August 17, 2022 League1 Ontario...Woodbridge Strikers vs North Toronto Nitros game report (by Rocket Robin0

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Results and details of the League1 Ontario Men's Premier Division game of Wednesday August 17, 2022
between Woodbridge Strikers and North Toronto Nitros played at Vaughan Grove in Vaughan at 9:00pm.

Woodbridge Strikers (all blue uniforms, white numbers)

..........................76 Nicholas Alison
19 Tyler Miranda...4 Alex Meczarski (cpt)...5 David Mutembezi...3 Matthew Trasente
25 Santiago Muniz Saavedra...11 Dante Pavan...13 Noah MacIntyre...7 Aziah Reid
....................22 Santiano De Bartolo...9 Abdou Raouf Mohamed

Subs:...1 David Carano (gk)...2 Keegan Wilson...10 Ignazio Mucilli...17 Luca Lera
...18 Ronaldo Marshall...21 Santiago Bueno...24 Sheikh Mehboob
team officials:...assistant coach Michael Aquino...manager John Scarlato...therapists David Lisi and Muhammet Furkan Demir
(suspended: Peter Pinizzotto (team official))

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

............................1 Ali Ghazanfari-Mohhaddan
11 Kai Martin...3 Thomas MacCarone...5 Christian Westlaken...4 Brandon Barone...19 Justin Santos
.................7 Luca Dimarco...6 Juan Delgadillo...26 Akeim Villous
..................8 Zakaria Abdi...10 Ali El-Zeir

Subs:...50 Daniel Delo (gk)...9 Bilal Reslan...13 Abdullah El-Chanti...14 Luca Porfiris
...16 Oliver Wales...17 Daniel Casa...20 Aidan Hugo...21 Pablo Hempelmann-Perez...22 Tristan Marshall
team officials:...team head coach Marko Milanovic...assistant coaches Filip Prostran and Shawn Sawyers
...manager Daniela Barillari...therapist Andrew De Souza

Game officials:...referee Mahboob Gulestani...referee's assistants Pablo Fernandez and Kareem Nossier
...fourth official Austin ?????????...(chartreuse socks and shirts, black shorts)

First Half:...game starts 9:03pm...Woodbridge defends south end on this mild night. It's already dark
before the opening whistle.
1 min...NTN players take short cornerkick from the right. NTN El-Zeir 22 yard cross from end line is caught by goalie.
2 min...NTN Delgadillo 40 yard freekick from left has W Alex Meczarski head away from 15 yards for a throw-in.
3 min...W defenders are able to clear ball into box.
4 min...W Pavan chips 30 yarder up middle that goalie catches on bounce.
6 min...W Raouf Mohamed pushes ball over end line on run down left.
8 min...NTN Martin rounds the defender and goalie and cross into box is cleared.
9 min...NTN players get two shots blocked in the W box and NTN Santos rebound shot from 20 yards on left is off the top
of the bar.
10 min...NTN Martin cross from right along 10 yard line is cleared from box.
10 min...NTN Westlaken makes diving header back to own goalie to break up W play.
11 min...NTN Villous chip cross to NTN El-Zeir for open run down right and bends 25 yarder over bar on left side.
12 min...NTN El-Zeir low cross btween players is cleared in 6 yard box.
14 min...W Raouf Mohamed is given pass down middle that has defender get back to block his 15 yard shot.
16 min...W Trasente is down at W 35 yard line with head injury.
17 min...W YELLOW card...Miranda earns it for trip on NTN Delgadillo injuring him fall into W box.
19 min...NTN Delgadillo chips 20 yard freekick down middle that hits top of bar at top left corner.
23 min...NTN Villous ends pressure with 30 yard shot down middle that's caught by goalie.
24 min...NTN Martin cross from 28 yards near right end line has goalie punch ball away on left.
25 min...NTN Delgadillo skies 40 yard shot down middle that goalie runs out to 15 yards to catch.
26 min...W YELLOW card...Pavan earns it for shirt grab on NTN Abdi at center line as he was set to break in.
31 min...NTN Barone is injured in collision with W Raouf Mohamed at NTN 30 yard line as Raouf Mohamed ran for high ball
that he was called offside.
32 min...NTN goalie's clearance kick hits head of W Raouf Mohamed at 20 yards but defender clears.
34 min...NTN Santos chips 45 yard freekick from right that defenders clear in box.
35 min...NTN Santos cornerkick from right is over box to left side. Play is whistled down as NTN MacCarone and NTN Barone
jump for 8 yard header.
39 min...NTN Dimarco cross from 20 yards on right hass NTN Abdi leap and head 6 yarder deflected wide right.
39 min...NTN player's high cornerkick from right has defender clear on left.
41 min...NTN MacCarone in crowd of players heads away 35 yard freekick from right.
43 min...NTN El-Zeir through ball pass from 40 yards over to right but over end line before NTN Martin can get to it.
46 min...W Reid is injured at W 30 yard line in collision between players.
47 min...half ends 9:50pm.

Halftime: there's no change in the weather. Only the Woodbridge subs stay out and warm up as everyone else goes back
to the dressing rooms 200 yards away.

Second Half:... starts 10:08pm.
45 min...NTN Santos is in alone from 50 yard line on left and races downfield where he sends 20 yard roller wide right
just steps ahead of two charging NTN players.
47 min...NTN Abdi leaps for cross from 30 yards on right and heads 8 yarder wide right.
50 min...W Pavan chips 40 yard pass down middle but goalie is out to 15 yards to catch on bounce.
51 min...W goalie beats NTN player to fly and catch at 15 yards on right.
52 min...NTN player's 18 yard blast from right is into outside webbing of net.
54 min...W Pavan follow up on tap back shoots 25 yard roller between players that goalie dives right to smother.
54 min...NTN El-Zeir 20 yard blast tips off sliding defender and pops up for goalie to catch at 8 yards.
57 min...W Raouf Mohamed can't get to ball up right and over line for goalkick.
58 min...W De Bartolo rolls 15 yarder past NTN Barone but goalie smothers on right side.
60 min...W sub...Muccilli replaces Muniz Saavedra.
60 min...W Pavan 38 yard freekick from right is wide left ahead of charging W Raouf Mohamed.
62 min...W De Bartolo dekes three guys cutting to left and 12 yard shot is saved by sprawling goalie on left. W Trasente
heads rebound from 8 yards off back of post.
64 min...NTN Barone twists cross from 30 yards on left and has NTN Westlaken heads another cross from left away from net.
65 min...W De Bartolo blasts 22 yarder from right is wide right.
65 min...NTN Martin is tapped back pass and 25 yard shot high and wide right of goal.
66 min...NTN sub... El-Chanti replaces MacCarone.
67 min...W Muccilli cross from right has W Trasente head 15 yarder from left that goalie catches.
68 min...NTN Santos passes forward to NTN El-Zeir and cross from left end line has ball through goalie's hands and defender
on other side of box clears.
69 min...W Raouf Mohamed eludes defender at 35 yard line and runs up right and has 15 yard shot smothered by goalie.
70 min...NTN El-Zeir eludes defenders on run up lefft and cuts to middle and 20 yard shot through defenders has sprawling
goalie save and crawl to smother rebound.
71 min...NTN El-Zeir low 12 yard shot is saved by sprawling goalie.
72 min...W Pavan is tapped pass and 25 yard shot from left is batted down and saved.
73 min...NTN Delgadillo 33 yard freekick from right is between players and wide left of net.
74 min...NTN Martin 35 yard chip from right has all players and goalie misses ball.
75 min...NTN YELLOW card...El-Zeir earns it for trip on W De Bartolo at W 25 yard line.
76 min...W YELLOW card...MacIntyre earns it for grab on NTN player.
77 min...NTN Martin cross from 25 yards on right end line has goalie catch on near post.
77 min...W Pavan eludes defender on right end line and tries to cross a second time but pushes ball over end line.
78 min...W Pavan steps into box but on a 1 on 3 rush and is checked off ball.
79 min...W MacIntyre hits bar with 30 yard blast from middle.
79 min...A multi-player dust up on the left sideline in the NTN end is broken up without any cards being given.
82 min...W sub...Marshall replaces Pavan.
83 min...NTN Santos 33 yard freekick from ar right has ball crossed back and forth across box.
84 min...NTN YELLOW card...Westlaken earns it for grab on W Raouf Mohamed on 1 v 4 rush at NTN 40 yard line.
84 min...W Muccilli 40 yard freekick from right has W player pop 12 yarder well over net.
85 min...NTN Abdi back heel shot on low cross is wide right of net.
88 min...NTN sub...Hugo replaces Villous.
88 min...W YELLOW card...Raouf Mohamed earns it for knock on NTN goalie who had just made a clearance kick.
90 min...W Meczarski makes clearance of low cross from right inside box.
91 min...W Trasente is injured at W 25 yard line on right side.
92 min...W sub...Wilson replaces injured Trasente.
92 min...NTN Martin long throw-in from right has ball deflected on two header across box over to left side. Goalie gets to it.
93 min...W player's 22 yard roller has goalie save.
94 min...NTN Delgadillo 30 yard freekick up middle is into the player wall.
94 min...game ends 10:57pm.

Final Score:.....Woodbridge Strikers......0.......North Toronto Nitros........0........

Attendance was about 160 tonight for a game with a 9:00pm starting time in the dark. Wearing
a windbreaker made it comfortable to watch. This game had been rescheduled from the night Sunday
July 24 which was never played because of a thunderstorm that went on for many hours. Last night
a make-up game was played between Vaughan Azzurri and Hamilton United Elite originally scheduled
for Wednesday July 20. I had been at the original game which played through a 0-0 first half but
the second half never got started because of lightning far in the distance (no rain at the time)
continued until the municipal stadium light curfew time came into effect. Now finally some luck
for me as Tuesday night's game got to the five minute mark before a thunderstorm stopped that game
for some time (at least 30 minutes after the last bolt of lightning before a game can restart).
Vaughan ended up winning 6-3 which would have made a livelier game report. Ironically, the weather
report earlier in the week had the forecasts of last night and tonight reversed but my decision
was based on having get up so early for work on Wednesday.

Who comes out for a rescheduled game at 9:00pm? An earlier start would have been tough as fields
at Vaughan Grove are rented out for community groups and Woodbridge's grass roots kids programs.
No children were here this late at night except the usual L1O soccer parents and almost 1/3 or more
were fellow L1O players from other teams concerned with results effecting their own team's playoff
positioning.

First glance at the game sheets of Woodbridge and I thought I saw a problem. Both choices in goal
were born in 2005. Eleven game Shafique Wilson probably went to his new school team University of Albany
after the year before playing at Florida Atlantic University. Six game Holder Xhameta is probably
back at Humber College.

I didn't know at the time but both teenage goalie choices had played one L1O game each. Starter
Nicholas Alison played last Saturday helping Woodbridge beat Sigma FC 2-1. Back up David Carano had
debuted the Sunday before helping Woodbrige hold Simcoe County Rovers to a 1-1 tie.

Nicholas Alison earned the shutout tonight for Woodbridge. He was protected quite well by the defence
of Tyler Miranda, Alex Meczarski, David Mutembezi, and Matthew Trasente. Shots against? Sure,
but he had enough time to crawl for the rebounds or have a defender clear away. Also aided by the
cross bar a few times.

Ali Ghazanfari-Moghaddan earned the shutout for North Toronto. He was protected by Kai Martin,
Thomas MacCarone, Christian Westlaken, Brandon Barone, and Justin Santos although Martin and Santos
were often bombing up the wings. AGMs play in the second half with some point blank saves were
the reason Nitros earned a point.

Woodbridge were coached tonight by assistant Michael Aquino. Head coach Peter Pinizzotto was serving
a suspension.

Nitros camped in the Woodbridge end for much of the first half. The second half was more end to end
action with both teams having good chances to score.

Referee Mahboob Gulestani gave out six Yellow cards (four to Woodbridge). With so many players
in the stands, I wasn't that surprised to hear “Great Yellow card, well done” for the call against
NTN Christian Westlaken at their 40 yard line for his grab on Abdou Raouf Mohamed even though ARM
was on a 1 v 4. He wasn't the last man back and it was worth breaking up his momentum. A multi-player
dust-up at 79 minutes was dealt with without issuing any cards.

One Nitro soccer dad said that well worn phrase, “If you don't put them away when you can, it can
come back to bite you” during a good patch of Woodbridge pressure. Another said “C'mon Ryerson”,
a reminder of how many players play with (new name) Toronto Metropolitan University. Listen kids,
I graduated from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in 1980 before it had university status and let
Grade 13 grads admission with marks of only 60%.

Best non-scoring chances (wow a long list tonight) were at 9 minutes when NTN players had two shots
blocked in the W box and NTN Justin Santos finished with a 20 yard rebound on the left that hit
the top of the bar. 11 minutes an NTN Akeim Villous chip a cross to NTN Ali El-Zeir for an open run down
the right and he bent a 25 yarder over the bar on its left side. 19 minutes had NTN Juan Delgadillo
chip a 20 yard freekick down the middle that hit the top of the bar on the left corner of the net.
32 minutes had the NTN goalie clear a ball that hit the head of W Abdou Raouf Mohamed at 20 yards
giving him a chance for a break-in alone but a defender cleared. 39 minutes had NTN Luca Dimarco
cross from 20 yards on the right for NTN Zakaria Abdi to leap and head 6 yarder that deflected off
a defender and drop wide right of the post.

Second half and in the first minute NTN Santos was in alone from the 50 yard line on the left
and raced downfield where he sent a 20 yard roller wide right just steps ahead of two charging
NTN players. Two minutes later NTN Abdi leapt for a cross from 30 yards on the right and headed
an 8 yarder wide right. 54 minutes had W Dante Pavan follow up on a tap back and shot a 25 yard
roller between players that the goalie dove to the right to smother. 62 minutes and W Santino De Bartolo
deked three guys cutting to the left and his 12 yard shot was saved by the sprawling goalie.
W Matthew Trasente headed the rebound from 8 yards off the back of the post. 68 minutes had NTN Santos
pass forward to El-Zeir and his cross from the left end line had the ball go through the goalie's
upraised hands but the ball was cleared by a defender. Next minute and W Raouf Mohamed eluded
a defender at the 35 yard line and run up the right and his 15 yard shot was smothered by the goalie.
Next minute had NTN El-Zeir elude defenders on a run up the left and cut to the middle and his 20 yard
shot was around a defender and the sprawling goalie saved and crawled to smother the rebound. El-Zeir
forced the goalie to make another sprawling save from 12 yards on his low shot. 79 minutes had
W Noah MacIntyre hit the bar with a 30 yard blast down the middle. Injury time had too many moments
to write down clearly. The last play was anti-climatic with NTN Delgadillo blasting a 30 yard
freekick up the middle into the W player wall.

The result improves the record of North Toronto to 13 wins, 2 losses, 5 ties for 44 points. They stay
in third place as although their W-L-T record is identical to second place Blue Devils, Blue Devils
have an unpassable +37 in goals for/against vs Nitros +19. Nitros finish the regular season Friday
night (yeah not much rest) away in Whitby against Darby FC. I don't know if there was any strategy
of resting players tonight for that game.

Vaughan has clinched first place, a bye into the semi-finals, and home field advantage for the playoffs
with 54 points. The next six teams dueling for the other playoff spots have between 44 and 40 points.
Nitros had already clinched a playoff spot last weekend. Although ProStars FC is the seventh place
team with 40 points, the team that has the most to worry about is Guelph United FC (the defending L1O
Premier Division champions) with 42 points but they have played out their schedule. A ProStars win
on Sunday afternoon flips them into the playoffs. Guelph also has to worry about Simcoe County Rovers
passing them on Saturday afternoon. Alliance United who play Saturday night have the same number
of points as Guelph but one less win which league memos say tied teams will be placed higher based
on more wins although the league table software has got that wrong all season.

Tonight's result improves the record of Woodbridge to 8 wins, 7 losses, 5 ties for 29 points. They move
into tenth place in the standings with an identical W-L-T record as Electric City FC but have a +9
in goal difference vs ECFC's +6. The Strikers finish their schedule with a Sunday night match against
first place Vaughan Azzurri who have scored seven, then six goals in their last two games so good luck
with that. I saw head coach Pinizotto before the game and he blamed it on their poor start as to why
they're not higher in the standings.

The magic position of a twelfth place finish to survive the Top 12 division split in 2024 is 25 points
held by Scrosoppi FC. The bottom ten teams of the current twenty-two team Premier Division will form
the newly created second-tier 'Championship Division' with promotion and relegation between the two
then restricted to 'one up, one down' for the years after that. Woodbridge was holding the twelfth
spot for much of the last two months. I suspect the league will have to have a combined standings
for point totals between the two years. The 2022 points will be converted to 75% vs 2023's 100%.
A team that finishes with 40 points will start next year with 30 points and one with 20 points will
start with 15 points...hey catch us if you can! Separate column for the 'current' 2023 season
to decide that year's top six playoff teams will be required.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter @RocketRobin01

Woodbridge Strikers starters