1994 Canadian National Soccer League season
The 1994 Canadian National Soccer League season was the seventy second season for the Canadian National Soccer League.The season began on May 28, 1994 with Montreal Ramblers facing Toronto Croatia at the Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard.The majority of the season was contested by the reigning champions, St. Catharines Roma, along with Montreal Croatia, and Toronto Italia. The title was eventually won by Toronto Italia after defeating St. Catharines in the CNSL Championship final.[1][2] Toronto would also secure the treble, which included the regular season title, and the league cup.[3]
| Season | 1994 |
|---|---|
| Champions |
|
| League cup | Toronto Italia |
| Matches played | 42 |
| Goals scored | 115 (2.74 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Ryan Gamble |
← 1993 1995 → | |
Since the merger of the Canadian Soccer League, and the National Soccer League in 1993 the league had a presence in Manitoba, but became solely restricted in Ontario and Quebec. The league continued to operate as the only exclusively Canadian professional league within the country while the Canadian clubs in the American Professional Soccer League served as the highest tier league in the country's soccer structure.
Overview
The season saw a reduction in league membership as the boundaries of the league were restricted to Ontario and Quebec.The CNSL lost its presence in Manitoba as the Winnipeg Fury ceased operations due to heavy financial losses.[4][5] While the Eastern Division of Quebec was disbanded with only Montreal Croatia, and Montreal Ramblers operating in the province. Richmond Hill Kick were suspended midway through the 1993 season after several missed scheduled matches, and failure in payment fees.[6] Toronto Rockets were awarded a franchise in the American Professional Soccer League in order to replace the Toronto Blizzard.[7][8]
After a dispute over philosophical differences.with league commissioner Rocco Lofranco the Windsor Wheels joined the United States Interregional Soccer League, and relocated to Detroit, Michigan.[5][9] Another notable departure occurred near the conclusion of the season as Toronto Croatia withdrew after a dispute with the front office and the following season joined the Canadian International Soccer League (Puma League).[10][11] While at the live gate the league struggled in drawing consistent crowds, which according to Lofranco the 1994 FIFA World Cup played a factor in lowering the attendance numbers.[12]
Teams
| Team | City | Stadium | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|
| London City | London, Ontario | Cove Road Stadium | Harry Gauss |
| Montreal Croatia | Montreal, Quebec | Stade du Parc Hérbert | Simon Demo |
| Montreal Ramblers | Montreal, Quebec | Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard | |
| Scarborough Astros | Scarborough, Ontario | Birchmount Stadium | Jorge Armua[13] |
| St. Catharines Roma | St. Catharines, Ontario | Club Roma Stadium | |
| Toronto Croatia | Etobicoke, Ontario | Centennial Park Stadium | |
| Toronto Italia | Etobicoke, Ontario | Centennial Park Stadium | Peter Pinizzotto[14] |
| Toronto Jets | North York, Ontario | Esther Shiner Stadium |
  London St. Catharines  TORONTO Location of CNSL teams outside of Toronto for the 1994 CNSL season.
|
 Montreal Ramblers Montreal Croatia Locations of teams in Quebec for the 1994 CNSL season.
|
Final standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto Italia (C, O) | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 20 | 9 | +11 | 18 | Qualification for Playoffs |
| 2 | St. Catharines Roma | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 10 | +7 | 14 | |
| 3 | Montreal Croatia | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 26 | 21 | +5 | 14 | |
| 4 | London City | 12 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 17 | 18 | −1 | 11 | |
| 5 | Scarborough Astros | 12 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 15 | −4 | 10 | |
| 6 | Toronto Jets | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 20 | −10 | 10 | |
| 7 | Montreal Ramblers | 12 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 14 | 21 | −7 | 7 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner.
Playoffs
Quarterfinals
| September 11, 1994 | Montreal Croatia | 3–5 | Toronto Jets | Montreal, Quebec |
| (Report) | Stadium: Stade du Parc Hérbert |
| September 11, 1994 | London City | 1–1 | Scarborough Astros | London, Ontario |
| (Report) | Stadium: Cove Road Stadium |
| September 17, 1994 | Toronto Jets | 5–6 | Montreal Croatia | North York, Ontario |
| (Report) | Stadium: Esther Shiner Stadium |
| September 16, 1994 | Scarborough Astros | 0–1 | London City | Scarborough, Ontario |
| (Report) | Stadium: Birchmount Stadium |
Semifinals
| September 1994 | Toronto Jets | 0–1 | Toronto Italia | North York, Ontario |
| (Report) | Stadium: Esther Shiner Stadium |
| September 28, 1994 | St. Catharines Roma | 1–0 | London City | St. Catharines, Ontario |
| (Report) | Stadium: Club Roma Stadium |
| October 9, 1994 | Toronto Italia | 0–0 | Toronto Jets | Etobicoke, Ontario |
| (Report) | Stadium: Centennial Park Stadium |
| October 2, 1994 | St. Catharines Roma | 3–1 | London City | St. Catharines, Ontario |
| (Report) | Stadium: Club Roma Stadium |
Final
| October 12, 1994 | St. Catharines Roma | 0–1 | Toronto Italia | St. Catharines, Ontario |
| (Report) | Stadium: Club Roma Stadium |
| October 15, 1994 | Toronto Italia | 3–1 | St. Catharines Roma | Etobicoke, Ontario |
| (Report) | Stadium: Centennial Park Stadium |
Cup
The cup tournament was a separate contest from the rest of the season, in which all eight teams took part. All the matches were separate from the regular season, and the teams were grouped into two separate divisions. The two winners in the group stage would advance to a singles match for the Cup. Originally Toronto Croatia participated in the cup competition, but near the conclusion of the season withdrew from both the regular season and cup tournament.
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Catharines Roma | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 6 | Qualification for Playoffs |
| 2 | Montreal Ramblers | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 5 | |
| 3 | Toronto Jets | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 1 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto Italia (C) | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | +14 | 10 | Qualification for Playoffs |
| 2 | Montreal Croatia | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 7 | |
| 3 | London City | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 4 | |
| 4 | Scarborough Astros | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 12 | −11 | 1 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champion.
Final
| Toronto Italia | 1–0 | St. Catharines Roma |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Individual awards
The 1994 CNSL annual awards only presented four awards with Toronto Italia receiving the majority of the accolades. The Golden Boot, and Rookie of the Year was given to Italia forward Ryan Gamble, who would later go onto higher endeavors in the USISL D-3 Pro League, and USISL A-League. Peter Pinizzotto was named the Coach of the Year after achieving a treble with Italia. He would ultimately spend time with the Toronto Lynx, and Montreal Impact.[14] The final receipt was Scarborough Astros Brazilian import Paulo Silva with his third Goalkeeper of the Year award. Silva would later serve as the goalkeeping coach for the Toronto Lynx under Pinizzotto.[15]
| Award | Player (Club) |
|---|---|
| CNSL Golden Boot | Ryan Gamble (Toronto Italia) |
| CNSL Goalkeeper of the Year Award | Paulo Silva (Scarborough Astros) |
| CNSL Rookie of the Year Award | Ryan Gamble (Toronto Italia) |
| CNSL Coach of the Year Award | Peter Pinizzotto (Toronto Italia) |
References
- "Soccer". Newspapers.com. The Gazette. October 17, 1994. p. 22. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
- "CSL Past Champions – Canadian Soccer League". Retrieved 2020-09-05.
- "Canadian National Soccer League 1993 to 1997" (PDF). Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- "Soccer - Winnipeg Fury". Newspapers.com. The Province. August 10, 1993. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
- Hull, David (September 3, 1993). "Wheels' management pleased overall with first season". Newspapers.com. The Windsor Star. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
- "Kick Gets Boot". Newspapers.com. Calgary Herald. July 13, 1993. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
- Glover, Robin (July 8, 1994). "APSL Toronto vs Seattle". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
- Phillips, Randy (March 11, 1994). "Impact kicks off season on July 1". Newspapers.com. The Gazette. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
- Hull, Dave (November 10, 1993). "Wheels add Detroit team". Newspapers.com. Windsor Stars. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
- "Pro Soccer in London, Ontario". web.archive.org. 2001-05-02. Archived from the original on May 2, 2001. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
- Fanfair, Ron. Stars Soccer Review. - Aldwynable. Caribbean Stars Inc. p. 88.
- Hull, Dave (August 5, 1994). "CNSL wants a team in Windsor". Newspapers.com. Windsor Star. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
- "North York Astros Soccer Club Powered by Goalline Sports Administration Software". web.archive.org. 2009-06-01. Archived from the original on June 1, 2009. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
- "Hall of Fame | YRSA". www.yrsa.ca. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
- "The Team". www.lynxsoccer.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2001. Retrieved 2019-12-13.