1. OLYMPIANS ADVANCE TO
LEAGUE CUP FINAL (Sept. 4th.)
2. CROATIA ADVANCES TO
LEAGUE CUP FINAL (Sept. 2nd.)
1. OLYMPIANS ADVANCE TO LEAGUE CUP FINAL
On Friday night at Birchmount Stadium in Scarborough, Toronto Olympians advanced to the League Cup Final with a 4 - 2 win over St. Catharines Roma Wolves. Olympians won the two-game, total goals series by a 6 - 2 aggregate. However, the win was not as easy as it may look on paper. Olympians held a 2 - 0 lead from the 1st. leg and were clearly favoured to advance to the final.
The first half was scoreless but things livened up in the second half. First, in the 57th. minute, new signing Chris Handsor broke away down the right wing and fired a shot past St. Catharines keeper, Dino Perri to give Olympians a 1 - 0 lead in the game and a 3 - 0 aggregate lead. Then six minutes later, Shane Campbell scored for St. Catharines to tie the game at 1 - 1. In the 70th. minute, St. Catharines scored again through Frank Delpriore to take a 2 - 1 lead in the game, cancel out the 2 'away goals' advantage held by the Olympians from the 1st. leg and closed the aggregate score to 3 - 2 for the Olympians. In fact, one more goal from St. Catharines would tie the aggregate score and give St. Catharines the edge on the 'away goals' rule.
However, in the end it wasn't to be St. Catharines night. In the 75th. minute, St. Catharines failed to clear the ball following an Olympians corner and Eddy Berdusco picked up the loose ball and fired it into the net to tie the game score at 2 - 2 and increase the Olympians aggregate lead to 4 - 2. The Olympians then made sure of advancing to the final with goals from Arte Alkhatov in the 78th. minute and Ron Belfon in the 88th. minute to make the final game score 4 - 2 for Olympians and an aggregate score of 6 - 2.
Toronto Olympians will now face Toronto Croatia in the League Cup Final to be played on Sunday, September 26th. at Etobicoke Centennial Stadum - kick-off 3:00 p.m.
2. CROATIA ADVANCES TO LEAGUE CUP FINAL
Toronto Croatia doused the Flames 2 - 0 on Wednesday night at Etobicoke Centennial Stadium and advanced to the League Cup Final.
After a 0 - 0 tie in the 1st. leg in Oshawa, it was Croatia who scored the first goal of the two-game semi-final series in the 23rd. minute. Robert Fran set up the goal as he made an excellent run from just inside his own half towards the Oshawa penalty area, played an excellent give and go with Tomo Granic, returning the ball to Granic who slotted the ball into the net from just inside the penalty area.
With the half-time score still only 1 - 0, it was still anyone 's game with both teams having good chances to score. However, Croatia put the game away when Andy Madeiros picked up a loose ball just inside the penalty area and fired the ball home in the 59th. minute.
Croatia will now play the winner of the Toronto Olympians v. St. Catharines Roma Wolves semi-final - the 2nd. leg is scheduled for Friday evening. The final is scheduled for Sunday, September 26th. at Etobicoke Centennial Stadium, kick-off 3:00 p.m.
In league action on Wednesday night, Glen Shields Sun Devils visited St. Catharines Roma Wolves and with a 1- 1 tie secured a place in the playoffs. Phil Ionadi opened the scoring for the Sun Devils in the 50th. minute before Lucio Berardocco tied the score for Roma Wolves in the 69th. minute.