2013 SU Update: Canada’s Men’s Soccer Coaching Staff announced

OTTAWA – Canadian Interuniversity Sport announced the coaching staff that will lead Canada in men’s soccer at the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia.

Pat Raimondo from the University of Montreal has been appointed head coach of the red and white squad for the 27^th SU, which is set for July 6 to 17. Joining him on the sidelines will be Western’s Rock Basacco and Concordia’s Vladimir Pavlicik, who were named assistant coach and team manager, respectively.

Raimondo possesses extensive Universiade experience. He was head coach in 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand, when Canada finished the 16-team tournament in fourth position, marking the best result in team history. He was also an assistant in 2003 in Daegu, South Korea, and in 2009 in Belgrade, Serbia.

Basacco was an assistant under Raimondo in 2007, while Pavlicik will get his first taste of the FISU Games next year.

Last August in Shenzhen, China, the Canadian men’s soccer side posted its second best result at the biennial competition with a ninth-place finish.

“I wish to thank the selecting committee for giving me this new chance to lead the national squad, as well as the UofM, which allows me to invest time in the national team program. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to represent my country,” Raimondo said. “It was very easy to convince this group of coaches. It was my priority to assemble a good coaching staff.”

“I don’t feel any pressure because of our results from 2007. That team had its own story. Now, we’ll write another chapter with a new team. If we follow a good process, the results will come. I know we can do well in Russia.”

Raimondo has 18 seasons of CIS head coaching experience under his belt, including a seven-year stint with McGill (1994-2000) and the last 11 campaigns with the Carabins. His impressive resume includes one national title with McGill (1997), four CIS championship medals, 10 RSEQ banners, as well as two selections as CIS coach of the year (2000, 2004) and seven such awards at the conference level. In 2008, he became the first Quebec coach to obtain a Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) A Level license.

Basacco has led Western’s men’s soccer program for the past 16 seasons. Over the years, the former Mustangs captain has guided his troops to a pair of CIS titles (1998, 1999) and seven OUA banners. Honoured as coach of the year by his CIS peers in 1999 and by his OUA colleagues on four occasions, he completed his Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) A license in 1997.

Pavlicik was at the helm of the Stingers for 19 campaigns from 1988 to 2006, before moving to his current position as Concordia’s associate director of campus recreation. During his tenure on the sidelines, he led the Stingers to the 1992 Quebec conference championship and earned CIS coach-of-the-year honours in 1998. 

The Canadian roster for the Kazan tournament will be announced in the spring of 2013.

CANADA’S RESULTS IN MEN’S SOCCER AT THE UNIVERSIADE

2011 (Shenzhen, China): 9^th / 16 teams

2009 (Belgrade, Serbia): 12^th

2007 (Bangkok, Thailand): 4^th / 16

2003 (Daegu, South Korea): 15^th / 16

1995 (Fukuoka, Japan): 16^th / 16

1993 (Buffalo, USA): 16^th / 16

1979 (Mexico City, Mexico): 12^th / 24

(Source: Michel Bélanger, CIS Manager, Communications & Media Relations)