October 4, 2014 League 1 Ontario--Toronto FC Academy vs Cataraqui Clippers (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Saturday October 4, 2014 League 1 Ontario game between Toronto FC Academy and Cataraqui Clippers played at The KIA Training Centre in North York at 1:00pm.

Toronto FC Academy (all black, silver numbers)

................1 Filippo Di Bennardo (cpt)
3 Steven Furlano...25 Quante Abbott Hill Smith...13 Koosha Nazemi...16 Tarik Robertson
21 Oladapo Afolayan...8 Marco Rodriguez...7 Derrick Sequeira...14 Anthony Osorio
...........23 Marcos Andres Nunes...11 Stefan Vukovic

Subs:...22 Karmen Saini (gk)...6 Alexander Pena...9 Molham Babouli...10 Dylan Sacramento...17 Matt Stowell...18 Jordan Piccinin...19 Tomasz Balicki
team officials:...team head coach Michael Stefano...assistant coach Nikita Komarov...managers Frank Russo and Domenic Ientile

suspended player Luca Uccello

Cataraqui Clippers (all blue, white names and numbers)

.................20 Navi Sidhu
2 Michael Roeterink...6 Dylan Kirk...14 Stefan Szwarek (cpt)...4 J J Bosica
13 Jason Zelt...7 Jason Massie...10 Sam McHugh...15 Joel Zelt
.............8 Robbie Murphy...9 Zoom Langwa

Subs:...1 Kyle Lanzinger (gk)...17 Chris Eveleigh...12 Brandon Ng'See'Quan...19 Brandan Raymond...16 Andrew Whiteman...3 Jadran Kani
although I counted only three players on the bench.
team officials:...head coach Chris Eveleigh...assistant coach Jason Massie

Game officials:...referee Scott Milliquet...referee's assistants Marc Henoud and Scott Decker...fourth official Zac Taylor
...(yellow shirts, black short and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 1:03pm...TFCA defends north end on this cool and sunny day with a strong wind from the west. As I stood behind the small table top scoreboard, all times are converted from my wristwatch.
1 min...Clippers Jason Massie GOAL...Clippers Robbie Murphy on far left rolls pass from 15 yards to Massie who banks 12 yard shot from left past goalie Filippo Di Bennardo and off inside of right post into net.
2 min...TFCA player's 35 yard freekick from left is stopped on edge of box.
3 min...TFCA Rodriguez 25 yard freekick is low and into player wall. TFCA Hill Smith rebound blast is low and also into wall. Rodriguez then blasts 20 yard roller that's smothered by goalie.
4 min...TFCA Rodriguez 18 yard shot down middle after pass from left is low and wide right of post.
10 min...TFCA Robertson cross from 25 yards on left is caught by goalie.
11 min...TFCA Rodriguez shot is blocked at 12 yards. TFCA Nunes kicks 10 yard rebound over net.
14 min...Clippers McHugh blasts 20 yard roller down middle that goalie stops while standing.
18 min...Clippers Bosica 25 yard freekick from left bends and bounces and hits outside webbing of net.
19 min...TFCA Vukovic 20 yard low shot from left has goalie make great foot save.
19 min...Clippers Massie cross into box and TFCA Nazemi heads ball behind end line to prevent tap-in.
20 min...Clippers player's cornerkick from right and goalie swats away ball in crowd of players to start fast break.
22 min...TFCA Furlano cross from 22 yards on right is well over crowd of players in box.
24 min...TFCA Rodriguez cornerkick from left is into webbing of net.
25 min...TFCA Marcos Andres Nunes GOAL...Nunes 22 yard shot from left is into right side of net past goalie Navi Sidhu.
27 min...TFCA YELLOW card...Sequeira earns it for tackle at Clippers 45 yard line.
28 min...TFCA Furlano races by Clippers Joel Zelt who suffers hand injury and cross from 20 yards has TFCA Sequeira head from 2 yards away from net as pass is behind him.
29 min...Clippers Jason Zelt cross from 20 yards on far right has goalie catch.
31 min...TFCA Robertson cross from 25 yards on left blows behind end line.
32 min...TFCA Rodriguez freekick from 30 yards on left is short in gusty wind. TFCA Nunes 15 yarder hits left post on shot and rebound is cleared.
35 min...Clippers YELLOW card...Massie earns it for tackle on TFCA Afolayan at Clippers 45 yard line.
36 min...TFCA Nunes midair 20 yard shot from left is caught by goalie.
37 min...TFCA Rodriguez cross from right has TFCA Sequeira shot from 22 yards tipped over net.
38 min...TFCA Rodriguez 25 yard freekick down middle has goalie push into top left corner of net but play was flagged down for push in player wall.
40 min...TFCA Rodriguez cornerkick from right is well over players in box as it gets caught in the wind.
42 min...Clippers YELLOW card...McHugh earns it for sliding tackle on TFCA Afolayan at TFCA 50 yard line.
44 min...Clippers Joel Zelt receives pass down left from 60 yards in middle and his 28 yard shot from the left is caught by goalie on right side of net.
46 min...TFCA Nunes ends TFCA pressure with air ball from 22 yards that's caught by goalie.
46 min...half ends 1:49pm.

Halftime Entertainment: There's a cross bar challenge with two contestants trying to hit the crossbar from the penalty spot in three shots to win tickets to the next MLS Toronto FC game. One of the contestants was maybe six years old and couldn't kick the ball off the ground. Neither contestant was close. The rules were changed to kick the ball to hit another ball that was resting on the goal line. Some mother won on her first shot. As I was told in prior weeks, both contestants in these challenges actually are given tickets).

2nd Half:...starts 2:06pm.
Halftime subs:...TFCA Pena replaces Sequeira.
...............TFCA Sacramento replaces Rodriguez.
...............TFCA Babouli replaces Vukovic.
46 min...TFCA Nunes 15 yard shot from left is caught by goalie.
47 min...TFCA Hill Smith rolls 10 yard shot through 6 yard box unplayed.
47 min...Clippers Massie cornerkick from right is headed away on right post.
48 min...TFCA Osorio run on left and rolls short pass that TFCA Pena shoots high wide left of net from 10 yards on left.
48 min...TFCA Robertson cross from 22 yards on left blows behind charging TFCA player at 7 yards and is cleared.
49 min...TFCA Osorio cross from 15 yards on left has TFCA Nunes slide but misses connecting at 5 yards.
51 min...TFCA Babouli short pass to TFCA Sacramento who rolls 15 yarder on right that hits right post as goalie hesitates to move.
54 min...TFCA Nunes receives tapped pass from TFCA Pena and his 12 yard shot is wide.
55 min...TFCA Babouli on right shoots wide of net.
56 min...TFCA Sacramento cornerkick from right is short and then crossed wide left for goalkick.
57 min...TFCA Osorio rush on left and cross from 18 yards has goalie push ball through box out to right. Clippers goalie then charges to right to catch low cross.
59 min...TFCA Babouli chips defender but goalie beats TFCA Sacramento to ball to catch at 10 yards.
59 min...TFCA Osorio 15 yard shot from left is saved in 6 yard box.
60 min...TFCA Osorio rolls cross after run down left and defender Clippers McHugh shoots over own net to prevent tap-in.
61 min...TFCA Osorio cornerkick from left is chested over and TFCA Babouli in middle spins and shoots 15 yarder over net.
63 min...TFCA Babouli rolls pass forward to TFCA Nunes who rolls 18 yarder that goalie smothers diving to left post.
64 min...TFCA Sacramento hits cross bar on 12 yard shot down middle.
66 min...TFCA Nunes blasts 20 yard shot that deflects off defender wide left of net.
67 min...TFCA Osorio cornerkick from left has weak shot from 15 yards that goalie catches.
69 min...TFCA (Clippers own goal) GOAL...TFCA Anthony Osorio sends low cross from 20 yards on left and Clippers Stefan Szwarek ducks and heads 6 yarder into left side of own net.
70 min...TFCA Babouli 20 yard shot is into outside right webbing of net.
70 min...Clippers sub...Ng'See'Quan replaces Joel Zelt.
71 min...Clippers Roeterink clears ball behind end line from 8 yards on middle after TFCA player crosses from 20 yards on right.
72 min...TFCA Pena cross from 20 yards on right has TFCA Babouli heads 10 yarder that goalie catches on bounce.
73 min...TFCA goalie charges forward to boot away from 30 yards and break up possible 2 on 0 through ball.
74 min...Clippers defenders check TFCA Babouli off ball in Clippers box.
75 min...TFCA Sacramento skies 35 yarder down middle well over net.
76 min...Clippers Massie 45 yard freekick from left has Clippers player slide but not able to get to ball before it rolls over end line.
77 min...TFCA Alexander Pena GOAL...TFCA Molham Babouli misses scissor kick at 15 yards in middle and deflects ball off defender and Pena shoots 10 yarder into right side of net.
79 min...TFCA Pena cross is into box and knocked around and TFCA Nunes misses 2 yarder while falling over.
80 min...TFCA sub...Stowell replaces Osorio.
82 min...TFCA Hill Smith makes big check on Clippers Murphy at 20 yards on left to prevent shot on break-in.
84 min...Clippers sub...Whiteman replaces Jason Zelt (Joel Zelt's brother, the last Clippers sub).
84 min...Clippers Massie 45 yard shot up middle is wide of net.
85 min...Clippers goalie rushes to edge of box to beat TFCA Babouli to bouncer.
86 min...Clippers Kirk interferes with TFCA Babouli in box to let goalie slide and smother ball.
87 min...TFCA Sacramento flicks ball from left into box defender clears.
87 min...Clippers Ng'See'Quan sliding tackle on TFCA goalie after being called offside does not draw card.
88 min...TFCA Nunes low 20 yard shot from right has goalie sprawl for save.
89 min...TFCA Stowell rush on left and cross though box has TFCA Nunes hold up his run at 2 yards on right post and ball fly between him and post wide right of net.
89 min...TFCA Babouli 20 yard low shot has sliding goalie block at 3 yards.
91 min...game ends 2:52pm.

Final Score:......Toronto FC Academy........3......Cataraqui Clippers......1.....

Attendance was about 40 on this cold and very windy day with a mix of sun and clouds and even about two minutes of rain. I had packed a parka for the game at The Soccer Centre later tonight but was glad I put it on in the parking lot before I went into the grounds this afternoon.

The weather disturbed the play of both teams with high cornerkicks often soaring over the players in the box and out the other side for throw-ins. Neither side actually faced the west wind directly as the field is aligned north to south.

TFCA players had their timing off at finishing chances. Although they had a wide advantage in territorial play especially after switching three players at halftime including league leading scorer Molham Babouli, the Clippers defence held up well except the own goal by Szwarek who was aiming to head the ball wide of the post to prevent a rebound. Goalie Navi Sidhu also made some great saves to keep the game close. TFCA Dylan Sacramento hit the bar on a 12 yard shot down the middle at 64 minutes or they would have taken the lead sooner.

Referee Scott Milliquet gave out only three Yellow cards (two to Clippers) and all in the first half and that was enough to stop the real rough stuff. Only Clippers Brandon Ng'See'Quan late challenge on the TFCA goalie after the whistle was blown for offside would have been the one more obvious card but it was at 87 minutes and the game was beyond doubt.

TFCA win the League 1 Ontario League Championship as today's win assured them of finishing in first place. Next Saturday they travel to Windsor to finish their league schedule.

TFCA had beaten Cataraqui 11-0 on these same grounds last Saturday in Cup play. I was at the MLS Toronto vs Portland game but heard some reasons for that bombing (besides the fact undefeated TFCA were playing the one team that hadn't won a League game this year). Last week the team from Kingston only brought 12 players and one of them was injured at 20 minutes. Also the weather was quite hot and sunny without a wind like today.

I noticed that TFCA only had ten starters listed when I saw forward Stefan Vukovic practicing with the starters but not on the game sheet at all. I doubted they wanted to give the Clippers a fighting chance so I pointed it out to the fourth official. He pointed it out to the TFCA officials and they updated the game sheets. I learned later that TFCA wouldn't have had to play short but they would have had to use up one of their subs to bring him on.

TFCA team head coach Michael Stefano today answered me that TFC WILL have a USL Pro team next year. I was pretty sure he answered 'no' a few months ago but maybe their owners MLSE wanted to jump aboard with so many MLS teams signing up for franchises for next season to follow the lead of LA Galaxy "II". It will be a good way to split off the older players from the current team as their younger players are pushing upwards looking for places. Now the question is "Where will they play?" Vaughan, Hamilton, and Kitchener were three different answers I received today.

I turned around just in time to see TFCA players dump a Gatorade bucket over head coach Michael Stefano. I saw what was happening too late to pull out my camera. With so many times seeing 'ice bucket challenges for ALS disease' recently, it's not so surprising anymore.

TFCA were presented with the League Championship trophy. Today's captain goalie Filippo Di Bennardo and team head coach Michael Stefano accepted the trophy from league chair Dino Rossi Jr. I congratulated the player who was the captain most often this year—Chris Mannella who igned a pro contract with Toronto FC a few weeks ago but did watch today's game and squeeze into the team pictures. I promised him that in the off season I will correct all the times I mispelled his last name with only one 'N' as he's listed on the computer generated game sheets.

And now it's off to the Cup game tonight between Vaughan Azzurri and Windsor Stars at 7:00pm. They are playing to decide who makes the semi-finals and which may well result in a match with TFCA when those games take place in about ten days.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Toronto FC Academy starters