Soccer dream a reality overseas

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This article was published 10/03/2021 (1667 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

East St. Paul’s Tyler Attardo has come a long way from being one of more than 200 players desperately trying to get noticed at a Canadian Premier League open trial in 2019.

You’ve likely heard the story by now, but in case you need a refresher, Attardo was the only player at that camp to receive a CPL contract. To make it even more impressive, he was 17 and still in high school at River East Collegiate. His hometown club, Valour FC, liked what they saw and wanted to give the young striker a shot.

Unbeknownst to Valour at the time, it ended up being one of the club’s best signings prior to the CPL’s inaugural season. To put it nicely, Valour struggled in 2019, but one of the few bright spots was the emergence of Attardo who scored six goals — the second-most on the team — in 1,049 minutes of action.

To no one’s surprise, Attardo’s phenomenal rookie campaign opened doors outside of Canada for him. He ended up transferring to Chilean second-division club C.D. Arturo Fernández Vial, making Attardo the first CPL player to be sold to a South American team. Attardo hasn’t suited up for the Chilean side yet as they loaned him to Cyprus where he’s been since September playing for Xylotymbou of the Cypriot Second Division.

“It’s a much higher level than what I’ve experienced before, you know just being in Europe and all the competition,” Attardo, 19, said in a phone interview.

“You have more pressure out here. In the CPL, you don’t have relegation. Obviously, you want to finish first, but there’s not as much pressure, as in if you come in last place, you still have the same opportunity you did before. Out here, you got to deal with everything. You got to deal with the fans, the pressure of relegation, and how important points are. It’s kind of opened up a whole new experience for me mentally and you know just learning more about the sport and how difficult it really is.”

Attardo grew up dreaming of playing overseas, but he never envisioned it would come to fruition in the middle of a pandemic.

The league was forced to hit the pause button for most of January as the Mediterranean island entered a lockdown. They’re back to having matches now, but fans aren’t allowed and players are getting tested before every game.

Cyprus was strict with the lockdown, enforcing a curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. The country also had a text messaging system where people would have to check-in before going outside for exercise, shopping for essentials, visiting a doctor, or heading to work. Only two trips a day were permitted.

“It’s definitely a little different than what I imagined. But at the end of the day, I’m still doing what I love and I think that’s what keeps you positive at the end of the day,” Attardo said.

“It’s a little more difficult than I imagined, but if you can make it through this rough patch and difficult time, it only prepares you better and makes you grow even more… As difficult and upsetting as the pandemic has been, it definitely teaches you a lot, gives you a whole different perspective and experience.”

Sitting at 4-7-10 at the midway point, Xylotymbou is in danger of getting bumped down to the third division. Despite some tough results, Attardo has been able to show that he belongs as he has two goals (one in an exhibition) to his name in 16 appearances. Although, he’s hungry for more as he’s trying to earn himself a spot on the Canadian under-20 team.

“That’s something I’ve kind of set my mind on and a goal I’ve had,” he said.

“I’ve had a couple of conversations with some of the coaching staff of the under-20 national team so not only do I want to help my team out here but also I want to create opportunities for myself back home. It would be my first time (representing Canada).”

Whether Attardo gets to represent Canada or not, he’s already been a perfect representation of what the CPL is intended to be: a platform for Canadian players to show their talents and, hopefully, move to a higher level. Even though the odds were stacked against him in the beginning, Attardo made the most of his opportunity and he’s hoping he’s the first of many Manitobans to make the jump.

“I don’t want to just play, I want to encourage other younger players to pursue their dreams and play as well. When I was back home, I had done a soccer camp and I plan on doing more when I get back, one every year, because I want to get to know some of the kids and just let them have some fun. It’s always great giving back and hopefully inspiring other young players.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31