The 1990 Canadian Soccer League season was the fourth season of play for the Canadian Soccer League, a Division 1 men's soccer league in the Canadian soccer pyramid.
Format and changes from previous season
The Kitchener Spirit and London Lasers joined the Canadian Soccer League as an expansion teams for the 1990 season, with both joining the East Division.[1][2] Meanwhile, the Calgary Strikers folded following the 1989 season.[3]
As a result of those team changes, the league had a seven-team East Division and a four-team West Division. Consequently, the league did not have a balanced home and away schedule between conferences. West Division teams played each other four times each, twice each home and away, while playing the East Division teams twice, once each home and away. Eastern Division teams played other East Division teams three times, while playing the West Division teams twice, once each home and away.
The playoff format was also modified with eight teams (five from the East and three from the West) now qualifying for the post-season, as opposed to six in the previous years. The fifth place team from the East would cross over and play in the West Division playoff bracket. In addition, the playoff format was changed from an aggregate score system to a total points system. Teams would play a two-game series, with teams earning two points for a victory, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss, regardless of the score. If the teams were tied on points (e.g. each team won a game, or both games were ties), then the first tiebreaker was the teams playing a thirty-minute mini-game. If the mini-game resolved nothing, then penalty kicks were used as the second tiebreaker. In the mini-game, each team named a new lineup, could include three more substitutes and re-activate any players who sat out of Game Two for caution accumulation. Game Two home teams, the higher seeds, had an advantage as they had their entire 22-man active list available while away teams often traveled with as few as 14 players for economic reasons. The playoff final remained a one-off match, as in previous years, hosted by the top seed, or team with the best league record, in 1990.
Summary
Vancouver won their third consecutive West Division title, while Toronto won their second East Division title in a row. Once again, Vancouver and Hamilton met in the finals for the third consecutive season, with Vancouver winning the title for the third time in a row.
As 1989 league champions, the Vancouver 86ers competed in the North American Club Championship against the champions of the American Professional Soccer League, the Maryland Bays. Vancouver defeated Maryland 3–2 in the final played in Burnaby to capture the title.[4][5]
Regular season
East Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto Blizzard | 26 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 52 | 15 | +37 | 39 | Playoffs |
| 2 | Montreal Supra | 26 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 30 | 12 | +18 | 37 | |
| 3 | Hamilton Steelers | 26 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 44 | 35 | +9 | 29 | |
| 4 | Kitchener Spirit | 26 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 30 | 36 | −6 | 23 | |
| 5 | North York Rockets | 26 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 34 | 36 | −2 | 23 | |
| 6 | Ottawa Intrepid | 26 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 21 | 49 | −28 | 13 | |
| 7 | London Lasers | 26 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 26 | 68 | −42 | 11 |
West Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver 86ers (O) | 26 | 17 | 6 | 3 | 69 | 26 | +43 | 40 | Playoffs |
| 2 | Victoria Vistas | 26 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 42 | 32 | +10 | 31 | |
| 3 | Winnipeg Fury | 26 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 22 | 37 | −15 | 22 | |
| 4 | Edmonton Brick Men | 26 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 44 | −24 | 18 |
Overall table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver 86ers (O) | 26 | 17 | 6 | 3 | 69 | 26 | +43 | 40 |
| 2 | Toronto Blizzard | 26 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 52 | 15 | +37 | 39 |
| 3 | Montreal Supra | 26 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 30 | 12 | +18 | 37 |
| 4 | Victoria Vistas | 26 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 42 | 32 | +10 | 31 |
| 5 | Hamilton Steelers | 26 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 44 | 35 | +9 | 29 |
| 6 | Kitchener Spirit | 26 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 30 | 36 | −6 | 23 |
| 7 | North York Rockets | 26 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 34 | 36 | −2 | 23 |
| 8 | Winnipeg Fury | 26 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 22 | 37 | −15 | 22 |
| 9 | Edmonton Brick Men | 26 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 44 | −24 | 18 |
| 10 | Ottawa Intrepid | 26 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 21 | 49 | −28 | 13 |
| 11 | London Lasers | 26 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 26 | 68 | −42 | 11 |
Playoffs
The playoffs were conducted with a total points system. Teams earned two points for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. The team with the most points following the two-game series advanced. If the teams were tied on points, they played a 30-minute mini-game for a bonus point, followed by a penalty shootout if the mini-game remained tied.
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||||||||
| 1W | Vancouver 86ers | 2 | 2 | 4 PTS | ||||||||||||||
| 5E | North York Rockets | 0 | 1 | 0 PTS | ||||||||||||||
| 1W | Vancouver 86ers | 2 | 6 | 3 PTS | ||||||||||||||
| West Division | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2W | Victoria Vistas | 2 | 1 | 1 PTS | ||||||||||||||
| 2W | Victoria Vistas (p) | 1 | 3 (5) | 2+1 PTS | ||||||||||||||
| 3W | Winnipeg Fury | 4 | 2 (4) | 2 PTS | ||||||||||||||
| 1W | Vancouver 86ers | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3E | Hamilton Steelers | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2E | Montreal Supra | 1 | 0 | 0 PTS | ||||||||||||||
| 3E | Hamilton Steelers | 2 | 1 | 4 PTS | ||||||||||||||
| 3E | Hamilton Steelers | 1 | 3 | 3 PTS | ||||||||||||||
| East Division | ||||||||||||||||||
| 4E | Kitchener Spirit | 0 | 3 | 1 PTS | ||||||||||||||
| 1E | Toronto Blizzard | 1 | 1 (3) | 2 PTS | ||||||||||||||
| 4E | Kitchener Spirit (p) | 2 | 0 (4) | 2+1 PTS | ||||||||||||||
Quarterfinal
| September 12, 1990 | North York Rockets | 0–2 | Vancouver 86ers | North York, Ontario |
| [[6] Report] | Mitchell  8' Catliff 85' |
Stadium: Esther Shiner Stadium Attendance: 1000 |
| September 16, 1990 | Vancouver 86ers | 2–1 | North York Rockets | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Catliff 19' Evans 47' |
[[7] Report] | Enrico Todesco 78' |
Stadium: Swangard Stadium Attendance: 3340 |
Vancouver 86ers won the series 4–0 on points.
| September 12, 1990 | Winnipeg Fury | 4–1 | Victoria Vistas | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| Mike Mosher 26' Cambridge 70' Holness 86' Dave Foley 87' |
[[8] Report] | Bridge |
Stadium: Winnipeg Stadium Attendance: 1155 |
| September 15, 1990 | Victoria Vistas | 3–0 (Match Voided)[note 1] (a.e.t.) | Winnipeg Fury | Victoria, British Columbia |
| David Ravenhill 69' Ken Andrews 76' Aunger 98' |
[[9] Report] | Stadium: Royal Athletic Park Attendance: 1980 |
| September 20, 1990 | Winnipeg Fury | 2–3 (a.e.t.) (4–5 p) | Victoria Vistas | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| Nocita 85' Dave Foley 105' |
[[10] Report] | Rick Jaskins 56' Steve Cecchi 87', 97' |
Stadium: Winnipeg Stadium Attendance: 839 |
Victoria Vistas won the series in a shootout, after the series was tied 2–2 on points.
| September 12, 1990 | Hamilton Steelers | 2–1 | Montreal Supra | Hamilton, Ontario |
| Fashanu 55', 84' |
[[8][11] Report] | Keith 83' |
Stadium: Brian Timmis Stadium Attendance: 2650 |
| September 15, 1990 | Montreal Supra | 0–1 | Hamilton Steelers | Montreal, Quebec |
| [[12] Report] | Fashanu 82' |
Stadium: Claude Robilliard Stadium Attendance: 1573 |
Hamilton Steelers won the series 4–0 on points.
| September 12, 1990 | Kitchener Spirit | 2–1 | Toronto Blizzard | Kitchener, Ontario |
| Colville 43' Hunter Madeley 47' |
[[8][13] Report] | Peschisolido 29' |
Stadium: Centennial Stadium Attendance: 1029 |
| September 16, 1990 | Toronto Blizzard | 1–0 (a.e.t.) (3–4 p) | Kitchener Spirit | Etobicoke, Ontario |
| Eck 82' |
[[14] Report] | Stadium: Centennial Park Stadium Attendance: 2960 Referee: Bernie Huxter | ||
| Penalties | ||||
Gray  Marco Antonucci Pignatiello Fenwick  |
Piękoś Ferguson Scott Woody Bailey |
|||
Kitchener Spirit won the series in a shootout, after the series was tied 2–2 on points.
Semifinal
| September 22, 1990 | Victoria Vistas | 2–2 | Vancouver 86ers | Victoria, British Columbia |
| Evans Steve Cecchi 82' |
[[15] Report] | Mobilio 27' Evans 28' |
Stadium: Royal Athletic Park Attendance: 3775 |
| September 30, 1990 | Vancouver 86ers | 6–1 | Victoria Vistas | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Mobilio , Mitchell Evans McKinty Sammy Saundh |
[[16] Report] | Aunger |
Stadium: Swangard Stadium Attendance: 5883 |
Vancouver 86ers won the series 3–1 on points.
| September 22, 1990 | Kitchener Spirit | 0–1 | Hamilton Steelers | Kitchener, Ontario |
| [[17] Report] | John Coyle 72' |
Stadium: Centennial Stadium Attendance: 1325 |
| September 30, 1990 | Hamilton Steelers | 3–3 | Kitchener Spirit | Hamilton, Ontario |
| Fashanu 12' Billy Domazetis 29', 52' |
[[18] Report] | Hardley Scott 7' Mike Carter 61' Scott 68' |
Stadium: Brian Timmis Stadium Attendance: 1956 |
Hamilton Steelers won the series 3–1 on points.
Final
| October 8, 1990 | Vancouver 86ers | 6–1 | Hamilton Steelers | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| 19:30 | Catliff , , Evans Mitchell Mobilio |
[[19][20] Report] | Billy Domazetis |
Stadium: Swangard Stadium Attendance: 6348 Referee: Tony Evangelista |
Statistics
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  John Catliff
|
Vancouver 86ers | 19 |
| 2 | Domenic Mobilio
|
Vancouver 86ers | 13 |
| Paul Peschisolido
|
Toronto Blizzard | ||
| 4 | Alex Bunbury
|
Hamilton Steelers/Toronto Blizzard | 12 |
| 5 | Billy Domazetis
|
Toronto Blizzard | 10 |
| 6 | Eddy Berdusco
|
North York Rockets | 9 |
 Ted Eck
|
Toronto Blizzard | ||
| 7 | Geoff Aunger
|
Victoria Vistas | 8 |
 Ivor Evans
|
Vancouver 86ers | ||
| Reference:[21] | |||
Top goaltenders
| Rank | Player | Club | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pat Harrington
|
Montreal Supra | 0.43 |
| 2 | Pat Onstad
|
Toronto Blizzard | 0.58 |
| 3 | Paul Dolan
|
Vancouver 86ers | 1.08 |
| 4 | Grant Darley
|
Victoria Vistas | 1.13 |
| 5 | Shel Brodsgaard
|
Victoria Vistas | 1.16 |
| Reference:[21] | |||
Honours
The following awards and nominations were awarded for the 1990 season.[21]
Awards
| Award | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Pat Harrington |
Montreal Supra |
| Canadian Player of the Year | John Catliff |
Vancouver 86ers |
| Rookie of the Year | Jorge Rodriguez |
London Lasers |
| Top Newcomer |  Allan Evans |
Victoria Vistas |
| Top Goaltender | Pat Harrington |
Montreal Supra |
| Fair Play Award | Edmonton Brick Men | |
League All-Stars
| Player | Position |
|---|---|
| Pat Harrington (Montreal Supra) |
Goalkeeper |
| Patrick Diotte (Montreal Supra) |
Defender |
| Allan Evans (Victoria Vistas) |
Defender |
| Ian Bridge (Victoria Vistas) |
Defender |
 Edinho (Toronto Blizzard) |
Defender |
 Michael Araujo (Montreal Supra) |
Midfielder |
| Lyndon Hooper (Toronto Blizzard) |
Midfielder |
| Ivor Evans (Vancouver 86ers) |
Midfielder |
| Domenic Mobilio (Vancouver 86ers) |
Forward |
| John Catliff (Vancouver 86ers) |
Forward |
| Paul Peschisolido (Toronto Blizzard) |
Forward |
Reserves
| Player | Position |
|---|---|
| Tim Rosenfeld (Winnipeg Fury) |
Goalkeeper |
| Steve MacDonald (Vancouver 86ers) |
Defender |
| Vlado Vanis (Vancouver 86ers) |
Defender |
| Jaime Lowery (Vancouver 86ers) |
Midfielder |
| Alex Bunbury (Toronto Blizzard) |
Forward |
Front office
| Person | Role |
|---|---|
| Roy Wiggemansen (Montreal Supra) |
Head Coach |
| Ian Bridge (Vancouver 86ers) |
Assistant Coach |
| Roy Wiggemansen (Montreal Supra) |
General Manager |
Average home attendances
| Pos. | Team | GP | Average Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver 86ers | 26 | 4,218 |
| 2 | Winnipeg Fury | 26 | 4,194 |
| 3 | Montreal Supra | 26 | 2,711 |
| 4 | Toronto Blizzard | 26 | 2,221 |
| 5 | Victoria Vistas | 26 | 1,725 |
| 6 | Hamilton Steelers | 26 | 1,574 |
| 7 | Edmonton Brick Men | 26 | 1,474 |
| 8 | Kitchener Spirit | 26 | 1,338 |
| 9 | Ottawa Intrepid | 26 | 1,357 |
| 10 | North York Rockets | 26 | 1,061 |
| 11 | London Lasers | 26 | N/A |
| Total Attendance | 286 | 2,187 | |
| Reference:[20] | |||
Notes
- ^ Winnipeg protested the result of the original second leg due to the fielding of an ineligible player, Geoff Aunger (who should have been suspended due to yellow card accumulation and who scored the winning goal in extra time), that the league office failed to communicate to the teams involved or match officials. The CSL league office mandated a last minute replay of the second leg on Thursday, September 20, 1990 in Winnipeg
References
- ^ "Canadian Soccer League (1987-1992)". Fun While it Lasted.
- ^ Litterer, Dave. "Canadian Soccer League I". Soccer History USA.
- ^ Litterer, David (May 30, 2008). "The Year in American Soccer 1989". American Soccer History Archives. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
- ^ MacIntyre, Iain (September 27, 1990). "Bays beaten in overtime, 3-2, in North American title game Mobilio's goal lifts Vancouver". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ "Canadian Soccer History". Ottawa Fury SC. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012.
- ^ Ormsby, Mary (September 13, 1990). "Explosive 86ers win playoff opener; Blizzard one down". Toronto Star. p. F10.
- ^ Stinson, Dan (September 17, 1990). "Rocket coach says 86ers won't be denied third title". Vancouver Sun. p. 27.
- ^ a b c Bender, Jim (September 13, 1990). "Fury on Pitch". Winnipeg Sun. p. 47.
- ^ "Vistas storm back to eliminate Fury". Winnipeg Sun. September 16, 1990. p. 55.
- ^ Bender, Jim (September 21, 1990). "CSL joke gets a punchline". Winnipeg Sun. p. 45.
- ^ Lovegrove, Don (September 13, 1990). "Supra loses playoff opener to Steelers". Montreal Gazette. p. C1.
- ^ Phillips, Randy (September 16, 1990). "Supra's season ends abruptly; Punchless offence fails to match Fashanu's goal". Montreal Gazette. p. C1.
- ^ Ormsby, Mary (September 14, 1990). "GM blasts 'spoiled' Blizzard for 'shameful' effort". Toronto Star. p. F6.
- ^ Ormsby, Mary (September 17, 1990). "Blizzard bow out in shootout". Toronto Star. p. D3.
- ^ Keating, Jack (September 23, 1990). "Vistas show flair in tie with 86ers". The Province. p. 9.
- ^ Stinson, Dan (October 1, 1990). "86ers roar to CSL's title game". Vancouver Sun. p. 19.
- ^ "Hopes for Kitchener sink in East". The Province. September 24, 1990. p. 34.
- ^ "The Spirit was willing but Steelers weren't weak". Vancouver Sun. October 1, 1990. p. C3.
- ^ "86ers romp to third CSL title". Nanaimo Daily News. October 9, 1990. p. 15.
- ^ a b Jose, Colin (2001). On-Side - 125 Years of Soccer in Ontario. Vaughan, Ontario: Ontario Soccer Association and Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum. pp. 130, 133.
- ^ a b c "1990 CSL Stats" (PDF). Canadian Soccer League.
