2022 Première ligue de soccer du Québec season explained

Competition:Première ligue de soccer du Québec
Men's Division
Season:2022
Dates:7 May – 2 October
Winners:FC Laval
Shield:AS Blainville
Shieldtitle:Coupe PLSQ
Matches:132
Total Goals:427
League Topscorer:Loïc Kwemi (19 goals)
Nextseason:2023

The 2022 Première ligue de soccer du Québec season was the eleventh season of play for the Première ligue de soccer du Québec, a Division 3 semi-professional soccer league in the Canadian soccer pyramid and the highest level of soccer based in the Canadian province of Québec.

FC Laval won their first league title and qualified for the 2023 Canadian Championship, while AS Blainville won the Coupe PLSQ for the third time. CS Mont-Royal Outremont competed in the 2022 Canadian Championship as the league's representative as 2021 league champions.[1]

Changes from 2021

The 2022 season will have its greatest number of participating teams with 12 teams. CS Saint-Laurent and the CF Montréal U23 join as expansion franchises.[2] [3] CS Lanaudière-Nord (who previously competed in the PLSQ until 2015 as FC L'Assomption-Lanaudière prior to their merger with ARS Laser) returns to the league, replacing the district team FC Lanaudière.[4] CS Monteuil became AS Laval following a merger with another non-PLSQ club.[5] Ottawa South United will return to the league full-time after being forced to withdraw midway through the 2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each team will play each other home and away for a 22 match season. The league champion will qualify for the 2023 Canadian Championship and the top four teams will qualify for the Coupe PLSQ.[6]

Main Division

Teams

Twelve teams will participate in the 2022 season. The league champion will earn a place in the 2023 Canadian Championship.

Team City Stadium
A.S. BlainvilleBlainville, LaurentidesParc Blainville
Celtix du Haut-RichelieuSaint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, MontérégieStade Alphonse-Desjardins
CS Lanaudière-NordJoliette, LanaudièreAndré-Courcelles Stadium & École secondaire Barthélemy-Joliette
AS LavalLaval, LavalParc de Lausanne
FC LavalLaval, LavalCollège Montmorency
CS LongueuilLongueuil, MontérégieParc Laurier
CF Montréal U23Montréal, MontréalCentre Nutrilait
CS Mont-Royal OutremontMount Royal, MontréalParc Recreatif de TMR
CS Saint-LaurentSaint-Laurent, MontrealVanier College Stadium
CS St-HubertSaint-Hubert, MontérégieCentre Sportif Roseanne-Laflamme
Ottawa South UnitedOttawa, OntarioQuinn's Point Field & Richcraft Recreation Complex
Royal-Sélect de BeauportQuebec City, Capitale-NationaleStade Beauport

Standings

Note: The match on October 1 between CS Mont-Royal Outremont and CS Saint-Laurent was abandoned before completion and initially recorded as a double forfeit (CSMRO had been leading 2-1 at the time of abandonment).[7] After an appeal, the match was changed to a 3-0 forfeit victory for CS Mont-Royal Outremont.[8]

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1Loïc Adrien KwemiCS Saint-Laurent19
2Yann Régis ToualyCS Saint-Laurent15
3Pierre-Rudolph MayardAS Blainville14
Adama Makan SissokoFC Laval
5Arthur Lionel Polla PhudjeOttawa South United9
6Joseph Greguy Saint SimonCS Mont-Royal Outremont8
Riad BeyFC Laval
8Josué Desire YoutaFC Laval7
Babacar Thiaw Laye DiopCS St-Hubert
Yves Wesley Wandje DjomzeCS Saint-Laurent

Awards

AwardPlayer (club)Ref
Ballon d'or (Best Player)Loïc Adrien Kwemi (CS Saint-Laurent)[9]
Ballon d'argent (2nd Best Player)Renan Dias Manini (CS Mont-Royal Outremont)
Ballon de bronze (3rd Best Player)Kevin Lenours (CS Longueuil)
Golden Boot (Top Scorer - 19 goals)Loïc Adrien Kwemi (CS Saint-Laurent)
Coach of the YearBoubacar Coulibaly (FC Laval)[10]

Coupe PLSQ

Semi-finals

Final

Friendlies

In July and August, HFX Wanderers U23, the U23 side of Canadian Premier League club HFX Wanderers FC, and Sunderland U21, the U21 side of English Championship side Sunderland each played two friendly matches against PLSQ opposition.

Reserve Division

The league will operate a reserve division. Each team, apart from the CF Montréal Academy, will operate a reserve team, playing each other home-and-away.[6] CS St-Hubert, RS Beauport, and Celtix du Haut-Richelieu withdrew from the division in September, with their final matches awarded as forfeit losses.Note:The match on September 3 between CS St-Hubert and Celtix du Haut-Richelieu resulted in a double forfeit.

Awards

AwardPlayer (club)Ref
Ballon d'or (Best Player)Ryan Moteng Kamsu (FC Laval Reserves)[11]
Ballon d'argent (2nd Best Player)Zineddine Bey (AS Laval Reserves)
Ballon de bronze (3rd Best Player)Mahdi Djellab (CS St-Laurent Reserves)
Golden Boot (Top Scorer - 14 goals)Zineddine Bey (AS Laval Reserves)

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Le CS MRO Champion 2021 de la PLSQ-M Grâce à la Loyauté et à la Profondeur. CS MRO 2021 Champion of the PLSQ-M Thanks to Loyalty and Depth. fr. 10 October 2021. PLSQ. Marc. Tougas.
  2. Web site: La PLSQ Accueille Deux Nouvelles Équipes. The PLSQ Welcomes Two New Teams. fr. 16 September 2021. Première Ligue de soccer du Québec.
  3. Web site: L’équipe réserve du CF Montréal joindra la PLSQ. fr. The Reserve Team of CF Montreal will join the PLSQ. Elom. Defly. PLSQ. January 20, 2022.
  4. Web site: Le FC Lanaudière retourne à sa source. FC Lanaudière returns to its source. June 8, 2021. Just eSoccer. fr.
  5. Web site: Centre-Sud s’oppose à la fusion des clubs de l’est. August 8, 2021. Centre-Sud opposes the merger of the eastern clubs. Courrier Laval. Nicholas. Pereira. fr.
  6. Web site: PLSQ 2022 : Une Saison Chargée. PLSQ 2022: A Busy Season. April 4, 2022. Première ligue de soccer du Québec. fr.
  7. Web site: Match: CS Saint-Laurent - CS Mont-Royal Outremont. fr. October 5, 2022. PLSQ.
  8. Web site: Communiqué: CS St-Laurent - CS Mont-Royal Outremont. fr. Press Release: CS St-Laurent - CS Mont-Royal Outremont. PLSQ. October 13, 2022.
  9. PLSQ1. 1590741017497522179. November 10, 2022. Tapis Rouge PLSQ. fr. PLSQ Red Carpet.
  10. PLSQ1. 1591147648031264770. November 11, 2022. Tapis Rouge PLSQ. fr. PLSQ Red Carpet.
  11. PLSQ1. 1590358569593237504. November 9, 2022. Tapis Rouge PLSQ. PLSQ Red Carpet. fr.