St. Lawrence soccer player gets Toronto FC tryout
Jordi Slaney hopes to secure place on TFC Academy team
CBC News
Posted: Jan 16, 2012 10:03 AM NT
Last Updated: Jan 16, 2012 2:11 PM NT
A teenager from St. Lawrence is getting a chance to play in the big leagues.
Jordi Slaney, 16, begins a training camp on Monday with Major League Soccer's Toronto FC.
He's hoping to secure a berth on the Toronto FC Academy under-17 team.
That's one step from the highest level of soccer in the country.
Jordi Slaney of St. Lawrence (left) is trying out for the Toronto FC Academy team. Slaney is pictured battling with a P.E.I. player during the under-16 Atlantic championships in June 2011. (Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer Association)"I got a call about five days ago from my Canada Games coach, actually, and he said that Toronto FC wanted to have a look at me, so I'm going up for a tryout," Jordi told CBC News.
Toronto FC is the biggest pro soccer team in the country, one of three Canadian teams in Major League Soccer. The Vancouver Whitecaps joined the league last year, and the Montreal Impact will play their inaugural season in 2012.
For a player from Newfoundland, it's as big as it gets — the soccer equivalent of trying out for an NHL farm team.
"It's two weeks of tryouts. They'll cut players at the end and whoever they want will stay for the academy. It's pretty huge."
Jordi grew up playing in the soccer-mad town of St. Lawrence. In 2011, he captained the under-16 Team Atlantic all-star squad and played for the senior Laurentians in provincial Challenge Cup play.
Whether he makes the cut in Toronto or not, he knows he's already made his hometown proud.
Wishing him luck
He says he's already received e-mails from many Challenge Cup players wishing him luck.
"It really means a lot just to hear from the guys that I look up to."
According to the Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer Association, this is the first time in 20 years that a player from this province has been selected for a tryout with a pro soccer club.
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