League2 Ontario Adds Cambridge United

The first expansion team for the 2025 League1 Ontario season has been unveiled: welcome to it, Cambridge United.

Having fielded teams in the reserve divisions for the last four years, the club is no stranger to the League1 Ontario umbrella. Now, however, their men’s and women’s teams will each step out into League2 Ontario as a full-fledged expansion side.

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That’s where all new League1 Ontario expansion teams will start from, with L2O clubs able to vie for promotion upwards into the League1 Ontario Championship. 2024 newcomers Sudbury Cyclones came close to promotion this year, but just missed out on a top-two finish in their division.

The division’s new Waterloo Region side finished fifth in the Men’s U-21 Reserve Division South West Conference after finishing second last season, while the women’s reserve side fell to tenth this year after third in 2023.

Cambridge is no stranger to youth development through the OPDL, with the U-17 boys having won the championship previously.

The club’s existing League1 Ontario U-20 reserve sides have already been using the city’s new Fountain Street Soccer Complex, which Conestoga College also calls home, with the club also utilizing the Com Dev Indoor Soccer Park.

“The club has worked hard over recent years to meet the standards that we set for ‘A teams’ in League1 Ontario, and they have gone above and beyond to build their new facility where players, coaches, families, and fans will be able to enjoy being a part of the soccer community,” adds League1 Ontario Operations Manager Chris Keem.

“Cambridge has been a guest club of League1 Ontario through our relationship with the Ontario Player Development League, and has shown great desire to step up another level and provide more opportunity for their large pool of developing players.”

“We are a forward-thinking club, and we strongly believe that the City of Cambridge community is ready to support the club as we embark on the next stage of this journey,” adds Jon Morgan, who is the club’s League1 Program manager – and someone who has coached for them at the L1O reserve level.

“Having the opportunity to step into League2 allows our youth players to be further inspired and to strive to be the best they can be on and off the pitch. We look forward to welcoming teams to the new Cambridge Soccer Park next year.”

With the club having operated in Cambridge for more than fifty years, it’ll be exciting to watch as Cambridge United joins in on Ontario’s growing semi-professional infrastructure come 2025.