June 22, 2014 League 1 Ontario--Vaughan Azzurri vs Woodbridge Strikers (from League 1 Ontario website)

Vaughan Azzurri 4 - Woodbridge Strikers 1
. Tue Jun 24 
Written By: Hylton, Kamal  

In a rematch of the Thursday June 19th League1 Cup game, the Vaughn Azzurri came away with a 4-1 victory 
over Woodbridge Strikers on Sunday afternoon. The game was highlighted by a strong first half performance 
led by a pair of goals from Andrew Ornoch.

The story of the match surrounded the dynamic wing and fullback play of Vaughn, displaying overlapping runs, 
width to stretch the Woodbridge back line, and a high volume of crosses into the box.

Starting out in a 4-2-3-1, Vaughn’s coach Carmine Isacco quickly switched the formation to something 
resembling a 3-5-2 - a change in formation that allowed right fullback Casey D’Mello and left fullback 
Malcolm Loukides to have the freedom to get high up the field. In doing so, the deep flank players helped 
create combinations and dangerous attacks with Jonathan Lao, Austin Ricci and Joey Cicchillo. 

Having an active midfield behind him, Ornoch was able to stay on the shoulder of the defenders and 
it paid off early. Originating from a free kick in the ninth minute that midfielder Matt Stinson played 
into the box, the big forward tapped in past Strikers' keeper Michael Scavone. 

Woodbridge took a few moments to compose themselves after giving up the goal, but playing in a 4-1-3-2 
formation coach Peter Pinizzotto took the upper hand in midfield through Oscar Cordon and 
Joshua Paredes-Proctor. Quickly winning the ball on a counter attack, forward Michael Holder forced 
Azzurri keeper Colm Vance to parry the ball back into play, but the ball went right to Stephen Almeida 
for a simple finish in the fifteenth minute.

Conceding the goal at that point in the match sparked the Azzurri players to push numbers forward. 
Switching formation once again to a 4-5-1, it helped Vaughn regain the numbers advantage in midfield 
and on the score sheet. Ricci finding the back of the net in the twenty-first minute, latching onto 
a cross from Lao. The hosts struck again before the half, capitalizing once again on a low cross into 
the box that allowed Ornoch to grab his second goal in the thirty-second minute.

The game was sealed in the second half through a fifty-first minute goal from Lao, beating a tired 
Woodbridge defensive unit that was lacking a player capable of linking play and giving defenders 
time to rest. 

The fullbacks and wingers of the visitors were put under immense pressure and the lack of lucky breaks 
could be summed up in one moment, as Holder was finally able to get on the ball and break free only 
to hit the crossbar with five minutes remaining in the match. 

Vaughn will look to continue the momentum next week when they host Internacional de Toronto on Saturday, 
June 28th, while Woodbridge will try to recover from league and cup defeats when they play at home 
against Kingston Clippers on Sunday, June 29th.

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