May 19, 2006 CSL game reports (from CSL media release)
Serbian White Eagles win CSL opener - London City ties Portugal's Angrense
ETOBICOKE - Friday, May 19 - Serbian White Eagles, bolstered by six import players from Europe, held on to a 3-0 half time lead to defeat Italia Shooters 3-2 in the Canadian Soccer League's 2006 opener at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke Friday night.
The vastly more experienced Serbian team cut through an Italia defense time and again in the first half and goals by veteran Romanian professional Gabriel Pop at 13 minutes, the much younger attacking midfielder Alex Braletic at 22 minutes and recent import forward Sasa Viciknez at 29 minutes, set up the White Eagles for what appeared to be a certain home opener victory.
But Italia made a wholesale three-player change coming into the second half and a new approach by coach Carmine Isacco turned the game around resulting in goals by forward Joey Todaro at 54 minutes and midfielder Stalin Cardenas at the 74th minute mark.
Both sides had close calls late in the game but White Eagles, coached by former Yugoslavian great Dragoslav Sekularac and Stevan Mojsilovic from Red Star Belgrade, had the edge to come through the 3-2 result. The team was visited last week by Serbia and Montenegro World Cup coach Ilija Petkovic who left his national team duties to fly to Toronto for 24 hours to meet the players.
In one exhibition game played at the Cove Road ground in London Friday, London City of the CSL's National Division bounced back from a 2-0 deficit to tie visiting SC Angrense of Portugal, 2-2.
Gilberto at 11 minutes and Tiago three minutes later, put Angrense 2-0 up, but London's Michel Daoust made it 2-1 at the interval with 16 year old Bruno Moya, who has shown good promise in the Ottawa leagues to earn an early move to professional soccer, grabbed the tying goal at the 89th minute mark.
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