Who is Chris Campoli, York United's first round pick?
Campoli is back in the CPL and ready to make his mark after an incredible year in U-Sports.
York United spent a lot of last season looking for goals. Eventually, the strikes started coming often, but it remains a worry that if a dry spell does kick in that could subdue the effects of what just might be the best group of players the Nine Stripes have ever boasted on paper.
This is where Chris Campoli comes in. The six-foot midfielder lit up the 2022 U-SPORTS season with 13 goals in 11 matches for Ontario Tech. These performances not only carved his name into the record books as the all-time leading scorer in Ontario Tech history (in his career at OT he’s managed a total of 21 goals in 26 matches) but also earned himself the MVP award across all of U-SPORTS and helped the Ridgebacks to a first-place finish in the Ontario University Athletics East division.
Most would’ve taken the bet that Campoli, who has garnered some Canadian Premier League experience through stints with York and Halifax in the past, would end up as the number-one pick in the 2022 CPL Draft. After all, expansion side Vancouver FC had signed a goalkeeper, now they’d surely be looking for a striker with the first (two!) picks, right?
However, they passed. So did Halifax at pick three. So Campoli, a prolific scorer who found the netting in almost every way last season, fell to York at four, a steal for the blue and green. But for Campoli, this is everything but a bummer. He hails from Woodbridge, and thus is a hometown player. “I grew up very close to York’s home field and training ground and it’s definitely extremely special to me that I can represent a club from my local area, one that I’ve spent my whole life in.”
Is a perfect storm brewing for a breakout season?
Campoli enjoyed his pre-season episode with the Halifax Wanderers in 2021. Taking that back to university set himself to a professional standard. “A couple of players took me under their wing, and it really was a great learning experience. However, it was a no-brainer going back to U-SPORTS.”
With only one year left until graduation, Campoli decided he wasn’t ready for the pros. “I wanted to fine-tune parts of my game and come back even better.”
Well, Campoli’s highlight reel from this past year shows beautiful dancing through defences and sublime finishes, sometimes from outside the box. Whatever parts of his game he wanted to improve upon seemed to happen, and watching through some of his goals he moves like a professional. His sense of the game and what is around him is also particularly impressive. This one in particular is amazing, and not just because it broke the OT record for goals:
His dribbling creates a great opportunity, but that’s not where he stops. Campoli breaks the line and times his run perfectly for the pass, one he ultimately does finish. Breaking the line is something he admits is a part of the game he loves.
He also, as a central midfielder, takes up a variety of roles across the pitch. If there’s one thing you will be seeing Campoli do, it is consistently conjure offensive chances. On a team where there is now one of the best defensive midfielders in the league in Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, he will be looking for Campoli and go right down the spine of the field.
“I’m always looking to create,” Campoli says of his game, “I’m always trying to use my vision and find the most threatening chance. At heart though, I’m a goal scorer and I’m always up for a one-on-one.”
Campoli also had multiple tours of League1 Ontario in 2022, featuring at the start of the year for North Mississauga, scoring twice in seven matches, but it was the end of the year with Prostars where he boosted his reputation as a bagsman by scoring three goals in four regular season contests and appearing in a playoff match.
Another Nine Stripes midfield acquisition, Marki Voytsekhovskyy, was also a gem for Prostars in the year that’s gone by.
Overall, after the big roster announcement, spaces are opening up for Campoli to rightfully take a spot. A skillful and creative guy on this team might be overshadowed by Molham Babouli, but we don’t know, maybe his utter domination of U-SPORTS will translate quite well.
“I just want to use all the aspects of my game to help York win,” Campoli stated.
He’s already right at home.
Let’s hope this pick leads to an explosive offensive