July 6, 2019 League 1 Ontario--Aurora FC vs Windsor TFC game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Saturday July 6, 2019 League 1 Ontario game between Aurora FC and Windsor TFC
played at Stewart Burnett Park in Aurora at 4:00pm.

Aurora FC (black shorts and numbers, yellow shirts and socks)

..............................1 Ryan Collins
20 Kwame Opoku...16 Alex Meczarski...5 Michael Fayehun (cpt)...3 Riley Ferrazzo
........10 Felipe Vilela...7 Nuno Carvalho...19 Timothy Mahabir
.........8 Max Ferrari...11 Johnson Amoo...13 Niklas Bauer

Subs:...12 Nicholas Frenati (gk)...2 Carlos Buitrago...4 Conor O'Callaghan...6 Joseph Vitulli
...9 Justin Brown...14 Parmpreet Singh...18 Alexandre Medeiros
team officials:...team head coach Michael Aquino...assistant coach Alex Sabatini...managers Mario De Lucia
and Ralph Aquino

Windsor TFC (all red, white numbers)

...................................1 Brogan Engbers
15 Nathaniel Clemmings...4 Cameron McNeil...20 Kyle Buren...6 Adesina Gbadebo
17 Juan Jaramillo...3 Andrew Ribeiro...11 Bryce Phillips (cpt)...8 Ard Dieker
.............22 Leonardo Fereirra DaSilva...9 Jonathan Agapito

Subs:...10 Korede Adepitan...14 Nameer Sto...18 Jackson Moy...19 Juliano Cekaj
...21 Theo Hirst
team officials:...team head coach Ryan Mendonca...assistant coach James Lambourne
...managers Sasha Trpcevski and Vancho Cirovski

Game officials:...referee Filip Dujic...referee's assistants Nick Vagenas and Daniel Boduryan
...fourth official John Leuser...(all black uniforms)

First Half:...game starts 4:04pm...Aurora defends south end on this very hot afternoon with a bright sun in the west
and a breeze from the east.
1 min...AFC Ferrazzo low 25 yarder up middle bounces to goalie.
3 min...Aurora Niklas Bauer GOAL...AFC Johnson Amoo crosses from 20 yards near right end line has
Bauer at 6 yards on far left near end line pop header over goalie Brogan Engbers and ball drops
into top right corner of net.
7 min...AFC Carvalho chips from 25 yards into crowd of players in box but goalie runs out to catch at 12 yards.
7 min...AFC Ferrari cross rolled along 6 yard line from right but defenders clear in center of box.
11 min...AFC Ferrari long run down left but W Clemmings pokes ball away as he closes into box.
11 min...AFC Ferrazzo low cornerkick from left has W Clemmings deflect ball behind net on left post.
12 min...AFC Ferrazzo works out short cornerkick from left and cross into box is partially cleared and AFC Bauer
shoots 22 yarder from slight right that deflects and catches three AFC players offside.
14 min...W goalie beats AFC Ferrari to chip up middle to 10 yards.
16 min...AFC Ferrari can't draw Penalty kick on run into right side of W box.
18 min...W Dieker is tapped back pass on left and 25 yard shot is wide left of net.
19 min...AFC Ferrazzo cross from left has W Buren flick ball from center out right side of box with header.
20 min...Retreating AFC Bauer clears 22 yard low cross from left at 8 yards.
21 min...AFC Carvalho slides and low 28 yard shot from right is between players and goalie dives to smother.
22 min...W Fereirra DaSilva rsuh down left and low cross into box has sliding AFC Meczarski squeeze ball dead between
his legs and goalie picks it up.
23 min...W Fereirra DaSilva rush into left side of box has Aurora Meczarski slides to stop at 10 yards and ball deflects
for cornerkick.
24 min...W Dieker cornerkick from left has ball cleared back to him and on his second try then blasts 15 yard shot that
goalie protecting near post saves for another cornerkick.
24 min...W Jaramillo cornerkick from left wins another cornerkick when defender spins clearance over own net.
25 min...W Jaramillo cornerkick from left has defender in middle head ball out right side of box.
25 min...A water break is called.
27 min...W Fereirra DaSilva receives pass up middle, turns and blasts 22 yarder up middle that goalie bats
down under bar and picks up.
29 min...Aurora Ferrazzo chips ball forward up middle to Aurora Vilela who on 1 on 2 pops up kick but goalie
beats him to bounce.
30 min...W Agapito run down right and pass along 10 yard line to W Phillips who tips ball behind goalie on right.
Aurora Meczarski clears from 2 yards in middle of box.
31 min...Aurora player 22 yard shot is just wide left of post.
33 min...W Ribeiro cornerkick from right has Aurora Fayehun head away. W Dieker blasts partial clearance off defender
starting fast break out that ends with Aurora Bauer being rolled centering pass from 55 yards and in alone rounds goalie
at 10 yards and 7 yard shot from left hits outside of near post.
35 min...W Jaramillo cross from 35 yards on right ha W Ferirra DaSilva pop up 12 yard header from left well over net.
37 min...Aurora Ferrari cuts low 30 yard shot while running along line that diving goalie pushes wide right of net.
38 min...Aurora Ferrari cornerkick from right has Aurora Fayehun goal called back as defender was pushed over.
40 min...Aurora goalie beats W player to long cross from left wide right of net.
42 min...Aurora Ferrazzo low 25 yard freekick from left has Aurora players miss ball in 6 yard box and goalie dives to smother.
46 min...half ends 4:51pm.

Halftime Entertainment: There's a reminder of the 50/50 draw. With attendance of about 30 how big could the pot be?

Second Half: starts 5:09pm.
46 min...Aurora Opoku throw-in from right is cleared in W box on right side.
47 min...Aurora Ferrari 28 yard freekick from right has Aurora Bauer flick 10 yard header up middle that goalie catchers
under bar.
49 min...Aurora (WTFC own goal) GOAL...AFC Kwame Opoku long run from right and cuts to left
deking players as he goes. He gives a short pass to AFC Felipe Vilela who passes over to Opoku
now on the left and runs to end line and passes through 6 yard box and retreating WTFC Kyle Buren
pokes ball into own net at 3 yards.
51 min...W YELLOW card...Fereirra Da Silva earns it for tackle on Aurora Carvalho at 45 yard line.
53 min...Aurora Ferrari pass forward up right for Aurora Vilela and shot near right end line is over goalie
and W McNeil flips ball over own net.
54 min...Aurora Carvalho can't twist header on cornerkick from left sent in by Aurora Ferrazzo.
57 min...Aurora Carvalho 22 yard freekick from slight right is into W player wall. Carvalho then passes over
to Aurora Ferrari on right and he keeps it in box but W get a fast break out.
59 min...W sub...Sto replaces Jaramillo.
60 min...Aurora Vilela cross from left has W player head ball away over end line.
61 min...Aurora player's cornerkick from right has play whistled down for Aurora hand ball.
61 min...Aurora sub...O'Callaghan replaces Meczarski.
63 min...Aurora Ferrari is rolled shot pass and 12 yard shot from right hits left post.
64 min...Aurora Vilela taps back pass and Aurora Carvalho blasts 20 yarder over net and back fence.
65 min...Aurora Fayehun does splits to stop W player's rush at 18 yards.
66 min...Aurora Bauer long run down left and 12 yard shot as he cuts towards goal has goalie slide on left post to stop.
68 min...Aurora O'Callaghan big poke check at 18 yards to prevent W shot.
69 min...W sub...Adepitan replaces Ribeiro.
69 min...Aurora Ferrazzo 25 yard freekick from left has W Phillips in one man wall heading ball away.
70 min...A water break is called.
72 min...play resumes.
73 min...Aurora Ferrari 60 yard run and Aurora Vilela taps pass back to him but defender blocks.
74 min...W sub...Hirst replaces Gbadebo.
74 min...Aurora Bauer cornerkick from left has goalie swat down on near post. Bauer then recovers partial clearance
and 22 yard low shot on left has goalie smother.
76 min...Aurora Opoku low 18 yard shot from right is scooped up by goalie.
78 min...W Sto recovers ball at 20 yards to roll shot just wide left of post after stepping around fallen defender.
82 min...W Adepitan steals ball at midfield and passes to W Sto on right. Aurora Fayehun makes sliding tackle to intercept
pass across at 12 yards. Aurora Vilela was injured earlier in the play.
85 min...Aurora Vilela run up left for pass and W McNeil blocks his 15 yard shot from far left.
87 min...Aurora Opoku cross from right is through box that Aurora Amoo can't control.
88 min...W Agapito cross is through box from left has W Adepitan not able to get to and defender clears.
89 min...Aurora sub...Vitulli replaces Ferrari.
89 min...Aurora Bauer 28 yard shot from left is well over net.
91 min...WE Phillips eludes defender at 22 yards and pass to W Adepitan has goalie rush forward to smother.
92 min...game ends 5:56pm.

Final Score:...Aurora FC.........2........Windsor TFC......0........

Attendance was about 30 on this very hot and humid day with a bright cross-field sun on the west side.
Those were the people most concerned with squinting into the sun. There were more umbrellas used
for shade today than the average rainy day game.

Referee Filip Dujic gave out only one Yellow card the entire game (to WTFC) and that wasn't until
just after the second goal. More important he arranged a water break in each half, 25 minutes
in to each of them. He ignored the complaints by both head coaches to call/ignore each foul committed.
Dujic refereed the CPL match on June 19th between York 9 FC and FC Edmonton and was the fourth official
in the June 22nd York 9 FC vs HFX Wanderers FC match so could easily handle this game.

I had a fear when I saw the Windsor team descend from the Stronach Aurora Recreation Centre uphill
about 200 yards away and saw only twelve figures that they may not have brought any subs but a few
must have skipped the warm ups and just came out later as they listed four on the game sheets
and actually played three of them. Aurora had a full roster yet only used two. With a hot day
like this I expected the maximum of five subs would be brought on even if it was used
as a time waster.

Ryan Collins earned the shutout for Aurora with a few key saves and alert defenders covering him
and clearing rebounds.

Brogan Engbers played goal for Windsor and had to be great to keep the score down. He had answered
me two weeks ago at the Vaughan Azzurri game that he would play the road games for WTFC which would
still keep him busy as they visit the Greater Toronto area about every two weeks anyway where most
of the L1O teams are located. He is still in the Toronto FC system but can't play for
(the professional) USL TFC II because of rules that would disqualify him from playing for
Liberty University in the NCAA school system.

Overall Aurora dominated leading in shots 12-6, shots on target 7-3, and corners 5-3. Windsor
led in offsides 4-1 and fouls 10 to 6. (stats from League 1 Ontario (Men's) twitter account
because I can't take all that in.

Two weeks ago another WTFC own goal was scored in their game against Vaughan but it was the final
goal for 5-0 win for Vaughan so it didn't really matter but today it was the insurance goal that
lifted a lot of the pressure from Aurora for much of the second half.

Best non-scoring chances were at 21 minutes when AFC Nuno Carbalho slid and got away a 18 yard
shot from right that went between players and the goalie dove to make a save. 24 minutes had
WTFC Ard Dieker take a cornerkick from left that was cleared back to him as was his second try
and then he blasted a 15 yard shot that the goalie protecting the near post was able to push
away for another cornerkick. 27 minutes had WTFC Leonardo Fereirra DaSilva receive a pass up
the middle and turn and blast a 22 yarder that the goalie batted down just under the bar.
30 minutes had WTFC Jonathan Agapito run down the right and pass along the 10 yard line
to WTFC Bryce Phillips who tipped the ball behind the goalie on the right but AFC Alex Meczarski
cleared at 2 yards in the center of the box. 33 minutes had WTFC Andrew Ribeiro take a cornerkick
from the right that had AFC Michael Fayehun head away. Dieker then blasted the partial clearance
off a defender that resulted in a fast break out and ended with AFC Niklas Bauer being rolled
a centering pass from 55 yards which sent him in on a breakaway. He rounded the goalie
at 10 yards and shot a 7 yarder from the left that hit the outside of the near post. 47 minutes
had AFC Max Ferrari take a 28 yard freekick from the right that had Bauer flick a 10 yard header
up the middle that the goalie caught just under the bar. 53 minutes had Ferrari pass forward
up the right for AFC Felipe Vilela and his shot near the right end line was over the goalie
and WTFC defender Cameron McNeil flicked it over his own net. 63 minutes had Ferrari roll
a short pass and his 12 yard shot from the right hit the left post. 66 minutes had Bauer make
a long run down the left and cut towards the goal and his 12 yard shot have the goalie slide
on the near post to make the stop. 82 minutes had WTFC Korede Adepitan stole a ball at midfield
and passed to Nameer Sto on the right. AFC Fayehun then made a sliding tackle to intercept
a pass across the box at 12 yards. Injury time had WTFC Bryce Phillips elude a defender
at 22 yards and pass to Adepitan but the goalie rushed forward to smother the ball before
a shot could be fired.

I admired the scoreboard before the game thinking it would help make my note taking easier but
was told by the fourth official answering to coaches from both sides that the clock was out
(running slow) and ended up being off by about two minutes.

This was the first time I'd been to this field this season. This field borders a new subdivision
which last year hadn't had its landscaping done. Some of the houses were either empty or didn't
have curtains but this year had matured. I asked an AFC official and they said the games ended
by 10pm. I suppose the lights are turned off and Mr DJ has packed up so there's no complaints
to the City of Aurora that their kid can't sleep from the noise. Inside the busy recreation centre
was a large pool being used for a public leisure swim and a hockey rink which was busy today
as there was an NHL prospects' game. Also inside is the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame.

I talked to Ralph Aquino the manager of Aurora after the game. He pointed out that the trade deadline
is coming up soon and they've acquired Timothy Mahabir, a midfield starter today who played for
Toronto Skillz. He also tipped me off that Pro Stars have taken on some new players that have been
brought in by Tony DeThomasis from his old club. That would be quite a tennis ball bounce from
his York Region Shooters club in the CSL to Unionville-Milliken last season, then this year to
Masters FA and now Pro Stars FC who were doing quite well on their own. Aurora beat Pro Stars 7-1
last week and Aquino said the Pro Stars players were quite upset that these new players
were given starting positions. Pro Stars would then lose a Wednesday night game 2-0 against North
Mississauga and tonight (OK found out after I got home) against Durham United 5-1...hardly
powerhouses!

The win (I didn't get home until all Saturday's games were decided as a drove to L'Amoreaux Park
to watch the Masters FA vs North Mississauga game) improves Aurora's record to 5 wins, 2 losses,
3 ties for 18 points and a tie for fifth with Sigma (although Sigma has a game in hand and will
play on Sunday). Currently 14 points is the playoff cutoff line with the top eight teams qualifying.
Windsor has their record fall to 1 win, 7 losses, 1 tie for 4 points and are fifteenth.
Shock result coming over my twitter was that last place OSUF hosted first place Vaughan Azzurri
and scraped a 0-0 result which was the sixteenth place Ottawa team's first point of the season
and cost Vaughan first as Alliance won today.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter: @RocketRobin01

Aurora FC starters