August 24, 2017 League 1 Ontario--Match Recap: FC London vs Vaughan Azzurri (from League 1 Ontario)

Match Recap: FC London 0 - 4 Vaughan Azzurri 
08/24/2017, 6:00pm EDT
By League1 Ontario staff
 
Jarek Whiteman (14', 70') scored a brace to stay top of the men's Golden Boot race, while teammates 
Jarred Phillips (41') and Ryan Raposo (49') added singles on the way to a 4-0 result over west 
division side FC London. 

"I thought we did well and under the circumstances of getting a red card early in the first half, 
I thought we defended well also," said Vaughan Azzurri head coach, Carmine Isacco. 

"We're not used to not having the ball. I thought we created some good goals and in that way the game 
was well in hand. We got a lucky break on the third probably, but it was a good effort by the boys, 
especially at ten men." 

Vaughan unveiled a new player in former professional keeper, David Monsalve, who recently returned 
from playing in Finland and has been a journeyman for over a decade. Monsalve kept a clean sheet for 
Vaughan and was a major factor in leading the team to victory. 

"He is a fantastic keeper and a leader," said Isacco. 

"He organizes a team and reads situations, he keeps people tuned in. That is what you want from your 
keeper. It's not only what he does between the pipes, it's what he does organizing his team, 
avoiding situations before they happen, and his feet are obviously fantastic, which is important 
for us coming out of the back and building our attack." 

"Hopefully he will be a part of the CPL, that is the plan," he added. 

"It is tough going to other countries and moving between some high divisions and some low divisions. 
I think guys like that deserve an opportunity to be a professional in Canada and hopefully the 
CPL provides that to him. We're just here to showcase him a little."

"I'm quite satisfied with the way we played," said Monsalve. 

"Carm has worked with these guys often and he was my coach at the youth level, at Toronto FC, 
and it is nice to be around him in a competitive environment again. I'm pleasantly surprised 
at the quality of League1." 

Although the result did not go in favour of the hosts, FC London assistant coach Eddie Schmidt 
was proud of his team's performance in a contest that was closer than the scoreline reflected.

"Especially in the first half, we played a very good game," he said. 

"First ten minutes we were not really in the game and in this time Vaughan pressed and went up. 
We couldn't play the way we wanted and they scored on a very good attack and had a few other 
chances, but after that we took control of the game. In the first half we created two or three 
chances so it could have been 2-1 or 3-2 for us at the half."

"They showed that they are the best team at set pieces in the league, and although we prepared 
for this you can prepare all you want and still be able to do nothing if the ball comes to their 
player with numerical advantage and he is a head taller and physically stronger," he added. 

"That will be a goal and this is what you can expect against them. However, we pushed them back 
and used the space in the middle that they offer during games and especially our young players 
did a very good job today."   

FC London will next play TFC III on August 27 at German Canadian Club, London.

Vaughan Azzurri will next play Masters FA Saints on August 26 at L'Amoreaux, Scarborough.

back to 2017 League 1 Ontario Men's index

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