June 8, 2016 PDL Toronto FC Academy--Toronto FC Academy vs Derby City Rovers (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the USL PDL game between TFC Academy and Derby City Rovers played Wednesday June 8, 2016 at The KIA Training Centre in Downsview at 4:00pm.

Toronto FC Academy (all red, white numbers)

...................12 Phil DiBennardo
5 Klaidi Cela...4 Nikola Stakic (cpt)...18 Marko Maletic...17 Andrew Dias
8 Nicholas Osorio...25 Mike Marcantognini...21 Matt Srbely...16 Kora Sakurai
...........24 Reshon Phillip...15 Cyrus Rollocks

Subs:...1 Angelo Cavalluzzo (gk)...6 Thomas Mickoski (def)...20 Marko Mandekic (mid)...19 Ethan Beckford (fwd)
...11 Richie Ennin (fwd)...7 Glenn Muenkat (mid)
team officials:...head coach Stuart Neely

Derby City Rovers (all black, white numbers)

.....................1 Brandon Eagle
5 Myles Norville...13 Daltyn Knutsen...4 Jordan Bates...12 Michael Lobbo
17 Ben Mendoza-Sharman...27 Yuda Tashiro...23 Sam Stockton...9 Matius Pyysalo
...........7 Aleksi Pahkasalo (cpt)...22 Cory Thomas

Subs:...1 Stuart Ford (gk)...3 Robbie Tarver (def)...8 Hezekiah Weiss (def)...10 Lwandiso Ace Gonya
...11 Abraham Mendoza (fwd)...16 Aladdin El Fares (fwd)...15 Joe Adams (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Lee Chalmers

Game officials:...referee Nick Piperno...referee's assistants Kuizan Weekes and Niquita Amikhanian
...fourth officlal John O'Hara

1st Half:...game starts 4:06pm...TFCA defends north end on this cool overcast late afternoon with a strong gusty crossfield wind from the west harder than Monday's game.
1 min...TFC goalie beats DCR Thomas to grab bouncer on edge of box.
2 min...TFC Dias cross from 30 yards on left is high and wide right of goal.
4 min...TFC Rollocks on run on left pushes ball over end line.
7 min...TFC Osorio 40 yard freekick from left is rolled forward for charging TFC Rollocks and low cross from 20 yards is cleared. TFC Osorio chips 35 yarder that goalie steps forward and leaps to catch.
9 min...TFC Rollocks low cross has defender concede cornerkick.
10 min...TFC Srbely cornerkick from left drifts behind net.
10 min...DCR goalie sprawls to save ball dribbled to 15 yards.
11 min...TFC Osorio low cornerkick from right has defender clear. TFC Srbely blasts 25 yard partial clearance down middle well high and wide right.
12 min...TFC Osorio cornerkick from right is low and defender clears. TFC Osroio recross starts DCR fast break.
13 min...TFC Rollocks gets short pass on left and blasts 15 yarder wide left of net.
14 min...TFC goalie charges right and forward to grab ball from DCR player.
17 min...TFC Reshon Phillip is knocked over in DCR box and is awarded Penalty kick from referee Nick Diperno.
18 min...TFC Mike Marcantognini rolls Penalty kick to center right of net and goalie Brandon Eagle smothers by diving to right.
19 min...DCR Pahkasalo can't win Penalty kick nor freekick on knock down on edge of TFC box.
21 min...TFC Phillip on rush taps ball to TFC Rollocks and his 18 yard blast is blocked at 8 yards by sprawling goalie.
24 min...TFC Marcantognini blasts 18 yarder down middle just over bar.
25 min...DCR Thomas cross from 15 yards on right to DCR Pehkasalo who has 12 yard shot deflect off defender and bounce to goalie.
25 min...DCR goalie dives to smother ball but bobbles and defender at 8 yards clears in front of TFC Osorio.
26 min...DCR Pahkasalo 45 yard freekick blast from right is caught by goalie.
27 min...TFC Marcantognini low 28 yard shot has goalie dive and block at 10 yards and defender clears.
28 min...TFC Osorio rolls 22 yard freekick from rigfht across box and TFC Srbely takes low shot that deflects for cornerkick.
29 min...TFC Osorio cornerkick from right is cleared on left side of box.
31 min...TFC Sakurai can't win Penalty kick on left.
32 min...DCR Bates makes another big block to stop rush on left. (he continued these plays the entire game).
33 min...TFC Srbely cornerkick from left is cleared on left side of box.
34 min...DCR Stockton rolls ball forward on right and DCR Pahkasalo shoots 22 yarder well high and wide left of net.
36 min...TFC Stakic heads cross behind end line on cross from right.
37 min...DCR Pahkasalo cornerkick from right has pass play called offside.
38 min...TFC Phillip rush on left and pushes ball over end line.
42 min...DCR goalie beats TFC Osorio to smother low pass from TFC Marcantognini on left at 12 yards.
43 min...DCR Pahkasalo shoots 25 yarder high and wide left of net.
45 min...half ends 4:51pm.

Halftime:...all the DCR players go inside at halftime, the TFC reserves warms up outside.

2nd Half:...starts 5:06pm.
46 min...DCR Pahkasalo 45 yard freekick from left has defender head ball away at 12 yards.
48 min...TFC YELLOW card...Srbely earns it for pulling down DCR Tashiro who'd cut him off for pass.
49 min...DCR Pahkasalo 30 yard freekick from right flies just wide left of net.
50 min...DCR Thomas rush up middle and 20 yard shot up middle is high and wide left.
51 min...DCR Bates makes another block on TFC cross from right.
51 min...DCR Pahkasalo 45 yard freekick from left bounces to goalie.
53 min...DCR Stockton chips through ball pass from 60 yards finds charging DCR Pyysalo at 30 yards. He dribbles to 20 yards and goalie stops shot at 15 yards. TFC goalie then stops DCR Pyysalo rebound shot at 15 yards.
54 min...DCD Cory Thomas GOAL...DCD Sam Stockton pass forward from 35 yards on left to DCD Ben Mendoza who is pushed in center on edge of box but he taps off ball as he falls and Thomas on left shoots low 15 yarder past sprawling goalie Phil DiBennardo at 7 yards into right side of net.
55 min...DCR sub...El Fares replaces Mendoza-Sharman.
.........DCR sub...Tarver replaces Lobbo.
56 min...TFC Dias rush to left end line and cross drifts behind net.
57 min...DCR goalie picks up low 15 yard shot from right on near post.
60 min...TFC sub...Mandekic replaces Sakurai.
.........TFC sub...Beckford replaces Osorio.
.........TFC sub...Ennin replaces Marcantognini.
61 min...DCR Thomas is injured at DCR 35 yard line.
64 min...TFC Srbely bends 25 yard cross from left over TFC players in box for goalkick.
68 min...DCR goalie catches deflected shot that bounces inside box to 5 yards.
70 min...TFC Beckford wins cornerkick on cross from TFC Phillip on right as defender heads ball behind end line.
70 min...TFC Srbely cornerkick from right has defender head away on right.
72 min...DCR El Fares is injured at DCR 40 yard line.
73 min...DCR sub...Weiss replaces injured El Fares.
73 min...TFC Mandekic 30 yard freekick is whistled down in DCR box.
74 min...DCR sub...Abraham Mendoza replaces limping Thomas.
75 min...TFC sub...Meunkat replaces Rollocks.
77 min...TFC Mandekic low cross from 18 yards on left has DCR defender slide and block at 8 yards then clear.
82 min...DCR Knutson makes big clearance breaking up TFC Ennin to TFC Beckford pass inside box.
82 min...DCR Bates clearance boots away low pass across 6 yard box.
83 min...DCR Knutson clears low cross on left end line.
84 min...DCR Weiss run up left and pushes ball over end line trying to get around defender.
86 min...TFC Mandekic cornerkick from right has defender clear away on left side of box.
87 min...TFC goal is called offside on TFC Muenkat's pass forward.
88 min...TFC Madekic cornerkick from right has goalie bat down and pick up on right post.
89 min...DCR Pahkasalo and Weiss have 28 yard freekick from near left cornerflag and tap ball around to waste time.
91 min...TFC Ennin is tapped by TFC Muenkat and shoots low 18 yarder up middle well wide right of net.
93 min...TFC Matt Srbely 25 yard freekick from left has DCD Hezekiah Weiss pop up header. TFC Reshon Phillip at 17 yards in middle has his foot stomped on by DCD Abraham Mendoza and referee awards TFC a Penalty kick.
........DCD YELLOW card...Mendoza earns it for stomping on foot of Phillip.
........DCD YELLOW card...Jordan Bates earns it for complaining about TFC being awarded Penalty kick.
94 min...TFC Reshon Phillip GOAL...Phillip takes low Penalty kick that banks in off left post.
95 min...DCR Pahkasalo cornerkick from right is partially cleared by defender. Pahkasalo gets ball back and 22 yard shot from right is caught by goalie.
95 min...game ends.

Final Score:....Toronto FC Academy.......1.....Derby City Rovers.......1.......

Identical score to the Monday game between these two teams.

Attendance started off low and ended up what I'd estimate as less than 20 on this cold overcast late afternoon with a strong crossfield wind from the west.

The only thing right about today's weather reports was that there was no chance of rain. The wind was gusty again and worse than Friday's and Monday's games here. Cornerkicks and crosses died when kicked crossfield westward and crosses the other direction blew or bounced out of bounds.

I'm not sure how good this facility is for training because almost no place any of their team's from League 1 Ontario and PDL (except their home games) to the USL and MLS team plays there'd be weather conditions like this. TFC II (USL squad) was practicing in the westernmost field before the game and then Danny Dichio's teenage team took over while this PDL game was in progress.

Referee Nick Piperno gave out three Yellow cards (two to DCR) that I counted plus the two Penalty kick calls in a game that had some tough tackles. A few players were limping off the field when they were subbed.

TFCA had more of the chances and possession but the DCR backline including Jordan Bates and Daltyn Knutson played exceptionally well with blocks and clearances.

Rovers had a full bench today of seven. They had played Monday's game with only two subs and I'd been given the answer as border/visa problems as to the shortage. TFCA had five subs this game with all but the spare goalie actually used.

Best non-scoring chances were at 21 minutes when TFCA Reshon Phillip on a rush tapped a pass to TFCA Cyrus Rollocks and his 18 yard blast was blocked at 8 yards by the sprawling goalie. 53 minutes had DCR Sam Stockton chipped a through ball pass from 60 yards that found a charging DCR Matias Pyysalo at 30 yards. He dribbled to 20 yards and shot which the goalie stopped at 15 yards then stopped Pyysalo's rebound at the same spot.

I noticed Glenn Muenkat was wearing the TFCA #7 jersey today. I asked head coach Stuart Neely what happened to Steven Furlano who wore #7 in Monday's game and took two crunching checks. Worst was the one at the 5 minute mark of that game when Michael Lobbo knocked him over. That was the hit that cracked one of his ribs! Neely reminded me that he finished the whole 90 minutes and "that's why he's the captain!".

Neely told his players after the game that "we rescued a point but we should never have been in that position".

I was piecing together assists for the Rovers team after the game talking about my web page that I said was more geared for Canadians when the goalie of Rovers said he was Canadian—Brandon Eagle—said he was from Edmonton. We then talked about Louisville City (USL team but same city as Derby City) goalie Gregory Ranjitsingh who is from Toronto. Eagle says he has played against Ranjitsingh. A web search shows he was the goalie for University of New Brunswick.

TFCA's record improves to 1 win, 3 losses, 2 ties for 5 points and fifth out of seventh in the Great Lakes Division. Their trouble now is they have played more games than all the teams ahead of them and have chewed up four home games out of seven in their 14 game schedule.

Rovers record improves to 2 wins, 0 losses, 2 ties for 8 points and third place. They will play K-W United on Friday night thus missing the funeral of Muhammad Ali in their Louisville home city earlier that day.

TFCA's next game is next Wednesday night in Kitchener against K-W United and their next home game is next Friday against Pittsburgh Riverhounds U23 (June 17th at 4:00pm).

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Toronto FC Academy starters