Canadian Soccer League

Competition format

The Canadian Soccer League season runs from April/May through October/November annually. Eight teams in the league compete in a single table format. Teams play a balanced schedule of 22 games, with the top eight ranked teams advancing to the playoffs. The playoffs operate as a two-leg quarterfinal home and away series, followed by a one-game semi-final for the four surviving teams and a one-game final to crown the CSL Champions.

History

The CSL's first season was in 2006. The forerunner of the CSL, the CPSL, played its first season in 1998 by amalgamating four teams from the Canadian National Soccer League (the St. Catharines Wolves, North York Astros, London City, and Toronto Croatia) with four expansion franchises (Mississauga, York Region Shooters, Glen Shields and Toronto Olympians).

In 2006, an "international" division was added, which brought the Serbian White Eagles into the league; a new set of rules, regulations and a new constitution were established; the schedule format was changed; the relationship with the Ontario Soccer Association (OSA) and the Quebec Soccer Federation was revised in early 2008; and the CSL and the OSA signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" which provided the CSL with an increased level of autonomy and independence from the governing body.

The league was renamed and managed by former Hamilton Bulldogs president, Cary Kaplan (the first CSL Commissioner), and veteran soccer executive Stan Adamson (Executive Director) from its inception.

In 2007, the Trois-Rivières Attak debuted, replacing the Laval Dynamites. The team was the junior/reserve side for the Montreal Impact USL Squad. In 2008, Toronto FC of Major League Soccer, and owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, entered its Academy Team (TFC Academy) into the CSL. As a result, the CSL is now affiliated with two of Canada's top three professional soccer franchises.

On May 12, 2009, the CSL announced that it had received conditional approval for membership with the CSA as Canada's national professional league, the only league to receive this endorsement from the CSA in 16 years. The vote by the CSA Board was unanimous across all provinces and territories. .

After four and a half years as Commissioner, Cary Kaplan resigned following the 2009 Championship Game. Accomplishments during his tenure included renaming as CSL, affiliation with Toronto FC and Montreal Impact, establishment of a Reserve Division, establishment of television contract with Rogers, and official recognition and approval from CSA.

Domenic De Gironimo was named as his replacement. Shortly following the completion of the 2010 final, De Gironimo announced his resignation from the league after only one season at the helm, citing irreconcilable differences.

Vince Ursini, Chairman of the former CNSL/CPSL until 2004, followed him in 2011. Mississauga, Ottawa, Kingston, Waterloo, Niagara and Windsor were all added to the CSL under Ursini's watch, expanding the league's membership to 16, the highest in several years.

Match-fixing controversy

On September 12, 2012, the CBC reported that a CSL game between the Trois-Rivières Attak and Toronto Croatia held in September 2009 was fixed. The report, which aired on the news program The National, revealed court documents showing that €15,000 ($18,000 CDN) in bribes were paid to several players on Toronto Croatia. The game was part of a larger match-fixing scandal in Europe in which six people were convicted.

On January 31, 2013, the CSA announced it was withdrawing support of the league. On March 5, 2013, CSA decertified the league because it decided to adopt recommendations from the Rethink Management Report, and not because of the match-fixing. The league, however, fought the decertification based upon the failure of the CSA to provide adequate notice to the CSL and an opportunity for the league to comment on the CSA's decision. An arbiter agreed with the CSL and denied the CSA's attempt to decertify the league in 2013, allowing the CSL to play its 2013 season under CSA governance. Following the January 31, 2013 announcement, the Toronto FC academy teams withdrew from the league, followed by the Montreal Impact academy team.

On October 14, 2015, the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) released a report claiming that 42% of matches in the 2015 season showed signs of suspicious betting activity, resulting in an estimated £4.5 million in potential "fraudulent betting profits". All 12 teams had played in “suspicious” games on at least three occasions each. The report stated: “In the experience of the ICSS, the CSL has become a type of ‘rogue league’ that has not been seen before.”

On February 2, 2016 it was announced that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) opened investigations in the alleged match fixing in the CSL. The CSL welcomed the RCMP investigations, and has taken measures to monitor all games during the upcoming 2016 season.

Teams

These are the teams from the 2016 season:

CSL league executives

Championship finals

This is a list of all Championship finals played so far. The final was called Rogers Cup from 1998 to 2009. Since 2010 it has been called the Givova Cup due to sponsorship change.