The 2022 Canadian Soccer League season was the 25th season under the Canadian Soccer League name. The season began on May 29, 2022, and concluded with the CSL Championship on August 27, 2022, with FC Continentals defeating reigning champions Scarborough SC for their third championship title. The regular season title was secured by the Serbian White Eagles, which marked their fifth league divisional title.
Summary
Regular season contenders The race for the regular season title was a highly competitive bout, as the outcome was decided on the final match of the regular season. Four teams dominated the race, and all had an opportunity to clinch the spot. The Serbian White Eagles laid claim to the title with only a single point separating them from the York Region Shooters.
The previous time the Serbs won a divisional title was in the 2015 season. Former head coach Uroš Stamatović returned at the helm and assembled a competitive roster with a mixture of domestic and import players from Serbia. One notable domestic signing was former Canadian international Dejan Jakovic. After a four-year absence, York Region returned to the fold and finished as runners-up. The Vaughan-based club primarily consisted of younger domestic players and remained competitive as they led the way for six weeks.
Scarborough SC and FC Continentals were the final two major contenders, with the eastern Toronto side finishing third with a two-point difference from the Serbs. The club renewed the contract of head coach Mirko Medić and continued Scarborough's undefeated streak, which stemmed from the previous season, to 17 matches. FC Continentals, the re-branded name of FC Vorkuta, occupied the fourth position with a three-point difference separating them from the champions. The Russian invasion of Ukraine directly affected the daily operations and on-field performance of FC Continentals as it restricted the team's access to player recruitment and to properly organize and achieve sufficient results throughout the season.
Other teams The two remaining teams were BGH City FC and Toronto Falcons, which both finished in the bottom half of the standings. Toronto, an expansion side led by Willy Giummarra, relied upon local talent along with former FC Vorkuta veterans to remain competitive in the league and managed a fifth-place finish. As the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were still enforced, both Brantford Galaxy and Hamilton City continued fielding their hybrid team that finished the season at the bottom of the standings.
Playoff champion The landscape of the playoff scene included all six member clubs. The Serbian White Eagles and York Region Shooters were both given a bye to the second round of the competition. In the preliminary stages of the postseason, FC Continentals automatically advanced as the Toronto Falcons were disqualified as they failed to meet the requirements to compete in the playoffs. Scarborough also made the next round as they defeated BGH City.
Both the Serbs and York Region were eliminated in the semifinals, which set the stage for the third consecutive rematch between Continentals and Scarborough. The regular season champion was defeated by FC Continentals, while Scarborough eliminated the Shooters in extra time. In the championship match, the Continentals defeated Scarborough for their third playoff title.
Changes from 2021 The league returned to a five-month schedule. Two new entries were accepted into the league. The most notable returnee was the York Region Shooters, which previously played until the 2017 season and was a charter member from the 1998 CNSL–OPSL merger. The other addition was the Toronto Falcons, a club managed and organized by former FC Vorkuta general manager Samad Kadirov. A name change occurred with FC Vorkuta being renamed FC Continentals.
The league intended to launch the Enio Perruzza Memorial Trophy as a separate competition in tribute to former league announcer Enio Perruzza, who died the previous year. The Memorial Trophy was to be an open tournament featuring league members along with invitational clubs. The playoffs would commence in early August, with the championship final being scheduled for August 27, 2022. The season would resume activity throughout September and October for the invitational Memorial Trophy, but the tournament was rescheduled for the next season due to the lack of available stadiums.
Teams Team City Stadium Manager BGH City FC Brantford, Ontario and Hamilton, Ontario Centennial Park StadiumSasa Vukovic FC Continentals Vaughan, Ontario Andrei Malychenkov Scarborough SC Toronto, Ontario (Scarborough) Mirko Medić Serbian White Eagles Toronto, Ontario (Etobicoke)Uroš Stamatović Toronto Falcons Toronto, OntarioWilly Giummarra York Region Shooters Vaughan, OntarioSam Medeiros
Coaching changes TeamOutgoing coachManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming coachDate of appointment BGH City FC Matija PopovicMilan Prpa Replaced preseason Sasa Vukovic FC Continentals Viktor Raskov Replaced 4th Andrei Malychenkov June 2022
Standings
Playoffs
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals
Season statistics
Goals RankPlayerClubGoals1Vladimir Strizovic Serbian White Eagles82Dusan Kovacevic Serbian White Eagles73Nikola ĐurkovićSerbian White Eagles64Oleksiy BoykoFC Continentals 45Petar ĐjorđjevićBGHC FC3Moussa LimaneScarborough SCMahmoud MehdiYork Region ShootersMykola TemnyukFC Continentals 9Gonzalo Matias Cabrera Celis Scarborough SC 2Osman HusseinYork Region Shooters
Hat-tricks PlayerClubAgainstResultDateNikola ĐurkovićSerbian White EaglesBGHC7–3 (H)Dusan KovacevicSerbian White EaglesBGHC10–1 (A)
References