IMPORT PLAYERS FOR A BRIGHTER CANADIAN SOCCER LEAGUE
There is no doubt that Oleh Kerchu, team captain and a leader off the field of play, played a big part in FC Vorkuta’s remarkable success in winning three titles since the York Region-based club became an expansion team in the Canadian Soccer League’s 2017 season.
Kerchu, 34, is an example of many players who have ventured to Canada for the express purpose of playing football in the Canadian Soccer League. Import signings strengthens the teams and provides many benefits for the league as a whole. Games become more attractive for the fans, the players bring strong technical skills following many years’ experience at high levels, particularly coaching expertise to the benefit of players in the local soccer community.
Ukrainian-born Kerchu, like several players in this year’s CSL championship side, entered the Canada as an import player following an extensive professional career in Europe. Now a midfielder, Kerchu started his football career as a defender in Bukovyna in Central Europe in 2001 and following stints with two other Ukrainian clubs. He was a member of the Bukovyna championship side both in the 2005-6 season and again in 2009/10 following a return to that club in 2008.
Other Vorkuta players had similar career paths. Goalkeeper Oleksandr Musiienko, 31, played for several teams in the Ukraine before arriving in Canada in 2017, Serhii Ursulenko, 31, was with FC Balkany Zorya when the team was promoted to the Ukrainian first league, and striker Sergii Ivlieve, 35, a veteran in the Ukraine who played more recently in Poland, signed in 2016 for CSL’s FC Ukraine United, then transferred to Vorkuta in 2017 to top the scoring in the CSL First Division with 13 goals in the season just past. These, and others, arrived in recent times to play a role in the success of FC Vorkuta, formed by members of the Russian community in Canada while paying tribute to its namesake city in Russia north of the Arctic Circle.
Myakhaylo Riabyi, 35, is considered to be the engine on the field of play for the Vorkuta professional team. In addition, FC Vorkuta is a busy member of the York Region soccer community with amateur teams in Richmond Hill and Thornhill, just north of Toronto.
Serbian White Eagles was the first CSL club to set a trend with a procession of professional players from Central and Eastern Europe after joining the league as an expansion team in 2006 and Sasa Viciknez was one of the most exciting imports to make an early arrival. A forward, mostly on the left wing, Viciknez came to the CSL in 2006 following 10 years at a high level, highlighted by UEFA Champions League games in the 1998-99 seasons which included a memorable game against Bayern Munich. The Serbian-born Viciknez was a master of the dead ball free kick which, when taken just outside the box, usually skimmed the inside of the post to find the net without the goalkeeper making a move. Viciknez was named to the CSL All Stars and earned the league’s MVP award in 2006 and 2009.
Serbian Eagles also landed Dragoslav Sekularac to coach the team when entering the CSL in 2006. Sekularac was considered in the 1960s to be one of the top players in the world, a celebrity with a household name in Central and Eastern Europe.
Other prominent players signed from Europe by Serbian White Eagles included Branislav Vukomanovic who played first division football in Serbia and Montenegro , Slovakia , Romania and Bosnia – Herzegovina, Uros Stamatovic, who has coached the team in recent years, played first division in Serbia, Dusan Belic, a first division goalkeeper in Serbia and Belgium, and Radenko Kamberovic , a solid defender who played first division in Serbia and Montenegro. Marko Krasic, a central midfielder played in Europe and Hong Kong. Others who arrived over the years were Marko Marovic, a midfielder, who played in Serbia and Romania, Bozo Milic, Goran Svonja, and the impressive Mirko Medic who was voted the CSL defender of the year in 2009, all played at a high level overseas. Milan Mijailovic is the present coach of Serbian White Eagles following a sterling European career that included 236 games in the Serbia’s SuperLiga.
Brantford Galaxy was also one of the early clubs in the CSL to sign European professionals, a decision that brought the CSL Championship to the Southwestern Ontario community in that debut season. Signings in 2010 included Miodrag Andelkovic, a goalscorer who played in no less than 14 countries during his professional career, Ranko Golijanin , who also played in Europe and the A-League in the United States before arriving in Canada to play for the Galaxy, Swiss-born defender Patrick Gerhardt, who played in Switzerland, Australia, Bosnia-Herzigovina, as well as being selected for the Liberian national team for which he qualified through heritage. Nenad Begovic signed following an impressive career playing in Serbia and Montenegro, Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan and Israel. Drazen Govic played in Croatia and Belgium and Boris Milicic, at 39 one of the most experienced players in the CSL following a career in Serbia and Hungary, is still under contract with the Galaxy until the upcoming end of November.
FC Ukraine United has met with considerable success while signing players from Europe in the three seasons playing in the CSL. Attractive soccer and teamwork has been a feature of the side throughout. Several players have many years of overseas experience and topping the list could be Ukrainian-born defender Mykhailo Gurka. The prominence of Pavlo Lukianets with his goalscoring power, stands out on the score sheet.
CSC Mississauga were strengthened by Croatian-born Pero Menalo, previously with the CSL’s Toronto Croatia who played in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzigovina, also Mykhaylo Berezovyy and forward Vitalii Koliesnikov from the Ukraine.
New CSL entry Real Mississauga benefited in 2018 with the presence of Krum Bibishikov who played more than 300 professional games for several teams overseas, including Levski Sofia and Lokomotive Sofia of Bulgaria, Steaua Bukarest of Romania, Penafiel of Portugal and Bayern Munich’s reserve team in Germany .Bibishikov played one International game for Bulgaria and now holds a UEFA B coaching license which he is putting to good use in Canada.
Joining Scarborough SC since the club was formed in 2014 were import players Dobrin Orlovski from Bulgaria, Serbian striker Aleksander Stojiljkovic, a prolific scorer who led the CSL’s first division with 17 goals in 2017, Zoran Knezevic, who played mostly in Serbia and Russia, Kavin Bryan, 34, a Jamaican international forward who played in the Jamaican Premier League, in Norway and for several teams in Vietnam before signing for York Region Shooters then Scarborough in the CSL. Others are goalkeeper Mladen Kukrika, 27, who played in Bosnia- Herzegovina and Albania, Kiril Dimitrov from the Belasitsa Petrich team in Bulgaria to play for Serbian White Eagles and SC Waterloo before being instrumental in returning professional soccer to Scarborough where he both plays for and manages the new franchise.
Hamilton City SC has signed several import players since joining the CSL in 2016, including forward defender Nikola Stanojevic previously with FK Zemun of Serbia, Igor Krmar with an extensive career in Serbia, the Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina and lately in Macedonia. Midfielder Haris Fazlagic, who signed for several CSL teams since arriving to play for Brantford Galaxy in 2010, played in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, forward Drazen Vukovic, 36, played most of his career in Croatia, midfielder Zdenko Jurcevic, 32, from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
SC Waterloo won the overall CSL championship and Second Division title in 2013 and was a finalist two years later with an attractive side that included head coach Lazo Dzepina, who played for and later coached NK Dinara of Croatia, and played in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzigovina. The championship team was sprinkled with impressive players including Vladimir Zelebaba, now 36, a well-travelled midfielder who has played in Serbia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Thailand and Bosnia-Herzegovina and who scored twice in the memorable championship final. Aleksander Stojiljikovic and Keril Dimitrov (both now Scarborough) joined later.
Milton SC, now in the CSL Second Division, recruited several players with experience elsewhere when the club was formed in 2014. Milton recruited Adam Shaban, now 36, a Kenyan international with 34 caps, who came from Kenya’s Premier League. Shaban later played in the Norwegian first division, then Oman on the Arabian Peninsula. The Kenyan defender first signed for Kingston FC in 2014, then transferred to Milton. Radovan Ivkovic played in Croatia and Serbia before signing and full back Zoran Belosevic, who played in Serbia, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Greece played briefly. Vladimir Vujovic, with a long career in Serbia, scored five goals for Milton in 2018.
CSL clubs will continue to bring high level players from Europe and elsewhere while remaining focused developing and signing Canadian-born talent to provide what appears to be an ideal blend for the league’s future and further expansion.