Mirko Medic was named head coach of Scarborough SC last year and in his debut season won the CSL Championship. A standout defender in Europe before arriving in Canada in 2006 to join the CSL’s Serbian White Eagles, he’s been in the winner’s circle before. On arrival Medic was selected a CSL All Star in 2006 and 2007, won two championships and in 2009 was named the CSL’s Defender of the Year.
Again this year the CSL has two trophies and Medic is eyeing both of them – the CSL Championship and the new Enio Perruzza Memorial Trophy in tribute to the league’s announcer known for many years as the voice of the CSL who died January 15, 2021.
But Medic’s priority is to defend the championship title following Scarborough’s 4-1 defeat of FC Vorkuta last November. Scarborough meets expansion team York Region Shooters in Sunday’s opening game to kickoff the season at 2 pm.
It’s not going to be easy. The compact six-team CSL is loaded with talent and some surprise results may reflect a more balanced competition unlike the dominance of recent years by FC Vorkuta and Scarborough.
FC Vorkuta will appear under a re-branding with the new name FC Continentals now under GM Denys Yanchuk and head coach Viktor Raskov while former GM Samad Kadirov has moved on to launch new entry Toronto Falcons. But the firepower that helped Vorkuta win10 titles in five years – the prolific Sehii Melnyk and Mykola Temniuk are examples, is still there and will be all out to remind the fans that this club is still favourite to take the spoils. Continentals FC and Serbian White Eagles which remains under head coach Uros Stamatovic and assistant Branislav Vukomanovic – will play at 6 pm on Sunday.
BGHC 1, representing Brantford Galaxy and Hamilton City 1, has top coaches Milan Prpa and Matija Popovic guiding an experienced squad with good depth for the 4 pm clash against new club Toronto Falcons.
The Falcons have announced the appointment of head coach Willy Giummarra who brings a strong professional background in Canada, the United States and England. Oleksandr Novikov is also included in the side’s list of impressive players from throughout the region, and has been named the team captain. Giummarra’s son Antonio Giummarra, together with Rinat Kasymgereeve, who has experience from several league’s in the Toronto area, and forward Aubrey Mpla, a winger, are recent signings for the Toronto Falcons’ debut in professional soccer.
Stan Adamson
