Toronto Croatia

CSL champions Toronto Croatia were held to a 1-1 tie with Niagara United at Centennial Stadium and it was the visiting Niagara team that took the lead on an own goal from a header by defender Sven Arapovic into his own net. The goal came at 24 minute…

Toronto Croatia captured the major honours at the CSL Annual Awards night at the Mississauga Convention Centre Sunday.

 

A repeat of the 2011 championship victory –  this time a 1-0 defeat of  Montreal Impact Academy on October 27 –  followed a regular season title win in the 16-team CSL First Division, while the Individual awards presented at the season-end dinner included Toronto Croatia midfielder Marin Vucemilovic-Grgic, who took the CSL Most Valuable Player Award, and Antonio Ilic, voted the Goalkeeper of the Year.

 

Vucemilovic-Grgic was prominent throughout for his outstanding two-way play and scoring 16 goals in the regular season, and Ilic was a big reason for the champions’ outstanding defensive record, conceding just 13 goals in the 22-game regular season schedule.

 

Drazen Vukovic of SC Waterloo won the leading goalscorer trophy with 20 goals in the CSL First Division. Vukovic, 30, who arrived in Canada in 2010 on a transfer from NK Solin of Croatia to play for Brantford Galaxy, was transferred to Waterloo for the 2012 season.

 

Maxim Tissot of Montreal Impact Academy was voted the best defender in the CSL’s top division by the member clubs and Jonathan Osorio, a midfielder with SC Toronto, took the  Rookie of the Year Award.

 

Quebec-born Tissot, 20, played in the CSL for Trois-Rivieres Attak before joining the Impact academy team, while Rookie winner Osorio, 20, is a standout midfielder who found the net 11 times for SC Toronto.

 

Coach of the Year in the First Division went to Stefano Vagnini of Windsor Stars, a team which ended the regular season with a late flourish to finish fourth in the standing, making the playoffs in their second year in the CSL.

 

Windsor’s Gino Berardi was voted the CSL Second Division MVP and was the top goalscorer in that division with 17 goals.

 

 

 

The complete awards list:

                    

      CSL Champions: Toronto Croatia

      Runners-up: Montreal Impact Academy

 

              CSL First Division Awards

 

      First Division Champions

      Toronto Croatia

 

Most Valuable Player (MVP)

Marin Vucemilovic-Grgic       Toronto Croatia

 

Top Goalscorer

Drazen Vukovic                       SC Waterloo

 

         Goalkeeper of the Year

Antonio Ilic                               Toronto Croatia

  

       Defender of the Year

Maxim Tissot                            Montreal Impact Academy

 

        Rookie of the Year

Jonathan Osorio                     SC Toronto

                       

        Coach of the Year

Stefano Vagnini                      Windsor Stars

 

  

                                CSL Second Division Awards

 

                Second Division Champions

TFC Academy II

 

Most Valuable Player (MVP)

                        Gino Berardi                                 Windsor Stars B

 

                        Top Goalscorer

                   Gino Berardi                                Windsor Stars B

                       

                        Goalkeeper of the Year

                      Mark Rogal                                       TFC Academy II

                       

                   Defender of the Year

                        Malcolm Mings                             Niagara United B

 

Rookie of the Year

                        Mark Wadid                                   TFC Academy II

                                               

                       

 

Coach of the Year

                        James McGillivray                         Niagara United

                       

 

Other awards

 

Harry Paul Gauss Award

Ryan Gauss

 

Presented to the individual who has best demonstrated during the year exemplary allegiance, commitment and support to the league and its member clubs.

 

Referee of the Year

David Barrie

 

Fair Play and Respect Award

TFC Academy

 

The Fair Play and Respect Award is awarded to the club which, in the opinion of the CSL Discipline Committee, has demonstrated good discipline on the field of play and has exhibited a high level of respect for the game officials in the regular playing season

 

  

Media Award

Robin Glover    

 

For his continuing interest and loyalty in reporting CSL news and game reports for the CNSL, CPSL and the CSL since 1995.

 

 

Broadcaster Award

Enio Perruzza

 

For game announcement number 3,000 on October 5, 2012, following a period of 26 years behind the microphone with the CNSL, CPSL and the CSL and other major soccer games played in the Canadian soccer community.

 

Toronto Croatia won the CSL championship with a 1-0 victory over Capital City FC of Ottawa Saturday.

 

Midfielder Hayden Fitzwilliams scored the only goal of the match at 18 minutes, a  header from 15 yards off a free kick with pace from the right wing by Tihomir Maletic that left Clint Irwin in the Capital City goal with no chance on the save.

 

It was a close, even game throughout that could have gone either way. Capital City, in its inaugural season in the Canadian Soccer League, had its best opportunity to equalize with an attempt by forward Sullivan Silva at 23 minutes, a drive that went over the crossbar with Toronto Croatia goalkeeper Sandi Matika beaten. Capital City defender Andre Manders also came close at 77 minutes.

 

It was Toronto Croatia’s eighth league title since entering professional soccer in 1956 with earlier wins in 1970, 71, 72, 73, 2000, 2004 and 2007.  It was also the second trophy win this season following a Croatian World Club Championship victory on July 2 when the Toronto side defeated teams from Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Australia in the two-week competition played in Europe.

 

Toronto Croatia finished second of 14 teams in the CSL First Division regular season just ended and had the best defensive record and just three defeats in the 26-game schedule. Capital City FC were not far behind in third position, conceding just one more goal and had just four losses.

 

Velemir Crljen, in his fourth year as head coach of Toronto Croatia said his team played well to win a very good game. “My team did a good job against a quick, younger side and the score was about right and we deserved to win,” he said.

 

Crljen said he was pleased with the season, close to winning the First Division, winning in Europe and now winning the championship. “I’m very happy,” he said.

 

Shaun Harris, head coach of Capital City, while congratulating Toronto Croatia for the win said he thought his side was on top in the second half. “Two teams with the best defensive record in the league made it a game hard to get a hit on goal, but I thought we had the better of the last 45 minutes. They are a very experienced team, but we did well, just didn’t quite make it,” he said.

 

The CSL season started early May with 14 teams in each of two divisions and will announce its individual award winners November 13. Mississauga Eagles FC B, the club’s reserve team in the CSL, won the Second Division championship by defeating Brampton City Utd B on October 22.

 

It’s Montreal Impact Academy vs. Toronto Croatia at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke, Saturday, October 27, 2012 at 3 pm

 

THE TEAMS

Toronto Croatia won the CSL First Division in the season just ended and Montreal Impact Academy were the runners-up.

 

 

 

CSL FIRST DIVISION -2012	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	PTS
1 Toronto Croatia	22	15	1	6	57	13	51
2 Montreal Impact Academy	22	14	3	5	52	17	47

 

HOW THEY GOT THERE !

The top eight teams in the regular season final standings entered a quarterfinal playoff, with Toronto Croatia and Montreal Impact Academy advancing to the semifinals, then the final. The results were:

 

Quarterfinals:

Serbian White Eagles 1, SC Toronto 0

Montreal Impact Academy 2, TFC Academy 0

York Region Shooters 1, Windsor Stars 0

Toronto Croatia 2, Niagara United 0

 

Semifinals:

Montreal Impact Academy 3, York Region Shooters 1           TorontoCroatia 4, Serbian White Eagles 0 

 

There could not be a greater contrast to compare Montreal Impact Academy

and Toronto Croatia, the two finalists in this year’s CSL Championship.

 

Most players in the  Montreal Academy team are under 21, in a team that’s been in the CSL for just three years and part of a fledgling Montreal Impact organization in their first year in Major League Soccer (MLS). Several of the academy players have been selected for one of Canada’s national youth teams and their abundant talent reflects what the future looks like for Canadian soccer on the world stage.

 

In Saturday’s line-up for the Quebec side are midfielder Kevin Luarca, 19, and Kai Morton, 18, who were included in the Canada U-20 camp for the four-nation Marbella Cup in Spain recently, while Anthony Jackson-Hamel, 19, forward, Hugo LaPointe-Senecal, 19, have also been called by Canada. Midfielder Wandrille Lefevre and forward Mircea Ilcu have been called to the Montreal Impact Major League Soccer (MLS) team. 

 

Montreal Impact Academy are bidding on Saturday for their first major trophy.

 

Toronto Croatia, on the other hand, has been in Canadian professional soccer for 56 years, a team of generally older players, several are seasoned in the rigours of tough semi-professional soccer that is the CSL following some years playing at a high level in Europe. The club has a storied past, including the North American Championship victory as Toronto Metros Croatia in 1976 when the team included the legendary Portuguese superstar Eusebio.

 

Looking back on history, Toronto Croatia won the National Soccer League (NSL) championship four years running (1970 through 1973) – the NSL was a forerunner league of today’s CSL. In recent times, Toronto Croatia won the CSL title in 2004, in 2007 and again in 2011. In 2007 the Mississauga-based team won the inaugural Croatian World Championship and repeated that victory in 2011 with wins against NK Croatia Zurich (Switzerland), Dinamo Ottakring from Vienna, Croatia Berlin from Germany and Canberra of Australia.

 

Toronto Croatia won the CSL First Division for the season just ended, they lost just one game, while conceding a remarkably low 13 goals in the 22-game campaign. Montreal Impact Academy, which finished second in the First Division standings, have won their last 11 matches, nine at the end of their regular season and two in the playoffs.

 

Toronto Croatia captain Tonci Pirija, 32, who formerly played for Hajduk Split, NK Solin and NK Medimurje Cakovec in Croatia, also played professionally in Slovenia and Kazakhstan. He is playing his last game on Saturday for the current CSL champions.

Defender Josip Bonacin, 28, has played in three European countries, midfielder Dino Buljan, 21, defender Josip Keran, forward Bozenko Lesina, 32, Tihomir Maletic, 32, a prolific striker with 13 goals in the regular season, midfielder Josip Raso, 22, Andelo Srzentic, 22, and Marin Vucemilovic-Grgic, 25, the team’s leading goalscorer with 16 in the regular season, have all played at a high level in Europe. 

 

Rosters for the two finalists are in your attachments. The CSL Championship on Saturday is preceded by the CSL Second Division Championship between SC Toronto Reserves and Brampton City Utd Reserves to kickoff at 12.30 pm.

 

The CSL Championship between Montreal Impact Academy and Toronto Croatia is shown live by Rogers TV in Ontario Viewers should check their local listing.

 

The Canadian soccer League would like to thank its sponsors for their generous support of this CSL Championship Day, with special mention to partners Days Inn, Rogers TV, Locust Canada (the official ball of the CSL), Toronto Sun, Olympic Trophies, Givova and Sportchek.

 

Admission to Centennial Stadium is $25 for adults, $10 seniors and students. Family admission (2 adults, 2 youth) is $50.                                                                                           

 

 

It took a last minute equalizer at the end of regulation time plus 30 minutes of extra time followed by

 

penalty kicks for SC Toronto B to defeat Mississauga Eagles B in the first semifinal of the

 

CSL Second Division Championship playoffs at Downsview Park in Toronto Saturday night.

 

 

Evan Brandon John opened the scoring for SC Toronto, heading home a corner kick out of reach of Mississauga goalkeeper

 

Mitchell Cavaco for a 1-0 lead at the break.

 

 

Mississauga midfielder Laudelino Joe De Sousa then struck twice, at 53 and 58 minutes to put his side 2-1 up and last year’s

 

reserve champions were heading for the Second Division final again this season until Brandon John scored his second goal

 

for the Toronto side, a 2-2 tie at 90 minutes and the score at regulation time.

 

 

The teams battled a scoreless15 minutes each way for a 2-2 tie at 120 minutes to take the game into penalty kicks, won 4-3

 

by SC Toronto reserves.

 

 

SC Toronto B advances to the Second Division Championship Final to meet the winner of Brampton City Utd or York Region

 

Shooters in the second semifinal Sunday night.

 

 

There has been a change of venue for the First Division semifinal between Montreal Impact Academy and York Region

 

Shooters Sunday afternoon. The game will now be played at the St Jean de Vianney Sport Centre in Montreal following heavy

 

rains that have affected the playing surface at the Claude Robillard Stadium.

 

Remaining games:

 

CSL Championship – Semifinals

 

Sunday, Oct 21 St Jean de Vianney 2 pm Montreal Impact Academy vs. York Region Shooters

 

Sunday, Oct 21 Centennial Stadium 8 pm Toronto Croatia vs. Serbian White Eagles

 

CSL Second Division Championship – Semifinal

 

Sunday, Oct 21 Avondale Stadium 6 pm Brampton City Utd B vs. York Region Shooters B

 

CSL Championship – Final

 

Saturday, Oct 27 Centennial Stadium, Etobicoke 3 pm Montreal Impact Academy or York Region Shooters vs Toronto

 

Croatia or Serbian White Eagles

 

CSL Second Division Championship – Final

 

Saturday, Oct. 27 Centennial Stadium, Etobicoke 12.30 pm SC Toronto B vs Brampton City Utd B or York Region Shooters B

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toronto Croatia won the CSL First Division with a 2-1 victory over Windsor Stars, Montreal Impact Academy made a clean sweep of their two weekend games in Toronto with a 1-0 defeat of York Region Shooters, SC Waterloo kept their playoff hopes alive with a 1-0 win over SC Toronto and Kingston FC gained an away win over Brantford Galaxy, four games in the CSL Sunday.

 

Defender Josip Keran opened the scoring for Toronto Croatia at the 11^th minute mark at Centennial Stadium, but Windsor forward Michael Lepera tied the game just four minutes later and it was 1-1 at half-time.

 

Marin Vucemilovic Grgic struck the winner for the home side at the 53^rd minute mark and the score held to the final whistle. It was Grgic’s 16th goal of the campaign.

 

The victory gave Toronto Croatia a 15-1-5 WLT record for 50 points with one game remaining in the regular season, while Windsor Stars have an 11-6-4 record for 37 points and currently in fourth position in the standings, also one game remaining. Both teams have qualified for the playoffs.

 

Montreal Impact Academy are assured of a top four placing following their 1-0 victory over York Region Shooters at the St. Joan of Arc ground in Maple, just north of Toronto. The top four of eight teams to qualify for the playoffs have home game advantage in the quarterfinal games.

 

Mircea Ilcu scored the winning goal for the Quebec side, he drove the ball into the net to beat Shooters’ goalkeeper Emanuelle Ameltonis at 26 minutes following a breakaway.

 

Fitzroy Christey of York Region Shooters was shown the red card by referee David Bailey for a violent conduct offence at the 78^th minute and there was no further scoring, 1-0 for Montreal Impact Academy.

 

Montreal Impact Academy have a 12-3-5 record for 41 points and are in third position in the standings with two games remaining in the regular season, while York Region Shooters have a 9-2-10 record for 37 points, are in fifth position with one game remaining.

Midfielder Drazen Vukovic scored in the 23rd minute to give SC Waterloo their ninth win of the season, a 1-0 defeat of SC Toronto at the St. David ground. It was Vukovic’s 17^th goal of the season and the victory kept the home side’s playoff hopes alive with Niagara United and Brampton City Utd to decide the eighth position in the standings and final playoff berth.

The Waterloo Region side now has a 9-11-1 record for 28 points, 10^th in the standings, while SC Toronto are at 14-3-4 for 46 points and second in the table.

Kingston FC came from behind for the 3-2 away victory over Brantford Galaxy at Lions Park in Brantford, with defender Dragan Oluic of the Galaxy scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot at 11 minutes following a hand ball infringement called by referee Michael Anthony Izzo.

Kingston’s Mademba Ba tied the game five minutes later, a picture goal from 30 yards that caught the top corner of the net.

Brantford took a 2-1 lead on a goal by Ranko Golijanin at 24 minutes, he headed into the net off a cross by Sasa Jelovac and it was 2-1 at the break.

Mademba Ba struck the equalizer for Kingston FC at 61 minutes, he found the net from 15 yards on a counter attack after taking possession from a Brantford attack down the left wing, and midfielder Vitaliy Siderov also dispossessed the home side to go in alone and beat Galaxy goalkeeper Zoran Tusica at the 75^th minute mark, a 3-2 final score.

Kingston FC have a 4-16-1 record for 13 points, while Brantford Galaxy are at 8-12-1 for 25 points, both teams have one game remaining.

The following seven teams have secured a playoff berth, with one team still to be decided: Toronto Croatia, SC Toronto, Montreal Impact Academy, Windsor Stars, York Region Shooters, TFC Academy and Serbian White Eagles. The eighth team will be one of Niagara United, Brampton City Utd and SC Waterloo.

 

The eight teams entering the playoffs will play their quarterfinal games leading to the CSL Championship the weekend October 12 – 14. The Championship Final is set for October 27.