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