July 26, 2015 League 1 Ontario--Vaughan Azzurri vs Windsor Stars (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Sunday July 26, 2015 League 1 Ontario game between Vaughan Azzurri and Windsor Stars played at McNaughton Park in Maple at 2:00pm.

Vaughan Azzurri (all navy, white numbers, red trim)

.....................12 Andrew D'Souza
4 Daniel Cramarossa...7 Matthrew Arnone...5 Daniel Gogarty...3 Joseph Amato (cpt)
6 Tyrone Downes...9 Dena Iezady...19 Edward Lay...17 Massimo Ferrin
................25 Mario Kovacevic...10 Austin Ricci

Subs:...1 Michael Uccello (gk)...8 Domenico Gullo...11 Shane Lammie...14 Chris Turner...16 Andre Dyer
...18 Stefan Popovic...20 Darren Gertiesingh
team officials:...head coach Carmine Isacco...team officials Patrice Gheisar, Luca Forno, Tony De Palma, Maria Bianchi, Jonathan Lao

Windsor Stars (all white, black numbers)

.......................1 Kyle Vizirakis
5 Carlos Soares...8 Jamar Kelley...17 Dreydon Kelley...7 Erik Cirovski
13 Stefan Milidrag...9 Stephen Ademolu (cpt)...6 Luke Husbands...19 Brett Holmberg
...............15 Noah Pio...10 Michael Pio

Subs:...14 Elijah Dunn
also listed on game sheet but not there: 4 Derrick Amankwa...11 Luis Cortes...17 Stefan Zastavnikovic...27 Shane Beaton
team officials:...team head coach Shane Topalovic

Game Officials:...referee Justin Tasev...referee's assistants Benjamin Jacobs and Braeden Krampert...fourth official Mohamed Mohamed
...(yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 2:00pm...VA defends south end on this hot and humid day with a bright sun in the south west.
2 min...WS Jamar Kelley heads away VA player's 30 yard freekick from right at 8 yards in box.
3 min...VA Downes cornerkick from right has VA Kovacevic leap and head 8 yarder down middle that goalie palms over net.
6 min...VA Cramarossa 30 yard freekick from right has VA Kovacevic in middle head 10 yarder that goalie catches just under bar.
7 min...WS Holmberg shoots 40 yarder down middle wide left of net.
10 min...WS Milidrag long throw-in from right has WS player pop 10 yarder wide right of net.
10 min...VA Kovacevic flick header from left post at 6 yards wide left of net.
11 min...VA Ricci rescues ball on right end line and low cross from 15 yards along line eludes goalie but is through box.
12 min...WS Milidrag cornerkick from right is upfield and WS Soares gets to ball and blasts 25 yarder from right over net.
14 min...VA Downes is given through ball at 30 yards and dekes around goalie at 12 yards but pushes ball over end line before he can cross it in.
15 min...VA Downes cross from 18 yards on left has VA Kovacevic not able to redirect it in from 2 yards.
17 min...VA Ricci cornerkick from left is over to right and goalie ends up catching 15 yard cross from right.
18 min...WS Milidrag cornerkick from right has defenders knock down and clear.
20 min...VA YELLOW card...Iezady earns it for either knock down of WS player injurying him or complaining about freekick call at center line.
22 min...VA Downes can't get by WS Cirovski to get 10 yard shot in box for long chip.
23 min...VA players can't get shot on edge of WS box with a few passes around outside of box.
24 min...WS Holmberg has two crosses from left cleared in box.
25 min...WS Cirovski 30 yard blast from left is pushed wide left of net by goalie.
26 min...WS Michael Pio 30 yard freekick (after another player fakes kick) down middle is over net.
27 min...referee calls water break for next two minutes.
30 min...VA Ricci rolls apss from 10 yards on left and VA Kovacevic has low 12 yard shot blocked by sprawling goalie at 3 yards.
31 min...VA Downes shot from 18 yards on sharp right is caught by goalie.
32 min...VA Lay blasts 22 yard freekick into a head in player wall.
32 min...WS Noah Pio rush down right and eludes defender and 22 yard shot from right is well over net.
34 min...VA Ricci breaks into WS box through defenders but pushes ball too far forward and sliding goalie clears at 7 yards but VA Ricci catches him with foot and injures him which delays game about three minutes.
37 min...VA Ricci receives chipped pas from 28 yards and midaiir shot from 12 yards on right is over net.
38 min...VA Ricci wins cornerkick on charge into WS box from left.
39 min...VA Downes cornerkick from left has WS player pop up header then defender clears.
40 min...VA Ricci eludes WS Soares on run up middle and gets away 15 yard whiffed shot that spins to goalie.
42 min...WS Husbands 35 yard freekick up middle is rolled wide left of net.
46 min...VA Ricci blasts 20 yarder that's blocked by defender at 15 yards and ball spins back to goalie on bounce.
47 min...WS Michael Pio rolls 28 yard shot wide left of post.
47 min...half ends 2:47pm.

2nd Half:...starts 3:03pm.
46 min...VA Dyer pass up middle and VA Kovacevic 15 yard shot has goalie dive and push ball wide right of net.
46 min...VA Downes cornerkick from right is cleared on left side of box.
48 min...WS Milidrag low 15 yard shot from right wins cornerkick on deflection.
48 min...WS Milidrag cornerkick from right is over players in box. WS Husbands blasts 20 yard shot on left is well over net.
50 min...VA Ricci on long run on left has low cross from 22 yards cleared by defender.
50 min...VA Amato 35 yard freekick from left sideline has WS Jamar Kelley head ball away in box. WS Michael Pio is injured on play.
52 min...VA Ricci gets pass at 10 yards and low shot is deflected wide left by sliding defender.
52 min...VA Downes cornerkick from left is well over players in box.
53 min...VA Amato long run down left and crosses over box.
53 min...WS Michael Pio and WS Holmberg have shots blocked by defenders on left side of box.
54 min...WS YELLOW card...someone gets this for tackle on VA Downes on rush at WS 30 yard line.
55 min...VA Cramarossa 35 yard freekick from right has VA Iezady head ball wide left from 10 yards on left.
56 min...VA Ricci has ball deflect off defender and VA Downes 12 yard shot deflect for cornerkick.
58 min...VA sub...Gertiesingh replaces Downes.
58 min...WS Holmberg low 22 yard shot up middle after ball is worked in from left is smothered by goalie.
60 min...WS Cirovski centers ball from 30 yards on left to WS Ademolu who shoots 22 yarder up middle well over net.
62 min...WS Michael Pio 10 yard chip along right endline is behind net.
63 min...VA Gertiesingh cornerkick from left has defender clear ball in box.
64 min...WS Noah Pio cross near right end line has ball land for WS Holmberg who has shot popped up at 6 yards and defender clears.
66 min...VA Ferrin cornerkick from left is worked out but Ferrin cross into box is cleared.
66 min...VA Mario Kovacevic GOAL...VA Joseph Amato rolls ball from 45 yards on left up for Kovacevic to turn around defender and roll 18 yard shot under goalie Kyle Vizirakis into the center of net.
68 min...WS Michael Pio 25 yard freekick is high and wide right of net.
70 min...WS Michael Pio GOAL...Michael Pio is given a short pass from left and bends 20 yard shot down middle that bends inward into top right side of net beyond reach of goalie Andrew D'Souza.
71 min...WS Michael Pio eludes defender just outside box and gets low 12 yard shot from left that goalie does the splits to save.
72 min...VA Lay receives short centering pass and blasts 20 yard shot well over net.
72 min...referee calls a water break.
75 min...VA sub...Lammie replaces Lay.
78 min...VA Cramarossa 20 yard freekick from right edge of box has goalie catch overhead on right post.
80 min...WS player's 25 yard chipped shot up middle is wide left and cleared.
81 min...WS Milidrag cornerkick from right has ball popped up on heaer and goalie catches.
82 min...WS Holmberg rolls centering pass and WS Michael Pio shoots 20 yard shot high and wide right of net.
83 min...VA sub...Gullo replaces Ferrin.
84 min...WS Soares 45 yard cross from right is caught by goalie on leap on left post.
85 min...VA Gertiesingh 25 yard freekick from left has ball headed across box and out right side.
87 min...VA Gullo wins cornerkick on left on deflection off defender on end line.
........WS YELLOW card...goalie Kyle Vizirakis earns it for complaining about last play.
88 min...WS Holmberg rush on 1 on 1 but VA Amato pokes ball off him and ball deflects back for goalie to smother at 10 yards.
89 min...WS Holmberg rolls ball from 10 yards on left through 6 yard box unplayed.
91 min...VA player's cornerkick from left has goalie punch ball through box and out right side.
91 min...VA Cramarossa 20 yard shot is blocked by defender.
92 min...VA Cramarossa blasts tapped back pass at 25 yards well over net and back fence.
93 min...WS Ademolu is injured in VA box and referee blows whistle as VA players already have broken out to 40 yard line.
94 min...game ends 3:52pm.

Final Score:.....Vaughan Azzurri.......1........Windsor Stars.......1.......

Attendance was about 15 on this very hot and humid afternoon played under a bright sun. Referee Justin Tasev gave a water break in each half. Tasev gave out three Yellow cards that I counted (two to Windsor) in a game that never got too rough.

Stars came all the way from Windsor with only twelve players and despite a listing on the lineup sheet of five and that sub, Elijah Dunn, did not come into the game. This must have made it tough going on the players especially near the end but they held up well and had a enough good chances in the final minutes they could have won it. Goalie Kyle Vizirakis was injured at 34 minutes slid for a save and was caught by the foot of VA Austin Ricci but recovered within three minutes to continue.

Vaughan had a few players missing like captain Matt Stinston but the biggest surprise was playing without the league's leading scorer Joey Cicchillo who leads the league with 13 goals in League and Cup games. Head coach Carmen Isacco answered me after the game that he was 'away' (and not anything to do with school). I believe the team really missed him taking the dead balls of cornerkicks and freekicks as their finishing was somewhat off.

Best non-scoring chances were at 3 minutes when VA Tyrone Downes' cornerkick from the right had VA Mario Kovacevic leap and head an 8 yarder down the middle that the goalie palmed over the net. 6 minutes had VA Daniel Cramarossa take a freekick from 30 yards from the right that Kovacevic in middle headed a 10 yarder that the goalie caught just under the bar. 14 minutes had VA Downes given a through ball at 30 yards and he deked around the goalie at 12 yards but pushed the ball over the end line before he could cross it in. 30 minutes had Austin Ricci rolled a pass from 10 yards on the left and Kovacevic's low 12 yard shot was blocked by the sprawling goalie at 3 yards. 46 minutes had Kovaceic take a 15 yard shot that the goalie dove and pushed wide right of the post. 64 minutes had WS Noah Pio cross near the right end line and the ball landed for WS Brett Holmberg who had his shot popped up at 6 yards and a defender cleared. After the two goals at 71 minutes WS Michael Pio eluded a defender just outside the box and got a low 12 yard shot from the left that the goalie did the splits to make a save. 88 minutes had WS Noah Pio rush on 1 on 1 and defender Joseph Amato poked the ball off him and the ball deflected back for the goalie to smother at 10 yards. Injury time had VA Cramarossa tapped back a pass and blast a 25 yarder down the middle well over the net and the back fence into the parking lot—yep that was what was wrong with Vaughan players in today's game!

That was not a misprint of attendance. It really was just fifteen fans watching this game. I'll be able to use that in arguments when those message boards activists make their sandbox plans of future leagues crisscrossing the country. How many of those people get off their keisters and attend games below the MLS or NASL level?

Vaughan misses an opportunity to make a move on first place Oakville Blue Devils with this result (Oakville would lose their first league game of the year a few hours later). Their record improves to 7 wins, 6 ties, and 0 losses for 27 points and are now the only undefeated team but too many ties will likely cost them the championship. They are tied with Sigma FC who won their game yesterday. Windsor improves to 5 wins, 3 ties, 4 losses for 18 points and they stay in seventh place in the twelve team league.

Rocket Robin
robin@eol.ca

Vaughan Azzurri starters