FC UKRAINE UNITED ROUT CSC MISSISSAUGA TO CLINCH FIRST DIVISION TITLE
FC Ukraine United, a team in search of goals to capture the CSL First Division title in their final game of the regular season, exceeded expectations with a 10-2 victory over CSC Mississauga Sunday night.
The former OSL team that stepped onto semi-professional soccer in 2016, won its third title (one in the First Division and two in the Second Division) since entering the Canadian Soccer League in 2016.
Following early first half goals by both teams at Centennial Stadium, Ukraine United dominated throughout. Midfielder Pavlo Lukianets found the net three times, forwards Taras Hromiak and Roman Datsiuk each scored twice, and singles came from Nazar Milishchuk, Ihor Malysh and Vitalii Bohdanov. The hat-trick lifted Lukianets’ tally to 12 for the season.
Mauricio Konjic and Mero Menalo scored for CSC Mississauga.
When two tiebreakers failed to decide the top position in the First Division standings, the Ukraine side went into Sunday’s match needing the three points and a margin of at least four goals in its goal differential to end on top.
With a 10-2 result, Ukraine United ended the regular season with a 12-2-WLT record for 38 points, scoring 60 goals and conceding 16 for a goal differential of 44, while FC Vorkuta ended its season also with a 12-2-2 record for 38 points, scoring 55 goals and conceding 16 for a goal differential of 39
“The team has been outstanding all season and deserve this success,” said team manager Vladimir Koval while celebrating the First Division title victory following Sunday’s match at Centennial Stadium. “Now we will concentrate on the playoffs and doing our very best to win the CSL championship.”
In three other First Division games played Sunday night, SC Waterloo defeated Serbian White Eagles 3-0 on goals by Miodrag Kovacevic, Ivan Cutura and Adis Hasecic, Hamilton City beat Brantford Galaxy 2-1, the winning goal struck just before the final whistle by Hamilton midfielder Stefan Blazic following first half goals by Zeljko Dokic of Brantford Galaxy and Vukasin Kovacevic of Hamilton City, and in the late game, Scarborough SC won 4-1 over Real Mississauga.
There are two matches to wrap-up the First Division schedule this coming week when on Tuesday, September 25 Hamilton City hosts Serbian White Eagles at the Heritage Green Field, an 8.30 pm kickoff, and the following day on Wednesday, September 26 Brantford Galaxy travels to RIM Park for an encounter with SC Waterloo, also at 8.30 pm.
The CSL Championship and CSL Second Division Championship post season playoffs will begin the weekend Friday, September 28, a schedule of games to be announced in the coming days.