In a country famous for ‘Playing for Pizza’ the Canadian men’s national football team compensated their Italian hosts with a Tim Hortons-style donut during Saturday’s historic friendly in Sardinia.
Playing their first international action in 14 years, the revived Team Canada pounded Team Italy 56-0 to claim inter-continental bragging rights. Without the services of their American-born starting quarterback Luke Zahradka and fielding an inexperienced roster due to scheduling issues, the defending European bronze medallists were no match for head coach Jesse Maddox’s assembled roster of CFL castoffs and U Sports veterans.
The Italians managed to hold firm on the opening drive of the game, as Antonio Gianera tackled Jamel Lyles for a loss in the red zone and Paolo Lazzaretto batted away a potential touchdown pass from Michael O’Connor to force a 40-yard field goal attempt by Michael Domagala. The former Ticat and Redblack pushed his kick wide left but it provided only a brief reprieve for the home side, as a big sack from Phillipe Lemieux-Cardinal soon had the ball back in Canadian hands. This time, O’Connor connected on his 23-yard shot to the end zone and found Javonni Cunningham to open the scoring.
The flood gates broke early in the second quarter, as Canada dialled up a trick play on the first snap of the frame and receiver Dallas Dixon heaved a 45-yard bomb to tight end Hayden Amis for the score. Just two plays later, the defence got into the action as linebacker Max Nixon undercut a wide out on the sideline and raced 29 yards for a pick-six. Even mental errors couldn’t derail the boys in red and white, as Lyles picked up 45 yards on a screen pass after former Alouette offensive lineman Patrick Davis put the team in third-and-20 with a personal foul. Fellow ball-carrier Ryth-Jean Giraud pounded the ball in the remaining 14 yards for another score and 34-yard dime from former Hec Crighton winner Chris Merchant to receiver Trivel Pinto on the next drive made it five unanswered touchdowns to end the half.
Italy exited the intermission by fumbling a snap in the shadow of their own goal post, before Kevin Victome intercepted a deep shot from quarterback Riccardo Duranti. A scrambling Merchant nearly committed his team’s first turnover on an ill-advised end zone throw and put his team behind the sticks, before Pinto bailed them out with a toe-tapper on the left sideline. A few plays later, Lyles scampered in for another major.
Despite a running clock, the fourth quarter brought more of the same. Pinto put the team in the red zone with a massive catch-and-run underneath, before O’Connor drilled an 11-yard throw into Amis’ gut for his second TD. After another smothering series by the Canadian defence, Nixon busted through the line to block the Matteo Felli punt and scooped it up for a final score. Concordia receiver Jaylan Greaves appeared to punch in another on Canada’s penultimate drive but was ruled to have fumbled at the goal line for a touchback.
Canada’s victory comes after months of effort by Maddox and others to re-establish a men’s national team program that has lain dormant since capturing the silver medal at the 2011 IFAF World Championship in Austria. While no plans have been solidified, the group hopes to play against another high-level European national team in the near future.
Team Italy is next scheduled to play Finland in the European Championship semi-finals on October 25th.
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