September 7, 2024...Vaughan Azzurri win Men's L1 Cup (from League1 Ontario website)

7 September 2024
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Vaughan Azzurri win Men’s L1 Cup

Vaughan were crowned L1 Cup champions for the fourth time after beating Simcoe County Rovers on penalties.

Reshaun Walkes scored the game-winning spot-kick in a dramatic penalty shootout to win the Men’s L1 Cup for his team after a 1-1 tie in regulation time.

After failing to score their first two penalties due to a slip from Raheem Rose and a fine save from Simcoe’s Peter Sheberstov, Vaughan were 2-1 down after four spot kicks but came from behind to win the shootout and lift the trophy.

Unlike the penalty shootout, Vaughan had the better start to the match, but it was Simcoe that took the lead in the 12th minute with their first shot of the contest. Jevonate Layne’s strike into the bottom corner came after Simcoe upped the pace with some lovely one-touch passing to slice through the Vaughan defence.

The remainder of the first half was a closely fought, with both teams showing good build-up play but struggling to maintain possession and create clear goal-scoring opportunities. Vaughan had a chance to equalize just before the break from a corner, but it was an easy save for Simcoe’s number 25.

Simcoe would remain ahead until the 80th minute until Gabriel Boakye chose the perfect moment to score his first goal of the season with a stunning long-distance strike to level the contest for Vaughan.

Orlendis Benitez Hernandez had the chance to win the game for Rovers in the final moments, but it was a difficult chance as a deflected ball from a corner arrived quickly at him in the box for a strike, he put wide.

Hernandez quickly made amends, scoring Simcoe’s first penalty to give them the advantage in the shootout. After two spot-kicks each, it was advantage Simcoe, but they would fail to score their next three. The third was Ijah Halley’s penalty, which was saved by Baj Maan, giving the opportunity for the in-form Reshaun Walkes to secure the 2024 Men’s L1 Cup for Vaughan.

After a five-year hiatus for the L1 Cup, Vaughan Azzurri picked up where they left off in 2018 and are champions once again.

Published On: 7 September 2024
League1 Ontario staff

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