CNSL game of Sunday September 14, 1997.
Here are the results of the CNSL game between Kosova Albanians and London City played at Esther Shiner Stadium in North York at 6:00pm. This was considered the first game playoff in a two game series.
Kosova Albanians (red socks and shirts, black shorts and numbers)
...............................................13 Gregory Dreacks
...........7 Jose Pisco........3 Marcos Jaramillo.........6 Francis Rigoult
9 Garvin Huston....17 Alfredo Oyague....5 Loli Fama....19 Anival Robles
.............10 Marin Quiroz........1 Wende Sosa?.......16 Marco Ponce
Subs:...4 Juan D Shenz...12 Roosevelt Angula...14 Gentian Cara....
Coach Jose Valencia, trainer Ernesto Canas, president Faik Chabani, manager George Nikola.
Actually there were no substitutes when the game began for Kosova. Some of the regulars had even played soccer in other leagues earlier in the day so many players looked tired as the game wore on.
London City (red socks, black shorts and shirts, white numbers)
.............................................1 Fedja Dimitrov
3 Ian Wombwell....2 John Williams....15 Renate Memdovski....5 Frank Diciocco
..................17 Paul Hillman......16 Terrance Constantine......8 Ciaran McCarthy
............10 Canute Hylton.......9 Luan Jonuzi.......13 Anthony Dominique
Subs:...7 Howard Buchanan...11 Shawn Donovan...14 Pete Paterson...20 Sean Mulheron...12 Michael Gauthier...xx Caspar Biermann....
team officials Harry Paul Gauss, Steve Roney, Bill Blair, Dominic McCarthy, AJ Lee and Tom Bianci.
Officials: Referee Mike Long, linesmen Hughie Elliott and Ken Thomas.
1st half:...(Kosova defend East end on warm and sunny day, game starts at 6:20pm)
4 min...City Hillman heads pass from 3 yards wide right of post after receiving freekick chip.
13 min...Kosova Quiroz gets 15 yard shot wide left after Kosova Jaramillo freekick into wall leaves Quiroz open.
15 min...Kosova Fama runs in and 10 yard blast tipped by goalie into crossbar.
Kosova Ponce injured behind net (and noone to replace him).
15 min...City Hylton on right cuts pass over to Jonuzzi on 2 on 1 but Kosova goalie comes out to scoop up through ball 10 yards out Jonuzzi had touched too far ahead.
23 min...City Hylton blasts 35 yard roller wide left of net.
27 min...City McCarthy weak 30 yard shot into box.
28 min...Kosova sub...Angulo replaces injured Ponce. There was no bench strength until then.
29 min...Kosova Angulo pops up header 2 yards from net inside the box.
30 min...Kosova goalie catches hard shot on short right side.
34 min...Kosova Rigoult long 45 yard freekick into box caught by City goalie.
39 min...City sub...Mulheron replaces Memdovski.
43 min...Kosova corner kick into box cleared by City player off crossbar (so was he standing in net?).
43 min...City Hylton hard shot from 15 yards stopped by goalie after through ball.
44 min...Kosova goalie leaps to catch corner kick.
45 min...Kosova header in box wide right.
2nd Half:
50 min...City goalie catches cross.
52 min...City goalie stops two point blank shots in box.
54 min...City Dominique drop pass for City Hylton who blasts 15 yard shot over bar.
55 min...City Jonuzzi dives in box while racing through defenders.
56 min...Kosova Huston centering pass to Kosova Angulo shot just wide left of bar.
57 min...City Jonuzi pulled down in box (more convincing than when pulled down last time).
..............City Dominique Penalty shot hits outside of right goalpost and deflects along touch line to corner flag.
60 min...Kosova Oyague 25 yard shot wide left of net.
63 min...Kosova players clear ball off line in fierce box action.
65 min...City McCarthy bounces shot for 15 yards right to goalie.
70 min...City Hillman flicks header wide from 3 yards out after City McCarthy freekick into box.
75 min...Kosova sub...Shenz replaces Robles.
I also noticed for the first time that City Paterson is in game at midfielder.
78 min...City Jonuzi injured in Kosova box.
81 min...City GOAL...Paterson turns from 20 yards and rolls shot just inside right post beyond diving Kosova goalie.
82 min...City defender clears for corner from box.
83 min...Kosova Huston gets goal called back offside as kick made from behind.
85 min...City GOAL...Williams from 5 yards to right corner of net after Kosova goalie saves point blank shot from City Dominique.
..............Kosova YELLOW card...Jaramillo for elbow shot (?) injuring City Williams.
88 min...City sub...Donovan replaces injured Williams as game finally resumes.
89 min...City GOAL...Buchanan turns and fires from 12 yards as goalie and defender confused. (I'm not sure when Buchanan entered the game).
Final Score:.........Kosova Albanians....(0) 0.........London City.........(0) 3........
Attendance was about 30 people.
I thought the rules for this series were a two game series, total goals away goals count double, but as it turns out a loss no matter how big just counted as a loss. If both teams won a game each, than a mini game would take place. (The old Canadian Soccer League played with rules like this).
While in the press box, league executive Mike DiBiase made it clear that there would be a Cup Final game between Kosova Albanians and Toronto Supra. The reason is that the president of Kosova was required to provide a performance cheque for his player Loli Fama who'd been suspended earlier in the year for assaulting a referee but depending on who to believe the cheque was unsigned or not handed in. Toronto Croatia which finished with the same amount of points as these other two teams was deducted points for fielding an inelible player (Geri DeLeon) who'd played for North York Talons earlier in the year and their players were ruled unsignable when the Talons folded.
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