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Photo Credit: Nelson Mahmoudi
League1 Canada Men’s Review: Week 1
By Kickoff is here, and League1 Canada football is back.
There has already been a fair bit of action across the country over the first two weeks of April. While League1 Alberta action has not yet commenced, the provincial leagues in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec have provided drama already.
League1 Alberta will start on Friday with one match between BTB Academy and new boys Calgary Rangers.
Here is Northern Tribune’s first recap of men’s League1 Canada play, covering the first two weeks. You can view the women’s review here.
League1 BC: Newbie Already Victorious
The League1 BC year got underway with two games at the start of the month. On Friday, 4 April, TSS Rovers drew 2-2 with one of the expansion clubs Evolution FC. The defending champions were behind twice in this one, but managed to get an equalizer at the death to avoid a shock defeat.
Two days later, we had out first winner (and loser) of the year. Vancouver Whitecaps Academy came from a goal down to defeat Altitude 2-1 away. A first half Thomas Budisa strike was cancelled out by Akiz Aguma six minutes after the break. Noel Poole got the winner for the Caps four minutes from time, though he also was sent off in stoppage time.
That takes us to last weekend, where four matches took place on Saturday. Despite failing to convert a penalty, Ivan Mejia scored a hattrick in TSS Rovers’ 6-1 beating of the Whitecaps. Burnaby FC started off their sophomore year with a dominant 4-0 success over Unity. A three-goal first half set the hosts on their way to victory.
Evolution’s second game, also on the road, saw them collect their first win. A goal less than five minutes was the difference-maker as they edged Nanaimo United 1-0. Langley United, the other expansion club, was less lucky as they fell 3-2 at Kaloomps United. Although they went behind, the rebranded side turned things around, scoring thrice to grab all three points.
TSS Rovers and Evolution are on four points, though they have both played twice already. Beyond that, Burnaby, Kaloomps, and the Whitecaps all have a win to their names as well.
Next weekend’s action sees TSS Rovers host Langley on Friday. A Saturday doubleheader pits together the Whitecaps and Unity, as well as Kaloomps and Evolution. The round will be completed on Sunday as Altitude faces Nanaimo. Burnaby has the week off.
League1 Ontario: Cambridge Pulls Off Cupset
The League1 Ontario season commenced with cup play. Of the 26 sides in the league, 18 of them took to the field looking to begin their campaign on the right note. One match was postponed during the second half between Master’s FA and North Mississauga.
Friday was first League1 match in Cambridge United‘s history, and it will be one they remember. The League2 Ontario club stunned Premier Division Alliance 3-0 on the road. Christian Ferraro scored a hattrick to lead the Southwest Conference team to the next round.
The next day saw three games, as Whitby FC edged fellow Championship team Waterloo FC 2-1, FC London got past Hamilton United Elite 2-0, and St. Catherine’s Roma Wolves defeated The Borough 4-1. The latter match featured teams who enjoyed promotion at the end of last year.
On Sunday, Windsor City took out Guelph United on penalties after a goalless 90 minutes. The hosts converted all four of their spot kicks to advance. Oakville SC had no issues in their game, defeating expansion club Railway City 4-0.
The Windsor game was not the only game that went the distance, as York United Academy and Sudbury Cyclones also required a shootout following a scoreless 90 minutes. The young Nine Stripes, who missed a 95th minute penalty, ended up on top 4-3 in the spot kicks.
Pickering FC held their nerve to knock off Sigma 3-2 in the other notable cupset of the round. Ayomide Abobare scored the winner six minutes from time as the Championship held on against 10-man Sigma. The other League2 Ontario club in the cup, Rush Canada, is out after falling 2-0 at Unionville Milliken.
Next weekend will see the full return of Premier and Championship Division play in Ontario. That will see 23 clubs commence their league season. There will also be a League2 Ontario game as well.
Ligue2 Quebec: New Era Kicks Off in Quebec
A new era of football in Quebec officially kicked off last weekend with Ligue2 Quebec taking centre stage. There were nine games that occurred in the league as 18 sides started their journey.
The league’s first game occurred on Friday as CS Montreal Centre and LaSalle played to a 1-1 draw. Remarkably, the latter played a man down for 82 minutes as Almany Bangoura was sent off in the eighth minute. Still, a Loic Kwemi penalty a few minutes into the second half cancelled Mahdi Abbassi’s opener.
Saturday had the other eight games for the opening weekend. AS Lakeshore started things off with a dominant 4-1 win over CS Roussillon. Meanwhile, in Gatineau, Union Lanaudiere Sud edged hosts AS Gatineau 3-2. We were at this game, and you can read the match recap here.
A Souleymane Maro double saw Revolution FC past CS St-Lazare Hudson 3-0 in Saint-Eustache. Chaudiere-Ouest, fielding a men’s side for the first time, got the ball rolling with a 1-0 victory over CS Boucherville. It was also a road success for CF L’International de Quebec, who got past AS St-Leonard 2-1.
Three draws ended Saturday’s action. St-Jerome and Mistral de Sherbrooke traded leads, but ultimately had to settle for a 2-2 stalemate. Jeffrey Petit Frere’s leveller five minutes before the end gave the visitors a share of the spoils. CSRDP and CS Trident played to a 1-1 draw, while AS Montis drew 2-2 at home against Levis-Est.
All 24 teams are set to be in action next weekend. That will see six teams get their campaign off to a start. A notable name taking the field will be AS Brossard, who will return to the Ligue1 Quebec system with a trip to Mistral de Sherbrooke.
The other two tiers in the league, Ligue1 Quebec and Ligue 3 Quebec, will not commence until late April/early May. You can find out more about both leagues here.
Header Image Photo Credit: Nelson Mahmoudi
