SC Waterloo travels to CSC Mississauga for the CSL season opener May 19 to be followed by five matches the following weekend to kickoff a new Canadian Soccer League five-month long regular season, a campaign stretching to early October, followed by the post-season playoffs leading to the CSL championship final later that month.
Defending CSL champions FC Vorkuta are at home to expansion team Kingsman SC at the OSA Soccer Centre in Vaughan and Hamilton City will begin its season against SC Waterloo at the Heritage Field in Hamilton followed by Brantford Galaxy vs Serbian White Eagles. FC Ukraine United kickoff their home season against Real Mississauga at Centennial Stadium.
Vorkuta enjoyed instant success on venturing into professional soccer after nine years of amateur competition in Toronto and just north of the city. in 2017, the inaugural year in the CSL, the Richmond Hill-based club took the CSL First Division title and reached the semifinal of the championship playoffs. In 2018, Vorkuta won the CSL championship and there were also successes by the Vorkuta reserve team during both years, including the Second Division title in 2018.
FC Ukraine United has also been prominent in three years in the CSL following an impressive 10 years in the amateur Ontario Soccer League. Ukraine United entered local soccer in 2006, winning several competitions including promotion to the Central Premier Division in 2011. The Toronto-based club was accepted into the CSL in 2016, gaining a runner-up finish in the First Division, winning the Second Division in 2017 and taking the top division in 2018 by a superior goal differential over FC Vorkuta.
Scarborough SC team that came close to top honors following a very good 2018 regular season with just three defeats in the 16-game schedule for a fourth position finish. This was followed by a cliffhanger championship final that ended the season with Scarborough losing to Vorkuta on penalty kicks. It was a 1-1 draw following extra time. By contrast, CSC Mississauga ended its inaugural 2018 CSL season with just one victory and are expected to be stronger opponents in the upcoming campaign.
Opening games are:
Fri. May 19, Hershey Centre 9 pm CSC Mississauga vs SC Waterloo
Sat. May 25, Ontario Soccer Centre 6 pm FC Vorkuta vs Kingsman A SC
Sat. May 25, Heritage Field 6:30 pm Hamilton City vs SC Waterloo
Sat May 25, Heritage Field 8:30 pm Brantford Galaxy vs Serbian White Eagles
Sun. May 26, Centennial Stadium 7:30 pm FC Ukraine United vs Real Mississauga SC
Sun. May 26, Birchmount Stadium 8 pm Scarborough SC vs CSC Mississauga
