By Ottawa Sports Pages, for OSU Force Academy
After years of piling up provincial titles, Ottawa South United Soccer Club was at last granted the opportunity to add a national trophy to its collection this season, and the OSU Force U14 boys’ team seized the moment, capturing the crown jewel emblematic of the club’s blanket success in 2024.
“It’s just really amazing,” says OSU founding/current Club President Bill Michalopulos. “Those are events that come back as inspiration for the kids to improve, the coaches to improve, and to get people more interested in the game.”
A number of past groundbreaking Ontario-champion OSU teams would have been strong contenders to win Canadian crowns had such a competition existed at the time, but it was the 2009-born boys who etched their names into the history books in August at the first-ever Canadian Player Development Program Championship in Edmonton.
Although it was OSU’s first nationals victory since it was formed in 2003, OSU does own a pair of Jubilee Trophy triumphs from its root club. The South Nepean United Spirits were national women’s amateur soccer champions in 1997 and 1998.
“Some of the players from that team are now actually coaching their kids at OSU,” notes Michalopulos. “When you see that kind of life cycle, it’s what makes the culture at our club so strong.”
Rene Braendli was the coach of the champion Sprits squad, and this year, the timeless leader earned yet another championship while coaching the Force Academy White U13 girls. The team went undefeated with 12 wins and 2 ties to win the U14 C1 girls’ division – one of many 2024 Force titles in the Eastern Ontario Soccer League.
Read More: OSU Force Academy Zone: Regional team triumphs show that talent runs deep at Ottawa South United
OSU’s Ontario Player Development League teams were dominant across the board this season, winning 82% of their matches in total. Both the Force U14 boys and girls earned the right to represent Ontario at next summer’s nationals with their OPDL east division crowns.
The Force U14 girls were also overall league champions, the U15 girls won the OPDL Cup, and the national-champion U15 boys repeated as OPDL league champs. All seven OSU OPDL teams qualified for the four-team playoffs, five reached the Charity Shield finals and the U15 boys, U16 girls, U17 boys and U17 girls won it all.
A group of six OSU U16 girls also won an international title this season, going undefeated at the Gatorade Global 5v5 Finals in London, U.K.
“I’m kind of flabbergasted. Fifteen years ago, you could not get one win when you went to Toronto,” Michalopulos recalls. “There’s been a change. We’ve invested in soccer. We take the game seriously. We’ve invested in coaching. We’ve got very seasoned people who understand group dynamics, with experience in the game.
“If you have the right type of programming, the right type of coaching, the right type of organization, it shows how far you can go.”
OSU products continued to excel at higher levels of soccer this season. A total of 25 graduating youth players earned scholarships to U Sports and NCAA universities/colleges, eight current and past OSU players participated in Team Canada programs, six joined new professional clubs and academies in Canada, France and Spain this year, while several more are playing in the Canadian Premier League.
“They’re just reaching those heights that we all dreamed about,” Michalopulos signals. “And they act as role models for the next generation. There’s no better inspiration to have than players who have come from your own club.”
Current University of Notre Dame player Annabelle Chukwu set a humbling record this season as she surpassed Christine Sinclair – international soccer’s all-time leading scorer in senior competition – to become Canada’s top scorer at the youth level with 29 goals.
Michalopulos, who coached Chukwu early in her career at OSU, calls the 17-year-old a “generational talent.”
“I’m not surprised that she’s doing exceptionally well,” he highlights. “I’ve been in the game for a long time. I’ve coached boys, girls, men and women, and she was the best player I have ever coached. Even though she was a little girl, there was something unique about her.”
The journey to the top starts at the grassroots level, and the huge participation numbers show that OSU’s excellent introductory and recreational programming is highly popular as well, Michalopulos indicates.
“Honestly, we can’t grow any more,” he adds. “We don’t want to just take the kids and not be able to serve them. There are limits to human resources and physical resources.”
OSU opened its long-awaited clubhouse at George Nelms Sports Park this season, which will act primarily as a fitness and educational centre for Force players.
“It was a long time coming,” Michalopulos smiles. “A lot of blood, sweat and tears. Very challenging, but we did it and it’s there.”
Michalopulos sends a big thank you to the club’s parents, coaches, volunteer coordinators and staff who collectively fuel OSU players’ success.
“We have the right people, and you’re seeing the results,” he underlines.
OSU celebrated the spectacular season with its annual banquet on Oct. 18 – sold out with just over 1,000 attendees (and a one parent-per-player limit) packed into the sparkling Infinity Convention Centre.
“It was a great night. It’s very satisfying, being there from the beginning and seeing how far we’ve come, and just seeing the kids out there having a great time – that’s really the inspiration,” Michalopulos reflects. “I’m just elated to see the happy faces out there, and the unimaginable success that’s happened. We’re so blessed.”
Canada Soccer president Peter Augruso was welcomed as the keynote speaker at the banquet. He provided an update on the sport at the national level, while also saluting the “tremendous success of the work that’s being done here at OSU.”
“You are one of Canada’s highest performing soccer clubs. With over 10,000 registrations, your organization’s business models have created benchmarks for others to follow,” Augruso stated during his remarks.
Augruso remembered from his time with Ontario Soccer that OSU was the first club to obtain the provincial sporting body’s gold standard for club excellence award, and that it is now one of a select few to hold a National Youth Licence.
That groundwork helped lay the foundation for many players to become members of youth national teams and Major League Soccer academies, and Augruso said he expects many will develop into Team Canada players at the senior level in short order.
He thanked OSU for the invitation to speak, and all of the parents in the room for their instrumental support.
“I’m thrilled to be part of this program,” Augruso highlighted.
Learn more about Ottawa South United Soccer Club at osu.ca.
