September 6, 2024...League1 Ontario L1 Cup Final...Vaughan Azzurri vs Simcoe County Rovers game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Friday September 6, 2024 League1 Ontario Men's Premier Division game between Vaughan Azzurri
and Simcoe County Rovers played at Zanchin Automotive Soccer Centre in Vaughan at 8:30pm. This was the final of the 2024 L1 Cup.

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

.....................1 Baj Maan
............19 Gabriel Boakye...16 Jacob Begley...4 Mathieu Laurant
9 Reshaun Walkes...10 Jeronimo Sabbatasso...6 Shawn Shvartshtein...2 Andy Baquero...5 Raheem Rose (cpt)
..................20 Mateo Caride...7 Raouf Mohamed

Subs:...12 Marc Theofanis (gk)...13 Luca Priolo...14 Faris Ibraheem...17 Jelani Brathwaite
...18 Mikhail Lysenko...21 Andrea Cimini...22 Nathan Baker...25 Adriano Iannello
team officials:...head coach Anthony Vadori...assistant coach Jeff Valcius...goalkeeper coach Domenic Tucci
...physiotherapist Casey D'Mello...other officials Nick Raimondo and Martine Eleuteri

Simcoe County Rovers (white socks and shirts, blue shorts, light blue numbers and shoulders)

....................25 Peter Sheberstov
19 Alejandro Portal...3 Tajay Reid (cpt)...5 Camaeron Dasilva...21 CJ Smith
18 Ijah Halley...12 Javier George...10 Orlendis Benitez Hernandez...28 Micah Joseph
...............9 Jevonate Layne...11 Shawn Claud Lawson

Subs:...`13 Rimi Olatunji (gk)...2 Luc Ihana...7 Aidan Hugo...8 Paul Karagiannakos
...14 Nathaniel St Louis...20 Milton Joseph...23 Noah Ferreira...24 Brandon Verburg
...27 Allen Blegay
team officials:...head coach Zack Wilson...assistant coach Carli Tingstad...team manager Derek Boakye
...goalkeeper coach Paul Smith...athletic trainer Milad Mohib...other official Doneil Henry

Game Officials:...referee Liam Tremblay...referee's assistants Vasyl Dzikh and Josue Tomas Cascales
fourth official Melvin Christopher...(red socks and shirts, black shorts)

First Half:...game starts 8:34pm...VA defens north end with it already being dark and a wind from the east.
A light pregame rain had started at the start of practice.
1 min...VA Rose rolls ball from 15 yards on left, after run down field, is through box unplayed.
2 min...VA Baquero 22 yard freekick from left is hight over players in box and out right for goalkick.
5 min...VA Walkes 25 yard shot on right is caught by goalie on bounce.
6 min...VA YELLOW card...Boakye earnss it for check near the sideline.
6 min...SCR Lawson receives pass from SCR Hernandez but shot is stopped.
10 min...VA Shvartshtein makes clearance of low pass.
10 min...Simcoe County Rovers Jevonte Layne GOAL...SCR Javier George receives pass after short throw-in from left
and sends roller forward from 30 yards to SCR Orlendis Benitez Hernandez just inside top left corner of box and he taps
to charging Layne who dribbles forward and rolls 10 yarder into short left side of net past squatting goalie Baj Maan.
13 min...SCR George chips 35 yard freekick down middle and defender leaps and clears.
14 min...VA Rose is checked off ball on left side of box.
14 min...VA Rose 12 yard shot from left has SCR Portal slide to give up cornerkick.
15 min...VA Baquero cornerkick from left has goalie swaat ball to right starting fast breakout.
16 min...VA goalie beats SCR Halley to through ball on right.
17 min...SCR defender gets back to clear ball in box before VA Sabbatasso can get to it.
18 min...VA Rosse at 35 yards on left crosses to center. VA Baquero heads ball to right and VA Mohamed shoots 25 yarder high
and wide right.
20 min...SCR Layne checked off ball on left side of VA box without getting away shot.
23 min...SCR player's shot is wide left as I pick up my binoculars that fell when the strap broke.
25 min...SCR Halley cross near right end line has defender head way. Another SCR player blasts 30 yarder down middle that
is high and wide right.
30 min...VA Sabbatasso high cross after run down left wins cornerkick on header.
31 min...VA Baquero cornerkick from right has defender clear out left. VA Rose can't get away shot back into box.
32 min...VA Baquero cornerkick from left is cleared in box in crowd of players.
34 min...VA Baquero 35 yard freekick from right bounces just wide left of post.
35 min...VA Sabbatasso on rush on left dribbles into 6 yard box but is flagged offside.
38 min...VA Rose chips 30 yarder from left over bar.
41 min...VA Baquero chips 40 yard freekick up middle is just wide left post ahead of charging VA Mohamed and out for goalkick.
43 min...SCR Smith is dropped off pass on left and has shot high on right that wins cornerkick.
43 min...SCR Hernandez cornerkick from right is caught in crowd of players by goalie.
44 min...VA Baquero cornerkick from right has VA player at 7 yards in crowd of players head forward and goalie dives down to smother.
46 min...half ends 9:20pm.

Halftime: The VA subs stay out during the break. All others return to the locker rooms. Both teams had their subs warming
up in the endzones during the first half.

Second Half:...starts 9:38pm.
47 min...VA player's short quick cornerkick from the left then has his low cross into box cleared for SCR fast breakout.
48 min...SCR Hernandez 35 yard freekick from slight left is shot wide left.
49 min...VA Sabbatasso winss cornerkick when 12 yard shot is deflected wide left.
50 min...VA Baquero cornerkick from left has VA Laurent header in crowd of players on left sent out of box.
51 min...SCR Lawson has 25 yard shot from left popped up on deflection and goalie catches.
53 min...It starts to rain!
56 min...VA Sabbatasso sends pass up middle to VA Walkes on right and he runs in from 30 yard lilne and cuts 18 yard roller
that goalie smothers.
57 min...VA Mohamed cross from left is over to VA Walkes who from right at 15 yards center pass back to VA Baquero in middle
who blasts 25 yarder down middle well over net.
59 min...SCR Lawson low pass from left end line has defender stop. SCR Hernandez shoots 7 yarder into outside left webbing of net.
60 min...SCR Hernandez rolls SCR Joseph caught offside.
62 min...VA sub...Iannello replaces Shvartshtein.
62 min...SCR Smith gets away on russh on left after two VA players crash together at SCR 40 yard line but he gets to 15 yard line
and chips that's caught by goalie.
64 min...VA Caride heads away SCR player's 35 yard freekick from right.
64 min...SCR Joseph is injured at SCR 35 yard line.
66 min...VA Boakye cross from right after his run has VA Mohamed head 7 yarder forward but wide left of net.
67 min...SCR Smith tripss up on run across box from left and can't get away shot.
68 min...VA Walkes wins cornerkick on his blocked shot from 15 yards along right end line.
69 min...VA Baquero cornerkick from right is partially cleared. Baquero then chips 15 yard shot that's caught by goalie.
70 min...SCR Karagiannakos replaces Lawson.
72 min...VA Walkes is called offside for about the third time now.
73 min...VA YELLOW card...Baquero earnss it for arguing when VA Mohamed is pushed out of bounces with no SCR player earning
a card.
74 min...SCR Sabbatasso on right passes to SCR Layne who bends 22 yarder wide right.
74 min...VA sub...Ibraheem replaces Sabbatasso.
............SCR sub...Ihama replaces Portal.
75 min...VA Iannello chips cross and VA Caride misses connecting on scissor kick try and ball is over end line when another
VA player tries to rescue it.
76 min...SCR Smith is injured and needs trainer inside SCR box away from play.
78 min...SCR sub...Blegay replaces injured Smith.
79 min...Vaughan Gabriel Boakye GOAL...Boakye on right recovers SCR headed clearance from box and eludes shirt grab
attempt by SCR Paul Karagiannakos and shoots 22 yarder from slight right around SCR Allen Blegay upward and ball dips
into top right corner of net between arms of goalie Peter Sherberstov.
80 min...VA Ibraheem can't win Penalty kick on spin around knock down but VA's win cornerkick.
81 min...VA Baquero cornerkick from left has ball deflect off VA player on near post and bounce for goalkick.
82 min...VA Baquero Baquero freekick from 40 yards on right has ball popped up and defenders clear. SCR Karagiannakos
is given pass on fast break out but he's stripped of ball by defender.
85 min...VA Mohamed wins cornerkick on right as ball deflected along right end line.
86 min...VA Baquero cornerkick from right is cleared out left and chip is cleared.
86 min...VA Walkes can't win Penalty kick on left side of box.
87 min...SCR Halley shoots 30 yarder from right well wide left of net.
88 min...SCR sub...Hugo replaces Ihama.
88 min...VA Caridde can't win Penalty kick on arm grab in box.
89 min...VA defender clears ball off SCR Karagiannakos for goalkick at 15 yards.
91 min...SCR defender heads ball back to goalie to beat VA Caride to ball.
91 min...VA defenders block two shots on edge of box.
92 min...VA Boakye 30 yard shot spins off defender for goallie to catch.
93 min...SCR Karagiannakos wins cornerkick on shot that deflects off VA player.
94 min...SCR Halley cornerkick from left has ball from SCR Hernandez headed across box from right but wide left of post.
95 min...end of regulation time.

The game now goes straight to Penalty kicks.

Penalty shootout: Vaughan will shoot first and the south end goal will be used.

1. VA Raheem Rose shoots high and over top right corner of net as he slips as he takes his shot.
1. SCR Orlendis Benitez Hernandez GOAL...Hernandez shoots to top left side as goalie dives right.
2. VA Andy Baquero shoots low to right. Diving goalie saves on right post.
2. SCR Aidan Hugo does slow walk up and rolls ball to right. Goalie dives to right and smothers.
3. VA Mateo Caride GOAL...Caride stagger steps and shoots high left out of reach of flying goalie.
3. SCR Jevontae Layne shoots high over bar to top left after skip stepping his run up as goalie ducks left.
4. VA Raouf Mohamed GOAL...Mohamed has not run up and shoots low to left as goalie dives right.
4. SCR Ijah Halley shoots low to left and goalie dives and pushes ball wide left.
5. VA Reshaun Walkes GOAL...Walkes stagger steps and shoots low to right as goalie dives left.

Final Score: Vaughan Azzurri.....1......Simcoe County Rovers......1......
Vaughan win Penalty kick shootout 3-1

Attendance picked up by halftime to about 350 people. A late start of 8:30pm ensured that more travelling fans could get here from Barrie. They made up at least 2/3 of the crowd.

There was a very light rain at the beginning of the warm ups but nothing more until after the trophy was presented. I was expecting more rain so watched the game from the first floor of the 'treehouse' on the east side to stay dry. The camera for the YouTube broadcast was on the second floor (also sheltered from the elements).

There weren't very many chances during the game. Both sides had defences that limited the shots to outside the box with many blocks and then cleared for fast breakouts up the field. I credit the Vaughan backline of Gabriel Boakye, Jacob Begley, and Mathieu Laurent and the Rovers back four of Alejandro Portal, Tajay Reid, Cameron DaSilva, and CJ Smith.

Referee Liam Tremblay gave out only two Yellow cards (both to Vaughan players) in a close checking game with most infractions let go as the players just played on. Vaughan players were particularly incensed by the clutching and tackling while Rovers coach Doneil Henry was about complaining exactly the same thing on behalf of his players. Vaughan's Raouf Mohamed was in the Jackie Robinson role taking a pounding with him being shoved out of bounds almost into the SCR players' bench. VA Andy Baquero took a Yellow for arguing the non-call.

I complimented Tremblay on his officiating when the officials were presented with medals along with the players. He could have given out nine Yellow cards to each team and had a stop and restart game all evening or let the game carry on like it did making it very exciting for the fans. I only counted one injury that required a substitution and that was when SCR CJ Smith was injured at 76 minutes and Allen Blegay took his place after the trainer had done his best.

L1O Premier divisions' leading scorer Reshaun Walkes was burned on at least three offside calls. He scored the deciding Penalty kick. He had two four goal efforts in their last two league games—a Penalty kick goal in each game. After the game a Vaughan official said they started their season by being outcalled for Penalties for and against by 10-0 until they finally were awarded one.

The winners were presented with the recently reinstated League1 Cup trophy. This is a competition that has not been held since 2018...that was before COVID...because as more and more teams entered the league which had only one level until this season, there were too many league games in the regular season schedule to hold another competition. Last winners before tonight was Vaughan Azzurri (2018) who also won the first season 2014 then again in 2016 with Woodbridge Strikers winning in the odd numbered years of 2015 and 2017. Team officials were also given the canvas skin of the '2024 L1 Cup Winners' sign for their clubhouse. The trophy on the other hand will have to be returned for next years tourney.

League1 Cup play is awkward. It got off to a good start with clubs from the three tiers of the league playing their first game (if they didn't get a bye) one weekend before the regular season started. After that games were confined to midweek and often at whatever stadium was available. Tough to book a field from your city if you can't be sure your team would be out after one game. The league had a lot of regular season games rescheduled because of all the storms in the area. Rovers had to wait exactly two months between their quarterfinal match to their semifinal. This was only my third L1 Cup game. Besides the first week (hey third tier 'The Borough' vs second tier Pickering), I went to the quarterfinal of Sigma FC vs Vaughan on a Wednesday played at tonight's stadium which is always a default stadium for any team having trouble booking a field. Sigma was considered the home team for that game.

In regular season play these teams had met twice, both ending in ties. 1-1 on Sunday April 28th, the first weekend of the season with Rovers scoring an added time goal (I was at the game in NMRP in Maple) and 4-4 in Barrie on Saturday August 10 with Ijah Halley scoring a Penalty kick at 77 minutes. Same goalies were in that August game.

Baj Maan was the regular Rovers goalie for their 2023 season so he must have had a read of their Penalty kick patterns.

The Rovers physio actually had more to do before the game when he wrapped up team president Peter Raco's foot who had injured it while jogging in the day. After the game I saw him hobbling around on a crutch. While getting his foot treated I did ask him about the stadium problems they were having. Conflict about a new site in Barrie may hold up progress for years. A message board rumour about Toronto FC II being bounced from York Lions Stadium because of the new women's team AFC Toronto playing there and CPL York United FC staying will mean there won't be many dates available. No stadium around here meets the MLS NEXT Pro standards. Also Raco said he expects the team will skew younger and it's down to averaging age 21 now. Goalie Peter Sheberstov is only 17, starting the season with their feeder club Aurora FC U20s. Also appears we've both lost track of the Credit River Cup competition committee. I could see trouble at the end of last season when North Mississauga was dropped to the second tier and wouldn't have games with the other teams.

That just about wraps up the Premier Division. There is one more game and that is the promotion/relegation game with eleventh place (of the Premier Division) travelling to St Catharines to play the Roma Wolves (third place Championship Division) to see which team gets the 2025 spot in the Premier Division. That game was supposed to be at this stadium next Friday night but was rescheduled for Wednesday in St Catharines. Friday night I'd have been at a CPL York United game but Wednesday...hmm although it is a long drive...

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

Vaughan Azzurri starters