August 3, 2014 League 1 Ontario--Vaughan Azzurri vs Cataraqui Clippers (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Sunday August 3, 2014 League 1 Ontario game between Vaughan Azzurri and Cataraqui Clippers played at St Joan of Arc CHS in Vaughan at 4:00pm.

Vaughan Azzurri (all navy, white numbers)

......................1 Dayne St Clair
21 Oliver Spring...5 Daniel Fabrizi...20 Henry Moody...3 Joseph Amato
..........14 Dena Iezady...4 Arthur Casupanan...26 Joseph Di Chiara
..........11 Joey Cicchillo...10 Andrew Ornoch (cpt)...7 Jonathan Lao

Subs:...12 Liam McQueenie (gk)...18 Matthew Arnone...19 Ilay Orlov...25 Domenico Gullo...27 Jarek Whiteman
...29 Omari Morris...30 Daniel Di Biagio
team officials:...assistant coaches Kosta Poulos and Patrice Gheisar...manager Tony De Palma

Cataraqui Clippers (yellow socks and shirts, blue shorts, names and numbers)

......................1 Navi Sidhu
8 Maxime El-Asmar...11 Oliver Coren...5 Stuart Heath...3 Jeremy McBride
18 Omolade Ogunsanya...19 James Tenant...6 Dylan Kirk...12 Tommy Hong
...........10 Timothy Campos...14 Andrew Martin (cpt)

Subs:...20 Tomas Daechsel (gk)...17 Chris Eveleigh...2 Andrew Whiteman...7 Jason Massie
team officials:...head coach Crist Everleigh...assistant coach Jason Massie...team official Brittany McLean

Game officials:...referee Justin Tasev...referee's assistants Michael Stenbring and Michael Bradley...fourth official Hassan Rifai
...(teal shirts, black short and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 4:03pm...VA defends south end on this hot day with a hazy sun in the west drying the pregame rain.
4 min...VA Lao 45 yard freekick from right has jumpind VA Moody head ball across box from 10 yards on left and VA Iezady shoot low 6 yarder that goalie traps near right post.
4 min...VA Lao low 20 yard shot from left is caught by goalie.
6 min...VA Cicchillo is fed bouncing through ball up middle and his 20 yard chip is not on target.
7 min...Vaughan Azzurri Andrew Ornoch GOAL...VA Oliver Spring cross from 22 yards on right has Ornoch snap header from 8 yards just under bar in center of net past goalie Navi Sidhu.
9 min...VA Lao cornerkick from left has VA Fabrizi head 10 yarder from right near end line that defender clears. VA Cicchillo 15 yard shot from left is saved.
11 min...VA Amato run on left and cross from 25 yards has CC Heath clear behind end line.
12 min...VA Lao cornerkick from left is short and VA Cicchillo crosses from 15 yards. VA Iezady heads 6 yarder from near right end line is wdie left for goalkick.
14 min...VA Spring rush on right cross from 25 yards has VA Amato head down middle over net from 12 yards.
16 min...VA Amato cross from 18 yards on left end line has goalie step forward to catch.
17 min...Vaughan Azzurri Jonathan Lao GOAL...Lao 28 yard freekick slightly right of the net is low and hits player in wall. Rebound comes back to Lao at almost the same spot and he fires low through wall of players and into left corner of net.
19 min...VA Spring on run to ball pushes it over end line on right.
21 min...VA Di Chiara rolls 25 yard shot up mjiddle through players that goalie picks up.
24 min...VA Di Chiara is injured at VA 50 yards in center circle. Both teams dash to the sideline for a water break while trainer is on field.
27 min...VA Cicchillo short cornerkick from right has VA Di Chiara shoot 25 yarder forward and deflect for cornerkick on right.
28 min...VA Cicchillo short cornerkick from right to VA Lao who crosses from 25 yards and VA Ornoch twists 12 yard header over bar.
32 min...VA Lao 35 yard freekick from right is chipped in and defender heads away at 10 yards.
33 min...VA Lao cornerkick from left has VA Ornoch blast 8 yard shot from right that goalie blocks on right post and VA Cicchillo cross across 6 yard box from left. VA Ornoch gets a header in and eventually ball deflects for goalkick.
36 min...VA Amato chips ball forward from 35 yards. VA Di Chiara on left controls it, short pass to VA Cicchillo who heads from left that goalie catches over his head.
37 min...CC El-Asmar 50 yard freekick from left has play whitled down in box.
37 min...VA Spring rolls 30 yard shot from right through players that goalie grabs before VA player can tip it at 6 yards.
39 min...VA Amato lofts 30 yarder down middle that deflects over net for cornerkick.
39 min...VA Lao cornerkick from right has whistle blown in box although CC Tenant heads it away and is injured on play at 18 yards.
.....VA YELLOW card...Moody earns it for the knock over on jumping CC Tenant. Players on both sides run over for a water break as the referee sorts out what happened.
43 min...CC Coren 50 yard freekick from left has VA Moody head away at 12 yards in crowd of players.
44 min...VA Lao cross from 28 yards on right has VA player not quite able to twist header from 8 yards and ball flies out for goalkick on left.
46 min...VA Ornoch flicks foot forward to send ball through at 18 yards but goalie beats VA players to pick it up.
48 min...VA Cicchillo short cornerkick from left is worked to edge of box and VA Lao taps pass that VA Ornoch turns and fires 8 yarder wide right of net.
49:03 min...half ends.

Halftime Entertainment: A draw of game ticket stubs chooses three participants for a Penalty kick contest. The contest is declared a tie between two fans as they keep scoring as the halftime ends. VA youth coach Fernando Antunes played goalie.

2nd Half:...starts 5:08pm.
halftime sub:...VA Di Biagio replaces Fabrizi.
47 min...VA Spring floats 30 yard shot from right that goalie catches under bar.
47 min...VA defender heads back to goalie on split second ahead of CC Hong getting to it.
48 min...VA Lao cross from 25 yards from left is caught by goalie.
51 min...CC Coren blasts 45 yarder through players that goalie cathces.
53 min...CC Campos chips 40 yarder from left aht goalie catches on bounce.
54 min...VA Cicchillo throw-in from left has VA Ornoch pass over to VA Lao who shanks 18 yard shot from right well high and right.
55 min...VA Cicchillo rolls 25 yarder from left that goalie picks up.
56 min...CC Hong rush down left and rolls cross from 25 yards near end line that VA Di Biagio clears.
56 min...VA YELLOW card...Spring earns it for infringement.
57 min...CC sub...Andrew Whiteman replaces Ogunsanya.
60 min...Vaughan Azzurri Jonathan Lao GOAL...VA Andrew Ornoch rolls through ball pass forward from 35 yards and Lao shoots low 20 yard shot to left corner of net.
62 min...CC Andrew Whiteman rush on right for ball and low cross from 25 yards. VA Di Biagio whiffs clearance and ball rolls to CC Martin who shoots 15 yarder over net.
64 min...VA Spring cross from 35 yards on right has defender head away and VA Iezady blasts partial clearance wide left of post from 15 yards.
65 min...VA Lao midair cross from left along 20 yard line and VA Cicchillo blasts low 20 yarder tha goalie smothers.
66 min...VA Spring shoots CC partial clearance wide right from 28 yards down middle.
68 min...VA sub...Jarek Whiteman replaces Cicchillo.
69 min...VA Lao low cronerkick from right has defender clear at 10 yards on right.
71 min...VA sub...Gullo replaces Casupanan.
72 min...CC Coren 40 yard freekick from left has CC player pop up header at 18 yards in crowd of players and defender clears.
74 min...the sun is out as the clouds have finally cleared.
75 min...VA Lao cornerkick from left is upfield and VA Di Chiara blasts low 35 yarder through players that diving goalie pushes wide left of post.
75 min...VA Lao cornerkick from left is whistled down in box.
77 min...VA sub...Arnone replaces Iezady.
77 min...VA Di Chiara gets tapped pass and blasts 30 yarder down middle that goalie flies to push wide right of post.
78 min...VA player's cornerkick from right is whistled down in box.
80 min...VA Jarek Whiteman rush down center pass to VA Arnone on left rolls cross back to center and VA Whiteman one-touch 15 yard shot down middle that diving goalie goalie tips over net.
81 min...VA Lao cornerkick from right has VA Moody tips 12 yard shot up middle that goalie catches.
82 min...VA Arnone on rush takes 22 yard shot from left into outside webbing of net.
83 min...VA Amato gets pass from right and one-touch blasts 15 yarder well over net.
84 min...VA Jarek Whiteman two crosses are blocked on right by defenders.
85 min...VA Di Chiara chips pass from 40 yards, VA Gullo blasts shot as he slides is over net from 20 yards.
88 min...VA Gullo has shot blocked at 2 yards by defender. VA Di Chiara ends sustained pressure by chip over net from 15 yards.
88 min...VA Lao cornerkick from left has ball knocked around and VA Gullo heads downward that goalie swats wide left for cornerkick.
89 min...CC goalie catches cross in crowd of players sent in from left.
91:16 min...game ends 5:54pm.

Final Score:...Vaughan Azzurri......3.....Cataraqui Clippers....0....

Attendance eventually swelled to 100 after the pregame rain moved on about an hour before the game started. It was a hazy sun when the game started and the sun was out clearly by 74 minutes.

This game is the only League 1 Ontario game scheduled for St Joan of Arc Catholic High School which is also used by York Region Shooters of the CSL. Azzurri's other games are shared between The Ontario Soccer Centre and York (University) Stadium).

Dayne St Clair earned the shutout for the Azzurri although he had little to do. The ONLY chance I gave the Clippers was at 62 minutes when CC Andrew Whiteman rushed along the right for a ball and sent in a low cross from 25 yards that VA defender Daniel DiBaggio whiffed on and the wide open CC captain Andrew Martin skied a 15 yarder over the net then put his head in his hands.

Clippers goalie Navi Sidhu* was outstanding throughout the game as it was really a shooting gallery with most of the game being played in the Clippers end. Some of the second half action was too fast for me to write down.

* League 1 Ontario tweets listed the goalie as Thomas Daechsel just because he was listed as wearing #1 in the game program but I could tell it was Navi Sidhu because he looked East Indian. Part of the problem may have been that Cataraqui didn't turn in a lineup to the announcer (so they read all the names on the program). Sidhu is listed was #20. The team may have done that because the Clippers were trying to cover that they only had four subs (I thought three) listed on the official game sheet. My thanks to fourth official Hassan Rifai for giving me a copy of the game sheet after the game when I went to double check on Yellow cards and subs.

Referee Justin Tasev gave out only two Yellow cards in this game—both to Azzurri players—in a game that was wide open although most Clippers rushes were quickly broken up.

Azzurri were without suspended head coach Carmine Isacco and team official Luca Forno and forward Andrea Lombardo but didn't miss them today. They were suspended during a League game so I saw Isacco as recently as Wednesday in a Cup match.

Ball boys today were dressed exactly like their big team Azzurri players which may have been intimidating for the visitors to see 15 to 20 Mini-Mes surrounding the field.

There was halftime entertainment at this game with a lucky draw from ticket stubs choosing three winners to a Penalty kick contest. A tourist/journalist 'Gus' from Germany here with two friends/writers was a co-winner. They were here covering North American socccer (although not the FIFA Women's Under 20 starting next week) and wanted to catch a local game in Canada and found this league after they found the CSL was not sanctioned.

Today's win vaults the Azzurri to 2nd place in the standings with a record of 7 wins, 1 tie, 2 losses--this is only two points behind Toronto FC Academy although TFCA has a game in hand. The rained out game last Sunday between these two teams which only played 22 minutes now should be crucial when it's rescheduled as the only chance of catching TFCA who tripped to a surprise tie on Wednesday night. Azzurri's tie on Wednesday night was a Cup game so doesn't count in these standings.

Clippers record is 9th (now considered last in the league) at 1 win, 3 ties, 7 losses. At least they were ahead of Internacional de Toronto before that team was terminated. I remember as a kid reading the WHA League hockey standings and seeing a shut down team not be dropped to last in the standings until January or February as the last place team was so bad. With maybe three more players on the roster that came to play against Durham United last Friday, this could have been a much closer game.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Vaughan Azzurri starters