July 6, 2014 League 1 Ontario--Toronto FC Academy vs Woodbridge Strikers (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Sunday July 6, 2014 League 1 Ontario game between Toronto FC Academy and Woodbridge Strikers played at KIA Training Ground in Downsview at 1:00pm.

Toronto FC Academy (all white, black numbers, red trim)

........................22 Filippo Di Bennardo
2 Marcus Godinho...4 Mateo Restrepo (cpt)...3 Kevon Black...16 Tarik Robertson
.......17 Matt Stowell...21 Oladapo Afolayan...7 Derrick Sequeira
.......15 Jodah Daniel...20 Luca Uccello...18 Jordan Piccinin

Subs:...12 Mark Rogal (gk)...6 Christopher Mannella...9 Molham Babouli...10 Dylan Sacramento...11 Mark Anthony Kaye
...13 Koosha Nazemi...19 Tomasz Balicki
team officials:...team head coach Michael Stefano...assistant coach Nikita Komarov...managers Frank Russo and Ryan Young

Woodbridge Strikers (all blue, white numbers)

.......................1 Michael Scavone
2 Hilton McPherson...4 Kasra Dehdezi...5 Franco Lo Presti (cpt)...13 Vincenzo Sasso
7 Nicholas Chiarot...16 Andrew Derayeh...8 Joshua Paredes-Procter...14 Stephen Almeida
................9 Michael Holder...10 Oscar Cordon

Subs:...12 Matt George (gk)...11 Armin Tankovic...15 Paolo Rogato...21 Viktor Anastasov...17 Mario Kovacevic
...18 Emmanuel Esho...20 Cameron Brooks
team officials:...team head coach Peter Pinizzotto...assistant coaches Kevin Hilfold and Sam Medeiros...manager Eric Mokri and John Scarlato

1st Half:...game starts 12:59pm...TFCA defends north end on this hot and sunny afternoon with a gusty wind from the west. Since I was behind the scoreboard, all times are converted from my wristwatch.
4 min...TFCA Daniel rushes in when WS Lo Presti slips down middle and over to left where he rolls 15 yard shot just wide right of post with TFCA forward waiting for pass.
7 min...WS Cordon blasts 22 yarder up middle and goalie dives left to push ball wide of post.
8 min...WS Almeida cornerkick blows over players by the wind far enough for a TFCA throw-in.
9 min...TFCA player's cornerkick from left is short then crossed into box and TFCA Restrepo is checked off ball.
10 min...WS Sasso cross from 22 yards on far left has TFCA Black clear at 8 yards. WS Cordon crosses from about the same place has TFCA player clear.
16 min...TFCA Daniel cross from right at 15 yards near end line blows over box and net.
17 min...WS Almeida cornerkick from right hangs in wind and after knock around WS Paredes-Proctor shoots 15 yarder down middle over net.
23 min...TFCA Daniel runs even with 20 yards after receiving cross on right and cuts 20 yard roller down middle just wide right of post.
25 min...WS goalie charges forward and slides to clear bad back pass at 30 yards before TFCA Piccinin can get to ball.
27 min...TFCA Godinho rolls centering pass from left and TFCA Stowell shoots 20 yard roller just wide right.
29 min...TFCA Daniel low cross from 20 yards on right has TFCA Uccello get ball but he's checked before getting shot up middle.
32 min...Strikers Nicholas Chiarot GOAL...WS Vincenzo Sasso takes freekick from right cornerflag is high into crowd of players and leaping Chiarot heads 6 yarder into top left side of net past goalie Filippo Di Bennardo.
34 min...TFCA Uccello 25 yard freekick from far right has defender head ball away at 7 yards on right.
35 min...TFCA Uccello gets pass on right and rolls cross through box unplayed along 8 yard line.
37 min...WS Lo Presti stops TFCA winger's low cross into box.
38 min...TFCA Stowell cornerkick from right has TFCA Restrepo miss header at 8 yards.
39 min...TFCA Uccello 22 yard freekick up middle has goalie bat down on right post and pick up ball.
40 min...WS YELLOW card...Paredes-Proctor earns it for tackle at WS 25 yards.
41 min...TFCA Uccello freekick blast into player wall in middle and TFCA Uccello then chips ball which is called offside.
43 min...TFCA Uccello 35 yard freekick up middle deflects off player wall and bounces high and goalie grabs it.
46 min...half ends 12:45pm.

2nd Half:...starts 2:03pm.
halftime subs:...TFCA Mannella replaces Black.
................TFCA Babouli replaces Piccinin.
................TFCA Kaye replaces Daniel.
................WS Esho replaces Holder.
46 min...WS defender slides on edge of WS box to break up TFCA pass play.
48 min...TFCA Babouli blasts 35 yard shot down middle high and wide left of net.
49 min...WS goalie beats TFCA Kaye's tap over for TFCA Babouli to pick up ball at 6 yards on left.
52 min...TFCA Babouli rushes away then towards goal along end line and 10 yard cross hits WS player's arm. Referee David Barrie yells "No No No Not intentional" to quiet the TFCA players.
58 min...WS Almeida 35 yard freekick from far left bounces and is cleared for fast break.
58 min...TFCA Molham Babouli GOAL...TFCA Luca Uccello passes ball forward up middle for Babouli at 30 yards and he runs in and shoots 15 yarder from left over sliding goalie Michael Scavone into right side of net.
60 min...WS sub...Tankovic replaces Chiarot.
61 min...TFCA Uccello rush on left and WS Dehdezi bumps him off ball on edge of box.
61 min...TFCA Kaye can't get to pass forward on left and it's out for goalkick.
63 min...TFCA Godinho rush up right wing and cross has WS Dehdezi head ball away for cornerkick.
64 min...TFCA Stowell low cornerkick from right has nearest defender clear on right.
65 min...TFCA Kaye rush up right past slip of WS Sasso and shoots 15 yarder from far right well over net.
66 min...TFCA Stowell cross from left has goalie catch.
67 min...TFCA Robertson low cross after rush on left is smothered by goalie.
68 min...WS Tankovic cornerkick from left has nearest defender head away on left.
69 min...WS Presdes-Procter 35 yard freekick from right is whistled down for pushing in box.
70 min...TFCA Robertson rush on left and crosses through 6 yard box unplayed.
71 min...TFCA YELLOW card...Restrepo earns it for pulling down WS Cordon on left edge of box.
72 min...WS Almeida 22 yard freekick on left has leaping goalie in crowd of players punch ball forward and whistle is blown.
73 min...TFCA Stowell cornerkick from left has WS Paredes-Procter head ball away.
74 min...TFCA Oladapo Afolayan GOAL...TFCA Luca Uccello passes from 25 yards through defenders to Afolayan for short run from 15 yards and kicks 10 yarder off left post and ball deflects over to inside of right post for goal.
76 min...TFCA sub...Sacramento replaces Stowell.
77 min...WS Sasso is injured on center line.
79 min...WS sub...Brooks replaces injured Sasso who hadn't returned to match.
81 min...WS Cordon can't draw Penalty kick when tackled in TFCA box.
82 min...WS Almeida cross from 25 yards on far right has defender head ball away on left.
84 min...TFCA Sacramento cross from 25 yards on left has TFCA Kaye at 8 yards on right miss ball.
85 min...TFCA Sacramento cross into box has defender head ball away.
86 min...TFCA Afolayan pushes ball too far eluding defender and goalie picks ball up wide of net.
87 min...TFCA Sacramento cross from 18 yards on left has TFCA Uccello shoot 12 yarder that hits defender and spins back for goalie to catch.
88 min...WS sub...Kovacevic replaces Almeida.
.........WS sub...Anastasov replaces Paredes-Proctor.
88 min...WS Dehdezi is injured at WS 30 yard line.
89 min...WS Tankovic 40 yard freekick from left is caught in wind and cleared on edge of box.
90 min...WS Rogato shot from 25 yards is high and wide left.
90 min...TFCA Kaye cross from 6 yards has TFCA player not able to connect.
91 min...TFCA Sacramento cross from 25 yards on left has goalie fly forward and punch ball out right side of net.
92 min...TFCA Kaye 30 yard shot down middle has goalie catch.
93 min...WS McPherson 45 yard freekick has ball headed wide left on pop up.
94 min...game ends 1:52pm.

Final Score:......Toronto FC Academy.........2.......Woodbridge Strikers......1........

Attendance was about 90 on this hot day with a bright sun in the south and a strong gusty wind from the west. This place was once part of the Downsview military airport and the wind could probably help any F-35s trying to get to their promised speeds. The KIA Training Ground has two real grass fields and one field turf field on which today's game was played. It is bubbled over in the winter. These fields are private and are not used by community groups. The Academy team and even TFC Reserves team used to play on fields on the other west side of their training building which is part of The Hangar. I remember in 2012 when TFC Academy were playing in the CSL they had to call off a game because no one was able to work the lights and the other team was the Montreal Impact Academy who had bussed all the way there. Another time they had to wait until the city permits were over and their field had been rented out to three beer league teams and an ultimate frisbee group. That won't be happening again!

I had watched TFCA play on Friday night in Pickering and tie Durham United FC 1-1. Today four of those starters were on the bench including League 1 leading scorer Molham Babouli, captain Christopher Mannella, and midfielder Mark Anthony Kaye. Those three all subbed in at the beginning of the second half.

The second half was completely dominated by TFCA. The field is north-south so the wind from the west effected both teams. I would give the difference to the key subs in the second half. TFCA head coach Michael Stefano answered me after the game that he was managing his players for playing time. (they'd played less than 48 hours earlier—and not as one of the player dad's was thinking as some kind of punishment). Stefano said he was happy with the Friday performances.

Referee David Barrie only gave out one Yellow card to each team that I counted. He didn't award any Penalty kicks for some falls in the box. It was easy to hear him call "No, no, no. Not intentional" when TFCA players called for a Penalty kick on a hand ball. The game wasn't dirty but there a few rough challenges and Strikers defender Vincenzo Sasso couldn't continue after taking a hard check in the second half and had to be subbed.

The win slingshots TFCA to 1st place (although they've played one more game) then their pursuers. Windsor Stars had taken over first yesterday with a win and previously undefeated Vaughan Azzurri had a loss. TFCA passes both teams with today's win. Four wins, three draws, no losses. Woodbridge's record is now 3 wins, no ties, 3 losses for 5th place. The first three teams must be favoured to capture the Championship as there are no playoffs.

That should be the league leading seventh goal for TFCA Molham Babouli. I've only seen four of their games this year and watched him score five goals.

It was nice to see TFCA have all domestic players and all under 23 on today's roster. Yesterday's Toronto FC MLS game had no Canadians in the starting eleven and only Jonathan Osorio come in off the bench in their 2-1 loss to DC United.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Toronto FC Academy starters