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Teams still in the Men’s and Women’s L1 Cup tournaments are playing for a final-four spot as these knockout competitions edge towards their climax.

Women’s

Simcoe County Rovers vs Scrosoppi – Wednesday, June 5

Scrosoppi have been a dark horse in the Women’s L1 Cup so far, defeating Burlington 4-0 in the First Round, and then the Premier Division’s Blue Devils 6-2. Jahkaya Davis impressively netted seven goals across the two matches.

Simcoe County Rovers have shown their goal-scoring potential in the cup as well, seeing off League2’s St Catharines Roma Wolves 5-0 in the Round of 16 to book their quarterfinal slot, with Holly O’Neill scoring a brace.

Scrosoppi and Simcoe have history in men’s soccer, having been the two sides in the 2023 Men’s Premier Division Final, so maybe this first women’s encounter will ignite the flame between these clubs once again and give us a matchup to remember.

FC London vs Guelph United – Wednesday, June 12

It’s a big all-Premier clash between FC London and Guelph United in the quarterfinals of the Women’s L1 Cup with both teams coming into this one having kept a clean sheet in the Round of 16.

The home side breezed past BVB Waterloo 4-0 in the last round with a Julia Benati brace, while Guelph accomplished a huge 1-0 victory over league leaders NDC Ontario thanks to Olivia Brown’s early goal.

The two sides met in the regular-season in May, which saw the London side comfortably beat their visitors 4-1. However, both teams are currently separated by only three points in the division standings, so it makes this fixture one to certainly watch.

Vaughan vs Darby – Wednesday, June 26

Another huge chance to prove top-flight quality presents itself to Championship-side Darby as they take on Vaughan Azzurri, who sit in fourth spot in the Women’s Premier.

Darby defied the odds and overcame the Premier’s North Mississauga with two first-half goals in the last round. It was business as usual for Vaughan, however, as they stuck to the script and ended Rush Canada’s chances of progressing in the L1 Cup.

Neither side has enjoyed consistent form in their respective divisions of late, but some say that form doesn’t matter when it comes to the cup. Who will take the initiative and put themselves in the final four?

Woodbridge Strikers vs North Toronto – Wednesday, June 26

An all-Premier tie closes out the quarterfinals as two titans, Woodbridge Strikers and North Toronto, battle it out for a semifinal spot.

Woodbridge wormed their way past Pickering on penalties after the tie was evenly poised at 1-1 at the final whistle, whereas North Toronto edged past Alliance United in the allotted 90 minutes thanks to a Kaia Rice goal in the 73rd minute.

Both are flying high in the league standings in second and third respectively, but North Toronto hold the bragging rights after an 84th-minute winner by Jade Kovacevic in early May saw North Toronto beat the Strikers 3-2.

Men’s

Guelph United vs Simcoe County Rovers – May 28

The quarterfinals kick off with an all-Premier tie as Guelph United host Simcoe Rovers at Centennial Bowl.

The home side breezed past League2 side The Borough FC in the Round of 16, winning 3-0 with a brace for Jared Agyemang. Simcoe also kept a clean sheet in their first L1 Cup victory; a 2-0 win over Darby, with Jevontae Layne among the goals yet again.

That win against Darby win is also the only victory that Simcoe’s Men’s Premier team have managed this season, while Guelph United have won twice and lose three times. Simcoe and Guelph also meet in the Men’s Premier on June 1, making this week all-the-more interesting.

Master’s FA vs North Toronto – TBC

A quarterfinal cupset could be on the cards if Master’s FA, currently fighting for survival in the Men’s Championship, can defeat North Toronto and send another Premier Division team crashing out of the tournament.

Master’s impressed in the Round of 16 with a 24th-minute goal and clean sheet helping them to a 1-0 victory at title-chasing Alliance United. Their quarterfinal opponents reached this stage via a narrow win over divisional rivals Woodbridge Strikers, winning on penalties after the game was tied 1-1 at full-time.

Can Master’s master a Premier Division team in the cup once again, or will North Toronto march on into the semifinals?

Sigma vs Vaughan Azzurri – Wednesday, July 17

It’s a battle of braces between Sigma and Vaughan Azzurri as both Hoce Massunda and Reshaun Walkes both bagged two goals in the previous round of the competition.

Massunda boosted a league-struggling Sigma to a 5-0 victory over Championship side BVB IA Waterloo, and Vaughan were the beneficiaries of two second-half Walkes goals in a 4-1 victory over St Catherines Roma Wolves.

After Sigma won in the cup – their first win of the campaign – they went on a victorious run defeating Vaughan and Blue Devils in their battle to avoid relegation from the Premier Division. Although Sigma might have the league bragging rights, Vaughan may still be favourites heading into this knockout game.

Blue Devils vs Burlington – Wednesday, July 17

This is potentially the closest clash of the competition between Blue Devils and Burlington as two top-half Premier Division sides fight for a place in the L1 Cup semifinal.

Both sides booked their spot in the final eight through penalty shootouts, with the Oakville team coming back from two goals down in regular time to then defeat FC London, and the Bayhawks held their nerve against Scrosoppi in a match between two unbeaten teams.

Burlington and Blue Devils have crossed paths already in the Premier Division this year; the Blue Devils’ 2-0 victory was part of back-to-back defeats for the previously invincible Burlington who started the season winning eight games on the bounce in all competitions.

This game between two L1ON heavyweights could well determine where the L1 Cup may be heading come the end of the season.