About us

CLUB HISTORY
The team has had a very storied history, considering it was formed by such a small diaspora group. The team played in the Canadian National Soccer League until 1975 when they purchased the Toronto Metros of the North American Soccer League to form Toronto Metros-Croatia. During this period the team attracted many soccer stars, such as Portuguese superstar Eusébio, and they won Soccer Bowl '76, a 3-0 win over the Minnesota Kicks, at the Kingdome in Seattle.

However, the NASL was never comfortable with the Croatia link (an obvious ethnic connection), and in 1978, the team was bought out, leaving the Toronto Blizzard in the NASL, while Toronto Croatia returned to the CNSL. In 1994, Toronto Croatia joined the Canadian International Soccer League. In 1997, a new league was formed, the Canadian Professional Soccer League, which Toronto Croatia joined in 1998. The club's successes despite the instabilities it found in each of the leagues in which it has played is a testament to what a small ethnic group could accomplish in North American sport. In 2006, the club celebrated its 50th anniversary. To commemorate this, the team went on a tour of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

ABOUT CROATIA
Croatia (Republika Hrvatska) is a country at the crossroads of the Mediterranean and Central Europe. With its capital is Zagreb, Croatia shares land borders with Slovenia and Hungary on the north, Bosnia and Herzegovina on the south and east, Montenegro on the south, Serbia on the east and a sea border with Italy to the west. Croatia includes six World Heritage sites and eight national parks. Probably the earliest known description of a sporting event in Croatia is from the 18th century (1764). It referred to the regatta of two fishing boats representing the cities of Split and Makarska, from an islet near Milna on the island of Brac to the Split harbour. It was the Makaran boat that triumphed! One of truly fascinating exploits in which Croatian mariners participated is related to ARCTIC EXPEDITION in 1872-1874, organized by the Austrian-Hungarian state. The first international football (soccer) match where Croatia participated with its national name had been held in 1907 (with Czechia). The Croatian Sporting Union was founded in Zagreb in 1909. In 1911 the Croatian representation participated under its flag (and with its national name) on the European championship in Torino. In 1912 Franjo Gregl was the European champion in bicycling... Following are recent famous sportsmen with world-wide recognition: Franjo Mihalic (athlete), Zvonimir Boban and Davor Suker, (football players), Veljko Rogosic (swimmer), Perica Vlasic and Matija Ljubek (rowers), George Chuvalo (boxer), Kresimir Cosic, Drazen Petrovic, Toni Kukoc and Dino Radja (basketball), Goran Ivanisevic and Zeljko Franulovic (tennis), Janica and Ivica Kostelic (ski), Val and Sandra Bezic (figure-skating)... to name a few.