The well-traveled attacking midfielder, Anthony Bahadur, scored the lone goal in a 1-0 victory for York Region Shooters over FC Ukraine United at the St. Joan of Arc ground in Maple, the only game played  in the Canadian Soccer League First Division Sunday.

Bahadur, who scored the only goal for the then Italia Shooters in the CSL Championship 1-0 victory over Serbian White Eagles back in 2006, struck Sunday’s winning goal at 34 minutes after Ukraine United goalkeeper Nazar Lytvyn managed to save a first attempt. Bahadur collected the rebound to drive the ball into the net from inside the box. It was 1-0 at the interval and at the final whistle.

The Canadian-born Bahadur has played in Mexico, Singapore, Thailand, Israel and Egypt with some success at high levels and played also for the Shooters, Toronto Lynx and Edmonton in Canada.

Sunday’s win by league-leading York Region (10-2-2 WLT for 32 points) opens a nine-point gap in the standings with nearest rivals Scarborough SC (23 points) in second place, while Toronto Atomic are in third position with 22 points.

There were two games in the CSL Second Division Sunday when SC Waterloo dominated Brantford Galaxy B 8-2 and York Region Shooters B played to a 1-1 tie with Toronto Atomic B.

 

Scarborough victory moves Toronto east team within 7 points of York Region Scarborough SC moved into the second spot in the CSL table following a scoreless tie with Brantford Galaxy and in an earlier game, Hamilton City were leading Serbian White Eagles 1-0 when the game was abandoned, two games in the CSL Saturday night.

Both teams missed chances to find the net in an evenly contested encounter between  Scarborough and  Brantford Galaxy at Birchmount Stadium in Scarborough, a result which moved the home side into second position in the First Division title race, closing the gap to six points with league leading York Region Shooters.

Scarborough now has a 7-4-2 WLT record for 23 points following the 0-0 tie, while Brantford Galaxy by contrast  has a 2-7-5 record for 11 points and struggling in the cellar position.

Igor Krmar did find the net to put Hamilton City into a 1-0 lead over Serbian White Eagles at the Cardinal Newman ground, but late in the game just when it appeared the home side had secured a narrow victory,  the referee abandoned the game with just minutes remaining following an altercation which could not be controlled.

The result will not stand until the CSL Disciplinary Committee carries out an investigation and renders its decision on the outcome of the game.

Hamilton City are presently in sixth position in the standings going into Saturday’s game with a 4-7-3 season record for 15 points, while Serbian White Eagles are at 6-5-2, in fourth position with 20 points.

 

Toronto Atomic FC moved into a tie for second place in the First Division standings with a decisive 3-0 defeat of Milton SC, the only game played in the Canadian Soccer League Friday.

Forward Ihor Melnyk led the way with two early goals at 3 and 4 minutes to put the visiting Atomic 2-0 up after just four minutes of play at the Jean Vanier ground at Milton.

It was 2-0 at the break and Loyiga Johnson struck the third goal for Toronto Atomic at 79 minutes, finding the net past Milton goalkeeper Zoran Pusica following a play that started from the left wing.

The win was an important one for Atomic (now 6-5-4 WLT), moving the Toronto west-end team into a tie for second position with Scarborough, both teams with 22 points and 7 points behind league-leading York Region Shooters on top with 29 points.

Milton are at 3-8-1 for 10 points and seventh position in the standings.

 

Bottom of the table Milton SC traveled to second place Scarborough to come away with a well deserved 3-2 victory, the improving Serbian Eagles visited Brantford, winning 3-0 and FC Ukraine United scored a 3-2 away win at Toronto Atomic, three games in the CSL First Division Saturday night.

Midfielder Milos Ljubenovic opened the scoring for Serbian White Eagles at eight minutes in the game against Brantford Galaxy at Lions Park, he accepted a cross from the left wing to head into the net from eight yards past Galaxy goalkeeper Luka Besenic.

Striker Milos Scepanovic increased the lead to 2-0 for Serbian Eagles at 17 minutes and scored a second for a 3-0 lead at 40 minutes. Brantford Galaxy was reduced to 10 men when Stefan Vukovic received a second caution and red card at 26 minutes. It was a 3-0 lead for Serbian White Eagles at the interval and at the final whistle.

Serbian White Eagles move up to third position in the standings with a 6-5-2 WLT record for 20 points , while Brantford remain in seventh position with a 2-7-4 record for 10 points.

FC Ukraine United jumped into an early lead in the first minute of the game with Toronto Atomic FC at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke, the opening goal scored by midfielder Oleh Shutov,  and midfielder Oleksandr Muzychuk made it 2-0 for Ukraine United at the  11 minute mark.

Bogdan Poliakhov struck the first goal at the 23 minute for Toronto Atomic to reduce the lead to 2-1 and Muzychuk made it 3-1 for Ukraine United at 24 minutes.

Atomic reduced the lead to 3-2 just before the interval, a goal by forward Vasyl Zhuk, and the score was 3-2  at halftime which held to the final whistle.

Ukraine United improve to a 5-4-3 for 18 points and fifth position in the table, while Atomic have a 5-5-4 record for 19 points and fourth in the standings.

Adrian Smajic opened the scoring for Milton at the 28 minute of the game with Scarborough at Birchmount Stadium in Scarborough and Maghori Lucky made it 2-0 at 41 minutes and it was 2-0 at the break.

Scarborough midfielder Adis Hasecic reduced the lead to 2-1 at the 48 minute mark and Dimitar Kostourkov tied the game 2-2 at 70 minutes.

Smajic struck the winner for Milton at the 78 minute mark, his ninth of the season.

Scarborough are second in the standings with a 7-4-1 record for 22 points, while Milton improve to 3-7-1 for 10 points, tied for seventh position with Brantford Galaxy.

There was one game in the CSL Second Division Saturday afternoon when Brantford Galaxy B dominated Serbian White Eagles B 9-0.

 

Hamilton City gained a narrow, but well-deserved 1-0 home victory over league-leading York Region Shooters at the Cardinal Newman ground at Stoney Creek Friday night.

Forward Miroslav Cabrilo struck the only goal for the home side at 71 minutes, finding the net past York Region goalkeeper Adrian Ibanez following a hard fought encounter for most of the game with York Region determined to break a scoring drought which has now stretched to 360 minutes of soccer.

York Region has not put the ball in the net since scoring a 3-0 win over Toronto Atomic on July 23, a result which continued an impressive unbeaten record, taking the team to the top of the table by a wide margin. The Shooters have stalled with two scoreless ties and two 1-0 defeats since then, to be just seven points ahead of Scarborough in second place.  Scarborough has two games in hand.

York Region now has a 9-2-2 WLT record for 29 points, and Hamilton City improves to 4-7-3 for 15 points, tied for fifth place with FC Ukraine United following the 1-0 win.

 

Scarborough SC defeated York Region Shooters by a 1-0 score to snap the Shooters’ unbeaten streak at 11 games at the St. Joan of Arc Stadium, the only game in the CSL First Division Sunday night.

Forward Adis Hasecic struck the winner for Scarborough at 85 minutes at a time when it appeared York Region was heading for an unbeaten 12 game of the season.

Hasecic drove a low ball into the net from a rebound off Shooters’ goalkeeper Emanuelle Ameltonis following an evenly contested scoreless first half and most of the second half.

Scarborough were reduced to 10 just two minutes after the goal was scored when referee showed a red card to Zdravko Karadachki  following a second caution.

York Region Shooters had little opportunity to take advantage of the extra man and it was 1-0 in favour of the visitors at the final whistle.

The York Region Shooters  lead at the top of the First Division is reduced to seven points with a 9-1-2 WLT record for 29 points with second-place Scarborough now 7-3-1 for 22 points.

It is the third game that the league leaders have failed to score, but on the positive side York Region have conceded a remarkable just five goals in their 12 games played.

There were two games in the CSL Second Division Sunday when SC Waterloo coasted past London City 5-1 and York Region Shooters B humbled Serbian White Eagles B, 6-1.

There were two scoreless ties in the Canadian Soccer League Friday night.  Serbian White Eagles were held to a 0-0 draw on home ground by Hamilton City, while in the late game Brantford Galaxy and Toronto Atomic also played to a scoreless tie. One other game scheduled for Friday night, Milton SC vs FC Ukraine United, was postponed.

It was an even encounter in the scoreless tie at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke where both Serbian White Eagles and Hamilton City had opportunities to come away with a win, particularly forward Milos Scepanovic for the home side Serbian Eagles who came very close to finding the net and Josip Keran of Hamilton City almost brought a victory for the visitors.

Serbian White Eagles now have a 5-5-2 WLT record for 17 points and fourth in the standings, while Hamilton City are 3-7-3 for 12 points and are in sixth position in the table.

The referee was the busiest individual on the field of play during a rough encounter between Brantford Galaxy and Toronto Atomic FC which also ended 0-0 at the Kiwanis ground in Brantford. The Galaxy now has a 2-6-4 record for 10 points and are in seventh position in the standings, while Atomic has a 5-4-4 record and now tied for second position with Scarborough SC, each team with 19 points.

The Milton SC vs. FC Ukraine United postponed game will be re-scheduled for a later date.

 

Adrian Cann is in for a tough time.

The tall, athletic-like defender, known for his on the field intelligence, has been a very good player for more than a decade now and really did grow up kicking a soccer ball many years before that.

That was in Thornhill, Ontario, just above Toronto at St. Luke’s Elementary School, to be followed by more soccer at St. Robert Catholic High School where he was named Athlete of the Year. A scholarship moved Cann to the University of Louisville in Kentucky where he was named the team’s most valuable player in both his sophomore and junior seasons and was eventually described by his coach as the most complete soccer player ever to play at the university.

He was a sought-after talent and played in North America – Colorado Rapids, Montreal Impact, Vancouver Whitecaps – before signing for Esbjerg in Denmark.  He then returned to North America during 2010 to become a popular defender with Toronto FC, making 48 appearances before moving to San Antonio Scorpions in the North American Soccer League.  Cann was capped nine times for the Canadian national team following three appearances for Canada’s U-20 squad.

Adrian Cann is now with Scarborough SC of the Canadian Soccer League and made his first appearance on August 8, winning a 4-3 see-saw battle with FC Ukraine United at the St. Joan of Arc Stadium in Maple.  “We made a few mistakes, but worked through that to win a game I enjoyed,” said Cann the following day.

Adrian Cann will be 36 in September and is in the twilight of his playing career.  While his intelligent play, obvious talent and physical fitness will continue for a period of time to translate into the effective and attractive soccer player he is, it is these same attributes that makes the inevitable switch to soccer spectator a difficult process.

But in the meantime, Cann will be of considerable help to Scarborough in the east Toronto team’s bid for the First Division title and the CSL playoffs leading to the championship, and there’s always coaching or managerial considerations later to ease the transition from what has been a sparkling career for the amiable York Region native.

Scarborough has been a force in the CSL since being launched as an expansion team in 2015 by Kiril Dimitrov. The Bulgarian-born midfielder entered the CSL when transferred from Bulgarian club Belasica to Serbian White Eagles in 2009, later moving to SC Waterloo.

Now playing out of Birchmount Stadium in Scarborough, the team is in a position to bid for the league title and there is little doubt that having Adrian Cann as a defender will increase its chances of success.

 

Scarborough SC jumped into second position in the First Division standings with a 4-3 victory over FC Ukraine United  at the St. Joan of Arc Stadium in Maple, the only game played in the Canadian Soccer League Sunday night.

Scarborough forward Aleksander Stojiljkovic opened the scoring when he found the net past Ukraine United goalkeeper Nazar Lytvyn at eight minutes.

Five minutes later midfielder Sehly Serheyev tied the game 1-1 for Ukraine United and at 19 minutes Ukraine took a 2-1 lead when Sergii Ivliev beat Scarborough goalkeeper Imad Hakura, for a 2-1 score at the break.

Scarborough midfielder Tihomir Kosturkov tied the game 2-2 at 49 minutes, Adis Hasecic put the visitors into a 3-2 lead at 69 minutes and at 80 minutes Ukraine United made it 3-3.

Stojiljkovic  struck the winner for Scarborough at 83 minutes and the 4-3 score held until the final whistle.

The win gives Scarborough an improved 6-3-1 WLT record for 19 points to move the Toronto east team into second position in the table, while Ukraine United have a 4-4-3 record for 15 points, in fifth position.

There were three games in the CSL Second Division Sunday night with London City cruising past Serbian White Eagles B by a 8-2 score, SC Waterloo defeated Toronto Atomic  FC B 3-2 and in the late game Brantford Galaxy B nipped York Region Shooters B, 1-0.

 

Serbian White Eagles moved up to fourth in the standings with a 4-1 defeat of Brantford Galaxy, while Hamilton City were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Milton SC, two games in the CSL Friday night,

Following two close calls on the Brantford Galaxy goal in the early stages of the first half, Djordje Jocic opened the scoring for Serbian White Eagles at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke. The goal came at the 17^th minute mark when defender Branislav Vukomanovic moved the ball from the edge of the penalty box to Jocic who drove the ball from 20 yards into the top right corner of the net.

Vukomanovic made it 2-0 for Serbian Eagles  at 39 minutes when he headed home from seven yards a cross from the right wing by midfielder Milos Ljubenovic.

Ljubenovic also played a part in the third Serbian White Eagles’ goal which came three minutes later. Goalkeeper Goran Skaric cleared the ball to Ljubenovic who made a through pass to Milos Scepanovic for a  low shot into the bottom right corner. It was 3-0 at the interval.

Krum Bigishkrov struck for Brantford to reduce the lead when the Serbian Eagles defence failed to clear, allowing Bigishkrov to find the net past Skaric from 10 yards at the 65^th minute mark.

Serbian Eagles’ defender Miroslav Jovanovic completed the scoring when he collected a long ball from Scepanovic to put the ball into the roof of the net at 72 minutes and the 4-1 score held to the final whistle

.Serbian Eagles improve to a 5-5-1 WLT record for 16 points to move up to fourth place in the First Division standings, while Brantford Galaxy are at 2-6-3 for nine points in seven position.

Hamilton City had early chances to take a first half lead at the Cardinal Newman ground, but following a scoreless first half Maghori Lucky put Milton SC ahead 1-0 at 60 minutes when he found the net past Hamilton goalkeeper Adrian Becic.

Drazen Vukovic scored his sixth goal of the season to tie the game 1-1 for Hamilton, scoring past Milton goalkeeper Zoran Pusica at the 78^th minute mark, a score that held until 89 minutes when Adrian Smajic struck his 7^th of the season to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.

Miroslav Cabrilo tied the game 2-2 for Hamilton at 90 minutes, the score at the final whistle.

Hamilton now have a 3-7-2 record for 11 points in sixth position in the standings, while Milton remain at the foot of the table with a 2-7-1 record and seven points.

 

While Ukraine United failed to win its home game against York Region Shooters, the expansion team achieved a result no other CSL side has managed to do so far this season. Ukraine United held York Region Shooters to a scoreless draw to break a nine-game winning streak of the league leaders, a 0-0 score at the St. Joan of Arc Stadium in the only game played in the CSL Sunday night.

It was an even, well-played contest which almost went Ukraine United’s way when the home side was awarded a penalty at 58 minutes by referee Ramed Arbaje following a hand ball infringement in the York Region box. Midfielder Oleh Kerchu’s attempt was saved when Shooters’ goalkeeper Emanuelle Ameltonis made a diving stop.

The scoreless match preserved York Region’s unbeaten string and their remarkable performance in the goals conceded column of the CSL First Division standings – just four goals allowed in the 10 games played by the end of Sunday night.

The Ukraine United defence was sound in preventing York Region from scoring and while there were few opportunities, Ukraine goalkeeper Nazar Lytvyn also played an important part of keeping the ball out.

York Region Shooters appear to be runaway winners of the First Division with a 10-0-1 WLT record for 28 points so far this mid-season and the Maple-based club are now 11points ahead of their nearest rivals, Toronto Atomic.

FC Ukraine United improved to 4-3-3 for 15 points as a result of Sunday night’s draw and remain in fourth position.

 

Toronto Atomic gained an important 2-0 victory over top end of the table rivals Scarborough, Serbian White Eagles defeated Milton 3-1 and Hamilton traveled to nearby Brantford to hold the home side to a 2-2 tie, three games in the Canadian Soccer League Saturday night.

Defender Josip Keran opened the scoring for Hamilton at the 31 minute at Lions Park in Brantford, a well-placed free kick from 25 yards that caught the top right corner out of reach of Brantford goalkeeper Besenic Luka.

Nenad Nikolic tied the game for the home side, scoring from the penalty spot ordered by referee Javier Prior for a foul in the box and it was 1-1 at the interval.

Igor Krmar put the visitors in front 2-1 at 73 minutes, beating Galaxy goalkeeper Luka from an acute angle to the right of the goal  and seven minutes later Brantford striker Stefan Vukovic  found the net following a breakaway, a 2-2 draw at the final whistle.

Brantford now has a 2-5-3 WLT record for 9 points, while Hamilton City are at 3-7-1 for 10 points.

Following a scoreless first half in a close encounter at Birchmount Stadium, Toronto Atomic went ahead on a goal by midfielder Terry Dunfield who found the net past Scarborough goalkeeper Imad Hakura at the 76 minute mark.

Atomic defender Nazamir Drahan increased the lead to 2-0 at 88 minutes, the score at the final whistle.

Atomic has an improved 5-4-2 record for 17 points in second position in the standings, while Scarborough in in third position with a 5-3-1 record for 16 points

An improving Serbian White Eagles scored their fourth win of the season, defeating Milton SC 3-1 at the St. George ground at Niagara Falls. The win gives Serbian Eagles a 4-5-1 record for 13 points, while Milton has a 2-7-0 record for six points.

There was one game in the CSL Second Division Saturday, SC Waterloo B with a 6-0 victory over Brantford Galaxy B.

York Region Shooters continued on their winning way with a 3-0 victory over Toronto Atomic, while in one other game in the Canadian Soccer League Saturday night, Brantford Galaxy and FC Ukraine United played to a 1-1 draw.

Richard West opened the scoring for York Region Shooters after 12 minutes of play at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke, a tap into an almost open net after Atomic United goalkeeper Vasyl Shpuk was drawn out of position.

Shawn Brown made it 2-0 at 71 minutes for the visitors and midfielder David Guzman beat Shpuk to complete the scoring at 78 minutes for a 3-0 final score.

York Region are now nine wins in succession for a 9-0-0 WLT record for 27 points , leading the First Division by 11 points ahead of second place Scarborough SC.

Toronto Atomic now has a 4-4-2 record  and tied for third position with FC Ukraine United with a 4-3-2 record, both teams with 14 points.

Striker Stefan Vukovic  opened the scoring for the Galaxy at Lions Park in Brantford, the goal coming at 18 minutes when Vukovic collected the ball on the corner of the penalty box, passed two defenders before driving the ball inside the right post out of reach of  Ukraine United goalkeeper Nazar Lytvyn.

It was 1-0 at half-time.

Serhly Serheyev tied the score 1-1 for Ukraine United with a picture goal from 35 yards, taking a pass and driving into the bottom left corner out of reach of Brantford. It was 1-1 at the final whistle.

Brantford Galaxy now has a 2-5-2 record for eight points and in 7^th position.

In the CSL Second Division Saturday night Toronto Atomic B defeated York Region Shooters B 3-1 and in one other game, Brantford Galaxy B are at home in Lions Park to London City.