2nd Half:...starts 6:44pm.
halftime subs:....HT Velastegui replaces Cardenas.
....................HT Markovic replaces Moya.
48 min...VSD Rollins on left after run crosses and HT player concedes cornerkick.
49 min...VSD Giummarra cornerkick from right is caught by goalie in crowd of players.
50 min...VSD Smith 35 yard quick shot is pushed wide left of post by flying goalie.
50 min...VSD cornerkick from left is headed away.
52 min...HT Curic sliding tackle near right cornerflag in HT end injured VSD Todaro.
53 min...VSD Giummarra cornerkick from right is tipped by VSD Palleschi for VSD player to kick and defender spins kick over net.
54 min...VSD YELLOW card...Smith for upending HT DeLuca on center line.
56 min...HT Dukic 25 yard freekick from right is into legs in VSD wall.
58 min...VSD YELLOW card...Giummarra for not giving HT Dukic 10 yards space for freekick.
60 min...VSD Giummarra feeds ball to VSD Palleschi on left who dribbles and 15 yard shot on left is blocked by goalie on left post. Goalie then punches ball out of box.
63 min...HT Simpson twist header from cross on right is wide left.
64 min...HT goalie beats VSD Rollins to ball pushed too far ahead on rush.
65 min...VSD Todaro 35 yard shot is well wide right.
67 min...VSD sub...Forno replaces Giummarra.
...............HT sub...Leggett replaces Crnic.
67 min...HT DeSerpa 30 yard freekick has diving goalie push ball wide left of post for cornerkick.
69 min...HT Simpson 15 yard shot on right is wide right.
70 min...VSD Molina 40 yard shot from left has goalie leap and palm ball over net.
71 min...VSD Todaro cuts run along 20 yard line after cornerkick from right is worked out but blast is high left from 20 yards.
71 min...HT Simpson cuts around two defender not getting closer to net and 12 yard weak shot is to goalie.
76 min...HT sub...Bucic replaces DeLuca.
..............VSD sub...Medwin replaces Thomas.
76 min...HT DeSerpa pushes ball to HT Leggett on left in box but 10 yard shot is wide left.
78 min...VSD Dukic 30 yard shot up middle wide of net.
79 min...VSD sub...Chibueze replaces Todaro.
81 min...HT DeSerpa centered ball and 40 yard shot bends just wide right of top corner.
82 min...HT Bucic heads cross from right 10 yarder that goalie palms over net.
83 min...HT DeSerpa cornerkick from left has goalie punch forward in crowd.
83 min...HT Dukic 45 yard shot lofted into box from left caught by goalie.
84 min...HT Dukic touched pass and 18 yarder blasted high.
86 min...HT DeSerpa cornerkick from left has goalie palm across box.
87 min...VSD Turner (?) injured in own box.
88 min...HT Dukic crosses into box from 30 yards and noone was there.
89 min...VSD Smith and VSD Medwin hold up freekicks working ball along sideline.
92 min...HT YELLOW card...Leggett for kicking incident near center circle.
..............VSD YELLOW card...Forno for kicking incident near center circle.
93 min...game ends 7:32pm.
Final Score:.....Hamilton Thunder.....0.....Vaughan Sun Devils.....2....
Attendance picked up to about 175 near the end of the game on this cold day. The field was wet because of off and on sun showers during the day.
Vaughan goalie Rob Tilley earned the shutout although he had few difficult saves. Thunder moved the ball around like the Chinese women's national team, pass,pass,pass but most of their shots were from 25 yard out or possession was lost. Roberto Ferrari made some good stops too. It's the first time in the five games I've seen the Thunder play that anyone scored on him.
A tough-tackling game but referee Angelo Gertazakis didn't favour one team over another.
I was presently surprised by the choice of teams playing today since Ottawa Wizards withdrew from the playoffs on about two days notice. Officially Hamilton Thunder would have played Western Conference rivals Brampton Hitmen and Vaughan would have got the bye directly into the final but with Brampton playing the night before against London City, the schedule was shuffled around to make each team have to win two games to take the Playoff championship. One rule that was announced while the game was still in doubt was that there'd be no Golden Goal overtime in this game (I expect because of the expected two game time constraints) but a tie game would proceed directly to Penalty kicks.
Today's final will have Brampton Hitmen vs Vaughan Sun Devils at 3:15pm then a banquet after that. It will be interesting to see if the trophy presentations are brushed over whenever Ottawa Wizards win something.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
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