Vancouver Whitecaps not discounting Valour FC heading into Canadian Championship
Vancouver Whitecaps' Jayden Nelson (7) and Real Salt Lake's Justen Glad (15) vie for the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, on Saturday, May 3, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
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Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
Bat-flip king José Bautista's second act is all business
Ask any Blue Jays fan where they were the night of José Bautista's legendary 2015 bat flip, and chances are they'll remember exactly what they were doing. Mr. Bautista's memory of that moment, however, is surprisingly hazy. 'I remember hitting the ball,' he says, 'and then I was just … in the dugout, getting a drink. I kind of blacked out.' The sound, he adds, was overwhelming. 'It felt like the stadium was shaking.' Over a decade with the Jays, Mr. Bautista became one of the most iconic figures in Canadian sports – not just for his home runs or six All-Star appearances, but for the intensity and swagger he brought to the field. These days, he's busy building a quieter second act. Since retiring, Mr. Bautista has acquired a professional soccer team, backed a coffee farm in his native Dominican Republic, opened a fitness facility and taken stakes in multiple brands. He's invested in Canadian companies like Flow Water and is now the national face of Mary Brown's Chicken. He's also remained connected to his Canadian fanbase, supporting grassroots sports and raising funds for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, into which he was inducted on Saturday. He sat down beforehand to talk about what life is like post-MLB, his evolution as an entrepreneur, and how he sees his legacy. What parts of your baseball career show up in your business life? The biggest thing is situational awareness – reading the environment and adjusting on the fly. You've got to understand the economic cycles, what engagement with your fans (or customers) looks like, and what you're really offering. That same thinking applies in business. Things are always shifting, so you have to stay resilient and adapt. You won't turn a business around overnight. But if you keep showing up, stay thoughtful, surround yourself with good people and put in the work consistently, small gains add up. Were you always interested in business? Yeah, I'd been investing for almost two decades at that point. When you're making money in pro sports, you get introduced to the wealth management world pretty quickly. I used it as a learning opportunity. I carved out a little side pot – money I could put into direct investments where I could meet the founders, ask questions and really understand the business. One of the first was Marucci Sports, a baseball equipment company. I joined their board in 2010. We sold the company right before COVID. Why go hands-on? I wanted a chance to roll the dice on things that felt interesting or personal. And even then, I wasn't replacing the advisers – I just became more active in a portion of what they were managing. I was the annoying client who came in with a lot of questions. Like, 'What's in this fund? Who runs it? How do they pick companies? What are the fees? What's the holding period?' I wanted to learn. Legendary Blue Jay Jose Bautista chats chicken, Netflix, and dishes on his Dominican hero Can you walk me through your biggest investments since then? Marucci was by far the biggest. Endy, a Canadian mattress company, was probably number two. I also got involved in a few pre-IPO and early-round opportunities. Some of them didn't work out – one was kind of like a WeWork concept that flopped, but we rolled that into something else that's doing okay now. Overall, I've probably done five or six, with about a 50-per-cent success rate, which feels lucky. What makes you say 'yes' to a brand or company now? For me, it has to serve a purpose, because I'm not just chasing returns. Giving back is a big one. Not harming the environment is another. I like companies that are thinking about the future, especially using technology to do things better or more efficiently. But even more than that, I want to work with good people who stick to their values. Because when things get tough – and they always do – you don't want to be involved with someone who's going to start cutting corners. Tell me about Bella Aldea, the Dominican coffee company you're backing. I grew up drinking espresso with my grandma on weekends in the Dominican Republic, so it's definitely personal. Most people don't associate Dominican Republic with coffee, even though we're one of the top-producing countries. So when I met my partners – fifth-generation coffee growers in a small mountain village called Juncalito – I felt like I could help tell that story. How do you handle the challenges of doing business in the DR? Having great partners is essential, and controlling the supply helps. We're vertically integrated – we own the farm, do the processing and roasting, and handle export. That lets us control consistency and quality from the source. Let's talk about the Las Vegas Lights FC. What made you want to own a soccer team? I've always wanted to invest in professional sports. But when you look at leagues like MLB or MLS, the valuations are so high that, even if you do invest, you don't really get a seat at the table. With the United Soccer League, I saw an opportunity to actually be involved. This is a long-term play. But the league has come a long way in the last 10 to 15 years, and with promotion and relegation on the horizon, it's about to become a lot more dynamic. Baseball gives you instant feedback – hits, errors, the scoreboard. Was it strange adjusting to a world where results can take longer to show up? A little, yeah. In baseball, maybe I make an adjustment to my swing, and by my next at-bat, I'll see a change. In business, you might change a strategy and not know if it worked for six months. But it also forces you to be more thoughtful. You look for patterns. You rely on data. You talk to customers, partners, investors, whoever can give you insight. And it teaches you patience, which isn't always easy for someone wired like me. What's the biggest business mistake you've made? Early on, I was afraid to dig deep into financial statements. I'd get these investor updates and just kind of skim the parts I didn't fully understand – I didn't want to look like I didn't know what I was doing. Now? I ask everything. I don't care how dumb it sounds. If I don't get it, I want to figure it out. I'd rather look a little clueless and learn something than pretend and miss something important. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Still investing, for sure. Still giving back. I've already helped 62 kids through college with my foundation. But I have a lot more energy and curiosity to offer. I want to keep building – whether it's businesses, relationships, or maybe something bigger in the sports world. If I can add a few more stories to that list, help a few more people, and still have time to be present for my daughters … I'll be happy with that. This interview has been edited and condensed.
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
A healthy Tajon Buchanan provides the offence Team Canada has sought
The last 18 months have not been especially kind to Tajon Buchanan. Losing his place in the national team, a broken tibia, and limited opportunities at Inter Milan that necessitated a loan move to Spain's Villarreal all conspired to rob the livewire winger of some of the verve that made him one of Canada's breakout players at the last World Cup. As a result, the 26-year-old Brampton, Ont., native had started just four of Canada's first 15 national team matches since Jesse Marsch took over as head coach in May last year. Slowly but surely though, Buchanan has been working his way back to full health and confidence – even scoring the winning goal as Villarreal came from behind to beat Spanish champion Barcelona last month. However, he chose Saturday's game against Ukraine – in the opening fixture of the four-team Canadian Shield tournament at Toronto's BMO Field – to signal a return to his best form in the national-team shirt. It was the kind of display that earned him a move to Serie A in the first place. Canada rolled to a 4-2 victory – its first over a European team since beating Belarus in March, 2011 – and Buchanan was at the heart of almost everything Canada did, setting up the first two goals for Jonathan David before grabbing one himself late on. Almost exactly one year out from a World Cup campaign that will begin at the same venue – Thursday marks the 365-day countdown – Buchanan provided a timely reminder of what he brings to this team when he is at his free-flowing best. His goal was his first for his country since scoring at BMO Field three years ago in the match that clinched Canada's qualification for Qatar, while the two helpers were his first assists since providing the cross for Alphonso Davies to net this country's first goal at a men's World Cup. 'I'm starting to feel good again. I feel like my old self,' he said after playing the full 90 minutes for Canada the first time since the 2022 World Cup. 'I think the move to Villarreal helped me a lot to gain my fitness back, to gain my confidence. 'I've been working extremely hard to get back to this level and I'm very happy with the way I played today.' Whatever Canada's aspirations at the World Cup – and getting out of the group stage and would seem to be the minimum impact it hopes to make – a motivated, fit Buchanan will be integral to those ambitions. Despite the recent successes in reaching the semi-finals of both the Nations League and Copa America in the past 12 months, one of the criticisms levelled at the men's national team since Marsch took over last year has been its inability to create offence. With just 14 goals in his first 15 games in charge, the team has often found itself frustrated, particularly when supposedly weaker opposition teams set up shop in a low block in and around their penalty area. The onus has then fallen on Canada to unlock a defensive wall, which March's team has frequently been unable to do. On Saturday, playing against a Ukraine team ranked five places above it in the FIFA rankings, Canada was handed a different kind of test. Canada's Tajon Buchanan shrugs off the doubts as inaugural Copa America campaign looms Cathal Kelly: Jesse Marsch's mollycoddling shows the error of our cultural norms With Ukraine enjoying most of the possession, Sergiy Rebrov's team surprisingly played a more open game, allowing Canada to showcase its athleticism. Both Buchanan and Jacob Shaffelburg, the speedster on the left wing, were the beneficiaries of open space behind the fullbacks in transition, with Buchanan enjoying the freedom of his right wing to set up the opening two goals. And Canada's third goal, scored by Promise David on his debut, was the result of Canada's pressing, with the Union Saint-Gilloise striker – fresh off leading his team to its first Belgian league title in 90 years – catching centre-back Valeriy Bondar in possession before clinically dispatching it past goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin. But when Canada returns to playing teams that don't want to be so expansive – perhaps on Tuesday when it plays the 41st-ranked Ivory Coast – Marsch and his team still need to find a creative spark to unlock routes to goal. Perhaps Buchanan can help provide that X-factor. After all, the way he nutmegged fullback Mykola Matviyenko on the opening goal Saturday showed a rare streak of artistry on this team. Marsch is certainly aware of the importance he brings, commenting last month that the 'best version of our national team has Tajon in the starting lineup.' After seeing Buchanan's influence as his team scored four goals for the first time in his 13 months on the job, Marsch's thoughts on the winger are likely even more concrete now. As for Buchanan, Saturday's win was just another step on the road to 2026, and the global soccer showcase set to arrive on these shores in 12 months' time. 'This is the standard we hold ourselves to,' he said. 'We want to change football in this country, and over the past years, we've been doing that.'
National Post
an hour ago
- National Post
Chukwu's wonder goal the difference as Canada women crowned CONCACAF U-20 champions
ALAJUELA — Canada won the CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship on Sunday, defeating Mexico 3-2 after extra time thanks to a marvellous goal by Annabelle Chukwu in the 122nd minute. Article content Chukwu beat two defenders at the byline and then, from an almost impossible angle, roofed the winner as the clock counted down in stoppage time. It was the fifth goal of the tournament for the 18-year-old from Ottawa who plays collegiate soccer at Notre Dame. Article content Article content Article content Chukwu added to her Canadian youth international scoring record, previously held by Christine Sinclair. Chukwu now has 39 goals in 42 games from the under-15 to under-20 level. Article content 'We stuck through for 120 minutes together … It's a dream come true,' said Chukwu. The Canadians celebrated by making snow angels in the confetti that covered the pitch after they received the trophy in the rain at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto. Article content Canada also won the CONCACAF tournament in 2004 and 2008. It was the Canadian women's first trip to the final since 2015, when it lost 1-0 to the U.S. Article content Mexico was in its fourth straight final, having won two of the previous three (2018 and 2023). Article content Mexico defeated Canada 4-2 in earlier Group B play, the lone blemish on the Canadian record at the tournament. Article content Sunday's rematch was full of twists and turns with Mexico reduced to 10 players when goalkeeper Mariangela Medina was sent off in the 90th minute. And Chukwu had a chance to put Canada ahead in the 119th minute, only to see substitute goalkeeper Camila Vazquez make a diving save to stop her. Article content The extra-time penalty was awarded after American referee Delia Bradley went to the pitchside monitor to check a possible handball by defender Berenice Ibarra after a shot hit her outstretched arm. Article content Mexico was reduced to 10 players when Medina was sent off for denying an obvious scoring chance. The 'keeper took Chukwu down going after the ball outside the penalty box with the red card coming after video review. Article content Vazquez took over in goal, with forward Deiry Ramirez giving way. Article content Canada had taken a 2-1 lead in the 96th minute when, off a corner, the ball bounced in off Adriana Bianchin after a touch from fellow Canadian Iba Oching sent the ball on. But two minutes later Montserrat Saldivar beat Canadian goalkeeper Noelle Henning after a teammate found her behind the Canadian defence with a looping ball.
