The Mella Legacy

By Thiago Neuenschwander
Humber Athletics Communication

A dynasty is not born overnight. Over the years, it has been forged through the confluence of talent, strategy, and resilience. It is established in daily effort, with the sweat and sacrifice of many. The achievements of the 16th provincial title and "La Décima," the tenth national title of the Humber men's soccer team, are just the latest chapters in a 30-year story of success. It's a program that has earned respect and fear on pitches across the country.

One of the key figures in this year's triumph was Franz Mella, a midfielder on the current team. He was responsible for the lone tally in the CCAA championship match, etching his name into Humber lore. However, this wasn't the first time someone with this surname did something like this while donning the navy and gold. 

Hawks Strike Gold

The November 3, 1994 edition of Humber et Cetera highlighted the first-ever victory of Humber's men's soccer team in the OCAA. The article by Tania Evangelista, a staff writer at the time, recounted the team's saga under legendary coach Germain Sanchez, who had just captured the OCAA gold medal with a 3-2  victory against the Mohawk Mountaineers. The hero of that epic game was a young forward with an uncanny ability to score goals. Adolfo Mella netted all three goals that afternoon and was also named the MVP and top scorer of the tournament. Adolfo is a legend of the Hawks, but he is more than that. He is also Franz's father. Past and present. Two generations and a family legacy helped shape a winning culture on fields across Canada.

To mark the 30 years between Franz and Adolfo's achievements, the Humber Sports Network (HSN) invited father and son to relive some of those moments and discuss the family's close relationship with the Humber Hawks. At the end of November, both spoke with HSN to share stories about how Adolfo's victorious tenure in the program inspired Franz to follow in his footsteps.

"I always told him: You have to beat me; you have to do better than I did," Adolfo said. "He finally did it; he's a national champion. As a father, I'm very proud of him. Since he started playing soccer, I thought he would be better than I was, and finally, the hard work paid off." 

For Franz, his father's extraordinary achievements are a source of pride and were one of the reasons he decided to wear the Hawks jersey.

"I got a call from Mesa (current assistant coach and men's soccer alumnus Jason Mesa), and he said, come," Franz recalled. "I came last year and didn't play much. But every time I passed by the office, Brian Lepp (Coordinator, Sports Information and Marketing) would say, 'Who is your father?' and I'd say it's Adolfo Mella. He then showed me all the stats and said, 'You'll have to do better than he did'. So, after he told me that, every time I just wanted to play and try to do better than he did. His numbers are impressive and hard to beat." 

Adolfo played only one season for the Humber Hawks (1994-95) and was the standout player that year. He scored 12 goals in eight regular season matches while adding three more tallies in the OCAA final against the Mountaineers. However, the story was different at Humber's first national tournament appearance. Mount Royal University (Alberta) defeated the Hawks in the final 2-0 and Humber settled for the silver medal. Adolfo was sent off in the final, which turned out to be his last game with the Hawks.

"I ended up not playing for the Hawks anymore because I was starting my professional career," Adolfo explained.

Adolfo's professional career deserves its own chapter. A family of Chilean origin, Adolfo spent his early days on a professional team as a teenager in the youth academy of Santiago Wanderers in Valparaíso, a city on the Chilean coast. The Mella family arrived in Canada in 1991, after a brief stint in Norway, where Adolfo played on the Stryn TIL alongside Tore Andre Flo, one of Norway's greatest strikers who had 23 goals with the national team.

In Canada, the forward was one of the pioneers who tried their luck in low-profile leagues such as the USL A-League, the Canadian Professional Soccer League, and the National Professional Soccer League. Between 1991 and 2008, Adolfo played for teams such as the Toronto Blizzard, Toronto Supra, Toronto Shooting Stars (indoor), and Montreal Impact (indoor), among many others. However, the most extraordinary moment of his career was a magical night with an unpredictable character.

A Night with "God" in Scarborough

"This is probably the most important thing I've done in soccer." Adolfo's phrase gives a sense of the significance of the match between the CNSL All-Stars and Toronto Italia in September 1996. He was playing for Toronto Supra, one of the now-defunct Canadian National Soccer League (CNSL) teams. A prolific forward, he was one of the standout players on the team fighting for the title that year when he was invited to play in the All-Star Game against the Italian community's team.

To add visibility to the game, the Toronto Italia officials asked one of their players, known as Lalo, to convince his brother to come play in the friendly. He succeeded. Lalo's brother was none other than the great Diego Armando Maradona.

If you are reading this and don't fully grasp how monumental Diego Maradona was to soccer, it would be like Lionel Messi deciding to play a weekend match in a small field in Mississauga or another suburb of Toronto. Until Messi's emergence, Diego Maradona was considered by many, especially Argentinians, as the greatest soccer player in history. A World Cup champion with his national team in 1986, where he performed the infamous "Hand of God" against England, Diego was no longer in his prime when he came to Toronto. However, his refined technique and exceptional skills remained intact.

The match took place at the small Birchmount Stadium in Scarborough, a venue with a capacity of just over 6,000 spectators. However, some claim that more than 10,000 people showed up that night to see the Argentine star. Ironically, they ended up seeing another South American shine.

"A lot of people said they came to see Diego, but they ended up watching me. I remember playing the best game of my life. When we went into the locker room, the coach came to me and said to all the players: 'Adolfo will be our number 10. Every ball should go to Adolfo'. So, imagine that. He motivated me to my highest level, and for my people, my family who came to see me, I think I played my best game and scored a beautiful goal," he recalled.

Adolfo scored a stunning goal worthy of the greats. He dribbled past the entire defence, including the goalkeeper, and sent the ball into the net. Toronto Italia won the game 2-1, with a Maradona Olympic goal, but the result mattered little that day.

"Diego told me: 'What a beautiful goal, pibe (kid)!'. After the game, I asked him to sign my shirt, and he said: 'No problem, come to the locker room.' I took a shower, changed, and went to look for him. When I saw him, there were about 200 people there. So I thought: 'impossible.' I don't know what happened, but I was at the door and thought God had opened the way. We looked at each other, and he said, 'Hey, pibe, come, you're the star of the game.' I remember he put me by his side, with all the journalists around, and said, 'With much love, I'll sign this shirt for you,'" added the Chilean.

Adolfo keeps the relic locked away as the greatest memento of his career. And although meeting Diego was the highlight of his story, he still had the chance to face great players before hanging up his boots. In 2008, he played a friendly match against Colombian legend Carlos Valderrama at Lamport Stadium in Toronto. Another great player Adolfo faced wasn't on the soccer field, but on the futsal court; Brazilian Falcão is considered the greatest futsal player in history. In 2008, he was called to play for the Chilean futsal team in the Copa América.

Hawks, a Family

After Adolfo's professional career ended, Franz became responsible for carrying on the family legacy in the sport. Wearing the Hawks jersey since 2023, the current number 10 of Michael Aquino's team had little playing time in his first year. A leader of the team in their title victory this season, he is now sure of where the strength of the team comes from.

"I feel like this year's team is more than just a family. We're always laughing; we have love and respect for each other. Even our coach told us that this is one of the best teams with the best chemistry. It's more than a brotherhood. Everyone says this team is different. We're like brothers, and no one can beat us in that department," Franz reflected.

It seems this feeling is not new for the Hawks. "Inside the locker room, we were like family. That's the main reason we went so far. I think that's the biggest thing in sports. If you have a family in the locker room, you can win everything. If everyone is together, good things happen," added Adolfo about the 1994 squad.

Speaking of family, the Mellas suffered an immeasurable loss during a crucial moment in the season. On the day of the OCAA quarterfinals, Franz lost his grandfather, to whom he was very close. On that same day, the number 10 was on the field and scored a stunning free-kick in a 5-1 victory against the Centennial Colts. Since then, he dedicated all his goals to him. "I kissed my tattoos, kissed my hands, and pointed to the sky. After that, every goal was for him," Franz revealed.

With ups and downs, sadness, and above all, joy, the Mellas have built a legacy intertwined with the incredible history of the Humber Hawks. But when asked if Franz will be the last member of the family to wear navy and gold, they quickly bring good news.

"I have a nephew named BK (Kurt), and he's coming next September," Adolfo proclaimed. "I think he's capable of wearing the Mella jersey and winning another championship for Humber."

The legacy, it seems, will continue.