The Canadian Soccer League is an old league, but it’s getting younger.
The league’s origins go back to 1926 and through the decades attractive, professional soccer has been the order of the day – or night. There was little room for young players with talent years ago, a player had to be ready-made from high level soccer elsewhere.
Ostap Steckiw, a Ukrainian star who earlier played for Ukraina Lviv, Charleroi, Nice, Valenciennes, Lyon, was typical. So was Ted Purdon, from South Africa (Birmingham City, Sunderland), Bobby Nicol, a Scot (Edinburgh Hibernians) and hundreds of players who came to Canada in the 50s 60s and 70s, to seek a place in the National Soccer League, the forerunner league of the CSL.
“But that’s changing and quickly,” said Bruno Ierullo, owner and general manager of today’s North York Astros who entered the NSL in 1991. “The league’s getting younger and while some of our clubs are still signing experienced players from overseas, many of the First Division teams are also signing very good young players and the CSL Second Division is almost entirely for player development, he added.”
The younger CSL kicks off its new season this weekend with a slate of five First Division matches Saturday and Sunday – Astros are at home Serbian White Eagles at Esther Shiner Stadium Sunday afternoon, the current CSL champions SC Waterloo host Brampton City United Sunday at 7, and the team that caught everyone’s eye with their impressive First Division win in 2013 – Kingston FC – are visiting Maple, just north of Toronto, to be the opposition for the York Region Shooters’ home opener.
There are also five Second Division games this weekend, starting with the Toronto Croatia B home opener against Burlington SC B at the Hershey Field on Friday night, that’s a 7 o’clock evening kickoff.
CSL FIRST DIVISION OPENERS
Sat. May 24 Hershey Field 7 pm Toronto Croatia vs Burlington SC
Sat. May 24 Kalar Sports Park 7 pm Niagara United FC vs. London City
Sun. May 25 Esther Shiner 3.30 pm North York Astros vs Serbian White Eagles
Sun. May 25 St. Joan of Arc 6.30 pm York Region Shooters vs Kingston FC
Sun. May 25 Warrior Field 7 pm SC Waterloo vs Brampton City Utd