2003 Open Canada Cup

The 2003 Open Canada Cup was the 6th edition of the Canadian Professional Soccer League's open league cup tournament running from mid May through early September. London City defeated Metro Lions 4-2 in a penalty shootout in the final played at Cove Road Stadium, London, Ontario.[1][2][3] The victory gave London their first piece of silverware and brought an end to the Ottawa Wizards Canada Cup dynasty. The 2003 edition of the Canada Cup was a historical milestone achieved by the CPSL by opening the tournament to all Canadian professional and amateur clubs in order to provide a potential candidate for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup and a $10,000 reward for the champion.[4][5][6] The last time a Canadian club competed in the Champions' Cup was in the 1976 CONCACAF Champions' Cup represented by Toronto Italia of the National Soccer League the predecessor league of the CPSL.

2003 Open Canada Cup
CountryCanada
Teams22
ChampionsLondon City (1st title)
Runners-upMetro Lions
Matches played21
Goals scored79 (3.76 per match)
Top goal scorer(s) Craig Patton (4 goals)
← 2002
2004 →

The tournament featured several clubs from the Ontario League, Ottawa Carleton Soccer League, Western Ontario League, and the Ligue de Soccer Elite Quebec. The Ontario amateur clubs began the tournament in the preliminary rounds and the CPSL & LSEQ clubs were given a bye to the second round. While defending champions Ottawa Wizards received an automatic bye to the quarterfinals. For the second straight year London City were awarded the hosting rights to the finals which granted them a wild card match if they were defeated in the earlier rounds.[7] Despite the CPSL's successful attempt in organizing a national tournament the competition was without controversy. The controversy stemmed from a dispute involving Ottawa Wizards with the CPSL's board of directors over the hosting rights for the finals.[8][9][10] After failing to confirm their participation in the later rounds of the tournament the league removed Ottawa from the competition, and in return Ottawa threatened to obtain an injunction.[11] The dispute eventually reached the Superior Court of Justice which ruled in favor of the CPSL decision, and allowed the tournament to precede without the participation of Ottawa.[12][13][14]

Qualification
Enter in Preliminary Round Enter in Second Round Enter in Quarter-final
OSL/OCSL/WOSL
5 teams/1 team/2 teams		 CPSL/LSEQ
12 teams/1 team		 CPSL
1 team
Ontario Soccer League
Ottawa Carleton Soccer League
  • Kanata
Western Ontario Soccer League
  • AEK London
  • Exeter Centennials
Canadian Professional Soccer League
Ligue de Soccer Elite Quebec
  • FC Levski Montreal
Canadian Professional Soccer League

First round
May 17, 2003 Kanata (OCSL) 7–0 Whitby Iroquois (OSL) London, Ontario
7:00 ET Sylvain Cloutier 4'
Huffman Eja-Tabe 22'
Sylvain Cloutier 28'
Pavel Cancura 45'
Louie Legakis 52'
Huffman Eja-Tabe 62'
Manny Mendez 69'		 (Report) Stadium: Cove Road Stadium
May 18, 2003 Toronto Benfica (OSL) 2–1 Real Richmond Hill (OSL) London, Ontario
7:00 ET Philipe Silva 38'
Fred Pereira 48'		 (Report) Stuart Black 89' Stadium: Cove Road Stadium
May 19, 2003 Exeter Centennials (WOSL) 1–3 Toronto Peniche (OSL) London, Ontario
7:00 ET Nathan Davies 48' (Report) Alexandre Freixo 2'
Adiel Guilherme 39'
Jorge Carvalho 70'		 Stadium: Cove Road Stadium
June 27, 2003 AEK London (WOSL) 6–1 Woodbridge Azzuri (OSL) London, Ontario
8:30 ET Jim Tsaprailis 4'
Jim Tsaprailis
Jim Balatsoukas
Matt Gallo
Xavier Patural
Gistard De Gourville		 (Report) Stadium: Cove Road Stadium

Second round
June 27, 2003 St. Catharines Wolves (CPSL) 1–0 Toronto Benfica (OSL) St. Catharines, Ontario
8:30 ET Tony Carbonara 32' (Report) Stadium: Club Roma Stadium
June 28, 2003 Metro Lions (CPSL) 3–0 Brampton Hitmen (CPSL) Toronto, Ontario
8:00 ET Darryl Gomez 39'
Darryl Gomez 58'
Kareem Reynolds 70'		 (Report) Stadium: Birchmount Stadium
June 28, 2003 Hamilton Thunder (CPSL) 3–4 Vaughan Sun Devils (CPSL) London, Ontario
8:30 ET Kevin De Serpa 3'
Stalin Cardenas 63'
Jason Crnic 67'		 (Report) Aundrea Rollins 2'
Bayete Smith 45'
Cameron Medwin 60'
Matthew Palleschi 77'		 Stadium: Cove Road Stadium
June 29, 2003 Toronto Croatia (CPSL) 2–4 Toronto Supra (CPSL) London, Ontario
4:30 ET Edin Kalic 14'
Josip Bucic 47'		 (Report) Danny Amaral 38'
Avio Silva 51'
Jarek Radzinski 62'
Michael Di Luca 70'		 Stadium: Cove Road Stadium
June 29, 2003 Kanata (OCSL) 3–2 FC Levski Montreal (LSEQ) Carp, Ontario
4:00 ET (Report) Stadium: OZ Stadium
June 30, 2003 London City (CPSL) 2–1 (a.e.t.) Toronto Peniche (OSL) London, Ontario
8:30 ET Andrew Loague 90'
Erik Elmauer 93'		 (Report) Bruno Real 45' Stadium: Cove Road Stadium
July 1, 2003 North York Astros (CPSL) 0–2 Durham Flames (CPSL) London, Ontario
3:15 ET (Report) Jamal Jupiter 38'
David Mills 58'		 Stadium: Cove Road Stadium
July 1, 2003 AEK London (WOSL) 2–1 Mississauga Olympians (CPSL) London, Ontario
7:00 ET Ryan Leigh 37'
Matt Gallo 78'		 (Report) Geoff Attard 86' Stadium: Cove Road Stadium

Quarter-final
August 1, 2003 London City (CPSL) 1–2 St. Catharines Wolves (CPSL) London, Ontario
8:30 ET Tafaj 40' (Report) Thomas Latocha 36'
Carlo Arghittu 83'		 Stadium: Cove Road Stadium
August 2, 2003 Ottawa Wizards (CPSL) 1–0 Laval Dynamites (CPSL) Carp, Ontario
4:00 ET Peter Mponda 90' (Report) Stadium: OZ Stadium
August 4, 2003 Toronto Supra (CPSL) 0–1 Kanata (OCSL) Thornhill, Ontario
3:00 ET (Report) Pavel Cancura 86' Stadium: Dufferin District Field
Attendance: 30
Referee: Yahkov Keimach (Ontario)
August 4, 2003 Vaughan Sun Devils (CPSL) 3–5 Metro Lions (CPSL) Thornhill, Ontario
5:30 ET Fitzroy Powell 11'
Paul Sinisi 66'
Matthew Palleschi 87'		 (Report) Hayden Fitzwilliams 3'
Craig Patton 6'
Michael Levkov 9'
Craig Patton 48'
Craig Patton 90'		 Stadium: Dufferin District Field
August 4, 2003 Durham Flames (CPSL) 3–0 AEK London (WOSL) Thornhill, Ontario
8:00 ET Desmond Humphrey 35'
Jahmo Welch 81'
Desmond Humphrey 93'		 (Report) Stadium: Dufferin District Field

Wild Card Game
August 29, 2003 London City (CPSL) 4–1 Durham Flames (CPSL) London, Ontario
8:30 ET Andrew Loague 5'
Ermal Murataj 55'
Andrew Loague 59'
Tafaj 74'		 (Report) Jahmo Welch 25' Stadium: Cove Road Stadium

Semi-final
August 31, 2003 St. Catharines Wolves (CPSL) 1–3 Metro Lions (CPSL) London, Ontario
5:30 ET Carlo Arghittu 57' (Report) Darryl Gomez 6'
Hayden Fitzwilliams 38'
Darryl Gomez 82'		 Stadium: Cove Road Stadium
August 31, 2003 Kanata (OCSL) 0–2 London City (CPSL) London, Ontario
8:30 ET (Report) Erik Elmauer
Phil McDonald		 Stadium: Cove Road Stadium

Final
London City1–1Metro Lions
Tafaj  30' Report Craig Patton  84'
Penalties
Eris Tafaj
Gentian Dervishi
Erik Elmauer
Luan Jonuzi 		4 – 2 Kareem Reynolds
Jason Baker
Darryl Gomez
Hayden Fitzwilliams
Attendance: 225
GK21 Haidar Al-Shaibani
RB2 Erald Pope
CB34 Marco Peeters 121'
LB6 Justin Medeiros
RM8 Gentian Dervishi
CM24 Tonino Commisso(c)
CM5 Mark Boyd
LM19 Jeff Russell
ST10 Andrew Loague 97'
CF20 Ermal Murataj
ST11 Eris Tafaj
Substitutes:
DF3 Erik Elmauer 97'
MF12 Ken Kopko
ST18 Jermaine Shakes
MF26 Keith Andrew
MF35 Luan Jonuzi 121'
Manager:
Harry Gauss
GK25 Gregory Drakes
RB14 Kevin Ricketts
CB16 O'Neil Brown (c)
LB4 Jason Baker
RM12 Michael Levkov
CM20 Maxim Dorneval 72'
CM8 Kareem Reynolds
CM7 Caswain Mason 117'
LM9 Darryl Gomez
ST19 Craig Patton
ST10 Hayden Fitzwilliams
Substitutes:
DF13 Anton Skerritt 117'
MF22 Christopher Clarke
FW5 Ilan Friedman
MF6 Marko Janjicek 72'
Manager:
Goran Miscevic

Man of the Match:

Justin Medeiros (London City)

Assistant referees:
Amato DeLuca
Justin Tasev
Fourth official:
Vito Curalli

Top scorers
Position Player Club Goals
1 Craig Patton Metro Lions 4
2 Eris Tafaj London City 3
Darryl Gomez Metro Lions 3
Andrew Loague London City 3

References
  1. "September 2, 2003 CPSL news from CPSL website". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
  2. DALLA COSTA, Morris. "September 3, 2003 CPSL London City wins Open Canada Cup (summary from London Free Press)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
  3. "September 7, 2003 CPSL Open Canada Cup final thoughts (It's Called Futbol)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
  4. Glover, Robin. "May 15, 2003 CPSL press conference in Toronto". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  5. Terra, Lino. "May 15, 2003 CPSL press conference from Ontario Soccer Web". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  6. "CPSL - Canadian Professional Soccer League". 2003-10-28. Archived from the original on 2003-10-28. Retrieved 2017-06-04.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. "August 28, 2003 CPSL news from CPSL website". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  8. "August 24, 2003--CPSL Administrator explains Wizards removal from Open Canada Cup (from It's Called Futbol)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  9. "August 24, 2003--CPSL--It's Called Futbol interview with Stan Adamson". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  10. "August 25, 2003--CPSL--interview with Omur Sezerman of Ottawa Wizards from It' Called Futbol". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  11. "August 22, 2003 CPSL news from CPSL website". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  12. "August 29, 2003 CPSL news from CPSL website". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  13. "August 30, 2003 CPSL vs Ottawa Wizards court decision". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  14. "August 31, 2003--CPSL's Freaky Friday (from It's Called Futbol)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
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