2013 Canadian Soccer League season

Canadian Soccer League
First Division
Season2013
ChampionsKingston FC (regular season)
SC Waterloo (playoffs)
Matches played132
Goals scored477 (3.61 per match)
Top goalscorer28 goals:
Guillaume Surot
Best goalkeeperAntonio Ilic
Biggest home winSCW 9–0 STC
(September 29)
Biggest away winAST 0–4 YRS
(June 23)
SCW 0–4 TOR
(August 4)
BRA 0–4 TOR
(September 14)
Highest scoring9 goals:
KFC 6–3 LON
(June 16)
SCW 9–0 STC
(September 29)
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The 2013 Canadian Soccer League season was the 16th since its establishment where a total of 21 teams from Ontario took part in the league. The season began on May 3, 2013, and concluded on November 3, 2013. SC Waterloo captured their first championship in a 3–1 victory over regular season champions Kingston FC in the CSL Championship final at Kalar Sports Park in Niagara Falls, Ontario.[1] Waterloo became the first club to win both the First and Second Division championships in one season. While Toronto Croatia B won the second division regular season title.

The 2013 season was a controversial year where the Canadian Soccer Association announced that they would de-sanction the CSL just two months before the commencement of their season. The CSA's stated reasons were in order to implement the James Easton Report (Rethink Management Group Report) for the adoption of a new semi-professional soccer structure.[2][3] In response to the move conducted by the CSA the league appealed to the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC), where the sport arbitrator ruled that the CSA have the right to de-sanction the CSL, but ruled that the immediate decisions and actions conducted by the CSA were unreasonable and coercive.[4][5] The governing body was required to reinstate sanctioning to the CSL until the next season in order for the CSA to work with all existing leagues to fairly implement the Easton Report.[6][7][8] Another controversial moment occurred when the CBC issued an article written by Ben Rycroft in which anonymous sources from the CSA claimed that the CSA decided to no longer sanction the CSL primarily based on the alleged reports of match fixing in the league.[9][10] During the SDRCC hearing, CSA president Victor Montagliani stated that the decision to de-sanction the CSL was not made on any alleged grounds of match fixing in the CSL but strictly on the decision made by the CSA board of directors to adopt a new soccer structure in Canada.[11]

The aftermath of the sanctioning issue resulted in a decrease in teams in both the first and second divisions as the two MLS academy clubs along with Brantford Galaxy, Mississauga Eagles FC, and SC Toronto left the league.[12] Though the league did return to the Halton region with the addition of Burlington SC.[13] Both Rogers TV and Cogeco TV continued broadcasting CSL matches throughout Southern Ontario.[14] The CSL youth development system continued its success with four Montreal Impact Academy players being signed to the first team in the MLS before their departure from the league.[15]

  1. ^ "November 3, 2013 CSL--Result of Division 1 and 2 Finals (from CSL website)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  2. ^ "February 22, 2013 CSL--CSL To Take Whatever Action is Necessary to Overturn CSL Decision to De-Sanction (from CSL web site)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  3. ^ "Canadian Soccer League to fight decertification | Toronto Star". thestar.com. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
  4. ^ "Canadian Soccer Association allowed to de-sanction CSL". CBC Sports. Retrieved 2017-03-28.
  5. ^ Smith, Cory. "CSA ordered to sanction CSL for one more season". St. Catharines Standard. Archived from the original on 2017-03-28. Retrieved 2017-03-28.
  6. ^ "April 21, 2013 CSL--CSL Reinstated as CSA-Sanctioned League (from CSL web site)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  7. ^ Fan 590 - The Soccer Show - Doneil Henry (TFC) & Vincent Ursini (CSL), 2016-10-17, retrieved 2017-04-03
  8. ^ "SPORT DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTRE OF CANADA (SDRCC)" (PDF). April 26, 2013.
  9. ^ Rycroft, Ben. "CSA cuts ties with Canadian Soccer League | Soccer | CBC Sports". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  10. ^ "February 5, 2013 CSL--CSL Responds to Erroneous CBC Report (from CSL web site)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2017-04-10.
  11. ^ "SPORT DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTRE OF CANADA (SDRCC) SDRCC 13-0194 CANADIAN SOCCER LEAGUE (CSL) (CLAIMANT) AND CANADIAN SOCCER ASSOCIATION (CSA)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-13.
  12. ^ "April 15, 2013 CSL--CSL Will Kickoff May 3rd (from CSL web site)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  13. ^ "May 2, 2013 CSL--Burlington an Addition While Astros Strengthen for Upcoming Seasons in the Canadian Soccer League (from CSL web site)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  14. ^ Glover, Robin. "May 2, 2013 CSL Press Conference". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  15. ^ "March 15, 2013 CSL--CSL Readies for New Season (from CSL web site)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2017-03-27.