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Result of the Friday September 12th, 2008 CSL game between Toronto Croatia and London City played at The Hershey Centre in Mississauga at 8:00pm.
Toronto Croatia (blue socks, white shorts and number and trim, red shirts)
...........................12 Marko Culjak
16 Halburto Harris...6 Mario Kulic (cpt)...30 Tom Granic...2 Sven Arapovic
8 Hayden Fitzwilliam...23 Tonci Pirija...11 Mario Pupic...3 Ante Brkic
................19 David Kadoic...10 Tihomir Maletic
Subs:...4 Nikolas Godar...5 Jonatan Bustamante...9 Hugo Herrera...13 Rob Fran...14 Nikica Pavic...15 Dailbore Duspara...18 Mario Beljo
team officials:...head coach Miroslav Buljan...manager Tom Granic...trainer physio Rachel Leroux...club officials Dino Jazbac
London City (white socks and numbers, black shorts and shirts)
......................1 Matt Baca
36 Mike Vanderwood...11 Scott Taylor...13 Sergeo Siquenza...38 Racine Kane
23 Roberto Molina...41 Carson Green...40 Travis Gordon...30 Bryan Abelerm...28 Durtru Ionita
........................35 Andrew Loague
Subs:...12 Pommic Gerza (fwd)...26 Luke Arther (mid/def)...27 Carilo Ionenez (mid)...43 Zalie Mackenzie (fwd)...66 Ibrherim Giuzealbalo (mid)
team officials:...head coach Sean Gauss...assistant coach Harry Paul Gauss...manager Markus Gauss...trainer/physio Ryan Gauss
Game officials:...referee Yusri Rudolf...referee's assistants Gianni Facchini and Mickey Donev...fourth official Antonio Cacciacarro...(neon green shirts, black shorts and socks)
1st Half:...game starts 8:13pm...TC defends south end on this calm, mild night with no rain. As there is no scoreboard, all times are converted from my wristwatch.
4 min...TC Maletic run down middle taps pass left to TC Pirija for 25 yard roller that's smothered by diving goalie.
7 min...City Green 40 yard freekick has defender head ball for cornerkick.
8 min…City Bryan Aberlerm GOAL…City Roberto Molina cornerkick from right has Aberlerm head 3 yarder in crowd of players in center into top left corner of net behind goalie Marko Culjak.
10 min...TC Fitzwilliam draws freekick when bumped over on edge of box.
11 min...TC Maletic 20 yard freekick hit low into wall. TC Kadoic kicks rebound from 22 yards up middle wide left on bent shot.
13 min...City player 30 yard shot is caught by goalie under bar.
14 min...TC Maletic cornerkick from right has goalie bat down in crowd of players and pick up after dropping it.
16 min...TC Kadoic on right cuts even with edge of box and blasts 20 yard shot wide left as he falls over.
16 min...TC Maletic low 12 yard shot that defender slides to block with goalie on right side of box.
18 min...City Ionita long throw-in from 20 yards on left is caught by goalie.
20 min...TC Pupic blast from 25 yards through crowd of players that flying goalie pushes wide left.
20 min...TC Pupic short cornerkick from left has defenders block.
21 min...Two TC players beat offside trap on left and goalie charges to catch high cross even when they bump him. Goalie wins freekick.
23 min...City YELLOW card...Siquenza for tripping charging TC player at City 20 yard line.
24 min...TC Maletic gets freekick tap over from 18 yards and shot is blocked by defender. This was a retake after a hand ball.
26 min...TC Maletic wins freekick when run stopped at 22 yards.
27 min...TC Fitzwilliam 22 yard freekick is bent around wall wide right of net.
28 min...TC sub...Fran replaces Granic.
29 min...TC Brkic cross from 20 yards on left end line has goalie fist ball behind end line.
30 min...TC Fitzwilliam head over net on lunge when TC Kulis cornerkick from left is through players in box.
31 min...TC Pupic 30 yard freekick from right has defenders clear.
32 min...TC Harris cuts 25 yard shot through defenders and goalie catches.
33 min...TC Kadoic 10 yard shot is low and blocked by defender on right post.
34 min...TC Maletic heads 10 yarder just wide right of net upon getting cross from right.
36 min...City goalie dives out on charge to beat TC Kadoic to through ball.
38 min...TC YELLOW card...Pupic for tripping player at TC 45 yard lines.
40 min...City Ionita 40 yard ball too far for City player near TC end line.
41 min...TC Kadoic rolls ball across goal mouth and TC Maletic is blocked twice from 5 yards with crowd of players in box.
42 min...TC Fitzwilliam cross from 15 yards along left end line has goalie catch ball.
44 min…TC Tihomir Maletic draws Penalty kick call from referee Yusri Rudolf when he overruns ball in City box but goalie from his knees pulls Maletic down when he cuts back to get to ball. Goalie Matt Baca gets a Yellow card.
45 min…Croatia Hayden Fitzwilliams GOAL…Fitzwilliams blasts Penalty kick into top left corner of net with goalie flying low to left.
46 min...TC Kadoic 18 yard roller stopped by goalie after lots of action on edge of box.
48 min...TC Fitzwilliam cross from 15 yards along left end line behind net.
49 min...half ends 9:02pm.
2nd Half:...starts 9:19pm.
halftime subs:...TC Godar replaces Arapovic.
...............TC Bustamante replaces Kadoic.
47 min...City goalie palms cross through box. TC Fitzwilliam rolls cross back to TC Pupic who shoots low and wide right from 15 yards.
49 min...TC Maletic cross from left has TC Brkic's 15 yard shot saved by goalie.
50 min...TC Maletic blast has goalie stop and TC Bustamante rebound from 12 yards allows hits fallen goalie but play whistled down.
51 min...TC Pirija 30 yard blast up middle is into box but saved.
52 min…TC Tihomir Maletic GOAL…Hayden Fitzwilliam sends in low cross from 10 yards along right end line and Maletic deflects 1 yarder on right post into net.
53 min...City sub...Gerza replaces Gordon.
56 min...TC Bustamante 30 yard blast up center is over net.
57 min...City Loague injured at TC 30 yard line and wins freekick call. He needs to be helped off field.
59 min...City Green 25 yard freekick is directly for goalie to catch in middle of goal.
60 min...TC Fitzwilliam injured by City Kane blast into his midsection at TC 30 yard line.
62 min...TC sub...Beljo replaces Pirija.
...........TC Fitzwilliam returns to the game.
63 min…TC Ante Brkic GOAL…TC Jonatan Bustamante cornerkick from right has Brkic in crowd of players in center of box head 3 yarder inside left post.
64 min...City sub...Giuzealbalo replaces still injured Loague.
65 min...TC YELLOW card...Kulic for knock at TC 40 yard line.
65 min...TC Brkic heads away 40 yard freekick into TC box.
66 min...City Aberlerm 40 yard hig shot that's caught by goalie.
69 min...City Aberlerm 30 yard freekick from right has defender head ball away on edge of box and starts fast break.
70 min...TC Kulic 35 yard freekick on right has defender clear ball in box.
73 min...TC Beljo run evades defender but stopped by last defender.
75 min...TC Brkic charges for 30 yard blast from left is over net.
77 min...TC Maletic cross from left on 2 on 2 and TC Beljo shoots hard blast that goalie pushes wide right for a cornerkick.
78 min...TC Kulic 40yard blast is well over net and back fence.
79 min...City Green 45 yard freekick from right has defender head ball away on edge of box.
80 min...City goalie charges to edge of box to dive on through ball in front of TC Fitzwilliam.
82 min...City player 25 yard freekick from left is well over net.
83 min...City sub...Mackenzie replaces Molina.
84 min...TC sub...Duspara replaces Maletic.
86 min...City YELLOW card...Ionita for pushing incident.
.............City sub...Arthur replaces Ionita.
............TC sub...Pavic replaces Fitzwilliam.
88 min...City Bustamante 30 yard freekick from left is cleared from box.
89 min...City Aberlerm 30 yard freekick from right sideline is cleared from edge of box.
90 min...TC Harris long run on right and low cross has ball cleared from box.
91 min...TC Pavic 22 yard blast deflected for cornerkick on right.
92 min...TC Pavic pops 8 yard header well over City net.
93 min...game ends 10:07pm.
Final Score:…..Toronto Croatia……..3……….London City……..1……….
Attendance was about 80 on this mild, calm night although I had to drive through a few isolated patches of rain to get here. Maybe fans are waiting for the showdown game against Serbian White Eagles on Sunday evening at Lamport Stadium.
Toronto Croatia goalie Marko Culjak was the same net minder who was in the championship final last year. I hadn’t seen him for quite awhile but he said he’s mostly been a backup this year to Roy Blanche. City goalie Matt Baca had to be sharp with some point blank saves or the score could have been much higher. Croatia players Tihomir Maletic, Hayden Fitzwilliams, and Mario Pupic all had good chances but had their shots saved or off target.
I was surprised to see the City coaching staff of Sean Gauss, Ryan Gauss, and their father Harry Paul Gauss for this game. I said to Harry something like I thought I’d never see him again and he joked back something like “I didn’t think I would either”. He has survived a serious cancer scare.
City still hasn’t won this season but the team put in a good effort and looked like they had a chance in the first half. At least they’re not phoning it in like strugglers Durham Flames and Durham Storm and North York Talons from years ago.
The City goal and the final Croatia goal were almost identical.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
Croatia starters
City starters
Croatia Mario Kulic #6 on rush
Croatia freekick
City's Andrew Loague needs to be helped from the field.
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