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Result of the Sunday July 8, 2007 CSL game between Canadian Lions and Toronto Croatia played at Birchmount Stadium in Toronto at 6:00pm.
Canadian Lions (all blue, white numbers and trim)
...................1 Matthew Willis
12 Aram Doski...10 Dejan Jakovic...16 Marc Jankovic...18 Alan Keri
17 Marko Milanovic...7 Joe Rini...5 Eric Asanin...15 Beleshi Misiari
..............21 Jelani Smith...11 Lexton Hurlock
Subs:...9 Evan Milward (fwd)...19 Marko Jancicek (fwd)...13 Nikola Miodrag (fwd)...4 Ryan Reese (mid)...14 Adam Peros (def)...6 Dragisa Klisara (def)...
8 Nordo Gooden (--)
team officials:...head coach Goran Miscevic...assistant coach Blagoje Bratic...manager Ken Mollineau...trainer/physio Doug Neal...team officials Predrag Mikovic
Toronto Croatia (white socks and shirts, navy shorts and numbers)
...................1 George Azcurra
14 Tomislav Pavicic...6 Mario Kulis...3 Ante Brkic...16 Halburto Harris
23 Boris Tomac...2 Robert Fran...15 Mario Beljo...8 Hayden Fitzwilliams
...............7 Tomislav Ples...22 Hugo Herrera
Subs:...21 Roy Blanche (gk)...18 Rudi Spajic...19 Robert Grnja...11 Ivan Pavicic...10 Leo Marsovic
team officials:...assistant coach Robert Grnja...manager Pino Jazbec...train/physio Milan Krijan...team official Jozo Cvitanovic
Game officials:...referee Paul Bottos...referee's assistants Mickey Donen and Benome Savulescu...fourth official Jeff Pealston...(yellow shirts, black shirts and socks)
1st Half:...game starts 6:11pm...Lions defend south end on this very hot and humid overcast evening...As the scoreboard is not working, all times are converted from my wristwatch.
30 sec...Lions Misiari rush down left and rolls cross and Lions Smith kicks 10 yard shot that's wide right.
4 min...TC Brkic(?) 30 yard freekick up middle is well over net.
5 min...Lions Milanovic cornerkick from left has TC Pavicic head ball away.
6 min...Lions Milanovic cornerkick from left has Lions Jankovic just missing 3 yard header. TC Pavicic was hurt on the play.
10 min...Lions Milanovic cornerkick from left has TC players head away and TC Beljo block rebound blast off his face.
15 min...Lions Hurlock steps in front of defender to head cross wide of goal from 10 yards.
16 min...Lions Hurlock blasts 15 yard shot from right that flying goalie pushes wide left for cornerkick.
16 min...Lions Milanovic cornerkick from left has play whistled down for leaping on defender's back.
22 min...TC Ples injured at Lions 30 yards wins freekick.
22 min...TC Tomac 33 yard freekick is low up middle that's blocked by defender on edge of box.
25 min...TC Beljo cornerkick from right has defender on near post head ball away.
27 min...Lions Doski 40 yard freekick from right starts sove intense in-box action as defenders clear and block rebounds.
29 min...Lions Keri 40 yard chip from left sideline is wide left.
30 min...TC Tomac cornerkick from right is headed across box. TC Fran blasts partially cleared rebound low from 25 yards that goalie smothers on left post.
A hard rain starts.
34 min...TC Fitzwilliams rush down left wing to ball and crosses behind net from near end line.
35 min...Lions Rini 28 yard shot deflects off defender and goalie picks up.
37 min...TC Ples passes from middle to left to TC Fitzwilliams who dribble around defender and cuts 15 yard shot wide right of goal.
39 min...Lions Keri cross from left from 35 yards is headed across edge of box.
40 min...TC Harris gets back to boot away 2 on 1 break for cornerkick.
41 min...Lions Asanin cornerkick from right drifts to edge of box for TC Brkic to head away.
42 min...TC goalie races right to beat Lions Smith to through ball and smother it.
43 min...Lions Jankovic receives 30 yard freekick from right and heads 15 yarder over from left that's caught by goalie.
44 min...Lions Misiari 25 yard blast is well over net.
46 min...half ends 6:57pm.
2nd Half:...starts 7:16pm...It's still raining but not as hard as at the end of the first half.
halftime subs:...Lions Milward replaces Smith.
...............Lions Jancicek replaces Hurlock.
...............Lions Miodrag replaces Milanovic.
49 min...TC Ples injured in Lions end and needs treatment off field.
51 min...Lions Jakovic 50 yard freekick up middle has defender clears on edge of box.
52 min...TC Tomac pokes foot in to clear through ball.
53 min...Lions Asanin cornerkick from right has goalie catch in crowd of players.
54 min...LIons goalie charge forward to punch out ball into box and injures TC Herrera at 8 yard line.
57 min…Toronto Croatia Boris Tomac GOAL…TC Mario Kulis 25 yard freekick from left is tapped over to charging Tomac who cuts 25 yard shot up middle and scores as ball tucks in just under bar on right over goalie Matthew Willis.
60 min...TC Fitzwilliams curves in 35 yard freekick from left sideline that defender heads away on edge of box.
61 min...Lions Jancicek 25 yard shot from right is high and lands just over net.
63 min...Lions Milward 35 yard freekick from left sideline has Lions Jankovic heads ball just wide right of goal from 10 yards although he wins cornerkick.
64 min...Lions Asanin cornerkick from right has goalie punch through box.
65 min...TC Fitzwilliams intercepts pass and turns and fires 30 yard shot that deflects over net.
66 min...TC Beljo low cornerkick from left has nearest defender clear for throw-in.
68 min...Lions Reese cornerkick from left has TC Fran head through box over players waiting to make play. A cornerkick is awarded.
69 min...Lions Keri cornerkick from right has defender TC Fran knock for another cornerkick.
70 min...Lions Miodrag 30 yard freekick from right has Lions player on left post head back for play. Lions Milward(?) kicks 15 yarder over net.
72 min...Lions goalie charges out to grab throuugh ball before TC Herrera can get to it on left.
73 min...Lions Misiari injured on center line.
74 min...TC goalie picks up ball into box ahead of charging Lions Reese.
75 min...TC YELLOW card...Tomac for crash with TC player at TC 32 yards.
78 min...Lions goalie catches bounced shot from 20 yards on right.
81 min...TC Herrera injured near TC players' bench.
84 min...Lions Jancicek 22 yard shot one-touch is wide left on blast.
86 min...TC YELLOW card...Ples for stalling while taking throw-in deep in Lions end.
87 min...TC Fran blocked clearance in Lions end and ball deflects off him back to Lions goalie.
88 min...TC YELLOW card...Herrera for dissent, yapping with referee.
90 min…Lions Evan Milward GOAL…Lions Nikola Miodrag on right sideline near center line passes ball over defender and Milward gets ball around TC Ante Brkic and from 25 yards chips goalie George Azcurra (who was waiting on the edge of box for defender’s pass-back to make clearance) and ball bounces into middle of open net.
94 min…game ends.
Final Score:.........Canadian Lions.........1.........Toroonto Croatia.......1........
Attendance was around 100 on this hot humid overcast evening with rain starting in the first half and ending in the second. Attendance was helped by a halftime 8 on 8 boys’ soccer game from the Scarborough soccer club. They used the whole field and got to play in the worst of the rain. There were also about 15 officials from Serbian White Eagles. They are scheduled to play Toronto Croatia near the end of this month.
This game was sure a contrast from Friday’s game. That fact wasn’t lost on referee Paul Bottos who said to me “Well that was certainly different than Friday’s game”.
He had been an assistant referee in that game which featured eleven cards including ejections. This game I counted only three which included some garbage time calls to Toronto Croatia for wasting time on a throw-in and yapping at the referee for another done just minutes before the tying goal. Banned Croatia coach Miodrag Akmadzic watched the game from the stands.
There weren’t a great deal of on-target chances. Croatia defenders kept most of the Lions shot from the perimeter. Lions had four cornerkicks within ten minutes in the first 15 minutes of the game. Although Lions started the game better than their Friday game, coach Goran Miscevic made changes at halftime bringing in Evan Milward, Marko Jancicek and Ryan Reese to have a fresh offence.
Birchmount Stadium has a scoreboard which hasn’t worked all year for Lions games. Maybe that hasn’t changed but league officials should ensure that the DJ gets to keep a copy of the game sheets the WHOLE game instead of just for the opening introductions. Milward’s goal and moment of glory was ruined by some pro-Croatia prankster offering his own name as the scorer. I knew that was wrong and gave him the correct name as I’d copied the rosters from Friday night’s game…also adding the twist “and tell (name omitted) his car is being towed”. The DJ really rocks but keeps to the league rules of not playing music while the ball is in play. His sound byte of Scarborough’s own Mike Myers as his Dr. Evil character saying “Could you give me a frickin’ bone here?” seems most appropriate. Geez an extra copy of the roster shouldn’t be a technological marvel.
Another tie still has Lions winless so far this year but now with four ties in nine games. Croatia is still unbeaten with a record of three wins and five ties.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
Toronto Croatia starters
Canadian Lions starters
game officials
Croatia goalie George Azcurra follows high ball out of bounds.
Croatia defenders ready for Lexton Hurlock to make run if he gets the ball.
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