Montreal better than Toronto, says Pinizzotto

'We are more qualified for a franchise in the MLS: we have team, spectators and a new stadium'

TORONTO - "I personally don't believe that they'll build the stadium. Even if they did finish it by 2007, even if there was an MLS team, it would be only another uphill race on a very difficult road. Today, Montreal more than Toronto is ready to jump into the American MLS." This is the view of Peter Pinizzotto, one of the few in Canada who live on soccer, dividing his time between the Montreal Impact bench and the Bryst International school of soccer. At the age of 50, most of which spent behind a soccer ball, Pinizzotto says: "I was born in 1950 in the province of Messina, but when I was 10 my family emigrated to Switzerland. There I entered professional team Us Bb di Bienne (Bern) and at the age of 19, before emigrating to Canada, I played three games as a professional, in a B series team."
"In Canada I always played as an attacker at centre field with many teams beginning with Toronto Italia's youth team," continues Pinizzotto. "I first met the bench, at the age of 36, with the Woodbridge Strikers, the club owned by Vaughan mayor, Michael Di Biase. My very first 'big' team was Toronto Italia which then was in the NSL, and where we triumphed.
"In 1997 they called me to the bench of Toronto's new team, Lynx, to debut in the American A League championships, then the top of North American soccer. With Lynx I established an unofficial world record for staying power as a coach: seven years. They were seven difficult years, with a team made of rope and bandages. But from that team came professional players: Stalteri (England, Tottenham), Reda (Denmark), Serioux (England, Milwaal), De Rosario (MLS, San Jose), Kolic (Norway), Posniak (Norway), to name a few."
"For the past two years," continues the coach, "I'm with the Montreal Impact where I run the bench alongside Nick De Santis. I was hired to coach alone, then De Santis had to stop playing because of an injury so Joey Saputo, in gratitude, offered him half my bench. Working with Nick is great, we have the same ideas on how to make the team play, the same philosophy. We use the rhombus formation 4-3-1-2 which maximizes the potential of our players. Last year we won the A-League medal, this year we were eliminated during the semifinals by a goal scored at the 91st minute by Seattle, which then won the title.
"In Montreal I found a very professional atmosphere, where things are run properly. And the results are evident both on the field and at the box office. We've enjoyed an average of 12,000 spectators per game and now Mister Saputo has revealed plans for a sports centre with a stadium capacity seating of 17,000 in downtown Montreal. The stadium will have natural grass, like another one used only for training. A third field will have artificial turf. The new centre should be ready towards the end of next summer. We hope to at least play our next playoff.
"I live alone in Montreal in an apartment paid for by the club. I live there from May to September because it's not worth moving my entire family. I then come to Toronto and during the winter months I teach at the soccer academy, Bryst International that has three campuses, Scarborough, Brampton and Markham. Gary Miller has been running the school for many years to great success according to the many players (about 100 in seven years) who completed university studies in the U.S. thanks to soccer grants. Some Bryst 'alumni' are now in European teams, like Julian Uccello (Sansovino, C2 Italian) and Thomas Mc Lean (Ackrington, 2ª English division).
"This is my third year as an instructor; my specific job is to observe youth programs ages 8-17, point out the best and bring them to the Top Dogs program, reserved for the potentially talented."
"The fact that there are few instructors is the reason behind the slow development of soccer in Canada," continues Pinizzotto. "Slowly we're evening out. In Toronto there are a few soccer academies that are doing a good job. I'm part of the system and claim that the more qualified instructors we have, the better it will be for Canadian soccer.
"Among the youth that I had in the team, Paul Stalteri was at the top while Robbie Aristodemo didn't perform how he was supposed to. Stalteri developed great attributes by staying four years in the minors of Werder Brema, before joining the main team. Now he plays with Tottenham which is no small deal. Dwayne De Rosario didn't have the patience to play in Europe, otherwise he too would be playing that soccer. On the other hand, he's doing great in the U.S. Aristodemo had great technical gifts, but didn't have what was needed to excel."
"A stadium in Toronto?" says Pinizzotto. "Personally I don't believe they'll end up building one. There are those who have their hearts set on soccer, such as Minister Joe Volpe, but for most the stadium is about politics. Between he who wants it rare and he who wants it well done, it'll end up not being built in time for 2007 and Toronto will miss out on the youth championship, and probably even an MLS team. As things stand, Montreal is better equipped to have an MLS team.
"Why? Because we already have a spectators base, and most importantly, players. Experience tells us that in Toronto you can't get ahead only with local talent. Every team must have at least three-four foreign of some talent. As things stand, the best Canadian players are either in Europe or with us in Montreal. To bring into a new team Canadians like Stalteri would be costly. Regardless, for soccer in Canada to progress it needs professional teams like Montreal or Vancouver today, like Toronto tomorrow, and hopefully all three in the MLS."
"The CPSL has to continue to exist," continues Pinizzotto, "but it has to raise the competitive level of its players. In comparison to when I used to coach Toronto Italia, the difference is like night and day. Will they go back to ethnic names? Great, but changing the names alone won't go far.
"Italian soccer? It's played too horizontally, and in spaces always more crowded. There is too much referee interference because everybody is marked too tightly. In this way the game is too fragmented and not very enjoyable. But in Italy great attention is given to the score, so anything is forgiven in favour of a victory. I've always been an Inter Milan fan so I'm used to disappointments. I hope that this year things are better, but if team members criticize each other, such as the Veron-Adriano case, one will never go far."
"Lippi's Italy," concludes Pinizzotto, "doesn't yet have a precise countenance. Until Lippi doesn't decide on a base formation, one can't make predictions regarding the world championships. In Germany the favoured is, of course, Brazil. The Germans, then, have Klinsmann on the bench and they're playing at home." u

Bryst International has three campuses, Brampton, Scarborough and Newmarket. Indoor courses have already begun, but registration is open. For the Elite program - 7-17 years of age - three months, once a week, $329; $800 for Top Dogs, training twice a week. For more information call: 1-866-898-8141

Publication Date: 2005-10-23
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=5668