FC Ukraine United is halfway through its fourth season in the professional CSL following a highly successful 10 years as an amateur team in the Ontario Soccer League, during which the club won league titles, were promoted to Ontario’s Premier Central Division and were recognized for various other achievements before becoming an expansion team in the CSL in 2016.
Success was never ending with the team taking the runner-up position in its inaugural 2016 year in the CSL, and this was followed by the Second Division title in 2017 and finishing on top of the CSL First Division in 2018.
But Ukraine United has not fared well away from home this season with three recent defeats to Hamilton City, Kingsman and Scarborough which has left the team in fourth position in the standings to now trail league-leading FC Vorkuta by 13 points.
“There were games we should not have lost,” explained GM Vladimir (Vlad) Koval this week, who with coach Andrei Malychenkov, both former professionals in eastern Europe, founded FC Ukraine United in 2006. “It is true we have dropped a notch in strength having lost some important players and injuries have played a part also, but we are energized and determined to pick it up in an effort to win the First Division again and, of course you can be sure we will be very much a part of the playoffs going for the overall championship,” added Koval.
Ukraine United venture into the Ontario Soccer Centre on Saturday to meet home team Vorkuta, a team unbeaten this season while relishing an impressive string of nine wins and a draw. This all spells a big test for a Ukraine United now in a recovery mode and hoping to close a gap as a first step in the team’s quest for 2019 honours.
Scarborough and Serbian White Eagles, second and third in the standings, are also poised to catch top-of-the-table Vorkuta, with Serbian Eagles having played two games less than both of these teams. Scarborough visits RIM Park in Waterloo on Sunday, while Serbian White Eagles will be away to Kingsman A at the Esther Shiner Stadium in North York on Saturday.
It’s a repeat of the local Mississauga First Division local derby when Real Mississauga hosts CSC Mississauga at Huron Park on Saturday following a 1-1 draw between these teams on July 5.
HOLIDAY WEEKEND IN THE FIRST DIVISION
Saturday, Aug 3 Ontario Soccer Centre 6 pm FC Vorkuta vs FC Ukraine United
Saturday, Aug 3 Esther Shiner Stadium 6.30 pm Kingsman A vs Serbian White Eagles
Saturday, Aug 3 Huron Park 7 pm Real Mississauga vs CSC Mississauga
Sunday, Aug 4 RIM Park 7 pm SC Waterloo vs Scarborough SC
MID-WEEK IN THE SECOND DIVISION
Wed., Aug 7 Cardinal Newman 7 pm Hamilton City B vs CSC Mississauga B
WeD., Aug 7 Iceland Field 9 pm Serbian White Eagles B vs Kingsman B
