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Toronto Star
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Cavalry FC's Shamit Shome changes international allegiance to Bangladesh from Canada
Cavalry FC midfielder Shamit Shome, who won two caps for Canada in 2020, has switched his international allegiance to Bangladesh. The 27-year-old Shome was born in Edmonton to parents who came from Bangladesh in their 20s. FIFA has approved his application for a one-time change of association from Canada, meaning he could represent No. 183 Bangladesh in the June international window, which includes a 2027 Asia Cup qualifying match against No. 161 Singapore on June 10 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Like other countries, including Canada, Bangladesh has reached out to eligible footballers to build its roster. Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury, a former England under-21 player who was born in England to a father from Grenada and mother from Bangladesh, has also switched to Bangladesh. Choudhury is currently on loan to Sheffield United. Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuyan was born in Denmark to Bangladeshi parents. Shome says while Bangladesh football officials had been pursuing him for some time, he had put them off for a while. Talks turned serious a couple of months ago. With the Canada door seemingly closed, Shome was open to the opportunity. 'Truthfully I think everybody wants to play for the national team. And I got a taste of it luckily at an young age,' he said in an interview. 'There was always a part of me that hoped that maybe I would get an opportunity again. 'But obviously now that I'm getting older in my career and settling down a bit, I thought it was the right time to change things up and kind of pursue a new opportunity — and a different style of international football, one that I have no idea what will be like. Different traditions, different style of play. So I'm really excited for that challenge.' While he has not spoken to Canada Soccer about the change, he said the Canadian federation approved the request from Bangladesh quickly. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Shome was taken by Montreal in the second round (41st overall) of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft. Then 19, he had been with FC Edmonton of the NASL before becoming part of the MLS's inaugural Generation Adidas Canada class. Shome, who came up through the FC Edmonton academy, was a nominee for Canadian under-20 player of the year in 2016. Shome said his parents are proud of his decision, as are relatives on his father's side still back in Bangladesh. 'They're really, really excited to see me and to see me play live, because they' haven't really got that chance (before).' Shome has visited Bangladesh several times as a boy with his family, with the most recent visit about three years or four ago. Cavalry (1-2-1) plays at Halifax (3-0-2) in Canadian Premier League play Saturday. —- This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2025
Winnipeg Free Press
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Cavalry FC's Shamit Shome changes international allegiance to Bangladesh from Canada
Cavalry FC midfielder Shamit Shome, who won two caps for Canada in 2020, has switched his international allegiance to Bangladesh. The 27-year-old Shome was born in Edmonton to parents who came from Bangladesh in their 20s. FIFA has approved his application for a one-time change of association from Canada, meaning he could represent No. 183 Bangladesh in the June international window, which includes a 2027 Asia Cup qualifying match against No. 161 Singapore on June 10 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Like other countries, including Canada, Bangladesh has reached out to eligible footballers to build its roster. Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury, a former England under-21 player who was born in England to a father from Grenada and mother from Bangladesh, has also switched to Bangladesh. Choudhury is currently on loan to Sheffield United. Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuyan was born in Denmark to Bangladeshi parents. Shome says while Bangladesh football officials had been pursuing him for some time, he had put them off for a while. Talks turned serious a couple of months ago. With the Canada door seemingly closed, Shome was open to the opportunity. 'Truthfully I think everybody wants to play for the national team. And I got a taste of it luckily at an young age,' he said in an interview. 'There was always a part of me that hoped that maybe I would get an opportunity again. 'But obviously now that I'm getting older in my career and settling down a bit, I thought it was the right time to change things up and kind of pursue a new opportunity — and a different style of international football, one that I have no idea what will be like. Different traditions, different style of play. So I'm really excited for that challenge.' While he has not spoken to Canada Soccer about the change, he said the Canadian federation approved the request from Bangladesh quickly. Shome was taken by Montreal in the second round (41st overall) of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft. Then 19, he had been with FC Edmonton of the NASL before becoming part of the MLS's inaugural Generation Adidas Canada class. Shome, who came up through the FC Edmonton academy, was a nominee for Canadian under-20 player of the year in 2016. Shome said his parents are proud of his decision, as are relatives on his father's side still back in Bangladesh. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'They're really, really excited to see me and to see me play live, because they' haven't really got that chance (before).' Shome has visited Bangladesh several times as a boy with his family, with the most recent visit about three years or four ago. Cavalry (1-2-1) plays at Halifax (3-0-2) in Canadian Premier League play Saturday. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2025
Winnipeg Free Press
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Whitecaps need focus in Minnesota MLS match after big CONCACAF Champions Cup win
VANCOUVER – Focus may be an issue for the Vancouver Whitecaps when they go on the road to face Minnesota United FC Sunday afternoon in an important Major League Soccer match. The Whitecaps enjoyed one of the biggest wins in franchise history Thursday evening, defeating Lionel Messi and Inter Miami 2-0 before a record crowd of over 53,000 at BC Place Stadium in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal. The Whitecaps can advance to the June 1 Champions Cup final with a win over Miami on Wednesday night at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. But first, Vancouver (6-1-2) must deal with Minnesota (4-1-4) which sits third in the Western Conference, just four points behind the first place Whitecaps. 'It's a good question,' said Vancouver head coach Jesper Sorensen when asked about his team looking past Minnesota. 'We have a unique possibility to reach a final this club has never reached before. That will be on the back of the players' minds. 'But I think we have over the course of this period been good at focusing on the next game. We'll try to do that again.' Midfielder Ralph Priso said Minnesota has proven its quality by going unbeaten in the last eight games and would like nothing more than to knock off the first-place Whitecaps. 'Minnesota is a good team with good players all around,' Priso said after training Friday. 'They have a lot of speed, they're good in direction combination play. 'We'll have to be ready for runs off the ball, for dynamic plays. We'll just have to be smart when the have the ball not to open ourselves up too much and give them too much space to attack.' Defender Ranko Veselinovic said the Whitecaps can't let the win over Miami cloud their minds heading into Minnesota. 'We need to be focused,' he said. 'Get our minds together. 'They're a really tough team to break. They don't concede a lot. I expect a really tough game.' Even Minnesota isn't sure what to expect from the Whitecaps. 'It's difficult for us to read exactly how they'll look this weekend,' head coach Eric Ramsay said this week. 'This is a really quick turnaround. 'They're above us in the table so we can only pay them the utmost respect.' Minnesota, which is coming off back-to-back 0-0 draws against Toronto and Dallas, won't change its style depending on who the Whitecaps start. 'We're not one of those teams that changes a great deal based upon how the opposition play,' said Ramsay. 'We're pretty good at adapting in the moment and the players are pretty responsive.' Vancouver heads into the weekend leading all MLS teams with 20 points. The Whitecaps have outscored their opponents 7-1 in their last three games and not given up a goal in three of the last four. One of the pleasant surprises for the Whitecaps this season has been the play of defender Tate Johnson. The 19-year-old from Tampa, Fla., was selected 15th overall in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft after spending a season at the University of North Carolina. He has stepped in to start five games this year for Vancouver and scored a goal in his debut against CF Montreal. Johnson was asked about his composure after looking calm and collected defending Messi in the win over Miami. 'Having such a great group of guys and leaders around really helps me do my job,' he said. 'I'm just trying to control what I can control, working hard every day. When my name is called, I look to put in good performances to help the team win.' Sorensen has been impressed by Johnson. 'It's a great story,' said the coach. 'He has proven ready for every task we give him. He's never a guy who lets us down.' VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (6-1-2) at MINNESOTA UNITED FC (4-1-4) Allianz Field SICK BAY: Whitecaps captain Ryan Guald (knee) will miss the match. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. HOME AND AWAY: Vancouver (2-0-2) has not lost on the road this year and Minnesota (2-0-2) is unbeaten at home. FILLING THE NET: Heading into the weekend Vancouver's 17 goals was second in MLS behind the 19 scored by San Jose. TIGHT DEFENCE: The Whitecaps, Miami and St. Louis began the weekend tied for allowing a MSL-low six goals this season. NEXT UP: The Whitecaps next MLS game is next Saturday against Real Salt Lake at BC Place Stadium This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25, 2025.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Whitecaps 2, Montreal 0: Vancouver writes itself into the history books
You don't know what you don't know. And Jesper Sorensen didn't know he didn't have a bench to rely on. At least that was the prevailing sentiment about the Vancouver Whitecaps coming into 2025. A team with a good core, but a paper-thin bench. Thinner than Christian Bale in The Machinist. Less depth than a DC superhero movie. 'The good thing for me is that I didn't know the players, so I didn't know that we didn't have a bench,' he said with a twinkle in his eye after training earlier this week. But every time a player has gone down with an injury, or been allowed some bench time to recuperate in this frenetic start to the season, their backups have come in and succeeded. MLS SuperDraft pick Tate Johnson, in his debut start, scored in the Whitecaps' 2-0 win over CF Montreal Saturday night at B.C. Place. The rookie got the start because Sam Adekugbe went down with an injury two games ago. His replacement on the back line, Édier Ocampo, was suspended for Saturday's game after a retroactive red card assessed by MLS DisCo this week. In their mid-week CONCACAF Champions Cup game against Monterrey, centreback Belal Halbouni scored an 87th minute equalizer. The second-year centreback has just two starts and three appearances in league play, though his performances in Cup play have been impressive. The Whitecaps' bench will now be severely tested. Ryan Gauld went down 23 minutes into Saturday's game after suffering a non-contact knee injury. He had to be helped by two staffers off the field, then past an applauding supporters' section into the tunnel. The severity of his injury will be determined after post-game testing. Vancouver was already without Adekugbe and the revelatory Jayden Nelson, who came off five minutes into the Monterrey game with a hamstring strain. He's day to day, and questionable for the return leg of the Cup clash in Mexico. With Johnson and Matias Laborda — who scored his first of the season against Montreal — eight different players have scored for Vancouver, across all competitions this season, further smashing that erroneous assessment of a shallow roster. The Whitecaps have actually accomplished something never done in their MLS history — win three straight games to start the season. Vancouver and the Philadelphia Union are the only teams to win all three of their games to kick off 2025. The team's defence has given up just two goals in three league games this season, and had shutouts in two of their last three. Goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka made a point-blank save on Montreal striker Prince Owusu late in the second half, and got some luck when an shot caromed off the crossbar and out to keep the game scoreless. Vancouver Whitecaps stars show how soccer's Promised Land can turn sour
Reuters
03-03-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Crew sign free agent M Amar Sejdic
March 3 - The Columbus Crew signed free agent midfielder Amar Sejdic for the 2025 season on Monday. The deal includes a club option for 2026 for the 28-year-old veteran, who played for Nashville SC in 2024. "Amar's technical characteristics will offer greater tactical flexibility to our midfield group," said Crew general manager Issa Tall. "With his experience in MLS and familiarity of our style of play from his time with our coaching staff, Amar will be a valuable addition to our team, and we are excited welcome him and his family to Columbus." Sejdic has recorded two goals and three assists in 95 MLS matches (50 starts) with CF Montreal (2019-21), Atlanta United (2021-23) and Nashville. Sejdic was a second-round pick by Montreal in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft out of Maryland, where he converted the game-winning penalty kick in a 1-0 win against Akron in the 2018 NCAA national championship game.
