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April 21, 2024 CPL York United FC vs Forge FC game report (by Rocket Robin)
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Result and details of the Sunday April 21, 2024 Canadian Premier League game between York United FC
and Forge FC played at York Lions Stadium in North York at 4:00pm ET.
York United FC (white socks and shorts, white & blue striped chests with white backs, blue names and numbers)
...............................1 Thomas Vincensini
16 Max Ferrari...23 Noah Abatneh...62 Nyal Higgins...6 Orlando Botello Linares
......................8 Elijah Adekugbe...15 Josue Martinez
...........12 Clement Bayiha...10 Molham Babouli (cpt)...22 Austin Ricci
...............................9 Brian Wright
Subs:...18 Eleias Himaras (gk)...11 Dennis Salanovic (mid)...17 Markiyan Voytsekhovskyy (mid)...21 Christian Zeppieri (mid)
...30 Kadim Martin-Pereux (mid)...32 Brem Soumaoro (def)...37 Trivine Esprit (mid)
team officials:...head coach Martin Nash...assistant coach Mauro Eustaquio...goalkeeper coach Camilo Benzi
phsiotherapist Eric Yoo...doctor Jim Niu...kitman John Townsend...athletic trainer Furkan Demir
Forge FC (orange socks and shirts, black shorts, names and numbers)
.....................29 Christopher Kalongo
2 Malcolm Duncan...13 Alexander Achinioti-Jonsson...81 Malik Owolabi-Belewu...17 Daniel Parra
...........19 Tristan Borges...21 Alessandro Hojabrpour...10 Kyle Bekker (cpt)
............7 David Choiniere...14 Terran Campbell...39 Beni Badibanga
Subs:...16 Jassem Koleilat (gk)...9 Jordan Hamilton (fwd)...20 Kwasi Poku (def)...22 Noah Jensen (mid)
...37 Kevaughan Tavernier (fwd)...64 Khadim Kane (mid)...88 Matteo Schiavoni
team officials:...head coach Bobby Smyrniotis...assistant coaches Nikolaos Nentidis and John Zervos
...goalkeeper coach Johan Albert...physiotherpaist Liam Macpherson...kitman Joe Henley...athletic trainer Brian Navidad
Game officials:...referee Myriam Marcotte...referee's assistants Twayne Anderson and Bradley Douborough
...fourth official Yusri Rudolf...(all black uniforms)...referee asssessor John Oliva
First Half:...game starts 4:08pm...York defends south end on this sunny (from the southwest) but chilly afternoon
with not much wind.
The coin toss ceremony includes York's now retired former captain Roger Thompson. The 'tiny car' (a radio controled
toy) is driven into the center circle containing the game ball. That gimmick has been used here before but pales
now that Vancouver FC had an eagle team mascot land on the goaltender's upraised glove.
44 sec...Forge goalie picks up ball on edge of box to beat York player to rolled through ball pass.
2 min...York Abatneh heads ball back to goalie on right to beat Forge Campbell from getting to it.
3 min...Forge Badibanga has low crosss near right end line. Forge Hojabrpour recovers deflection and shoot low 18 yarder
from right wide left of post.
4 min...York Wright wins cornerkick on left after 1 v 4 rush.
4 min...York Babouli cornerkick from left has York Abatrneh head ball downward at 5 yards on right post but ball rolls over end line
before he can cross.
6 min...York Bayiha receives centering pass from right and shoots 18 yarder that goalie palms over bar.
7 min...York Botello cornerkick from right has goalie palm over bar.
7 min...York Botello cornerkick from right has ball partiall cleared in crowd of players in box. York Martinez shoots 22 yard down
middle well over bar.
9 min...Forge Borges bends 25 yarder from right that goalie makes one handed swat on left post to prevent tap-in.
13 min...Forge Badibanga receives centering pass from right and 20 yard shot deflects off defender for cornerkick on left.
14 min...Forge Bekker cornerkick from left is through box untouches and bounces wide right for goalkick.
15 min...York Babouli passes from 25 yards on slight left. York Bayiha on right sends low centering pass that York Wright has ball
deflect off him even through he's sliding and ball rolls to goalle.
16 min...Forge Badibanga is injured at York 35 yard line on far right.
17 min...Forge Bekker taps back pass on left for Forge Parra to blast 22 yard shot well over net.
18 min...Forge YELLOW card...Achinioti-Johnsson earns it for body check on York Bayiha preventing a break-in near center line
on right.
20 min...Forge Borges pass from right from 30 yards has Forge Choiniere hold off defender bump to get away low 15 yarder
from right just wide left of post.
23 min...Forge Borges centers pass from right along 33 yard line. Forge Badibanga has 30 yard low shot up middle bounce just wide
left of post.
25 min...Forge Borges through ball pass from 22 yards on right has Forge Choiniere roll 10 yard cross that goalie dives forward
to smother.
28 min...Forge goalie smothers loose ball at 15 yards.
28 min...Forge Choiniere rolls pass along 12 yard line from right that has Forge Bekker split defenders but not fully connect
on shot.
29 min...York Babouli chips 25 yarder from slight left that goalie catches stepping forward before York player can get to it.
30 min...Forge Bekker cross from along 8 yards on left has two Forge players not able to redirect on net.
31 min...York Higgins pokes through ball pass behind end line to prevent a Forge shot.
31 min...Forge Parra cornerkick from right has near post defender head ball away.
32 min...Forge Campbell heaas 8 yarder over net on receiving cross from right.
34 min...York Martinez cross from 22 yards on right has defender head out left side of box.
35 min...York players can't get away shot on right side of box.
35 min...Forge Choiniere blasts 15 yard shot pinballing off two defenders beside him.
36 min...Forge Borges centered low pass and 16 yard blast deflects off defender for cornerkick.
36 min...Forge player's cornerkick from right is cleared.
38 min...York goalie catches bounced through ball pass at 15 yards ahead of Forge player.
39 min...York Bekker wins cornerkick on deflection of shot at 12 yards.
40 min...York Bekker cornerkick from left has goalie palm ball out right side of box from 2 yards in crowd of players.
41 min...York Bekker wins cornerkick on 1 v 2 along left end line.
41 min...York Bekker cornerkick from left has falling defender on short side head ball behind end line but wins foul call.
43 min...Forge Parra low cross from left has Forge Campbell one-touch 15 yard shot that goalie flies to left post to knock
ball down and smother.
43 min...York Babouli ends York pressure with midair 12 yard shot wide left.
45 min...Forge David Choiniere GOAL...Forge Daniel Parra at 25 yards feeds pass forward. Choinier turns
and fires 12 yarder forward near left post into left side of net past flying goalie Thomas Vincensini.
46 min...half ends 4:54pm.
Halftime Entertainment: There was a kids mini soccer game near the center line near the stands between players from 'The New Six'.
Also there was fan pre-chosen from the crowd to kick a soccer ball into one of two super small holes in a canvas covering a full sized
net that a crew had wheeled onto the field. This would be like at the CNE trying to sink a basket into an undersized basketball hoop.
However for the $35,000 prize they don't want to make it too easy. I asked for clarification of the rules. The fan has to put their
first shot through the hole in the top left corner then the next one into one near the right post about halfway up the net. Two shots,
that's it. They gave the fan three shots but the prize winning chance was over after the first shot. The prize is insured by a company.
Comments from someone upstairs were that they should have given the fan a scarf as a consolation prize. Certainly different than the
Toronto FC II games player here in the last two weeks. Success as the 'Crossbar Challenge' and the 'Dizzy Penalty Kick' shot into
a mini net were soccer tickets to their MLS parent club'a next home game. Consolation prize was the exact same prize!
Second Half:...starts 5:11pm. The sun is now hazy casting no shadows.
47 min...Forge Choiniere chages down right wing and rolls ball into box. Retreating York Higgins clears ball for throw-in from right.
48 min...Forge Parra cornerkick from right has ball deflect in box forward and wide right for another cornerkick.
48 min...Forge Parra works shorts corxnerkick and cross has goalie punch ball down center forwar to clear.
50 min...York Ricci on 3 on 3 rush on left fires 22 yard lob that goalie flies to catch at 7 yards.
51 min...York sub...Zeppieri replaces Martinez.
52 min...Forge Bekker gets short tapped through ball pass and low 15 yard shot from left is saves by diving goalie.
54 min...Forge YELLOW card...Badibanga earns it for kicking ball away when not awarded throw-in near center line.
56 min...York player crosses into box which York Wright can't get away clear header. Forge Duncan heads ball away for cornerkick
in multi-headed play.
56 min...York Babouli cornerkick from left is knocked around in box but ball is eventually cleared.
58 min...York Babouli rush up right and cross has Forge Owolabi-Belewu fly backwards and head behind end line.
59 min...York Botello cornerkick from right has defender on near post concede another cornerkick.
59 min...York Botello cornerkick from right has goalie catch on left post.
60 min...Forge Beni Badibanga GOAL...Forge Tristan Borges threads pass in middle that finds Badibanga in open.
Badibanga receives pass on right side of box and has time to steady ball and shoot low 10 yarder into left side of net.
61 min...York sub...Voytsekhovskyy replaces Bayiha.
62 min...York YELLOW card...Zeppieri earns it for grabbing Forge Borges breaking forward at Forge 40 yard line.
63 min...Forge YELLOW card...Borges earns it for tackle on York Zeppieri injurying him at Forge 45 yard line.
66 min...Forge David Choiniere GOAL...Forge Tristan Borges rescued ball on right end line stepping around
York Nyal Higgins who was shielding ball for it to roll over end line. Borges hooks ball into 6 yard box and Choiniere
boots 7 yarder into center of net.
69 min...Forge Campbell eludes sliding defender for break-in from 45 yard line on left but can't get away shot at 15 yards.
70 min...York Wright rush to 15 yards on right and low shot has goalie dive to stop with time to smother rebound.
72 min...Forge sub...Poku replaces Badibanga.
............Forge sub...Hamilton replaes Campbell.
............Forge sub...Jensen replaces Bekker.
76 min...York Voytsekhovskyy pass to York Wright but trailing defender concedes cornerkick.
76 min...York Botello cornerkick from right has defender head ball forward and out left side of box.
77 min...York Babouli cross from 25 yards on left. Forge Parra concedes cornerkick with header preventing York player getting
to it at 8 yards on right.
78 min...York sub...Martin-Pereux replaces Ricci.
............York sub...Salanovic replaces Adekugbe.
79 min...Forge Poku is injured near center line.
80 min...Forge Parra retreats and concedes cornerkick on cross into box.
81 min...York Babouli cornerkick from left has goalie leap in crowd of players and swat ball out right side of box. The goalie
is injured on play and needs trainer.
84 min...Forge Poku crosses after run down left and defender in box ducks and heads ball away.
85 min...York Ferrari high cross from right at 28 yards has York players not able to get a shot on net.
86 min...Forge sub...Kane replaces Borges.
...........Forge sub...Schiavoni replaces Duncan.
88 min...Forge goaalie retreats back into box so he can smother ball ahead of two charging York players.
89 min...Forge Poku rolls pass along 12 yard line and Forge Jensen can't get away clear shot down middle.
90 min...Forge YELLOW card...Kane earns it for holding onto York Babouli running up middle.
91 min...York Babouli blasts 25 yard freekick down middle that goallie catches on right side of net.
92 min...York Botello is injured in face at Forge 30 yard line and needs trainer.
94 min...York YELLOW card...Martin-Pereux earns it for bodycheck on Forge Kane at Forge 35 yard line as he broke out
up the middle.
94 min...game ends 6:00pm.
Final Score:...York United.........0..........Forge FC..........3..........
Attendance was announced as 2654 for York's season opener. This was the biggest crowd since 2019 which was the league's first season. Yeah back then they were named York 9 FC. The place looked about twice as many as the attenance last season. Not all was perfect as when I got home I was reading message boards that the concessions were overcrowded and ran out of beer in the first half! This season the York supporters' stand in the south end has been removed and the fans are crowded into the concrete main stand in the south 800 section. Most of the time they have to turn to the left to see the action upfield instead of looking forward and upfield. Now they can only heckle someone taking a cornerkick from the southwest corner flag. Travelling fans are sold Section 100 seats which are at the north end and near the main exit/box office.
Referee Myriam Marcotte gave out six Yellow cards, four to Forge in a game that had moments of being back and forth, wide open. The game was competitive in the first half but York gave up the opening goal just before the break. The third goal was dreadful with Tristan Borges getting behind defender Nyal Higgins shielding the ball to watch it roll over the end line and poking the ball back to David Choiniere to have an easy 7 yard shot for his second goal of the game. It looked from various replays that the ball had already rolled over the line for a York goalkick but in this league there is no VAR nor overhead cameras so the definitive camera angle was missing. As was pointed out, Higgins was shielding the ball and it would likely have blocked the view of the referee's assistant on the east side. Anyway the game was really competively over by that point anyway in the fact that it looked like York could have played another hour and were nowhere close to scoring. Christopher Kalongo earned the shutout for Forge. He appears to be a worthy replacement for Triston Henry who was the main goalie for Forge since their first season but disappeared in the off season. He was always in the right place for the best angle on York shots. Another reporter asked him at the post game press conference if he was naming his goalie gloves 'GPS' which even broke him up. I watched Kalongo last season in League1 Ontario playing for Sigma FC much the same as I watched Henry play with that team before there was a CPL. York head coach Martin Nash answered after the game that the team just lacked the urgency for taking shots on net. He said they were naive to give up a goal in such a way at the end of the half and they slumped in the second half and the second goal deflated them. He said they were frustrated to lose. He also said they didn't manage the game well. They have not found a replacement for forward Osaze De Rosario who slumped last season but looked like he was expected to return in the early pre season hype. His brother Adisa De Rosario who was on-loan with York for part of last season has returned to Toronto FC II that play in the MLS NEXT Pro league at this stadium and who I've seen in their two home games so far this year. York have players on the injury list already this early in the season. No different than last season. Overbalanced? Well the starting lineup listed five midfielders by position (not that played that position) and the seven person bench listed five more midfielders to bring on! A preseason game against L1O Simcoe County Rovers was cancelled for that reason (just like the year before) but this season was actually played just a week before the season started. Earlier today, it was announce that midfielder Trivine Esprit had signed with York. He signed another U-Sports contract like last year. Last year he played with L1O Darby FC until June so this year he has an earlier start with York.Rocket Robin
robin.glover.1958@gmail.com
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York United FC starters
Forge FC starters
York Orlando Botello Linares (6) removes ball from 'Tiny Car' to start the game.
A high York cornerkick is sent into box.
Forge Malcolm Duncan (2) takes throw-in.
Another York cornerkick comes into box.
Forge Terran Campbell (14) has taken second half kickoff.
York Orlando Botello Linares (6) dribbling ball.
York Molham Babouli (10) sends freekick into box.
Handshakes after the game.
Game stats (from canpl.ca)
York United FC Forge FC
Possession 46.9% 53.1%
Duels success rate 42.9% 57.1%
Aerial duels won 0.0% 100.0%
Interceptions 8 14
Offsides 1 1
Corners won 11 5
Passes 434 495
Long passes 51 38
Passing accuracy 84.8% 86.9%
Passing acc in opp half (%) 67.0% 78.1%
Crosses 24 18
Crossing accuracy 4.2% 22.2%
Goals 0 3
Shots 9 17
Shots on target 4 6
Blocked shots 3 5
Shots outside the box 6 7
Shots inside the box 3 10
Shooting accuracy 44.4% 35.3%
Tackles 23 19
Tackles success rate 52.2% 78.9%
Clearances 18 25
Fouls conceded 9 9
Yellow cards 2 4
Red cards 0 0
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