Great Expectations for the Caledon United Football Club in 2023

SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW

By Jim Stewart

Gabriel Borges, the newly-appointed Executive Director of the Caledon United Football Club, has high hopes for his wide range of soccer teams as they head into their 2023 season.

“One of the teams to watch will be our Women's OWSL team,” he says. “They have a really good chance to win the Ontario Cup and represent the province at the National Championships. I'd encourage the community to come out and watch their home games on Thursday nights at the Caledon Youth Community Complex.”

On the Youth Soccer side of the organization, Borges extolled the talents and potential of two teams: Caledon United FC U17 and Caledon United FC U15.

“Both teams will be very competitive. The talent is widespread on both teams and it will be evident when they take to our Premier Field—R3—at the Caledon Complex.”

While the Caledon United Football Club's Executive Director promoted three of his organization's clubs with assurance and clarity in our phone interview, there was one team a little nearer and dearer to his heart: Borges's own U12 Girls squad.

In what Head Coach Borges describes as “a formative year” for the team, his players have let him know in no uncertain terms that their goal “is to be in the Ontario Cup U13 Championships in 2024.”

With this laudable aim in mind, Coach Borges described the makeup of his U12 Caledon United FC squad:  “The team is looking really good. This is the oldest team that we currently have in our grassroots program and they're awesome. It's a talented team, but it's more than that. It seems like a little family.  The girls have a great willingness to learn and they are an intense group. They have a highly competitive spirit and are super respectful to the coaching staff.  I am really looking forward to coaching them this summer.”  

The current U12 team that Borges and his staff have assembled for the 2023 season captured the Adidas Cup U12 Championship in a prestigious tournament in Virginia. This experience has galvanized the girls and they want to test their championship pedigree in 2023.

In addition to their winning ways on the soccer pitch, Borges also compliments his players' work ethic.

“They work really hard, they'll be fun to watch, and I hope the community comes out to support the team.  Our home games are at 9 AM on Saturdays at the Caledon Complex.”

In addition to prepping his U12 team for his season and promoting his promising clubs, Borges has embraced his new administrative role as Executive Director—having replaced the recently retired Terry Maddison.

Borges noted that “the best part of taking on the new role is to grow with it and to grow the Football Club. We know where we want to go as an organization: we want to provide players in the Caledon community with the opportunity to play soccer for a high-calibre club. The organization is growing in size and stature and I look forward to guiding that growth.” 

Borges was quick to point out the quality of his coaching staff which now comprises 15.

“We have 15 competitive level coaches with complementary skills which makes each staff ready to respond to the varied needs of our players. We have a range of tenured coaches who have played the game at a high level and are ready to take our organization to the next level.  It's an exciting time for all of us to be part of this growth.”

As Longfellow noted, “Hope springs eternal” and this feeling pervades the sunny outlook that is projected by the Caledon United Football Club and its new Executive Director and U12 Head Coach Gabriel Borges.