July 28, 2024...League1 Ontario Vaughan Azzurri vs Scrosoppi FC game report (by Rocket Robin)

............................

Result and details of the Sunday July 28, 2024 League1 Ontario game Men's Premier Division game between Vaughan Azzurri
and Scrosoppi FC played at North Maple Regional Park in Vaughan at 7:00pm.

Vaughan Azzurri (all navy uniforms, white numbers, red trim)

.........................1 Baj Maan
23 Kelvin Ramirez...15 Matthew Medeiros...16 Jacob Begley...4 Mathieu Laurent
9 Reshaun Walkes...2 Andy Baquero...10 Jeronimo Sabbatasso...5 Raheem Rose (cpt)
...............8 Chris Campoli...11 Ryan Robinson

Subs:...99 Alessio Carbone (gk)...6 Andron Kagramayan...7 Raouf Mohamed...13 Justin Santos
17 Trevor Carabin...19 Shayan Soltanzadeh...20 Mateo Caride...21 Adam Pantaleo...22 Omar Marzouk
Team officials:...head coach Carm Isacco...assistant coaches Anthony Vadori, Rabio Campoli, and Jeff Valcius
...physiotherapist Casey D'Mello...other official Martin Eleuteri

Scrosoppi FC (all white uniforms, black numbers)

..........................1 Andreas Vaikla
5 Tristan Marshall...4 Brayden Borutskie...16 Matthew Paiva...3 Ryan James
.............11 Faris Ammari...13 Manveer Gill (cpt)...6 Joshua Paredes
.............8 Tomasz Skublak...22 Danial Rafisamii...20 Jacob Carlos

Subs:...99 Jared Maloney (gk)...2 Marcus Channer...7 Omari Cotterell...10 Abdul Babawale
...12 Luke Rankin...14 Nathaniel Susnik...17 Paiman Sultani...27 Miles Green
Team officials:...head coach John Yacou...assistant coach Manuel Corona...goalkeeper coach Shayne Griffin
...physiotherapist Michael Wong

Game officials:...referee Hassane Rifai...referee's assistants Basil Zmiyiwsky and Austin Fromhold-Treu
...fourth official Nivan Raizada...(red socks and shirts, black shorts)...match commissioner Analia Sordi

First Half:...game starts 7:04pm...Vaughan defenders south end on this hot and humid evening with a bright sun in the northwest.
1 min...VA Rose dribbles between three guys but fourth clears at 10 yards on left.
4 min...VA Robinson is given pass but sliding Scr Borutskie deflects shot from 15 yards on right over end line.
6 min...VA player's cornerkick from left is high and VA Rose heads along right end line off defender for cornerkick.
7 min...VA Robinson cornerkick from right has defenders clear.
7 min...VA Walkes wins cornerkick on deflection on shot from right.
8 min...VA Robinson cornerkick from right is low and defenders clear.
8 min...Scr Rafisamii cross from right sideline along 6 yard line is caught by goalie preventing Scr player waiting on left post.
10 min...Scr James makes key stop andd clearance of cross in from left on 2 yard line on open side.
11 min...VA Rose 12 yard shot from left sidelline haas goalie bobble and push forward and defender clears.
16 min...VA Walkes on give and go play gets ball at 15 yards and goalie sliding at 12 yards blocks shot on left side of net.
17 min...VA Ramirez slides to get away 35 yard sky all on right tha goalie catches behind players. Scr Marshall is injured
on play and needs trainer. The players take a water break.
21 min...VA Baquero cuts to midddle from right and 22 yard shot is between defender has goalie catch in middle. Scr Skublak
was injured earlier on the play at center line and needs trainer.
24 min...play resumes.
25 min...Scr Gill taps pass for Scr Carlos to roll 18 yard shot up middle but wide left.
25 min...a water break is called.
27 min...play resumes.
27 min...VA Robinson gets to long pass at 20 yards but is squeezed out by defenders from getting shot.
28 min...VA goalie dives forward to catch a low cross.
29 min...VA YELLOW card...Ramirez earns it on delayed call for grabbing player from behind.
32 min...VA Baquero blasts shot down middle after getting centering pass from left has 28 yard blast that's stopped by flying goalie.
33 min...Scr YELLOW card...Skublak earns it on delayed call for dissent.
34 min...VA Campoli can't draw Penalty kick when goalie pushes him over on right side of box.
35 min...VA Rose has shot is blocked at 20 yarder on left.
36 min...VA Sabbatasso rolls pass down left anad VA Rose wins cornerkick on 20 yard shot.
37 min...VA player's cornerkick from left is cleared on right side of box. Scr goalie ends up catching 40 yard chip from right.
38 min...Scr player's cornerkick from right is over box and whistled down for Scr player jumping on defender's back.
40 min...VA Rose run down left and taps centering pass to VA Campoli who has shot blocked by sliding defender.
40 min...Scr goalie catches high cross ahead of VA Baquero wait on right side of box.
42 min...Scr Paredes tapped pass and blasts 25 yard shot from left is over the bar. VA Rose was injured earlier in the play of right
and needs trainer.
44 min...VA Walkes wins cornerkick dribbling up right and on deflected cross.
44 min...VA Robinson high cornerkick from right has VA Rose headed play wins another cornerkick.
45 min...VA player's cornerkick from left is whistled down in box.
47 min...Scr Rafisamii pushes paass forward to Scr Skublak all alone and 10 yard low shot from left is wide right.
49 min...Scr players have good passing play but don't get away shot around the outside of the box.
50 min...Scr James low cross from left and teammates don't get away shot.
51 min...Scr YELLOW card...Borutskie earns it for pushing over VA Campoli running on right.
52 min...VA Sabbatasso 30 yard freekick from right has Scr Skublak at 10 yards head away.
52 min...half ends 7:56pm.

Halftime sub:...both team's subs warm up. There was no internet connection today for some reason.

Second Half:...starts 8:12pm. The weather is cooling off with a breeze from the south.
halftime sub:...Scr Channer replaces Rafisamii.
45 min...Scr Skublak wins cornerkick on run to right end line.
45 min...Scr James cornerkick from right is cleared for VA players fast break out.
46 min...Scr Skublak cross from right is caught by goalie beating Scr Ammari to ball on right side of box.
46 min...Scr Marshall can't win Penalty kick on weak fall over in box after bump.
48 min...Vaughan Chris Campoli GOAL...VA Jeronimo Sabbatasso sends cross from left that finds
VA Raheem Rose on right and his 10 yard shot is stopped by sliding goalie Andreas Vaikla but
Campoli lifts rebound from 6 yards over goalie into center of net.
53 min...Scrosoppi Ryan James* GOAL...Scr Faris Ammari takes quick cornerkick from right that's
short for James standing near end line. James chips 25 yarder from the 2 yard line between group
of players including goalie Baj Maan into the left corner of net. A couple of Scr players had
jumped up in the 6 yard box but they were only distractions.
*The league website credits Jacob Carlos with scoring the goal...so maybe there was an in-box connection.
55 min...Scr Carlos cross from left bounces wide right for goalkick.
56 min...Scr Skublak is injured in head and wins freekick at VA 40 yard line.
56 min...Scr Paredes chips 45 yard freekick from right that Scr Skublak heads from 12 yards on left and goalie catches.
58 min...VA sub...Mohamed replaces Robinson.
58 min...VA Baquero 33 yard freekick from left is cleared by defenders at 12 yards.
59 min...Scr Skublak is injured at VA 50 yard line on breakout and needs trainer.
62 min...Scr James freekick from 15 yard line on right sideline is over players and wide left for goalkick.
63 min...Scr Skublak is injured again away from play inside VA box and needs trainer.
67 min...Scr Paredes bends in 30 yard chip into box from right and goalie palms ball wide left for cornerkick.
68 min...Scrosoppi Braydon Borutskie GOAL...Scr Jacob Carlos takes low cornerkick from left that
finds Scr Ryan James charging into box. James shoots 10 yarder from left into crowd of players
in 6 yard box. Scr Tomasz Skublak facing pass turns towards net tapping the ball over for Borutskie
on right to poke 5 yarder into center of net.
69 min...VA Walkes wins cornerkick on short cetnering pass on right end line.
69 min...Vaughan Jeronimo Sabbatasso GOAL...A VA cornerkick from the right is partially cleared
and VA Raheem Rose recovers and almost runs it over the end line but turns back and rolls short
pass into box where VA Raouf Mohamed on left taps ball over to Sabbatasso who one-touches low shot
from 12 yards into right side of net past diving goalie.
75 min...Scr Paredes freekick from 35 yards on right has goalie punch ball away in crowd of players starting fast breakout up left.
76 min...Scr YELLOW card...Carlos earns it for trip of VA Ramirez at VA 20 yard line.
77 min...VA sub...Kagramayan replaces Baquero.
............VA sub...Marzouk replaces Sabbatasso.
78 min...VA YELLOW card...Campoli earns it for grabbing Scr Skublak at VA 30 yard line.
78 min...Scr Carlos chips 35 yard freekick from right has defenders clear on left end line.
81 min...VA Kagramayan 45 yard freekick from right has VA win cornerkick as Scr player shepparded ball out. Oops!
81 min...VA Kagramayan high cornerkick from left bounces over right end line.
84 min...Scr Skublak is injured again.
86 min...VA Walkes gets throukgh a few defenders and 12 yard shot is caught by goalie under bar.
87 min...VA Rose low cross from left is through box unplayed.
88 min...Scr Ammari wins cornerkick on cross off face of VA Laurent.
88 min...Scr James cornerkick from right is into box and partial clearance has VA Baquero injured in head on SCR blast from edge
of box and needs trainer.
91 min...VA Marzouk gets to ball down left and 15 yard shot hits top of crossbar and deflects out for goalkick.
92 min...Scr Ammari run to right end line and low cross is cleared by retreating defender.
92 min...VA YELLOW card...Marzouk earns it for kicking ball away after whistle.
93 min...VA sub...Caride replaces Campoli.
93 min...VA Mohamed runs down on slight right and blasts low 22 yarder that goalie flies to right post to push wide.
94 min...VA Kagramayan cornerkick from right is caught by goalie.
95 min...Scr Marshall cross from right has Scr Gill shot from 18 yards up middle that deflects off defender wide right.
96 min...Scr James cornerkick from right has Scr Borutskie head 5 yarder from left near end line that goalie palms over bar.
96 min...Scr James cornerkick from right has leaping goalie punch away starting fast VA breakout.
97 min...game ends 9:05pm.

Final Score:.....Vaughan Azzurri.........2........Scrosoppi FC............2..........

Attendance started off slow but reached about 225 by halftime on this very hot evening in a battle of the first and second place teams. These teams had dueled to a 0-0 draw on June 23.

A very evenly matched game with the score tied for all but six minutes. Each team had a chance to win it at the end with VA Omar Marzouk getting to a ball down the left at 91 minutes and his 15 yard shot hit the top of the crossbar and deflected out for a goalkick. 93 minutes had VA Raouf Mohamed run downfield on the slight right and he blasted a 22 yarder that the goalie flew to the right post to push wide. 96 minutes had Scrosoppi Ryan James send a cornerkick in from the right that Scr Brayden Borutskie headed a 5 yarder from near the left end line that the goalie palmed over the bar. 97 minutes and the game finally ended.

Referee Hassane Rifai gave out six Yellow cards (three to each team) in at times very intense contest. Scrosoppi's Tomasz Skublak must have been down four times with injuries twice requiring a trainer. Vaughan defender Mathieu Laurent took two balls off the face, both at 88 minutes, one giving up a cornerkick on the deflection and then the partially cleared cornerkick being blasted into the box and hitting him again, this time needing a trainer because of the head injury rule. Rifai scheduled a water break officially at 25 minutes and none were needed in the second either because he judged that the temperature had sufficiently dropped or the players were rehydrating when the trainers were called out so many times to check out player injuries. My sports drink had gone from cold at the gas station when I bought it on my drive here to lukewarm by the second half.

I saw Thomas Skublak limping after the game and asked him about his condition. He said he was playing with a sprained ankle. He answered me that his day job is a realtor so I figured that was better than being a letter carrier and having to walk or limp outside with the high temperatures we are promised tomorrow.

I thought I was having a problem with my phone as it said I had no internet connection when I tapped on the League1 Canada app although I was able to play YouTube videos and read tweets. I asked around and felt better when two others said they were getting the same message. When I got home and logged in on my laptop none of today's games were updated and in fact the site said it was still to be played but then yesterday's games and last week's were still to be played. Hey this season is only a dream!

OK next day everything is fine. I had to write up an MLS NEXT Pro game (Toronto FC II vs New York Red Bulls II) from earlier in the day and the scoreboard at York Lions Stadium (yeah CPL York Lions FC also play there) wasn't working for 3/4 of that game in total so I had to convert times from my wristwatch.

Anyway this was a battle of the first and second place teams. It's possible that both teams could run the table for the few weeks we have left in the season so this was a critical game.

The result for Vaughan improves their record to 8 wins, 6 ties, 1 loss for 30 points (15 games played). Scrosoppi improves to 8 wins, 5 ties, 1 loss for 29 points (14 games played). This Wednesday Scrosoppi plays a game that was thunderstormed out against Hamilton United. A sure win because Hamilton hasn't won a game all season right? Scrosoppi can flip into first place right? Well this home game was turned over to be played in Hamilton because of stadium unavailability for Scrosoppi and one of Hamilton's few ties this season was against Scrosoppi. Scrosoppi then has to play a game on Saturday when they host Sigma FC. This will be a good test of depth. I've heard it from the Hamilton head coach and a friend who tracks games for a sportsbet site that Scrosoppi has two starting elevens that they could use. The large roster is burning up the L2 (reserve league) Southwest Division with a 12 win, 1 tie, 0 loss record and should be promoted into the Championship Division for next season.

Hey look. I couldn't track this other game tonight with 'no internet' but Woodbridge won their game from this afternoon away against ProStars and they close to 29 points. However not to get too excited they have already played 16 games. Woodbridge hosts Scrosoppi two Sunday's from now.

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

Vaughan Azzurri starters