August 3, 2022...Vaughan Azzurri vs Guelph United game report (by Rocket Robin)

................

Results and details of the League1 Ontario Men's Premier Division game of Wednesday August 3, 2022
between Vaughan Azzurri and Guelph United played at North Maple Regional Park in Vaughan at 8:00pm.

Vaughan Azzurri (all navy uniforms, white numbers, red trim)

..........................12 Gianluca Catalano
6 Justyn Thomas...23 Andron Kagramanyan...2 Christian Curti...3 Riley Ferrazzo
.........17 Alejandro Portal Oliva...5 Raheem Rose...11 Joe Mack
.........10 Jason Mills (cpt)...24 Kolsochukwu Nwafornso...8 Massimo Ferrin

Subs:...1 Christian Calabro (gk)...9 Orlendis Carlos Benitez Hernandez...13 Taesung Park...14 Daniel Longo
...16 Dilman Grewal...18 Baldwin Thomas Cerros...19 Daniel Gogarty...22 Omar Marzouk...25 Jaytin Pabla
team officials:...team head coach Patrice Gheisar...assistant coaches Anthony Vadori, Carmine Isacco and Jorden Felciano
...manager Antonio De Palma...therapist Katie Bartley

Guelph United (white socks, shorts, and numbers, red shirts)

........................1 Svyatoslav Artemenko
...........4 Amardo Oakley...6 Cole Fernandez...5 Harvey Marchant
16 Jack Sears...14 Lucas Doros...10 Parmpreet Singh Johal...15 Dion Stergiotis...18 Camilo Vasconcelos
..............9 Jared Agyemang...12 Marcel Zajac

Subs:...20 Carter Robeart (gk)...2 Ryan Ko...3 Andrew Toale...7 Anthony Ostrun
...8 Owen McKee...11 Evan Dick...13 Cedric MacNay...17 Shawn McIlwayne
19 Leo Shrimpton
team officials:...team head coaches Keith Mason and Justin Springer...assistant coach Don Ferguson
...manager Mickael Rougette...therapists Aidan Nolan, Estee Black, and Justin Tobin

Game officials:...referee Bradley Doubrough...referee's assistants Twayne Anderson and Alshia Aliabari
...fourth official Michael Konstantopoulos...(teal socks and shirts, black shorts)

First Half:...game starts 8:00pm...Vaughan defend south end on this overcast evening. It had been raining since I turned
into the parking lot an hour before game time. During the warm up it was raining hard but slowed down at game time.
1 min...VA Rose rolls ball at 20 yards up middle and wins cornerkick.
1 min...VA Ferrin cornerkick from right has defender head away and eventually a VA player sends a 30 yard rebound shot
down the middle just wide left of goal.
2 min...GU Zajac 25 yard freekick from slight right into player wall.
5 min...VA Rose holds back on shot at 15 yards by sliding defender but loses possession wide right.
6 min...VA Nwafornso has defender block shot in box then VA Rose gets away shot in box that sprawling goalie saves.
7 min...GU Johal 30 yard shot up middle is well over net.
9 min...VA Kagramanyan 28 yard shot is popped up off defender and goalie has to palm ball over the bar.
9 min...VA player's cornerkick from right has defender head away.
11 min...GU Zajac bends 25 yard freekick from left wide left of net.
13 min...VA Portal Oliva high cross from 25 yards on right has VA Ferrazzo one-touches 20 yard scissor kick from left
that's stopped by sprawling goalie on left post.
16 min...VA Ferrin cornerkick from right has nearest defender on post clear.
16 min...VA player crosses in and another VA player one-touch slide for 10 yard shot that goalie catches.
18 min...VA YELLOW card...Kagramanyan earns it for grab and pull on GU Agyemang at center line.
19 min...GU Zajac rolls 35 yarder wide right of net.
23 min...VA Ferrazzo is injured in pull down at VA 40 yard line.
.........GU YELLOW card...Doros earns it for his part in last play.
25 min...GU Agyemang receives pass in box but is ruled offside.
29 min...it has started to rain again.
29 min...VA Portl Olia chips 35 yarder over players and ball bounces to goalie.
31 min...VA Rose cuts 25 yard shot is tipped over net for cornerkick.
32 min...VA Ferrin cornerkick from right has VA Thomas pop 15 yarder well over net.
34 min...Guelph Marcel Zajac GOAL...GU Dion Stergiotis sends in cross from 30 yards on right and Zajac leaps
at 12 yards on left and heads ball into top left corner of net out of the reach of goalie Gianluca Catalano.
37 min...VA player's 30 yard roller from left deflects off defender for goalie to pick up.
38 min...GU Agyemang then GU Zajac have shots on edge of box blocked.
39 min...GU Vasconcelos slips at top of left side of 18 yard box not getting away a shot.
39 min...GU YELLOW card...Oakley earns it for pull down at 50 yard line on sideline run.
41 min...VA Rose pass to VA Nwafornso then back to VA Rose for low 25 yard shot is smothered by goalie.
44 min...VA Rose dekes GU Marchant on right and rolls cross through box that ends with VA Ferrin who blasts 20 yarder
from left that just misses.
45 min...VA Rose receives a bounced cross and takes 15 yard shot that wins a cornerkick when it's tipped over the net.
45 min...VA player's cornerkick from left has defender head away.
46 min...half ends 8:46pm.

Halftime: The VA boys' teams leave the stands to get on with their game or go home out of the rain. The substitute players
of both teams warms up on the wet field.

Second Half:...starts 9:02pm...The rain has almost stopped.
46 min...GU Zajac steals ball from defendeder at 25 yards and blasts shot that goalie flies left to push away. A GU player
heads in the rebound but the offside flag was already up.
47 min...GU Sears bends cross from right too far ahead of GU Agyemang at 10 yards on left and is out for a goalkick.
49 min...VA Nwafornso run down left and crosses along 12 yard line and defender clears.
50 min...VA Rose cross along right end line after run that drifts behind net.
52 min...GU Oakley makes big defensive play to break up a 2 on 1 then block 22 yard shot from right.
54 min...GU Stergiotis cross from 40 yards on right is cleared.
55 min...GU Stergiotis chips pass to GU Johal at 20 yards and his shot deflects off defender and over net.
55 min...GU Johal high cornerkick from left is well over players in box and bounces out for a throw-in.
57 min...VA Mack high cross from 25 yards on left has defender concede cornerkick.
58 min...VA player wins another cornerkick on play in 6 yard box.
59 min...VA Mack cornerkick from left has goalie step forward and punch ball out of box.
59 min...GU Zajac shoots 15 yarder over net from right after he started play with knock down of defender. GU Johal
had defender block his shot earlier in play.
61 min...VA Rose holds off defender on right and low 22 yard shot has goalie smother in middle of box.
63 min...Vaughan Kolsochukwu Nwafornso GOAL...VA Nwafornso between crowd of players in box chests
ball down and shoots low 6 yarder into center of net under goalie Svyatoslav Artemenko.
66 min...VA sub...Marzouk replaces Rose.
66 min...VA Mills passes forward to VA Marzouk whose 15 yard shot is stopped by goalie. Later the rebound
has the goalie fumble and push ball wide right for a cornerkick.
67 min...VA Ferrin high cornerkick from right is whistled down in box.
68 min...Vaughan Kolsochukwu Nwafornso GOAL...VA Massimo Ferrin passes from left along 15 yard line.
Nwafornso sends one-touch shot up middle into net.
69 min...GU Zajac rush down right and pass forward for charging GU Agyemang who is a step behind getting to ball.
70 min...GU Johal cornerkick from right has GU player head 12 yarder in crowd of players and pushes ball wide left of net.
71 min...GU Johal cornerkick from left has defender leap and head out right side of box.
72 min...VA Marzouk shot from right is tipped into outside webbing of net for cornerkick.
73 min...VA Ferrin cornerkick from right is bent behind end line before coming back into play.
74 min...VA sub...Benitez Hernandez replaces Nwafornso.
74 min...GU Johal blasts 30 yarder that jumping defender tips wide right for cornerkick.
75 min...GU Johal cornerkick from right has defender clear for fast break out that goalie comes out to clear.
77 min...GU Stergiotis cross from near right cornerflag is throukgh 6 yard box missed by four GU players.
78 min...GU sub...MacNay replaces Johal.
.........GU sub...Dick replaces Vasconcelos.
79 min...GU Zajac 30 yard shot from left is high right of net.
80 min...VA sub...Pabla replaces Mills. Kagramanyan becomes the captain.
.........VA sub...Gogarty replaces Mack.
81 min...VA YELLOW card...Goalie Catalano earns it for being too slow in taking freekick.
82 min...GU Oakley high cross from 28 yards on right bounces through box.
82 min...GU player's 22 yard freekick from left end line has defender clear on left side of box with boot.
84 min...GU players combine for blocked shots and then pass over endline.
84 min...GU sub...McKee replaces Zajac.
86 min...GU Fernandez slides to poke ball from VA Marzouk at 15 yards after his long run up the middle.
87 min...Vaughan RED card...Omar Marzouk earns a direct Red card from referee Brad Doubrough when he was
on his back on the ground and kicked out at a Guelph player who was also on the ground in the Vaughan end after
the two had tangled a few seconds earlier. Marzouk then pulled off his jersey and walked towards the players bench
side which contained the exit. About halfway off the field, Guelph goalie Svyatoslav Artemenko who was about 35 yards
out of his net in the middle said something that got Marzouk to turn around and walk over to him where the two
of them jawed at each other. Players from both sides rushed upfield so neither side would be outnumbered.
..............Guelph RED card...Dion Sergiotis earns it for defending the GU goalie. I'm not sure if it was something
he said to the referee or part of a pushing match that broke out, he was shown the card.
89 min...GU Oakley 50 yard freekick from right has GU player hit 8 yarder off the bar. Later a GU player blasts a shot
over the bar.
93 min...VA Ferrazzo is injured and needs trainer at edge of VA box.
94 min...VA sub...Thomas Cerros replaces injured Ferrazzo.
97 min...VA Benitez Hernandez wins a freekick near the right cornerflag when he's knocked over.
97 min...VA Ferrin cornerkick from right is short and worked out. A GU clearance off a VA player deflects back for goalkick.
98 min...VA Thomas Cerros runs to left cornerflag instead of taking shot.
99 min...GU sub...Shrimpton replaces Marchant.
99 min...VA goalie punches away a 40 yard shot into crowd of players in box. VA Curti makes two headed clearances
within 30 seconds.
100 min...GU Sears 50 yard freekick from left is caught by goalie behind set of players.
102 min...VA Benitez Hernandez rush to GU cornerflag to waste time.
102 min...game ends 9:59pm.

Final Score:.......Vaughan Azzurri.......2.......Guelph United........1........

Attendance varied up to 130 people. They were not the same people who stayed the entire game
(maybe 40 people of family and friends were there) but teenage boys from the Vaughan club who were
taking breaks in games they were playing on 'Turf Field #2'. The L1O game was played on 'Turf Field #1',
the field where the bleachers are inside the fence which risk fans getting on the field in the excitement.
I like this field better because the spectator area has two large fabric umbrellas that keep the sun
(not tonight) and 'most' of the rain off anyone under it. Almost 20 folks could crowd under each one.
Most of the boys left during the halftime break but many were replaced by different players and they
were in the bleachers. No big hardship as they were already wet from playing on the neighbouring field
during the rain.

There was no chance of this game being postponed as there was no lightning seen during the pregame nor
the entire game. The other L1O game in nearby Woodbridge also had an 8:00pm start but was delayed
by a few hours because there was lightning in the sky. Tweets I received made me sense that it started
just before 10:00pm. Since the Woodbridge club owns their own property and it's not near a residential
area they could play to all hours (my guess) although their Sunday home game the weekend before last
wasn't played because the lightning didn't stop. Vaughan hosted a game against Hamilton United two
Wednesday's ago which will have to be replayed in its entirety because after one scoreless half,
the lightning started and the venue ran out of time because the city turns off the stadium lights
at 11:05pm as the city owns the park and there's a new subdivision brushing near the northern endzone.
The league has something like six postponed games they have to make up before the playoffs are to start
after three more weekends.

The field was slippery and there were some sliding tackles and some unforced errors like players
of both teams losing their footing and failing to get away shots. Would make a good blooper reel.

Vaughan started off strong the first 30 minutes but couldn't score. Guelph looked their best in the
final 30 minutes and the '+8' added.

Referee Brad Doubrough gave out seven Yellow cards (five to Vaughan) besides the two Reds. I missed
three of the Vaughan ones (per the L1O website) so there may have been a few more in the late dust-up.
Probably a no win for him with much chirping from the few Guelph parents who made the drive.

I was surprised to see Orlendis Carlos Benitez Hernandez back on the Vaughan roster. He has been
assigned #9 as since he's been gone, Massimo Ferrin has claimed #8. OCBH was signed to the CPL Forge FC
as an emergency signing. A Vaughan official answered me after the game that he was signed to the CPL max
of 'two weeks, twice' contracts so had to be sent back or signed for the rest of the year. Forge had some
players return from injury and the CPL roster is so small that they didn't keep him. I'd cleared his
'discovery' by Forge staff at a CPL post game press conference at the York United vs Forge game many
weeks ago. It wasn't quite the legend of watching Vaughan play Sigma FC months ago and signing him
to play the next day, but Forge head coach Bobby Smyrniotis said OCBH had been at their pre-season
training camp so he wasn't so unknown to them.

OCBH would come into the Forge games for the last ten minutes or less of a game. This was his third game
back with Vaughan and all as a late game substitution. If he learned something this game it is he can run
to the corners to waste time. I estimated he won three freekicks by being knocked over. It was somewhat
disappointing, just like the few Forge games I caught on OneSoccer in that he'd deliberately not take
a clear shot which would turn the ball over by a goalie save or a shot off target but run to the cornerflag
and have a pile of defenders try to take the ball off him as the clock ticked down.

I reminded the official about Vaughan's early exit from last year's playoffs after being undefeated in the
abbreviated regular season. We agreed. No accepting a trophy before the game starts which ruined their
pre game build up and looked awkward as hell having to pose for pictures minutes before their semi-final
match!

Vaughan's record improves to 14 wins, 0 losses, 3 ties for 45 points. They open a 7 point lead
on second place Blue Devils FC. Their goals for/against is +39 which is the best in the league.
Their 57 goals scored is the best in the league. There are six teams behind them between 36 to 38 points.
Six teams make the playoffs so only one of that pack will not make the post season. Someone else has
done the math and said the win means Vaughan is the first team to clinch a spot in the playoffs. If they
finish Top 2 they will clinch a bye into the semi-final and a guaranteed home playoff date.

Guelph is one of those pack teams with a record after tonight of 11 wins, 4 losses, 3 ties for 36 points.
The league lists them as seventh on the tables losing a spot to Alliance United who earned a tie tonight.
Those teams are even on points in the same number of games (18). Guelph has one more win but Alliance
has a better goals for/against record. Guelph beat Alliance their second game of the season.
Guelph is the current L1O champions winning in 2021, their first year in the league.

The twelfth place bar was raised to 24 points (Woodbridge who were twelfth last week earned
a tie tonight). All the teams thirteenth to twenty-two will be split off to a second tier
'Championship Division' at the end of next season. This year the points will only count as 75%
of next season's points but no one wants to fall too far behind because after the split, it will
be a promotion/relegation one up/one down for future years.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter @RocketRobin01

Vaughan Azzurri starters