THE 2019 SEASON IN RETROSPECT – Part 5 – It’s Goals that Count

Many fans will say that some goals were great goals worth the price of admission.  Last minute winners even more so. Some goal scorers score goals that are never foregotten. They are goals that win championships, important trophies. There are goals that are controversial while others are picture goals, goals we see just once in a while.

Some goal scorers find the net with great goals, but not in big numbers. CSL playmaker Sasa Viciknez who played for several clubs in Europe and had a brief stint in China before ending his career with Serbian White Eagles in the CSL during 2006 to 2012, scored 64 goals in the CSL. But he is best remembered for his picture goals, especially from a dead ball free kick from just outside the box which he would slot just inside the post with great precision. Just like he held a patent.

Strikers that gain most recognition are those scoring the most goals. And rightly so, it’s goals that count.

FC Vorkuta striker Mykola Temniuk, with 18 goals during the regular season, won the top CSL goal scorer award to be one of three players the charts show scored the most goals. They were the most outstanding strikers in the Canadian Soccer League in 2019. Temniuk, 27, Ukrainian-born, has a reputation of being a prolific striker in Europe. He was a significant addition to the Vorkuta line-up when signed early 2019 to play a big part in the north Toronto team while winning the CSL First Division title.

Marko Stajic, 20, of Serbian White Eagles B, was number one in the Second Division with 13 goals and attracted attention by adding eight more as a regular in the Serbian White Eagles First Division team for a total season tally of 21. One of the youngest to score so many in the tough CSL.

Vladimir Strizovic, 27, a native of Serbia who played for Polet Ljubicand a recent signing for Serbian White Eagles, was also doing double shift all season to enter the scoring picture with a combined total of 21 goals – ten in the First Division and an additional 11 playing for the club’s reserves.

Goals scored by Stajic and Strizovic accounted for more than 40 per cent of all goals scored by Serbian White Eagles First Division team and reserve team in 2019.

TWO DECADES OF TOP GOALSCORERS IN THE CSL

2000      Gus Kouzmanis   (Toronto Olympians)        12

2001      Kevin Nelson     (Ottawa Wizards)               23

2002      Darren Tilley (Mississauga Olympians)       20

2003      Carlo Arghittu     (St. Catharines Wolves)   18

2004      Paul Munster      (London City)                     25

2005      Aaron Byrd          (Windsor Border Stars)    17

2006      Gabriel Pop         (Serbian White Eagles)    27

2007      Nicolas Lesage   (Trois-Rivieres Attak)       20

2008      Daniel Nascimento (Brampton Lions)        18

2009      Reda Agourram  (Trois-Rivieres Attak)       13

2010      Tihomir Maletic (Toronto Croatia)             17

2011      Stefan Vukovic   (Toronto FC II)                   18

2012      Drazen Vukovic  (SC Waterloo)                    20

2013      Guillaume Surot (Kingston)                           28

2014      Marin Vucemilovic-Grgic (London City)     20

2015      Richard West (York Region Shooters)         23

2016      Sergiy Ivliev (FC Ukraine United)                 15

2017      Aleksandar Stojiljkovic     (Scarborough)     17

2018      Sani Dey (Hamilton City)                                13

2019      Mykola Temniuk (FC Vorkuta)                      18