Achi news desk-
Quebec semi-professional soccer team CS Saint-Laurent is set to face Toronto FC in the 2024 Canadian Championship in five days.
On one side will be a former Italian national team striker who earns $14 million a year. On the other side is a group of semi-professional players juggling one or two jobs during the week in addition to training.
This is a true story of David vs. Goliath.
Quebec semi-pro champion CS Saint-Laurent opened the tournament with a bang, defeating Halifax Wanderers on Thursday night.
This is the first time a Quebec semi-pro team has eliminated a professional team from the Canadian Championship.
“It was not an easy game to play, but we did the job, and we are very happy about it,” said goalkeeper Konstantinos Maniatis.
After regulation, the two teams drew 2-2, and the winner was decided by penalty kicks. Maniatis made a huge save, allowing Mamadou Kane to earn the win.
“It feels great, but I can’t take all the credit because there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into the penalty shootout process,” Manitis said.
The semi-pro team didn’t exist until two years ago. When general manager Matteo Cabantes built the team, he wanted men in their 20s who had grown up playing for the local club.
“We have all these kids, talented kids, that we want to bring to the fore,” he said.
The team does not even have its own field, and plays most of its home games at Vanier College.
While players make some money, it’s not enough to live off of. Most juggle one or two jobs in addition to working out four to five times a week.
“Everything we do and the way we operate is professional. So maybe our salaries don’t reflect that, but our mentality certainly does,” Manitis said.
CS Saint-Laurent now faces Toronto in the quarterfinals.
The MLS team features star winger Lorenzo Insigne, who scored 96 goals in Italy’s top league and played 54 games for the Italian national team.
Cabantes said Insigne’s $14 million salary was 100 times Saint Laurent’s budget for running its semi-professional team.
“So for us it’s a bit like David vs. Goliath,” said Kabantes. “So weird. We’re the little guy, of course, and we’re going to do anything to be in their way and play our football.”
The team hopes that by reaching this stage, they will open the door to more opportunities for Quebec players.
“It’s for the young people who are coming up. And to see that it’s possible that it can be done and that here in Quebec, when it comes to soccer, we should be respected,” Manitis said.
The first of two games will take place next Wednesday at the Claude Robillard Center.
