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Result of the Saturday October 7th, 2006 CSL Semi-Final game between Serbian White Eagles and Windsor Border Stars played at Esther Shiner Stadium in North York at 5:00pm.
Serbian White Eagles (all white, blue names and numbers)
..........................23 Dusan Belic
2 Sinisa Ninkovic...8 Nenad Stojcic...6 Mirko Medic...4 Mark Janicek
10 Bozo Milic...16 Joshua Gordon...15 Milos Scepanovic...21 Alex Braletic
...................9 Sasa Viciknez (cpt)...11 Gabriel Pop
Subs:...1 Milodrag Bogdanovic (gk)...5 Nikola Lukic (def)...7 Mario Ostojic (def)...12 Uros Predic (mid)...13 Nikola Budalic (mid)...19 Slobodan Krstic (mid)...22 Dragan Radovic (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Dragoslav Sekularac...manager Bora Mijovic...physio David Lee
Windsor Border Stars (all black, white numbers)
...........................1 Anthony Santilli
5 Scott Patiquin...4 Fil Rocca...22 Lamar Peters...3 Mario Scicluna
20 Dominic Scicluna...19 Ryan Mallard...11 Wil Kletzien...10 Ablaye Abdulla...16 Radek Papiez
...........................18 Woreth Sampson
Subs:...2 Gronthik Chatterjee (mid)...15 Erik Elmauer (fwd)...8 Pat Hilton (mid)
team officials:...head coach Pat Hilton
Game officials:...referee Vito Curalli...referee's assistants Amato Deluca and Yusri Rudolph...fourth official Kim Babb...(neon green shirts, black shorts and socks)
1st Half:...game starts 5:33pm...SWE defend east end on this mild day with the bright sun in the west.
2 min...WBS Sampson on rush on right shoots roller wide left from 20 yards.
3 min...WBS Mallard heads ball over end line to prevent SWE cross into box.
4 min...SWE Viciknez cornerkick from left has charging SWE Milic knock down ball with head from 5 yards on left but ball bounced over end line.
5 min...SWE Viciknez 30 yard roller up middle smothered by goalie.
6 min...SWE Viciknez 28 yard freekick from left rolled up middle but WBS defender blocks pass attempt.
10 min...WBS goalie hops over to knock away cross but defender has to clear.
11 min...WBS player's 20 yard shot is low and smother by goalie.
13 min...SWE Milic draws freekick when WBS Mario Scicluna trips him on edge of box.
14 min...SWE Viciknez 18 yard freekick hits a player's head in box.
14 min...SWE Gordon 30 yard cross from right into box but diving header is flagged offside.
15 min...WBS Papiez 30 yard low shot smothered by goalie.
17 min...SWE Milic 20 yard shot from right after faking cross and goalie bats ball wide right.
20 min...WBS YELLOW card...Mario Scicluna for check on center line sideline.
22 min...SWE Milic cross from right has SWE Pop leap and not able to draw penalty kick.
23 min...WBS Sampson dekes defender and is in alone and shoots 20 yarder that hits sliding goalie and deflects ball and bounces wide right of net.
24 min...WBS Dominic Scicluna cornerkick has defender head away.
25 min...WBS Rocca boots away ball on 2 on 1 SWE rush from 20 yards.
27 min...WBS Sampson 20 yard shot from extreme left just misses top right corner.
29 min...White Eagles Gabriel Pop GOAL...SWE Sinisa Ninkovic crosses from 25 yards on the right and SWE Milos Scepanovic knocks ball down on left and Pop’s 7 yard shot is into the top right corner of net.
30 min...WBS Rocca heads away SWE cornerkick from left.
31 min...SWE Scepanovic flying 10 yard header caught by goalie.
33 min...SWE Pop 30 yard bouncer up middle to goalie.
34 min...White Eagles Milos Scepanovic GOAL...SWE Gabriel Pop crosses from the right 25 yards and ball is one step ahead of charging SWE Bozo Milic in middle however Scepanovic on the left side gets to ball and rolls in 6 yarder to left side of net with goalie Anthony Santilli guarding center of net.
35 min...WBS player on rush into SWE box is flagged offside.
36 min...White Eagles Gabriel Pop GOAL...SWE Sasa Viciknez on rush down right rolls ball to Pop who’s 12 yard shot is into net.
38 min...SWE goalie picks up loose ball into box.
39 min...SWE Viciknez and SWE Pop work out cross from right incluidng backheeler but defender blocks.
40 min...SWE Pop chips 25 yarder up middle over the net.
42 min...WBS Mario Scicluna given pass on left and his 12 yard chip is caught by goalie.
44 min...SWE Gordon gets cross on right end line but can't keep ball in.
45 min...WBS Papiez chips 30 yarder that goalie catches wide left of net.
46 min...half ends 6:19pm.
2nd Half:...starts 6:35pm.
45 min...WBS Abdulla runs through middle and touch for WBS Dominic Scicluna who boots 12 yarder over net.
48 min...WBS Papiez is pushed a centering pass and his 10 yard shot he falls is over net.
49 min...White Eagles Gabriel Pop GOAL...SWE Sasa Viciknez rush on right wind and his low cross through crowd of players has Pop following up blast low 20 yard shot to low left side of net.
52 min...SWE Ninkovic 45 yard shot is just over net.
53 min...SWE Scepanovic on run gets pushed over on edge of box but no penalty call.
54 min...SWE Gordon 30 yard low shot from right has diving goalie push ball wide left.
55 min...SWE YELLOW card...Viciknez for diving on left end line after cornerkick from left.
56 min...SWE Scepanovic 35 yard shot is wide left.
57 min...SWE sub...Budalic replaces Scepanovic.
57 min...SWE Gordon rush on right has cross and sliding SWE Pop connects and sends 3 yarder over net.
60 min...WBS Sampson shot from left is blocked and deflected for cornerkick.
60 min...WBS player's cornerkick from left has SWE Budalic head ball off goalline on WBS player's 12 yard shot.
61 min...White Eagles Gabriel Pop GOAL...Pop is given ball on rush on right and he chips goalie who’s near edge of box from 25 yards and it one bounces into the net.
63 min...WBS Dominic Scicluna cornerkick from right has defender clear.
64 min...SWE Budalic 35 yard shot is just over net.
65 min...SWE sub...Radovic replaces Milic.
65 min...SWE Ninkovic intercepts pass but 12 yard redirection hits right goalpost and goalie dives on rebound for save.
68 min...Border Stars Ablaye Abdulla GOAL...WBS Radek Papiez cross from right has a charging WBS player elbow the goalie in the head and Abdulla heads 8 yarder from left over the fallen goalie Dusan Belic into the net. I thought referee Vito Curalli would have disallowed that goal.
70 min...SWE sub...Ostojic replaces Ninkovic.
74 min...WBS Abdulla rolls 15 yard shot at empty net and has SWE Janicek save ball 3 yards out as WBS Papiez had got away roller when held by SWE goalie on right edge of box.
75 min...SWE Viciknez rush down left on 2 onb 2 and pass to SWE Pop who 10 yard shot is wide right as he's pushed over.
80 min...WBS Papiez 25 yard roller from left is wide left.
81 min...White Eagles Joshua Gordon GOAL...Gordon takes an 8 yard low shot into the right side of the net.
82 min...SWE Viciknez 25 yard shot from right is wide left.
83 min...SWE sub...Lukic replaces Janicek.
84 min...SWE sub...Krstic replaces Pop.
85 min...WBS Sampson pushes SWE Lukic over onto track out of bounds.
87 min...SWE Radovic on break takes 15 yard shot that has goalie save point blank on body dive and he gets up to catch popped up ball.
91 min...game ends 7:21pm.
Final Score:.............Serbian White Eagles.............6..........Windsor Border Stars..........1...........
Attendance was about 1000 people on this mild sunny day. Security was tight with a pat down from a private security firm for all who came inside. Scheduling this semi-final game for two hours after the Toronto Croatia game ended and ensuring the stadium was cleared between games prevented the two groups of fans from meeting up with each other. No flares were lit today because of the security and the fact that it was still daylight. A few jeers when it was announced that smoking was prohibited in the stadium but that was it for disturbances. I was slightly surprised by the crowd as at the same time Fox Sports World Canada was showing the Serbia vs. Belgium European Cup qualifier on television although I later heard it was already over and being shown on tape delay.
The North York Astros are the hosts of these finals and this year did not insist on any kind of ‘wild card’ entry into the tournament. The only glitz was the appearance of Corporation Azul dj services for the music (they haven’t been booked for every game this year). For this game the ceremonial kick-off was taken by Toronto councillor David Shiner (his mother had this stadium named after her for her long service on city council. I’d wondered why the name hasn’t been changed to Esther Shiner Memorial Stadium) and O Canada was sung by Natalie Ursini. There were six cheerleaders called The Chicas Astros (who I’d never seen at Astros games). Actually by the time of this second game, the Chicas were down to five members.
The game didn’t started half hour later than it should have. That wasn’t a problem as it took that long to get all the fans through security and the Border Stars team was late getting here because of a traffic jam outside Chatham.
Windsor only listed three subs and that included listing coach Pat Hilton as a player. Team owner/captain/playmaking midfielder Jeff Hodgson was not here as he was on a business trip to Washington DC. Offensive threat Aaron Byrd was not here either. The lack of a deeper bench has been the trouble for trips to Toronto this year. Great starters have helped them beat some of the weaker GTA teams but it wouldn’t work today against the league’s best team. Only strategy would have been to score early and hold on but that strategy didn’t work after the White Eagles three goals within seven minutes.
Non scoring highlights (and not everything went into the net!) included at 4 minutes, SWE Sasa Viciknez cornerkick from left had charging Bozo Milic knock down ball with a header from 5 yards to left but ball bounced over end line. At 14 minutes, Viciknez’s 18 yard freekick hits a head in the box. At 17 minutes, Milic’s 20 yard shot from the right after faking a cross and the goalie bats ball wide right. At 22 minutes Milic crosses from the right and SWE Gabriel Pop leap up and he’s not able to draw a penalty kick. At 23 minutes, WBS Woreth Sampson dekes a defender and he’s in alone and shoots 20 yarder that hits the sliding goalie and deflects back and bounces wide right. This could have changed the rest of the game if it had gone in! At 25 minutes WBS Fil Rocca boots away a ball at 20 yards on a 2 on 1 SWE rush. At 27 minutes Sampson’s 20 yard shot from the extreme left just misses the top right corner of the net. At 31 minutes, Scepanovic’s flying 10 yard header was caught by the goalie. At 42 minutes, a WBS player is given a pass on left and his 12 yard chip is caught by the goalie.
In the second half right after the restart, WBS Ablaye Abdulla runs through the middle and he touches ball for WBS Dominic Scicluna who boots 12 yarder over net. At 48 minutes WBS Radek Papiez is centered as pass and his 10 yard shot on a pushed up ball is sent over the net as he falls. At 54 minutes, SWE Joshua Gordon’s 30 yard low shot from right has diving goalie push the ball wide left. At 57 minutes Gordon rush on right has cross and sliding Gabriel Pop connects on 3 yarder over the net. At 60 minutes, a WBS cornerkick from the left had SWE Nikola Budalic head ball off the line on a WBS player’s 12 yard shot. At 65 minutes, SWE Sinisa Nikovic intercepts pass but his 12 yard redirection hits the right goalpost and the goalie dives on the rebound for the save. At 74 minutes, WBS Ablaye Abdulla rolls a 15 yard shot at the empty net and SWE Mark Janicek save the ball 3 yard out as WBS Papiez got away roller when he was held by the goalie on the right edge of the box. One minute later it was SWE Viciknez rushing down the left on a 2 on 2 rush and his pass to Pop whose 10 yard shot was wide right as he’s being pushed over by defender. At 87 minutes, SWE Dragan Radovic on break takes 15 yard shot that goalie saves point blank on slide and he gets up to catch the pop up.
Gabriel Pop’s four goal effort earns him the league scoring title as all games up until the final count in the results. He was tied with team-mate Sasa Viciknez at the start of the game but there was no selfishness in Viciknez giving him many set up passes to win the game.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
At least the rules for fan behaviour were posted on the gates before the security pat-down.
Serbian White Eagles starters
Windsor Border starters (although they ended up playing the full 90 minutes)
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