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Result of the Sunday October 24th, 2010 CSL game between Hamilton Croatia and Toronto Croatia played at Brian Timmis Stadium in Hamilton at 7:00pm. This was a one game semi-final.

FC Hamilton Croatia (blue socks, white shorts and numbers, red shirts)

.................22 Melford James Jr.
17 Pete Tereanszki-Toth...3 Alvin Hudson...18 Ivan Rzumovic...9 Tom Bilic
12 Daniel Niksic...14 Aidan O'Keefe...20 Jamie Dodds (cpt)...19 Adam Leggett
............2 Domagoj Beslic...6 Preston Corporal

Subs:...1 Ante Culina (gk)...5 Martin Mamic (def)...7 Boris Vurdelja (mid)...10 Jerko Grubisic (fwd)...11 Danny Jirta (mid) ...23 Jason Shannon (fwd)...50 Andrew Leggett (mid)
team officials:...head coach Ron Davidson...manager Michael Radencich...assistant coach Ante Culina

Toronto Croatia (all navy, white numbers)

.................1 Sandi Matika
7 Halburto Harris...6 Ante Zurak...4 Sven Arapovic...15 Ainsley Deer
21 Braeden Krampert...23 Tonci Pirija (cpt)...20 Alex Arbelo...16 Boris Tomac
............8 Hayden Fitzwilliams...10 Tihomir Maletic

Subs:...3 Robert Fran (def)...5 Jon Bustamante (mid)...11 Ivan Zgela (mid)...12 Antonio Ilic (mid)...14 Diego Gonzalez (mid)...19 Niko Pesa (fwd)...25 Lukas Pesa (mid)
team officials:...head coach Alen Vukobrad...managers Perica Arapovic and Ivan Kulis...physio Rachel Leroux

Game officials:...referee Dave Barrie...referee's assistants Jeff Fearnall and Matt Mendonca...fourth official Lisa McNeil...(yellow shirts, black shirts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 7:08pm...HC defends west end.
1 min...HC YELLOW card...Bilic earns it for sliding tackle on TC Harris at HC 50 yard sideline.
2 min...TC Zurak 55 yard freekick from right has TC player at 20 yards pop up header that HC Bilic heads down for goalie to grab.
3 min...HC O'Keefe 30 yard freekick from left has ball cleared from box.
5 min...TC Krampert 20 yard shot up middle on rebound off defender has goalie block and three TC players are called offside in box.
9 min...TC Deer throw-in from left has TC Maletic and goalie bump but catch ball on bounce.
9 min...HC Bilic heads away cross from left into box.
10 min...TC Maletic turn on defender on edge of box to get pass and 15 yard shot stopped point blank by goalie at 8 yards on left. TC Tomac gets TC Maletic to tap ball back rebound for low 12 yard blast that's wide left of post.
11 min...HC Corporal cross from 25 yards on left is caught by goalie.
13 min...TC Maletic cornerkick from right is cleared and TC Pirija can't send ball back in.
14 min...HC O'Keefe long throw-in from right is headed away from box.
15 min...HC O'Keefe cornerkick from left has HC Hudson charge in but defender heads wide left for cornerkick.
16 min...HC O'Keefe cornerkick from left has goalie bat ball away clearance but whistle is blown for player bumping into him.
18 min...HC Leggett throw-in from left has defender head ball out of box and HC Hudson 25 yard blast is wide and high right of net.
19 min...HC Niksic given pass on far right and 25 yard cross through box too far ahead of charging HC player on left post.
21 min...HC Leggett midair kick cross from 25 yards has HC Corporal one-time midair shot from 15 yards is caught by diving goalie on left post.
23 min...TC Pirija 30 yard freekick from left has goalie catch and punt upfield for fast break attempt.
24 min...HC goalie charges and dives right to prevent TC Maletic from getting to through pass at 8 yards.
25 min...TC Tomac(?) injured at TC 22 yards but HC gets freekick call.
27 min...Hamilton Croatia Aiden O'Keefe GOAL...O'Keefe 22 yard freekick is deflected in player wall and drops into right side of the net leaving goalie Sandi Matika standing in the center of the net.
27 min...TC goalie charges out to clear ball from HC Corporal at 30 yards before he can get to it.
30 min...TC Harris 40 yard cross from right has goalie catch wide left of net.
31 min...TC goalie catches bouncer on edge of box ahead of HC players.
33 min...HC O'Keefe cornerkick from left has TC Harris shank ball behind own net.
33 min...HC O'Keefe cornerkick from left has goalie palm ball through box wide right. HC player crosses from right is blocked and cleared.
35 min...TC Krampert cross from 18 yards on right has HC Dodds block at 8 yards on right.
37 min...TC Arbelo blasts 40 yard shot up middle that's well over net.
38 min...HC O'Keefe cornerkick from right is over players in box.
43 min...TC Zurak 35 yard freekick dwon middle on tap over deflects off defender. TC Zurak 30 yard rebound also is blocked on edge of box.
46 min...HC Leggett long throw-in is headed down by defender and cleared.
46 min...half ends 7:54pm.

The sky opens up as soon as the halftime whistle blows. It stops 90 seconds later!

Halftime entertainment...There wasn't any. The PA announcer reminded the crowd that "no kids are allowed on the field" which made sence given the grounds choppy and slippery conditions.

2nd Half:...starts 8:10pm.
45 min...HC O'Keefe 50 yard freekick from left has TC player clear and start fast break that has HC defender block cross at 8 yards.
47 min...TC Harris 28 yard blast up middle is well high and wide left of net.
48 min...HC goalie takes 70 yard freekick from right has defender clear on edge of box.
50 min...HC Bilic hurt leaping for header at HC 18 yards and wins HC freekick.
51 min...HC Dodds 40 yard blasts down middle is well over net.
54 min...HC Niksic throw-in from right and passes back from HC 20 yards has him clecked off ball.
54 min...Hamilton Croatia Adam Leggett GOAL...HC Preston Corporal on the right sends pass over to near edge of box to Leggett and he cuts a 22 yard low shot to the right corner of the net.
55 min...HC sub...Jirta replaces Beslic.
58 min...TC YELLOW card...Arbelo earns it for tripping player at HC 50 yards in center circle.
60 min...TC sub...Niko Pesa replaces Krampert.
64 min...TC Tomac rolls pass from left for Harris to blast 30 yard shot that goalie stops and then blockes 10 yard rebound.
64 min...TC Pesa alone at 12 yards on left and his shot has the goalie stop.
66 min...TC Pirija cornerkick from left has HC goalie catch on right post in crowd of players.
66 min...HC O'Keefe cross from 25 yards on left is wide left over box.
69 min...HC YELLOW card...Razumovic earns it for sliding tackle on TC Arbelo tripping him up the middle at 25 yards.
70 min...TC Pirija 25 yard freekick down middle is blocked by player in wall and cleared.
71 min...TC Deer 30 yard cross from left has defenderr clear from just inside box.
73 min...HC player's cross from 22 yards has HC O'Keefe scissor kick from 10 yards wide right of net.
74 min...TC sub...Lukas Pesa replaces Tomac.
75 min...HC O'Keefe slides and 15 yard cross on left is through box unplayed.
75 min...HC O'Keefe cross from left to HC Corporal whose 12 yard shot has flying goalie palm wide left of net.
76 min...HC O'Keefe cornerkick from left has ball just over HC Corporal and through box.
78 min...TC player's 50 yard cross from right has TC player in box and heads ball wide left of net from 10 yards on backwards header.
79 min...HC Corporal is injured on crash at TC 40 yards.
81 min...TC sub...Bustamante replaces Arbelo.
82 min...HC sub...Vurdelja replaces still injured Corporal.
It starts to rain again.
82 min...TC Harris cross from 25 yards on far right has TC player called for hand ball in crowd of players in HC box.
84 min...TC Deer chips 28 yard cross from left that goalie catches.
85 min...TC Harris 28 yard cross from left has goalie bat down ball in crowd of players forward for clearance.
87 min...HC sub...Leggett replaces O'Keefe.
88 min...HC goalie bumped to drop ball but ball is behind end line for cornerkick.
89 min...TC Fitzwilliams 30 yard shot from right has goalie bobble but grab ball unchallenged.
91 min...TC Deer crosses low pass from 25 yards on left and TC Lukas Pesa takes 18 yard blasts 18 yard shot from left well over net.
91 min...HC goalie slides out to left side of box to smother through ball.
93 min...TC Niko Pesa heads ball from 5 yards has TC Fitzwilliams but its over end line for goalkick before he can get to it.
94 min...game ends 9:59pm.

Final Score:......Hamilton Croatia........2..........Toronto Croatia.........0...........

Attendance was about 1500 people on this cold wet night with rain falling at various times before, during, and after the game. It made the on-field footing slippery and players risk falling on the natural grass. The stadium was almost filled for this game. There were a group of Ultras who lit fireworks and flares and beat drums but they kept their distance from the family types nearer the front and closer to the midfield. Only weather compromise was an announcement that no kids would be allowed on the field during halftime because of the chopped up field. (the one other game I saw in Hamilton this year there were dozens of kids kicking a ball around at halftime). Very appropriate as the sky opened up for all of 90 seconds and then suddenly stopped just as quickly.

Melford James Jr earned the shutout for Hamilton and had to be brilliant to stop Toronto from tying the game at various points.

Dave Barrie was the referee for the game and kept the players in check so the game didn't get out of hand.

Best non-scoring chances started early when at 10 minutes, TC Tihomir Maletic (the CSL leading scorer) turned on a defender on the edge of the box to get a pass and took a 15 yard shot that was stopped point blank by Melford James Jr at 8 yards on the left. TC Boris Tomac got Maletic to then tap the rebound back to him and he blasted a low 12 yard shot wide left of the post. At 21 minutes, HC Adam Leggett took a midair kick of a cross from 25 yards that had HC Preston Corporal one-time a midair shot from 15 yards that was caught by the diving goalie Sandi Matika on the left post. At 64 minutes TC Tomac rolled a pass in from the left for TC Halburto Harris to blast a 30 yard shot that the goalie stopped and then blocked a 10 yard rebound. In the same minute TC Niko Pesa suddenly was in alone at 12 yards on the left and his shot had James stop. James then caught a cornerkick from the left that TC captain Tonci Pirija sent into a crowd of players. At 85 minutes TC Harris took a 28 yard cross from the left that James batted forward in a crowd of players in the box.

The win sets up the final Sunday October 31st at 2:00pm at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke between Hamilton Croatia and Brantford Galaxy. I expect a large spirited crowd of travelling supporters of both teams. It may raise the bar for the MLS Cup three weeks later which will also involve two non-Toronto area teams.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca


Hamilton Croatia starters


Toronto Croatia starters


Flares lit off starting pre-game by Hamilton fans.


Hamilton's Domagoj Beslic tries to block a ball.


Toronto rush


TC Tonci Pirija runs around fallen TC Hayden Fitzwilliams.


TC player is squeezed by HC Daniel Niksic (12) and HC Pete Tereanszki Toth (17).


HC defence


Hamilton players salute the crowd after the game.

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