The 1996 Canadian National Soccer League season was the seventy-fourth season for the Canadian National Soccer League. The season began on May 31, 1996, and concluded on October 27, 1996, with Toronto Italia defeating St. Catharines Wolves in a two-game series for the CNSL Championship.[1] St. Catharines managed to secure their fourth league cup title after finishing first in the tournament standings.
| Season | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Champions |
|
| League cup | St. Catharines Wolves |
| Matches played | 44 |
| Goals scored | 158 (3.59 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Michele Gioia |
| Best goalkeeper | Joe Ciaravino |
| Biggest home win | Toronto Italia 9-0 North York Talons (August 25) Toronto Italia 9-1 London City (October 6) |
| Biggest away win | North York Talons 2-8 Toronto Italia (July 14) |
| Highest scoring | North York Talons 2-8 Toronto Italia (July 14) Oakville Western Canadians 8-2 London City (September 7) |
← 1995 1997 → | |
Overview edit
The membership in the league increased to seven teams with three new entries. The league expanded to the Oakville territory with the addition of the Oakville Canadian Westerns, and the acceptance of Toronto Supra from the Canadian International Soccer League (Puma League).[2][3] While the North York Talons represented the Caribbean Community in the Greater Toronto Area.[4] The Hamilton White Eagles departed to join the Canadian International Soccer League, and the Toronto Jets merged with Toronto Italia.[5][6]
Toronto Italia under new ownership transferred their home venue to Rainbow Creek Stadium in Woodbridge, Vaughan.[7] Italia also managed to recruit Diego Maradona for the CNSL All-Star match.[8] In the league's executive branch Peter Li Preti served as president, and Michael Di Biase as commissioner.
Teams edit
| Team | City | Stadium | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|
| London City | London, Ontario | Cove Road Stadium | Steve Roney[9] |
| North York Talons | North York, Ontario | Esther Shiner Stadium | Trevor Dennis[9] |
| Oakville Canadian Westerns | Oakville, Ontario | Sheridan College[3] | Mike Palmiotta[3] |
| Scarborough Astros | Scarborough, Ontario | Birchmount Stadium | Jorge Armua[10] |
| St. Catharines Wolves | St. Catharines, Ontario (Vansickle) | Club Roma Stadium | Mark Konert[11] |
| Toronto Italia | Vaughan, Ontario | Rainbow Creek Stadium | Peter Pinizzotto[12] |
| Toronto Supra | Toronto, Ontario | Lamport Stadium |
  London St. Catharines Oakville Vaughan  TORONTO
|
 Scarborough North York Toronto
|
Final standings edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto Italia (C, O) | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 51 | 7 | +44 | 32 | Qualification for Playoffs |
| 2 | St. Catharines Wolves | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 36 | 4 | +32 | 26 | |
| 3 | Toronto Supra | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 25 | 12 | +13 | 22 | |
| 4 | Oakville Western Canadians | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 26 | 18 | +8 | 17 | |
| 5 | London City | 12 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 10 | 41 | −31 | 10 | |
| 6 | Scarborough Astros | 10 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 23 | −21 | 3 | |
| 7 | North York Talons | 12 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 53 | −45 | 2 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners
Playoffs edit
Semifinals edit
| October 16, 1996 | St. Catharines Wolves | 0–0 | Toronto Supra | St. Catharines, Ontario |
| 20:15 ET | (Report) | Stadium: Club Roma Stadium |
| October 29, 1996 | Toronto Supra | 1–2 | St. Catharines Wolves | Toronto, Ontario |
| 15:00 ET | (Report) | Stadium: Lamport Stadium |
| October 20, 1996 | Toronto Italia | 2–3 | Oakville Western Canadians | Vaughan, Ontario |
| 16:00 ET | Gamble  34' Caporella 74' |
(Report) | Lui Fotia 11' Andrew Loague 52', 91' |
Stadium: Rainbow Creek Stadium Attendance: 80 Referee: Tony Camacho |
| October 21, 1996 | Oakville Western Canadians | 1–4 | Toronto Italia | Oakville, Ontario |
| 20:00 ET | (Report) | Stadium: Bronte Park |
Finals edit
| St. Catharines Wolves | 0–5 | Toronto Italia |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Toronto Italia | 6–0 | St. Catharines Wolves |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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Assistant referees:
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Toronto won 11–0 on aggregate.
Cup edit
The cup tournament was a separate contest from the rest of the season, in which all seven teams took part. All the matches were separate from the regular season. Teams played each other once home and away in the Cup competition, and the first-place team would win the Cup competition. One match involving Toronto Italia and London City failed to materialize, but was of no consequence as St. Catharines Wolves accumulated enough points to secure the title.[18]
Standings edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Catharines Wolves (C) | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 33 | 9 | +24 | 31 |
| 2 | Toronto Italia | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 31 | 8 | +23 | 26 |
| 3 | Toronto Supra | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 32 | 13 | +19 | 26 |
| 4 | Oakville Canadian Westerns | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 20 | 21 | −1 | 17 |
| 5 | London City | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 22 | −8 | 11 |
| 6 | Scarborough Astros | 12 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 31 | −19 | 7 |
| 7 | North York Talons | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 43 | −38 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Matches edit
| June 2, 1996 | Toronto Italia | 1–0 | St. Catharines Wolves | Vaughan, Ontario |
| 18:00 | Caporella 77' |
Report | Stadium: Rainbow Creek Stadium Referee: Bridgeman |
| June 14, 1996 | London City | 0–4 | Toronto Supra | London, Ontario |
| 20:00 | Report | Stadium: Cove Road Stadium |
| June 15, 1996 | Oakville Canadian Westerns | 0–2 | Toronto Italia | Oakville, Ontario |
| 18:00 | Report | Stadium: Sheridan College |
| June 22, 1996 | Oakville Canadian Westerns | 5–1 | North York Talons | Oakville, Ontario |
| 18:00 | Report | Stadium: Sheridan College |
| June 23, 1996 | Toronto Italia | 1–1 | Toronto Supra | Vaughan, Ontario |
| 18:00 | Caporella 22' |
Report | Gus Kouzmanis 93' |
Stadium: Rainbow Creek Stadium Attendance: 400 Referee: Steve Mortimer |
| June 26, 1996 | St. Catharines Wolves | 4–2 | Scarborough Astros | St. Catharines, Ontario |
| 20:15 | Report | Stadium: Club Roma Stadium |
| July 7, 1996 | North York Talons | 0–3 | London City | North York, Ontario |
| 15:00 | Report | John Bottineau 30' Wilco Kadters 80' Luan Jonuzi 85' |
Stadium: Esther Shiner Stadium Attendance: 70 Referee: Gord Arrowsmith |
| July 12, 1996 | London City | 2–2 | Oakville Canadian Westerns | London, Ontario |
| 20:00 | Report | Stadium: Cove Road Stadium |
| July 13, 1996 | Oakville Canadian Westerns | 4–2 | London City | Oakville, Ontario |
| 18:00 | Report | Stadium: Sheridan College |
| July 19, 1996 | Toronto Supra | 9–0 | North York Talons | Toronto, Ontario |
| 19:35 | Report | Stadium: Lamport Stadium |
| July 20, 1996 | Oakville Canadian Westerns | 1–2 | St. Catharines Wolves | Oakville, Ontario |
| 18:00 | Report | Stadium: Sheridan College |
| July 21, 1996 | Scarborough Astros | 2–0 | North York Talons | Scarborough, Ontario |
| 19:00 | Report | Stadium: Birchmount Stadium |
| July 26, 1996 | London City | 2–0 | Scarborough Astros | London, Ontario |
| 20:00 | Report | Stadium: Cove Road Stadium |
| July 28, 1996 | Scarborough Astros | 1–8 | Toronto Italia | Scarborough, Ontario |
| 19:00 | Marco Bonofiglio 72' |
Report | Gioia 26', 29' Caporella 32', 37' Tony Zanini 61', 70' Gamble 81' Richard Alexander 83' |
Stadium: Birchmount Stadium Attendance: 250 Referee: Steve Mortimer |
| August 2, 1996 | London City | 1–4 | St. Catharines Wolves | London, Ontario |
| 20:00 | Report | Stadium: Cove Road Stadium |
| August 4, 1996 | North York Talons | 1–2 | Scarborough Astros | North York, Ontario |
| 19:00 | Report | Stadium: Esther Shiner Stadium |
| August 4, 1996 | Toronto Italia | 2–2 | Oakville Canadian Westerns | Vaughan, Ontario |
| 18:00 | Spadafina 36' Gioia 90' |
Report | Rob Anderson 61' Bart Ostaszewski 95' |
Stadium: Rainbow Creek Stadium Attendance: 250 Referee: Mike Cvetanovich |
| August 7, 1996 | St. Catharines Wolves | 7–0 | North York Talons | St. Catharines, Ontario |
| 20:15 | Report | Stadium: Club Roma Stadium |
| August 11, 1996 | Scarborough Astros | 1–1 | London City | Scarborough, Ontario |
| 19:00 | Bill Heaney 30' |
Report | John Bottineau 26' |
Stadium: Birchmount Stadium Attendance: 40 Referee: Mike Czetanovich |
| August 11, 1996 | Toronto Supra | 0–3 | Toronto Italia | Toronto, Ontario |
| 19:35 | Report | Stadium: Lamport Stadium |
| August 18, 1996 | North York Talons | 1–5 | Toronto Italia | North York, Ontario |
| 19:00 | Caswell Shaw 84' |
Report | Maradona 1' Spadafina 9' Anthony Zanini 46' Garvin Houston 56' Gioia 86' |
Stadium: Esther Shiner Stadium Attendance: 150 Referee: Al Pereira |
| August 18, 1996 | Scarborough Astros | 3–4 | Toronto Supra | Scarborough, Ontario |
| 19:00 | Report | Stadium: Birchmount Stadium |
| August 23, 1996 | London City | 0–2 | Toronto Italia | London, Ontario |
| 20:00 | Report | Stadium: Cove Road Stadium |
| August 24, 1996 | Oakville Canadian Westerns | 2–5 | Toronto Supra | Oakville, Ontario |
| 18:00 | Report | Stadium: Sheridan College |
| August 25, 1996 | Scarborough Astros | 0–3 | St. Catharines Wolves | Scarborough, Ontario |
| 19:00 | Report | Stadium: Birchmount Stadium |
| August 30, 1996 | London City | 3–1 | North York Talons | London, Ontario |
| 20:00 | Report | Stadium: Cove Road Stadium |
| September 4, 1996 | St. Catharines Wolves | 3–0 | London City | St. Catharines, Ontario |
| 20:15 | Report | Stadium: CLub Roma Stadium |
| September 11, 1996 | St. Catharines Wolves | 2–0 | Oakville Canadian Westerns | St. Catharines, Ontario |
| 20:15 | Report | Stadium: CLub Roma Stadium |
| September 13, 1996 | Toronto Supra | 2–0 | Scarborough Astros | Toronto, Ontario |
| 19:35 | Report | Stadium: Lamport Stadium |
| September 15, 1996 | Toronto Supra | 1–0 | London City | Toronto, Ontario |
| 15:05 | Report | Stadium: Lamport Stadium |
| September 25, 1996 | St. Catharines Wolves | 2–1 | Toronto Italia | St. Catharines, Ontario |
| 20:15 | Report | Stadium: Club Roma Stadium |
| September 27, 1996 | North York Talons | 0–1 | Toronto Supra | North York, Ontario |
| 21:00 | Report | Tony Tavares 68' |
Stadium: Esther Shiner Stadium Attendance: 30 Referee: Tony Martins |
| September 28, 1996 | Oakville Canadian Westerns | 2–1 | Scarborough Astros | Oakville, Ontario |
| 17:00 | Report | Stadium: Sheridan College |
| September 29, 1996 | Toronto Supra | 1–1 | St. Catharines Wolves | Toronto, Ontario |
| 15:05 | Report | Stadium: Lamport Stadium |
| September 29, 1996 | Toronto Italia | 3–1 | North York Talons | Vaughan, Ontario |
| 17:00 | Gioia 30', 89' Maradona 51' |
Report | Rohan Thomas 60' |
Stadium: Rainbow Creek Stadium Attendance: 100 Referee: George Kelly |
| October 2, 1996 | St. Catharines Wolves | 3–2 | Toronto Supra | St. Catharines, Ontario |
| 20:15 | Report | Stadium: Club Roma Stadium |
| October 6, 1996 | North York Talons | 0–1 | Oakville Canadian Westerns | North York, Ontario |
| 15:00 | Report | Zajac 64' |
Stadium: Esther Shiner Stadium Attendance: 40 Referee: Isaac Mata |
| October 13, 1996 | Toronto Supra | 2–0 | Oakville Canadian Westerns | Toronto, Ontario |
| 15:05 | Report | Stadium: Lamport Stadium |
| October 13, 1996 | Toronto Italia | 3–0 | Scarborough Astros | Vaughan, Ontario |
| 16:00 | Report | Stadium: Rainbow Creek Stadium |
All-Star game edit
The all-star team assembled by the league was limited in its selection of players due to St. Catharines, and Oakville protesting the allowance of their players. As St. Catharines earlier on participated in a European tour, and their players required the necessary rest.[9] Toronto Italia were selected as the opposition, and managed to attract Diego Maradona to play alongside his brother Lalo Maradona. The match was commemorated as the 75th anniversary of the league, and advertised as one of Diego Maradona's final matches.[19][20] The reported payoff to Maradona was $40,000 with Boca Juniors receiving a share due to ownership of player rights.[8] An additional $15,000 was charged if reporters wished to conduct an interview, and the league insured Maradona for five million dollars.[8]
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Individual awards edit
The annual Canadian National Soccer League awards ceremony was held at the Hollywood Princess Banquet Hall in Vaughan, Ontario with an attendance of 400 people.[24] The majority of the awards were received by Toronto Italia with eight recipients. After leading Toronto to an undefeated streak, the double head coach Peter Pinizzotto was given the honor of Coach of the Year. Michele Gioia was named both the MVP, a Golden Boot winner consequently the following season he was signed by the Montreal Impact in the USISL A-League. For the second consecutive season Joe Ciaravino received the Goalkeeper of the Year, and also later was given a contract with the Toronto Lynx. The administrative branch of Toronto Italia was recognized with honors with Joe Mallozzi winning the Manager of the Year, and Pasquale Fioccola being awarded the President of the Year.
Toronto Supra came in second with two awards with Gus Kouzmanis being named the Rookie of the Year. The Best Public Relations Director award was given to Sergio Giancola, who notably later was instrumental in acquiring a Major Arena Soccer League franchise in the GTA as the Mississauga MetroStars.[25] The remainder of the awards went to North York Talons as the Most Improved, and London City as the Most Disciplined team. The Referee of the Year went to match official Manuel Orellana.
| Award | Player (Club) |
|---|---|
| CNSL Most Valuable Player | Michele Gioia (Toronto Italia) |
| CNSL Golden Boot | Michele Gioia (Toronto Italia) |
| CNSL Goalkeeper of the Year Award | Joe Ciaravino (Toronto Italia) |
| CNSL Rookie of the Year Award | Gus Kouzmanis (Toronto Supra) |
| CNSL Coach of the Year Award | Peter Pinizzotto (Toronto Italia) |
| CNSL Manager of the Year Award | Joe Mallozzi (Toronto Italia) |
| CNSL President of the Year Award | Pasquale Fioccola (Toronto Italia) |
| CNSL Best Public Relations Director Award | Sergio Giancola (Toronto Supra) |
| CNSL Referee of the Year Award | Manuel Orellana |
| CNSL Most Improved Team Award | North York Talons |
| CNSL Most Disciplined Team Award | London City |
References edit
- ^ "Canadian National Soccer League 1993 to 1997" (PDF). canadiansoccerleague.ca. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-11-25. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ Adamson, Stan (April 1, 2019). "Isac Cambas Brought Soccer to the Portuguese Community". Canadian Soccer League. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
- ^ a b c "CNSL comes to Oakville, home opener Saturday". Oakville Beaver. June 12, 1996. p. 35.
- ^ McGill, Aldwyn. Aldwynable - Vintage Midget. Star Soccer Review. p. 88.
- ^ "Our Story | Hamilton & District Soccer Association". hamiltonsoccer.net. Archived from the original on 2020-03-25. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
- ^ Miolla, Piero (2020-07-08). "Il lucano Michele Gioia, definito il "Giovinco degli Anni '90" nel racconto di Nicola Sparano". il Caleidoscopio (in Italian). Retrieved 2021-06-03.
- ^ "Pro Soccer in London, Ontario". 2001-05-02. Archived from the original on May 2, 2001. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
- ^ a b c Gallagher, Danny (October 28, 1996). "Don't cry for him". Newspapers.com. The Kokomo Tribune. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
- ^ a b c Glover, Robin (October 13, 1996). "CNSL game of Sunday October 13, 1996 between North York Talons and London City". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2019-08-20.
- ^ "North York Astros Soccer Club Powered by Goalline Sports Administration Software". 2009-06-01. Archived from the original on June 1, 2009. Retrieved 2019-07-07.
- ^ Jeanneret, Mark (1 November 1996). "Konert steps down as Wolves' coach". St. Catharines Standard. pp. C2.
- ^ Jose, Colin (2001). On-Side - 125 Years of Soccer in Ontario. Vaughan, Ontario: Ontario Soccer Association and Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum. p. 227.
- ^ "Canadian National Soccer League 1996 Season Summary | SoccerStats.us". soccerstats.us. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
- ^ a b "Canada Soccer". canadasoccer.com. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
- ^ "Richard Alexander (1991-1994)". Syracuse University Athletics. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
- ^ a b "Canada Soccer". www.canadasoccer.com. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
- ^ "Dino Perri - Men's Soccer Coach". McMaster University Athletics. Retrieved 2019-07-01.
- ^ "CNSL Week 20 FINAL". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. October 14, 1996. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
- ^ Glover, Robin (September 2, 1996). "Special Exhibition between Toronto Italia plus Diego Maradona vs the CNSL All-Stars". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2019-08-23.
- ^ "Maradona uncertain whether he'll play again". Newspapers.com. The Gazette. September 16, 1996. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
- ^ "John Bottineau (2015) - McMaster Athletics Hall of Fame". McMaster University Athletics. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
- ^ "London Ontario Soccer News: Commisso ready to hang up boots". Retrieved 2019-08-22.
- ^ "Richard Alexander (1991-1994)". Syracuse University Athletics. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
- ^ Glover, Robin (November 8, 1996). "CNSL 75th Anniversary Annual Awards Gala". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2019-08-20.
- ^ Armstrong, Laura (April 11, 2017). "Major Arena Soccer League expands to GTA | The Star". thestar.com. The Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2017-04-11. Retrieved 2019-10-12.