The 2016 Men's League1 Ontario season was the third season of play for League1 Ontario, a Division 3 semi-professional soccer league in the Canadian soccer pyramid and the highest level of soccer based in the Canadian province of Ontario.
| Season | 2016 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Vaughan Azzurri |
| Cup champions | Vaughan Azzurri |
| Matches played | 175 |
| Goals scored | 733 (4.19 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Elvir Gigolaj (24 goals) |
| Best goalkeeper | Joseph Kuta (0.67 GAA) |
| Biggest home win | TFC Academy 9–0 Master's (July 10, 2016) |
| Biggest away win | Master's 2–8 Windsor (July 16, 2016) Master's 2–8 N. Miss. (August 6, 2016) ProStars 2–8 TFC Academy (August 26, 2016) Kingston 0–6 Vaughan (September 25, 2016) |
← 2015 2017 → | |
This season saw the return of all but one of the teams which completed the previous season, as well as the addition of five new teams for the men's division.[1]
Changes from 2015
editFive new teams joined the men's division for this season. Aurora United FC, North Mississauga SC, North Toronto Nitros, Toronto Skillz FC added new entries, while FC London moved over from the Premier Development League. One team (ANB Futbol) from 2015 did not renew their license, resulting in a 16-team competition and a change from a single-table format to a two-conference format.[2]
The league's cup tournament for the men's division will be a single-elimination competition; eliminating the group stage seen in previous editions.
On June 16, 2016, Toronto FC entered into a partnership with the Windsor Stars wherein the latter would become a "regional satellite club" of the former, who would in turn provide technical and coaching development. As part of the agreement, Windsor would become known as "Windsor TFC" in the future. The agreement does not affect the participation in L1O of either the Windsor Stars or the TFC Academy team.[3]
Teams
edit
  Aurora Durham Kingston  London Oakville ProStars Windsor  TORONTO Location of teams outside of Toronto for the 2016 League1 Ontario season.  Western Conference  Eastern Conference |  Master's North Toronto Sanjaxx North Miss. Sigma FC TFC Academy Toronto Skillz Vaughan Woodbridge Location of teams in or near Toronto for the 2016 League1 Ontario season. Western Conference Eastern Conference
|
Standings
editEach team played 22 matches as part of the season; two against every team in their own conference, and one against every team in the opposing conference. The top team from each conference met at the end of the season to determine the league champion and face the PLSQ league champion in the Inter-Provincial Cup.
Eastern Conference
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vaughan Azzurri (C, X) | 22 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 70 | 24 | +46 | 55 | League Championship |
| 2 | Woodbridge Strikers | 22 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 52 | 17 | +35 | 47 | |
| 3 | North Toronto Nitros | 22 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 52 | 29 | +23 | 45 | |
| 4 | Durham United FA | 22 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 54 | 42 | +12 | 36 | |
| 5 | Kingston Clippers | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 34 | 53 | −19 | 26 | |
| 6 | Aurora United FC | 22 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 27 | 66 | −39 | 15 | |
| 7 | Toronto Skillz FC | 22 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 32 | 63 | −31 | 13 | |
| 8 | Master's Futbol | 22 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 38 | 92 | −54 | 11 |
Western Conference
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC London | 22 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 64 | 32 | +32 | 47 | League Championship |
| 2 | Sigma FC | 22 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 48 | 28 | +20 | 44 | |
| 3 | Toronto FC Academy | 22 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 70 | 37 | +33 | 38 | |
| 4 | North Mississauga SC | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 63 | 42 | +21 | 38 | |
| 5 | Windsor Stars | 21 | 9 | 1 | 11 | 44 | 42 | +2 | 28 | |
| 6 | Oakville Blue Devils | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 38 | 43 | −5 | 28 | |
| 7 | Sanjaxx Lions | 21 | 5 | 1 | 15 | 23 | 56 | −33 | 16 | |
| 8 | ProStars FC | 22 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 24 | 67 | −43 | 15 |
League Championship
editThe league champion is determined by a single-match series between the top-ranked teams from the western and eastern conferences.
L1 Cup
editThe cup tournament is a separate contest from the rest of the season, in which all sixteen teams from the men's division take part. It is not a form of playoffs at the end of the season (as is typically seen in North American sports), but is more like the Canadian Championship or the FA Cup, albeit only for League1 Ontario teams. All matches are separate from the regular season, and are not reflected in the season standings.
The cup tournament for the men's division is a single-match knockout tournament with four total rounds culminating in a final match at the end of July, with initial matchups determined by random draw. Each match in the tournament must return a result; any match drawn after 90 minutes will advance directly to kicks from the penalty mark instead of extra time.[20]
| Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | ||||||||||||
| Sigma FC | 1 (2) | ||||||||||||||
| Master's Futbol (p) | 1 (3) | ||||||||||||||
| Master's Futbol | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| Toronto Skillz FC | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Windsor Stars | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Toronto Skillz FC | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Master's Futbol | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| Vaughan Azzurri | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| Oakville Blue Devils | 1 (4) | ||||||||||||||
| Vaughan Azzurri (p) | 1 (5) | ||||||||||||||
| Vaughan Azzurri | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| Aurora United FC | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Sanjaxx Lions | 1 (1) | ||||||||||||||
| Aurora United FC (p) | 1 (4) | ||||||||||||||
| Vaughan Azzurri | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Woodbridge Strikers | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| FC London | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| Durham United FA | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| Durham United FA | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| North Toronto Nitros | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| North Mississauga SC | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| North Toronto Nitros | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| North Toronto Nitros | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| Woodbridge Strikers | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| ProStars FC | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| Woodbridge Strikers | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| Woodbridge Strikers | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Kingston Clippers | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| Toronto FC Academy | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Kingston Clippers | 3 | ||||||||||||||
Round of 16
edit| June 1 | Sigma FC | 1–1 (2–3 p) | Master's Futbol | Mississauga, Ontario |
| 9:00 pm | Zajac  63' (pen.) | Report | Page 34' | Stadium: Hershey Centre, Field 1 |
| June 1 | Windsor Stars | 1–2 | Toronto Skillz FC | Vaughan, Ontario |
| 8:00 pm | Milidrag 43' | Report | Su 48' Fathazda 61' | Stadium: Ontario Soccer Centre |
| May 18 | Oakville Blue Devils | 1–1 (4–5 p) | Vaughan Azzurri | Oakville, Ontario |
| 8:00 pm | James 28' | Report Report | Whiteman 23' | Stadium: Bronte Athletic Park |
| May 17 | Aurora United FC | 1–1 (4–1 p) | Sanjaxx Lions | Aurora, Ontario |
| 9:00 pm | Jacovou 90' | Report Report | Daniel 72' | Stadium: Sheppard's Bush |
| Penalties | ||||
Adjei  Mahrady Powell Parolini | Daniel  Zullimullah Serrao | |||
| May 26 | FC London | 0–3 | Durham United FA | London, Ontario |
| 8:00 pm | Report | Cullen 19' De Jonge 58'Paredes 71' | Stadium: German Canadian FC Stadium |
| May 31 | North Mississauga SC | 1–2 | North Toronto Nitros | Mississauga, Ontario |
| 8:00 pm | Bryan 85' | Report | Sousa 44', 67' | Stadium: Hershey Centre, Field 2 |
| May 18 | Woodbridge Strikers | 4–3 | ProStars FC | Woodbridge, Ontario |
| 9:00 pm | Zwane 35' Carreiro 51'Portillo 63', 90' | Report Report | Smith 40' Hathaway 56'Anderson 89' | Stadium: Vaughan Grove |
| May 26 | Kingston Clippers | 3–1 | Toronto FC Academy | Kingston, Ontario |
| 7:30 pm | Koskins 12' Pineo 24'Vanbelleghem 34' | Report | Beckford 76' | Stadium: Tindall Field, Queen's University |
Quarterfinals
edit| June 21 | Master's Futbol | 3–1 | Toronto Skillz FC | Toronto, Ontario |
| 6:30 pm | Grant (pen) Rayne | Report | Wong | Stadium: L'Amoreaux Park |
| June 22 | Aurora United FC | 2–3 | Vaughan Azzurri | Aurora, Ontario |
| 9:00 pm | Jacovou 28' Adjei 39' | Report | Kovacevic 8', 12' Di Chiara 68' | Stadium: Sheppard's Bush |
| June 30 | North Toronto Nitros | 3–1 | Durham United FA | Toronto, Ontario |
| 9:00 pm | Elkinson Laborde El-Chanti | Report Report | Parades (pen) | Stadium: Downsview Turf 2 |
| June 23 | Kingston Clippers | 0–2 | Woodbridge Strikers | Kingston, Ontario |
| 8:00 pm | Report | Muccilli 23' Isaac 48' (pen) | Stadium: Tindall Field, Queen's University |
Semifinals
edit| July 13 | Master's Futbol | 0–3 | Vaughan Azzurri | Vaughan, Ontario |
| 8:00 pm | Report | Whiteman 23' Di Chiara 25'Lao 62' | Stadium: Ontario Soccer Centre |
| July 12 | Woodbridge Strikers | 1–0 | North Toronto Nitros | Woodbridge, Ontario |
| 9:00 pm | Isaac 90' (pen) | Report | Stadium: Vaughan Grove |
Final
edit| July 30 | Vaughan Azzurri | 1–0 | Woodbridge Strikers | Vaughan, Ontario |
| 7:00 pm | Miller 30' | Report | Stadium: Ontario Soccer Centre |
Inter-Provincial Cup Championship
editThe Inter-Provincial Cup Championship was a two-legged home-and-away series between the league champions of League1 Ontario and the Première ligue de soccer du Québec – the only Division 3 men's semi-professional soccer leagues based fully within Canada.[21]
| November 5, 2016 | CS Mont-Royal Outremont | 1–1 | Vaughan Azzurri | Terrebonne |
| 8:00pm | Rosa 24' | Report | Kovacevic 57' | Stadium: Complexe Sportifs Terrebonne |
| November 12, 2016 | Vaughan Azzurri | 1–2 | CS Mont-Royal Outremont | Pickering, Ontario |
| 8:00pm | Lowe 14' | Report | Ritch-Andy 41' Oliveri 67' | Stadium: Pickering Soccer Complex |
CS Mont-Royal Outremont won 3–2 on aggregate
Statistics
editTop scorersedit
Source: League1 Ontario | Top goalkeepersedit
Minimum 540 minutes played. Source: League1 Ontario
|
All-Star Game
editOn July 25, the league announced the rosters for the first-ever all-star game, to be played between the eastern and western conferences. Eighteen players for each team were selected by coaches and league officials, and each roster contains at least one player from each team in their respective conference.[22]
| August 3, 2016 | West All-Stars | 4–2 | East All-Stars | Vaughan, Ontario |
| 7:30 pm | Allen 4', 44' Brown 8'Ribeiro 74' | Report | Cullen 40' Martin 70' | Stadium: Ontario Soccer Centre |
Due to the unavailability of some players, the league released updated rosters for both western[23] and eastern[24] teams on August 2.
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Awards
edit| Award[25] | Player (club) |
|---|---|
| Goal of the Year | Hilliard Serrao (Sanjaxx Lions) |
| Most Valuable Player | Elvir Gigolaj (FC London) |
| Golden Boot | Elvir Gigolaj (FC London) |
| Coach of the Year | Carmine Isacco (Vaughan Azzurri) |
| Young Player of the Year | Kota Sakurai (Toronto FC Academy) |
| Defender of the Year | Niba MacDonald (North Toronto Nitros) |
| Goalkeeper of the Year | Matt George (Woodbridge Strikers) |
- First Team All-Stars[26]
| Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matt George (Woodbridge Strikers) | Cameron Brooks (Woodbridge Strikers) Niba MacDonald (North Toronto Nitros) Bruce Cullen (Durham United FA) | Randy Ribeiro (FC London) Kashiff De Jonge (Durham United FA) Joey Melo (North Mississauga SC) Joseph Di Chiara (Vaughan Azzurri) | Leaford Allen (Sigma FC) Elvir Gigolaj (FC London) Jarek Whiteman (Vaughan Azzurri) |
- Second Team All-Stars[26]
| Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Sokalski (FC London) Matt Zaikos (Sanjaxx Lions) | Tyrell Rayne (Master's Futbol) Jarred Phillips (Vaughan Azzurri) Thanujan Jeyathilaka (Toronto Skills FC) Jerome Smith (Sigma FC) Rocco Romeo (Toronto FC Academy) Kevin Dhillon (North Mississauga SC) | Stephen Almeida (Woodbridge Strikers) Brandon Mills (Vaughan Azzurri) Khody Ellis (Oakville Blue Devils) Mackenzie Roach (Kingston Clippers) Justin Stoddart (Sigma FC) Dylan Carreiro (Woodbridge Strikers) Kota Sakurai (Toronto FC Academy) Celso Carapau (Windsor Stars) | Simon Adjei (Aurora United FC) Kilian Elkinson (North Toronto Nitros) Manny Slewa (ProStars FC) Mario Kovacevic (Vaughan Azzurri) |
References
edit- ^ "League1 Ontario Announces Eight New Teams For Upcoming Season". League1 Ontario. December 17, 2015. Archived from the original on December 21, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
- ^ "League1 Ontario Growing Again in 2016". League1 Ontario. February 1, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Toronto FC and Windsor Stars Announce Partnership". Toronto FC. June 16, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- ^ Dalla Costa, Morris (January 27, 2016). "Everything new at FC London". The London Free Press. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "Introducing NMSC Men's League 1 Coach – Rick Titus". North Mississauga SC. Archived from the original on April 2, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "L1 Team". Oakville Blue Devils. Oakville Blue Devils. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "Coaches & Staff". ProStars FC. Pro Stars FC. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "Peter Mellon profile". Sanjaxx Soccer School. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "Coaching Staff". Sigma FC. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "TFC names Neely Academy Senior Team head coach". Toronto FC. January 6, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "Shane Topalovic named head coach of Windsor Stars soccer club". Windsor Star. April 21, 2016.
- ^ "AUFC". Aurora United FC. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "Durham United FC – League One Ontario". Oshawa Kicks. Archived from the original on April 25, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "Staff". Kingston Clippers. Kingston Clippers SC. Archived from the original on April 28, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "Master's Futbol". League1 Ontario. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "Hermann Kingue profile". North Toronto SC. Archived from the original on April 28, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "Toronto Skillz FC". League1 Ontario. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "Vaughan Azzurri". League1 Ontario. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "League1". Woodbridge Strikers. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "Mens L1 Cup". League1 Ontario. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
- ^ "CS Mont-Royal Outremont Griffons Beat Vaughan Azzurri In 2016 Inter-Provincial Cup". League1 Ontario. November 12, 2016.
- ^ "League1 Ontario Announces Men's All-Star Game Roster". League1 Ontario. July 25, 2016.
- ^ Gallo, Anthony (August 2, 2016). "Men's 2016 West Division All-Stars Roster: A Closer Look". League1 Ontario. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
- ^ Gallo, Anthony (August 2, 2016). "Men's 2016 East Division All-Stars Roster: A Closer Look". League1 Ontario. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
- ^ "Standout Performers Recognized at 2016 League1 Ontario Awards Banquet". League1 Ontario. November 28, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
- ^ a b "League1 Ontario Announces 2016 Men's First And Second Team All-Stars". League1 Ontario. November 17, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2016.