April 18, 2025...League1 Ontario...Weekend Preview: Rivalries return (from League1 Ontario website)
Weekend Preview: Rivalries return
After an exciting L1 Cup weekend, it is time for league action to begin up and down the L1ON pyramid.
Friday fixtures
The 2025 Men’s Championship kicks off on Friday, April 18, with the newly formed York United Academy hosting the promoted
Sudbury Cyclones.
After their clash in last week’s L1 Cup opener, Sudbury will be looking to avenge their penalty shootout heartbreak. Both sides
are new in the league with Sudbury elevated from the League2 Division, and York’s academy making their regular-season debut.
Two sides that were competing in the 2024 Championship, though, are Windsor City and Unionville Milliken. The two sides
also face off on Friday, with Windsor hosting.
It was a reasonable season for both last year, with Unionville finishing fourth and Windsor coming sixth. Unionville had
the upper hand in some thrilling matches when these sides met, winning 5-3 away and 3-2 at home.
Whitby enjoyed cup success last week, by beating Waterloo, and they host The Borough while Mattamy Sports Park is the venue
for North Mississauga’s game against Hamilton United.
Six games on Saturday
It is a busy Saturday across the Men’s and Women’s Premier Divisions. After the women’s regular season began on Wednesday,
April 16, with the promoted Waterloo tying 1-1 with Alliance United, the action picks back up with North Mississauga hosting
reigning champions NDC Ontario.
These two sides had very different seasons in 2024 and faced off in the final regular-season game of the year with NDC taking
all three points in a convincing 4-0 win. Will we see an improved North Mississauga ready to challenge the champions
on opening day?
Elsewhere, Simcoe County Rovers play 2024 runners-up FC London. The latter finished eight points off the top last season,
so will be aiming to reduce that gap this year and go for the title. Both sides traded points in 2024, with Simcoe winning 2-1
at home and London the 3-0 winners on the final day.
Current Men’s L1 Cup champions Vaughan Azzurri are also in action this weekend against St Catharines Roma Wolves, who secured
their Men’s Premier spot by beating Guelph United last time they took to the field back in September.
Fellow promoted side FC London will open their campaign at home to Alliance United who secured mid-table in last year’s
Men’s Premier standings.
Livestreams
There are two livestreamed matches on Saturday, with Vaughan Azzurri taking on Woodbridge Strikers in the Women’s Premier.
Not only are they last year’s fourth and fifth-place teams, but there are bragging rights at stake across the Vaughan region.
Over in the Men’s Premier, Simcoe host Scrosoppi with the former trying to ensure last season’s champions do not begin the year
with all three points. A victory for either side will be a big statement to the rest of the league as they both have eyes
for this year’s crown.
Bouncing back
In the Men’s Championship, Pickering host a Guelph United side looking to bounce back up to the top division at the first time
of asking, and Master’s FA host Waterloo United.
Guelph are also in action in the Women’s Premier as they take on North Toronto, who finished third in the standings last season.
In the Men’s Premier, Oakville will be looking to continue the successful legacy of the Blue Devils, who finished as either
Men’s Premier champions or runners-up in four different seasons. They kick off the new campaign against Burlington.
Tecumseh United versus Pickering will kick off the day’s Women’s Championship action, alongside Whitby versus Hamilton United.
There were a couple of highly entertaining matches between Whitby and Hamilton last year, with Hamilton winning 5-1
at Ron Joyce Stadium, and Whitby scoring two late goals in their 4-3 home win.
Elsewhere, Oakville travel to Unionville Milliken looking to put a winless 2024 behind them and build from their L1 Cup
victory last weekend.
Scrosoppi narrowly missed out on the title in 2024, finishing one point behind the champions, but Rush Canada will take them on
with their own point to prove as they look to build from their 5-0 cup win last weekend.
Published On: 18 April 2025
League1 Ontario staff
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