July 19, 2017 League 1 Ontario--League 1 Ontario All Stars vs PLSQ (Quebec) All Stars (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Wednesday July 19, 2017 All Stars game between
League 1 Ontario and the PLSQ (Quebec) all star teams played at the Soccer Centre in Vaughan at 7:30pm.

League 1 Ontario All-Stars (white socks and shirts, black shorts and numbers)

.........................18 Quillan Roberts
2 Johnny Grant...15 Jamar Kelly...5 Aaron Schneebeli...12 Bruce Cullen
8 Giuliano Frano...4 Chris Mannella...7 Dylan Carreiro...10 Cristian Cavallini
..............14 Jarek Whiteman (cpt)...9 Filipe Vilela

Subs:...1 Triston Henry (gk)...22 Gianluca Catalano (gk)...3 Jarred Phillips...6 Victor Gallo
...11 Lee Victor Massunda...13 Nathaniel Rodney Scarlett...16 Carl De Abreu...17 Anthony Novak
...19 Kembo Kibato...20 Kadell Thomas...23 Joseph Di Chiara...70 Jose De Sousa
team officials:...head coach Bobby Smyrnotis...other team officials Peter Pinizzotto, Hermann Kingue,
Mike Matic, and Joe Hanley

PLSQ (blue socks, shorts, and shirts, black numbers, white shoulders)

.....................1 Gabard Fenelon (cpt)
2 Riccardo Teoli...5 Bila Dicko-Raynauld...4 Renan Dias...3 Kevin Cossette
14 Mitchell Syla...15 Kevin Amourette...10 Sean Rosa...13 Michael McIntyre...11 Dex Kaniki
.....................9 Federico Moojen

Subs:...28 Horace Patient Sobze Zemo (gk)...7 Yannick Toker...8 Vincent Cyr-Gauthier...12 Diego Politis
...17 Dalin Saheb...18 Berlin Jean Gilles
team officials:...head coach Luc Brutus...other team officials Sylver Castagnet, Maxime Barrette, and Elom Defly

Game officials:...referee Fabrizio Stasolla...referee's assistants John Vlahos and Filip Dujic
...fourth official Scott Bowman...(watermelon shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 8:39pm...L1O defends south end. It's hot and humid with the sun in the northwest.
4 min...Que Rosa rolls ball up mddle from 25 yards which is stopped.
5 min...Ont Carreiro bends low cross into box from 30 yards on left but goalie steps forward to catch on bounce.
6 min...Ont Cavallini cchip forweard to Ont Vilela who shoots wide left from 20 yards. Ont Whiteman follow up
shot on right from 15 yards is wide left.
7 min...Ont player's freekick from left has defender head away on left post.
8 min...Ont Grant rush on right and cuts towards center and 25 yards shot is smothered on right post by goalie.
10 min...Ont Cullen finishes give and go play with 15 yard shot on left that goalie catches.
10 min...Que Syla low bender from 25 yards from around defender and just wide left of net.
12 min...Que Amourette 35 yard freekick from left has defender head-flick wide right of post.
12 min...Que Syla cornerkick from rght is headed away to start fast break.
13 min...Que Cossette throw-in from left has Que player send low cross from 25 yards caught by goalie on left post.
14 min...Que Das can't win Penalty kick when tripped in Ont box and needs trainer for injury.
19 min...Ont Carreiro 40 yard freekick from right has leaping defender head ball away at 15 yards.
20 min...Ont Carreiro 35 yard freekick from right has ball to Ont Cavallini at 12 yards on left head into 6 yard box
and goalie swats away.
21 min...Que goalie 75 yard goalkick on right has Que Kaniki head 30 yarder on left wide left of net.
23 min...Que defender makes key play to brweak up possible 2 on 1 break in by clearing at Que 30 yard line.
24 min...Que Rosa 25 yard shot from left is high and wide right.
24 min...the referee now calls a water break that lasts about two minutes.
26 min...Ont Cullen low cross from 30 yards is cleared by defender on edge of box.
32 min...Ont players take short cornerkick on right that's finally crossed into box and goalie catches on right post.
32 min...Ont Vilela has goalie beats him to chance on edge of box but ball s popped up. Ont Whiteman low 22 yard
shot up middle is saved by diving goalie to left side of net.
33 min...Ont Carreiro recovers partial clearance and 25 yard blast from left is well over net.
34 min...Ont Carreiro cuts to middle from left but rolls 25 yarder to goalie.
35 min...Que Syla cross from 30 yards on right has flying defender head over own net from 10 yards.
36 min...Que Rosa cornerkick from right is headed around in box and Que Cossette 20 yard shot from left is stopped.
39 min...Que Teoli 50 yard cross from right bounces to goalie.
40 min...Ont Grant is injured at Ont 35 yard line and needs trainer.
40 min...Que Syla escapes grab of defender and gets away 25 yard bender from right that goalie catches.
41 min...Ont Cullen eludes defender and gets away shot that deflects just over bar.
42 min...Ont sub...Phillips replaces Grant who's still injured.
42 min...L1O Giuliano Frano GOAL...L1O Dylan Carreiro takes cornerkick from left that has PLSQ goalie
Gabard Fenelon swat forward to keep a L1O player from connecting on header. L1O Cristian Cavallini at 8 yards puts leg out
and skies ball towards goal and defender heads off line while bumping with own goalie when ball drops down and his header
is along left end line to 12 yards. L1O Jarek Whiteman is waiting and leaps and heads ball back to edge of 6 yard box
and Frano kicks 6 yarder down middle over defender to top right corner of net with goalie who'd just got back up from
left post trapped in middle.
44 min...Que Teoli chips 35 yard cross from right is high and wide left.
47 min...half ends 8:26pm.

Halftime Entertainment:...there's a t-shirt toss which I figured out had the L1O logo on them.

2nd Half:...starts 8:46pm. The sun is now almost set in the northwest. We can finally see the scoreboard.
Halftime subs:...Ont Gallo replaces Kelly.
.................Ont De Sousa replaces Vilela.
.................Ont Di Chiara replaces Frano.
.................Ont Thomas replaces Cavallini.
.................Que Cyr-Gauthier replaces McIntyre.
.................Que Sobze Zemo replaces Fenelon in goal.
.................Que Toker replaces Rosa.
.................Que Jean Glles replaces Moojen.
48 min...Ont goalie steps forward to catch bouncer at 15 yards ahead of charging player.
49 min...Que Toker receives backheeler pass but his 20 yard shot is deflected wide left for cornerkick.
49 min...Que Amourette cornerkick from left is cleared by defenders.
50 min...Que Jean Gilles has ball poked away to prevent him getting away 7 yard shot.
51 min...Ont sub...Rodney Scarlett replaces Cullen.
52 min...Que Syla takes mid-air shot of partial clearance at 25 yards up middle wide left for throw-in.
54 min...Que Cossette run down to left end line and rolls ball into box that has goalie smother.
55 min...Que sub...Saheb replaces Amourette.
.........Que sub...Politis replaces Cossette.
56 min...Ont Whiteman rolls 20 yarder from left into outside webbing of net.
56 min...Ont Carreiiro good dribbling set up play to pass to Ont Whiteman who passes to left for another Ont player's off target shot.
57 min...Ont sub...De Abreu replaces Mannella.
.........Ont sub...Novak replaces Carreiro.
58 min...Que Syla cross from near left end line is deflected for cornerkick.
58 min...Que Syla cornerkick from left is cleared from box.
60 min...Que Jean Gilles low 25 yard shot on right in open has goalie smother on right post.
61 min...Que Syla 5 yard point blank shot on left is saved by goalie.
61 min...Que Syla cornerkick from left has defenders clear.
62 min...Ont sub...Henry replaces Roberts in goal.
63 min...Ont Whiteman taps ball forward to Ont De Sousa who has ball poked away to prevent 10 yard shot.
64 min...Ont De Sousa rolls pass from 25 yards in middle to Ont Thomas who blasts 18 yarder from left
well over net.
66 min...Ont sub...Massunda replaces Whiteman.
69 min...Ont Rodney Scarlett cross to Ont De Sousa who has 10 yard shot blocked by goalie at 8 yards
and ball deflects over to Ont Thomas who blasts 12 yarder well high and over net.
70 min...Referee calls for a water break which takes two minutes.
74 min...Ont Di Chiara 28 yard shot from right is well over net.
76 min...Ont defender makes high clearance on edge of Ont box.
77 min...Que goalie jumps to catch 25 yard cross from left and lands on his ankle sustaining an injury.
78 min...Ont Novak cross from left end line has defender chest down and clear.
80 min...Ont De Abreu shot from 25 yards is well over net.
82 min...Ont De Sousa pass to Ont Massunda at 10 yards but he knocks ball off target.
82 min...Ont De Sousa run to end lne on right and wins cornerkick on deflection.
83 min...Ont sub...Kibato replaces Thomas.
83 min...Ont Di Chiara works out short cornerkick from right. Ont Phillips blasts 20 yarder from left
that goalie bats away and defender clears from right.
84 min...Ont goalie catches chip from 28 yards on right on right side of net.
85 min...Que sub...Rosa replaces Syla. (Rosa returns to the game).
86 min...Que Jean Gllles blasts 22 yard shot from left that goalie blocks on left post on sprawls and smothers.
87 min...Que Jean Gilles 25 yard chip shot from left is caught by goalie.
89 min...Que Rosa 28 yard freekick down middle has leaping goalie palm ball over net.
89 min...Ont Cavallini cornerkick has defender head ball away.
91 min...Ont DeSousa 28 yard shot from right is wide left of net.
93 min...Ont Shneebeli does the splits to clear low cross into Ont box at 5 yards.
94 min...Que Rosa 30 yard freekick from left has goalie catch on left post.
94 min...game ends 9:35pm.

Final Score:......League 1 Ontario......1.....PLSQ Quebec.....0...

Attendance was not announced but I'd estimate was at least 1000 to maybe 1200. 
This is better than the USL Toronto FC II games for all but their school 
day games. This was a great showing for a weeknight game. There were a lot 
of young male fans dressed in their jerseys or windbreakers from their soccer 
academies. I figured each team was consigned a number of tickets and did well 
to fill the place.

Referee Fabrizio Stasolla gave out no Yellow cards and called a water break 
in each half as the weather was at last cooling after a heat wave from earlier 
in the day.

There was a quality PA system with Ari Soroka who regularly announces 
at Oakville Blue Devils games calling out the numerous subs made during 
an All Star game. Four subs for each team at halftime alone!

The PLSQ players had a coach (bus) which would take them back (the driver 
estimated five hours). Of course now it's not rush hour as it took me almost 
one hour just to cross halfway across Toronto to get here.

The PLSQ league is made up of seven teams mostly around Montreal with one 
near Quebec City and one in Gatineau (across the river from Ottawa Ontario). 
They had representatives from six of their teams but not the first place 
AS Blainville. Maybe a few of added players from that team may have swayed 
the result. They brought six subs which they had used by 55 minutes. 
One exception was at 85 minutes when they brought back on Sean Rosa who'd 
gone off at halftime but came back on to replace starter Mitchell Syla. 
Syla looked the most dangerous player for them with his crosses, cornerkicks, 
and shots.

League 1 Ontario had announced 34 players as all-stars (a minimum of one 
from all 16 teams) but that was whittled down to a more manageable 23 the 
week before the game—also freezing out three of the also-ran teams. 
All players from their lineup got into the game (except for third goalie 
Gianluca Catalano from TFC III). 83 minutes Kembo Kibato replaced halftime 
sub Kadell Thomas for the only time a sub replaced a sub. Julian Dunn-Johnson 
from TFC III was the only first team all-star who didn't make the game day 
roster but it wouldn't surprise me that he will be with the USL TFC II 
on their trip to New York to play Red Bulls II on Friday night. He is only 
age 16 and has somewhat displaced TFC Brandon Aubrey who the team 
is trumpeting for 2017 Fans' Choice USL Midseason Awards as Best Defender 
and Rookie of the Year. After Aubrey's own goal against Harrisburg, 
Dunn-Johnson subbed in a few minutes later and hasn't given his spot back yet!

I was expecting the Ontario side to win much more comfortably but with 
so many players taking the field and the fact that the players are scattered 
between so many teams, there were times where it looked like they'd never 
played together before, which was true except for a few practices. 
Passes were often mistimed and runs were not made after getting called 
offside a few times.

Vaughan Azzurri and undefeated Sigma FC were the best represented L1O 
teams with four players each.

The L1O team shutout was shared by starter Quillan Roberts from 
Woodbridge Strikers who made way for Triston Henry from Sigma at 62 minutes. 
I counted Roberts with having three 25 yard shots to save until the minute 
before he came off when he made a point blank save from 5 yards off 
PLSQ Mitchell Syla. Henry had four stops to make all from the 84th minute on.

Both goalies were greatly aided by their defenders who blocked or poked 
away all but that one shot attempt from inside the box.

It was somewhat appropriate that MVP of the game was announced 
as FC London defender Aaron Schneebeli. He was the only L1O player to play 
the full 90 minutes. Injury time found him doing the splits at 5 yards 
to clear a low cross sent into the box.

PLSQ goalies Gabard Fenelon played the first half and Horace Patient 
Sobze Zemo played the second.

I was watching from the stands by my choice so I'd have the sun at my back 
and could do my own photography. I did miss out on talking with any 
of the celebs or the new fan group. Jason Devos was there and Jim Brennan 
did the coin toss (although I realized later than may have been awkward 
as none of his Aurora FC players were in tonight's game).

I did recognize PLSQ director Kambiz Ebadi from previous years. I asked him 
after the game if their league was noticing their rosters were being stocked 
with rather older players waiting for the start up of the new Canadian 
Premier League as soon as next year. His counterpart Dino Rossi in L1O 
and I have discussed that over the months. Yes he said that their mandate 
states each team has to have at least nine professionals on the team and 
he expects a lot of them will move along to the new league. That's what 
I've heard about L1O too from execs and a few players.

Ron Smale, recently reelected president of the Ontario Soccer Association 
was handing out pins. I met other writers from the Northern Starting XI 
site before the game. Besides another one in the stands that will make 
four people rehashing the same story.

How good was the attendance? Although there was only one mobile concession 
stand operating tonight—doing BBQ (TFC II usually also brings in an ice-cream 
vendor), fans were saying the stand ran out of hot dog buns and change 
as they were given so many $20 bills.

There will be no November series to determine the best D3 caliber league 
in Canada between the best club teams in these two leagues. It was decided 
to wait until a possible matchup now that the Canadian Championships for 
the Voyageurs Cup will include the best L1O and PLSQ team qualifying for 
the competition next spring.

Tonight made the twenty-ninth L1O game I've attended so far this season.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter @RocketRobin01

League 1 Ontario starters