FC Ukraine United and Real Mississauga have yet to kickoff the new season, but both teams start their 2019 campaign this coming weekend, with CSL First Division winners Ukraine United visiting CSC Mississauga at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga on Friday night, while Real Mississauga goes to Esther Shiner Stadium in North York for their opening match against Kingsman FC Sunday evening.
Life is not expected to get any easier for CSC Mississauga on Friday despite a promising strong showing against SC Waterloo in the first half of the league season opener on May 19, a match eventually won 4-0 by the visiting Waterloo, but which gave CSC Mississauga reason for optimism that a turnaround is in the works following a 2018 inaugural season-long struggle at the foot of the standings.
Ukraine United won the First Division in 2018 by a superior goal output, finding the net 60 times in the regular season with five players occupying a spot in the CSL First Division goal scorer chart. Of the five, only midfielder Pavlo Lukianets (12 goals in the 2018 regular season) and forward Nazar Milishchuk (8 goals in the 2018 regular season) will be in the line-up during the early part of the 2019 campaign at least, which raises the question of the effectiveness of Ukraine United’s firepower in the early games.
Real Mississauga’s season opener against new team Kingsman SC is played at Esther Shiner Stadium in North York, a 6 pm kickoff on Sunday, bringing particular interest in terms of Real’s strength in the First Division following an inaugural 2018 season. It will take another game or two to assess Kingsman, a side which looked promising while holding a half time lead against CSL champions Vorkuta in their opener on May 25. Vorkuta eventually prevailed, 4-2.
Serbian White Eagles go into their second game of the season against Hamilton City at Centennial Stadium on Friday night following an opening 4-2 victory over Brantford Galaxy, FC Vorkuta hosts the Galaxy at the Ontario Soccer Centre on Saturday and on Sunday, and a motivated SC Waterloo with two 4-0 early victories travel to Birchmount Stadium for what should be an interesting tussle with Scarborough SC.
The weekend games:
Friday May 31, Centennial Stadium 7 pm Serbian White Eagles vs Hamilton City
Friday May 31, Hershey Centre, 9 pm CSC Mississauga vs FC Ukraine United
Saturday June 1, Ontario Soccer Centre 9 pm FC Vorkuta vs Brantford Galaxy
Sunday June 2, Esther Shiner Stadium 6 pm Kingsman A vs Real Mississauga
Sunday June 2, Birchmount Stadium 8 pm Scarborough SC vs SC Waterloo