Plus, intriguing European matches this weekend, another stupid international break, Muskoka United FC, Huntsville SC, and Bracebridge SC updates, and I’m still an AS Roma supporter (thanks to the women’s team)

It’s tryouts/trials season for the youth clubs throughout the province, so in my constant soccer dad driving duties, I neglected to write a column last week.

That, plus I was so annoyed that Toronto FC lost in penalties to Vancouver despite having a very good performance in the 90 minutes, that I just couldn’t write about soccer for a little while.

I’m back now and the vibes are pumping for the big match in Toronto this weekend with Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami team visiting BMO Field for the first time since the GOAT arrived in MLS last year.

There has been much debate on whether or not Messi would even play in this match after Miami clinched the Supporters Shield and homefield throughout the MLS playoffs on Wednesday.

He scored a pair of wonderful goals in the win over Columbus, including a free kick for the ages that helped him surpass Miami owner David Beckham in all-time free kick tallies. Seriously, go back and watch those highlights (or the whole game itself).

Many people, including myself, are predicting a 45-minute outing for the best to ever do it since the time was changed to 4 p.m. to allow for Messi to have Saturday afternoon all to himself on Apple TV MLS Season Pass.

At the time of this writing, Messi’s inclusion in the game day squad had yet to be confirmed.

When you couple in the fact that this is Toronto FC’s last game of the regular season and it’s a must-win match to stay alive in the playoff race (only a win plus help elsewhere gets them in), there are plenty of reasons to go to the game this weekend for real football/soccer fans.

I know there will be plenty of Miami jerseys in the crowd, but I really hope TFC fans show up in numbers with plenty of energy to help our Reds find a way to keep their season alive.

For neutral fans, it’s also a chance to see World and European champions like Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba take the pitch. The two are legends in their own right.

What I hope happens is that Messi does play to give the fans in attendance (especially those who paid handsomely for their tickets) a chance to see the GOAT live, but that Toronto finds a way to win the match and sees other results go their way, so they end up making the playoffs.

Big matches this weekend (in Europe)

If you decide to watch some footy this weekend, here are my top picks for neutral fans to enjoy.

Fiorentina vs. Milan, Sunday, October 6 at 2:45 p.m. (FuboTV Canada). AC Milan is in third, two points off top spot and seem to be in a much better position this year. They fell 1-0 away to defending German champion Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday, but were definitely in that match. Now an away match against La Viola looms and though the hosts have had a slow start to the season (sitting in 11th on seven points), they are always dangerous at home. Fiorentina are coming off a 2-0 home victory over The New Saints in the Conference League on Thursday. They also have two of my favourite young Italian players in Moises Kean and Edoardo Bove (why Roma let Bove go is still a mystery).

Aston Villa vs. Man United, Sunday, October 6 at 9 a.m. (FuboTV Canada). Villa is good. Like really good this season. Starting the league with 4 wins, a draw, and a loss and two wins in the Champions League – including an historic 1-0 win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday. On the other hand, Man United are not very good. However, they did have a valiant comeback 3-3 draw away to Porto in the Europa League on Thursday, so maybe there is hope for them.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Bayern Munich, Sunday, October 6 at 11:30 a.m. (DAZN Canada). This early season first (Bayern) versus second (Frankfurt) battle in Germany should be plenty interesting. Bayern is coming off the aforementioned loss in England to Villa, while Frankfurt went to Turkey on Thursday in the Europa League and won 3-1 over Besiktas. It will probably end up in a draw or a one-goal win for Bayern, but we should expect to see some fireworks and more than a couple goals.

Real Madrid vs. Villareal, Saturday, October 5 at 3 p.m. (TSN+). Madrid is three points behind table leaders Barcelona and one point above third-place Villareal in the La Liga standings. They’ll likely win this one going away, but the play should be fun to watch and seeing how many they score will be a reason to tune in. Madrid was embarrassed by a 1-0 away loss to Lille in the Champions League this week. It wasn’t the loss that was embarrassing as much as the fact they played so very poorly throughout the match. Expect them to take it out on Villareal, who didn’t qualify for any European competitions this season and has been fortunate to start with a soft schedule. They lost their only match of note 5-1 against Barcelona.

Another Stupid International Break

At some point someone has to hold a proverbial gun to FIFA and UEFA’s heads to stop them from constant international breaks when some seasons are nearing their end (North America) and other seasons are barely underway (Europe).

Already an unnecessary break took place in September and now another one in October. In case you’re wondering, there is yet another international break coming in November. We then get a bit of a reprieve until March.

The truth is there are too many national team competitions taking place. They don’t need to have both Nations Leagues and then Continental Cups for every single confederation along with whatever scheming international matches FIFA comes up with for both club and country.

Yes, yes, the World Cup is awesome, but we don’t need a Club World Cup that will inevitably be won by the European Champions – or in the newest iteration of 32 participants, a team from Europe. Let’s face it, the Champions League winners are the world club champions. Period. End of story.

Alright, I got off base and we’ll explore that topic further in another column.

Back to the topic at hand: There are too many international breaks, too many international competitions, and it’s time for the clubs and players to demand a return to normalcy: Qualifying for the continental competition and then the competition itself followed by qualifying for the World Cup and the tournament itself.

That’s it, that’s all.

MUFC Results/Updates

The U16 Boys headed to Woodbridge last weekend for a summer season-ending tournament. They started off with a come-from-behind 3-3 draw against Inter Academy with Al Wilson, James Laughton and Aiden Smith scoring for Muskoka. Their second game didn’t go that well with the host Woodbridge team winning handily over MUFC and Dante Occhiuzzi getting the lone Muskoka tally. Their third game was hard fought, but unfortunately the boys from MUFC fell 4-1 against Caledon East. Wesley Janas scored for Muskoka in their final game.

Up next, the U16 Boys will have a short break, attend the second MUFC assessment date on October 6 and then about half the team will be playing in the Provincial Indoor Soccer League (PISL) this winter.

The 045 men’s team finished second in the HDSL after a 3-2 win away to Innisfil last week. Despite missing key contributors for the match, the team rallied and got the needed win. Chris Richardson, Joe Melson, and JP Alfaro scored for the good guys. It was the first season in the 045 division for the Muskoka men, and they acquitted themselves quite well. Next year, especially with some key reinforcements on the way, they’ll be aiming for first place.

Side Note: I very much enjoyed being on the 045 team this year and I’m looking forward to playing with these fine gentlemen again!

MUFC Assessments for the 2025 indoor and outdoor programs is heading into its final day on Sunday, October 6 at Conroy Park in Huntsville.

While registration for assessments is closed, there may still be opportunities to join development or competitive teams for the next season.

As well, if anyone is looking to help out as a volunteer to further the club’s growth and achieve its goals, we’re always looking for more passionate people!

For more information, visit www.muskokaunitedfc.com or email muskokaunitedfc@gmail.com

Huntsville Soccer Club Updates

High School students looking for volunteer hours are wanted to help us as coaches for our Youth Indoor Skills Development program beginning in January. The program is set to run Sundays for eight weeks once schools return from their winter break.

The club is also looking for a few dedicated people to get involved as one-off event helpers, coaches, and board members!

We know you want to help in some way that fits your schedule best, so get in touch and let us know how you can help!

Stay tuned for notices on the next AGM and what positions are needing to be filled . . . though, we are definitely looking for a treasurer at the moment.

Those interested in helping with any of the above can message administrator@huntsvillesoccer.ca

To get more information on the club and what you may be able to help with, visit: www.huntsvillesoccer.ca

Bracebridge Soccer Club Updates

The Bracebridge Soccer Club is hosting their AGM on Monday, November 18th at 7 p.m. in the Bracebridge Sportsplex. The club is looking for some more board members and the following positions are open: sponsorship coordinator, social media coordinator, adult recreational coordinator, vice president of programs, and a U9 to U12 house league coordinator.

For more information on the club, visit: https://www.bracebridgesoccer.ca/

AS Roma Women’s Team Keeps Me Loyal

Since the men’s team still has me very angry despite good domestic results (two wins in Serie A under the new boss), I’m not quite ready to jump back in on them. Especially after losing to a club called Elfsborg on Thursday in Europa League action. Not impressed and still angry about the De Rossi Debacle.

That being said, the women’s team representing the Eternal City is worthy of our love and support. In fact, any Canadian soccer fan should cheer them on since Les Rouges striker Evelyne Viens is also a starting striker on Roma.

These women play with skillful grit, attacking flair, and a passion deserving of the crest on their chests.

They are the defending back-to-back Serie A champions, defending Coppa Italia champions, and are in the Champions League group stage after winning their qualifying tie by a 10-3 aggregate over Servette.

Their next two matches are Saturday, October 5 at Inter Milan at 9 a.m. in Serie A and on Tuesday, October 8 at 12:45 p.m. at home against Wolfsburg in the Champions League.

Daje Roma!!!

DAZN Canada has the UEFA Women’s Champions League matches and Serie A Femminile matches live.

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