Sun June 19, 2016 League 1 Ontario--Pro Stars vs Vaughan Azzurri (from League 1 Ontario website)

Vaughan Azzurri Maintains Unbeaten Streak With 3-0 Win Over Pro Stars
06/20/2016, 8:45pm EDT
By League1 Ontario staff

Vaughan Azzurri wasted little time getting a lead on Pro Stars in the 
matchweek eight men's finale at Victoria Park on Sunday night, 
getting first half goals from Jonathan Lao (20') 
and Shiquan Lowe (31') before going on to win 3-0. 

Jarek Whiteman (87') snagged the insurance goal late in the contest, 
while keeper Andrew D'Souza kept the clean sheet. 

"We were just looking to keep possession of the ball," said Vaughan 
head coach, Carmine Isacco. "That was our main focus today."

"We were worried about their counter-attack, but we thought we could 
create enough and thought we had enough quality and organization 
to deal with them in the back. Overall, I thought we did okay with 
the ball today, we were okay."

Vaughan started brightly through Mario Kovacevic, who nearly had 
his team on the board in the first few minutes but put his 
back-to-back efforts wide of the net. 

Lao calmly took his first opportunity with a cushioned side-footer 
inside the far post, before Kovacevic arced a free kick onto the 
head of Lowe to get the Azzurri's second inside the half-hour.

Smith, Goblet and Olazabel were the most creative attackers for 
Pro Stars, going close on efforts in the first hour but finding 
it difficult to pierce the Azzurri backline anchored by Amato 
and Lowe. 

Pro Stars Zach Gowlett got in alone on D'Souza late in the contest, 
but could not beat the netminder to pull his side back to within 
one goal. 

Shortly thereafter, Whiteman secured the victory for the away 
side with a low shot to the right of the Pro Stars GK with only 
minutes remaining to full-time.

"I don't think it's anything to do with strategy or performance, 
I think it has everything to do with decision-making on the field," 
said Pro Stars head coach, Omar Jbaihi. 

"We must have had at least five or six breakaways today, and 
at least four of them we didn't get a shot on net. All you can 
do is put the players into the position to be successful and 
then it comes down to their decision making. That was the 
conversation we had at the end of the game."

The win for Vaughan pulls them to within two points
of Woodbridge Strikers in first place in the east division, 
but the Azzurri also holds a valuable game in hand on teh Strikers. 
The Azzurri is also the only team in the east division to remain 
undefeated; only Sigma FC in the west division can claim the 
same statistic.

Pro Stars is in eighth position in the west division on one point, 
and will play Toronto Skillz on June 25 (8 p.m.) 
at Terry Fox Stadium, Brampton. 

Vaughan Azzurri will play North Mississauga Panthers 
on June 25 (8 p.m.) at Hershey Centre 2, Mississauga.

back to 2016 League 1 Ontario Men's index

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