Stan Adamson

The soccer community has high expectations of Toronto Falcons, a new entry in  the Canadian Soccer League about to kickoff its inaugural season on Sunday, May 29 at Centennial Stadium in Toronto.

Samad Kadirov, the former GM with FC Vorkuta (now named FC Continentals) who left a trail of achievements with that club since Vorkuta entered the CSL in 2017, is the major reason for the anticipated success.  Kadirov, who also coached at times, accumulated an outstanding 10 championship or league titles in the five seasons the club’s first team and reserve side have been in the CSL.

Other principals in the new club are Zhane Gendunov, previously with a trophy- winning FC TFT team in Toronto, and recently signed head coach Willy Giummarra with a high level background  as a goal scorer sometimes midfielder, he appeared in the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL), played also in the American Professional Soccer League (APSL),  and the A-League, also based in the United States. Giummarra won the MVP award in the 2000 season with York Region Shooters in the Canadian Professional Soccer League (CPSL) the forerunner league of the CSL, and also had a stint with Darlington FC in England.

Kadirov is placing greater emphasis on local talent to launch Toronto Falcons in the semi-professional CSL, including an early signing of Giummarra’s son, Antonio Giummarra,  also Rinat Kasymgereeve with experience  in several league’s in the Toronto area, Aubrey Mpla, a speedy winger and Oleksandr Novikov, who has been named team captain in a growing list of impressive players from throughout the region.

Toronto Falcons  will open its season against  BGHC 1, the team formed by Brantford Galaxy and Hamilton City 1 during the  COVID 19 pandemic restrictions, on Sunday, May 29 when all six teams will be in action.

Sunday May 29 – Centennial Stadium – Toronto

2 PM – Scarborough vs York Region Shooters

4 PM – Toronto Falcons vs BGHC 1

6 PM – Serbian White Eagles vs  Continentals FC

Six teams will play a 10-game schedule leading to the playoffs for the CSL Championship, followed at the end of August by the Enio Perruzza Memorial Trophy through to the final game at the end of October.

PLAYOFFS – Centennial Stadium

Saturday August 13(Quarter finals) 2 PM and 4 PM

Saturday August 20 (Semi finals) 5 PM  and  7 PM

Saturday August 27 CSL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL    8 PM

Stan Adamson

 

 

 

It’s been many years since Brantford Galaxy or Hamilton City SC were celebrated and in the limelight in the Canadian Soccer League standings or experienced a championship victory following the playoffs.

But that may change anytime now as the two clubs kickoff the upcoming new season once again as a combined BGHC 1 following the merging of player and technical resources which on paper and probably on the field as well are impressive enough to pose a legitimate challenge for the league title, perhaps the  CSL Championship and the Enio Perruzza Memorial Award.

The two teams, while in every respect except on the playing field are independent clubs and business entities, are putting the fans on notice they have a combined pool of more than 30 very good players for 2022, together with great coaching, all of which is expected to bring long overdue results to the two southern Ontario communities located just west of Toronto.

Coaches Matija Popovic of Hamilton City SC and Milan Prpa of Brantford Galaxy will have  the two rosters to choose from as they prepare for a season that will run from the end of May through to the end of October.

The merging of these two teams in a reduced compact CSL during another year with a single stadium venue continues to be necessary while COVID 19 is still a threat. Player movement internationally is still not back to normal in the scaled down semi-professional CSL But unlike many similar leagues around the world, the CSL has not missed a beat and is regaining its strength while on its way getting back to normal.

Hamilton City and Brantford Galaxy will continue to import players from Europe to join with the local squad of mostly permanent residents of Canada. The selection process is not an easy one, but Popovic and Milan Prpa are experienced career coaches, both from a part of Europe known for its strong presence in the world game.

“Respect is important both with your opposition and your own players, including how to accept not only winning, but losing as well,” said the highly regarded Popovic,  a certified coach in Europe with academy experience who retains an impressive detailed knowledge of his player’s skills and how individual players can contribute in a match.

‘Safe goalkeeper Stefan Avramovic’, the ‘quick defender Dinilo Simic’, ‘the very good creative attacking midfielder Sasa Vidovic’, ‘scorer Petar Djordjvic’, ‘reliable midfielder Uros Vidovic’ are just a few of the many players described as part of Popovic’s  knowledge and vocabulary when discussing players.

BGHC 1 will open its season against new entry Toronto Falcons on Sunday, May 29 when all six teams will be in action.

Sunday May 29 – Centennial Stadium – Toronto

2 PM – Scarborough vs York Region Shooters

4 PM – Toronto Falcons vs BGHC 1

6 PM – Serbian White Eagles vs  Continentals FC

 Brantford Galaxy Roster

Sasa Vidovic

Uros Vidovic

Miljan Milović

Petar Djordjevic

Aleksandar Bozovic

Aleksa Markovic

Milan Beader

Danilo Simic

Stefan Kozar

Vlade Bubnjevic

Aleksandar Kalabic

Janko Milosevic

Aleksa Rajić

Dušan Sasic

Nemanja Stijisavljevic

Miroslav Lovic

Milan Milosavljević

Head Coach: Milan Prpa

Owner: Bosko Borjan

Hamilton City Roster

Aleksandar Nikolic

Stefan Avramovic

Aleksandar Lasic

Miloš Vuruna

Djordje Vukobrat

Vukasin Kovacevic

Arsen Platiš

Dragan Antanasijevic

Nebojsa Ćetković

Tomislav Pinjuh

Luke Rankin

Joe Willingham

Luka Jankovic

Sandro Rajković

Ilija Bajčetić

Sava Arsic

Head Coach: Matija Popovic

Owner: Sasa Vukovic

 

 

The Canadian Soccer League will kickoff the upcoming season with a new-look name change for one of its most successful teams and included in the 2022 schedule are two new clubs with an attachment from the past.

FC Vorkuta has announced that effective immediately the club will be known as Continentals FC with a new logo and a website  http://continentalsfc.com.

“But our winning attitude is still the same as we kickoff soon with a desire and focus to regain the CSL Championship,” said owner Igor Demitchev in making the announcement. Vorkuta was the reigning CSL champion going into 2021, but were defeated by Scarborough – the current CSL champion – in last season’s final.

FC Vorkuta  entered the CSL in 2017 and were  CSL champions in 2018 and 2020 and took the league title in 2017, 2019 and 2021. The club took the CSL Second Division title in 2018 and 2019 and the ProSound Cup in 2021.

As announced earlier, new teams York Region Shooters and Toronto Falcons will kickoff with the Shooters returning following a hiatus which followed the 2017 season, while the Falcons enter the CSL for the first time with GM Samad Kadirov who held a similar position with FC Vorkuta.  Scarborough, Serbian White Eagles, and BGHC 1 makeup the six-team league.

The following schedule will lead to the CSL Championship playoffs starting with the quarter finals on Saturday, August 13 (2 pm and 4 pm), the semifinals on Saturday, August 20 (5 pm and 7 pm) and the CSL Champioship Final on Saturday, August 27 at 8 pm.

The two top teams at the end of the regular season will gain a bye to the semi-finals. Team third in the standings will play the team ending sixth and the team fourth will play the team ending fifth.

The CSL Championship Final  on August 27 will be followed by the Enio Perruzza Memorial Trophy competition.

Sunday May 29 – Centennial Stadium – Toronto

2 PM – Scarborough vs York Region Shooters

4 PM – Toronto Falcons vs BGHC 1

6 PM – Serbian White Eagles vs  Continentals FC

Sunday June 5 – Centennial Stadium

2 PM – Toronto Falcons vs Scarborough SC

4 PM – BGHC 1 vs Continentals FC

6 PM – York Region Shooters vs Serbian White Eagles

Sunday June 12 – Centennial Stadium

2 PM – Scarborough SC vs Serbian White Eagles

4 PM – BGHC 1 vs York Region Shooters

6 PM – Continentals FC vs Toronto Falcons

Saturday June 18 – Centennial Stadium

2 PM – York Region Shooters vs Toronto Falcons

4 PM – Serbian White Eagles vs BGHC 1

6 PM – Continentals FC vs Scarborough SC

Sunday June 26 – Centennial Stadium

2 PM – York Region Shooters vs Continentals FC

4 PM – Toronto Falcons vs Serbian White Eagles

6 PM – BGHC 1 vs Scarborough SC

Sunday July 3 – Centennial Stadium

2 PM – York Region Shooters vs Scarborough SC

4 PM – BGHC 1 vs Toronto Falcons

6 PM – Continentals FC vs Serbian White Eagles

Saturday July 16 –  Ontario Soccer Centre – Vaughan

2 PM – Scarborough SC vs Toronto Falcons

4 PM – BGHC 1 vs Continentals FC

6 PM – Serbian White Eagles vs York Region Shooters

Saturday July 23 -Centennial Stadium

2 PM – Serbian White Eagles vs Scarborough SC

4 PM – York Region Shooters vs BGHC 1

6 PM – Toronto Falcons vs Continentals FC

Saturday July 30 – Centennial Stadium

2 PM – Toronto Falcons vs York Region Shooters

4 PM – BGHC 1 vs Serbian White Eagles

6 PM – Scarborough SC vs Continentals FC

Saturday August 6 – Centennial Stadium

2 PM – Continentals FC vs York Region Shooters

4 PM – Scarborough SC vs BGHC 1

6 PM – Serbian White Eagles vs Toronto Falcons

 

PLAYOFFS – Centennial Stadium

Saturday August 13

(Quarter finals)

2 PM and 4 PM

 

Saturday August 20

(Semi finals)

5 PM  and  7 PM

 

Saturday August 27

(Final)

8 PM

 

 

Stan Adamson

Canadian Soccer League current champions Scarborough SC will meet expansion team York Region Shooters in the league’s opening game at Centennial Stadium in Toronto’s west end  on Sunday, May 29, a 2 pm kickoff.

The opening schedule announcement at an upbeat  meeting of league owners April 30 sets up a season looking more like pre-COVID 19 times suggesting a quick return to normalcy and that just maybe, happy times are here again.

The end of May opener brings together two contrasting teams, with a Toronto east-end side with several players on its roster having reached a high level while playing in countries overseas, and York Region Shooters displaying for many years a distinct Azzurri blue to reflect its cultural allegiance but demonstrating always a longstanding reputation of developing and using players almost entirely from the Canadian community.

The opener will be a test for the return of  the York Region side. The Shooters last played in the semi-professional CSL in 2017-and it’s with some irony that Scarborough was the opposition in that last game squeaker championship final. York Region Shooters finished  on top with a 5-4 penalty kicks victory following a 1-1 tie.

CSL president Dragan Bakoc announced also at the virtual meeting that six teams will compete for the league championship from a May 29 start, through to an August 29 final, to be followed by the invitational Enio Perruzza Memorial Trophy competition which takes the season into October. A 12=day break is included in the expanded schedule.

“ We are pleased to see the return of York Region Shooters which brings back memories of a team once going the entire season undefeated, and to welcome new club Toronto Falcons. We appreciated the support in the stands last season and the five-month season will  bring even more of those very attractive games, “ said Bakoc following the meeting.

Teams in the upcoming schedule being released soon are  Scarborough SC,  Serbian White Eagles, Toronto Falcons, FC Vorkuta ,York Region Shooters and BGHC 1 which represents Brantford Galaxy and Hamilton City.

Stan Adamson

A highlight of the upcoming Canadian Soccer League season will be the Enio Perruzza Memorial Trophy to pay tribute to announcer Enio Perruzza who passed away unexpectedly on January 15, 2021 at the age of 54.

Known as the voice of the CSL while calling over 3,000 games in the Canadian soccer community over a period of more than 20 years, Perruzza’s booming voice became known  beyond the Canadian Soccer League to Ontario Cup matches and international matches involving high level teams from other parts of the world.

CSL teams will play for the Enio Perruzza Memorial Trophy and will also be in the playoffs for the CSL Championship during the five-month long season from a late May kickoff to the end of October.

Scarborough SC are the current CSL champions, having won the title twice in 2019 and 2021, FC Vorkuta won twice, in 2018 and 2020, Serbian White Eagles twice in 2008 and 2016, York Region Shooters three times in 2006, 2014 and 2017 and Brantford Galaxy once in 2010.

Stan Adamson

It’s not for nothing that Bosko Borjan took a trip to Central America recently. The Hamilton, Ontario, resident took the long treck to El Salvador as part of his life-long association with football, as he prefers to call it. It’s very much more than his main sport of interest, it’s a big part of his daily life.

Borjan’s very existence for as long as he can remember has been attached to the world’s game. in the beginning as a young player in Croatia in the 1970s through to being involved in Canada with European partners in 2010 to bring professional soccer to Brantford, a venture that attracted the support of the late Walter Gretzky in the birthplace of hockey’s ‘the great one’ Wayne Gretzky.

Success came quickly when the new Brantford Galaxy won the Canadian Soccer League championship in 2010, and this was followed by a decade of witnessing son Milan Borjan  develop as a goalkeeper to eventually become the number one ‘keeper for Red Star Belgrade, one of Europe’s top teams. Milan then became a standout ‘keeper with Canada’s national World Cup squad.

The younger Borjan played a stellar part during the recent World Cup qualifying games to be named Canada’s male player of the month in February 2022. Bosko’s February 2 whirlwind trip to El Salvador’s Cuscatlan Stadium – Central America’s largest, provided yet another first-hand account of Milan’s convincing presence as Canada’s goalkeeper. He has been a leader on and off the field of play. Canada won 2-0 in El Salvador, to bring closer to reality a World Cup finals appearance in Qatar during November this year. It’s an achievement Canadian fans have been waiting since 1986.

The senior Borjan returned home to Hamilton from El Salvador while Milan returned to Serbia to resume club action with Red Star Belgrade, winning three games during February. All three were won without the Croatian-born goalkeeper conceding a goal while lifting Red Star in contention for the SuperLiga title.

With Milan being involved in the Serbia Cup and SuperLiga titles giving Bosko something to think about, the senior Borjan will also expected to be making another bid for the Canadian Soccer League title with Brantford Galaxy, or a team formed during the pandemic to represent both Brantford and neighboring Hamilton. The upcoming  CSL season is expected to kickoff late May.

Stan Adamson

PICTURE: Wabila Wallace (right) of Atletico Sporting Toronto was one of the standout players in the ProSound Cup competition. While the league’s leading goal scorer at season end, Wallace was also consistently dangerous around goal to play an important part in his team’s overall performance to finish third in the standings.  

It was not surprising that FC Vorkuta and Scarborough SC opened the 2021 Canadian Soccer League season on August 28 with victories to continue where the defending champions Vorkuta, and runner-up Scarborough, left off at the end of the 2020 campaign.

It was the beginning of another abbreviated season in the CSL with matches confined to the single venue Centennial Stadium located on the edge of Toronto’s west end, an arrangement that would accommodate the three-month long schedule for eight teams competing for the 26-game ProSound Cup  competition and ending the season with the CSL Championship playoffs while meeting the local and provincial requirements of the ongoing pandemic.

Four teams, Atletico Sporting Toronto, EURU Academy, St. Catharines Hrvat and Toronto Tigers were invited to join with CSL member teams BGHC 1, Scarborough SC, Serbian White Eagles and FC Vorkuta in the ProSound Cup competition. The BGHC 1 side would represent CSL members Brantford Galaxy and Hamilton City, geographically almost adjacent to each other in southern Ontario. The single team arrangement was approved by the CSL to accommodate the many circumstances resulting from the pandemic’s disruptions in the Canadian soccer community.

The CSL followed the departed Pino Jazbec with the addition of the highly regarded Peter Kovacs to create new and meaningful competition at a time soccer organizations throughout Canada were struggling during the early times of the pandemic, not unlike business activities at all levels of society. Kovacs, who ventured into soccer management and marketing after being a player in Canada’s National Soccer League has a number of successes to his credit over the years, the most notable being the highly successful Puma League based in Toronto.

Primetime Marketing, an organization headed by former professional player and  former CSL director Phil Ionadi, was also engaged by the CSL to carry out promotional and other work in the current season while also laying groundwork for an improved, future  Canadian Soccer League.

ProSound Hearing Services were added as a CSL sponsor and the regular league competition would be played for the ProSound Cup.

KICKOFF

The opening day of the ProSound Cup schedule on August 28 matched the unknown Toronto Tigers against Scarborough SC, a team which just two years earlier won the CSL Championship after being the finalist in 2017 and 2018.  Scarborough appeared even more intimidating with an impressive new head coach in Mirko Medic who had developed a strong reputation as a top defender with Serbian White Eagles following a standout career in Europe. But Toronto Tigers were also confidence-driven, the origins of which came from Brazilian football by team owner Leandro Madeira and manager Raphael Silva.

There were two additional games scheduled for the opening day, which resulted in Scarborough registering its superiority with a 6-1 victory over Toronto Tigers and FC Vorkuta defeating the southern Ontario BGHC team 2-0. The third match –  between Serbian White Eagles and Atletico Sporting Toronto, was washed out by torrential rain.

Silva commented following his team’s 6-1 defeat: “While disappointed by the score, we are not discouraged, it’s the opening game and there is much further to go in our attempt to win the cup.”

In the following week, Atletico Sporting Toronto’s opening match on September 4 ended in a 3-0 victory for FC Vorkuta, BGHC defeated EURU Academy 4-2 and Scarborough picked up its second victory with a 3-0 win over Serbian White Eagles.

EARLY SEASON HAT-TRICKS

Midfielder Bogdan Borovskyi struck an early season hat-trick in Vorkuta’s 6-0 rout of Serbian White Eagles on September 11 and midfielder Gregor Zugelj was on the mark with a hat-trick in a Catharines Hrvat  4-1 victory over EURU Academy three days later- the only CSL match played on Tuesday, September 14. Vladimir Strizovic led Serbian White Eagles to a recovery following three consecutive defeats when the midfielder hit a hat-trick for a 4-1 victory over St. Catharines Hrvat on September 18.

ATLETICO IMPRESSIVE

Atletico Sporting was impressive in its 2-0 win over the long standing CSL team Serbian White Eagles on September 7, a match that both highlighted the strength of Atletico Sporting with an always dangerous in front of goal Wabila Wallace. Wallace scored both goals for Atletico for the 2-0 victory and came close to scoring more until the game was abandoned at 69 minutes due to heavy rain and lightning. The score stood as final in keeping with the CSL rule that games cut short after completing the first half in these circumstances, are ruled complete.

Atletico Sporting won its next game, a 3-0 result over EURU Academy on September 11, Wallace scoring the second goal. He then found the net twice in a 3-0 victory over St. Catharines Hrvat on September 24 to put the Cameroon-born striker on the way to being the league’s leading goalscorer, which he eventually achieved.

SERBIAN WHITE EAGLES SLOW OFF THE MARK

Meanwhile, Serbian White Eagles failed to score in its first three matches, losing 3-0, 2-0 and 6-0 before a 4-1 victory over St.Catharines Hrvat on September 18 and while BGHC had victories over EURU Academy and Atletico Sporting, the combination southwestern Ontario team was not considered strong enough to prevent domination by FC Vorkuta and SC Scarborough. The 2020 CSL Championship finalists both completed their ProSound Cup schedule undefeated and the ProSound Cup winners FC Vorkuta  conceded only one goal in the 7-game schedule.

VORKUTA WINS PROSOUND CUP – SCARBOROUGH CHAMPIONS

Vorkuta won the ProSound Cup with a 4-2 penalty kick victory over Scarborough on October 24. The result came following a cliffhanger 120 minutes  of scoreless, but great soccer to watch. The victory gave Vorkuta yet another major title win following the CSL Championship in 2018 and 2019 and regular season First Division titles in 2017, 2019 and 2021.

Scarborough went on to win the CSL Championship, defeating Vorkuta, 4-1 on November 7. It was the second CSL Championship for the Toronto east end side following the 2-0 victory over Ukraine United in 2019 and the fifth time in the past five years Scarborough has played in the final.

FOOTNOTES:

Hrvat Disrupted

St.Catharines Hrvat matches were disrupted by certain players requiring self-isolation after attending a wedding that later reported several positive COVID 19 cases among the guests. There was no report of a Hrvat player testing positive.

Atletico Third

Atletico Sporting Toronto completed the season in third position in the standings, the highest of the four teams invited to take part in the 2021 competition. The team’s position was above both Serbian White Eagles and BGHC, both member teams of the Canadian Soccer League.

Wallace Leading Scorer

Wabila Wallace of Atletico Sporting Toronto, completed the season as the leading scorer in the Canadian Soccer League. Wallace, 22, learned his soccer in the Central African nation of Cameroon. Cameroon is in the Africa Nations Cup finals of 16 teams, with the opening game against Burkina on Sunday, January 9, 2022.

One Goal Starushchenko

Goalkeeper Anatoli Starushchenko, a product of high level soccer in Ukraine who signed for FC Vorkuta in 2019, must be given most of the credit for remarkably conceding just one goal during the seven-game regular season which led to his team winning the ProSound Cup. There were six shut-outs in Vorkuta’s regular season schedule with the one goal conceded during the second half of a 1-1 draw with Scarborough on September 25. That match was one of the season’s most spectacular with many yellow cards while both teams showed a determination to remain unbeaten. The match, considered one of the season’s most difficult to officiate, was superbly handled by referee Ramee Arbaji.

Soccer Can Be Cruel

John Trye, the Serbian White Eagles goalkeeper is also from the African continent and is a national team player for Sierra Leone in Central Africa which is also in the last 16 of the Africa Nations Cup. Trye was probably the unluckiest player of the CSL season when near the end of a hotly contested CSL Championship semi-final on October 17 his team led FC Vorkuta 1-0 during the late stages of added time, just one more referee’s whistle away from a championship final game the following week. During what appeared to be Vorkuta’s last chance to draw even, the 6’ 4” Trye leaped for a high ball above the Serbian White Eagles six-yard line to then come crashing down awkwardly and heavily. With an obvious injury, Trye was assisted off the field and replaced by substitute goalkeeper Nikola Postic. On resuming play, Vorkuta then gained a free kick on the edge of the box, the ball was tapped to Vorkuta midfielder Sergii Ivliev who moved in close to push the ball over the line for an equalizer. With almost no time remaining and an expected 30 minutes extra time upcoming, Vorkuta midfielder Pavlo Chornomaz took a pass from the restart to make a quick snap shot from 35 yards, dropping the ball into the back of the net for a Vorkuta 2-1 winning goal.

Vorkuta Documentary

A documentary story of FC Vorkuta, was aired nationally on the beIN SPORTS channel on Friday, June 11, 2021. The story includes details about FC owner Igor Demitchev, who was raised in Vorkuta then emigrated to Canada where he continued to enjoy his passion for football. With fellow immigrant Samad Kadirov, they launched FC Vorkuta in 2008 in memory of and a tribute to those in Russia who suffered in brutal conditions in forced labour camps in that community just north of the Arctic Circle over a period of more than 20 years between 1930 and 1955.The team’s  launch was highly successful in the amateur leagues in the Toronto area and in 2017 the club was accepted as an expansion team in the Canadian Soccer League to be even more successful while attracting the attention of many in the Canadian soccer community.

Agent Denys Yanchuk

Denys Yanchuk, a vice president and coach with FC Vorkuta, was accepted during the 2021 season as an agent by UEFA, the governing body for football in Europe.

Stan Adamson

 

 

 

 

 

The Canadian Soccer League expresses its sincere best wishes to soccer fans everywhere. In particular, those who took part in the highly successful 2021 CSL season despite the many challenges and other necessary restrictions as a result of the pandemic.

We are proud of our teams playing such a high level of attractive, exciting soccer. We thank the game officials, the match day officials and ground staff, and the media, our generous and supportive sponsor ProSound Hearing Services. We thank also, the many loyal fans and those who came to see the CSL for the first time.

We congratulate the winners – the ProSound Cup going to FC Vorkuta and the CSL Championship to Scarborough SC. All details and more will be included in a website retrospective of the entire season in the coming days.

In the meantime, Happy Holidays.

PICTURE: Scarborough SC celebrate following the CSL Championship trophy presentation at Centennial Stadium in Toronto Sunday afternoon……………

Scarborough SC are the 2021 champions of the Canadian Soccer League following a decisive 4-1 victory over FC Vorkuta in an entertaining encounter in near summer-like conditions at Centennial Stadium, Toronto Sunday.

While the outcome was not entirely a surprise given the year by year determination for improvement, a hallmark of Scarborough SC for some time now, the ease with which the east Toronto side slid into a 3-0 lead at the break and defeated FC Vorkuta by a 4-1 score at the final whistle, was a margin well deserved on the run of play, but was unexpected.

Scarborough are the CSL champions once again, a victory and celebration for the second time since entering the Canadian Soccer League in 2015. That inaugural year the team finished a low tenth in the standings, but started a year by year climb to be a championship finalist for five successive years 2017 – 2021. The championship came in 2019 and again, now in 2021.

Scarborough striker Milos Scepanovic opened the scoring, catching the lower right corner of the net from 18 yards after five minutes of play and Moussa Limane beat Vorkuta goalkeeper Anatoli Starushchenko from close-in to make it 2-0 at the 27th minute mark.
Limane added his second goal for Scarborough, low and inside the right post for a 3-0 lead at 32 minutes, the score at the break.

Vorkuta were reduced to 10 men when midfielder Vadym Gostiev was shown the red card by referee Craig Williams at the 50th minute following an untidy challenge.

Liubomyr Halchuck scored from the penalty spot for Vorkuta following a foul inside the box to reduce the Scarborough lead to 3-1 at 79 minutes, and Milos Scepanovic struck his second goal for Scarborough, driving a free kick from outside the box and over the wall at the 85th minute for a 4-1 score that held to the final whistle.

An elated Mirko Medic in his first season as head coach for Scarborough, praised his team for the victory. “It was a great game and we were great. We played well and this time took our chances as they came along, especially in the first half. I think we deserved to win, “ he said following the match.

FC Vorkuta owner Igor Demitchev, while disappointed with the result was quick to congratulate Scarborough.  “Scarborough has worked hard over the years and that has paid off and I congratulate them,” he said.

Sunday’s CSL Championship Final ended the 2021 season.

SCARBOROUGH SC: Vladimir Dragicevic (Goalkeeper), Camaal Reid (Midfielder), Gonzalo Matias Cabrera Celis (Forward), Edgar Oswaldo Osorio Rios (Defender), Marco Johansen (Defender), Milos Scepanovic (Forward). Misel Klisara (Defender),Neven Radakovic (Forward), Moussa Limane (Midfielder),Odein Simpson (Defender), Vladimir Zelenbaba (Midfielder).
Substitutes: Aubrey Lowe (Goalkeeper) 83 minutes, Aleksander Stojiljkovic (Forward), Kiril Dimitrov (Forward) 84 minutes, Daniel McIntosh (Defender) 79 minutes, Lukas Risto (Defender) 62 minutes, Marvin Morgan (Forward) 73 minutes, Taha Ilyass (Forward) 66 minutes, Stefan Nikolic (Midfielder) 90 minutes, Zoran Knezevic (Midfielder)
Head Coach: Mirko Medic, Assistant Coach and Club Official: Kiril Dimitrov.

FC VORKUTA: Anatoli Starushchenko (Goalkeeper), Illia Pitenko (Defender), Bogdan Borovskyi (Defender), Iaroslav Solonynko (Midfielder) , Jesus Eduardo Compean Gonzalez (Midfielder), Liubomyr Halchuk (Defender), Oleksandr Alieksieiev (Defender), Sergii Ivliev (Midfielder) Serhii Ursulenko (Midfielder), Mykola Temniuk (Forward), Valerii Yarmosh (Midfielder) .
Substitutes: Andrei Clurchin (Goalkeeper), Hlib Kiselov (Defender), Leonid Husak (Defender), Ivan Esteban Prieto Ramirez (Midfielder) 70 minutes, Mykyta Tkachev (71 minutes), (Defender), Serhii Melnyk (Midfielder) 55 minutes, Vadym Gostiev (Midfielder) 45 minutes, Viktor Raskov (Midfielder).
Head Coach and Club Official: Andrei Malychenko,

Match Officials: REFEREE: Craig Williams ASSISTANT REFEREES: Faris Efendic and Timur Qayoumi 4th OFFICIAL: Niroban Jayaakumar

Venue: Centennial Stadium, Toronto

2021 SEASON SUMMARY
League Title: Winner: FC Vorkuta  Runner-up: Scarborough SC
ProSound Cup: Winner: FC Vorkuta  Runner-up: Scarborough SC
CSL Championship: Winner: Scarborough SC   Runner-up: FC Vorkuta

CANADIAN SOCCER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 2001 – 2021
2001 – St. Catharines Wolves
2002 – Ottawa Wizards
2003 – Brampton Hitmen
2004 – Toronto Croatia
2005 – Oakville Blue Devils
2006 – Italia Shooters
2007 – Toronto Croatia
2008 – Serbian White Eagles
2009 – Trois-Rivieres Attak
2010 –Brantford Galaxy
2011 – Toronto Croatia
2012 – Toronto Croatia
2013 – SC Waterloo
2014 – York Region Shooters
2015 – Toronto Croatia
2016 – Serbian White Eagles
2017 – York Region Shooters
2018 – FC Vorkuta
2019 – Scarborough SC
2020 — FC Vorkuta
2021 –Scarborough SC

 

Stan Adamson

The most obvious observation that can be made about the two finalists, FC Vorkuta and Scarborough SC in Sunday’s CSL Championship, is that both teams bring an abundance of talent and experience from other parts of the world.

Players from both teams, and this applies also to other teams in the 2021 Canadian Soccer League, have created an environment where games are well worth watching, at times highly entertaining and even an expectation and guarantee that when certain teams come together, the match will be spectacular.

Such is the case this coming Sunday when the two teams that have played a dominant role in the CSL in recent years and secured most of the honors, clash in the big event yet again. But is the FC Vorkuta edge now evaporating ?  Scarborough’s season by season improvement includes a CSL Championship Final appearance five years in succession to demonstrate what a perfect match now exists on the field of play when these two sides come together.

To look at some of the talent in Sunday’s match, particularly mentioning those not usually in the spotlight but are impressive, nevertheless, Scarborough’s Cameel Reid, a midfielder, made 100 appearances for Sporting Central Academy, the top level of Jamaican soccer National Premier League and was selected by the Jamaican national team. Kavin Bryan, also played at the highest level in Jamaica and made seven appearances for the national team including World Cup qualifiers. Vladimir Zelenbaba, an attacking midfielder,  has played in the Serbian First League, the Ukrainian Premier League, a stint in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan and the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Just an example of players who have excelled abroad or at home, and have played an important part in bringing the Toronto west-end team to its very best.

Coaching can make or break a team and Scarborough has generally been strong from the touchline with Zoran Rajovic playing an important role on and off the field during those recent successful seasons when progress was being made before his transfer to Serbian White Eagles. It’s interesting to note that Rajovic struck a hat-trick in a losing cause for Serbian White Eagles in the 7-5 semi-final loss on October 30, a win that put Scarborough into Sunday’s final. Kiril Dimitrov’s strong year by year drive and enthusiasm both on and off the field since declaring in 2014 pro soccer returning to Scarborough, also needs emphasis. As an aside, he too played well in the semi-final with a goal and important assist before coach Mirko Medic substituted and Dimitrov walked off at 75 minutes. Reluctantly, of course.

Scarborough head coach Medic has been a top defender in the CSL since 2006 following a successful professional career in Serbia and his presence has added a new dimension to Scarborough’s performance.

But FC Vorkuta has big guns too, with players like Bohdan Borovskyi, a standout midfielder from Ukraine, Serhii Melnyk, a prolific scorer from the Ukrainian Premier League, played in the top league in Belarus, taking part in a UEFA Europa League match for FK Zhodino, and also played in Muldova. Defender Jesus Eduardo Compean Gonzalez from Mexico is impressive, and so is midfielder Sergii Ivliev from high level soccer in Ukraine with two seasons in Poland. Just a few from a roster that has raised eyebrows in the Canadian soccer community for its unfaltering string of successes since entering the CSL in 2017.

Coaching is shared between head coach Andrei Malychenkov, a former First Division player in Russia going back to times of the USSR and a professional athlete in that country, and Viktor Raskov, a forward with an extensive background in Ukraine. He also played in Poland and Lithuania.

FC Vorkuta are the current CSL defending champions from the 2020 season and are now  attempting to secure a third title in this closing match of 2021, having won the league title on October 9 and the ProSound Cup on October 17.

There will be an admission charge of $10 for Sunday’s CSL Championship Final and fans are reminded that as an outdoor activity, all Canadian Soccer League games at Centennial Stadium are not affected by the Ontario government regulation to implement the proof of vaccination requirements that went into effect on September 22. There will be no request for proof of vaccination or identity for entry.

Provincial health protocol is still in effect and spectators are required to wear a mask or face covering in a manner that covers their mouth, nose and chin, unless they are entitled to an exemption. While seated in the stadium, the face mask can be removed.  Physical distancing is required.

 

Stan Adamson

 

PICTURE: The outstanding Zoran Rajovic struck three in a losing cause for Serbian White Eagles……………….

Scarborough SC will again meet FC Vorkuta in a continuing tussle for championship honours following a 7-5 semi-final victory over Serbian White Eagles at Centennial Stadium Saturday.

The win advances the east Toronto side to meet FC Vorkuta in the CSL Championship Final set for Sunday. November 7 at Centennial Stadium in Toronto, a 3 pm kickoff.

A 7-5 victory for Scarborough was the highest score of a pandemic -abbreviated 2021 Canadian Soccer League season that kicked off on August 28 with a league schedule of eight teams, followed by the ProSound Cup competition leading to the CSL Championship. FC Vorkuta won both CSL regular season honours by finishing top of the standings and went on to defeat Scarborough in the ProSound Cup Final on October 24.

Triple honours by also winning the 2021 CSL Championship is Vorkuta’s aim, while Scarborough, a side that becomes more impressive with each passing season, is committed to breaking the Vorkuta cycle of successes. FC Vorkuta is the current defending champion, having won the title in 2020.

Saturday’s victory by Scarborough over Serbian White Eagles was an end to end entertaining match, a ding-dong high scoring affair with 12 goals, together with each team scoring an additional offside goal.

HOW THE GOALS WERE SCORED

Serbian White Eagles’ midfielder Marko Stajic opened the scoring from the left wing with a drive inside the right post to beat Scarborough goalkeeper Vladimir Dragicevic. The 1-0 lead  lasted just three minutes when Kiril Dimitrov struck Scarborough’s equalizer at the 24^th minute mark, taking a pass from a goalkeeper miscue then a free kick to make it 1-1.

Scarborough went into a 2-1 lead at 31 minutes when midfielder Moussa Limane found the net from 8 yards and Vladimir Strizovic equalized from the edge of the box for Serbian White Eagles, a 2-2 score at the 33^rd minute.

Scarborough took a 3-2 lead at 36 minutes when Limane scored his second goal, taking a pass from Dimitrov on the right wing to find the net past Serbian White Eagles’ goalkeeper Obrad Bejatovic, a 3-2 score at the break.  White Eagles drew level 3-3 from a well-taken free kick from outside the box by Zoran Rajovic who caught the top right corner at the 60^th minute mark for the first goal of a hat-trick by the prolific forward,

Scarborough again took the lead on a goal by Taha Ilyass at 71 minutes who caught the net just inside the left post for a 4-3 score and yet again Serbian White Eagles drew level when Rajovic struck his second at 79 minutes to make it 4-4, the score at the end of 90 minutes and leading to 30 minutes of extra time.

Scarborough took a 5-4 lead at 11 minutes of extra time when defender Lukas Risto scored in a goalmouth scramble, followed by a 6-4 lead on a strike by Taha Ilyass eight minutes later, a ball that caught the left post ending up in the right corner of the net.

Each team scored again when Illyass struck from close range following a passing play while closing in on the White Eagles’ goal, a 7-4 score, and Rajovic completed his hat-trick on a losing note for Serbian White Eagles,  a 7-5 final score in favour of Scarborough.

Stan Adamson