1987 Canadian Soccer League season

Last updated

Canadian Soccer League
Season1987
Champions Calgary Kickers
Division Leaders Hamilton Steelers (East)
Calgary Kickers (West)
Matches played80
Goals scored212 (2.65 per match)
Top goalscorer Nick Gilbert (10)
1988 →

The 1987 Canadian Soccer League season was the first season of play for the Canadian Soccer League, a new Division 1 men's soccer league in the Canadian soccer pyramid.

Contents

Format

The schedule was not a balanced schedule based on the league principle of playing each club home and away due to travel concerns. [1] The league was divided into two four-team division with each team playing each team in their division four times, twice at home and twice on the road, and playing the teams in the opposing division twice, once at home and once on the road for a total of twenty games. [2] Following the season, the top three teams in each division would advance to the playoffs, with the division leaders earning a first round bye, to designate a national champion club. [1]

Summary

The Canadian Soccer League was the second attempt to create a national professional league in Canada. Many teams were existing franchises from the non-professional provincial leagues, while others had come from semi-professional leagues, including Edmonton (Western Soccer Alliance), Hamilton (Canadian National Soccer League), and Toronto (CNSL and NASL), while some teams, such as the Vancouver 86ers were new. [3] The league opened with a good start with sizable crowds and a fairly high level of play, but teams soon began to feel the financial pressure, particularly in the smaller markets. [3]

The league's inaugural match took place on June 7, 1987 in Aylmer, Quebec between the National Capital Pioneers and the Hamilton Steelers and finished in a 1–1 draw, in a steady drizzle, in front 2,500 spectators. [4] [5] [6]

The Eastern Division in 1987 consisted of National Capital Pioneers, Hamilton Steelers, Toronto Blizzard, and the North York Rockets. The Western Division comprised the Calgary Kickers, Edmonton Brick Men, Vancouver 86ers, and the Winnipeg Fury. Calgary and Hamilton won their divisions and both advanced to the finals in the playoffs. In the final, Calgary defeated Hamilton 2–1, at home, in a winner-take-all one game final.

Regular season

East Division

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1 Hamilton Steelers 2010643222+1026Playoff semifinals
2 National Capital Pioneers 207942215+723Playoff quarterfinals
3 Toronto Blizzard 206862227−520
4 North York Rockets 2017121539−249

West Division

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1 Calgary Kickers (O)2011543222+1027Playoff semifinals
2 Vancouver 86ers 209383727+1021Playoff quarterfinals
3 Edmonton Brick Men 207672724+320
4 Winnipeg Fury 2054112536−1114

Overall

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1 Calgary Kickers (O)2011543222+1027Regular season winner
2 Hamilton Steelers 2010643222+1026
3 National Capital Pioneers 207942215+723
4 Vancouver 86ers 209383727+1021
5 Edmonton Brick Men 207672724+320
6 Toronto Blizzard 206862227−520
7 Winnipeg Fury 2054112536−1114
8 North York Rockets 2017121539−249

Playoffs

Home team on top.

Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
         
1W Calgary(OT)4
West
2W Vancouver 3
2W Vancouver2
3W Edmonton 1
1W Calgary Kickers 2
1E Hamilton Steelers 1
1E Hamilton1
East
3E Toronto 0
2E Ottawa 1
3E Toronto(OT)2

Quarterfinal

September 9, 1987 Vancouver 86ers 2–1 Edmonton Brick Men Vancouver, British Columbia
19:30 Easton Jr. Soccerball shade.svg48'
Mobilio Soccerball shade.svg89'		[ [7] Report]Roy Viana Soccerball shade.svg64'Stadium: Swangard Stadium
Attendance: 3942
Referee: John Meachin
September 10, 1987 National Capital Pioneers 1–2 (a.e.t.) Toronto Blizzard Aylmer, Quebec
Fred Juett Soccerball shade.svg40'[ [8] Report]Luis Lufi Soccerball shade.svg59'
Troy Andeh Soccerball shade.svg112'		Stadium: Aydelu Park
Attendance: 1100

Semifinal

September 13, 1987 Calgary Kickers 4–3 (a.e.t.) Vancouver 86ers Calgary, Alberta
14:00 Kern Soccerball shade.svg10', 69'
Gilbert Soccerball shade.svg87', 97'		[ [10] Report] Easton Jr. Soccerball shade.svg23'
Mobilio Soccerball shade.svg58', 63'		Stadium: Mewata Stadium
Attendance: 1683

Final

September 20, 1987 Calgary Kickers 2–1 Hamilton Steelers Calgary, Alberta
15:00 Gilbert Soccerball shade.svg12', 67'[ [11] Report]Billy Domazetis Soccerball shade.svg54'Stadium: Mewata Stadium
Attendance: 5617
Referee: Mario Perrino

Statistics

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Nick Gilbert Calgary Kickers 10
2 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Domenic Mobilio Vancouver 86ers 9
3 Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Željko Adžić Hamilton Steelers 8
4 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Norman Odinga Edmonton Brick Men 7
Flag of South Korea.svg Han Kim Winnipeg Fury
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg James Easton Vancouver 86ers
7 Flag of Scotland.svg Arnie Meers Vancouver 86ers 6
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg John Catliff Calgary Kickers
Flag of Fiji.svg Ivor Evans Vancouver 86ers
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Billy Domazetis Hamilton Steelers
11 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg John Roumelis National Capital Pioneers 5
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Ed McNally National Capital Pioneers
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg David Bryne Toronto Blizzard
Reference: [12]

Honours

The following awards and nominations were awarded for the 1987 season. [12]

Most Valuable Player

PlayerTeam
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Nick Gilbert Calgary Kickers

League All-Stars

PlayerPosition
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Sven Habermann (Calgary Strikers) Goalkeeper
Flag of Argentina.svg Diego Castello (Edmonton Brick Men) Defender
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Greg Kern (Calgary Strikers) Defender
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Paul James (Hamilton Steelers) Defender
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Randy Ragan (Toronto Blizzard) Defender
Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Željko Adžić (Hamilton Steelers) Midfielder
Flag of England.svg Ray Hudson (Edmonton Brick Men) Midfielder
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg James Easton (Vancouver 86ers) Midfielder
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Ed McNally (National Capital Pioneers) Forward
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Billy Domazetis (Hamilton Steelers) Forward
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Nick Gilbert (Calgary Strikers) Forward

Reserves

PlayerPosition
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Don Ferguson (National Capital Pioneers) Goalkeeper
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg David Norman (Winnipeg Fury) Defender
Flag of South Korea.svg Han Kim (Winnipeg Fury) Midfielder
Flag of Hungary.svg Zoltan Metzaros (North York Rockets) Forward

Front office

PersonRole
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Bill Thompson (National Capital Pioneers) Head Coach
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Peter Welsh (Calgary Kickers) Assistant Coach
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Buzz Parsons (Vancouver 86ers) General Manager

Average home attendances

Pos.TeamGPAverage Attendance
1 Vancouver 86ers 205,977
2 Winnipeg Fury 204,023
3 Edmonton Brick Men 203,491
4 Calgary Strikers 202,949
5 National Capital Pioneers 202,122
6 Hamilton Steelers 202,032
7 Toronto Blizzard 201,814
8 North York Rockets 201,275
Total Attendance1602,817
Reference: [13]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 MacDonald, Archie (February 26, 1987). "Soccer rebirth". The Vancouver Sun . p. F3.
  2. ↑ Bunke, Trevor (June 7, 1987). "Pioneers Primed for Kickoff". The Sunday Herald.
  3. 1 2 Litterer, Dave. "The Year in American Soccer - 1987". Sover. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009.
  4. ↑ Gomez, Boris (May 28, 1987). "Ravens become Ottawa pioneers". The Charlatan. p. 10.
  5. ↑ Lovegrove, Don. "CSL '87 Preview - Toronto-Hamilton Rivalry Renewed on Soccer Pitch". CSL Memories. Hamilton Spectator.
  6. ↑ "Histoire du Championnat et de la Coupe du Canada" [History of the Championship and the Canada Cup]. Impact Soccer (in French).
  7. ↑ Ireland, Joanne (September 10, 1987). "Final minute fells Brick Men". Edmonton Journal . p. 37.
  8. ↑ "Blizzard wins Eastern semifinal". Times Colonist . September 11, 1987. p. 4.
  9. ↑ "Steelers Eastern reps in CSL final". Times Colonist . September 13, 1987. p. 30.
  10. ↑ Stinson, Dan (September 14, 1987). "Upbeat 86ers' season winds up in gloom". Vancouver Sun . p. 9.
  11. ↑ Oliver, Vance (September 21, 1987). "Gilbert boosts Kickers to crown". Calgary Herald . p. 23.
  12. 1 2 "1987 CSL Stats" (PDF). Canadian Soccer League.
  13. ↑ Jose, Colin (2001). On-Side - 125 Years of Soccer in Ontario. Vaughan, Ontario: Ontario Soccer Association and Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum. p. 130.
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