September 3, 2007 CSL Open Canada Cup Final Columbus Clan vs Trois-Rivieres Attak (by Rocket Robin)

Result of the Monday September 3, 2007 CSL Open Canada Cup Final between Columbus Clan and Trois-Rivieres Attak played at Cove Road in London at 4:00pm.

Columbus Clan FC (all blue, white numbers)...designated the 'home' team

.........................1 Geoff Ayi-Bonte
6 Blair Robertson...5 Tony Gaita (cpt)...4 Jonathan Poli...7 Frank Mollica
19 Carmen D'Onofrio...23 Craig Richards...17 Tiarnan King...9 Steve Deblasio
..................21 Tino Cucca...18 Joe Scigliano

Subs:...01 Carlo Bertelli (gk)...10 Gino Gaita...12 Devin Mathews (def)...14 Rob Mascitti (def)...16 Sal Cuccione (mid)...20 Paul Jordan (fwd)
team officials:...player/coach Carmen D'Onofrio...assistant coach Rob Mascitti...manager Joe Papa

Trois-Rivieres Attak (all white, black numbers)

......................22 Jon Paul Piques
2 Peter Eustache...5 Cedric Joqueviel...3 Hicham Aaboubou...4 Alex Surprenant
19 Alph Bah...7 Ibrahim Baldeh...6 Boubaca Coulibaly (cpt)...20 Danny Anderson
..................8 Jean-Louis Besse...7 Ibrahim Baldeh

Subs:...24 Vincent Cournoyer (gk)...12 Nicolas Lesage (fwd)...14 Guillaume Barrette (mid)...15 Philippe Armand Kamdem (mid)
...24 Vincent Cournoyer...27 Francois Boivin (mid)
team officials:...head coach Marc Dos Santos...assistant coach Laurence Labonte...trainer/physio Celine Quesnel...manager Tony Iannito

Game officials:...referee Joe Fletcher...referee's assistants Jon Oliva and Geoff Gamble...fourth official Kyle McIntosh...(neon green shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 4:07pm...CC defend north end on this very hot and sunny day...I was watching from behind the players benches so could not see the scoreboard clock so all times are converted from my wristwatch.
2 min...TRA Baldeh chips 30 yarder up middle over players and bounces to goalie.
2 min...TRA DiBuono low 30 yard shot is saved by goalie.
3 min...CC YELLOW card...Robertson for push over of TRA player at CC 40 yard sideline.
4 min...CC goalie makes point blank sprawling save on shot in box.
5 min...TRA Aaboubou flick header 10 yard shot on cross from left just wide left of net.
6 min...TRA Baldeh low 25 yard roller to CC goalie.
7 min...TRA Baldeh pass forward to TRA Anderson on left who shoots wide left of net from 15 yards.
9 min...CC DeBlasio 25 yard shot deflects off defender low and rolls to goalie.
10 min...TRA Anderson cornerkick from left has nearest defender kick away.
11 min...TRA Besse gets away pass but injured in collision at CC 30 yards. TRA Bah cross chested back to goalie by defender.
14 min...CC King 32 yard freekick up middle low and blocked in wall.
19 min...CC Poli gets back to break up TRA touch over with two players on edge of box.
20 min...CC King on 1 on 1 stops and passes to open wing but defender covers at TRA 25 yards.
21 min...CC Mollica heads cross from left wide right to clear.
22 min...TRA DiBuono blast from left 15 yards is just over bar.
23 min...TRA Bah cross from l25 yards on right is headed away on edge of box.
24 min...CC Cucca run to get ball on left wing, low cross from 25 yards near end line.
25 min...TRA Coulibaly low 30 yard shot up middle through crowd of players and rolls to goalie.
25 min...CC Cucca run up left. TRA goalie charges up to clear ball.
26 min...CC Poli bumps TRA Besse off ball in middle at 25 yards.
27 min...TRA Anderson gets by defender but pushes ball over end line from 15 yards.
27 min...TRA Coulibaly makes sliding check on right edge of TRA box to break up rush.
29 min...TRA Bah pushes ball up right and TRA Besse cross blocked by defender in box.
30 min...CC Poli heads away TRA Surprenant cornerkick from right.
31 min...TRA Eustache cross from 35 yards on right has TRA player head ball wide left.
32 min...TRA Surprenant on far left cross has defender tip ball wide for cornerkick.
33 min...CC Tony Gaita heads away TRA cornerkick from left.
34 min...TRA Aaboubou good dribble run on left has two defenders check him in CC box.
36 min...TRA Joqueviel great run from right wing cutting to center but checked off ball in CC box.
37 min...CC YELLOW card...Mollica on delayed whistle.
40 min...TRA Bah runs in from right to left even with 22 yards and blasts 22 yarder well over net.
41 min...TRA Joqueviel run on right and low cross has charging TRA DiBuono gets foot to and deflect wide left from 5 yards.
41 min...TRA DiBuono gets loose ball shot from 20 yards that defender blocks.
42 min...CC Poli heads TRA Anderson cornerkick from left over net.
43 min...CC Poli heads TRA Anderson cornerkick from left out of box and TRA DiBuono shot back into box is blocked by defender.
43 min...TRA Surprenant cornerkick from right has defender clear ball from box.
44 min...TRA Besse can't draw freekick when tackled from behind just outside box on rush.
46 min...half ends 4:53pm.

2nd Half:...starts 5:05pm.
46 min...TRA DiBuono rush on left and crosses behind CC net from 25 yards.
47 min...TRA Anderson gets ball in middle and blasts 20 yard shot deflected over net by TRA player.
49 min...TRA Aaboubou rides CC DeBlasio over on rush down right.
50 min...CC Richards 50 yard freekick up middle cleared by defender.
51 min...TRA Bah shot blocked by defender on right.
51 min...TRA sub...Lesage replaces Baldeh.
52 min...TRA Besse rush into box from right and 15 yard shot is wide left of top corner.
53 min...CC King gets shot up middle from 20 yards that diving goalie gets hand to and pushes wide.
53 min...TRA Bah shot from right is blocked by defender after fast break.
54 min...TRA Surprenant 27 yard shot up middle is well high and wide left.
55 min...TRA Anderson low 25 yard shot is wide left.
57 min...TRA DiBuono pass to left wing from CC 45 yards and TRA Lesage cross shot from 25 yards is well high and wide left of net.
58 min...CC Cucca 30 yard shot is over crowd of players up middle and well high and wide right of net.
60 min...Attak Nicholas Lesage GOAL...Attak Alpha Bah passes from middle and Lesage hits post with header then gets own rebound on left and his shot from 7 yards is banked in off the right post.
61 min...CC Cucca can't draw freekick when he's ridden over on edge of box up middle.
61 min...CC Tony Gaita injured deep in own end.
63 min...TRA ogalie races right to fall on ball ahead of charging CC Cucca.
64 min...TRA Lesage 25 yard shot up middle is stopped by goalie on chest knocking wind out of him.
65 min...players are allowed a water break as CC goalie is treated for injury.
66 min...CC Robertson heads ball into box to break up two TRA players waiting near post on cross from long on right.
68 min...TRA Lesage on left partially dekes CC defender but shot deflects for cornerkick.
69 min...TRA Anderson cornerkick from left is over players in box.
71 min...CC King rush on right and cross cleared by defender back to him and recross also blocked.
72 min...CC Robertson gets foot in to break up TRA Besse on rush up left.
73 min...TRA Anderson cornerkick from left has goalie tip away.
74 min...Attak Danny Anderson GOAL...Anderson gets pass back from Clan box and he bends in 20 yard shot from left into top right corner of net over goalie Geoff Ayi-Bonte.
74 min...CC sub...Bertelli replaces Ayi-Bonte as goalie.
76 min...TRA Anderson low 25 yard blast up middle is wide left.
77 min...CC Cucca blasts 12 yarder well over net after receiving cross from CC King on right.
78 min...CC sub...Gino Gaita replaces Mollica.
..............CC sub...Mathews replaces D'Onofrio.
79 min...TRA Lesage pass to TRA Besse ruled offside at CC 30 yard line while on 2 on 2 rush.
80 min...TRA Surprenant rush on left then crosses and has charging goalie get foot to it to clear.
80 min...CC King rush up middle and 25 yard shot is wide left.
81 min...TRA sub...Boivin replaces Surprenant.
82 min...Attak Danny Anderson GOAL...Anderson gets loose ball and boots in ball from 12 yards past goalie Geoff Ayi-Bonte.
82 min...CC sub...Cuccione replaces Cucca.
84 min...Attak RED card...Goalie Jon Paul Piques earns a direct ejection from referee Joe Fletcher for objectionable conduct * (something he said).
85 min...TRA sub...Forward Jean-Louis Besse left the field to make room for back up goalie Vincent Cournoyer.
86 min...CC sub...Jordan replaces DeBlasio.
87 min...TRA Boivin rush up left has cross deflect off CC player for cornerkick.
88 min...TRA sub...Kamdem replaces Bah.
88 min...TRA Anderson cornerkick from left is whistled down in box.
89 min...CC Gino Gaita 25 yard blast through crowd deflects wide left for goalkick.
90 min...TRA Kamdem injured when three players jump for ball at TRA 28 yards. TRA player heads ball out of bounds.
92 min...CC King gives pushed over pass on left and has CC Cuccione shoot low on 10 yard shot wide left.
93 min...TRA Barrette replaces DiBuono.
94 min...CC King scoops ball to CC Cuccione but defender clears.
94 min...CC Robertson crosses through TRA box wide right of net.
95 min...CC Jordan trips over TRA Aaboubou trying to get to cross in TRA box.
95 min...CC Jordan bends 15 yard shot right to goalie.
96 min...game ends 5:56pm.

Final Score……..Columbus Clan……..0…………Trois-Rivieres Attak……….3…………

Attendance was about 50 on this very hot day with a bright sun in the west. Each injury on the field brought players over to their benches for water breaks.

The Attak had an advantage in the first half but the Clan could get away some good counterattacks. In the second half, the Attak just took over with their conditioning although the Clan made as many subs as they could to get fresh legs into the game. The Attak are the farm team of the USL Montreal Impact and were better conditioned to play a full 90 minutes. The Clan had enough chances to stay in the game but shot off target or had goalie Jon Paul Pique make key saves. Nicholas Lesage was actually the first sub of the game and he had only been in the game for 9 minutes when he scored.

I didn’t hear what goalie Jon Paul Pique said but it was just after Clan Gino Gaita was injured just outside the Attak box. Referee Joe Fletcher told me when I asked him after the game what he said. In plain English he called him a “F****n’ F****t”. Since I post to about three message boards, I’ll let the moderators edit it how they want it. It seemed completely unnecessary with the Attak up 3-0. The longer he was down the more time ticks away although Fletcher added five minutes of injury time.

I’ll say again that attendance was only about 50. An estimate of the wild card game on Friday night (that’s the only game I missed) was about 400 and that’s probably because that game had the hosts London City. The semi-final games had about 100 each. Today’s game was about the worst draw for attendance imaginable with a team from British Columbia and the other from Quebec played in south western Ontario. CSL executive Stan Adamson presented the trophy on the field and said he’s hoping that this tournament will eventually springboard the winner to play in the Concacaf club championships as he reminded us that only Canada and Puerto Rico don’t enter teams in the competition. I’ll say let’s hope whoever ends up representing Canada plays in their own hometown or attendance will be even less.

The Clan will represent British Columbia at the national championships in Nova Scotia at a tournament later this year.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Columbus Clan starters