After years of competing against each other, two of the oldest Clubs in North York have seen the light. Dwindling resources of players, fields, volunteers, coaches and the changing landscape of soccer in Ontario made the merger inevitable.
For the 2004 outdoor season, the rep teams of both Clubs will be identified as Hearts Azzurri. The full change viz new name, new uniforms, new crest etc will not come until the 2005 outdoor season.
We are all positive about this move. The beneficiaries of this merger will be the players who will have the opportunity to learn and perform in an enhanced Player Development System.
Hearts Azzurri 86
2004 National Champions
Euphoric screams of joy of the Hearts Azzurri U18 National Champions could be heard all across Canada. After 3 years of being oh, so close, sighs of relief and yells of "finally" echoed through their home base at the Columbus Centre. After 20 years of league championships, Ontario Cups and National Bronze Medals the Hearts Azzurri eventually won the Gold Medal , finally confirming all the passion and sacrifice of the coaching staff, administrators and most importantly the dedication of the players.
The Hearts Azzuri U-18 were the most dominant team in the province, winning the highly competitive OYSL,the Ontario Cup,and culminating with the National Championship. After outclassing Brampton Rangers in the Ontario Cup Final, the Hearts Azzurri was grouped at the National Championship with the home side Alberta, together with Quebec, Manitoba and the suprising P.E.I.
In the first game the Ontario Champions beat a tough Manitoba team 4-0. In the second game P.E.I, setting back in a 4-2-2 zonal defense made the best of their opportunities, to beat Hearts Azzurri 2-1. In a must win game against Quebec, the Hearts Azzurri were confronted with adversity. An unfortunate red card reduced the squad to 10 players. To add insult to injury, the Hearts Azzurri went down a goal after a penalty kick was awarded to the opposition. With their backs against the wall, the Hearts Azzurri character and pride exploded into an offensive fury. The Hearts Azzurri tied the game and were unlucky not to come away with 3 points. In the final game, another must win for Hearts Azzurri, the Hearts Azzurri went ahead early and held on to win 2-1, thus qualifying for the final.
The final was an emotional roller coaster. The Hearts Azzurri asserted themselves from the opening whistle and scored two goals in the first twenty minutes. The Hearts Azzurri failed to close out the game by miss firing on numerous opportunities to score the third goal. By the end of the first half, against the run of play, Saskatchewan scored to shrink a seemingly insurmountable lead . In the first minute of the second half, Saskatchewan scored again on a howitzer from 35 yards out. The game, tied at 2-2 was now in the hands of a rejuvenated Saskatchewan side. The Hearts Azzurri went from energetic to weak to demoralized. The game remained 2-2 until the final 15 minutes, when the Hearts Azzurri was awarded a penalty and scored to make it 3-2. The Hearts Azzurri hung on and claimed the Club's first National Championship.
Over the years, the Hearts Azzurri has remained mostly unchanged. The 86 group was preceded by a strong 85 group and a double Bronze Medal 84 group. The quality of instructions and commitment in the programme have been directly responsible for guiding some exceptional student athletes. These athletes, due to their dedication, commitment and belief in the programme, eventually asserted themselves as leaders, which ultimately guided them to the National Championship.