The 2020 Men's League1 Ontario season would have been the seventh season of play for League1 Ontario (L1O), a Division 3 men's soccer league in the Canadian soccer pyramid and the highest level of soccer based in the Canadian province of Ontario.
| Season | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 24 – September 12 (Cancelled) |
← 2019 2021 → | |
For the first time this year, the league's entry in the 2021 Canadian Championship, the top national tournament for men's soccer teams, was to be determined by a "Champions Final", to be played between the regular season champions and the playoff champions.
On March 20, 2020, L1O postponed the start of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] On June 6, 2020, the league announced the cancellation of the "summer season" while also mentioning the possibility of returning in September 2020 for a shortened "fall season",[2] though this was later ruled out.[3]
Format edit
For the regular season, each team would have played every other team once for a total of 16 matches. The playoffs would have included the top eight teams, facing each other in a three-round, single leg tournament. The winner of the playoffs would face the winner of the regular season, in a single match named the "Champions Final", that was to determine League1 Ontario's entry in the 2021 Canadian Championship.[4] Due to the cancellation of the season, the 2021 Canadian Championship spot was given to the 2019 league champion, as the 2020 edition was modified to exclude the L1O participant.[5]
The season would have been shorter in duration than previous seasons. It was scheduled to start on April 24, a few weeks earlier than usual, and end with the Playoffs Final on September 5 and the Champions Final on September 12, to allow for University players to take part in the playoffs.[4]
Clubs edit
The men's division consisted of 17 teams, an increase from 16 teams in 2019. North Toronto Nitros returned from hiatus, joining Hamilton United as the new entries, while Ottawa South United moved to the Première Ligue de soccer du Québec.[6] Durham United FA re-branded as Pickering FC.
The following clubs were set to participate in the league prior to the season's cancellation.
| Team | City | Principal stadium |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance United FC | Toronto | Centennial College |
| Aurora FC | Aurora | Stewart Burnett Park |
| Darby FC | Whitby | Whitby Soccer Centre |
| Hamilton United | Hamilton | Ron Joyce Stadium & Tim Hortons Field |
| FC London | London | German Canadian FC Stadium |
| Master's Futbol | Toronto | L'Amoreaux Park |
| North Mississauga SC | Mississauga | Paramount Fine Foods Centre |
| North Toronto Nitros | Toronto | Downsview Turf 1 |
| Oakville Blue Devils | Oakville | Sheridan Trafalgar Stadium |
| Pickering FC | Pickering | Pickering Soccer Centre & Kinsmen Park |
| ProStars FC | Brampton | Victoria Park Stadium |
| Sigma FC | Mississauga | Paramount Fine Foods Centre |
| Toronto Skillz FC | Toronto | Birchmount Stadium |
| Unionville Milliken SC | Markham | Azzurri Village |
| Vaughan Azzurri | Vaughan | North Maple Regional Park |
| Windsor TFC | Windsor | University of Windsor Stadium |
| Woodbridge Strikers | Vaughan | Vaughan Grove |
Reserve Division edit
After introducing the Reserve Division during the 2019 season, it was set to be expanded for the 2020 season. All of the clubs in L1O would be required to field a club in the division, while some other Ontario soccer clubs who did not have a team in the league were invited to field teams in the U21 Reserve division.[7]
References edit
- ^ "League1 Ontario postpones start of 2020 season over COVID-19 concerns". League1 Ontario. March 20, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
- ^ "League1 Ontario cancels 'Summer' season due to COVID-19, eyes Fall restart". Canadian Premier League. June 6, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
- ^ "League1 Ontario cancels Fall season plans for 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions". Canadian Premier League. September 4, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ a b "2020 L1O schedule: Condensed seasons & revamped championships for men's, women's". League1 Ontario. March 5, 2020.
- ^ Thompson, Marty (June 16, 2020). "Canada Soccer gives 2020 CanChamp update: CPL & MLS clubs only, Atlético Ottawa added to tournament". Canadian Premier League.
- ^ "Three New Teams Join 2020 League1 Ontario Men's And Women's Divisions". League1 Ontario. November 19, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
- ^ "League1 Ontario Reserve groups". League1 Ontario.