CNSL Special Exhibition game of September 2, 1996.
Here are the results of the Special Exhibition game played Monday September 2nd, 1996 between Toronto Italia plus Diego Maradona vs the CNSL All-Stars played at Birchmount Stadium in Scarborough at 8:00pm. It was the last day of the Labour Day weekend.
It was billed as Argentina's World Cup hero Diego Maradona's final game and a celebration of the Diamond Anniversary (75 Years 1921-1996) of the CNSL (Canadian National Soccer League) currently a seven team regional league playing in Southern Ontario.
Toronto Italia is currently the 1st place team in the CNSL in both League and Cup play. The All-Stars team was seriously weakened by the refusal of 2nd place St Catharines Wolves and 4th place Oakville Canadian Westerns to participate.
Toronto Italia (blue socks and shirts, white shorts and numbers)
.................................................1 Joe Ciaravino
3 Franco Spadafina....4 Richard Alexander....5 Tom Perks....2 John Annisi
11 Marco Antonucci....9 Lalo Maradona....10 Diego Maradona....6 Jack Zomparelli
......................................22 Michele Gioa......23 Phil Caparrella
Subs:...00 Mike Ivancescu (gk)....7 Miguel Ferreira....8 Ryan Gamble....12 Antony Zanini....16 Garvin Houston....18 Loui Fioccola....20 Nick Maxwell
CNSL All-Stars (white socks, black shorts and numbers, white shirts with pale red shoulders and hoop about chest high)
...................................................1 Paulo Silva
2 Leonardo Simon....3 Rene Martin.....4 John DiBuono....17 Paul Hillman
5 Leo Lopez....7 Tony Tavares....8 Alex Nardi....10 Adolfo Mella
................................16 John Bottineau......14 Gus Kouzmanis
Subs:....12 Milan Popov (gk)....6 Ian Bryan....9 Luan Jonuzi....11 Lincoln Williams....13 Anthony Dominique....24 Tonino Commisso....25 Gerald Gallacher
Regular teams and standings:
3rd Toronto Supra............Silva, Simon, Tavares, Mella, Kouzmanis.
5th London City................Jonuzi, Bottineau, Hillman, Commisso, Gallacher
6th Scarborough Astros....Martin, DiBuono, Lopez, Nardi, Popov
7th North York Talons......Brian, Williams, Dominique
Those are the names. The one page program had a lot of typos. It was funny to see the mainstream media reprint the typos in their reports. (of course the league could be blamed for not spellchecking).
The crowd was between 6000-6500. Extra bleachers had been erected in the end-zones. Many fans had Argentina flags or colours. Some had Napoli uniforms. Drums were brought by some fans. These were probably the same fans who came out last year when Lalo Maradona started playing for Toronto Italia but the support fizzled out a few games into the season.
7:45pm Opening Ceremonies: Seven couples from some dance studio give a demonstration in the field but each have less than a two metre square of plywood to dance on. This seemed to drag on for 15 minutes. It was also hard to hear as the music wasn't very loud and the fan drummers were drowning the sound out. At 8:00pm, children from minor soccer league teams were paraded onto the field. 8:05pm and player intros were given. All-Stars were introduced first. Italia was introduced and the brothers were introduced last. Only minor surprise that Lalo gave up his #10 jersey for Diego and wore #9 instead which was worn by Ryan Gamble until the last game when he moved down to #8.
Officials: I don't have them except referee was the League's Chief of Referees Walter Kershner.
1st half (Italia defend south end in first half on this mild night) kickoff 8:35pm
1 min...Diego Maradona corner kick cleared by header, Diego comes back into play and gets called for a 'hand of God' redirection of ball at the 25 yard line. The crowd sighs.
13 min...Lalo hurts his ankle and limps around for awhile.
18 min...CNSL All-Stars GOAL....Mella from 30 yards out avoids sliding tackle from Alexander then also avoids Perks who has to watch out for 2 on 1 break. Mella then dekes wide right around diving/charging goalie and slides ball into short right side of open net from 7 yards out.
20 min...CNSL Kouzmanis boots 25 yard freekick wide to right.
21 min...Italia Antonucci's 15 yard shot is tipped wide of net.
22 min...Italia Diego gets corner kick pass but goalie makes point blank save from 2 yards out.
23 min...Italia shot hits football crossbar which is about two feet higher than the soccer crossbar so it's a goalie's ball. The strange thing was that the nets had no webbing which would make photos easier to take but might make close calls harder to judge.
25 min...Diego receives pass offside with no call but goalie makes point blank save and Diego does the splits.
27 min...CNSL All-Stars have two corner kicks in a row cleared.
28 min...Italia pass to a forward ruled offside as Diego was just walking back to play and he waves arms to ref that he's not in the play. Goalie takes no chances and makes save anyway.
30 min...Diego's 15 yard shot caught by goalie.
32 min...Diego's 60 yard lead pass to Caporrella caught on bounce by goalie.
35 min...CNSL good rush ends with ball shot wide.
37 min...CNSL 30 yard shot stopped by goalie.
40 min...CNSL DiBuono's long pass to Nardi who tries for diving header but his attempt ends up with his body in the net.
42 min...Diego turns on a dime and gets cross in.
45 min...Diego called offside.
47 min...ref blows whistle.
1st half score:..........Toronto Italia...........0.........CNSL All-Stars...........1.....
I noticed that the north goal stands emptied out and the fans walked down the field and filled the south stands. That would be the goal that Diego was aiming for in the 2nd half.
The subs didn't really get a chance to practise as a boys game started between a minor league team dressed like Brazil and one dressed like Argentina. They played a 0-0 draw in their time.
2nd Half:
Halftime subs:....Italia Maxwell replaces Annisi.
......................................CNSL Commisso replaces Nardi.
......................................CNSL Williams replaces Bottineau.
Before the half started, goalscorer Mella was prodded to kicking a soccer ball into the crowd. (A ball was supposed to be kicked after every goal and after the other goals it was). Mella ran towards a the east sideline and kicked a ball about 30 rows into the stands....the stadium only has 20 rows though so the ball cleared the grounds! The announcer recovered by saying "those Spalding soccer balls r-r-really fly, don't they folks?".
46 min...CNSL goalie punches out header.
51 min...Italia goalie catches 20 yard banana free kick from Tavares.
53 min...Diego called for another hand ball.
57 min...Italia subs....Zanini replaces Antonucci.
....................................Gamble replaces Gioa.
58 min...Italia Zomparelli blasts 25 yard shot caught by goalie in crowd.
62 min...Italia GOAL...Zomparelli scores. Gamble takes 55 yard cross-field corner kick to Zomparelli who knocks it down with chest and with 25 yard blast from left side through crowd of players to right side of net beyond diving goalie.
64 min...CNSL subs...Bryan replaces Tavares.
....................................Dominique replaces DiBuono.
....................................Jonuzi or Gallacher (sorry never wrote it down) replaces Lopez.
65 min...CNSL sub....Popov replaces Silva in goal.
66 min...Diego dekes Bryan.
67 min...Italia GOAL...Diego Maradona scores directly from a corner kick from right of goal. Goalie Popov comes across from center of net to short side corner when he sees ball being crossed. Ball hits his chest or arm and because of his momentum, he bobbles ball right into net.
70 min...CNSL goalie catches centering cross over his head.
78 min...Italia sub...Houston replaces Caporrella.
80 min...Diego hauled down 25 yards out. Diego's resulting free-kick goes around four man wall but goalie catches it.
81 min...Italia sub...#15 who I don't have in line-up replaces Zomparelli.
..............Diego can't take free-kick as spectators rush the right corner he's near.
83 min...Diego's corner goes through box.
..............Lalo's corner is headed by Diego over net.
85 min...Italia sub....Fioccola replaces Diego Maradona. Immediately fans rush the field but Diego has rushed for the player's entrance not the Italia bench so he escapes the mob. The few hundred on the field have to be prompted to clear the field. Immediately 4000 of the 6000 fans leave the game to rush to the parking lot to get home. The All-Stars had to hold off from a free-kick very close to the box while all this was going on. (of course this just proved that the majority of fans didn't give a damn about the game, they just wanted to see Diego Maradona. At least the clock seems to have stopped during the delay).
86 min...Italia sub....Ivancescu replaces Ciaravino.
88 min...CNSL Bryan gets 15 yard chip shot that's caught by goalie.
90 min...Italia Gamble's weak shot bounces to goalie.
92 min...CNSL Bryan gets 25 yard shot over net.
92:30 min....game ends.
Final Score:.......Toronto Italia............2...........CNSL All-Stars................1......
Lucky draw tickets were sold to for two raffles, one for Diego's game jersey and the other for a soccer ball autographed by him.
The traffic jam to get out of that neighbourhood was bad but it would be worse if all the fans had stayed to the end.
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