2017 Canadian Soccer League season
The 2017 Canadian Soccer League season (known as the Givova Canadian Soccer League for sponsorship reasons) was the 20th season of the Canadian Soccer League. The season began on May 26, 2017 and concluded on September 30, 2017 with the CSL Championship final. The season saw the York Region Shooters claim their third CSL Championship by defeating Scarborough SC in a penalty shootout. In the Second Division FC Ukraine United went home with their first CSL double after defeating Burlington SC in the finals. FC Ukraine became the second club in the Second Division after TFC Academy II in 2012 to go undefeated the entire regular season. While FC Vorkuta became the second expansion franchise in CSL history since the Ottawa Wizards in the 2001 season to claim the regular season title in their debut season.
Season | 2017 |
---|---|
Champions | FC Vorkuta (First Division regular season) York Region Shooters (First Division playoffs, 3rd title) |
Matches played | 56 |
Goals scored | 241 (4.3 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Aleksandar Stojiljković (17) |
Biggest home win | Serbian White Eagles 8–1 Milton SC (August 18) |
Biggest away win | Milton SC 1–7 York Region Shooters (July 30) Milton SC 1–7 Royal Toronto FC (August 4) Brantford Galaxy 2–7 FC Vorkuta (August 26) Brantford Galaxy 0–7 FC Vorkuta (August 30) |
Longest winning run | 5 matches FC Vorkuta |
Longest unbeaten run | 12 matches Serbian White Eagles |
← 2016 2018 → |
Summary
The 2017 season was a highly competitive campaign particularly in the First division. The title was heavily contested between FC Vorkuta, Serbian White Eagles, and York Region Shooters. The outcome was determined on the final week of the regular season with Vorkuta claiming their first division title.[1][2] The divisional champions were an expansion franchise with a noted history at the amateur level around the York Region.[3]
Vorkuta relied on the Ukrainian soccer market for player recruitment, and hired the services of Serhiy Zayets as head coach.[4][5][6] Another source of talent acquisition came from FC Ukraine United's decision to relegate to the Second division, which allowed Vorkuta to acquire Ukraine United's key players.[7][8]The club's foray into the professional scene was instantly felt as they managed to obtain the first position in the first two weeks. The majority of the season they were situated in the top three, and produced an eight game undefeated streak.[9] They ultimately secured the title in the final two weeks, and reached the second stage of the postseason.[10]
The Serbian White Eagles entered the season as the defending champions with general manager Uroš Stamatović originally returning to manage the squad. Serbia retained their seasoned imports from Europe, while also rejuvenating the roster with graduates from their youth system.[11]Their on field performance prospered as the White Eagles began the season with a 12-game undefeated streak.[12][13] Their only defeat occurred in an away match while at home they remained undefeated and held the first position for seven consecutive weeks. A defeat to York Region dropped the Serbs to third, and concluded as runners up to Vorkuta by a single point. Unfortunately they failed to defend their championship after being eliminated by York Region in the semifinals.[14]
York Region Shooters were consistent challengers for the divisional title. The Vaughan based team preserved their veteran roster and continued their practice of acquiring additional talent from the Caribbean soccer market. They managed to hold the first position for three different occasions and held the third spot for the majority of the season. York Region continued their reputation as a solid defensive team and as a result secured the best defensive record. The Shooters were undefeated on the road and eventually finished third in the standings just two points away from the division title.[15]In the postseason the Shooters secured their third CSL Championship.[16]
The fourth position was secured by Scarborough SC as the eastern Toronto club developed into an elite team. Preparations for the season included the recruitment of Krum Bibishkov as a player-coach.[17]Scarborough added more depth to their roster by attracting further overseas talent.[18]The team achieved a five game undefeated streak towards the conclusion of the season and finished in the top four in best offensive and defensive records.[19]In the postseason Scarborough reached the championship final for the first time in its history.[20]
Brantford Galaxy secured a postseason berth by finishing fifth in the standings. The Galaxy primarily battled with Scarborough and fluctuated between the fourth and fifth positions. Saša Vuković was the change in the managerial structure and took the team to the first round of the playoffs.[21][22]The bottom section of the division featured Milton SC, Royal Toronto FC, and SC Waterloo Region. After competing in the Second division for the 2016 season Waterloo returned to the First division with former player Stefan Ristic managing the team. The club produced a mediocre season by finishing in seventh place tied with Milton in points only separated by a lower goal difference.
Royal Toronto FC an academy operated by former players Dario Brezak and Luka Majstorovic were granted a franchise in the league. The expansion franchise failed to produce sufficient results and finished at the bottom of the standings. FC Ukraine United decided to relegate themselves to the Second division for the 2017 season. The club continued in attracting seasoned imports from the Ukrainian soccer market and as result achieved a club milestone by producing their first perfect season in the league. The division witnessed the return of Burlington SC where they finished as runners up in the division and faced Ukraine United in the DII Championship final.
First Division
Changes from 2016
Since 2014 season the First Division has continued to be primarily based in the Greater Toronto Area, as Hamilton City SC and Toronto Atomic FC both failed to renew their membership for the 2017 season.[23] The additions of FC Vorkuta, and Royal Toronto FC were brought in as expansions.[24][25] While SC Waterloo Region were promoted to the First Division to bring the division back to 8 teams. While the Second Division saw an increase to 8 teams with the return of Burlington SC, and the relegation of FC Ukraine United.[26]
Teams
Team | City | Stadium | Manager |
---|---|---|---|
Brantford Galaxy | Brantford, Ontario | Steve Brown Sports Complex | Saša Vuković[27] |
FC Vorkuta | North York, Toronto | Esther Shiner Stadium | Serhiy Zayets[28] |
Milton SC | Milton, Ontario | Jean Vanier Stadium | Jasmin Halkic[29] |
Royal Toronto FC | Toronto, Ontario | Varsity Stadium | Luka Majstorovic[30] |
Scarborough SC | Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario | Birchmount Stadium | Krum Bibishkov[31] |
Serbian White Eagles | Etobicoke, Toronto | Centennial Park Stadium | Milan Mijailović[32] |
SC Waterloo Region | Waterloo, Ontario | RIM Park | Stefan Ristic[33] |
York Region Shooters | Maple, Vaughan | Joan of Arc Turf Field | Tony De Thomasis[34] |
Coaching changes
Team | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure |
Date of vacancy |
Position in table | Incoming coach | Date of appointment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Serbian White Eagles | Resigned | July 7, 2017 | 1st in July | July 7, 2017[36] | ||
Serbian White Eagles | end of interim period | September 2017 | 2nd in September | September 2017[32] |
Brantford Waterloo Milton Vaughan TORONTO
|
Scarborough Serbian White Eagles Royal Toronto FC Vorkuta York Region Shooters
|
Standings
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | FC Vorkuta (C, A) | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 43 | 13 | +30 | 32 | Qualification for Playoffs |
2 | Serbian White Eagles (A) | 14 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 38 | 14 | +24 | 31 | |
3 | York Region Shooters (A, O) | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 34 | 7 | +27 | 30 | |
4 | Scarborough SC (A) | 14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 37 | 17 | +20 | 24 | |
5 | Brantford Galaxy (A) | 14 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 26 | 37 | −11 | 18 | |
6 | Milton SC (A) | 14 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 24 | 75 | −51 | 8 | |
7 | SC Waterloo Region (A) | 14 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 19 | 33 | −14 | 8 | |
8 | Royal Toronto FC (A) | 14 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 20 | 45 | −25 | 6 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(A) Advance to a further round; (C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner.
Season Statistics
Goals
Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Scarborough SC | 17 | |
2 | FC Vorkuta | 13 | |
3 | York Region Shooters | 7 | |
4 | Brantford Galaxy | 6 | |
Milton SC | |||
Scarborough SC | |||
Serbian White Eagles | |||
Serbian White Eagles | |||
Serbian White Eagles | |||
5 | Scarborough SC | 5 | |
York Region Shooters | |||
FC Vorkuta | |||
Updated: September 11, 2017
Source: http://canadiansoccerleague.ca/2017-first-division-stats/
Hat-tricks
Player | Club | Against | Result | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
FC Vorkuta | Royal Toronto FC | 5–1 (H) | 17 June 2017 | |
Alton Ellis | York Region Shooters | Milton SC | 1–7 (A) | 30 July 2017 |
Scott Damion Tristan | Milton SC | SC Waterloo Region | 4–3 (H) | 6 August 2017 |
York Region Shooters | Royal Toronto FC | 5–0 (H) | 18 August 2017 | |
Scarborough SC | Royal Toronto FC | 3–3 (A) | 27 August 2017 | |
Scarborough SC | Milton SC | 7–0 (H) | 2 September 2017 | |
Scarborough SC | Brantford Galaxy | 5–0 (H) | 8 September 2017 | |
Playoffs
Quarterfinals
September 15, 2017 | Serbian White Eagles | 5–3 (a.e.t.) | SC Waterloo Region | Centennial Park Stadium, Toronto |
19:00 | Ivan Nikolic Luka Bojić Vukomanović Miroslav Jovanović |
Report | Jure Glavina Jure Glavina Ramon Bailey |
Attendance: 150 Referee: Tony Amaral |
September 16, 2017 | FC Vorkuta | 6–3 | Royal Toronto FC | Ontario Soccer Centre, Vaughan |
20:00 | Kerchu Ivliev Shutov Volodymyr Rudyi |
Report | Dario Brezak Adrian Bembridge |
Referee: Marco Jaramillo |
September 16, 2017 | Scarborough SC | 6–2 | Brantford Galaxy | Birchmount Stadium, Toronto |
20:00 | Stojiljkovic |
Report | Cabrilo |
York Region Shooters advanced to the semi-final as a result of a 3-0 forfeit.
September 17, 2017 | York Region Shooters | 3–0 | Milton SC | Joan of Arc Turf Field, Maple |
18:30 | Report |
Semifinals
September 22, 2017 | Serbian White Eagles | 1-2 | York Region Shooters | Centennial Park Stadium, Toronto |
19:00 | Ivan Nikolic |
Report | Hassan Abdulmumini Bryan |
Attendance: 300 Referee: Marco Jaramillo |
September 23, 2017 | FC Vorkuta | 0–1 | Scarborough SC | Esther Shiner Stadium, Toronto |
18:00 | Report | Fazlagic |
CSL Championship
September 30, 2017 | York Region Shooters | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–4 p) | Scarborough SC | Lamport Stadium, Toronto, Ontario |
16:30 | Evan Beutler |
Report | Fazlagic |
Second Division
Season | 2017 |
---|---|
Champions | FC Ukraine United (Second Division regular season) FC Ukraine United (Second Division playoffs, 1st title) |
Matches played | 56 |
Goals scored | 290 (5.18 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Taras Hromyak (15) |
Biggest home win | FC Ukraine United 12–0 Serbian White Eagles B (June 18) |
Biggest away win | Royal Toronto FC B 1–12 FC Ukraine United (July 8) |
Longest winning run | 7 matches FC Ukraine United |
Longest unbeaten run | 14 matches FC Ukraine United |
← 2016 2018 → |
Teams
The Second Division increased to include eight teams in total.[26] Departing clubs included the disbandment of defending champions York Region Shooters B, Toronto Atomic FC B, and the promotion of SC Waterloo to the First Division. New entries included the return of Burlington SC, the relegation of FC Ukraine United, and the reserve squads of FC Vorkuta B, SC Waterloo B, and Royal Toronto FC B.[38]
Team | City | Stadium | Manager |
---|---|---|---|
Brantford Galaxy B | Brantford, Ontario | Steve Brown Sports Complex | Tomo Dancetovic |
Burlington SC | Burlington, Ontario | Nelson Stadium | Bruno Giannotti |
FC Ukraine United | Toronto, Ontario | Centennial Park Stadium | Andrei Malychenkov[39] |
FC Vorkuta B | Thornhill, Ontario | St. Roberts S.S | |
London City | London, Ontario | Hellenic Centre Stadium | Cedo Popovic |
Royal Toronto FC B | Toronto, Ontario | Varsity Stadium | |
SC Waterloo B | Waterloo, Ontario | RIM Park | |
Serbian White Eagles B | Toronto, Ontario | Centennial Park Stadium | Milos Scepanovic[40] |
Brantford Waterloo Burlington London Vaughan TORONTO
|
Serbian White Eagles Royal Toronto FC Vorkuta FC Ukraine United
|
Standings
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | FC Ukraine United (A, C, O) | 14 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 75 | 10 | +65 | 40 | Qualification for Playoffs |
2 | Burlington SC (A) | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 44 | 18 | +26 | 31 | |
3 | FC Vorkuta B (A) | 14 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 41 | 25 | +16 | 24 | |
4 | Brantford Galaxy B (A) | 14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 29 | 35 | −6 | 22 | |
5 | Serbian White Eagles B (A) | 14 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 32 | 59 | −27 | 18 | |
6 | SC Waterloo B (A) | 14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 26 | 39 | −13 | 16 | |
7 | Royal Toronto B (A) | 14 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 32 | 58 | −26 | 15 | |
8 | London City SC | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 11 | 46 | −35 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(A) Advance to a further round; (C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner.
Season Statistics
Goals
Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
1 | FC Ukraine United | 15 | |
2 | Jerry Gbodume | Royal Toronto FC B | 7 |
Burlington SC | |||
4 | FC Ukraine United | 6 | |
5 | Burlington SC | 5 | |
SC Waterloo Region B | |||
7 | FC Ukraine United | 4 | |
Serbian White Eagles B | |||
FC Vorkuta B | |||
Brantford Galaxy B | |||
Updated: September 7, 2017
Source: http://canadiansoccerleague.ca/2017-second-division-stats/
Hat-tricks
Player | Club | Against | Result | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
FC Ukraine United | Burlington SC | 2–5 (A) | 3 June 2017 | |
FC Ukraine United | Brantford Galaxy B | 10–0 (H) | 11 June 2017 | |
FC Ukraine United | Serbian White Eagles B | 12–0 (H) | 18 June 2017 | |
FC Ukraine United | Royal Toronto FC B | 2–12 (A) | 8 July 2017 | |
FC Ukraine United | Royal Toronto FC B | 2–12 (A) | 8 July 2017 | |
FC Ukraine United | FC Vorkuta B | 1–4 (A) | 16 July 2017 | |
FC Ukraine United | Brantford Galaxy B | 1–5 (A) | 29 July 2017 | |
FC Ukraine United | Serbian White Eagles B | 1–6 (A) | 4 August 2017 | |
FC Ukraine United | SC Waterloo Region B | 0–5 (A) | 23 August 2017 | |
Playoffs
Quarterfinals
September 16, 2017 | Serbian White Eagles B | 1–2 | Brantford Galaxy B | Serbian Community Centre, Hamilton, Ontario |
17:00 | Report |
September 17, 2017 | FC Vorkuta B | 5–0 | SC Waterloo B | St. Roberts S.S, Thornhill, Ontario |
15:00 | Svorak Solonynko Lakusta Kris Kezic |
Report |
September 17, 2017 | Burlington SC | 3–0 | Royal Toronto FC B | Burlington, Ontario |
Report |
Semifinals
September 24, 2017 | Burlington SC | 4-1 | FC Vorkuta B | Burlington |
12:00 | Report |
September 24, 2017 | FC Ukraine United | 7–0 | Brantford Galaxy B | Esther Shiner Stadium, Toronto |
15:00 | Lukyanets Falkovsky Pitsur |
Report |
Second Division Championship
September 30, 2017 | FC Ukraine United | 5-2 | Burlington SC | Lamport Stadium, Toronto |
14:00 | Hromyak Lukyanets Pitsur Falkovskyi |
Report | Brandon Wellington Amardo Oakley |
Referee: Javier Prior |
References
- "«Воркута» з буковинцями перемогла у Канадській лізі — Чернівці Спорт". chernivtsisport.com (in Ukrainian). August 31, 2017. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
- "ФК «Воркута» - победитель регулярного чемпионата Канады по футболу". БНК (in Russian). August 10, 2017. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
- "ФК «Воркута» – победитель регулярного чемпионата Канады по футб... Cтоп, кто?". Sports.ru. October 1, 2017. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
- UA-Футбол (2017-06-15). "Голкіпер Полтави продовжить карєру в Канаді". www.ua-football.com (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2020-02-01.
- источники, Внешние (2017-03-03). "Український захисник продовжить карєру в Канаді". www.ua-football.com (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2020-02-01.
- "Досвідчений буковинський футболіст Керчу грає за «Воркуту»". promin.cv.ua (in Ukrainian). May 29, 2017. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
- источники, Внешние (2017-05-31). "Керчу стал игроком канадского клуба". www.ua-football.com (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2020-02-01.
- "Правда.if.ua — Прикарпатський футболіст перейшов до російсько-канадського клубу "Vorkuta"". web.archive.org. 2017-01-24. Archived from the original on January 24, 2017. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
- Adamson, Stan (August 6, 2007). "Undefeated Serbian Eagles Win, York Region Defeats Vorkuta... Key weekend results in bid for league title". Retrieved 2020-02-04.
- "«Воркута» з буковинцями перемогла у Канадській лізі — Чернівці Спорт". chernivtsisport.com (in Ukrainian). August 31, 2017. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
- "A New Appearance for the Eagles – Serbian White Eagles FC". August 7, 2017. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
- "Српски Бели Орлови - Serbian White Eagles FC - Toronto". serbianwhiteeagles.ca. August 25, 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
- Adamson, Stan (August 27, 2017). "Serbian White Eagles First Defeat... York Region Shooters take over top position". canadiansoccerleague.ca. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
- "Српски Бели Орлови - Serbian White Eagles FC - Toronto". September 29, 2017. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
- Adamson, Stan (September 3, 2017). "FC Vorkuta Wins First Division in Inaugural Season... Scarborough's Aleksander Stojiljkovic strikes four". Retrieved 2020-02-06.
- Adamson, Stan (September 30, 2017). "York Region Wins CSL Championship... FC Ukraine United defeats Burlington for Second Division title". Retrieved 2020-02-06.
- Stanchev, Stancho (July 11, 2017). "Новият треньор на "Скарбъро" Кр. Бибишков откри головата си сметка в петия мач". Вестник СТРУМА (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2017-11-25.
- Stanchev, Stancho (May 24, 2017). "Орлето Кр. Бибишков стана играещ треньор в Канада". Вестник СТРУМА (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2017-11-25.
- Adamson, Stan (September 10, 2017). "Scarborough Ends Regular Season on Winning Note... Stojiljkovic takes scoring title". Retrieved 2020-02-07.
- Stanchev, Stancho (September 28, 2017). "Побългареният "Скарбъро" на исторически финал за титлата". Вестник СТРУМА (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2017-11-25.
- Adamson, Stan (September 17, 2017). "Serbian Eagles, Vorkuta, Scarborough and York Region Advance... weekend games in the CSL playoffs". Retrieved 2020-02-08.
- "Super Finish by Eagles for New Win". July 7, 2017. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
- Nason, Jason (2017-02-20). "BREAKING: Hamilton City Soccer Club will not field a team in 2017". Hamilton Today. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
- "Royal Toronto FC Latest Expansion Team in CSL". TOTAL90 Canada. 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
- "FC Vorkuta to Join the CSL in 2017?". TOTAL90 Canada. 2016-12-05. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
- Adamson, Stan. "CSL Expansion Teams Vorkuta and Toronto Give New Look... End of May kickoff". canadiansoccerleague.ca. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
- "Serbian White Eagles FC". serbianwhiteeagles.ca. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- источники, Внешние. "Керчу стал игроком канадского клуба" (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2017-09-19.
- "Serbian White Eagles FC". serbianwhiteeagles.ca. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- "Serbian White Eagles FC". serbianwhiteeagles.ca. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- "Орлето Кр. Бибишков стана играещ треньор в Канада". Вестник СТРУМА (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- Topalovic, M. (September 23, 2017). "Srpski klub iz Toronta na pragu novog trijumfa: Orlovi lete ka tituli". Vesti online. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
- "Question & Answer with Head Coach Ristic ahead of Grand River Derby « SC Waterloo Region". scwaterloo.ca. Archived from the original on 2017-09-18. Retrieved 2017-09-17.
- "Serbian White Eagles FC". serbianwhiteeagles.ca. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- "ROSTER – Serbian White Eagles FC". Retrieved 2020-02-09.
- "Српски Бели Орлови - Serbian White Eagles FC - Toronto". July 7, 2017. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
- "University of West Alabama". uwaathletics.com. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
- "Defending champions Serbian White Eagles open CSL season May 26 - insoccer.ca". InSoccer.ca. May 23, 2017. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
- "fcukraineunited". fcukraineunited. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
- "Serbian White Eagles FC". serbianwhiteeagles.ca. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
- mbH, EXTRA Verlagsgesellschaft. "Krähen brennen auf den Start". extra-verlag.de (in German). Retrieved 2018-09-26.
- "Adriano Marques 2017 Men's Soccer Roster". Sterling College Athletics. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
- "Mitic scores lone tally for Mohawk". TheSpec.com. 2013-09-20. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
- "Cardinals dominate HWCAA boys' soccer". www.hwcdsb.ca. Retrieved 2018-09-26.