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Result of the Monday September 1st, 2003 CPSL game between London City and Metro Lions played at Cove Road Field in London at 3:45pm. This was the Final of the Open Canada Cup.
London City (white socks and shirts, black shorts, red numbers)
..........................................21 Haidar Al-Shaibani
.............2 Erald Pope...34 Marco Peeters...6 Justin Medeiros
8 Gentian Dervishi...24 Tonino Commisso (cpt)...5 Mark Boyd...19 Jeff Russell
................10 Andrew Loague...30 Ermal Murataj...11 Eris Tafaj
Subs:...3 Erik Elmauer...12 Ken Kopko...18 Jermaine Shakes...23 Philip McDonald...26 Keirth Andrew...35 Luan Jonuzi
team officials:...head coach/general manager Harry Paul Gauss...assistant coach Jeff Brown...assistant general manager Ron Cecchin...assistant staff Douglas Salgada...support staff Greg Rebelo
Metro Lions (white socks and numbers, navy shorts and shirts)
.........................................25 Gregory Drakes
............14 Kevin Ricketts...16 O'Neil Brown (cpt)...4 Jason Baker
12 Michel Levkov...20 Maxim Dorneval...8 Kareem Reynolds...7 Caswain Mason...9 Darryl Gomez
..........................19 Craig Patton...10 Hayden Fitzwilliams
Subs:...13 Anton Skerritt...22 Christopher Clarke...5 Ilan Friedman...6 Marko Janjicek
team officials:...head coach Goran Miscevic...trainer Blagoje Bratic...adminstration manager Dragoslav Lugomirski...physio Dave Adolpho...equipment manager Ken Mollineau
Game officials:...referee Sylviu Petrescu...referee's assistants Amato Deluca and Justin Tasev...fourth official Vito Curalli
CPSL Media rep Stan Adamson announces that next year the winner will play other Canadian region champs and then CONCACAF champs. London mayoral candidate Vaughan Minor scores on the ceremonial kickoff.
1st Half:...game starts 4:05pm...LC defend south end in this light misty rain. It was a warm overcast afternoon. All times are converted from my wristwatch as I chose to watch the game from the scoreboard side of the stadium so I could see the player subs.
2 min...ML Baker low 35 yard shot, ML Reynolds tips ball wide right from 15 yards.
6 min...ML Fitzwilliams or Dorneval chases for ball but slips on edge of box before ball gets to him.
7 min...ML Fitzwilliams charges to low ball and rolls 10 yard shot just wide left.
8 min...LC YELLOW card...Commisso sliding tackle trips ML Mason on left sideline in LC end.
9 min...ML Gomez 35 yard freekick on left is headed from 12 yards to goalie top stop.
11 min...ML Ricketts gets centering pass and blasts 25 yard shot well high wide right of net.
13 min...ML Gomez freekick from near left corner flag is partially cleared but but ML players work it back but ball shot wide left of net.
17 min...ML Levkov rolls cross from 25 yards on left and ML Patton shot from 12 yards on left low and goalie sprawls for save. No cornerkick given.
18 min...LC Russell cross from left that diving defender heads out of box.
19 min...LC Murataj blasts 30 yard shot from left that flying goalie pushes wide right as ball is aimed for top right corner.
19 min...LC goalie dives out for save.
20 min...LC Murataj cornerkick from left has goalie knocks down then grabs ball.
22 min...ML Gomez 35 yard shot from left is high and wide right.
24 min...ML Patton rushes on left and sliding defender concedes cornerkick.
24 min...ML Fitzwilliams shot into box and ML Dorneval twists header wide left from left of net.
26 min...ML Dorneval rolls weak 20 yarder to goalie after ML Patton leads charge.
27 min...ML Fitzwilliams freekick from 22 yards is just wide right of net.
28 min...LC goalie beats charging ML Dorneval to ball.
30 min...London City Eris Tafaj GOAL...Tafaj receives ball in middle from right side and cuts around defender to shoot 15 yarder to right side of net beyond goalie Gregory Drakes.
31 min...ML player's cornerkick from right is knocked away.
34 min...ML Reynolds 45 yard freekcik from left is over crowd of players and wide right.
35 min...LC YELLOW card...Dervishi for check near sideline. "Persistant infringement".
36 min...LC Tafaj 25 yard shot from side has goalie sprawl to make stop.
37 min...ML ML Patton rush on right and pass deflected for cornerkick.
37 min...ML player's cornerkick rush on right and pass deflected for another cornerkick.
39 min...LC Murataj cornerkick from left is knocked through players in box.
41 min...LC Dervishi cornerkick from right is headed by LC player out of box.
43 min...LC Tafaj rush on left and bounces cross from end line that goalie stops.
45 min...ML goalie catches 55 yard high shot from right.
46 min...ML Reynolds 35 yard freekick is just wide left of net.
46 min...half ends 4:51pm.
1st half results...Lions had more shots on net but City scored one of their only two good chances.
2nd Half:...starts 5:07pm with it now raining harder.
46 min...LC Dervishi cross in from right and defender clears.
46 min...LC players 40 yard freekick from left is headed wide right.
48 min...ML Gomez cornerkick from left, ML Mason heads down but defender on left post clears.
48 min...ML Patton long run down left and cross through deflected by ML player's body wide right of net.
49 min...LC Dervishi cornerkick from right is headed away.
53 min...Referee Sylviu Petrescu orders expulsion of a Lions official for touching the fourth official who came to bring the referee to the Lions bench to order them to sit down after a call they didn't like which wasn't difficult because the player's bench is only two yards from the sideline.
55 min...ML Reynolds 35 yard freekick palmed over net.
56 min...ML Patton whistled down when he gets cornerkick pass for handball in box.
60 min...ML Gomez runs down left and low cross is headed away.
60 min...ML goalie slides to grab loose ball on LC Tafaj.
61 min...ML YELLOW card...Mason for retaliating on sliding tackle from behind.
63 min...ML Gomez cross through box and ML player's diving header missed and goalie pushes ball away.
66 min...ML Baker ends good pressure by blasting 22 yard shot well high wide right of net.
69 min...ML Patton spins and kicks 15 yarder roller wide right.
71 min...ML Mason run on left through middle pass to ML Reynolds who shanks 10 yard shot wide left.
72 min...ML sub...Janjicek replaces Dorneval.
73 min...A weak bouncer is stopped by LC goalie.
75 min...LC Dervishi 30 yard freekick from right is headed up on pop up and goalie punches away ball. Play cleared but LC Loague injured on edge of ML box.
77 min...LC defender has ball deflect off him for cornerkick.
78 min...ML Gomez cornerkick from left is headed away for fast break out.
79 min...City RED card...captain Tonino Commisso picks up his second Yellow card for a sliding tackle on Lions Hayden Fitzwilliams near center line. He got his first Yellow at the 8 minute mark for a near identical challenge.
83 min...ML Mason pushes through ball after long run and ML Patton has 12 yard shot deflected by sliding defender.
84 min...Lions Craig Patton GOAL...Patton in goalmouth scramble pounds in 4 yarder past goalie Haidar Al-Shaibani.
86 min...LC Murataj 35 yard freekick from left is headed away by defender.
87 min...LC Murataj cornerkick from left is headed, then hooked and cleared in wild scramble in ML box.
88 min...ML Fitzwilliams can't get to low cross through box.
89 min...LC goalie catches 40 yard shot into box.
92 min...ML Gomez pushes ball through for ML Patton to have shot blocked from 7 yards by sliding goalie.
93 min...ML Patton has shot blocked by sliding defender.
93 min...half ends 4:55pm.
2nd half results...Lions keep up the pressure and especially when playing with the man advantage.
1st Golden Goal Overtime (15 minutes)...starts 6:00pm...LC defend south end with an even harder rain.
90 min...ML Levkov long throw-in from right, ML Gomez hits right post from 10 yards on right end line.
92 min...ML Patton through ball to ML Gomez but he's squeezed by two defenders on edge of box.
93 min...More ML pressure for next minute.
96 min...ML Gomez dragged down when back to line for freekick call.
96 min...ML Fitzwilliams freekick from 22 yards is well wide left of net.
97 min...LC sub...Elmauer replaces Loague.
98 min...ML Fitzwilliams cornerkick from left is curled behind net.
99 min...LC Tafaj 35 yard freekick from left is caught by goalie.
101 min...ML Fitzwilliams cuts into center and shot over net from 12 yards.
102 min...ML YELLOW card...Baker earns it 40 yards away from play for dissent.
106 min...ML Reynolds low 25 yard shot smothered by falling goalie.
106 min...period ends 6:16pm...Lions dominate this extra period.
2nd Golden Goal Overtime (15 yards)...starts 6:16pm.
106 min...LC Murataj freekick from 30 yards on right is blocked by first defender.
107 min...ML Fitzwilliams runs through middle and weak 20 yard roller blocked by goalie.
109 min...LC Dervishi 45 yard freekick, LC player pops up header and whistle blown in box.
111 min...Referee orders the clearing of raised platform overlooking field by the fourth officials place for constant heckling of calls that didn't go City's way. About six guys were up there including two sons of London owner Harry Gauss. I was leaning under the television platform scaffold to keep my notes out of the rain within 10 yards of this incident.
113 min...City Devishi takes 45 yard freekick, City Peeters gets shot from 10 yards and point blank rebound but can't lift ball over fallen goalie.
114 min...LC Dervishi freekick from 30 yards on right is headed away by first defender.
116 min...ML Mason pushes through ball to ML Gomez who turns and rolls 18 yarder wide right.
117 min...ML sub...Skerritt replaces Mason.
118 min...ML YELLOW card...Fitzwilliams for injuring LC Russell on high kick challenge on right sideline in LC end.
121 min...LC YELLOW card...Murataj (?) for kicking away ball after whistle in ML end.
121 min...LC sub...Jonuzi replaces Peeters.
122 min...ML goalie catches cross from 12 yards on right.
122 min...period ends 6:33pm...City comes out about equal in this period as they finally trade shots with the Lions in good end to end action.
Metro Lions looked good the whole game moving the ball around up the field but couldn't finish the plays with shots on target. The London goalie had more shots go wide or over the net than balls he actually had to stop. This has been the Lions problem this season in the league standings and the six games I've seen them play. It's the first time I've seen City this year.
Penalty Shootout (5 rounds).
1. Lions Kareem Reynolds low shot that's blocked by goalie diving right.
1. City Eris Tafaj GOAL...shot to right corner of net as goalie dives left.
2. Lions Jason Baker GOAL...takes long run up to ball but blasts to right side as goalie crumples in center of net.
2. City Gentian Dervishi GOAL...shot to right side as goalie dives left.
3. Lions Darryl Gomez shot pushed wide left by flying goalie.
3. City Erik Elmauer GOAL...blasts ball into low left corner beyond diving goalie who guessed correctly.
4. Lions Hayden Fitzwilliams GOAL...rolls ball to right side under diving goalie.
4. City Luan Jonuzi GOAL...rolls ball low to left side as goalie crumples in center of goal.
London City wins on Penalty kicks 4-2 in only four rounds.
Final Score:..........London City...........1 (aet)..............Metro Lions.........1 (aet)........City wins 4-2 on Penalties.
Attendance was about 225 on this overcast day with a light rain falling from the opening kickoff then getting worse in the second half but tapering off and restarting for the rest of the game.
The tournament MVP is announced as London City's John Medeiros (this was the only game of the weekend I saw being pinned Friday and Sunday watching the end of the A-League Toronto Lynx season). Stan Adamson and some woman presents the Open Canada Cup trophy to the City players. Harry Gauss is signalled by the players to come out of the press box and celebrate. He was quite choked up about winning the trophy which reminded me of one of the American football awards (Heisman trophy?) with the bronze player in motion. "This is for Omar" he said. (a player who had been injured earlier in the year). This was a tough weekend for City who had to win the wildcard game against Durham Flames on Friday night, beat the amateur team Kanata in the semi-final on Sunday and then play today's game a man down for the last 44 minutes of today's game.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
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