October 29, 2011 CSL--Toronto Croatia vs Capital City FC Final game (by Rocket Robin)

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Result of the Saturday October 29, 2011 CSL game between Toronto Croatia and Capital City FC played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 5:00pm. This was the one game final for the CSL championship.

Toronto Croatia (blue socks, white shorts and numbers, red shirt)

....................1 Sandi Matika
7 Halburto Harris...4 Sven Arapovic...3 Josip Keran...15 Ainsley Deer
22 Daniel Niksic...14 Agustin DeMedina...23 Tonci Pirija (cpt)...8 Hayden Fitzwilliams
..........11 Marin Vucemilovic-Grgic...10 Tihomir Maletic

Subs:...13 Antonio Ilic (gk)...6 Mario Kulis (def)...9 Hugo Herrera (fwd)...18 Bozenko Lesina (fwd)...19 Niko Pesa (fwd) 20 Nicholas Goddard (def)...21 Lee Hagedorn (mid)
team officials:...head coach Velimir Crljen...assistant coach Miodrag Akamazdic...manager Ivan Kulis...assistant manager Perica Arapovic... trainer/physio Michael Robertson...president Joe Pavicic

Capital City SC (all white, black names and numbers)

...................1 Clint Irwin (cpt)
3 Julien Edwards...12 Casey Cordray...5 Joel Bagby...17 Francis LeTourneau
.........24 Andre Manders...13 Kenny Caceros...4 Collin Harrison
.........15 Sullivan Silva...8 Emir Zmic...9 Will Beauge

Subs:...22 Karl Gouabe (gk)...2 Taylor Benjamin (def)...7 Laszio Csongor (mid)...11 Sam Roca (def)...14 Garrett Webb (fwd) ...18 Junior Ellis (fwd)...25 Akil DeFreitas (fwd)
team officials:...head coach/technical director Shaun Harris...assistant coaches Kevin Lawson and Andrei Badescu...managers Brian Hefferman and Alicia McCarthy...phystiotherapists Sonya Rego and Branden Hickey and Dan Bittle...president Neil Malhotra

Game officials:...referee David Barrie...referee's assistants Matt Meloche and Scott Decker...fourth official Justin Tasev (yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 5:17pm...TC defend south end on this cold and overcast early evening.
3 min...CC player's cross from 35 yards on right has CC Harrison 15 yard header from left bounced to goalie.
6 min...CC Edwards long throw-in from right from 30 yards bounces over end line.
8 min...TC Maletic can't win cornerkick when checked off ball near right corner flag.
10 min...TC Deer cross from 30 yards on left sideline has defender dive forward and clear on edge of box preventing ball getting to open man.
11 min...CC Zmic player injured by TC DeMedina at TC 50 yard line.
12 min...TC DeMedina chip from 30 yards on right is over crowd of players and caught by goalie.
13 min...CC Caceros breaks up pass at 40 yards but can't get away shot when TC Harris gets back to break block pass and block out rebound then kicks out another follow up rush to edge of box.
16 min...TC Maletic cornerkick from right is over crowd of players and TC Keran heads it up from left and crosses it back into box. TC Niksic gets missed clearance at 16 yards and takes shot down middle wide right of net.
18 min...TC Hayden Fitzwilliams GOAL...TC Tihomir Maletic 35 yard freekick from right sideline has leaping Fitzwilliams in crowd of players in center of box head 8 yarder into left side of net beyond flying goalie Clint Irwin.
20 min...CC Silva barges through middle eluding sliding tackle by TC Arapovic and 10 yard shot is wide left.
21 min...TC Vucemilovic-Grgic low cross from 20 yards on right is cleared by defender.
25 min...CC Caceros 45 yard freekick from left is rolled forward and charging CC Harrison cross from near end line drifts behind net.
26 min...TC Harris 50 yard cross from right is caught by goalie.
30 min...TC Harris given ball on give and go but pushes ball over end line on run up right sideline.
31 min...TC Fitzwilliams rush on left and gets cross on end line from 15 yards that goalie palms through box out right side where defender runs it out of box.
34 min...TC YELLOW card...TC Arapovic earns it for check on CC Beauge at TC 40 yards.
35 min...CC Caceros 40 yard freekick down middle has CC player on left at 10 yards head ball across box and defender heads away. CC Silva pushes ball forward from 15 yards and TC player clears off CC player and ball flies on pop up for goalie to catch.
37 min...CC Caceros 32 yard freekick from right has charging CC Cordray pop 15 yard header wide right of goal.
39 min...TC Niksic 30 yard shot down middle deflects off defender for cornerkick on right.
39 min...TC Maletic cornerkick from right has goalie catch ball over head at 2 yards in front of crowd of players on left post.
41 min...TC Fitzwilliams rush on left for ball and cross from 25 yards along 12 yards has sliding CC Cordray tip ball through box past charging TC Maletic at 8 yards for cornerkick.
41 min...TC Maletic cornerkick from right has whistle blown in box eventually for offside.
43 min...CC Zmic shoots 12 yards over net when CC player passes it back from end line.
45 min...TC YELLOW card...TC Vucemilovic-Grgic earns it for sliding tackle from behind on CC Caceros at TC 46 yards.
45 min...CC Caceros 46 yard freekick down middle has TC defender kick ball away on edge of box.
45:45 min...game ends 6:03pm.

2nd Half:...starts 6:21pm.
46 min...TC Vucemilovic-Grgic on recrossed cornerkick from left has TC Arapovic rolls it just wide right from 8 yards on left.
47 min...CC Beauge leaps to head ball down middle and 25 yarder bounces to goalie.
51 min...CC Bagby cross from 35 yards has CC player head from right from 22 yards back across box but goalie charges out to pick up ball.
52 min...TC Niksic cornerkick from left has defender head ball away from box.
54 min...CC Silva receives rolled pass from left and has 22 yard shot down middle blocked by defender.
56 min...CC Silva blasts 30 yard shot down middle well over net wide left.
56 min...TC Fitzwilliams is injured at TC 40 yards.
58 min...CC player 45 yard freekick from right has CC Beauge and CC Bagby and TC Harris crash in crowd of players and CC Bagby pops up 10 yard header that goalie catches as it bounces wide left of net.
58 min...TC Fitzwilliams 22 yard low shot from left is wide right of net as he was being pulled down by CC Edwards who slid and hooked away ball.
59 min...TC Fitzwilliams can't draw Penalty kick when CC Edwards trips him in box on long rush up left.
61 min...CC Silva at 10 yards on right shoots low and diving goalie blocks at 3 yards. CC Manders in middle blasts rebound from 5 yards into fallen goalie and ball pops up for CC Beauge to partially head from 6 yards with TC Harris and TC Niksic blocking him but goalie catches it.
63 min...CC Caceros 45 yard freekick from left has goalie charge forward to right to punch ball out of box.
66 min...TC Niksic is injured at CC 40 yard line jumping for header.
66 min...TC sub...Hagedorn replaces Niksic.
67 min...TC Harris 35 yard shot from right is bent well wide left of net.
68 min...CC sub...DeFreitas replaces Harrison.
69 min...TC Harris and TC Hagedorn have a couple of chances from the right at 25 yards but defenders block chances including CC Cordray in box. TC Fitzwilliams gets rebound on left side of box but CC Edwards causes him to roll ball over end line.
70 min...CC YELLOW card...Manders earns it for grabbing TC Pirija from behind at CC 45 yards.
72 min...TC Maletic run through defenders on left passes to left sideline where TC Fitzwilliams taps centering pass but deflects off defender at 8 yards and rolls for cornerkick.
72 min...TC Vucemilovic-Grgic cornerkick from left is short and TC Maletic has pass from near endline cleared out of box by defender.
72 min...TC Fitzwilliams low cross from right endline is blocked on edge of box but ruled offside.
74 min...TC Hagedorn rush to pass and rolls cross from end line but ruled over the end line.
75 min...TC Hagedorn wins cornerkick on second low cross try from right.
75 min...TC Maletic cornerkick from right has CC Manders on right side of box near end line head out of box and Maletic gets ball back and he recrosses over box where TC player on left pops up header from 8 yards which goalie catches and punts upfield.
76 min...CC goalie's punt up middle has TC goalie mess up wide right of net by falling on it but letting ball get through as CC Beauge charges for it and he gives up cornerkick.
76 min...CC Caceros cornerkick from right is low and TC Maletic clears from right side of box.
77 min...CC LeTourneau blasts 35 yard shot back into play from left that goalie fumbles over endline after bobble.
77 min...CC Caceros cornerkick from left has charging CC player miss header from 8 yards and defender partially clear. CC Bagby flubs midair shot from 12 yards and charging defenders clear.
78 min...CC goalie boots ball downfield from CC 30 yard right sideline and CC player in middle heads ball to right from 20 yards and CC Manders blasts 10 yard shot on right and ball deflects off defender and he wins cornerkick when ball hits outside webbing of net.
80 min...CC Bagby 55 yard freekick from left has defender head ball away from 25 yards in middle.
81 min...TC Pirija is injured at TC 50 yards but CC player wins freekick later in play when one of their players is knocked over.
83 min...CC Caceros 40 yard freekick from right is over leaping CC Cordray's head at 8 yards and is caught by goalie.
83 min...TC Maletic is injured at CC 40 yards when he heads ball and gets hit by head of CC Cordray also jumping for ball.
84 min...CC DeFreitas gets to ball on left endline and rolls into 6 yard box but defender clears.
86 min...TC DeMedina 30 yard freekick from left hits head in player wall and deflects over net.
86 min...TC Vucemilovic-Grgic cornerkick from left has goalie catch at 5 yards in middle and punt ball to try to start fast break.
88 min...CC Bagby passes ball from right back to CC goalie who clears ball off TC Maletic at 12 yards to deflect just wide right of net.
90 min...TC goalie runs right to pick up CC player's 45 yard chipped through ball.
92 min...TC Fitzwilliams 22 yard shot from left near endline is into webbing of net.
92 min...CC Beauge cross from 40 yards on right has TC goalie pick up ball after TC defender and CC player leap for header at 10 yards but play had been whistled down.
93 min...TC YELLOW card...Keran earns it for time wasting on taking freekick inside TC box.
93:30 min...game ends 7:09pm.

Final Score:......Toronto Croatia...........1...........Capital City FC............0..............

Attendance was about 1800 on this very cold, overcast early evening. About 200 were fans from Ottawa.

Most of the game, the Croatia defenders of Halburto Harris, Sven Arapovic, Josip Keran, and Ainsley Deer suffocated the Capital City chances. CCFC players were pushing through balls over the end line or having shots blocked right at the spot they were kicked. They had more chances in the second half and a time where momentum shifted for a few minutes.

Sandi Matika was a late write-in as the starting goalie for Toronto Croatia because the initial roster sheet had Antonio Ilic who had played the previous playoffs games. He earned the shutout but had a spell between 76 until 82 minutes when he was shaky but the defence bailed him out.

Toronto Croatia had won the two regular season games between the two teams both on 2-0 scorelines.

David Barrie was the referee for today's game. About two weeks ago, I heard from the CSL Director of Officials Tony Comacho that Sylviu Petrescu was scheduled but I saw him listed as the fourth official for the MLS playoff game between Colorado and Kansas City held later tonight in Denver. Barrie gave out the first few Yellow cards of the night to Croatia players and didn't make a few freekick calls and a Penalty call that infuriated most of the fans but I thought he had a good game.

I reread my CSL Best/Worst list for 2011 which I compiled before the playoffs began. Season MVP—Tihomir Maletic...best goalkeepers Toronto Croatia pairing of Sandi Matika and Antonio Ilic. Best defender Toronto Croatia's Halburto Harris although I said anyone of them could be listed. Best upcoming team I had as Capital City FC going from not existing to finishing third in their inaugural season. Before entering the stadium, an official of Toronto Croatia asked me who I thought would win...”The home team” I said. Today was my 63rd CSL match of the season. Maybe that's why my predictions before the game came true.

Best non-scoring chances were at 16 minutes when TC Tihomir Maletic took a cornerkick from the right over a crowd of players and TC Josip Keran headed it down from the left and crossed it into the box where TC Daniel Niksic got to a missed clearance shot down the middle and shot from 16 yards wide right. At 19 minutes (right after the goal) CCFC Sullivan Silva barged through the middle eluding a sliding tackle by TC Sven Arapovic and then took a 10 yard shot wide left of the post. 31 minutes had TC Hayden Fitzwilliams rush on the left and get a cross on the end line from 15 yards that the goalie palmed through the box. At 35 minutes CCFC Kenny Caceros took a 40 yard freekick down the middle that had a CCFC player on the left at 10 yards head the ball across the box and a defender headed away but Silva pushed the ball forward from 15 yards and a TC player cleared the ball off a CCFC player that popped up and the TC goalie could make the catch. 41 minutes had TC Fitzwilliams rush on left for the ball and cross from 25 yards along the 12 yard line had a sliding CCFC Casey Cordray tip the ball through the box just a step ahead of the charging TC Tihomir Maletic at 8 yards and give up a cornerkick. The second half started just one minute in with TC Marin Vucemilovic-Grgic on a recrossed cornerkick from the left had TC Sven Arapovic roll the ball just wide right from 8 yards on the left. 58 minutes had a CCFC player take a 45 yard freekick from the right that had CCFC Will Beauge and Joel Bagby and TC Halburto Harris crash together and pop up a 10 yard header that the goalie caught. One minute later had TC Fitzwilliams not able to draw a Penalty kick when CCFC Julien Edwards tripped him in the box after a long rush up the left although the defender did end up with the ball. 61 minutes had CCFC Silva at 10 yards on the right shoot low and the diving goalie blocked the ball at 3 yards; CCFC Andre Manders blasted the rebound from 5 yards into the fallen goalie and the ball popped up for CCFC Bagby surrounded by TC Harris and Niksic able to head from 6 yards that the recovered goalie caught. 76 minutes had the CCFC goalie catch a header and quickly punt the ball upfield and on the bounce that had the TC goalie mess up a catch wide right of the net and give up a cornerkick as CCFC Beauge charged for the ball. After the cleared cornerkick, CCFC Francis LeTourneau blasted a 35 yard shot back into box that the goalie fumbled across the end line for another cornerkick. 77 minutes also had CCFC Manders blast a 10 yard shot on the right into the outside webbing of the net but he won a cornerkick. 88 minutes had CCFC Bagby pass across to his goalie but Clint Irwin cleared the ball off TC Maletic at 12 yards and deflect just wide right of the net for a goalkick. Injury time had CCFC Beauge cross from 40 yards on the right had the TC goalie pick up the ball after a TC defender and a CCFC player leapt for a header at 10 yards.

There were no trophies given out tonight other than the Championship trophy and the gold and silver medals to the players and staff of the two teams. There is supposed to be a banquet in November to give out the individual awards.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Capital City starters