2014 Canadian Soccer League season

Canadian Soccer League
First Division
Season2014
DatesMay 24 – October 5 (regular season)
October 12 – October 26 (playoffs)
ChampionsYork Region Shooters (regular season)
York Region Shooters (playoffs)
Matches played90
Goals scored386 (4.29 per match)
Top goalscorer20 goals:
Marin Vučemilović-Grgić
Best goalkeeperVladimir Vujasinović
Biggest home winSerbian White Eagles 6–0 Burlington SC
(June 15)
Biggest away winNiagara United 0–6 Toronto Croatia
(August 24)
Highest scoring9 goals:
Kingston FC 5–4 Toronto Croatia
(September 21)
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2015 →

The 2014 Canadian Soccer League season was the 17th since its establishment where a total of 20 teams from Ontario took part in the league. The season began on May 24, 2014, and concluded on October 26, 2014. York Region Shooters won their second championship in a 5–4 victory in a penalty shootout over Toronto Croatia in the CSL Championship final held at Esther Shiner Stadium in Toronto.[1] York Region became the second club in the league's history to produce a perfect season, and championship after the Toronto Olympians in the 1999 season.[2]

The league's strained relationship with the Canadian Soccer Association continued before the launch of the 2014 season with the CSA expelling the CSL from its membership over alleged violations of rules and regulations in order to make way for a lesser structure in Ontario.[3] After failing to specify which rule violations were made and without providing a formal hearing in order to discuss the issues the CSL in response filed litigation against the CSA.[4][5] The league operated as a private league for the first time since the 1997 season in its predecessor league the Canadian National Soccer League. Though they did join the newly formed Soccer Federation of Canada, which provides private soccer entities the services needed such as administration of players, non-playing personnel, match officials and insurance.[6][7]

Once the CSL was de-sanctioned the league decreased in membership to 10 teams in the first division with Windsor Stars joining the newly formed League1 Ontario, while founding member St. Catharines Roma Wolves disbanded their professional team while still operating their youth teams. Meanwhile, the second division increased in size to 10 teams with Milton SC joining along with the addition of Winstars Shooters the reserve team for the York Region Shooters after its affiliation arrangement with the Winstars Soccer Academy.[8][9][10] The league formed an working relationship with the American Soccer League in order to assist in areas of competition and business.[11][12] While its youth development system continued its progress with more than 40 former CSL players being selected for various national teams in the last four seasons.[13][14][15] This Week in the CSL the league's weekly television show hosted by producer Alex Bastyovanszky continued covering the CSL with Ethnic Channels Group distributing the program.[16]

  1. ^ Glover, Robin. "October 26, 2014 CSL Final--York Region Shooters vs Toronto Croatia". rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  2. ^ "Ontario SoccerNet - CPSL Ontario Results and Standings". rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  3. ^ "March 5, 2014--Canadian Soccer League expelled from membership from Canadian Soccer Association (from CSA press release)". rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  4. ^ "May 12, 2014 CSL--CSL Has Much To Look Forward To...In The Near Term And Beyond: Ursini". rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  5. ^ TSN 1050 Toronto - International Sports Report, October 31, 2016, archived from the original on April 10, 2017, retrieved April 2, 2017
  6. ^ "CSL JOINS NEWLY-FORMED SOCCER FEDERATION......promises prospective teams more achievable pro standards (from CSL website)". rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  7. ^ "November 18, 2013--NEW ERA FOR CANADIAN SOCCER LEAGUE: URSINI...(from CSL website)". rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  8. ^ "April 25, 2014 CSL--Winning Winstars Enter The CSL...Strong player development partnership with YRS (from CSL website)". rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  9. ^ "May 10, 2014 CSL--Kingston FC and Winstars Shooters preseason news (from CSL website)". rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  10. ^ "April 17, 2014 CSL--Milton Deserves to be on the Canadian Soccer Map (from CSL media release)". rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  11. ^ "November 18, 2013--CSL AND AMERICAN PRO SOCCER (APS) REACH AGREEMENT...(from CSL website)". rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  12. ^ "Partnership with American Soccer League a Historic Occasion | Canadian Soccer League". canadiansoccerleague.ca. March 13, 2014. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  13. ^ "JONATHAN OSORIO LOOKS THE PART…. one of more than 40 ex-CSL players selected internationally | Canadian Soccer League". April 2, 2017. Archived from the original on April 2, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  14. ^ "SKEPTICISM ABOUNDS CSA SESSION…collection of buzzwords and MBA bafflegab: The Globe and Mail | Canadian Soccer League". canadiansoccerleague.ca. June 11, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  15. ^ "THE GAME IS STILL MAGIC…But where have the National Associations been? | Canadian Soccer League". canadiansoccerleague.ca. June 12, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  16. ^ "THE CSL THIS WEEK RETURNS…..Popular television show back on air | Canadian Soccer League". canadiansoccerleague.ca. June 20, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2017.