The Canadian Premier League has proved to be a valuable launching pad for domestic talent. But it has also offered a fresh start to overseas players like Tobias Warschewski.
The 27-year-old German forward says he rediscovered his love for the game in Canada.
"A lot of things happened but at the end of the day I didn't enjoy soccer in Germany anymore and wanted to completely stop football," he said.
"When I'm performing I need to have fun most of the time and this is what I have here," he added.
Warschewski and CPL champion Cavalry FC look to finish the upset they started last week with a 2-1 win in Langford, B.C., when they face Pumas UNAM on Thursday in Mexico City in the return leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup first-round series.
The opening-leg victory last Thursday at Starlight Stadium marked the first-ever win by a CPL side over a top-flight Mexican team with Warschewski's elegant 80th-minute strike deciding the game.
The play started when Ali Musse found Jay Herdman in the Pumas penalty box. Herdman headed it over to Warschewski, who deftly flicked it from one foot to another to evade a defender before poking the ball past goalkeeper Alex Padilla.
Cavalry coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. is used to seeing Warschewski turn heads.
"He's a maverick, he's an artist. He's also a very good character that does work hard … He will run all day for us," Wheeldon said. "That's the beauty (of it). He loves the game. We've just got players around him that support him and coaches that give him the freedom to perform. It's been special to work with him."
Cavalry midfielder Charlie Trafford calls Warschewski "an unbelievable talent."
"He should be ideally playing at a much higher level than this but, for whatever reason, we have him here. We're lucky to have him. He's fantastic, A big bubbly personality, makes everyone laugh. And then when we get on the field, he has moments like that."
Warschewski knows the task Thursday at Estadio Olímpico Universitario will be "a tougher challenge, for sure."
"We all know that. But I think we have belief in this group and belief in each other."
Pumas, who have won the Champions Cup three times (1980, '82 and '89) and finished runner-up twice (2005 and '22), currently sit fifth in the Liga MX Clausura at 3-1-2 after finishing fourth in the Apertura at 9-4-4.
Cavalry, which does not kick off its CPL campaign until April 5, lost 6-1 on aggregate to Orlando City last year in its first trip to CONCACAF's elite club tournament. But it has returned almost all the lineup that won the CPL title last year, with the exception of the departed Daan Klomp and Malcolm Shaw.
Warschewski ended up in Canada after friend and fellow German Julian Ulbricht signed with York United in late 2020. Ulbright's agent subsequently approached Warschewski, offering him "a complete change of life" in Canada.
"I wasn't sure about it," he said, saying he didn't know much about football here or whether he wanted to leave family and friends.
He's glad he took the leap to the CPL, although there have been some bumps in the road.
He spent two years with now-defunct FC Edmonton, leading the league in assists (with seven) in 2021. But the 2022 season proved to be a roller-coaster with the league taking over the team as it looked — unsuccessfully — for new ownership.
Money was tight, facilities lacking and the club was largely a ragtag bunch of loanees.
"That was a tough year. Of course, in the group, we made the best out of it," Warschewski said. "The two years in Edmonton was, In my head, still a good experience for myself as a person. I grew a lot."
Warschewski scored 12 goals and added 14 assists in 51 games for Edmonton. After the franchise folded following a dismal 4-16-8 season in 2022, he took a year off.
"I had offers in Germany but my goal was to come back to North America because I just like the culture here," he said.
A free spirit, he made the most of his time away before signing with Cavalry in January 2024
"I had a couple of pints and I enjoyed life, without soccer," he explained.
Warschewski led the league in assists (with seven) in 2021 and won the Golden Boot Award last season as the CPL's leading scorer with 12 goals in league play, and 15 altogether.
He has a history of big goals.
He scored with a bicycle kick on the opening weekend of the 2022 season, securing a late draw for Edmonton. He was named MVP of the 2024 championship game, opening the scoring from the penalty spot.
Warschewski relishes life in Calgary, with the Calgary Stampede Festival a favourite, as well as his teammates whom he considers his Canadian family.
"I love it," he said. "I think it's a very special group we have here."
His family remains in Dortmund, watching from afar.
Warschewski played for Germany at the 2017 UEFA European U-19 Championship, scoring against England.
At the club level, he played three seasons for German third-division side Preussen Munster. He also had a short stint with FC Phoenix Luebeck in Germany before coming to Canada.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 12, 2025
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
