June 5, 2004 CPSL Windsor Border Stars vsToronto Croatia (from CPSL web site)
NEWS
BORDER STARS WIN OPENER IN A SQUEAKER
Border Stars won their long-awaited opening game, their inauguaral game in the Canadian Professional Soccer League with a 1-0 squeaker against Toronto Croatia at Windsor Stadium on Saturday.
The game at the Canada-U.S. border city was the only CPSL game played Saturday, while in the only game played Friday night, London City controlled the play throughout for a 4-1 win over new team Durham Storm at Cove Road in London.
In other news from the CPSL Friday night, a second game in three days was postponed at the Brian Timmis Stadium in Hamilton, the Hamilton Thunder vs. Toronto Supra encounter due to be played Saturday,was called off due to the poor playing surface following recent heavy rains.
Tati Erecalde was the hero for Border Stars in scoring when with just three minutes remaining he pushed the ball past Croatia goalkeeper George Azcurra in a goalmouth scramble.
Erecalde, a midfielder, was a standout on the indoor soccer circuit with Toronto Shooting Stars and more recently played for Detroit Rockers and Detroit Arsenal.
Border Stars' goalkeeper Alan Placek came under heavy pressure at times, including just before the final whistle when a key save kept the Toronto team off the scoresheet.
Midfielders Atila Salamon (21 and 50 minutes) and Gentjan Dervishi (34 and 89 minutes) each scored twice to lead London City to victory in the season home opener over Durham Storm Friday night, the second heavy defeat for the team just east of Toronto following a 5-0 loss to Vaughan Shooters on May 30.
The Durham goal was scored by striker Jahmo Welch who is quick off the mark again this season following an impressive 2003 when he struck 13 times and ended the season fourth in the goalscoring standings.
The postponement of Saturday's Hamilton Thunder vs. Toronto Supra game follows the cancellation of the Hamilton Thunder vs. Border Stars clash on Thursday evening and this is all due to an unusual amount of rain during the past 10 days affecting a resurfacing of the ground. New sod has been laid in an attempt to render the playing surface at the Hamilton venue even better for the new season, but the unusual amount of rain was not anticipated.
Both games will be rescheduled during the next week.
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