26 July 2024
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weekend preview
It’s the penultimate week in several League1 Ontario regular seasons, with many key positions still very much up for grabs.
Three-way race
Friday night is the third of five consecutive days with Women’s Championship action. There were tight games on Wednesday with wins for Burlington and Rush Canada, as Scrosoppi and Hamilton United dropped points in an unbelievably close title race, and fellow challengers BVB IA Waterloo lost to ProStars on Thursday.
But redemption starts as early as tonight with Scrosoppi visiting Pickering. Hamilton United then face ProStars on Saturday, and BVB IA Waterloo visit Darby on Sunday. A single point separates the top three at the moment, but will a clear leader present themselves heading into the final matchweek?
Title tussles
There are three Friday-night matches in the Men’s Championship, and FC London have the chance to go top of the table for at least the night. They visit sixth-placed Windsor City.
St Catharines Roma Wolves are enjoying an impressive winning run that has shot them up to fourth, and they host North Mississauga while looking to continue their momentum.
While North Mississauga have breathing space between them and the relegation playoff place, Master’s FA do not. They need victory against Darby if they are to keep up with the teams above them.
The Men’s Championship continues into Saturday when TFC Academy take their turn in their title tussle with FC London. BVB IA Waterloo are the visitors to Toronto FC’s training ground for this match.
Unionville Milliken are very much outsiders for the title now but will be looking to build on their eight victories this season with a three-point haul against Pickering.
Battle for positions
There were wins for Simcoe County Rovers and North Toronto in the Men’s Premier Division on Wednesday, and both sides are in action again on Saturday. North Toronto visit a Sigma side in mixed form, with a Blue Devils team who are unbeaten in four of their last five heading to Barrie in a YouTube livestream.
Alliance United have the chance to go level on points with third-placed Woodbridge Strikers; they just need to beat Hamilton United who are determined to find their first win of the campaign.
Sunday will bring attention back to the top of the table, with the leading two teams – Vaughan Azzurri and Scrosoppi – going head-to-head. While Vaughan are top with 29 points, Scrosoppi are just a point behind with a game in hand, meaning this matchup is crucial for the Azzurri if they are to give themselves the best chance of finishing at the summit.
Behind them are Woodbridge Strikers, who have played more matches than both leading sides, and they visit ProStars who have lost their last two following a winning run.
Before all this on Sunday, out-of-sorts Burlington will be aiming to stop their losing streak with a result at home against Guelph United who will be desperate for three points as they battle to avoid the relegation playoff spot.
Penultimate week
Although NDC Ontario have already wrapped up the Women’s Premier Division title, there are still plenty of positions up for grabs as teams look to finish the season on a high.
A win for North Mississauga against Simcoe County Rovers will be crucial if they are to avoid the relegation playoff, as three points will drag their Barrie opponents right back into the mix with just one matchweek to go. The importance of this match has resulted in a YouTube livestream.
FC London and North Toronto will already be thinking about Wednesday’s L1 Cup Final, but they are also tussling for second in the Women’s Premier standings. London face NDC Ontario, who lost for the first time this season in midweek, and North Toronto host Guelph United.
It was Vaughan Azzurri who handed the champions their first taste of defeat in 2024, and on Sunday they visit already-relegated Blue Devils who picked up their first point of the season last week. Woodbridge Strikers also welcome the former Premier Division champions Alliance United.
In Men’s League2, Sudbury Cyclones host another YouTube livestream when they welcome fellow Northeast Conference top-three team Vaughan Azzurri B. The Borough FC then have the opportunity to draw level on points with Blue Devils B when they face each other on Sunday.
St Catharines Roma Wolves are in Women’s League2 action on Friday night.