June 24, 2011 CSL--SC Toronto vs North York Astros (by Rocket Robin)

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Result of the Friday June 24, 2011 CSL game between SC Toronto and North York Astros played at Lamport Stadium in Toronto at 8:00pm.

SC Toronto (all white, black numbers)

.......................1 Sotiri Varlokostas
6 Daniel Fabrizi...7 Ilya Orlov...5 Gerard Ladiyou (cpt)...22 Dominic Roberts
2 Casey D'Mello...8 Carlos Nogueira...19 David Alva...3 Dane Roberts
................15 Brennan McNicoll...17 Kasy Kiarash

Subs:...12 Matt Dias (gk)...9 Andrea Lombardo (fwd)...10 Adrian Pena (fwd)...11 Massimo Mirabelli (def)...18 Raphael Nesci (mid)
...20 Henry Moody (fwd)...21 Branko Majstorovic (def)
team officials:...head coach Carmine Isacco...assistant coach Patrice Gheisar...manager Mario Dias...assistant manager Juan Carlos Ramirez

North York Astros (orange socks and shirts, black shorts and numbers)

.......................1 Enea Perego
16 Ahjton Roberts...17 Steven Craig...14 Kurt Ramsey (cpt)...2 Anthony Valentine
8 Francisco Mendez (mid)...11 Marcos Rodriguez...24 Rei Ishakawa...6 Diego Benzi
.............10 Diego Maradona...13 Nordo Gooden

Subs:...20 Ivan Garcia (gk)...2 Anthony Valentine (def)...4 Jevon Vanderreyden (def)...5 Alexandre Oran (mid)...18 Maxim Dorneval (mid)
...19 Patrick Dolowicz (fwd)...22 Alex De Matos (fwd)
team officials:...coach Gerado Lezcano...sports director Jorge Collazo...general manager Bruno Ierullo

Game officials:...referee Silviu Petrescu...referee's assistants Richard Oliviera and Sharon Welsby...fourth official Alexis Vaughan...(neon yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 8:07pm...SCT defend south end on this warm and overcast night.
4 min...Astros Benzi blasts 40 yard freekick down middle wide right of net.
4 min...SCT McNicoll rush on right and low cross from 20 yards near right end line is picked up by goalie.
10 min...Astros Benzi 35 yard freekick from left sideline is headed away in box by defender.
11 min...SCT Dominic Roberts 35 yard roller from left is through players wide right of goal.
12 min...Astros Maradona 30 yard freekick from left has goalie palm ball off bar and over net for cornerkick.
13 min...Astros Maradona short cornerkick from left is wasted when Astros Ishakawa cross on left from 25 yards is blocked at 20 yards and SCT players break out.
15 min...SCT Dominic Roberts chip from 35 yards has Astros Valentine make important header at 10 yards keeping pass from SCT player.
16 min...Astros Rodriguez short pass forward has Astros Gooden tip ball from 20 yards over end line wide right of net.
18 min...SCT McNicoll runs along 22 yard line and cuts high shot wide right but wins cornerkick because of deflection at point of kick.
18 min...SCT Dominic Roberts cornerkick from right is low and cleared from box on right side.
19 min...SCT Ladiyou 60 yard chip downfield from middle is through players wide left of goal almost to cornerflag.
20 min...Astros Craig 55 yard freekick from right has Astros Mendez head ball down middle from 30 yards that bounces to goalie.
24 min...SCT Dominic Roberts cross from 25 yards from left has goalie punch ball over right end line.
......Astros YELLOW card...Valentine earns it on a delayed call on tackle on last play.
25 min...SCT Dominic Roberts cornerkick from right has Astros Ramsey on left pop header away.
27 min...Astros Craig heads ball almost into own on net from 15 yards on flick when he parially heads SCT Ladiyou's 30 yard cross from right.
27 min...SCT Dominic Roberts walks out cornerkick from right that ends with SCT Dominic Roberts slipping and his 20 yard kick is high and over the net.
29 min...SCT Dane Roberts cross from right end line has SCT Alva get foot to it after Astros Valentine slide popped the ball up and Dane Roberts mid air kick from 5 yards is wide right.
30 min...SCT Dane Roberts GOAL...Astros goalie Enea Perego dives out to stop 20 yard roller down center at 8 yards before Roberts can get to it. The goalie's own knee spins around and knocks it loose. Roberts had actually ran past the ball but circles back and gets to ball as goalie now stands but without the ball. Roberts rounds goalie and shoots 8 yard shot and into top left corner of net past defender Kurt Ramsey guarding the left side of net.
32 min...SCT McNicoll on rush down right and cross from 20 yards near end line just a step ahead of SCT Nogueira charging in at 3 yards on left post.
32 min...SCT McNicoll receives cross from left all alone at 18 yards on right and he blasts 15 yard low shot that sprawling goalie stops at 6 yards.
36 min...SCT Dane Roberts on rush down middle has Astros Ahjton Roberts poke ball away to prevent 8 yard shot from right.
37 min...Astros YELLOW card...Craig earns it for knock pushing SCT Kiarash at Astros 35 yards.
38 min...SCT Kiarash rush up left and rolls cross across box but no player gets to it and rolls for goalkick.
40 min...SCT Alva is injured with arm in face chasing Astros Ramsey along left end line 10 yards from post.
42 min...Astros YELLOW card...Mendez earns it for knock down on SCT Dane Roberts at Astros 50 yards.
43 min...SCT Kiarash receives pass downfield and shoots roller down middle from 22 yards that rolls just wide left of goal.
43 min...SCT D'Mello cross from 20 yards on right endline is caught by goalie.
44 min...Astros Benzi 35 yard shot up middle is well wide left of net.
45 min...SCT Dominic Roberts cornerkick from right has defender head ball through box wide left for cornerkick.
45 min...SCT McNicoll receives short cornerkick from left and crosses 20 yarder from left that SCT Kiarash heads up from 6 yards on right that's caught by goalie.
46 min...Astros Gooden wins freekick on left edge of SCT box when he's pushed over by SCT Fabrizi.
47 min...Astros Maradona 22 yard freekick from left edge of box has goalie punch ball down on left post and runs to left to pick it up on bounce.
47 min...half ends 8:54pm.

2nd Half:...starts 9:09pm.
halftime subs:...Astros Vanderreyden replaces Craig.
.............Astros Oran replaces Maradona.
.............Astros Dorneval replaces Rodriguez.
.............SCT sub...Lombardo replaces Alva.
45 min...SCT McNicoll crosses after short cornerkick from right is cleared away by defender taking it off SCT forward waiting for ball to stop bouncing.
46 min...SCT Orlov shot from 35 yards on left is high and wide right of net.
47 min...SCT Nogueira goal called back for handball on 10 yard shot.
49 min...SCT Dominic Roberts crosses from 22 yards on left that Astros Ramsey ducks at 8 yards in middle of box and heads ball behind end line for cornerkick.
49 min...SCT Dominic receives short cornerkick from left and crosses low from 20 yards and sliding Astros Benzi knocks ball behind end line from near left post for another cornerkick.
50 min...SCT McNicoll high cornerkick from left has defender head it forward from 15 yards in box letting Astros break out of own end.
51 min...Astros YELLOW card...Oran earns it near center line for tugging on player.
52 min...SCT Dane Roberts GOAL...SCT Carlos Nogueira at 25 yards on left rolls ball across to center and SCT Andrea Lombardo at 22 yards with back to goal dummies and ball rolls over to Roberts already on run who charges up the middle between defenders and rolls 10 yards into left corner of net beyond diving goalie.
53 min...SCT Dane Roberts goal is called back offside on 7 yard shot when SCT Nogueira pushes pass forward.
54 min...Astros Ahjton Roberts high cross from 28 yards on right has defender head away on left side of box.
55 min...SCT YELLOW card...Nogueira earns it for dissent center line.
56 min...SCT McNicoll 35 yard freekick from right has Astros Ramsey head ball out of box from 7 yards conceding throw-in.
57 min...Astros sub...Zwane replaces Mendez.
57 min...SCT McNicoll 25 yard freekick from right has ball headed out of left of box by Astros player and eventual recross back into box from 20 yards on left by SCT Dominic Roberts is over end line just a step too far for SCT Kiarash.
60 min...SCT Fabrizi rushing down middle passes to right for SCT Lombardo and his 10 yard shot is blocked by defender.
62 min...SCT McNicoll 12 yard low shot from right with crowd in box has defender stop.
63 min...SCT sub...Pena replaces Dane Roberts.
64 min...SCT Brennan McNicoll GOAL...SCT Adrian Pena eludes three defenders on the right side and shot cross from 20 yards finds McNicoll at 20 yards in middle and he steps by defender on edge of box and he steps forward towards right and shoots 8 yarder into right side of net beyond goalie diving at 6 yards.
65 min...SCT YELLOW card...Dominic Roberts earns it for check on Astros Ahjton Roberts near SCT 25 yards right sideline.
65 min...Astros Oran 30 yard freekick from right has goalie take ball off head of Astros forward.
67 min...Astros Ishakawa receives pass up middle and on a 1 on 2 rush backheels pass from 10 yards that defenders control and clear.
68 min...SCT sub...Majstorovic replaces Nogueira.
69 min...Astros Ishakawa pass from middle to Astros Dorneval who cross from 25 yards on left that's cleared by defender's header in box for a throw-in.
69 min...SCT Pena ends SCT offensive pressure with 10 yard shot from right wide left of net after receiving short pass from right.
71 min...SCT sub...Nesci replaces Kirarash.
73 min...SCT Majstorovic 20 yard shot from far right is well over net.
75 min...SCT Nesci turns and fires 22 yard shot up middle through defenders on edge of box and diving goalie blocks ball at 6 yards.
76 min...Astros Maradona on rush takes 20 yard shot from left is pushed out of box by flying goalie on right post.
77 min...SCT sub...Moody replaces Dominic Roberts.
77 min...SCT McNicoll 25 yard freekick from right has defender get hip to ball at 6 yards and tip it over net.
78 min...SCT Lombardo cornerkick from right is over players in box and SCT McNicoll at 20 yards on left one-touch shank shot attempt across box.
78 min...Astros Maradona and SCT D'Mello are both injured on edge of SCT box in collision with different players.
81 min...Astros sub...De Matos replaces Gooden.
81 min...Astros goalie charges out of box to beat SCT Nesci to through ball.
84 min...Astros Ahjton Roberts is injured near center line away from play.
87 min...SCT Majstorovic blast from 25 yards along right end line is blocked for cornerkick.
88 min...Astros Dorneval rolls cross from 15 yards on left that defender clears.
88 min...Astros Benzi 35 yard roller blast is saved by goalie.
89 min...SCT Lombardo 30 yard shot down middle is over net.
90 min...SCT Raphael Nesci GOAL...SCT Adrian Pena at 28 yards on left sends low cross over to SCT Brennan McNicoll open at 15 yards on right. McNicoll runs towards goalie and rolls short pass in front of goalie to Nesci who shoots low 6 yarder through defenders and into left corner of net.
91 min...SCT Nesci blasts 22 yarder down center that's stopped by sprawling goalie. SCT McNicoll blasts 20 yard rebound well high and wide left of net.
93:09 min...game ends 9:58pm.

Final Score:........SC Toronto...........4.............North York Astros............0.............

Attendance started at about 70 and picked up to 150 with permit holders arriving near the end of the game. There were about 40 game officials scattered around the camera side (east stand) making notes for a referees' conference on the weekend.

Sotiri Varlokostas earned the shutout for SC Toronto. His most difficult and important save was at 12 minutes when Diego Maradona (the nephew of the famed Argentinian) took a 30 yard freekick from the left that Varlokostas palmed up to hit the top of the bar and deflected over the net for a cornerkick.

Midfielder Dane Roberts almost had a third goal just a minute after his second but he was ruled offside and was subbed one minute after that. I remembered his name and asked him after the game. He played for the Toronto Lynx in 2007. On the web he is listed as attending Furman University in Greenville SC. His younger brother Dominic Roberts also played as a midfielder tonight.

SC Toronto had an interesting lineup to start the game—one goalkeeper, two defenders, eight midfielders, and no forwards—although the roster shook down that Brennan McNicoll and Kasy Kiarash played as the strikers. Three forwards were on the subs bench and eventually got into the game. Both teams made five substitutions each.

Referee Sylviu Petrescu gave out four Yellow cards to the Astros and followed that with two for SCT to slightly even things up. Astros were having trouble keeping up with SCT players. Petrescu next travels to Seattle to be the fourth official in the MLS league game on Sunday.

SC Toronto jumps to first place in the standings with a six wins, one loss record. They had beaten St Catharines Wolves on Wednesday night to be in the position to take the league in tonight's game. Astros remain in last place with now no wins, four losses and two ties. Astros were the only team I hadn't seen this year despite playing home games in the suburb where I live. Observers in the press box say they tire out at the seventy minute mark and can't hang to a lead or tie.

SC Toronto have two players listed--defender Luca Gasparotto and midfielder Alex Halis--away with Canada's U-17 team currently in the World Cup. I asked owner Isac Cambas if either of these players have played for the senior team. He answered yes and said so does Parker Seymour (although listings released at the time announcing the players show he's on TFC Academy—although he's not listed on the TFCA website for the Junior nor Senior roster).

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

SCT starters