July 27, 2016 League 1 Ontario--League 1 Ontario Women vs Federation de Soccer Quebec All Star Game (by Rocket Robin)

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Results and details of the Wednesday July 27, 2016 Women's All Star Game between League 1 Ontario Women All Stars and the Federation de Soccer du Quebec All Stars played at the Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan at 7:30pm.

League 1 Ontario Women's All Star team (all red, white names and numbers)

.....................12 Stephanie Bukovec
22 Tamara Brown...2 Katharine Herron...7 Megan Scott...13 Maddie Iozzi (cpt)
5 April Syme (cpt)...4 Julia Benati...11 Cathryn Rogers...16 Laura Gosse
.............10 Christabel Oduro...9 Jade Kovacevic (cpt)

Subs:...1 Hope Sabadesh (gk)...6 Jessica Lisi (fwd)...14 Victoria Chia (mid)...17 Alyscha Mottershead (mid)
...18 Kira Bertrand (def)...19 Jackie Tessier (fwd)...20 Mika Richards (def)...24 Sona Makulova (mid)
team officials:...head coach Michael Marcoccia...assistant coaches Ron Clarke and Joe Parolini
...goalkeeping coach Eugene Alves...manager Cesare Tripodo

Federation de Soccer du Quebec (blue socks and shorts, blue & black striped shirts, white numbers)

.......................1 Lysianne Prouix
2 Nadege L'Esperance...5 Charlotte Larrivee...4 Fanny Pelletier-Larouche...3 Marike St Pierre Mousset
8 Marika Guay...10 Sarah Feola...6 Nahida Baalbaki...7 Julie Casselman (cpt)
....................11 Audrey-Ann Coughlan...9 Jessica De Filippo

Subs:...22 Sophie Guilmette (gk)...12 Sydney Nelson (def)...13 Leonie Portelance (fwd)...14 Anyssa Ibrahim (mid)
...15 Caroline Gubernat (mid)...16 Wayny-Natasha Balata Nguenign (mid)...17 Julianne Vallerand (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Jessica Silva...assistant coach Davie Cerasuolo...goalkick coach Giuseppe Marino
...athletic therapist Karla Marie Medina...manager Sophie Gauthier

game officials:...referee Niquita Amirkhanian...referee's assistants Jessica Patton and Kim Lee
...fourth official Natalie Ford...(yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 7:36pm...Ont defends north end on this hot and humid evening with a strong breeze from the west. The sun when it come out was in the north west.
95 seconds...Ontario Christabel Oduro GOAL...Oduro blocks pass at Que 45 yard line on right and passes to Ont Jade Kovacevic at 35 yard line even further to the right. Kovacevic runs upfield and sends low cross from 20 yards near right end line and Oduro one-touches mid air sweeping 8 yard shot from even with right post into left side of net under flying goalie Lysianne Prouix.
6 min...Ont Benati at 40 yards sprawls and pushes pass forward to Ont Kovacevic on right and 12 yard shot from right has goalie push ball wide left of post.
6 min...Ont Benati cornerkick from left is into outside webbing short side of net.
8 min...Ont Benati rolls pass forward from 30 yards to Ont Kovacevic but too far up right and rolls out for goalkick.
9 min...Ont Gosse is checked off ball on left side of box by Que L'Esperance but regains and crosses over box.
9 min...Ont Iozzi cornerkick from right lands on top of net.
11 min...Ont Oduro run up right wing and survives bumping until checked off ball on end line.
12 min...Que Casselman chips 30 yard shot from left that goalie catches wide left of post.
13 min...Ont Gosse 15 yard shot from left in crowd of players deflects up and goalie catches at 6 yards.
17 min...Que De Filippo eludes defender at 30 yards up middle to get away low shot that goalie smothers at 5 yards.
20 min...Ont Herron rolls pass forward to Ont Rogers who touches pass to Ont Benati who shoots over bar from 22 yards down middle.
21 min...Ont Kovacevic is knocked over on edge of box but no call and defender dribbles ball away.
24 min...Ont Iozzi 30 yard freekick from right after Ont Kovacevic dummies is low and bounces for goalie to smother.
26 min...referee calls water break.
28 min...play resumes.
29 min...Que Coughlaan 25 yard shot from right is wide left.
32 min...Ont Benati crosses pass from 40 yard line to center for Ont Herron to roll ball forward for Ont Rogers 28 yard shot up middle hits bar and then goalie's hand and deflects wide right.
34 min...Ont goalie charges out of box to clear Que Coughlan from getting pass that Que Feola has sent upfield from 33 yards.
37 min...Ont April Syme GOAL...Ont Jade Kovacevic takes 25 yard freekick up the middle that the flying goalie bats down on the left post and Syme boots rebound from 4 yards on left over prone goalie into top left corner.
44 min...Que Guay receives a short centering pass and takes a 22 yard shot down the middle that was just over the bar and lands on top of the net.
45 min...Ont Oduro pushes pass up middle but Ont Kovacevic can't control at 10 yards and rolls ball wide right.
47 min...half ends 8:23pm.

Halftime Entertainment: a woman with a large box tosses prizes to the crowd including mini balls and t-shirts.

2nd Half:...starts 8:40pm...It is now completely overcast.
Halftime subs:...Ont Sabadash replaces Bukovec in goal.
.................Ont Mottershead replaces Rogers.
.................Ont Lisi replaces Gosse.
46 min...Ont Iozzi at 45 yards on left crosses to Ont Kovacevic on right and 30 yard shot is smothered by goalie.
47 min...Ont Lisi 30 yard shot up middle rolls to goalie.
48 min...Que De Filippo rolls pass from 25 yards to Que Coughlan but Ont Iozzi bumps her to check her off ball.
49 min...Ont Oduro chases Que Pelletier-Laroche's poor backpass from 20 yards up middle but goalie chips over sliding Oduro at 8 yards.
49 min...Ont Jessica Lisi GOAL...Ont Julia Benati intercepts Que Sarah Feola pass at Que 45 yard line on right and sends pass from 28 yards on right to Lisi who chips 12 yard shot from left over goalie at 6 yards and into right side of net.
53 min...Ont Oduro chips pass forward from 40 yards on right and goalie bats Ont Lisi to get to ball on right corner of box.
54 min...Que Casselman cross from left sideline has Ont defender head forward from 5 yards. Que De Filippo recovers Ont clearance header at 16 yards but chips shot over net.
54 min...Ont sub...Tessier replaces Rogers.
.........Que sub...Ibrahim replaces Coughlan.
57 min...Que De Filippo flicks shot from 20 yards over Ont Scott for easy save by goalie.
58 min...Ont Kovacevic 35 yard freeekick down middle is over Ont Lisi leaping at 10 yards on left.
59 min...Que sub...Guilmette replaces Prouix in goal.
.........Que sub...Nguenign replaces Larrivee.
60 min...Ont De Filippo gets ball all alone on left side of box and rolls cross that Que player knocked over winning freekick.
61 min...Ont sub...Makulova replaces Syme.
64 min...Que De Filippo chips pass from 30 yards over defender and goalie beats Que Casselman to pick up ball.
64 min...Que sub...Vailerand replaces Casselman...(Mousset becomes captain)
.........Que sub...Nelson replaces L'Esperence.
65 min...Ont Benati rolls ball along right end line rolls out of play.
65 min...Ont Brown 30 yard shot deflects off defender for cornerkick.
66 min...Ont Iozzi cornerkick from right has defender in middle of box flick header out left side.
67 min...Que sub...Gubernat replaces Feola.
68 min...Ont Iozzi cornerkick from right is chested down in box and cleared.
69 min...Que sub...Portelance replaces Feola.
70 min...Ont Iozzi low 40 yard freekick from right deflects for cornerkick.
70 min...Ont Iozzi cornerkick from right has a few players knocked over and Que players win freekick.
70 min...Ont sub...Bertrand replaces Brown.
73 min...referee calls water break.
75 min...play resumes.
77 min...Ont sub...Chia replaces Benati.
78 min...Que sub...Feola replaces De Filippo.
79 min...Ont goalie beats Que Ibrahim to catch chip from 30 yards at 15 yard line on right.
79 min...Ont Mottershead 30 yard shot from left is well wide right.
81 min...Ont sub...Richards replaces Herron.
82 min...Ont Iozzi cross from 30 yards on left is over head of charging Ont Makulova at 10 yards up middle.
84 min...Que Vallerand low cross from 25 yards on right has Ont Mottershead make key clearance at 10 yards.
87 min...Ont Makulova 40 yard shot up middle bounces to goalie.
90 min...Que Mousset long run on left but rolls ball over end line while turning to dribble on end line.
92 min...Ont Iozzi flicks header away from Que Ibrahim to prevent her getting to ball at 10 yards on right.
94 min...Que Mousset is eventually checked off ball near left end line.
95 min...game ends 9:30pm.

Final Score:......League 1 Ontario Women's All Stars.......3....... Federation de Soccer du Quebec Women's All Stars............0...................

Attendance was not announced but I'd estimate it was 1000 with maybe 60% being female and many from youth clubs around the area.

This was the first All Star game for the women. League 1 Ontario Women is only in its second year with nine teams operating. Quebec doesn't have a league yet but it is believed this will be a boost to start one next season. L1O chair Dino Rossi answered me after the game that the Quebec team was mostly made up of U-17 and U-15 player pool of the Canadian National team from the region with a few older experienced players in the mix for tonight. He said this game started being organized with a phone call between the two federations in May.

Referee Niquita Amirkhanian led an all female crew tonight and didn't give out any cards that I saw. The game was wide open and there were a few knockdowns especially early that were not called and that helped the game flow. She ordered a water break in each half as it was still hot and humid from the hot afternoon. It rained for part of my drive over here even with the sun shining! There was no rain during the game and the sky was mostly overcast.

I wasn't sure what to expect and after 90 seconds I was thinking this could be a blowout. The Quebec team played better after that but most of the first half was played in the Quebec end. The second half a lot of momentum was lost with the frequent substitutions by both teams. Since it was an All-Star game all 19 players on the Ontario roster got into the game (Well that's fair. If you've come all this way you should get some playing time). The quality of the Ontario team did not slip throughout the game with 15 year old Victoria Chia coming in at 77 minutes representing Darby FC and not looking out of place.

Stephanie Bukovec (Vaughan) and Hope Sebadash (Woodbridge) earned the shutout by playing one half each. Quebec would have needed another two halfs I'd say before they scored a goal. Both goalies had little to do as the defence mostly kept the few Quebec shots to at least 25 yards away.

Quebec switched their goalies from Lysianne Prouix to Sophia Guilmette at 59 minutes.

MVP of the game was announced as Ontario's April Syme of Woodbridge for scoring the second goal and playing a strong game in midfield. She was one of three co-captains along with Jade Kovacevic and Maddie Iozzi and all were starters.

Best non-scoring chances of the game were at 6 minutes when Ont Julia Benati from 40 yards pushed a pass forward to Ont Jade Kovacevic on the right and her 12 yard shot from the right had the goalie sprawl and push the ball wide left of the post. 32 minutes had Ont Benati cross a pass from the 40 yard line on the left over to center for Ont Katharine Herron to roll the ball forward for Ont Cat Rogers to take a 28 yard shot up the middle that hits the jumping goalie's hand and then hit the bar and deflect wide right. 44 minutes had Que Marika Guay receive a short centering pass and take a 22 yard shot down the middle that was just over the bar and landed on top of the net. 54 minutes had Que Julie Casselman cross from the left sideline and an Ont defender headed the ball forward from 5 yards and Que Jessica De Filippo recovered at 16 yards but chipped her shot over the net.

It was my first L1O women's game this season. I recognized Christine Oduro, Jade Kovacevic, and Alyscha Mottershead from years of watching Toronto Lady Lynx in the defunct W-League. I'm going to try to see the L1O Women's Cup Final this Saturday between Woodbridge Strikers and Vaughan Azzurri at 3:30pm. That's a few hours before the L1O Men's Cup Final also featuring Woodbridge vs Vaughan. Oduro and Mottershead play for Woodbridge. The Men of Ontario and Quebec will meet in November after the league championship is settled in each province. That will be the third year of that competition. An L1O All Star game for the men will be held next Wednesday between the Eastern and Western Conference at this facility. (I expect to be at the MLS Toronto FC vs Real Salt Lake game that night).

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

League 1 Ontario Women's All Star team starters