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Casual Friday: Chuggin’ Along Edition
By While this summer has seen poutine and pirates aplenty, there’s been a lot of wacky to unfold as the summer heat etches dangerously towards cooler fall winds.
Or maybe it’s just feeling cooler because you cracked a cold one and sloshed it all over yourself. Who knows?
We’re Thirty Seconds In, Jim
I don’t use the word hero loosely, but this guy…
The match has been on for less time than it takes to do a ‘gooooooooooooool’ shout at Wanderers Grounds, yet some absolute legend has already sloshed down an entire cold one…or at least, most of one. Donned in a rain poncho due to the weather, a rare opportunity to just go ham on a Garrison beer in broad daylight presented itself. Livin’ the dream, honestly.
This guy is right up there with the mullet and shades guy from Vancouver FC as a certified cool dude. Hell yeah, brother!
P̶i̶n̶k̶ F̶l̶o̶y̶d̶’s̶ Tim Horton’s The Wall
While there’s still some people who think football is like watching paint dry, that’s…probably more entertaining than what these security personnel at Tim Hortons Field were doing two weekends ago.
We understand security having their back to the game to watch the crowds…but when you’re standing directly against a wall much taller than you and can see absolutely nothing in front of you, this one defeats common sense.
…maybe they were York United fans?
When It Rains, It Pours (JK, Morelli Scores)
People are always rating matchday fits for players, but these two guys understood the assignment when Halifax reminded players to dress appropriately for the weather during a day of torrential downpours. Having doughnut-floaty man and his yes-everyone-should-wear-these lifejacket companion watch from behind the net made for some amazing cameos as Halifax bested Valour.
As an aside, I finally got to visit Halifax on Canada Day – landing a day after that big win over Forge, go figure – and I didn’t see the sun for five days after that. Yet…I can’t wait to go back. Shout out to the Canucks Abroad Discord for all those coffee shop reccos, too!
Hats Off To Electric City FC
Football fans scrolling through Twitter may have been surprised by this crossover: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau repping an Electric City FC hat.
The longer term explanation is that Canada’s Prime Minister was attending a backyard function that Electric City FC President co-founder Neil Morton was at, but that probably just raises more questions. In any event, I didn’t have ‘Canada’s PM Repping League1 Ontario Expansion Side Electric City FC’ on my bucket list.
…that list is reserved for things like being able to afford a house, Justin!
Stripes Squared
It’s a match made in heaven, really.
The Nine Stripes had the perfect visitor take in a match this summer: a cute lil’ raccoon.
The furry little critter – a staple creature of Toronto – was spotted darting between seats during match at York Lions Stadium this summer. He was understandably skittish, but it was still pretty neat to see the campus critter make himself known.
After hearing that Sharman’s Proper Pies had stopped showing up on matchdays, however, he skittered his way out of the stadium with quick effect.
The club ruled out naming him Yorky Jr, with the furry little critter being named Stripes instead. We’d heard rumbling that the team – who ‘retired’ its former humanoid cyborg time-travelling egotistical mascot Yorky through a Simpsons skit (I just love saying that) – has actually looked into a raccoon becoming the new mascot, too.
Where’s W̶a̶l̶d̶o̶ ̶Wilson?
Listen, we’ve all chucked a sickie before – you’ve got to live a little. OneSoccer analyst Jordan Wilson took in home game for his former club last week, and his company’s camera operators were quick to find the analyst trying to hide in the crowd. He was, uh, unavailable to provide colour commentary on the night.
That wouldn’t be a problem if you did the calls on-site, OneSoccer!
Just A Coupla Buds
There’s a lot of Canadian Premier League podcasts that come and go, but the Captain’s Log has immediately become one of my favourites. It’s a relaxed chat with Kyle Bekker and an old buddy of his, and they shoot it real casual.
Want to hear them laugh about how unsurprising it is that Rama does karate, or reflect on the time Bekker got in trouble for playing amateur men’s league while he was with TFC? Did you know Dominick Samuel brings in homemade cookies once a month? There’s self-depreciating humour aplenty, but it’s a refreshingly honest and casual chat recorded right under the rafters at Him Hortons Field.
If you’ve got some time, episodes one and two are real strong openers.
Gambling Ads: They Really Are The Laziest
Poor Vancouver FC: not only did they repeatedly get misrecognized as the Whitecaps when they made a couple (failed) signings from Mexico, but even random betting websites don’t have a logo file for them yet.
Good ol’ Betimate with their ‘Canada Premier League’ betting. I don’t think anyone could bet with confidence with a company that can’t even get the league’s name right, to be honest.
…and while we’re talking about sports betting, does anyone else get nostalgic for that ComeOn! commercial? The coffee spilling guy was a real one. I still say some ‘comeawnnn’ if I spill a drink.
Darn, advertising works.
Forge and The Goat
When Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi stepped onto the pitch to make his Major League Soccer debut, Forge FC was there…in a way.
The man behind True North Football had made the trek to watch Messi do his magic, bringing along his Forge FC Argentina flag to hang at DRV PNK Stadium. Messi put on a show, striking twice in the first half.
Forge always seem to be forever first: the inaugural league champions are now the first team to, in a manner of sorts, share the pitch with the greatest of all time. Neat!
With the Canadian Premier League getting two clubs into the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup, there’s a chance we could see a CPL x Messi setup…but we’d have to make it to the second round now that Inter Miami won the Leagues Cup.
That’s all for this Casual Friday! It’s set to be a stellar long weekend, so get out there and enjoy it!