A goal at 83 minutes by midfielder Marin Vulemilovic-Grgic was enough to give Toronto Croatia the victory and the Canadian Soccer League championship over Montreal Impact Academy at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke Saturday and the earlier game of the double header, SC Toronto Reserves won the CSL Second Division title with a 3-1 win over Brampton City Utd.
Vulemilovic-Grgic took a pass from Hayden Fitzwilliams to drive in the winner from 16 yards, a hard shot that caught the top corner of the net out of reach of Montreal goalkeeper Jason Beaulieu.
The younger Montreal Impact Academy – with four players selected for Canada’s under 20 national team - had an edge in the first half with missed chances by midfielder Dominique Morin and defender Kai Morton, but the more experienced Toronto Croatia team fielding seven players having played in the European leagues, looked stronger as the game progressed. Tihomir Maletic missed narrowly and Vulemilovic-Grgic was a constant threat on the academy’s goal.
“They were speedy and played well early, but following the interval we kept up our attacking style and that paid off with the goal for our second championship in two years,” said Velimir Crljen, head coach of Toronto Croatia after the final whistle.
Toronto Croatia defeated Capital City of Ottawa to win the CSL Championship in 2011.
The CSL wrapped up its five-month long season with the double header including an earlier game when SC Toronto B won the Second Division title with a 3-1 win over Brampton City Utd B, Sahsa Ricciuti (43 minutes), Jordan Kalk (45 minutes) and Adrian Perez (79 minutes) scored for the winners, while Nathaniel Ennis (21 minutes) scored the lone goal for Brampton.
Brampton earned full marks for their 1-0 lead through to late in the second half, but were rocked by the two goals in the space of three minutes from the Toronto team just before the interval.
The game looked uncertain until a free kick from 30 yards by midfielder Adrian Perez late in the second half changed the complexion of the game and SC Toronto held on to the 3-1 lead to the final whistle.
Montreal Impact Academy vs. Toronto Croatia at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke, Saturday, October 27, 2012 at 3 pm
THE TEAMS
Toronto Croatia won the CSL First Division in the season just ended and Montreal Impact Academy were the runners-up.
CSL FIRST DIVISION -2012
|
GP
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
GF
|
GA
|
PTS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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1 Toronto Croatia
|
22
|
15
|
1
|
6
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57
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13
|
51
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2 Montreal Impact Academy
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22
|
14
|
3
|
5
|
52
|
17
|
47
|
HOW THEY GOT THERE !
The top eight teams in the regular season final standings entered a quarterfinal playoff, with Toronto Croatia and Montreal Impact Academy advancing to the semifinals, then the final. The results were:
Quarterfinals:
Serbian White Eagles 1, SC Toronto 0
Montreal Impact Academy 2, TFC Academy 0
York Region Shooters 1, Windsor Stars 0
Toronto Croatia 2, Niagara United 0
Semifinals:
Montreal Impact Academy 3, York Region Shooters 1 TorontoCroatia 4, Serbian White Eagles 0
There could not be a greater contrast to compare Montreal Impact Academy
and Toronto Croatia, the two finalists in this year’s CSL Championship.
Most players in the Montreal Academy team are under 21, in a team that’s been in the CSL for just three years and part of a fledgling Montreal Impact organization in their first year in Major League Soccer (MLS). Several of the academy players have been selected for one of Canada’s national youth teams and their abundant talent reflects what the future looks like for Canadian soccer on the world stage.
In Saturday’s line-up for the Quebec side are midfielder Kevin Luarca, 19, and Kai Morton, 18, who were included in the Canada U-20 camp for the four-nation Marbella Cup in Spain recently, while Anthony Jackson-Hamel, 19, forward, Hugo LaPointe-Senecal, 19, have also been called by Canada. Midfielder Wandrille Lefevre and forward Mircea Ilcu have been called to the Montreal Impact Major League Soccer (MLS) team.
Montreal Impact Academy are bidding on Saturday for their first major trophy.
Toronto Croatia, on the other hand, has been in Canadian professional soccer for 56 years, a team of generally older players, several are seasoned in the rigours of tough semi-professional soccer that is the CSL following some years playing at a high level in Europe. The club has a storied past, including the North American Championship victory as Toronto Metros Croatia in 1976 when the team included the legendary Portuguese superstar Eusebio.
Looking back on history, Toronto Croatia won the National Soccer League (NSL) championship four years running (1970 through 1973) – the NSL was a forerunner league of today’s CSL. In recent times, Toronto Croatia won the CSL title in 2004, in 2007 and again in 2011. In 2007 the Mississauga-based team won the inaugural Croatian World Championship and repeated that victory in 2011 with wins against NK Croatia Zurich (Switzerland), Dinamo Ottakring from Vienna, Croatia Berlin from Germany and Canberra of Australia.
Toronto Croatia won the CSL First Division for the season just ended, they lost just one game, while conceding a remarkably low 13 goals in the 22-game campaign. Montreal Impact Academy, which finished second in the First Division standings, have won their last 11 matches, nine at the end of their regular season and two in the playoffs.
Toronto Croatia captain Tonci Pirija, 32, who formerly played for Hajduk Split, NK Solin and NK Medimurje Cakovec in Croatia, also played professionally in Slovenia and Kazakhstan. He is playing his last game on Saturday for the current CSL champions.
Defender Josip Bonacin, 28, has played in three European countries, midfielder Dino Buljan, 21, defender Josip Keran, forward Bozenko Lesina, 32, Tihomir Maletic, 32, a prolific striker with 13 goals in the regular season, midfielder Josip Raso, 22, Andelo Srzentic, 22, and Marin Vucemilovic-Grgic, 25, the team’s leading goalscorer with 16 in the regular season, have all played at a high level in Europe.
Rosters for the two finalists are in your attachments. The CSL Championship on Saturday is preceded by the CSL Second Division Championship between SC Toronto Reserves and Brampton City Utd Reserves to kickoff at 12.30 pm.
The CSL Championship between Montreal Impact Academy and Toronto Croatia is shown live by Rogers TV in Ontario Viewers should check their local listing.
The Canadian soccer League would like to thank its sponsors for their generous support of this CSL Championship Day, with special mention to partners Days Inn, Rogers TV, Locust Canada (the official ball of the CSL), Toronto Sun, Olympic Trophies, Givova and Sportchek.
Admission to Centennial Stadium is $25 for adults, $10 seniors and students. Family admission (2 adults, 2 youth) is $50.
El argentino es uno de los candidatos para asumir la banca del caudro inglés que milita en la Segunda división.
Carlos Carmona celebra su gol ante Napoli de Eduardo Vargas.
Los hinchas de Universidad de Chile esperan con ansias su nuevo estadio.
La palabra de Manuel Pellegrini es prácticamente una orden para el jeque. Sus resultados en la cancha lo avalan. 
Isla cumplió un buen cometido en el triunfo de Juventus.
Final del Partido
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