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October 19, 2019 CPL--York 9 FC vs HFX Wanderers FC game report (by Rocket Robin)
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York 9 FC (black shocks, shorts, names and numbers, white shirts)
.......................31 Colm Vance
3 Morey Doner...6 Roger Thompson...13 Luca Gasparotto (cpt)...20 Diyaeddine Abzi
..............8 Joey Di Chiara...77 Steve Furlano
.......7 Austin Ricci...22 Rodgrigo Gattas...18 Ryan Telfer
...................12 Simon Karlsson Adjei
Subs:...29 Nathan Ingham (gk)...2 Daniel Gogarty (def)...5 Justin Springer (CB)...11 Emilio Estevez (mid)
...19 Kyle Porter (mid)...21 Stefan Lamanna (CB)...23 Wataru Murofushi (CM)
team officials:...head coach Jimmy Brennan...assistant coaches Ryan Brennan, Sergio Deluca, and Carmine Isacco
goalkeeper coach Camilo Benzi...physiotherapist Carlo Di Nardo...doctor Stephen Wong-Shue
...physical trainer Derek Salvador...kitman Luca Forno
HFX Wanderers FC (light blue socks and shirts, white shorts, black names and numbers)
....................50 Christian Oxner
3 Andre Bona...4 Chakib Hocine...23 Matthew Arnone...24 Alex De Carolis
.............5 Elton John...18 Andre Rampersad (cpt)
.......7 Juan Diego Gutierrez...9 Kodai Iida...12 Mohamed Kourouma
.......................11 Akeem Garcia
Subs:...21 Jan Michael Williams (gk)...10 Luis Alberto Perea (fwd)...15 Scott Firth (mid)...16 Duran Lee (CB)
...25 Zachary Sukunda (def)
team officials:...head coach Stephen Hart...assistant coaches Michael Hunter and Derek King
...physiotherapist Danielle McNally...kitman Angelo Ciantaglione
Game officials:...referee Ben Hoskins...referee's assistants Peter Pendli and Andre Pickler
...fourth official Fabrizio Stasolla...(all black uniforms)...assessor Steve Mortimer
First Half:...game starts 1:31pm...York defends south end on this cool afternoon with a bright sun in the southwest.
55 sec...York Abzi long run down left side and 25 yard shot/cross just misses top right corner of net.
3 min...HFX Iida run down left but rolls pass attempt over end line.
4 min...York Ricci cross from 25 yards along 6 yard line on right has HFX Hocine deflect ball away at 6 yards in middle
when it hits his hand. York Telfer blasts 15 yarder from left over net.
6 min...HFX Kourouma cross from 25 yard on left into box has York Thompson leap to head away from 10 yards on left side
of box.
7 min...HFX Gutierrez cornerkick from left deflects over to HFX Bona who blasts 12 yard shot from slight right wide right
of net.
8 min...Long chip down middle bounces over heads of HFX defenders and York Gattas one-touches 20 yard shot down middle
that goalie leaps at 5 yards to palm ball over bar.
8 min...York Telfer cornerkick from right has York Adjei in crowd of players in middle not able to turn header at 10 yards
and ball rolls wide left for throw-in.
9 min...York Ricci rush down right and cross near end line has retreating HFX Hocine head over net.
10 min...York Telfer cornerkick from right has HFX Arnone as closest player on right head ball over crowd of players in box
and York Abzi eludes HFX John on left end line and crosses back into 6 yard box and goalie punches ball over bar.
10 min...York Telfer cornerkick from right has defender in crowd of players in 6 yard box deflect ball wide left
for another cornerkick.
11 min...York Telfer cornerkick from left is low and out to 28 yards in middle and York Furlano blasts 25 yarder well
high and wide right.
12 min...HFX Kourouma 22 yard low shot from left is caught by goalie on bounce on left post.
14 min...York Telfer crosses pass from 40 yards on left and York Ricci on right at 22 yards runs forward and blasts 10 yarder
into side netting.
15 min...HFX De Carolis cross from 25 yards on far left is through box and HFX Bona weaves in from right and blasts 15 yarder
down middle well wide left.
16 min...York Telfer passes over to York Adjei in middle who touches to open York Gattas on left who blasts 15 yarder just misses
top right corner of net.
17 min...York Telfer high cross from left near end line has York Gattas recross from 10 yards on right that drifts behind bar.
18 min...HFX Garcia 15 yard shot from right deflects off defender and goalie flies over to near side of net to make catch.
20 min...York Telfer 30 yard freekick from left bends to York Thompson on right who heads 6 yarder across box from right
when goalie misses ball. Defender on left kicks ball out for cornerkick.
21 min...York Telfer cornerkick from left is headed from right back to middle of box but cleared for fast break out.
22 min...York Telfer long run down middle from 80 yards but rolls 25 yarder between defenders that's smothered by goalie.
23 min...HFX Gutierrez freekick from left from 40 yards bends into box and is cleared but hits York Ricci on arm at 22 yards.
24 min...HFX Gutierrez 22 yard freekick from slight left is backheel tap and HFX John blasts roller that deflects off sliding
York Furlano at 16 yards that goalie dives to push wide right of post.
25 min...HFX Gutierrez cornerkick from right has goalie palm ball in 6 yard box over to left and HFX Kourouma on left who
shoots 25 yard blast is wide right.
26 min...HFX Juan Diego Gutierrez GOAL...York Luca Gasparotto charges forward to head ball away at 30 yards down
middle. HFX player on center line one-touches ball back up middle for open HFX Kodai Iida at 30 yards who with back
to goal deflects ball forward to HFX Akeem Garcia who runs forward and to left avoiding offside call. Gasparotto
gets back but Garcia fires 12 yard shot which goalie Colm Vance palms upward at 2 yards on left side of net.
Charging Gutierrez at 3 yard on right outjumps York Diyaeddine Abzi to head ball into top right corner of net.
27 min...HFX Arnone 60 yard freekick from left has goalie run forward and leap to catch at 15 yards on right.
29 min...HFX Bona 30 yard pass from right bounces to goalie when HFX Garcia holds up his own run.
30 min...HFX Garcia gets through ball forward on right from HFX Iida and 15 yard shot has goalie push ball wide right of net.
31 min...HFX sub...Lee replaces limping De Carolis.
31 min...HFX Gutierrez high cornerkick from right is cleared from box.
31 min...York Telfer can't win Penalty kick when grabbed just inside left side of box.
32 min...HFX Kodai Iida GOAL...Iida taps pass back to HFX Andre Rampersad who taps ball back to Iida at 30 yards
on slight left and he dribbles forward blasts 15 yard shot to top right corner banking it off the post when he receives pass.
34 min...York YELLOW card...Doner earns it for grab on HFX Kourouma running down left wing at 35 yard line.
36 min...HFX Gutierrez cornerkick from right has HFX Rampersad head 10 yarder from left that flying goalie pushes wide left.
37 min...HFX Gutierrez cornerkick from left wins cornerkick on right on header by York Adjei jumping with HFX Rampersad
at 10 yards.
37 min...HFX Gutierrez cornerkick from right has defender on left head behind line.
37 min...HFX Gutierrez cornerkick from left is low and cleared from box. HFX recover at 40 yards and after pass around
HFX John sends long cross forward and to left where HFX player heads from 15 yards which goalie runs to wide left of net
to catch and prevent yet another cornerkick.
38 min...York Doner low 25 yard shot from right is between players and goalie saves on near post.
39 min...HFX goalie is out to 15 yards on right to beat York Ricci to long cross.
40 min...York Abzi cross from 35 yard line on left sideline is into right side of box and goalie and HFX Lee collide at 8 yards
with Lee popping up header dangerously into middle of box. York Telfer blasts 10 yarder up middle that HFX Hocine on goalline
deflects out left side of box.
43 min...HFX Gutierrez cornerkick from right has goalie leap to catch between crowd of players at 6 yards.
45 min...York Gattas high cross from 25 yard line left sideline to York Ricci in clear on right but first touch 15 yarder is over
end line.
47 min...half ends 2:18pm.
Halftime Entertainment: There's a relay race contest with each team rolling an overside VW soccer ball up and down the track.
Second Half:...starts 2:34pm...the sun is still out.
Halftime subs:...York Porter replaces Furlano.
................York Murofushi replaces Ricci.
46 min...York Porter chips from 50 yards in center to York Gattas on right but goalie comes out to 10 yards to catch.
48 min...York Telfer high cornerkick from right has defender at 12 yards in middle pop up header. York Abzi one-touch midair
shot from edge of box is into ground and bounces to York Gasparotto who has his 15 yard shot up middle blocked. A defender
backheels ball back to Abzi who blasts 22 yarder has HFX Gutierrez at 5 yards head ball over own net in front of flying goalie
on right post.
48 min...York Telfer cornerkick from right has two shots blocked in 6 yard box before ball is cleared.
50 min...HFX Lee run to let end line and cross is cleared from middle of box.
51 min...HFX Garcia is sent short pass in middle but first touches to goalie from 15 yards.
53 min...York Adjei 25 yard freekick up middle is low blast and stopped in player wall at 15 yards.
54 min...York Telfer wins cornerkick on right beating HFX Arnone and then having HFX Lee conceding cornerkick.
Lee is injured and needs trainer.
56 min...York Telfer cornerkick from right has York Gasparotto 6 yard header from left has HFX Gutierrez heads off line
on right.
56 min...York Abzi 15 yard shot from left deflects off defender and goalie dives to smother on near post.
57 min...HFX Kourouma low cross from 15 yards on left along 5 yard line and goalie smothers on left side of 6 yard box.
59 min...York Di Chiara rolls pass up middle from 25 yards and HFX Hocine slides to give up cornerkick preventing charging York Gattas
getting to ball.
59 min...York Telfer cornerkick from right has goalie punch out of box from 6 yards in crowd of players.
62 min...HFX YELLOW card...Bona earns it for pushing over York Murofushi on run down left to 22 yard line.
63 min...York Porter 25 yard freekick from left has York Gattas on right at 6 yard line head ball across box but goalie swipes
at ball with arm and partially clears. HFX Hocine clears on edge of 6 yard box.
64 min...York Gattas 30 yard chip cross from right has goalie make overhead catch in front of left post.
65 min...York Doner throw-in from right end line has defender head ball back to him and he wins a cornerkick on his low cross
on end line on deflection off HFX Lee.
66 min...York Telfer cornerkick from right has goalie make catch then bobble and drop ball in crowd of players but wins freekick call
for being bump.
68 min...York goalie is out to 15 yards on right to beat HFX Garcia to smother ball on long through ball pass.
70 min...York Porter long chip from 70 yards to charging York Gattas in box at 12 yards who wins cornerkick on defender poking ball away.
71 min...York Telfer cornerkick from right has defender in middle of box head ball down. York Di Chiara seizes it at 20 yards and dribbles
over to right and taps pass to York Telfer. Telfer just outside right side of box crosses in but that's blocked by HFX Kourouma possibly
off his arm. Telfer eventually gets ball back on pass up right but can't get around HFX Lee and wins cornerkick on deflection.
71 min...York Telfer quick cornerkick from right is worked out with York Porter but when ball finally crossed in by York Doner, it's whistled
down for foul.
74 min...York YELLOW card...Murofushi earns it for injurying HFX Arnone on late tackle at HFX 25 yard line.
74 min...HFX sub...Perea replaces Iida.
.........York sub...Estevez replaces Adjei.
77 min...HFX Lee long run down left and low cross from end line has defender clear on edge of 6 yard box. HFX Lee is injured on fall
behind end line and needs trainer.
79 min...York Estevez checked off ball just inside left edge of HFX box.
79 min...HFX sub...Sukunda replaces injured Lee.
79 min...York Telfer rolls ball up middle from 30 yards between players and goalie picks up easily.
80 min...HFX Kourouma receives pass on left and cross has York Gasparotto at 7 yards head away.
81 min...HFX Gutierrez cornerkick from left is low and York Abzi clears on near post.
81 min...York Estevez 22 yard chip from left bounces wide right of net on bounce as no teammate is there.
83 min...York Porter low 33 yard blast up middle bounces wide right of net.
83 min...York Telfer is touched back pass and 22 yard blast down middle is wide left.
84 min...HFX Gutierrez run to end line and 8 yard chip is caught by goalie.
85 min...York Thompson chip from 70 yards on right finds charging York Telfer on edge of box down middle and knocks ball down but can't
get around defender who is able to clear it.
85 min...York Murofushi cross from right endline wins cornerkick on deflection.
85 min...York Telfer cornerkick from right is rolled over to York Murofushi just outside box on right and he chips into box but defender
on left side of 6 yard box heads away.
86 min...York Doner in middle to break up pass on HFX 2 on 1 rush when HFX Bona tries to pass to HFX Garcia at 22 yard line.
87 min...York Gattas can't get away shot in box at 15 yards up middle.
87 min...York Porter 40 yard cross from right has goalie forward to catch in crowd of players at 12 yards.
Two HFX players are injured 35 yards apart and HFX Bona needs trainer in box.
90 min...York Murofushi weaves on left and 20 yard shot is caught by goalie on near post.
91 min...HFX Bona away on right but takes too much time and is swarmed by York players.
92 min...York Telfer and Porter cornerkick from left is worked out and cross into box is cleared on right side of box.
94 min...game ends 3:23pm.
Final Score:...York 9 FC.....0......HFX Wanderers FC.......2.......
Attendance wasn't announced but was listed on the CPL site as 3452. This was one of the few times when the east side stand was used. There was an offer for this game when every season ticket holder could have an extra four tickets for free. I left it late but midweek I reserved four tickets. I had some friends who had been asking earlier in the season that they'd like to go. I know with what I did in the press box, I wouldn't be with them so I wanted them to meet up together. I thought the tickets would be at the Will Call window and be beside each other but they might have been in that section as just general admission. If it was first come, first serve, it's possible they never met up because the people on that side were scattered all over those sections. The supporter's section looked emptier than usual. I didn't hear 'trumpet guy'. Toronto FC was initially scheduled to play probably their only home playoff date at Noon today but that was eventually changed earlier this week to 6:00pm. With this game ending at 3:30pm that would still mean a race downtown if you wanted to see both games. Referee Ben Hoskins gave out only three Yellow cards this game (two to York) in this game that was pretty tame. I asked before the game because I didn't remember him and heard he was from Nova Scotia. "Oh oh" I mumbled. Just a little controversy as at 4 minutes HFX defender Chakib Hocine stopped a cross through the box with his hand that could have been called a Penalty kick and HFX first goal looking like Akeem Garcia was offside when he received a pass up the middle. There were a few Wanderers supporters in the stands today but not as many as I remember for the Canadian Championship game early in the season when they defeated Vaughan Azzurri and I saw more than a dozen 'Skublak' (ie Thomasz Skublak) personalized ones in all sizes which made me jealous as my York 9 personalized one was repeatedly delayed. Skublak wasn't here today. This was a game where some surprise starters were in the York lineup. This was the first game for goalie Colm Vance. Midfielder Steve Furlano usually doesn't get into the game into the second half. Defender Roger Thompson who missed quite a few games through injury was also a starter. Team captain Manny Aparicio was still in his street clothes before the game and was not on the bench. Juan Diego Gutierrez scored the first goal but it was soon after the second goal that he took four cornerkicks within three minutes...not easy as they were from the right/left/right/left corners so that made quite a runaround. Wanderers brought in Duran Lee at 31 minutes to replace fellow defender Alex De Carolis. Lee is the third player on HFX that played last year for Vaughan Azzurri of League 1 Ontario. He actually played AGAINST HFX on May 15th in the first round of the Canadian Championship. Two other Vaughan teammates, Matthew Arnone and Thomasz Skublak were on HFX by that time. When they were asking in the presss box for who to interview after the game, I suggested Lee however he had to leave the game at 79 minutes because of injury and he was wearing an icepack on his knee when the teams left the field after the game. He was having a good game until then and others agreed he'd be a good interview until the injury made him unavailable. He was named after the English band 'Duran Duran' so a CPL website story revealed earlier this year. Maybe that would have given me an opportunity to weave in my own experience of being in the video for their song 'The Reflex' as I was in that crowd when they filmed it at Maple Leaf Gardens March 5, 1984 (had to look that date up). I like to think that I could freeze frame on myself when the camera panned the crowd but when I do it is a blur! I can say the huge wave that was sprayed from the stage was just a special effect. The company that caters the entertainment for York 9 including the anthem singer is from 'Arcadia Academy of Music'. Arcadia was a spin-off band of Duran Duran with the guys who didn't temporarily split off to join Robert Palmer in The Power Station while Duran Duran was on hiatus. Most famous Arcadia song 'Election Day'--how telling as the federal election is Monday! OK enough about bands! 'Inconsistent' is the word to describe York's season. Today was a game against the current seventh place team. York was in a similar position earlier this season playing last place teams when they hosted Valour FC August 2nd and Pacific August 16th and lost each game by 2-0 scores! The last time they hosted HFX July 27th they set a league record (at the time) winning 6-2. With their two previous games home against Forge FC and away against Valour both ending in 4-0 wins, I was expecting a win even with the subbed roster. 'Inconsistent' was the word used most often by head coach Jimmy Brennan at their post game press conferences after a loss. Wanderers win their first away game of the season in this final weekend of the regular season. This team has the farthest distances to travel in their road schedule. HFX head coach Stephen Hart said at the post game press conference that it was 'too many ties' that did them in as despite the win they still finish last in the Fall Season in the seven team league. York finish the Fall Season with 7 wins, 9 losses, 2 ties for 22 points. That's good for third place, two points better than Pacific FC and Valour FC but 15 points behind second place Forge FC. Their combined (Spring and Fall) home record in league games were only 5 wins, 6 losses, 3 ties. In Canadian Championship play they had two home wins (against AS Blainville and FC Edmonton) and one tie (Montreal Impact) to tip the scales that they won more often at home than they lost. I think their home record hurt their challenge for the top two positions and one of many reasons for disappointing attendance. Their combined Spring/Fall record lets them claim third overall only because FC Edmonton would lose later in the day to Pacific FC. Rumour for the last two weeks or so is that finishing third would earn a bye into the second round of the Canadian Championships for 2020 assuming there will be no teams added to the 14 teams in total that competed this year. This year the CPL 'founding' clubs of FC Edmonton, Forge FC and Valour FC were given a bye because they were the first three teams into the league (well Forge and Valour and Edmonton had played in the NASL years earlier). Also those three teams counted their early results against each other to qualify for CONCACAF club qualifying. Winners of this years CPL championship series should get that spot for next season. York 9 FC team president Preban Ganzhorn came over to say hello as I was looking the field over an hour before the game. We watched the east stand begin to fill in and I said it was too bad he couldn't get any more youth team kids and parents into those sections during the season. (I knew that's where the team was putting much of their marketing effort before the season started). He answered me that they didn't have those teams take up on the team's offer. There were always those teams playing on the same weekend days that York were playing. He sounded jealous when he mentioned that the Halifax area postponed youth games when HFX Wanderers FC were playing. The east side stands are going to be removed for next season. The youth teams will be in the main stand on the upeer level, higher than the fifth floor press box! It is a much smaller area. News released earlier in the week was that ticket prices have been slashed, a OneSoccer subscription will be included for free with each season ticket order, the supporters stands will not be behind the north end net next year, and the track will be around the field next year because York University has been awarded the hosting duties for the Masters Games next summer. Rocket Robin robing@eol.ca twitter @RocketRobin01
York 9 FC starters
HFX Wanderers FC starters
York Simon Adjei (12) takes opening kickoff.
HFX Wanderers Juan Diego Gutierrez (7) sends cornerkick into box.
HFX Wanderers Andre Bona (3) received that cornerkick and fires his shot wide.
York Ryan Telfer (18) sends in cornerkick.
HFX Andre Bona (3) takes throw-in.
York Seimon Telfer (12) holds up ball.
York Ryan Telfer (18) takes freekick.
York goalie Colm Vance looks to track ball on cornerkick.
Halftime entertainment has a VW beach ball rolling relay race.
HFX Akeem Garcia (11) takes second half kickoff.
York Simon Adjei (12) freekick blasts up middle.
York Roger Thompson (6) deep in own end.
October 19, 2019 Canadian Premier League--Post game press conference after York 9 FC vs HFX Wanderers FC game held at York Lions Stadium (by Rocket Robin) ..............................................................................
HFX Wanderers FC goalie Christian Oxner, head coach Stephen Hart, and forward Juan Diego Gutierrez
HFX Wanderers FC Christian Oxner, Stephen Hart, and Juan Diego Gutierrez...8 min 33 sec (for Hart) Your thoughts on the match and the season? (for Oxner) Your thoughts on picking up your first road win of the season? (for Gutierrez) some comments on your goal today? (for Hart) Did you use the last time you were here* as some kind of motivation for today? Would a different playoff structure have changed your approach this season? What's one thing that's stuck with you since your first game of the season? (my question for Hart) Would you be in favour for more roster spots or a way of calling players in for shortages during the season? (for Gutierrez) Did the coach move you around; because you were everywhere? *their last visit had York win 6-2
York 9 FC corner back Luca Gasparotto, head coach Jimmy Brennan, and midfielder Ryan Telfer York 9 FC Luca Gasparotto, Jimmy Brennan, and Ryan Telfer...11 min 19 sec (for Brennan) Your thoughts on the match? What are your feelings for the whole season? (for Gasparotto) What are your memorable moments that stand out this season? How do you feel being the only CPL player who has played every minute of every game? (for Brennan) Any idea of whether Ryan Telfer will be back next season? Do you think there was any kind of 'spell' on why you couldn't score today? (for Telfer) Your thoughts on the entire season? Did you have any hesitation on coming to the CPL? (for Brennan) What do you think of the playoff structure and would you like it to be changed for next season? (my question) Would you be in favour of having increased rosters or ways of calling in guys? What does it say for starting slow this season and finishing stronger? Rocket Robin robing@eol.ca twitter @RocketRobin01
Match Stats (given out at the game) York 9 FC HFX Wanderers FC 0 Goals 2 19 Total Shots 13 5 Shots on Target 6 9 Shots off Target 4 5 Blocked Shots 3 12 Shots from inside box 8 7 Shots from outside the box 5 4 Headed Shots 3 14 Corners taken 9 12 Fouls conceded 14 15 Open Play crosses 8 2 Offsides 0 72 Duels won 45 60.5% Duels won % 38.8% 486 Total passes 328 77.6% Passing accuracy 72.3% 59.6% Possession 40.4%
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