Alf De Blasis The Game Plan interview on Forge FC's cup win

In the Alf De Blasis The Game Plan interview, broadcaster Alf De Blasis told Giancarlo Alino why he expects more Canadian Premier League clubs to follow Forge FC's Canadian Championship win. He also discussed calling an Inter Toronto match from York Lions Stadium after a couple of years away and why producing coverage of the 1994 World Cup remains a career highlight.

What did Alf De Blasis say about calling Canadian Premier League games?

Alf De Blasis said returning to a Canadian Premier League broadcast was especially rewarding because he called Inter Toronto's final game of the season from York Lions Stadium rather than a studio monitor. He had not called a game in a couple of years, and being at the ground changed what he could see and describe.

Seeing the full field at York Lions Stadium

The assignment came earlier that week. De Blasis said he rarely had the opportunity to call games on site when working from a soccer studio, so the trip to York Lions Stadium was a special treat. From the ground, he could follow developing plays and patterns across the entire field instead of relying on the camera shots selected for a monitor.

Working without a color commentator

De Blasis was alone on the call, which meant handling play-by-play while adding some of the analysis a second commentator might normally provide. He prepared statistics and drew on his knowledge of the players and league, which he said he continued to follow regularly even while away from the microphone.

Television also gave him room to let the pictures carry a passage of play. Radio, he explained, demands a more continuous description with less dead air. Having worked in both play-by-play and color analysis earlier in his career, he was comfortable drawing on both roles when the broadcast needed them.

What did Alf De Blasis say about Forge FC's Canadian Championship win?

Alf De Blasis called Forge FC's Canadian Championship win over CF Montréal a major achievement for the club and the Canadian Premier League. He was not surprised by the result: he pointed to Forge's record of building its squad, winning titles and gaining experience against clubs outside Canada through CONCACAF competition.

Forge began its Canadian Premier League journey in 2019. De Blasis credited Bobby Smyrniotis and his coaching staff for their recruitment, particularly in the season of the cup win. He also noted the difference in resources available to Forge and CF Montréal, making the result a significant measure of what the CPL club had built.

The cup result did not mean Forge was the league's strongest regular-season side that year. De Blasis pointed out that Cavalry FC finished with 60 points to Forge's 58. To him, that gap showed the competitiveness of a league with more than one club capable of challenging established opponents.

He also cited Atlético Ottawa's win over Toronto FC as evidence that CPL results against Major League Soccer opposition were not isolated. Looking ahead, De Blasis said of Forge's breakthrough:

And I think that's going to be the first of many.

He believes Cavalry FC could also make a comparable cup run.

Why does Alf De Blasis want Canadian Premier League expansion to follow its current cost structure?

Alf De Blasis said the Canadian Premier League should keep its cost structure while clubs develop new sources of revenue and opportunities for young players. He saw room for another expansion team or two in the next couple of years, but argued that clubs should avoid spending beyond what their budgets support.

Player sales and development pathways

Clubs are beginning to bring in revenue by selling players, De Blasis said, and can put that money back into recruiting younger talent. He named the U Sports draft, Inter Toronto's developing pathway and Forge FC's relationship with Sigma FC as different ways to build squads within the league's model.

Possible new clubs and CONCACAF places

He said new teams could create opportunities for players and bring in revenue to share among existing clubs. He did not identify a confirmed expansion club. De Blasis also looked ahead to Cavalry FC and Forge FC playing in CONCACAF competition, with the possibility of a third CPL club joining them.

For now, he sees controlled spending and competitive ambition as compatible. His view is that clubs can maintain the league's structure while assembling rosters capable of pushing Canada's Major League Soccer teams.

What did Alf De Blasis say about covering Serie A at TLN?

Alf De Blasis described covering Serie A at TLN as a dream job because it let him work in a sport and league he already loved. The assignment was part of a broader broadcasting career that also took him to Champions League matches, European Championships, World Cups and coverage of Toronto FC.

He remembered looking forward to a Serie A game at the end of each working week. The chance to share Italian club matches with viewers mattered to him, but he also valued moving between club soccer and international tournaments rather than covering only one competition.

The 2007 FIFA Under-20 World Cup

One assignment that stood out was previewing the 2007 FIFA Under-20 World Cup. De Blasis recalled an Argentina side featuring Sergio Agüero and Ángel Di María, who went on to win the tournament. Seeing players of that age before the later stages of their careers was part of what made covering different levels of the game memorable for him.

Toronto FC's arrival brought another change: opportunities to go out and cover the club and Major League Soccer. Together, those assignments gave De Blasis a range of Italian, Canadian and international soccer stories to bring to his audiences.

Why does Alf De Blasis remember the 1994 World Cup so clearly?

Alf De Blasis considers the 1994 World Cup in the United States one of the highlights of his career. He was producing coverage at CFMT, now known as Omni TV, rather than appearing on air, and remembered the momentum in the studio as Italy advanced to the final against Brazil.

Italy's 1994 run to the final

De Blasis recalled how close Italy came and how the final became associated with Roberto Baggio's penalty. The studio's sense of occasion grew with each stage of Italy's run, even though the title eluded the team. He also remembered Franco Baresi's return after an injury earlier in the tournament and named Giuseppe Signori and Dino Baggio among the players in that side.

The disappointment of the 2000 European Championship

Another tournament left a different feeling. De Blasis remembered Italy's 2000 European Championship campaign, including its match against the Netherlands, as a run that seemed capable of ending with a title. When it did not, he said there was a substantial letdown in the studio.

He distinguished those working memories from Italy's 2006 World Cup win: TLN did not hold the rights to that tournament, so he watched it as a fan. Across the World Cups he worked on, the 1994 production stayed with him because of the atmosphere around Italy's journey to the final.

What did Alf De Blasis say about films, food and his routine?

Alf De Blasis picked Skyfall as probably his all-time favorite film, while also recalling the lasting impression of The Godfather films. Away from soccer coverage, he said he prefers tea to coffee and named a Yorkville restaurant where his family often gathers for meals and celebrations.

De Blasis likes crime dramas and spy films, particularly the James Bond series. Skyfall stood out to him for its cinematography, direction and writing. The Godfather and its sequels, meanwhile, were films he grew up with and continued to remember for their scenes and performances.

For early work mornings, his usual Starbucks order was a tall tea and a toasted bagel with cream cheese. He did not name one regular comfort-food destination, but said his family often visits One in Yorkville for brunch, lunch, dinner and birthdays.

Why is Francesco Totti Alf De Blasis's favorite player?

Alf De Blasis chose Francesco Totti as his all-time favorite player because he watched him emerge at Roma and remain closely identified with the club. He admired Totti's importance to both Roma and Italy, and said the player's retirement was moving enough to bring tears to his eyes.

De Blasis began watching Roma early in his broadcasting career and remembered Totti breaking through in the early to mid-1990s. He described Totti as the club's standard-bearer and found it satisfying to see him win a World Cup after winning a league title with Roma.

The last game stayed with him as much as the trophies. De Blasis recalled Totti waving to Roma supporters and taking a lap of honor, then seeing those emotions captured again in a documentary. For someone who had followed the player's career from its early years, the farewell felt personal.

De Blasis also said he operates a consulting service and remains active on social media. He welcomed hearing from people who remember games he covered and want to revisit those moments with him.