August 23, 2015 League 1 Ontario--Toronto FC Academy vs Sanjaxx Lions (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Sunday August 23, 2015 League 1 Ontario game between Toronto FC Academy and Sanjaxx Lions played at KIA Training Centre in Downsview at 1:45pm.

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

.......................50 Filippo DiBennardo
5 Jordan Johnson...4 Nikola Stakic (cpt)...6 Thomas Mickoski...17 Andrew Dias
11 Richie Ennin...21 Matthew Srbely...19 Liam Fraser...15 Cyrus Rollocks
.............9 Malik Johnson...25 Kevin Timachy

Subs:...40 Nikita Degtyar (gk)...8 Nicholas Osorio...10 Tristan Borges...13 Aidan Daniels...14 Robert Boskovic
...18 Alexander Zis...20 Alexander Pena
team officials:...team head coach Stuart Neely...assistant coaches Rick Titus and Dino Lopez...manager Mairin Scannell

Sanjaxx Lions (white socks and shirts, navy shorts and numbers)

........................1 Nicolas Martino
20 Darren Billy...11 Babour Zorimullah...5 Mohammed Diaby...3 Joshua Bowyer
15 AidanCooper Zuccatti...10 Lael Daniel...6 Frantz Bill...16 Joseph Ikhuiwu
...............21 Fabio Vilaca...12 Stefan Nikolic

Subs:...22 Yosias Kibreab (gk)...8 Nordo Gooden...19 Abdirahman Ibrahim...4 Tyler Moretti...7 Dawit Tekie
team officials:...head coach Patrick Lowe...team officials Nicoletta Bonafede, Gavin Harvey, Devon Porter, Maureen VanWart, and Ramon McIntosh

Game officials:...referee Jonathan Carter...referee's assistants Joe Sanchez-Laric and Braeden Krampert, fourth official Bradley Doubrough
...(teal shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 1:46pm...TFCA defends north end.
2 min...TFCA Srbely 20 yard freekick from right has TFCA Fraser head ball downwards from 5 yards on left post and goalie stops it. Fraser blasts rebound from 6 yards well high and wide right of net.
4 min...TFCA Fraser low 25 yard shot through crowd of players is blocked then smothered by goalie.
5 min...Sanjaxx player's long throw-in from 25 yards bounces goalie TFCA goalie.
7 min...TFCA Srbely cornerkick from left has goalie punch ball away from box.
8 min...TFCA Timachy is squeezed off ball by two defenders on edge of Sanjaxx box on rush.
9 min...Sanjaxx Nikolic rush to left end line but rolls centering cross that defender dribbles away.
9 min...TFCA Rollocks on 3 on 1 rush shoots low 18 yarder up middle that the goalie sprawls to save.
12 min...TFCA Srbely 25 yard freekick from right has goalie palm ball up but flag is up for offside.
16 min...TFCA Malik Johnson recovers loose ball and blasts 20 yard shot down middle well over net.
18 min...TFCA Rollocks is knocked over by goalie at 22 yards on left as both are knocked over.
21 min...Sanjaxx Diaby chips 55 yard freekick down middle wide left on bounce.
22 min...TFCA Richie Ennin GOAL...TFCA Malik Johnson makes long run up middle and rolls pass to right for Ennin who shoots 12 yarder to top center of net.
23 min...Sanjaxx YELLOW cards...Bowyer earns it for tackle on TFCA Jordan Johnson injurying him and Sanjaxx 15 yard line on far right.
25 min...TFCA sub...Boskovic replaces injured Jordan Johnson.
25 min...TFCA player's 28 yard freekick from far rght has defender head ball away down middle.
31 min...TFCA Ennin steps around defender and at 12 yard line shoots across face of goal wide right of post.
32 min...TFCA Srbely low 20 yard shot up middle is stopped by goalie.
34 min...TFCA Nikola Stakic GOAL...TFCA Matthew Srbely 30 yard freekick from left has defender duck and head ball backwards from 15 yards and ball drops at 8 yards while even with right post for Stakic to shoot low 8 yarder to left side of net past goalie Nicolas Martino.
35 min...Sanjaxx Vilaca shoots 15 yarder from left wide right of net.
38 min...TFCA Srbely 33 yard freekick up middle is chip and TFCA player on left has shot blocked.
39 min...Sanjaxx Diaby makes key clearance header on cross from left.
40 min...TFCA Srbely cornerkick from left has TFCA Ennin head 7 yarder from right that goalie catches.
44 min...TFCA Ennin low cross from 20 yards on left has TFCA Rollocks a second late ducking for header at 3 yards charging up middle.
45 min...TFCA Srbely cornerkick from right has defender partially clear and TFCA Malik Johnson blasts 20 yarder high wide of net.
46 min...TFCA Malik Johnson bashes up middle and shoots 8 yarder that's stopped.
47 min...TFCA Srbely cornerkick fromleft is short and TFCA Timachy turns on left end line and rolls ball over line.
48 min...TFCA Richie Ennin GOAL...TFCA Cyrus Rollocks passes while in a crowd of players at 15 yards on the left over to Ennin in open at 10 yards on right and he shoots low shot into left side of net.
49 min...half ends 2:35pm.

Halftime entertainment:...there's a raffle draw for TFC (MLS) tickets and announcement that a cell phone had been found.

2nd Half:...starts 2:52pm.
halftime subs:...TFCA Borges replaces Timachy.
.................Sanjaxx Gooden replaces Bill.
.................Sanjaxx Tekie replaces Billy.
46 min...Sanjaxx YELLOW card...Ikhuiwu earns it for tackle at Sanjaxx 35 yard line.
47 min...TFCA Borges 40 yard freekick from right has defender head ball out left side of box.
47 min...TFCA Borges cross from 18 yards along left end line has goalie swat through box.
48 min...TFCA Borges 22 yard freekick fromright hits player wall and is cleared.
50 min...Sanjaxx Vilaca steals ball off TFCA Boskovic at center line and rush to 30 yards and pass to Sanjaxx Gooden who shoots 22 yarder that goalie saves.
51 min...Sanjaxx Diaby gets back to roll ball wide right of own post to stop TFCA players from getting shot in box.
52 min...TFCA Borges cornerkick from right starts fast break for Sanjaxx but Sanjaxx Gooden is called offside at TFCA 50 yard line.
54 min...TFCA sub...Daniels replaces Srbely.
56 min...TFCA Tristan Borges GOAL...Borges dribbles into box from right and regains possession on deflection off defender and runs along edge of box and cuts 18 yard shot into low right side of net.
57 min...TFCA Stakic makes key clearance on cross from right into TFCA box.
58 min...TFCA Malik Johnson and Borges work out short cornerkick from left but ball is cleared on edge of box.
59 min...Sanjaxx sub...Ibrahim replaces Ikhuiwu.
59 min...Sanjaxx Nikolic 30 yard freekick from left has Sanjaxx Vilaca head 8 yarder that hits right post and ball is cleared.
63 min...TFCA Daniels blasts 22 yarder from right that goalie bats wide right of post.
64 min...TFCA Borges cornerkick from right has header on left wide left of net.
66 min...Sanjaxx Gooden breaks on left from 45 yards and gets low shot stopped.
67 min...TFCA Ennin rush on left to send low cross through 6 yard box unplayed.
67 min...TFCA sub...Osorio replaces Ennin.
69 min...Sanjaxx Ibrahim is injured at Sanjaxx 38 yard line and must be helped off the field.
71 min...Sanjaxx sub...Moretti replaces injured Ibrahim before play resumes.
72 min...TFCA Malik Johnson rush up middle and ball poked off himself by defender and deflects to goalie from 20 yards.
73 min...TFCA Daniels run down left and cuts to middle at 22 yard line and shot is smothered by goalie in center of net.
74 min...TFCA sub...Zis replaces Rollocks.
74 min...TFCA Borges low cornerkick from right has nearest defender on right clear.
75 min...TFCA Dias rush on left cuts along near end line and 12 yard shot is stopped by goalie.
77 min...TFCA Aidan Daniels GOAL...TFCA Daniels receives short pass from right and rolls 25 yarder up middle between defenders into left corner of net.
78 min...Sanjaxx Gooden has 8 yard shot blocked by goalie but gets cross from left over to Sanjaxx Nikolic who centers ball and Sanjaxx Moretti shoots over net from 10 yards.
79 min...Sanjaxx sub...Kibreab replaces Daniel as an outfield player.
80 min...Sanjaxx goalie makes sliding save to smother low shot from right.
81 min...TFCA Zis gets to ball on break and rushes to 25 yards but rolls shot wide left of net.
82 min...Sanjaxx YELLOW card...Vilaca earns it for his part in a pushing match.
82 min...TFCA Daniels blasts low 40 yard freekick up middle that goalie blocks then picks up.
84 min...TFCA Borges low 30 yard shot up middle has goalie smother on right post.
85 min...TFCA Malik Johsnon gets ball at 20 yards on left on pass and runs to center and shoots 18 yarder high and wide right.
87 min...TFCA Zis gets away chip at 20 yards as goalie runs into him on left outside box. The ball pops into the outside left webbing of net. The goalie is down injured.
91 min...TFCA Liam Fraser GOAL...TFCA Malik Johnson 15 yard shot has defender block it and Fraser blasts 20 yard rebound into top left corner of net.
[oops. In an earlier writeup I translated his number down as Alexander Zis but it was Fraser with the goal.]
92 min...Sanjaxx goalie runs out to 25 yards to beat TFCA Zis to through ball.
93 min...TFCA Fraser rusn along left end line but can't elude second defender but wins cornerkick.
93 min...TFCA player's cornerkick from left is short and TFCA Daniels crosses wide of box.
94 min...game ends 3:41pm.

Final Score:......Toronto FC Academy........6......Sanjaxx Lions........0.....

Attendance was about 50 on this hot day with a bright sun in the west not effecting either team on the north-south alignment of the field.

TFCA head coach Stuart Neely was not here today but assistants Rick Titus and Dino Lopez handled taking over well. Titus was yelling instructions the entire game. They weren't happy with referee Jonathan Carter who they felt was letting Lions goalie Nicolas Martino away with two knockdowns of TFCA players outside his box.

Carter gave out three Yellow cards that I counted (all to Sanjaxx players). The game had a few rough spots with 23 minutes being the worst on one Yellow card where TFCA Jordan Johnson was tackled near the sideline and needed to be subbed off.

TFCA players couldn't let up because their whole organization has a full bench of guys trying to move up so when they're subbed in, they have to go all out to show they should be starters. The Academy starters bounce up and down to the TFC II team like midfielder Liam Fraser, and forwards Kevin Timachy and Malik Johnson where they themselves are usually bench players.

Lions have only scored six goals in 18 league and Cup games this season! They have not scored since July 4th in a 2-1 loss away against Sigma FC. Following that they've lost 3-0 at home to Sigma, 2-0 at home to Oakville, home to Durham United 1-0, away to Pro Stars 2-0, away to ANB Futbol 5-0, then had a road trip to Windsor (at least a four hour drive) finally postponed after hours of a lightning storm.

I was marking Lions best chances. At 50 minutes Lions Fabio Vilaca stole the ball off TFCA Robert Boskovic at the center line and rushed to 30 yards when he was caught and he passed to Lions Nordo Gooden who shot a 22 yarder that the goalie came out to near the edge of the box to save. 59 minutes had Lions Stefan Nikolic take a 30 yard freekick from the left that had Vilaca head an 8 yarder that hit the right post and the defenders were able to clear the rebound. 78 minutes had Gooden have an 8 yard shot blocked by the goalie but he got a cross from the left over to Nikolic who centered the ball and Lions Tyler Moretti shot over the net from 10 yards. Gooden lashed out at different teammates a few times through the game as he was often left alone as the lone striker and had teammates frequently called offside. He'll turn age 30 in about three weeks. I've been watching him play since at least 2007.

Filippo Di Bennardo earned the shutout for TFCA with the above action plus some more routine saves.

Halftime entertainment was a raffle draw for a pair of MLS Toronto FC tickets. A boy maybe age 11 brought over a cellphone he said he'd found near the gate. An announcement was made and no takers (because the owner had left) but further investigation they found out that it was Mrs Osorio's (parent of three TFC/TFCA players). Easily solved as son Nicholas picked it up when the players got back from halftime. He got into the game at 67 minutes. Suggestions piled up as 'thank you's' for the boy from an autographed picture (my idea) to TFC tickets, tweeted thank yous, to an invitation to the year end banquet.

TFCA's record improves to 7 wins, 1 draw, and 8 losses for 22 points and flips back into seventh place by one point over Windsor Stars who had won on Friday night.

Sanjaxx's record falls to 1 win, 0 draws, and 16 losses for 3 points. They are tied for eleventh place in the twelve team league with Master's FA Saints who have no wins but three ties. Climatic game (Lions only win was against Master's) between these two teams is the last weekend of the season at Monarch Park on Saturday evening October 3rd although I expect to be at the MLS TFC game against Philadelphia at that time.

Looks like I'll not report on any Week 18 action next week as MLS TFC will lock up Saturday and USL TFC II takes care of Sunday.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Toronto FC Academy starters