June 3, 2022 League1 Ontario...Darby FC vs Blue Devils FC game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Results and details of the League1 Ontario Men's Premier Division game of Friday June 3, 2022 between
Darby FC and Blue Devils FC played at Whitby Soccer Centre Dome in Whitby at 8:00pm.

Darby FC (all navy uniforms, white numbers)

..................1 Matt Zaikos (cpt)
44 Duncan Mitchell...4 Alec Weller...17 Granville Chambers...16 Colin Reilly
6 Jayden Doyle...15 Cameron Brooks...20 Michael Maiorano...12 Bruce Cullen
..............11 Dylan Neill...47 Stefan Lamanna

Subs:...22 Logan Scott (gk)...2 Adry Rodrigues...3 Russell Robertson...5 Drion Metaj
...8 Mudaser (Chico) Muhtaj...10 Risto Geneski...21 Hunter Closs...26 Kyle Llamas
team officials:...team head coach Jens Kraemer...assistant coach Christopher Reilly
...manager Bill Sidsworth

Blue Devils FC (white socks and shirts, navy shorts and numbers)

..................1 Lucas Birnstingl (cpt)
..........6 Adam Czerkawski...25 Matt Chandler...3 Luka Frankovich
2 Carlo Difeo...20 Gianluca Spadafora...17 Brandon Duarte...23 Kyle Porter...18 Dre Neptune
...............7 Matthew Santos...9 Tha Ilyass

Subs:...27 Manuel Dirube (gk)...4 Matt Monteiro...5 Shaq Lowe...8 Mo Shamkhi
...10 David Velastegui...15 Antonio Sereno...16 Khody Ellis...19 Matheus Mello...24 Deryn Armstrong
team officials:...team head coach Duncan Wilde...assistant coaches Billy Steele and Glenn McNamara
...therapist Daniel Dalla Rosa

Game officials:...referee RPhil Benevides...referee's assistants Arshia Aliakbari and Jathusan Pushparajah
...fourth official Ryan Schwenger...(neon mauve shirts, black short and socks)

First Half:...game starts 8:03pm...Darby defends east end in this indoor facility.
1 min...BD Ilyass chips 25 yarder from left that's caught by goalie on near post.
1 min...Darby Cullen is injured at Darby 45 yard line away from play.
4 min...A hard rain starts outside.
4 min...BD Porter cornerkickk from left has Darby player head away on right post.
6 min...Darby Chambers covers for Darby Weller who'd been checked off ball by BD player just outside box.
8 min...BD Porter cornerkick from left has BD Czerkawski at 12 yards on right head ball down and goalie catches on bounce.
9 min...BD Porter cornerkick from left has defenders clear ball.
10 min...Darby Cullen cross from 25 yards on far left hits bar on side of net.
11 min...BD Porter 35 yard freekick rom left has defender chest ball down and clear from box.
13 min...Darby Cullen blasts 30 yarder from slight left over net.
15 min...BD Frankovich chips 28 yard shot that bounces to goalie wide right of post.
16 min...Darby Weller conceds throw-in to prevent BD Santos from getting short on edge of box.
17 min...BD Duarte in crowd of players rolls 15 yarder forward just wide left of post.
19 min...Darby Maiorano 45 yard freekick from left has BD Czerkawski jump on edge of box and kick away.
20 min...BD Neptune runs down left and beats goalie to ball but point blank shot is defelectged on edge of box and defender clears.
23 min...D Santos dribbles into box on left on 1 v 3 and shot tips off defender for cornerkick.
24 min...BD Porter cornerkick from left has defender head away on near post.
25 min...BD Frankovich long throw-in is headed away by defender on near post.
27 min...BD Porter cornerkick from right is cleared.
28 min...Darby YELLOW card...Cullen earns it for pushing over defender in BD box and/or complaining about the call.
30 min...Blue Devils Matthew Santos GOAL...BD Luka Frankovich takes throw-in from 30 yard line on left
and the charging Santos rushing past him on the left receives ball and takes 20 yard shot that bends into left side
of net past goalie Matt Zaikos.
32 min...Darby Mitchell tips ball up for Darby goalie to catch with two BD players on left.
33 min...the rain outdoors has either stopped or slowed.
35 min...BD Neptune eludes one defender but Darby Mitchell checks him off ball near left end line.
37 min...Darby Lamanna can't win Penalty kick on 1 on 5 rush into box and falls too easy.
39 min...Darby Lamanna rolls centering pass that has Darby Brooks at 12 yards on slight left step over ball expecting
another player would step up to shoot but no one does.
40 min...BD Ilyass can't win Penalty kick on 1 on 2 rush into left side of box.
40 min...BD goalie dives right to smother 40 yard shot from left.
41 min...Darby goalie at 15 yards on left beats BD Ilyass to through ball pass.
42 min...A ball hits the roof but is was already out of bounds.
46 min...Darby Mitchell can't win cornerkick on rush and cross on right.
47 min...half ends 8:49pm.

Second Half:...starts 9:06pm.
halftime subs:...Darby Llamas replaces Doyle.
....................Darby Muhtaj replaces Brooks.
....................Blue Devils Ellis replaces Neptune.
....................Blue Devils Velastegui rreplaces Spadafora.
47 min...Darby Cullen 33 yard freekick from right has defender head away on edge of box.
48 min...Darby Neill short pass to Darby Lamanna who shoots 18 yarder from right wide right of net.
49 min...A Darby player rolls one-touch up the middle that goalie smothers.
50 min...Darby Mitchell earns it for knocking over BD Ellis on sideline.
52 min...BD Velastegui cornerkick from right is partly cleared. BD Duarte 20 yard shot from right deflects off players.
BD Chandler shoots 10 yarder wide left of post.
53 min...BD Difeo receives pass on right and low cross along end line is smothered by goalie.
54 min...BBD Ilyass is tangled up by two defenders and gets away weak shot at 7 yards.
55 min...BD Velastegui can't win Penalty kick on receiving pass from BD Ellis with back towards net.
56 min...BD Defeo cross after receiving pass on right end line drifts behind net.
59 min...Darby Llamas pops up header on long cross to right side of box and goalie catches.
60 min...BD Santos rolls pass forward to BD Ilyass whose 20 yard shot is off defender and just over bar.
61 min...BD Ellis blasts 22 yarder off bar from slight left.
62 min...Darby Metaj replaces Neill.
64 min...BD Difeo cross along 6 yard line from right is too high for leaping BD Ellis at 8 yards on left.
67 min...Darby Cullen chips 35 yard freekick from right has defender head ball away. Darby Muhtaj then
has 20 yard blast blocked on edge of box.
69 min...Darby Lamanna is tapped back pass and his 10 yard shot on right is wide right.
71 min...BD Duarte passes to BD Santos and his 15 yard shot into net is ruled offside.
73 min...BD sub...Mello replaces Porter.
............BD sub...Sereno replaces Santos.
74 min...Darby players have a hard time clearing from own end.
75 min...BD Ellis 15 yard shot from far left deflects for cornerkick on right.
75 min...BD Velastegui cornerkick from right has BD Ilyass and Darby goalie crash near left post and Darby freekick is given.
76 min...Darby Maiorano is injured on hit at Darby 30 yard line.
76 min...Darby sub...Geneski replaces Cullen.
77 min...Darby Maiorano blasts 35 yard freekick from left that goalie catches in 6 yard box behind players.
78 min...Darby sub...Closs replaces Mitchell.
79 min...Blue Devils Taha Ilyass GOAL...BD Ilyass is given through ball pass at 22 yards down the middle
and rolls 10 yarder into left corner of net.
80 min...Darby sub...Robertson replaces injured Chambers before play resumes.
80 min...BD Difeo through ball pass to BD Ellis and his 15 yard midair shot is off defender.
82 min...BD sub...Armstrong replaces Difeo.
84 min...Darby sub...Rodrigues replaces Lamanna.
84 min...BD goallie is caught by Darby Reilly but gets around him to pick up ball and survive knock down.
87 min...Darby Metaj gets to edge of box but rolls ball over end line.
89 min...Darby Maiorano 22 yard freekick on top left of box is blasted off shin of BD Duarte in 3 man wall.
90 min...Darby Reilly throw-in ends with Darby Rodrigues blasts 22 yarder just over bar from left.
91 min...BD Velastegui 28 yard freekick up middle is low and caught by goalie.
92 min...Darby Reilly is centered pass and 25 yarder is well high and wide left of net.
93 min...game ends 9:54pm.

Final Score:...Darby FC........0.....Blue Devils FC......2.........

Attendance was about 90 people. As this is an indoor dome, it didn't matter that a rainstorm broke out
at about the 4 minute mark as we were all dry inside but we could hear it pounding off the roof.
This game like many in the league had far fewer people turn out than their season opener back in April
when with an entire year to prepare, they could ensure most of their youth teams' players and parents
were here. I'm looking towards Simcoe County Rovers and Electric City FC to break that cycle.
Maybe all the kids were at home preparing for their own games Saturday morning. There were enough
kids out to escort the Darby players out to the field and hold the flag. The 50/50 draw prize was
only $120 vs $210 on opening night.

This was a game between the fifth place (Blue Devils) and seventh place team so of key importance
as only the top six make the playoffs. Blue Devils held the majority of possession for large parts
of the game and had more chances to score.

Lucas Birnstingl earned the shutout for Blue Devils with not much to do this game but was helped
by poor shooting by Darby and a good defensive backline of Adam Czerkawski, Matt Chandler,
and Luka Frankovich but with what I counted as five midfielders who were willing to come back to help
out if needed. Birnstingl's most dangerous moment was soon after their second goal when he was caught
in his box by Darby's Colin Reilly who knocked the ball away from him but he got back around Reilly
to pick up the ball and survive being pushed over until the referee blew his whistle.

There were no 'clotheslines' tonight stretched across to the field to enable curtains to be hung
and the field divided into thirds for youth and community group games. There also weren't any
stoppages in play for balls hitting off the roof or hanging lattern lights.

Referee Phil Benevides gave out only two Yellow cards, both to Darby players for knock downs.
Most important he didn't fall for Penalty kick shouts to either team which about evened out.
Offside flags caught the Darby players more often.

Blue Devils were in the Final last season losing to Guelph United so lost their chance at playing
at last month's Canadian Championships. They've lost forward Leaford Allen who's moved on to play
in New Zealand. They've picked up CPL veteran Kyle Porter who played for York (2019-20)
and Edmonton (2021). He took most of the cornerkicks and freekicks in the 73 minutes he played
tonight.

The win improves Blue Devils record to 4 wins, 0 losses, 4 ties for 16 points. That moves them
up to second place although most teams haven't played yet this weekend. They've only hosted two
home games so far and they've played a disproportionately more of the other 'good' teams. I'd expect
in a long home stand to pick off the lower ranked teams as the season rolls on.

Darby's record falls to 3 wins, 3 losses, 2 ties for 11 points. For now they stay in seventh
as North Mississauga SC tied 0-0 on the west side of the GTA playing Unionville Milliken SC
and both those teams pull up to a matching 11 points. There's still eight more games this weekend
so I expect all three of those teams to drop a few places.

Interview with Blue Devils FC head coach Duncan Wilde.  (6 minutes, 07 seconds)    
(audio recorded by Rocket Robin)

Your thoughts on tonight's game? 
Where are most of your player's from?  
How did you come across acquiring CPL vet Kyle Porter? 
How important is it for your club/community/recruiting for you to survive the upcoming Top 12/Next 10 
  division split in 2024? 
How many kids do you now have in your growing boys and girls academy?

Darby FC starters