Toronto Croatia turned the tables on York Region Shooters with 3-0 victory in the final game of a two-day Soccer Fest at the St. Joan of Arc ground in Maple, to follow a 2-2 tie between Serbian White Eagles and Burlington SC earlier in the day and a 2-0 victory for Brantford Galaxy over SC Waterloo, three First Division games in the Canadian Soccer League Sunday.

The win for Toronto Croatia was the first loss for York Region Shooters since a playoff defeat in the hands of London City in October, 2013. The 2014 season ended with 21 games undefeated and a championship win for the Shooters , a penalty kicks victory over Toronto Croatia on October 26, 2014.

Josip Keran opened the scoring for Toronto Croatia Sunday night at 16 minutes for a 1-0 score at the interval.  Tihomir Maletic made it 2-0 at 63 minutes and Darren Chambers found the net past York Region goalkeeper Emanuelle Ameltonis at 83 minutes to complete the scoring, a 3-0 result in favour of Toronto Croatia.

Striker Milos Scepanovic opened the scoring for Serbian White Eagles at 21 minutes, a drive from 30 yards that went inside the right post leaving Burlington goalkeeper Elvis Mesic with no chance.

Scepanovic struck again just before the interval, scoring from the penalty spot following a foul by Mesic and it was 2-0 at half-time.

Vladimir Vujovic put Burlinton on the score sheet with a goal at 58 minutes for a 2-1 score and ten minutes later Bojan Stepanovic beat Serbian White Eagles goalkeeper Goran Skaric to tie the game 2-2, the score at the final whistle.

Brantford Galaxy returned to the CSL on a winning note against SC Waterloo, and it was Zdenko Jurcevic who found the net to open the score for the Galaxy at 41 minutes for a 1-0 score at half-time.

Defender Stuart Heath made it 2-0 at 85 minutes, the final score.

There were two games in the CSL Second Division Sunday, SC Waterloo B and Brantford Galaxy B played to a 2-2 tie, while Milton SC B defeated Brampton City Utd B, 4-2.

Most Valuable Player – Sunday’s Games

Kevin Benavides (SC Waterloo B)  Zach Kingma  (Brantford Galaxy B)

Milos Scepanovic (Serbian White Eagles),  Bojan Stepanovic (Burlington SC)

Maghori Lucky (Milton SC B),  Adam Cariati  (Brampton City Utd B)

Kyle Grootenboer (Brantford Galaxy), Christian Terrell (SC Waterloo)

Richard Edwards (York Region Shooters), Tihomir Maletic (Toronto Croatia)

 

Toronto Atomic FC were impressive with three second half goals to defeat Niagara United 3-0, Brampton City Utd also registered an opening day victory, a 2-0 score over Milton SC, and London City fought to a 3-3 tie with SC Scarborough, three games in a Canadian Soccer League  First Division opening day Soccer Fest  at the St.Joan of Arc ground Saturday.

Following a scoreless first half during which Toronto Atomic  midfielder Mykhailo Basarab came close with a drive just over the bar against Niagara United at 32 minutes, the expansion side  Atomic  went into a 2-0 lead soon after the break.

Ihor Mihalevskeyy opened the scoring at 50 minutes and Melnyk Ihor made it 2-0 from the penalty spot two minutes later.  Referee Tony Amaral  called the foul  when Mihaleevskeyy was brought down inside the box.

Atomic went ahead 3-0 on a goal by Mykola Voytsekhovskyy who found the net from a rebound off Niagara United goalkeeper Matthew Greco, the goal coming at the 78^th minute mark for a 3-0 score at the final whistle.

Atomic head coach Ihor Yavorskyy considered the win a team effort. ”The team played well together and that is what gave us the win,” he said following the game. “It took the first half to settle down – the players were trying to do things too quickly, but the second half was much better.”

London City forward Marin Vucemilovic-Grgic picked up where he left off in 2014 with a hat-trick in the 3-3 tie with SC Scarborough. The prolific 28 year old Croatian-born striker, who won the MVP and top goalscorer award with 21 goals for London City last year, struck late in the first half, again at 61 and 86 minutes.

Jose De Sousa opened the scoring in the first half for Scarborough with a goal at 34 minutes, and De Sousa made it 2-0 three minutes later.

London City were reduced to 10 men when  goalkeeper Vladimir Markotic was shown the red card by referee Goran Babic for Serious Foul Play at 39 minutes, and it was 2-1 for Scarborough at the break.

Jose Melo increased the Scarborough lead to 3-1 at 58 minutes before Vucemilovic-Grgic completed his hat-trick with two goals for the3-3 tie at the final whistle.

Brampton City Utd scored a goal in each half in the late game on opening day for a 2-0 victory over Milton SC playing their opening First Division game following the team’s move up from last season’s Second Division.

Juber Quinteros scored the opener for Brampton at 25 minutes for a 1-0 lead at the break and Nordo Gooden added a second at 78 minutes finding the net past Milton goalkeeper Zoran Pusica.

In the CSL Second Division, Burlington SC B defeated Serbian White Eagles B 4-2, Toronto Atomic FC B scored a 2-0 victory over Niagara United B, and York Region Shooters B scored a convincing 6-2 win over Toronto Croatia B.

                                     Most Valuable Player –  Saturday’s Games

David Meyde (Serbian White Eagles B),   Nathaniel Reyes (Burlington SC B)

Ihor Mihalevskyy (Toronto Atomic FC), Johnny Paivia (Niagara United)

Tijun Han (Toronto Atomic FC B), Dino Noah (Niagara United B)

Marin Vucemilovic-Grgic (London City), Jose Melo (SC Scarborough)

Micadl Lazzarotto (York Region Shooters B), Ivica Sunjka (Toronto Croatia B)

Zoran Pusica (Milton SC) Nordo Gooden (Brampton City Utd)                                                                                                                            

                                        Schedule for Sunday, May 10

11 am         SC Waterloo B vs Brantford Galaxy B                       Second Division

1 pm           Serbian White Eagles vs Burlington SC                     First Division

3 pm           Milton SC B vs Brampton City Utd B                         Second Division

5 pm           Brantford Galaxy vs   SC Waterloo                            First Division

7 pm           York Region Shooters vs Toronto Croatia                First Division

 

 

 

One of the great strengths of the Canadian Soccer League is its accommodation of teams that represent their country of origin or ethnic community,  while adding new teams that represent local  geography.

Soccer in Canada is today very much a Canadian game following the dramatic change in the 90s which moved the game into a position of being the most-played  team sport in the country,  with player demographics revealing there were more soccer players than in hockey and more than baseball, football and basketball registrations combined.

The addition in recent years of Niagara, Waterloo. Burlington Brantford and Milton to the CSL reflects an increasing interest in soccer in the Niagara Peninsular and Southwestern Ontario, while 2015 expansion teams Scarborough and Toronto Atomic have been added as community teams in Toronto.

London City entered the CSL in 1973, Brampton in 2001 and York Region in 2002.

Toronto Croatia has been a member of the CSL or its forerunner leagues for 60 years, since 1956, to retain its ethnic identity and become one of the strongest professional  soccer teams in Canada. Toronto Croatia is the current world club champion of Croatian teams that play in the Croatian World Cup tournament every four years. Serbian White Eagles also go back to the forerunner leagues, having been a prominent team in the 50s.

All of these teams can be seen at one location, the St. Joan of Arc ground at Maple, just north of Toronto this weekend. It’s  a single location festival of soccer to kick off what promises to be a busy CSL campaign through to the end of October. The weekend has a complete slate of regular season league games not previously arranged at one location since the original forerunner league of the CSL launched in Canada back in 1926.

It’s an opportunity to see great soccer surrounded by some of the top coaches and technical staff in Canadian soccer, some of whom have experienced soccer a high levels, yes, including the World Cup.

There will be prizes, hourly draws both days for a season VIP pass to all CSL games, and a rose for the ladies on both days.

It’s kickoff time in the Canadian Soccer League. It’s two days – in one location.

Admission: $10 (Children 12 and under: $5)

                                             CSL Soccer Fest ’15 St. Joan of Arc ground, Maple, Ontario

                                                                                   Saturday, May 9

10 am        Serbian White Eagles B vs  Burlington SC B               Second Division

12 pm        Toronto Atomic FC  vs  Niagara United                      First Division

2 pm          Toronto Atomic FC B vs Niagara United B                 Second Division

4 pm          London City vs SC Scarborough                                   First Division

6 pm          York Region Shooters B vs Toronto Croatia B           Second Division

8 pm          Milton SC vs Brampton City Utd                                 First Division                                                                                                           

                                                                                 Sunday, May 10

11 am         SC Waterloo B vs Brantford Galaxy B                       Second Division

1 pm           Serbian White Eagles vs Burlington SC                     First Division

3 pm           Milton SC B vs Brampton City Utd B                         Second Division

5 pm           Brantford Galaxy vs   SC Waterloo                            First Division

7 pm           York Region Shooters vs Toronto Croatia                First Division

 

 

Tomo Dancetovic believes Brantford and the surrounding Brant County deserve professional soccer.

The increasing player population, with soccer now the sport of choice in the region, as well as the high interest by new Canadians mostly from Europe, all contribute to a need for a high level game to interface with the grass roots level which is here, there and everywhere.

Dancetovic recognized that while the region has been well served by coaches steeped in football and settling in the communities of Oakville, Milton, Burlington and Hamilton, the need for greater skills to be visible on the field of play will accelerate the game locally.

Now head coach and GM of Brantford Galaxy, the former midfielder with London City who brought his passion for soccer from the former Yugoslavia, is determined   that second time around for the Galaxy will be permanent.

Brantford Galaxy launched into professional soccer for the first time in 2010, won the Canadian Soccer League championship in the first year when Dancetovic was an assistant coach. But the team went into dormancy in 2012 and applied in 2014 to return as an active member of the CSL in 2015.

“Everything is coming together very well with close to 40 players under contract for our First Division side and reserve team,” said Dancetovic with a little more than a week to go for the opener for both teams on May 10. The reserve team will kickoff  first, an 11 am start against SC Waterloo reserves in the 11-game weekend CSL Soccer Fest at the St. Joan of Arc ground at Maple, followed by the First Division encounter against  Waterloo at 5.

The Galaxy has already developed relationships with the youth soccer in the region and plans to launch an academy division in September.

The CSL’s complete opening weekend schedule:  

CSL Soccer Fest  ‘15     

Saturday, May 9

10 am        Serbian White Eagles B vs  Burlington SC B               Second Division

12 pm        Toronto Atomic FC  vs  Niagara United                      First Division

2 pm          Toronto Atomic FC B vs Niagara United B                 Second Division

4 pm          London City vs SC Scarborough                                   First Division

6 pm          York Region Shooters B vs Toronto Croatia B           Second Division

8 pm          Milton SC vs Brampton City Utd                                 First Division                                                                                                                                                                    

Sunday, May 10

11 am         SC Waterloo B vs Brantford Galaxy B                       Second Division

1 pm           Serbian White Eagles vs Burlington SC                     First Division

3 pm           Milton SC B vs Brampton City Utd B                         Second Division

5 pm           Brantford Galaxy vs   SC Waterloo                            First Division

7 pm           York Region Shooters vs Toronto Croatia                First Division

A full slate of six First Division games at the St. Joan of Arc ground at Maple, just north of Toronto, will signal the opening of the Canadian Soccer League season on Saturday, May 9, an almost six-month long campaign that will run into November.
It will be noon May 9 when expansion club Toronto Atomic FC will kickoff the new season with Niagara United as the First Division opener , an opening festival-like weekend known as Soccer Fest 15 to celebrate the opening of a new CSL season.
Another new entry in the CSL, SC Scarborough, will play the second game in the top division at 4 pm, they take on London City, one of the oldest professional teams in North America, which launched in 1973. Both Toronto Atomic in the first game and SC Scarborough will be fielding players here from Europe.
The 12 First Division teams will each play 22 games before the top eight in the standings embark upon the CSL playoffs leading to the CSL Championship, won last year by the host of Soccer Fest 15 on May 9 – York Region Shooters. The Shooters won the title undefeated.
Following the Soccer Fest 15 weekend, the teams will continue the schedule on Friday, May 15 with games on Saturday and Sunday, a three-day weekend pattern that will continue each weekend until a rare mid-week encounter on Wednesday, June 10. Then the weekend games resume on Friday, June 12 through to the end of the regular season.

Second Division games of CSL reserve teams will be announced soon.

 

Sat May 9 St. Joan of Arc 12:00 pm Toronto Atomic FC Niagara United
Sat May 9 St. Joan of Arc 4:00 pm London City Scarborough SC
Sat May 9 St. Joan of Arc 8:00 pm Milton SC Brampton City Utd
Sun May 10 St. Joan of Arc 1:00 pm Serbian White Eagles Burlington SC
Sun May 10 St. Joan of Arc 5:00 pm Brantford Galaxy SC Waterloo
Sun May 10 St. Joan of Arc 7:00 pm York Region Shooters Toronto Croatia
Fri May 15 Jean Vanier Field 8:00 pm Milton SC Niagara United
Sat May 16 Birchmount Stadium 7:30 pm Scarborough SC Toronto Croatia
Sat May 16 Centennial Stadium 8:45 pm Toronto Atomic FC London City
Sun May 17 Victoria Park 5:00 pm Brampton City Utd Serbian White Eagles
Sun May 17 Lions Park Brantford 7:00 pm Brantford Galaxy Burlington SC
Sun May 17 Warrior Field Waterloo 7:00 pm SC Waterloo York Region Shooters

The Canadian Soccer League is about to have a new-look.
The familiar CSL logo, adopted in 2006, has been redesigned and will be on display in good time for the Soccer Fest ’15 season opening day kickoff on May 9.
“Our league has changed quite a bit in recent years and while we are looking to the future, we don’t forget those in history who were determined to develop a truly Canadian league, and we hope our new emblem reflects just that,” said CSL president Vincent Ursini in announcing the board’s approval of the new design.
The new mark was designed by Mari-Lynne Eastland Graphic Designs of Niagara Falls, Ontario, commissioned early this year to come up with a suitable design in time for the new season. The year in which the league was launched – 1926 – was a key consideration which the league decided to include.
The CSL was formed as the National Soccer League (NSL) with an opening game on June 19, 1926 between Toronto Ulster and Windsor Rovers and has steadfastly remained Canadian ever since.
The league became the Canadian National Soccer League (CNSL) in 1992, the Canadian Professional Soccer League (CPSL) in 1998 and the Canadian Soccer League (CSL) in 2006.

Young players may have an opportunity to take part in a few training sessions with professional clubs following a decision taken at the annual meeting of team owners of the Canadian Soccer League over the weekend.

Vincent Ursini

Players 15 and over will be given an opportunity to apply to take part in pre-season training and coaching sessions during a two-week period leading to the CSL’s regular season kickoff and a number will be accepted on a first come first served basis.

The invitation came out of all-day discussions covering a wide range of topics relating to the competition, as well as business and legal issues requiring decisions before the CSL season gets underway.

The league lifted its restriction on the number of players a team can import, a measure introduced by North America’s soccer governance some years ago to ensure there were sufficient spots available in professional soccer for home grown players.

While the game gets tougher, it’s getting cleaner. That’s the opinion of CSL discipline chair Henry Helou who reported that there was a significant reduction in the number of yellow and red cards shown by the referees in 2014. The reduction in the number of discipline hearings and penalties handed down by the discipline panel was also considered to reflect an improvement in the amount of dissent being shown by players and coaches toward match officials.

Club president Ihor Prokipchuk and technical man Stas Honcharuk of Toronto Atomic FC, and SC Scarborough with Angel Belcev and Kiril Dimitrov attended their first CSL owners meeting. Tomo Dancetovic , GM of Brantford Galaxy, was also in attendance following the club’s return after a three-year absence.

“It’s going to be a busy and exciting season with four clubs entering an expanded 12-team First Division that were not there last year,” said Vincent Ursini, president of the CSL who will head the league for a further two years following a decision by the member clubs to extend his term of office.

The season will get underway the weekend of May 9 for both the First Division and the CSL’s reserve team following a pre-season press conference earlier in the week.