Concordia Stinger defender Garven Metusala signed a contract with the Forge FC and played in his first Canadian Premier League soccer game last week.
Metusala was selected eighth overall in the 2021 CPL-U Sports draft in January. The Hamilton-based team signed Metusala on June 23, and he played in a game versus Valour FC last Sunday in Winnipeg. He made his pro debut in the 79th minute and completed all five of his passes and created a scoring chance.
“The pace and the sharpness of the play is different,” Metusala said. “When you come to the professional level there’s less and less mistakes. The players are cleaner. I feel I’m doing pretty well adapting to the pace of the play.”
The CPL is currently playing its games without fans in the stands in a bubble based in Winnipeg at IG Field. Metusala and his teammates will remain there until July 22.
“It’s a bit different than I was expecting,” he said from Winnipeg. “I was excepting fans, crowds. But I like the training every day and the focus on taking care of your body.”
Stingers head coach Greg Sutton has been following Metusala’s CPL progress closely. The Forge signed Metusala to a U Sports contract that allows him to return to Concordia in the fall.
“It’s exciting to have our first player drafted and playing in the CPL,” said Sutton. “Playing at that level will make him a better player. He’ll learn to think and react quicker.“I hope he will be able to pass on what he’s learning from his experience to our players. It’s definitely encouraging for our student-athletes to realize how close they are to playing pro soccer.”
The six-foot-one resident of Terrebonne, Que., has enjoyed an accomplished soccer career at several levels. He was a member of the Montreal Impact Academy from 2013 through 2016. Metusala was an assistant captain with Team Quebec in 2017 when the team won a bronze medal at the Canada Games.
At Cégep, he played two seasons with Dawson College, including 2017 when the Blues won the RSEQ bronze medal. Metusala has also been successful at the semi-pro level with Blainville, St. Hubert and Fabrose.
He came to Concordia in the winter of 2020 and participated in the indoor season. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 outdoor season.
