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June 19, 2024 CPL York United FC vs Pacific FC game report (by Rocket Robin)
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Result and details of the Wednesday June 19, 2024 Canadian Premier League game between York United FC and Pacific FC
played at York Lions Stadium in North York at 7:00pm ET.
York United FC (blue socks and shorts, green & blue checkered shirts, white names and numbers)
...............................1 Thomas Vincensini
...........5 Frank Sturing (cpt)...8 Elijah Adekugbe...4 Oswaldo Leon
16 Max Ferrari...15 Josue Martinez...32 Brem Soumaoro...30 Kadin Martin-Pereux...6 Orlando Botello Linares
................22 Austin Ricci...9 Brian Wright
Subs:...18 Eleias Himaras (gk)..10 Molham Babouili (mid)...11 Dennis Salanovic (mid)...17 Markiyan Voyutsekhovskyy (mid)
...21 Christian Zeppieri (mid)...37 Trivine Esprit (mid)...62 Nyal Higgins (def)
team officials:...head coach Benjamin Mora...assistant coach Mauro Eustaquio...goalkeeper coach Camilo Benzi
physiotherapist Eric Yoo...doctor Jim Niu...kitman John Townsend...athletic trainer Furkan Demir
Pacific FC (all white uniforms, black names and numbers, purple and light blue trim)
...........................27 Daniel Zadravec
13 Kunle Dada-Luke...26 Thomas Meilleur-Giguere...5 Juan Quintana...3 Eric Lajeunesse
...........20 Sean Young...7 Steffen Yeates...8 Pierre Lamothe
...........88 Andrei Tircoveanu...11 Josh Heard (cpt)...12 Reon Moore
Subs:...30 Cal Weir (gk)...2 Georges Mukumbilwa (def)...4 Paul Amedume (def)...9 Dario Zanatta (fwd)
...10 Adonijah Reid (fwd)...18 Zakaria Bahous (mid)...28 Cedric Toussaint (mid)
team officials:...head coach James Merriman...assistanat coach Armando Sa...physiotherapist Julian Micolta
...kitman Cliff Glendale...other official Victor Da Costa Ferreira
Game officials:...referee Marie-Soleil Beaudoin...referee's assistants Peter Pendli and Vasyl Dzikh
...fourth official Fabrizio Stasolla...(all black uniforms)...referee asssessor Amato De Luca
First Half:...game starts 7:07pm...York defends north end on this hot and humid evening with a hazy sun.
I checked my weather app as the game started. It was 34C.
There's nothing but midfield play between each team's 25 yard lines to start.
9 min...York Wright gets pass in Pac box but passes it back out and they can't get it back in.
12 min...York Ferrari bends 25 yard cross from left that a Pac player heads out at 15 yards up middle and out of box.
14 min...Pac Heard gets pass for long run up left and rolls centering cross right through box unplayed along 8 yard line.
14 min...York Sturing cross from 12 yards on right is cleared back out on right.
16 min...York Adekugbe rolls pass forward from 45 yards and York Ricci shoots 33 yarder up middle well over net.
20 min...York Soumaoro chips 22 yarder into Pac box but defenders head ball away.
20 min...York Wright chips short oass from 20 yards to right but goalie beats York Ricci to ball at 8 yards on bounce.
21 min...York Soumaoro is injured at York 25 yard line on left and this time needs trainer.
23 min...Pac Yeates short pass into box but is checked off ball at 15 yards for fast break out.
26 min...York Ferrari cross from right is through box to other side. York Martin-Pereux chases it to left edge of 18 yard box
where he rolls it upfield along the edge of the box. York Ricci receives ball at 20 yard line, takes a step towards center and shoots
low 20 yarder forward that goalie dives to left post to catch.
28 min...Pac Dada-Luke run to right end line to receive low pass upfield but runs it over end line for goalkick.
29 min...York Martin-Pereux run down left has defender slide to check near end line and ball deflects off Martin-Pereux for goalkick.
30 min...a water break is called.
32 min...play resumes.
34 min...York Adekugbe huge check on edge of box at top right corner.
34 min...Pac Heard bends 20 yarder wide right of net after Pac Yeates gives him top over.
35 min...York Martin-Pereux cuts into box from left and collides with defender at 15 yards and another defender clears.
36 min...York Brian Wright GOAL...York Josue Martinez receives short pass on left edge of 18 yard box and spins to elude
defender and as he falls taps pass back to Wright who shoots low 15 yarder behind defender screening him into right corner
of net beyond diving goalie Daniel Zadravec.
37 min...Pac YELLOW card...Young earns it for grabbing Ricci and spinning him around so he can't break out at center line.
37 min...York RED card...Austin Ricci earns it for hand to face retaliation to Pac Sean Young.
42 min...Pac Dada-Luke cross from right end line has goalie make overhead catch on goal line.
42 min...York YELLOW card...Soumaouro earns it for a sliding tackle on Pac Quintana at York 50 yard line on a delayed call until
the next whistle.
43 min...Pac Yeates receives tap back receives and shoots 22 yarder over net.
45 min...Pac Heard rolls centering pass past defender from left and Pac Lamouthe slides to deflect 7 yard shot up middle
wide right of post.
47 min...York goalie dives to left to smother 25 yard roller.
48 min...Pac Yeates pass ball back to Pac Young on left and he shoots 20 yarder over bar.
49 min...Pac Moore charging forward into box can't quite get to play header at 8 yards and ball bounces wide left for goal kick.
50 min...half ends 7:52pm.
Halftime Entertainment: The $35000 Challenge is back after a few games abscence. There have been no changes to the rules. The holes in the canvas stretched over the net are just as small as before. Contestants were given a second shot but that kick would have only been worth $500.
There are some mini games in both ends of the field with kids from Toronto High Park in the north end using half the width of the field and older kids from SC Toronto and York Jets using the full width.
A child is presented with an an award for childhood cancer. I suppose for surviving it.
York substitute players warms up right from the start of halftime and Pacific bench players later. In the heat that we've been having, it's understandable as to why to limit the time they run around.
Second Half:...starts 8:12pm.
Halftime subs:...Pac Reid replaces Tircoveanu.
..........Pac Zanatta replaces Lamothe.
..........York Babouli replaces Martin-Pereux.
48 min...Pac Quintana body checks York Martinez on run down the left sideline.
49 min...York Babouli taps freekick at 30 yard sideline on left to York Martinez who rolls ball forward where charging
York Soumaoro rescues it beforre it reaches end line and taps back to Babouli who cuts around Pac Heard on end line and rolls
along 1 yard line where it's unplayed and rolls out for throw-in.
50 min...York Martinez cornerkick from right is chipped to 22 yard line. York Adekugbe shoots 22 yarder on slight left over net.
51 min...Pac Moore jabs 8 yard shot forward into right outside webbing of net after low cross from left comes into box.
52 min...York Molham Babouli GOAL...York Brian Wright gets to ball when Pac Juan Quintana pops up clearance
behind him on right side of box. Wright rolls centering pass along 12 yard line which Babouli initially overruns
but turns back with Pac Kunle Dada-Luke also stops at 7 yard line. Babouli with back to goal spins around Dada-Luke
to slide and rolls 6 yarder forward past goalie at 4 yards and two retreating defenders into right side of net.
53 min...Pac Zanetta rolls ball over end line as Pac Reid and two defenders all crash together on right side of box.
54 min...York Babouli is injured at York 50 yard line with hip injury.
56 min...Pac Zanatta is checked off ball in York box not getting shot and can't draw Penalty kick. York Leon draws freekick as he is tackled in box.
58 min...York Soumaoro makes huge block on edge of 18 yard box to stop Pac player's shot.
59 min...Pac Quintana jabs tgo block low pass from York Ferrari from right along the 10 yard line.
60 min...York Soumaoro makes big sliding stop in retreat in box to prevent shot from 5 yards.
60 min...Pac Dada-Luke cross from 40 yard line on right has Pac Zanatta one touch 8 yard shot from left well over net.
64 min...Pac Reid 35 yard low freekick from right is cleared by nearest defender. Reid recrosses from 25 yards.
Pac Quintana shoots 6 yarder along left end line into outside webbing of net.
66 min...Pac Zanatta cross from 25 yards on left is caught by goalie under no pressure.
67 min...York Ferrari cross from right is over for York Wright but defender heads it away im 6 yard box before Wright can get to it.
York Babouli blasts the 15 yard partial clearance forward up the left side and diving goalie pushes it wide of left post.
68 min...Pac Lajeunesse runs to left end line and sends high cross over the players in the box.
69 min...Pac Dada-Luke shot/cross from 20 yard line on right bends well behind net.
70 min...York Botello makes key header in crowd in box to break up Pac play.
71 min...Pac Reid cross from 25 yards between two Pac players jumping at 8 yards on slight left and out for goalkick.
71 min...York YELLOW card...Goalie Vincensini earns it for time wasting taking a goalkick.
72 min...York Wright is injured at center line and needs trainer. Both teams take an impromptu water break.
73 min...Pac Dada-Luke cross from 30 yards on right has Pac Quintana header is over net from 10 yards.
74 min...Pac sub...Mukumbilwa replaces Dada-Luke.
..........Pac sub...Bahous replaces Heard.
75 min...York Martinez is injured at York 25 yards and needs trainer.
77 min...Pac Reid gets around defender on end line but York Botello pokes ball for cornerkick on right.
77 min...Pac Reid cornerkick from right has York Zanatta pop header away from box.
78 min...York sub...Salanovic replaces Martinez.
79 min...Pac Yeates 33 yard freekick from left has York Wright head away at 15 yards.
81 min...York goalie smothers roller into box.
81 min...Pac sub...Amedume replaces Young.
82 min...Pac Bahous in crowd of players gets away 15 yard shot from left wide right of net.
83 min...It starts raining hard driving fans away.
85 min...York sub...Voytsekhovskyy replaces Wright.
86 min...Pac Mukumbilwa chips 40 yarder from right is well over net.
87 min...A ball kid resets a corner flag blown over by the suddenly gusty winds.
88 min...Pac Reid on give and go play takes 8 yard shot from right that goalie palms over bar.
88 min...Pac Reid corner kick from right has Pac player in crowd in box head ball high and wide left.
91 min...Pac Bahous blasts low 12 yarder up middle on centered pass into box from left and York Adekugbe deflect if off his shin
at 4 yards for throw-in.
91 min...York YELLOW card...Botello earns it for delaying York throw-in at York 25 yard line.
92 min...York sub...Higgins replaces Botello.
92 min...Pac Bahous blasts 25 yarder down middle well over net.
95 min...game ends 9:02pm.
Final Score:...York United FC.........2..........Pacific FC..........0..........
Attendance was not announced again tonight. The league site put the crowd as 844 which is probably their lowest attendance ever. I knew attendance would be poor when I saw the schedule months ago. This is the only day of the season when Toronto FC of the MLS is also playing a home game on the same night and the same time. The team had been doing a good job of not having home games when Toronto FC is playing downtown after trying a few matinee games when the MLS club was playing at night. I also noticed that League 1 Ontario was playing five Men's Premier matches tonight (of only two occasions this year that the league is playing top tier regular season games on a Wednesday). I was expecting an announcement that this was National Soccer Day or something. There was no way the schedulers would have known that Canada would play a game in the COPA on Thursday night or back then, that Canada would even qualify.
Adding to the scheduling conflict, the city was suffering their first real heat wave of the season with danger warnings posted in the media for the health sensitive to stay indoors. There was scheduled to be some relief... but because a big thunderstorm was scheduled to start at 7:00pm...it did held off until the game was almost over. The storm did succeed in cancelling the parents/kids after game scrimmage because of the danger. The York trainer did make those unused players and subs who didn't come onto the field until the end do wind sprints though. Even the victory song MC Hammer's 'Can't Touch This' was cut short so an announcement could be made for fans to clear the stands.
Too bad as the fans were treated to another York win at home. They are undefeated at York Lions Stadium since their home opener against Forge FC.
Tonight was Marvel Superhero Night. I expected there'd be paid actors having to wear costumes in these steambath conditions but no one was here. A few fans wore capes but I recognized them as not being 'Marvel' charactors but from the D.C. comic universe. Now this would make a good write up headline for the league. "The real super heroes were on the field tonight" except that every city will be holding one this month at their own home games so the league is saving that for later. I asked a York VP and he answered that it's just a licencing thing. I'm not sure what super hero movie is opening up this summer.
From prior games over the season, seeing York go down a man before the first half ended...yeah a sure RED card direct ejection for a retaliation hand-to-face action...would have meant that York would sink into a defensive shell to try to hold on with the ball never leaving the York end but tonight York was able to counterattact and Pacific couldn't commit every man forward. At halftime goalscorer Brian Wright was left in the game and another forward Mo Babouli was brought on to keep the York offense moving. The two players combined to score a crucial insurance goal to ease some of the pressure.
The win improves York's record in eleven games to 5 wins, 2 ties, 4 losses for 17 points and they take over second place. That should be good at least until the weekend when the other teams in the league play. York started the day in fifth place which shows how tight the mid-pack standings are. One of the teams they passed is Pacific who now drop to third with a record of 4 wins, 4 ties, 3 losses for 16 points. Pacific had come into tonight's game with the stingiest defence only allowing six goals. Having a man advantage I wouldn't have expected a second goal by York.
Brian Wright currently leads the league in scoring with 7 goals and 4 assists which beats or ties his all time season records with York and Atletico Ottawa before that for entire seasons already in just his ninth game or 2024.
Thomas Vincensini earned the shutout for York by making two saves. Pacific had plenty of chances but their shooting accuracy was poor even before the rain started and key blocks and stops by defenders cut down on the balls even getting near the York 6 yard box.
York's next game is next Thursday against Valour FC in Winnipeg and the game after that they are back in Toronto Saturday July 6th to host HFX Wanderers for the second time. Hmm, a weekend late afternoon game. Let's see how that works.
Rocket Robin
robin.glover.1958@gmail.com
X @RocketRobin01
York United FC starters
Pacific FC starters
Pacific Reon Moore (12) takes opening kickoff.
midfield action
Pacific Reon Moore (12) holding off York Elijah Adekugbe (8).
York Brian Wright (9) takes second half kickoff.
York Molham Babouli (10) and Josue Martinez (15) line up freekick from left.
A battle for the ball just left of the York box.
Pacific Adonijah Reid (10) lines up freekick.
Supporters light off some smoke after most of the crowd had fled the downpour.
A reminder to leave.
Game stats (from canpl.ca)
York United FC Pacific FC
Possession 43.6% 56.4%
Duels success rate 55.0% 45.0%
Aerial duels won 40.0% 60.0%
Interceptions 10 9
Offsides 1 1
Corners won 2 3
Passes 394 500
Long passes 76 36
Passing accuracy 82.0% 88.8%
Passing acc in opp half 70.6% 80.1%
Crosses 7 22
Crossing accuracy 14.3% 31.8%
Goals 2 0
Shots 7 19
Shots on target 4 2
Blocked shots 1 4
Shots outside the box 3 8
Shots inside the box 4 11
Shooting accuracy 57.1% 10.5%
Tackles 19 13
Tackles success rate 57.9% 53.8%
Clearances 10 8
Fouls conceded 8 14
Yellow cards 3 1
Red cards 1 0
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