{Fs player|no=6|nat=Croatia|name=[[Mario Kulis]]| pos=DF|}}
{{Fs player|no=7|nat=Croatia|name=[[Tommy Ples]]| pos=FW|}}
{{Fs player|no=8|nat=Trinidad and Tobago|name=[[Hayden Fitzwilliams]]| pos=MF|}}
{{Fs player|no=9|nat=Croatia|name=[[Tihomir Maletic]]| pos=FW|}}
{{fs mid}}
{{Fs player|no=10|nat=Croatia|name=[[Mario Pupic]]| pos=MF|}}
{{Fs player|no=11|nat=Croatia|name=[[Peter Curic]]| pos=FW|}}
{{Fs player|no=16|nat=Jamaica|name=[[Halburto Harris]]| pos=DF|}}
{{Fs player|no=19|nat=Croatia|name=[[Robert Grnja]]| pos=MF|}}
{{Fs player|no=21|nat=Uruguay|name=[[Roy Blanche]]| pos=GK|}}
{{Fs player|no=22|nat=Argentina|name=[[Hugo Herrera]]| pos=FW|}}
{{Fs player|no=23|nat=Croatia|name=[[Boris Tomac]]| pos=MF|}}
{{Fs player|no=24|nat=Croatia|name=[[Marko Culjak]]| pos=GK|}}
{{Fs player|no=33|nat=Croatia|name=[[Mario Beljo]]| pos=MF|}}
{{Fs player|nat=Canada|name=[[Marko Bedenikovic]]| pos=DF|}}
{{Fs player|no=23|nat=Croatia|name=[[Nikica Pavic]]| pos=MF|}}
{{Fs end}}
==Year-by-year==
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Division
!League
!Regular Season
!Playoffs
|-
|1963
|"1"
|NSL
|7th
|
|-
|1963
|"1"
|NSL
|7th
|
|-
|1964
|"1"
|NSL
|7th
|
|-
|1965
|"1"
|NSL
|6th
|
|-
|1966
|"1"
|NSL
|4th
|Final
|-
|1966
|"1"
|NSL
|9th
|
|-
|1970
|"1"
|NSL
|bgcolor="B3B7FF"|1st
|
|-
|1971
|"1"
|NSL
|bgcolor="B3B7FF"|1st
|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Champions
|-
|1972
|"1"
|NSL
|bgcolor="B3B7FF"|1st
|
|-
|1973
|"1"
|NSL
|bgcolor="B3B7FF"|1st
|
|-
|1974
|"1"
|NSL
|3rd
|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Champions
|-
|1992
|"1"
|NSL
|?
|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Champions
|-
|1993
|"1"
|NSL
|?
|?
|-
|1994
|"1"
|[[Canadian International Soccer League|CISL]]
|?
|?
|-
|1995
|"1"
|[[Canadian International Soccer League|CISL]]
|?
|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Champions
|-
|1996
|"1"
|[[Canadian International Soccer League|CISL]]
|?
|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Champions
|-
|1997
|"1"
|CNSL
|2nd
|Quarter Final
|-
|1998
|"1"
|CPSL
|8th
|''Did not qualify''
|-
|1999
|"1"
|CPSL
|2nd
|Final
|-
|2000
|"1"
|CPSL
|2nd
|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Champions
|-
|2001
|"1"
|CPSL
|6th
|''Did not qualify''
|-
|2002
|"1"
|CPSL
|bgcolor="B3B7FF"|1st, Western
|Semi Final
|-
|2003
|"1"
|CPSL
|3rd, Western
|Semi Final
|-
|2004
|"1"
|CPSL
|2nd, Western
|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Champions
|-
|2005
|"1"
|CPSL
|2nd, Eastern
|Semi Final
|-
|2006
|"1"
|CSL
|2nd, International
|Semi Final
|-
|2007
|"1"
|CSL
|2nd, International
|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Champions
|}
==Honours==
* National Soccer League: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973
* NSL Cup Champions: 1971, 1972; NSL Playoff Champions 1971, 1974
* North American Soccer League: 1976
* Canadian National Soccer League: 1992
* CNSL Cup Champions: 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993
* Canadian International Soccer League: 1995, 1996
* Canadian Soccer League: 2000, 2004, 2007
* Croatian World Club Championship: 2007
==Notable former players==
* [[Aljosa Asanovic]]
* [[Željko Bilecki]]
* [[Filip Blašković]]
* [[Jack Brand (soccer)|Jack Brand]]
* [[Brian Budd]]
* [[Eusébio]]
* [[North American Soccer League|Ivair Ferriera]]
* [[NK Osijek|Ivica Grnja]]
* [[Robert Iarusci]]
* [[North American Soccer League|Ivan Lukacevic]]
* [[North American Soccer League|Bruno Pilas]]
* [[Peter Roe (soccer)|Peter Roe]]
* [[Gene Strenicer]]
* [[North American Soccer League|Wolfgang Suhnholz]]
* [[North American Soccer League|Damir Sutevski]]
* [[Drago Vabec]]
==External links==
* [http://www.torontocroatia.org/ Toronto Croatia]
* [http://www.canadiansoccerleague.ca/ Canadian Soccer League]
{{fb start}}
{{Canadian Soccer League}}
{{fb end}}
{{Ontario Sports}}
{{Toronto Sports}}
[[Category:Canadian National Soccer League teams]]
[[Category:Canadian Professional Soccer League (1998–2005) teams]]
[[Category:Canadian soccer clubs]]
[[Category:Canadian Soccer League (2006–present) teams]]
[[Category:Croatian diaspora]]
[[Category:Football (soccer) clubs established in 1956]]
[[Category:National Soccer League (Canada) teams]]
[[Category:Sport in Toronto]]
[[fr:Toronto Croatia]]
[[hr:Toronto Croatia]]