Welcome to the culmination of our York9 FC Roster Roundup. Over the past month we have looked at all players currently signed on to York9 FC. With the inaugural match looming on the horizon, excitement is mounting for players, staff, and fans alike.



Every single player on the York9 roster wants to have a shot at the inaugural match, let alone a starting position. With 20 players currently on the roster and only 11 positions available however, not everyone will get their shot. It’s not only about who is the best on the day, but who works well together with their teammates. Since we have not yet had a chance to see how these players perform as a team, it’s a bit harder to figure out who will get the starting positions. With that in mind, here are my picks for the starting positions and formations for York9 in the inaugural Canadian Premier League Match.



Starters



Out of the 20 players signed on to York9’s roster, only 11 will be able to start the match on the 27th. All will be hoping for the call up, and no matter who is chosen, there is no doubt they will be excited. Here are my picks for starters for the inaugural match by position.



Goalkeeper



Nathan Ingham gets the start for me due to his track record and experience. He was a fairly late signing (April 8 ,2019) but he was an obvious target for Brennan. He played division 1 NCAA soccer and holds the record for most career shutouts in the A-Sun Division. That coupled with multiple league titles, MVPs, and team of the week selections under his belt, he has to be a frontrunner for the starting position in the inaugural match. You can find more information on Nathan Ingham here, and the rest of the goalkeeping squad here.

Defenders



These four defenders are in my view the standout starters for the inaugural match. Here’s why I think they should get the start in the inaugural match, in no particular order.



Justin Springer is a dynamic defender who isn’t afraid to sacrifice his body for the good of the team. He has a commanding presence on the pitch and is just an exciting player to watch. He was awarded 5 straight OUA (Ontario University Athletics) West All Star honours during his 5 years with the Guelph Gryphons. He has earned multiple call-ups to the St. Kitts and Nevis national team and has earned 10 caps with the team.



Roger Thompson is a foreboding man at 6”4’ with remarkable skill with his feet for a man of his stature. He bring a lot of experience to a young squad with over 125 professional appearances in Sweden, Germany, and Finland. I believe he will take up centre back in the inaugural match.



Daniel Gogarty is the young gun of the group and was the first ever U-Sports draft pick by York9. He is a selfless player puts the team ahead of himself, and does not care about personal glory or gain. He is every coach’s dream player, skilled, humble, and hard working. During his 4 years with the York University Lions the team led the OUA in Goals Against for all four years.



Luca Gasparotto is considered to be one of the top midfielders in the league. He has earned international call ups for U-15, U-17, U-20, and Canadian men’s national team. He has over 100 professional appearances in Scotland. He is excellent with both ball control and distribution and will fit it nicely at centre back.



For a more indepth look at all the defenders on York9 click here.

Midfielders



The four midfielders I have selected as my picks for the starting position in the inaugural match are Ryan Telfer, Wataru Murofushi, Joseph Di Chiara, and Diyaeddine Abzi. These 4 midfielders are not only individually talented, but have styles of play that will work well together.



Ryan Telfer in on loan from Toronto FC and brings some experience to York9. Although it may not be a wealth of experience as we have seen in some other players, he knows what it’s like to play pro in the GTA. Telfer made 15 appearances for Toronto FC in the 2018 season scoring 1 goal and adding one assist.



Wataru Murofushi is one of only 2 internationals on the York9 roster. Last year was his first year of professional play, he was team captain for Albirex Niigata in the Singapore Premier League. He led the team to all 4 domestic titles with a record of 21-3-0. He also claimed player of the year scoring 13 goals across all competitions.



Joseph Di Chiara was a standout player in League 1 Ontario with Vaughan Azzurri. In 2016 the team won the league cup and the league, and Di Chiara was awarded the finals MVP. He made 26 appearances in 2016 scoring 16 goals. He has played for team Canada at the U-17 and U-20 levels, but has yet to earn a Canadian national team call-up.

Diyaeddine Abzi plays both defence and midfield, I see him taking more of a midfield role at York9. He was the top scorer in the 2017 Futsal Canadian Championship and awarded most valuable player of the championship in the same year. He shows excellent ball skills and incredible speed. His pace is difficult for others to match which allows him to both get to, and create, open space. For more information on him check out the defense article link above.



More information on these 5 and the rest of the midfielders can be found here.



Forwards:



That brings us to the final section of the pitch, forwards. Forwards, or strikers, are generally the source of most of the excitement in a match. Whether they out maneuver a defender, find the back of the net, or even take an attempt on goal, you can’t help but get excited. My picks for the starting positions are Simon Adjei, Austin Ricci, and Michael Cox These two will definitely be a source of excitement in the inaugural match.



Simon Adjei is the second international that has been signed by York9. He comes to York9 after spending a year with Assyriska IK, a tier 3 Swedish team. In his single season with the team Adjei scored 30 goals. He will be an amazing player to watch as he is just finding his stride. He has the potential to become a league star.



Austin Ricci brings a resume that includes 3 NCAA division 1 conference championships, 3 NCAA tournament starts. He received Horizon League first team selections twice and co-offensive player of the year as a sophomore. In 2018 while playing for the Michigan City Bucks Ricci scored 12 goals and assisted seven in 14 games played. He is a force to be reckoned with on the pitch and will be a handful for teams to deal with if he is not marked properly.



Michael Cox is a 26 year old who is coming into his own as a player. During the 2015 season at York University Cox was a standout player. The team won the CIS and OUA championships, and Cox was named the CIS tournament MVP. He Earned OUA West first-team all-star honours and earned back to back OUS and CIS Athlete of the week honours in November. He led both the CIS and OUA in scoring during the season with 16 goals in as many matches. He has also made over 50 appearances with FC Edmonton scoring the teams first ever goal.



To take a look at the rest of the forwards on York9 click here.



Formation

Potential 4-4-2 Line up





I don’t see York9 going into the inaugural match either overly offensive or defensive. The roster is balanced and they have most of their experience and strength in the middle of the pitch. For that reason I see Brennan going with a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 setup.



Potential 4-3-3 Line Up

With the inaugural match less than a week away, excitement is mounting for the start of the league. This is the start of something big. The players, coaches, and fans can feel it. Only time will tell what happens to the league but it all starts here. No matter which players end up starting the match on April 27th, you just know they will be ecstatic.



Like what you read? Become a Patron.

Nathan Verbaan Nathan is a Philosophy and small business management undergrad. His love of the beautiful game began while playing as a child. It was rekindled through seeing the TFC 2018 CONCACAF champions league run, and the Canadian womens national teams continued success. His hope is to see Canadian soccer continue to grow in both popularity and quality.

Share with a Friend Facebook

Twitter

Reddit

LinkedIn

WhatsApp

Telegram

Email



Like this: Like Loading...