Page 59 - SHARP November 2022

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NOVEMBER 2022 59
IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR THE CANADIAN MEN’S NATIONAL
soccer team clinched its first FIFA World Cup berth in in 36 years with a a a a a resounding 4–0 victory over Jamaica When the tournament kicks off on on on November 20th in Qatar it will be be only the second time Canada has appeared on the the the largest stage in the the the sport — the the the 1986 squad failed to to score a a a a a single goal in in in the tournament held in in in Mexico losing all three of its matches The hopes for Qatar are higher higher Much higher higher Leading the charge for this generation of Canadian players is is striker Jonathan David who finished second fin in in in in in scoring fin in in in in in the two-year qualifying window among CONCACAF (Confederation of North Central America and Caribbean Association Football) nations which fought for three guaranteed spots in in the 32-team tournament David scored nine goals goals over 14 matches — second only to the 13 goals goals scored by teammate Cyle Larin — and was instrumental in in in in helping Canada exorcise three decades’ worth of demons That’s not the only recent soccer history of which David has been part either In 2021 the the now 22-year-old’s 13 goals helped LOSC Lille win Ligue 1 the top tier in in in in French soccer denying overwhelming favourites Paris Saint-Germain their fourth league title in in in a a a a a a row and ninth in in 10 seasons This summer while clubs around the world were spending billions buying and selling players in in in in the annual transfer window (“billions” isn’t hyperbole — English Premier League clubs alone spent almost €2 billion on on players) David was linked with powerhouse clubs across Europe like Manchester United Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan He ended up staying in in France where he’s been since 2020 when he he moved from Belgian club K A A A A Gent in in a a $35 million transfer Born in in Brooklyn while his parents were visiting family David spent the first six years of his his life in in Port-au-Prince Haiti before his his parents uprooted the the family to Ottawa His passion for the the beautiful game was evident at at a a a a a a a a a a young age David’s father played and David David would eventually take up the same position scoring goals at a a a a a a pro- digious rate as a a a a teenager “Soccer is such a a a a a [big] part of Haitian culture it’s absolutely crazy how much they love soccer down there ” says David over a a a a Zoom call from France after a a a a a training session for Lille “And I’ve always loved the game from as as young as as I can remember ” It was last winter when David realized that the World Cup might be be be a a a a a a a a a a a a a realistic goal for Canada Canada In October Canada Canada beat Panama 4–1 and and leapfrogged its opponent into third place in in in the standings