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Result of the Sunday September 4th, 2005 CPSL game between London City and Vaughan Shooters played at Cove Road in London at 7:38pm. This was the second Semi-Final match in the Open Canada Cup
London City (white socks and shirts, black shorts, red numbers)
........................21 Haidar Al-Shaibani
............34 Marco Peeters...29 Jeff Brown (cpt)...18 Jermine Shakes
27 Rob Della Croce...35 Dennis Peeters...15 Attila Salmon...2 Mohcine Talouati
............12 Karim Ben Sari...5 Fred Nunziata...20 Miguel Knox
Subs:...31 Ibrahim Hadzic (gk)...8 Gentjan Dervishi (mid)...10 Abukari Adams (fwd)...13 Ilija Ilic (def)...19 Shawn Ord (mid)...26 Keith Andrew (mid)...37 Nicholas Mancuso (fwd)
Vaughan Shooters (all blue, white numbers)
.........................1 Brian Bowes
4 Jorge Molina...2 Angelo Pollastrone...15 Justin Phillips...11 Fitzroy Christie
7 Cameron Medwin...5 Stalin Cardenas...21 Darryl Gomez...19 Desmond Humphrey
..................12 Danny Sanna...9 Jason DeThomasis
Subs:...00 Pablo Alverado (gk)...6 Oday Khaghani (mid)...10 Joey Todaro (fwd)...23 Aundrae Rollins (mid)...16 Stuart Black (mid)...17 Raj Takhar (def)...13 Frankie Bruno (mid)
team officials:...coach Carmine Isacco...manager Ruben Toro...trainer Dr Scott Howitt SPC...assistant coach Tony De Thomasis...club official Elio Scarcello
Game officials:...referee Vito Curalli...referee's assistants Geoff Gamble and Michael Reiken...fourth official Cosmo Iavazzi...(all black uniforms)
1st Half:...game starts 8:01pm...no sun on this warm evening. VS defend north end.
2 min...LC goalie beats VS DeThomasis to through ball on left.
4 min...VS Gomez steps through middle and 12 yard shot caught by goalie.
5 min...VS goalie picks up through ball on edge of box.
7 min...LC Dennis Peeters heads cross sent in from left wide right of net from 8 yards.
12 min...VS Christie 30 yard cross from left is caught by goalie.
13 min...VS Medwin charges on right and 15 yard shot stopped by sliding goalie.
14 min...VS YELLOW card...Cardenas for injuring LC Talouati just outside center circle.
14 min...LC YELLOW card...Della Croce for hard tackle in VS end near sideline.
17 min...VS player's freekick from left edge of box has VS Phillips head ball over net from 12 yards.
21 min...VS DeThomasis charges in from 10 yards on cross from left and his flick header is just wide right.
24 min...LC Knox freekick from 30 yards on left is headed away by VS Pollastrone on edge of box.
28 min...LC Salmon injured when he runs into VS Christie in own end.
29 min...LC YELLOW card...Salmon for flipping-over VS Christie when Salmon ducks at center line.
31 min...VS Cardenas and LC Talouati both injured when bump heads in LC end at 30 yards.
34 min...Shooters Stalin Cardenas GOAL...VS Fitzroy Christie rushes down on left wing and sends in centering pass. A City defender stops the ball but Cardenas takes away ball and sends 7 yarder to top left corner of net behind goalie Haidar Al-Shaibani.
38 min...City Miguel Knox GOAL...Knox takes 35 yard free kick around player wall and has ball bounce into right corner of net beyond diving Brian Bowes who looked like he got a late jump on ball.
39 min...VS Gomez 25 yard freekick from left hooks shot high wide left.
42 min...VS defender heads away ball on edge of VS box.
42 min...VS DeThomasis cross from 15 yards deflects off LC defender for cornerkick on left.
43 min...LC goalie catches cross from left in crowd of players.
45 min...VS Humphrey good run on left and cross to VS DeThomasis who cuts in shot from 15 yards that deflects off defender to goalie.
46 min...half ends 8:47pm.
2nd Half:...starts 9:06pm.
halftime sub:...LC Ilic replaces Salmon.
46 min...VS Medwin rush on left and blasts 10 yarder high wide right.
47 min...LC player's cornerkick from right has defender head left and LC Della Croce 12 yard blast is caught by goalie.
47 min...Shooters Jason DeThomasis GOAL...DeThomasis gets away on rush on left and he takes 8 yard shot while all alone that he puts into the net.
49 min...VS YELLOW card...Christie for tackle on LC Shakes in LC end injurying him.
52 min...LC Talouati 30 yard shot deflects off defender wide left.
52 min...LC player's cornerkick from left has whistle blown in VS box for pushing.
53 min...VS Christie rush on left and cross missed by players, LC goalie pushes out 25 yard shot.
53 min...LC Shakes returns to game after injury.
55 min...VS DeThomasis low 20 yard shot smothered by goalie.
57 min...VS YELLOW card...Gomez for tackle from behind at center line.
58 min...LC YELLOW card...Brown for ankle tackle on VS Sanna near center circle.
60 min...VS YELLOW card...Todaro (not even in the game!) for mouthing off from the VS bench.
61 min...VS goalie charges out of box to clear on shanked through ball.
63 min...City Dennis Peeters GOAL...LC Mohcine Talouati corner kick from right, LC player on left heads ball back to center of box and Peeters knocks in 5 yarder.
65 min...LC Humphrey 20 yard shot low on left has shot wide left.
66 min...LC player's cornerkick from left has ball knocked away and recross is headed away by VS Phillips.
67 min...VS Humphrey pushed ball on left by VS DeThomasis and runs to edge of box but play blocked and deflects for cornerkick.
67 min...LC sub...Ord replaces Shakes.
68 min...VS Phillips pops header on VS Humphrey cornerkick on left over net from 5 yards.
69 min...VS Humphrey rush to center and 20 yard shot is wide left.
70 min...VS sub...Black replaces Sanna.
71 min...VS Christie pushes ball up middle to VS Cardenas but goalie slides to save shot but play called offside anyway.
72 min...VS Medwin inside LC box has goalie slide out on right to grab ball.
75 min...VS sub...I only now noticed that VS Bruno is in the game replacing Medwin.
76 min...City RED card...Rob Della Croce picks up his 2nd Yellow card when VS Darryl Gomez flicks quick shot from 20 yards and Della Croce is called for a handball on the edge of the box by referee Vito Curalli.
77 min...VS DeThomasis 22 yard freekick blast from left is into body in four man player wall.
77 min...LC player called offside getting pass in VS box.
78 min...VS Humphrey rush on left has cross over players in box.
79 min...VS Christie rush on left and cross is wide left behind net.
80 min...LC Talouati 30 yard freekick has LC player pop up ball on edge of box and VS goalie charge right for catch.
84 min...VS Christie cross after run on left has ball drift over net.
87 min...VS goalie charges out to punch ball wide right than has to beat LC Nunziata to clear it.
88 min...LC Marco Peeters rides off off VS Bruno from getting away shot.
88 min...VS Cardenas 25 yard freekick from left has defender block shot in box.
89 min...VS player's 35 yard blast is well over net and the back fence. PA man Harry Gauss has fun with announcing that play and Mrs Boychuck the supposedly angry property owner.
90 min...VS Gomez 30 yard shot up middle just misses top right corner of net.
91 min...regulation time ends 9:52pm.
Golden Goal Overtime (two 15 minute halves).
1st Period Overtime...starts 9:58 pm...VS defend north end.
92 min...VS Molina cross from right corner drifts behind net.
93 min...VS Phillips passed ball back and 35 yard shot is launched well over net.
94 min...VS YELLOW card...Phillips for tackle bump on LC player at VS 40 yard line.
95 min...LC Talouati 40 yard freekick is blasted well over net.
96 min...LC Nunziata turns and 25 yard shot is rolled to goalie.
97 min...VS Humphrey chips ball up middle and VS DeThomasis turns and taps 12 yarder to goalie.
98 min...LC sub...Andrew replaces Nunziata.
100 min...LC YELLOW card...Andrew for pulling down VS Christie in LC end at 45 yard line.
101 min...VS Bruno 25 yard ball into box bounces through to goalie.
102 min...VS Gomez 35 yard freekick from left has VS Phillips diving header from 5 yards on right that goalie pushes wide.
103 min...VS Bruno cornerkick from right has VS DeThomasis shot from 7 yards wide right on deflection.
104 min...VS Humphrey worked out from right has VS DeThomasis shot for 5 yards wide right.
105 min...LC Marco Peeters 70 yard freekick is over defenders heads and goalie stops.
106 min...LC Andrew 30 yard shot is blasted well over back fence. Another Mrs Boychuck follows over the PA system.
106 min...half ends 10:14pm.
2nd Period Overtime...starts 10:17pm.
106 min...VS sub...Todaro replaces Cardenas.
106 min...LC Talouati 40 yard freekick has ball blocked but LC Dennis Peeters pops up ball and VS goalie catches it.
107 min...LC YELLOW card...Talouati for tackle at LC 35 yard line.
108 min...VS DeThomasis 35 yard freekick is just wide right of net.
109 min...VS Todaro 22 yard freekick up middle skims top of crossbar on left side and ball deflects out of play.
112 min...LC Talouati 25 yard freekick from right has defender head ball away in box.
112 min...LC goalie comes out of box to head away through ball.
114 min...LC Ord 30 yard freekick on right has LC Dennis Peeters backward-header popped over net from 5 yards on right.
115 min...VS Humphrey 30 yard shot up middle caught by sprawling goalie.
116 min...VS Gomez low 20 yard shot from middle is caught by goalie low.
118 min...VS Humphrey 30 yard blast is wide right.
119 min...VS sub...Khaghani replaces Molina.
120 min...City Keith Andrew GOAL...LC Miguel Knox corner kick from left is headed around in box and Andrew gets 7 yard shot in crowd of players into top center of net.
Final Score:.....London City.........3...........Vaughan Shooters..............2........(in 2nd Half of Golden Goal Overtime).
Attendance was about 150 on this warm evening with the sun already setting.
The game started only about 20 minutes after it was originally scheduled. Considering this was the fourth game of the day and any of them could have gone into overtime, this timetable worked well after all. The men's semi-finals were scheduled for Golden Goal overtime while the women's overtime was scheduled for Silver Goal rules which would have meant full periods and possible Penalty kicks in each game. The game ended at 10:32pm.
The Shooters turned this game into a shooting gallery with most of the chances after 66 minutes and especially with the one man advantage. Joey Todaro came into the second half of overtime for the first time since breaking his ankle months ago. Jason DeThomasis looked good tonight with his shooting and pass-offs to teammates.
Keith Andrew came into the game at 98 minutes and within two minutes drew a Yellow card. Shooters Oday Khaghani did worse when he came on replacing Jorge Molina and immediately gave up the final corner kick of the game.
Between the Men's semi-finals, London Selects earned the second Women's semi-final spot when they beat Durham Region Allstars 4-2 with goals from Eva Havaris (9 minutes), Erika Lapari (54 minutes), and Tammy Scurri (63 minutes Penalty kick and 86 minutes). Amanda Durno (24 minutes) and Allison Genoski (61 minutes) scored for Durham. Manager Ryan Gauss said the London ladies were down six players away at Western University and five on US scholarships. The London team had gone 10-0 in league games this year but having to bring in a new team for this tournament is something the CPSL will have to get along with. The USL W-League plays in this city too with their Monarchs franchise. Recruiting by the two teams has been a problem said Ryan Gauss. The Monarchs "don't like us much" and they haven't accepted their challenge to play them, he said.
The day had the CPSL use the Locus pink ball for the ladies game and the Locus yellow ball (which won't be available retail until 2006). The balls were easier for me, as a fan to see than the standard white colour world leagues have used over the years.
The finals for both Men's and Women's games take place today in London but I drove back to Toronto after the game so I could see the USL Toronto Lynx finish their home schedule against Minnesota Thunder. I don't think this game has a chance of being more exciting than either Final. London teams earn spots in both finals. No complaints from any Voyageur please about them getting in as a Wild Card team from their host status will be heard this year.
This was the most exciting game I've seen so far this year, now beating out the USL Toronto Lynx vs. Puerto Rico Islanders 4-4 tie in my memory. I'm so glad I went even though I knew I wouldn't stay for the final. It was just over 400 km roundtrip.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
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