April 27, 2024...League1 Ontario Men...ProStars FC vs Alliance United game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Results and details of the Saturday April 27, 2024 League1 Ontario game between ProStars FC and Alliance United played
at Mattamy Sports Park in Mississauga at 3:00pm. This is Week 1 of play in the Premier League.

ProStars FC (all blue uniforms, white numbers)

............................29 Samuel Diltz
...........12 John Ntoukas...5 Noah Bickford...25 Jayden Pinheiro
10 Nikolas Blaskovic (cpt)...14 Lucas Mike Doros...15 Mashhood Rehman...17 Justin Cabral...19 Omar Atia
....................11 Milan Beader...7 Wesley Alcantara

Subs:...1 Tikm Van Gelderen (gk)...2 Christian Lacuesta...4 Paolo Vaiano...6 Tim Mahabir
...18 Tomas Joseph...20 Adam Salih...21 Serhii Khoma...24 Isaiah Noel
team officials:...head coach Danny Costa...assistant coach Gabriel Pop...team manager Emilia Vaiano
...physiotherapist Antonio Petrolo...other official Noah Costa

Alliance United (white socks and shirts, blback shorts and numbers)

.............................1 Lucas Birnstingl
2 Shon Siegelwachs...4 Nikola Stakic...8 Mehdi Essoussi...7 Nirun Sivananthan (cpt)
..................11 Russell Stewart...6 Paul Ekwueme
9 Atchuthaan Sivananthan...18 Pablo Hempelmann Perez...10 Dusan Kovacevic...22 Michael Osorio

Subs:...30 Liam Janicki Zeballos (gk)...3 Toby Richardson...5 Bruno Sullivan...12 Antonio Tripodi
...13 Farrell Francis...14 Kingsley Belele...17 Volodymyr Kharyton...19 Quinton Chung...21 Andrea Schifano
game officials:...head coach Ilya Orlov...assistant coaches Edin Kozica and Eric Nelson...physiotherapist Daniel Dalla Rosa
...athletic trainer Michaael Silverstri...other official Goran Stakic

Game officials:...referee Ryan Schwenger...referee's assistants Nicholas Thompson and Joey Filipic
...fourth official Liam Tremblay (red socks and shirts, black shorts)

First Half:...game starts 3:00pm...ProStars defend north end on this overcast and rainy afternoon.
2 min...PS Cabral wins cornerkick on run to left end line.
2 min...PS player's high cornerkick from left has PS Beader in middle pop header wide right out of box.
4 min...AU Perez cornerkick from right is cleared on right side of box for throw-in.
6 min...Alliance Dusan Kovacevic GOAL...AU Paul Ekwueme rolls ball from right along 8 yard line into box and Kovacevic
rolls 8 yarder forward into right side of net beyond reach of diving goalie Samuel Diltz.
It now has stopped raining.
8 min...PS player's freekick from 35 yards has defender in box clears for cornerkick.
10 min..AU Perez cornerkick from left has AU player in crowd of players at 8 yaards head just over bar.
13 min...AU Stewart gets 22 yard rolled shot from right that goalie dives to save on left corner of net. Stewart is injured there
and needs trainer.
16 min...PS Cabral 28 yard shot between crowd of players is smothered by goalie on left post.
21 min...PS Ntoukas and AU Nirun Sivananthan bump each other as they run on PS rush down the right and the ball rolls
over the end line.
22 min...PS YELLOW card...Bickford earns it for pushing over a player.
23 min...AU Perez blasts 30 yard freekick low and up the middle into feet of the four man wall.
25 min...AU Osorio rolls short pass forward and AU Kovacevic blasts 20 yarder down middle well over net.
27 min...AU Perez cornerkick from left has defender head ball through right side of box from middle and ProStars win throw-in.
28 min...PS Atia chips pass from left and PS playaer heads down but can't turn to shoot.
29 min..AU Atchuthan Sivantanthan rush down left and cuts back upfield then back but runs ball over end line before he can cross.
29 min...PS player can't win Penalty kick when defender grabs him but he goes down easy and is ignored.
30 min...PS player's cornerkick from right has PS player not able to turn header in middle.
31 min...PS Blaskovic 33 yard freekick from left has goalie punch ball away in crowd of players on short side.
33 min...PS Blaskovic cross from right is just a step ahead PS player and leaping goalie makes catch.
34 min...PS Blaskovic wins cornerkick on low cross after 1 v 3 rush up right.
34 min...PS Blaskovic cornerkick from right has goalie palm ball forward.
35 min...PS players win another cornerkick on a deflected shot.
35 min...PS player's cornerkick from left has ball knocked around in 6 yard box but it's cleared.
36 min...PS Pinheiro gets back to jostle AU Kovacevic off ball and give up cornerkick on run to 15 yard line.
37 min...AU Essoussi cornerkick from right is headed throukgh box and PS playerl wins freekick wide left of box.
Hey the sun is out!
38 min...AU Steart low 22 yard shot from right is wide left.
39 min...AU Atchuthan Sivananthan wins freekick when pushed over.
40 min...AU Perez chips 28 yard freekick down middle well over net.
42 min...PS Blaskovic wins cornerkick on deflected cross on left.
42 min...PS Blaskovic cornerkick from left is over head of leaping PS Bickford on right post and out for goalkick.
45 min...PS Nikolas Blaskovic wins Penalty kick when jabbed in the ankle by a fallen defender. Referee Ryan Schwenger
who had turned down previous pleas by ProStars players took no time in awarding them a PK this time.
46 min...ProStars Milan Beader GOAL...Beader rolls Penalty kick to slight left as goalie Lucas Birnstingl dives right.
47 min...Alliance Pablo Hempelmann Perez GOAL...AU Paul Ekwueme dribbles up right wing and rolls centering pass.
Hempelmann Perez one-touches shot from 12 yards down middle that goalie flies to left but only pushes it into
top left corner of net.
47 min...half ends without a restart after goal.

Halftime: The PS subs stay out and warm up whereas at the starat only two AU are warming up.

Second Half:...starts 4:03pm. Now it's dry and overcast at the start of the half.
halftime subs:...PS sub...Mahabir replaces Doros.
....................AU sub...Schifano replaces Stewart.
46 min...AU Osorio rush up middle and taps ball over to AU Atchuthan Sivananthan who shoots 8 yarder from left high and wide left.
47 min...PS Beader is injured in center circle aand needs trainer. The referee calls for help immediately because of the head injury.
49 min...PS Rehman runs down left to near end line and his cross is caught by goalie stepping forward who starts fast breakout.
49 min...AU player gets shot from 15 yards deflected away by defender.
51 min...PS Pinheiro gives up cornerkick on cross into PS box.
52 min...AU Essoussi cornerkick from right is into left side of 6 yard box. AU Ekwueme muscles off defender for shot on left post
just wide left.
53 min...AU sub...Chung replaces Osorio.
56 min...AU Perez cornerkick from left is over players in box for PS throw-in.
58 min...AU Atchuthan Sivananthan slips making tackle and is injured at PS 30 yard line on right and needs trainer.
61 min...AU Ekwueme gets tapped back pass and blasts 30 yard shot up middle but well over net.
62 min...PS Blaskovic runs up middle andkeeps ball on deflections including one off his chin and sends 15 yard roller
from slight left that goalie dives to save and defender clears rebound.
62 min...PS Cabral cornerkick from right has PS Beader blasts 15 yarder well over net.
63 min...AU Atchuthan Sivananthan is injured again and needs trainer.
64 min...AU sub...Kharyton replaces injured Atchuthan Sivananthan who limps off.
64 min...PS goalie picks up loose ball in 6 yard box.
66 min...PS Blaskovic 45 yard freekick down middle is well high and slightly left of net.
67 min...PS Bickford at 60 yards on right passes forward. PS Beader turns and fires 25 yard roller wide left.
69 min...PS Rehman deflects cross he receives at 12 yards just wide right rolling past post.
70 min...PS YELLOW card for bashing into AU Ekwueme at AU 45 yard line.
70 min...AU sub...Francis replaces Perez.
71 min...PS Ntoukas cross from right has two PS players not able to shoot. Ntoukas then deflects ball wide right.
72 min...AU Nirun Sivavnanthan pass up left just too far ahead of AU Chung and ball rolls for goalkick.
74 min...PS Ntoukas cross from right at 28 yards has PS Rehman heads wide left from 5 yards.
77 min...AU Kharyton cana't draw freekick on edge of 18 yard box.
78 min...AU player's cornerkick from right has PS Bickford head away on left side of box in crowd of players.
80 min...AU YELLOW card...Chung earns it for something.
82 min...AU sub...Sullivan replaces Kovacevic who was injured in multi-header play.
83 min...PS Blaskovic runs ball over AU end line on left.
85 min...PS goalie makes diving save forwar to smother ball sent into 6 yard box.
88 min...PS Alcantara is injured in center circle.
89 min...PS sub...Joseph replaces injured Alcantara.
90 min...PS Blaskovic 35 yard frekick from right has fallen defender on left get foot to ball to deflect it away.
94 min...AU sub...Richardson replaces Chung.
97 min...ProStars Noah Bickford GOAL...PS Nikolas Blaskovic receives quickly taken freekick along center line and rushes
forward on right and chips ball from 30 yards downfield and Bickford heads 8 yarder from slight right over upstretched
hands of leaping goalie who falls backwards but can't swat it away. Bickford is injured on play and needs trainer but
it may have been partly a mix of exhaustion and relief.
98 min...game ends 4:56pm.

Final Score:.....ProStars FC.........2........Alliance United.........2.....

Attendance started out at about 12 as the national anthem was played in the rain. The rain got worse until it started to slow down and eventually the sun came out at 37 minutes for like 2 minutes until it clouded over again. It made a few more brief appearances in the second half but at least there was no more rain. I'd put the attendance climbing to about 40 by halftime and may have finished at 50. This is not the regular stadium of ProStars who play most of their games at Victoria Park in ('The Garden City' of) Brampton but won't be allowed to use its real grass field for another two weeks. Good thing there's no longer playoffs as the city always used to forbid access after Labour Day which this year is the last week of the regular season.

Mattamy Sports Park is the home of North Mississauga SC who's Men's team is playing in the (tier 2) Championship Division this season. That could create havoc in the fan driven Credit River Cup as they won't be playing the other Mississauga teams. Sigma FC, ProStars FC, and Simcoe County Rovers (yeah not even close to their city) compete for that...I don't know yet if the fans are holding it this year.

Referee Ryan Schwenger gave out three Yellow cards (two to ProStars) that wasn't too rough but had a lot of injuries and a slippery surface may have accounted for some of them.

There are no longer printed copies of the lineup sheets made (I used to get the media copy/eighth copy). This week for the first time the League1 Canada app was no longer beta and I had my own copy. Maybe the lineups were shown quicker than I thought as I was staring at the first page which are game details once play gets going. I should have swiped to page 2 sooner.

Because of its early start, this was only the second Premier Division league game played so far. The Sigma FC vs Scrosoppi FC game was moved to last night but kept at Tim Hortons Field rather than being today at Noon and trying to have a triple header today—second game Forge FC vs Valour FC in CPL action and L1O Hamilton United vs Guelph United as the nightcap. Both Sigma and Hamilton have a player development agreement with Forge. Scrosoppi won 2-0 scoring both goals after Sigma had a player Red carded at 48 minutes. Scrosoppi first place with 3 points. Alliance and ProStars tied for second place (with 1 point) which should hold out for a few hours until the night games are played and more games tomorrow.

Now when the blinding sun came out, I adjusted the settings on my phone so I could still read it and glance at the player names. I figured I had drained the battery or the phone took in rainwater just before the game ended as the phone acted like it was dead so I had to apologize and cancel post game interviews I'd arranged before the game with head coaches Ilya Orlov of Alliance and Danny Costa of ProStars. Lots of questions I meant to ask.

Alliance are scheduled to play at their regular home at Centennial College in Scarborough after a year of wandering as their turf was being refurbished. They have a roster that has a lot of University of Toronto players and alumni. Centennial is one of their campuses.

ProStars are going the European tryouts route. Club owner Josef Komladi was talking to me before the game and must have named eight players who had or would have tryouts. He also mentioned the season ending early this year as he's arranged to have 'the team' maybe including some youth players going over to Europe at the end of August for showcases. Last night I was at the CPL game and Markii Voytsekhovskyy (a former L1O Young Player of the Year winner) is on the roster of York United FC and Vancouver FC who had Ameer Kinani (a 2023 U-Sports Draft pick) although it appears he's not with them this season. Both played for ProStars as recently as 2022.

ProStars actually finished sixteenth last season but were kept up by the graded two year standings of having such a good 2022 season when the now Scrosoppi FC (who finished first is 2023) head coach John Yacao was still their coach. I think midfielder Isaiah Noel is the only player I recognize from last season. Milan Beader played for Guelph United last season. Nikolas Blaskovic played for Scrosoppi in 2023. Noah Bickford was on Scrosoppi's U-21 team last year.

This was a big momentum game for ProStars early season as they were knocked out of the Cup competition by (now) Championship Division team Master's FA 4-1 at this stadium last Sunday afternoon.

Alliance has a lot of players I remember from last season. They still have the Sivannanthan brothers, Nirun and Atchu. The bench uses their first names so it sounds like someone sneezed when you hear “Atchu! cover the back line”. I believe both are going to medical school. Also now 20 year old Michael Osorio is on the squad as a midfielder today. It looks like he's replacing Nicholas Osorio who I know for sure was a younger player of the TFC and Canadian national team player Jonathan Osorio. Biggest add is their new goalie Lucas Birnstingl who played many years for Blue Devils FC.

I expect I'll see both teams in a few weeks so I'll get those questions answered.

The end of the game was like a trainwreck you can't turn away from. Six minutes of scheduled added time because of a few injuries. Alliance coach begging his players to dribble over to the cornerflag to kill time but was ignored; advising “no fouls” but a player taking one, a quick ProStars freekick as a few Alliance players were standing around in the midfield and a chip in, header, and there's the tying goal. As ironic was a call from the ProStars bench after they'd equalized in first half injury game “Manage the rest of the half” and Alliance proceed up the field and retake the lead.

Of course not a drop of rain on the long drive home. All going well I'll be at the men's Vaughan Azzurri vs Simcoe County Rovers game when of course there will be rain scheduled to fall during those hours.

Rocket Robin
robin.glover.1958@gmail.com
X @RocketRobin01

Alliance United players warm up.