Canada’s World Cup journey ended in the Round of 16 on Saturday, but for hundreds of young soccer players in Ottawa, the dream is just beginning. Nearly 250 players from across the region spent the weekend competing in the Gloucester Hornets Cup at the Hornets Nest, a tournament that organizers say has taken on even greater meaning following Canada’s historic run on the world stage. It’s also a club with a special connection to Canadian soccer. National team star Jonathan David first learned the game with the Gloucester Hornets before developing into one of Canada’s top players and representing the country on the intranational stage. For many young athletes competing this weekend, it’s proof that big dreams can begin on local fields. “It’s special, because I get to learn the skills and make new friends,” said Renaldo Yapele, a U17 Regional Gloucester Hornets player. The tournament comes just one day after Canada’s World Cup campaign came to an end, and Yapele says watching the national team has given him even more motivation. “I’m trying to make the Canadian team to bring myself up higher next year and keep it going,” he said. Jose-Antoine Marlot, another U17 Regional Gloucester Hornets player, says seeing a former Hornet reach the highest level has inspired players throughout the club. “Knowing that a player that came from the same roots as us can make it to that high of a level, work that hard, and inspire a whole country, it means so much to us and inspires us all,” Marlot said. He says David’s success show players that the path to the professional game can start in Ottawa. “Jonathan David previously actually played here. He becomes and inspiration not just to me, to my whole team and to the whole club here as well.” Gloucester Hornets technical director Jay Da Costa says World Cup years almost always spark new interest in the sport, and he expects that momentum to continue. “We always expect to see a bit of a surge when it’s World Cup years. I mean, kids are excited, families are excited,” Da Costa said. “I do expect that spike probably leading into the winter and next summer and hopefully get more people playing the game, which is what everybody wants.” Fu Shun Williams, a U14 Regional Gloucester Hornets player, says Canada’s performance has inspired him to keep working toward his own goal of wearing the maple leaf. “Every kid in Canada and across the world could strive to be more like the Canadian players. I hope myself, that if I got good enough and I’m going to keep on working hard, that I could make the Canadian team,” Williams said. The boys’ Gloucester Hornets Cup wrapped up Sunday. Next month, the Hornets Nest will welcome girls’ teams from across the region, with divisions ranging from U9 to U18.
