May 29, 2022 League1 Ontario...North Toronto Nitros vs Vaughan Azzurri game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Results and details of the League1 Ontario Men's Premier Division game of Sunday May 29, 2022 between
North Toronto Nitros and Vaughan Azzurri played at York Lions Stadium in North York at 5:00pm.

North Toronto Nitros (red socks and shirts, black shorts, white numbers)

...................15 Ali Ghazanfari-Moghaddan
..........3 Gabriel Mikina...5 Christian Westlaken...4 Brandon Barone
17 Daniel Casa...13 Abdullah El-Chanti...11 Ali El-Zeir...6 Juan Delgadillo...18 Justin Santos
......................7 Luca Dimarco...14 Asher Barnes

Subs:...2 Thomas Maccarone...8 Zakaria Abdi...9 Dino Custovic...10 Abdul Babawale
...16 Quinn Stahmer...20 Aidan Hugo...21 Jaylen Drummond...23 Emmanuel Obiefuna
team officials:...team head coach Marko Milanovic...assistant coaches Filip Prostran and Rasih Pala
...manager Daniela Barillari...therapist Andrew De Souza

Vaughan Azzurri (white socks and shirts, red shorts, navy numbers)

....................12 Gianluca Catalano
5 Raheem Rose...17 Jaytin Pabla...6 Justyn Thomas...19 Saahb Kular...3 Riley Ferrazzo
............23 Andron Kagramanyan...21 Dylan Carreiro (cpt)...10 Jason Mills
.................8 Orlendis Carlos Benitez Hernandez...9 Omar Marzouk

Subs:...1 Christian Calabro (gk)...2 Ryan Khedoo...7 Jahsua Mills...14 Trevor Carabin
...15 Alejandro Portal Oliva...16 Dilman Grewal...18 Baldwin Thomas Cerros...20 Massimo Ferrin...25 Joe Mack
team officials:...team head coach Patrice Gheisar...assistant coaches Anthony Vadori, Carmine Isacco, and Sergio De Luca
...manager Mario Fabiano...therapist Katie Bartley

Game officials:...referee Kevin McEleney...referee's assistants Phil Benevides and Roshan Mendonca
...fourth official Martin Harrison...(teal socks and shirts, black shorts)

First Half:...game starts 5:02pm...NTN defends north end on this hot early evening with a bright sun in the west.
30 sec...VA Carreiro cornerkick from right is cleared from box.
1 min...VA Carreiro 12 yard shot from right misses top left corner of net.
2 min...VA Carreiro receives short pass and his 10 yard shot up middle has goalie palm ball wide right of post.
3 min...VA Carreiro cornerkick from right has ball knocked around in box and NTN Westlaken clears for fast break out.
5 min...NTN Delgadillo cornerkick from left has NTN Santos on right pop header into box where ball is cleared at 15 yards.
6 min...VA Carreiro low cross has VA Benitez Hernandez slide at 10 yards and shoot wide left.
8 min...NTN player's cornerkick from left has goalie catch and start fast break out, the defenders catch up to VA Benitez Hernandez
on right side of box.
9 min...VA Benitez Hernandez cornerkick from left is knocked around in box.
10 min...VA Benitez Hernandez cornerkick from left has goalie fly left to punch ball away.
11 min...VA Benitez Hernandez cornerkick from left is cleared.
12 min...VA Carreiro cross from 25 yards on left and VA Benitez Hernandez 12 yard header is caught by diving goalie on right post.
15 min...VA Rose bends 25 yard shot from left just misses top corner of net.
16 min...NTN Santos runs up left and low 20 yard shot is wide right.
16 min...NTN goalie dives forward to smother cross from right.
18 min...VA Marzouk run down right and 15 yard shot is well over net.
20 min...VA Benitez Hernandez wins cornerkick on deflection near end line.
21 min...VA Carreiro cornerkick from right has leaping VA Thomas in crowd of players head ball over net.
22 min...NTN Santos cross from 25 yards on far left has NTN DiMarco stretch to try to get to ball.
22 min...VA Ferrazzo 18 yard blast has goalie fly left and push ball wide of post.
23 min...VA Benitez Hernandez cornerkick from left is through box and cleared.
24 min...VA Carreiro holds off defender to roll 10 yarder from left that goalie smothers.
25 min...NTN Barnes receives through ball pass at 22 yards and 15 yarder up middle is off top of bar but play was flagged offside.
29 min...NTN Santos takes 40 yard freekick up middle and defender heads away in box.
30 min...NTN Dimarco on right at 60 yards bends pass upfield for NTN Barnes on 1 on 2 rush and goalie smothers when Barnes
sends it too far forward on first touch.
31 min...VA Ferrazzo stops ball at 35 yards off shoulder and his 30 yard shot up middle is wide left of net.
33 min...NTN Delgadillo 40 yard freekick from left has goalie get hand to in crowd of players in 6 yar box and defender clears.
37 min...VA Benitez Hernandez through ball pass from 20 yards rolls to goalie.
38 min...VA Benitez Hernandez blasts 25 yarder up middle and goalie flies left to stop. NTN Ferrazzo gets back to clear rebound.
40 min...VA Benitez Hernandez (with VA Carreiro as a decoy) sends 22 yard freekick down middle is bent wide left of net.
42 min...VA Carreiro cornerkick from left is out to VA Kagramanyan whose blast from 30 yards is stopped in box.
43 min...NTN goalie punches away ball at 10 yards after VA players pressure and ball is popped up so making play avoids
possible header.
43 min...VA Benitez Hernandez cornerkick from right has defender clear on his second clearance attempt.
44 min...VA Ferrazzo dribbles in on left and his 12 yard shot is wide right of post.
45 min...half ends 5:47pm.

Halftime: The VA subs warm up but NTN subs go back to the change room.

Second Half:...starts 6:04pm.
halftime subs:...NTN Abdi replaces Casa.
...................NTN Babawale replaces Barnes.
47 min...NTN Santos cross from 35 yards on far left has goalie palm away from top right corner of net.
47 min...NTN player's cornerkick from right gets second chance on clearance. NTN Babawale 20 yarder hits cross bar.
50 min...VA YELLOW card...Thomas earns it for delay taking freekick from VA 25 yard line.
51 min...VA Benitez Hernandez rolls 12 yard shot wide left of post.
52 min...NTN Santos run to right end line but cross is ruled to have already been over line.
53 min...VA Benitez Hernandez backheel pass across the 6 yard box for VA Kagramanyan but goalie dives forward
to smother before ball gets to Kagramanyan.
54 min...NTN El-Zeir can't control pass to him at 10 yards on left side of box.
54 min...The referee doesn't fall for NTN Thomas falling in the VA box.
56 min...VA Benitez Hernandez cuts low 25 yard shot on left between players for goalie to smother.
57 min...VA Marzouk midair shot from 15 yards on right while holding off defender is bounced to goalie.
58 min...VA Carreiro cornerkick from left is sent back to him and 20 yard cross is saved by goalie.
59 min...VA Rose dribbles forward and 25 yarder down middle is well over net.
60 min...NTN Santos backheads ball forward to NTN Abdi racing dowwn left anad his 20 yarder is hight wide right.
61 min...Vaughan Omar Marzouk GOAL...VA Orlendis Carlos Benitez-Hernandez passes from 25 yards forward
to Marzouk who bends 18 yarder into left corner of net about 6 feet up beyond reach of flying goalie
Ali Ghazanfari-Moghaddan.
63 min...VA goalie is out to 15 yards on right to smother through ball from NTN Abdi.
63 min...NTN Westlaken slides to poke away ball from VA Carreiro on edge of box preventing shot on through ball pass.
65 min...NTN sub...Hugo replaces El-Zeir.
67 min...NTN Santos long run on left and cross from left is just in front of charging NTN Abdi.
69 min...VA Benitez Hernandez ends good VA possession spell with 25 yard roller to goalie from slight right.
71 min...VA Marzouk run on right passes to VA Carreiro who passes to VA Ferrazzo who blasts 20 yard partial clearance
that goalie dives to catch.
72 min...VA Marzouk pass forward on right to VA Benitez Hernandez who sends low centering pass to VA Rose who lines
it up but goalie smothers before he can get shot in box.
73 min...NTN sub...Drummond replaces Babawale.
73 min...NTN player is injured at VA 40 yard line on right. VA Mills is injured in same collision and both players need trainers.
75 min...VA Ferrazzo is injured at center line.
75 min...VA sub...Mack replaces Carreiro. Mills becomes captain.
77 min...VA Ferrin replaces Rose who leaves on the east side.
79 min...NTN Santos long run up left and cross from 15 yards along end line is chest high through box unplayed and out left side.
80 min...VA Marzouk run to center from right and 20 yard shot has goalie push ball wide left of post.
80 min...VA Ferrin cornerkick from left has VA Thomas head 8 yarder wide right.
81 min...VA YELLOW card...goalie Catalano earns it for being too slow to take a freekick in own box.
82 min...NTN players long throw-in from left is over end line.
83 min...VA sub...Portal Oliva replaces Pabla.
86 min...VA YELLOW card...Ferrazzo earns it for complaining about a freekick call against him.
86 min...NTN player's 35 yard freekick from right is whistled down on left side of box.
87 min...VA YELLOW card...head coach Gheisar earns it for complaining about a call.
88 min...VA Carabin replaces Benitez Hernandez.
89 min...VA player's cornerkick from right is short to waste time and NTN win freekick.
90 min...VA Ferrin long run up left rolls pass forward to VA Mills and goalie makes stop from 12 yards
before he can make good shot.
91 min...VA YELLOW card...Mack earns it for kicking NTN freekick away in NTN box.
92 min...NTN Delgadillo 35 yard freekick has VA defender head over end line but goalkick is ruled.
93 min...NTN YELLOW card...*someone earns it for swearing on field.
94 min...VA sub...Thomas Cerros replaces Mills. Thomas is now captain.
95 min...NTN YELLOW card...Mikina earns it for disputing a freekick call.

Final Score:...North Toronto Nitros........0.....Vaughan Azzurri......1.........

*I missed some NTN YELLOW cards. This one was either to Abdi, Drummond, or Dimarco. El-Zeir also earned one but
he left the game at 65 minutes.

Attendance started at about 400 people which is the largest* L1O crowd I've seen this season (*I have
been attending L1O in the GTA and I'm not counting the Canadian Championship Preliminary round game
in Guelph against CPL opposition). I was surprised how many people stuck around until the end of this
game because they'd been here for 2+ hours previously to see the York United FC vs Cavalry FC CPL game
which had ended exactly one hour earlier.

An exciting game kept the crowd here until the end with a lot of rooting interest from the Vaughan
club as they were some of the kids accompaning the players for this game and the CPL game.
This game was a 'home' game for North Toronto as on the original L1O schedule they were to have
played the night before at Downsview Park which is their usual time. A change was made to the schedule
within the last three weeks to publicize this game for York United and L1O fans. I'm unsure if there
was a 'deal' to get a more fans to come with discounted CPL tickets or if it was just the sunny
and warm weather, the first matinee game for York United this season, and the first North Toronto Nitros
home game not starting at 8pm nor 9pm. (not great for young children).

The game unfolded similar to the York vs Cavs game with a low score and a lot of cards. At the press
conference for the CPL game both teams insisted the hot temperatures may contribute to the hot tempers.
Both games had water breaks in each half. I didn't find it too hot but I didn't walk on the field
which with the field turf has the sun radiate right into the fabric and rise up. Some of the L1O
fields I've stomped across I've felt the sensation...wouldn't dare go barefoot some days!

Referee Kevin McEleney gave out seven Yellow cards (five to the Nitros) although the L1O site software
can't display the Vaughan cards to the goalie and the head coach. I counted six of them given out
from 81 to 96 minutes all for argueing calls or timewasting so it wasn't that they were for hard
challenges or shoving matches...only one incident where a melee almost broke out.

This was a battle between two of the playoff bound teams (only the top six out of the twenty-two make
the post season). I was setting this write up as a battle of U-Sport teams North Toronto (Ryerson)
and Vaughan (York) but an Azzurri official could only say their may have been two players from York.
This is the soccer off-season for the schools which is one reason for the L1O season to fall mostly
outside the school season. Hey York University's opening game is against U of Windsor on September 2nd
away and rematch at home on September 4 with last Vaughan regular season game August 21nd quick
playoffs and nothing is missed (yes some schools call their players back weeks earlier to start
training). Maybe just as well there's not as many Uni players as past years. Tonight's goal scorer
Omar Marzouk was on the York U 2021 roster (French Studies is his major). Of course one of Vaughan's
assistant coaches is Carmine Isacco who is the master coach for both York University's Men's
and Women's soccer program.

Gianluca Catalano (although Anthony Gurrieri was listed on the game sheet) earned the shutout for
Vaughan tonight with a few key saves. He was greatly helped by his defenders Raheem Rose, Jaytin Pabla,
Justyn Thomas, Saahb Kular, and Riley Ferrazzo. I know that's five but I kept re-counting and there
always seemed to be five guys back when NTN gained possession. NTN couldn't get close enough,
with enough numbers, to make it tough on Catalano. NTN head coach Marko Milanovic stirred things
up at halftime by subbing in forwards Zakaria Abdi and Abdu Babawale at halftime for starters
Daniel Casa and Asher Barnes which worked for the first 15 minutes but the VA defenders adapted.
Babawale was subbed out at 73 minutes for Jaylen Drummond.

NTN goalie Ali Ghazanfari-Moghaddan had far more work to do making a few point blank saves and dives
to push the ball wide of the post. He has now played every minute of all seven games this season
and this was only his third goal conceded. He was a goalie for Vaughan as recently as 2019.
A Vaughan team official after the game insisted he was the star of this game. VA Orlendis Carlos
Benitez Hernandez and Omar Marzouk were the forwards this game with captain Dylan Carreiro just
a few steps behind and taking many of the cornerkicks and freekicks.

League1 Ontario (actually he's moved up to run League1 Canada) Dino Rossi Jr was at the game.
I asked him about a glitch in the schedule that last night's game against Electric City FC was
Sigma FC's first 'home' game of the season. Rossi said it was because the City of Mississauga
insisted on leaving the Bubble up until the middle of May. Why? The city can charge more
(like 4X more) by renting out an indoor facility then an outdoor one so they were stretching
out their season. Wow and I thought with North Mississauga SC moving out of the Paramount Centre
fields to their new park on the Mississauga border, Sigma would have so much more choice. Rossi s
aid North Miss is having their own issues with the city government ordering them to play on their
smaller field away from the main field which has their scoreboard and more seating.

By the end of the evening, all the scores were in for Week 6. Nitros still hold first place
with a record of 5 wins, 1 loss, 1 tie for 16 points. Only troubling thing is the game before
their one tie was against Blue Devils FC so their 5 win out of the gate momentum may be slowing
down. Vaughan's win improves their record to 4 wins, 0 losses, 2 ties for 14 points and a two
way tie for third. Between the two teams is Alliance United at 5 wins, 1 loss, 0 ties
for 15 points and by today's U-Sports theme is a lot of U of Toronto guys.

There are so many L1O players now spread around the CPL and this day must motivate these young
fans/ball kids to aspire to move up one day. The league has tried this once this season when
St Catharines Roma Wolves moved their Friday May 13 game from Club Roma field to Tim Horton's
Field in Hamilton the next evening after the CPL Forge FC vs Atletico Ottawa game. Opponents
North Toronto Nitros! More games? An idea definitely worth exploring.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter @RocketRobin01

North Toronto Nitros starters