PICTURE: Scarborough (green) on the offensive winning 4-2 over Kingsman in the CSL Championship semifinal at Birchmount Stadium Saturday. It will be Scarborough’s third final in three years on October 26, and will be against semifinalists FC Ukraine United or SC Waterloo. PHOTO: Oleg Kalyadin
Scarborough SC advanced to the Canadian Soccer League Championship Final with a 4-2 victory over Kingsman A on Saturday. On the same day, FC Vorkuta B defeated Hamilton City B 5-1 in the CSL Second Division Championship semifinal, and Serbian White Eagles B won its CSL Second Division semifinal against CSC Mississauga B by a 2-0 score.
Scarborough’s opponents in the final will be either FC Ukraine United or SC Waterloo, to be decided in the semifinal played on Sunday, October 20.
FC Vorkuta B and Serbian White Eagles B will meet in the Second Division Championship Final.
Scarborough’s 4-2 semifinal victory over Kingsman A at Birchmount Stadium means a third successive CSL Championship final for the Toronto east-end team since entering the Canadian Soccer League as an expansion team in 2015. Scarborough was the finalist in 2017 against York Region Shooters and in 2018 against FC Vorkuta, both games decided by penalty kicks following 90 minutes and overtime.
Player-coach Zoran Rajovic, Gonzalo Matius Cabrera Celis, Odain Omaro Simpson and Neven Radakovic scored for Scarborough in Saturday’s match, and Sayid Belmokhtar struck twice for Kingsman.
In the Second Division Championship semifinal at Centennial Stadium, midfielder Vladimir Strizovic opened the scoring for Serbian White Eagles B, heading in a cross from the right wing at the 22nd minute mark to beat CSC Mississauga B goalkeeper Ryan Ridley. Luka Milidragovic of Serbian Eagles B found the net 15 minutes later, guiding the ball in again from a right wing cross, a 2-0 score for Serbian White Eagles reserve team, which held to the break.
There were opportunities at both ends during the second half, but the 2-0 scored held to the final whistle.
Serbian White Eagles B played the later stages of the match with 10 men after Stefan Dragnjevic was shown the red card following a second caution.
It was a well played, close encounter at L’Amoreaux Stadium where FC Vorkuta B and Hamilton City B played a scoreless first half, with the best chance to score coming from a penalty kick by Vorkuts’s Pavlo Chornomaz and saved by Hamilton goalkeeper Alexander Nikolic.
Hamilton City B opened the scoring at 50 minutes, a goal by Haris Osmanagic who found the net past Vorkuta goalkeeper Samad Kadirov. Vorkuta reserves leveled the score at 58 minutes, a diving header by Kristijan Kezic from a cross by Chornomaz.
Oleksandr Yaremchuk took a pass from Ihor Melnyk to put Vorkuta B in the lead 2-1 at 63 minutes and Melnyk also played a part in a goal by Bogdan Borovskyi to put the home side up 3-1 at 66 minutes. Kezik increased the lead to 4-1 for Vorkuta B at the 70th minute mark and a spectacular bicycle kick by Brorovskyi for Vorkuta’s fifth goal completed the scoring at 80 minutes.
PLAYOFF RESULTS TO DATE
CSL Championship – Quarterfinals
FC Vorkuta 2, Kingsman A 2 (after extra time) Kingsman wins 4-2 on penalty kicks
Scarborough SC 2, CSC Mississauga 1 (after extra time)
SC Waterloo 1, Serbian White Eagles 1 (after extra time) Waterloo wins 5-4 on penalty kicks
FC Ukraine United 1, Hamilton City 1 (after extra time) Ukraine United wins 4-3 on penalty kicks
CSL Championship – Semifinals
SC Scarborough 4, Kingsman A 2
Sunday, October 20 Centennial Stadium 4 pm FC Ukraine United vs SC Waterloo
CSL Second Division Championship – Quarterfinals
The two top teams in the regular season standings, FC Vorkuta B and Serbian White Eagles B, gained a bye to the semifinals
CSC Mississauga B 1, Brantford Galaxy B 0
Hamilton City B 3, Kingsman B 2
CSL Second Division Championship – Semifinals
FC Vorkuta B 5, Hamilton City B 1
Serbian White Eagles B 2, CSC Mississauga B 0
CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
The CSL Championship Final and CSL Second Division Championship Final will be played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke on Saturday, October 26. The Second Division Championship will kick off at 1 pm, followed by the CSL Championship at 3 pm.
