July 1, 2023 League1 Ontario...Scrosoppi FC and Guelph United game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Saturday July 1, 2023 League1 Ontario Men's Premier Division game between Scrosoppi FC
and Guelph United played at the Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan at 6:00pm.

Scrosoppi FC (all black uniforms, white numbers)

....................1 Andres Vaikia
66 Baryal Khan...4 Jushua Parades...6 Victor Gallo...3 Luka Frankovich
..........2 Carlo Difeo...13 Manveer Gill...11 Faris Ammari
..........99 Taha Ilyass...8 Tomasz Skublak (cpt)...21 Alexander Zis

Subs:...7 Omari Cotterell...9 Mauro Lulli...10 Nikolas Blaskovic...15 Anthony Stolar
...17 Marcus Channer...18 Marcus Velado-Tsegaye...22 Stanislaw Skublak...36 Danny Medeiros
...87 Sebastian Lopez
team officials:...team head coach John Yacou...assistant coach Luis Domingos
manager Shayne Griffin...strength coach Koky Ellis...therpaist Michael Wong

Guelph United (all white uniforms, black numbers)

....................1 Carter Robart
4 Amardo Oakley (cpt)...14 Cole Fernandez...21 Gray Yates...22 Zahary Ellis-Hayden...3 Colin Gander
.............15 Dion Stergiotis...10 Jack Sears...2 Anthony Ostrun
...................9 Jared Agyemang...12 Milan Beader

Subs:...20 Daniel Novak (gk)...6 Mardo Maletic...8 Wesley Cain...11 Leo Shrimpton
...17 Damian Truong...18 Arman Moghadasi...19 Cedric MacNay...23 Nichaolas Dunn
team officials:...head coach Justin Springer...assistant coach Andrew Agyare-Tabbi
manager Brandon Rees...equipment amanager Edward Krasovsky...therapists Aidan Nolan and Estee Black

Game officials:...referee Marko Grubisic...referee's assistants Joey Filipic and Liam Tremblay
fourth official Vasyl Dzikh...(neon red shirts and socks, black shorts)

First Half:...game starts 7:10pm...SFC defends north end. I could hear thunder up above an hour earlier when this game
was supposed to start but it's OK now.
20 sec...GU Stergiotis is injured with ball into head and he needs trainer at SFC 45 yard line.
4 min...GU Agyemang wins freekick on check from SFC Khan.
4 min...GU Sears 22 yard freekick from slight left hits head in player wall and is cleared.
5 min...SFC Ilyass cross from right is partially cleared in middle and SFC Frankovich blasts 25 yard shot well over net.
6 min...SFC Skublak dribbles along left end line and bounces shot to goalie on near post.
7 min...SFC Ammari cross from 30 yards on left has SFC Skublak on right heads 7 yarder off outside of post.
8 min...GU Fernandez makes key slide by poke check to break up SFC Ilyass rush into right side of box.
12 min...GU Beader chips pass up left and GU Agyemang through defenders to blast 15 yarder into outside webbing of net.
13 min...GU Gander 28 yard freekick from left has SFC Skublak head away. GU Ostrun low shot is also blocked starts fast break out.
14 min...SFC Ammari cross from 35 yards on left has SCR Difeo shoot wide right.
15 min...GU Stergiotis rolls ball over SFC end line on right.
16 min...SCR Frankovich makes key header to clear GU player's cross from left to right post with two GU players waiting.
19 min...GU Gander 50 yard freekick from right is over players and caught by goalie wide left of post.
20 min...SFC YELLOW card...Gill earns it for sliding tackle on GU Oakley at GU 35 yard line.
21 min...SFC Frankovich kicks ball away from GU Agyemang for cornerkick on right.
21 min...GU Gander cornerkick from right is caught by leaping goalie over crowd of players.
22 min...GU Gander 30 yard low shot from left is caught by goalie.
23 min...SFC Skublak bicycle kick can't completly connect at 15 yards.
24 min...GU Beader is injured at GU 45 yard line and needs trainer.
25 min...SFC player's low 30 yard chip from right is caught by goalie.
28 min...SFC Skublak is injured tripping up GU Amato breaking out at GU 30 yard line and needs trainer. GU players
take an improv team talk/water break.
31 min...Play resumes.
32 min...SCR Skublak is back after injury treated.
33 min...SCR Skublak can't get to 60 yard pass upfield but wins a cornerkick on a controversal ruling.
34 min...Scrosoppi Tomasz Skublak GOAL...SFC Alexander Zis takes cornerkick from right and Skublak in crowd
of players flicks 8 yard header from right forward into right side of net past goalie Carter Robart.
35 min...GU Gander cross from left has SCR Frankovich head ball in middle of box and clear.
36 min...GU Beader cross from 25 yards on right has goalie step forward and catch.
37 min...SFC Difeo cross from right and SFC Ammari bounces shot through players to goalie.
39 min...SCR YELLOW card...Ammari earns it for retaliation body check on GU Stergiotis at GU 50 yard line.
40 min...GU Gander 25 yard roller from far left is smothered by goalie.
46 min...SFC defender clears ball at 5 yards before GU Agyemang can't get to ball in box.
47 min...GU Yates 45 yard blast between players down middle and just wide left on net.
48 min...GU Ellis-Hayden ross from 20 yards along end line has leaping GU Agyemang pop header at 5 yards over bar.
49 min...SFC Gallo beats GU Beader to clear through ball.
49 min...GU Sears chips 25 yarder from right that's easy catch for goalie.
50 min...half ends 8:00pm.

Halftime: both sides subs stay out for warm ups.

Second Half:...starts 8:18pm.
45 min...SFC Zis wins freekick on edge off box when bumped while cutting along to left.
46 min...SFC Zis blasts 20 yarder into head in player wall. SFC Parades blasts rebound high and wide left.
48 min...GU Gander bends low 30 yard cross from left and goalie dives forward to catch in between two GU players.
48 min...SFC player can't win Penalty kick on left end line.
49 min...GU Gander high cross from 35 yards drops for goalie to make easy catch.
50 min...SFC Skublak suffers a finger injury.
50 min...SFC Khan is injured at GU 25 yard line on left.
53 min...GU YELLOW card...Stergiotis earns it for for knock over on SFC Ammari at GU 50 yard line.
55 min...SFC Gill pass down left wing to SFC Skublak who runs to end line then cuts in towards box and his cross is headed away.
56 min...GU Stergiotis run on right and cross into box has GU Agyemang have 12 yard shot blocked.
59 min...SFC Ammari eludes defenders on left but short cross is cleared.
60 min...GU YELLOW card...Beader earns it for tackle on SFC Gill at GU 40 yard line.
61 min...Two SFC shots are stopped on right side of box.
61 min...There's a roughing match at the center line.
61 min...GU Gander high cross from left has GU Agyemang pop 10 yard header from right that goalie catches.
62 min...GU sub...Shrimpton replaces Beader.
............GU sub...Truong replaces Stergiotis.
64 min...SFC Skublak on his own on right can't get a shot on endline battling three defenders.
65 min...GU Truong 30 yard low shot from right bounces to goalie near post.
66 min...SFC Zis cornerkick from left drops for SCR Skublak to head down at 8 yards and defender clears.
68 min...SFC sub...Stolar replaes Ilyass.
70 min...GU Gander rolls ball up left for GU Shrimpton but it's too far and over the end line.
71 min...GU Agyemang run to right end line and rolls through box unplayed.
72 min...GU player's 40 yard chip from right bounces wide left unplayed.
73 min...GU sub...Cain replaces Agyemang.
75 min...GU Gander run on right cuts in and low centering pass to GU Sears who blasts 20 yarder high and wide left.
75 min...SFC Ammari cross from 28 yards on far left. SFC Zis can't get to ball on slide and is injured at 6 yards.
77 min...SFC Zis is injured again at GU 50 yard line and needs trainer to stretch his leg.
78 min...SFC sub...Blaskovic replaces injured Zis who was already off on sideline.
78 min...SFC Parades 55 yard freekick from right is caught by goalie.
80 min...SFC Gill charges forward to intercept GU's working ball out at 25 yards on right and sends cross over to SFC Skublak
who steps to left to take 18 yard shot around defender that goalie catches.
82 min...SFC sub...Cotterell replaces Ammari.
82 min...SFC Stolar pass on run to right and SFC Blaskovic chips 12 yarder that goalie swats away from top left corner.
83 min...SFC Skublak slides for 5 yarder on right aournd goalie and rolls ball wide left. SFC Difeo sent in cross from 15 yards
on left.
84 min...SFC sub...Channer replaces Skublak. Gallo becomes the captain.
85 min...GU Gander cross along 15 yard line has defender head away.
86 min...GU sub...MacNay replaces Ostrun.
88 min...GU Sears shoots 25 yard from right is wide right.
90 min...GU Yates cornerkick from left has SFC Khan head away.
91 min...GU Cain misses connecting on diving header at 3 yards.
91 min...GU Yates cornerkick from left has defender pop header wide right for another cornerkick but from right.
92 min...SFC Gallo makes save on right as GU goalie had put 35 yarder into box and SFC goalie missed pass at 8 yards.
93 min...GU Oakley pass to FU Cain who shoots 15 yarder over net.
95 min...game ends 9:07pm.

Final Score:.....Scrosoppi FC.........1..........Guelph United.........0......

Attendance was about 70. They were certainly loyal. The game was supposed to start at 6:00pm but had to be postponed for thirty minutes after the last lightning strike was seen. We weren't getting rained on but could certainly hear thunder. It was decided to move the game inside! That could only be done today because it was Canada Day and the facility had not rented out the indoor field today...I suppose the usual renters for Saturday night did not book this holiday. OK, decided, the players would warm up outdoors and the game would be indoors with fans standing along the balcony that ringed the field. Oops. Nope after everyone was inside it was decided that the game would be held offside with the risk that if lightning did start again there'd be another 30 minute delayGUa ssds until after the last bolt. There is supposedly some rule that a game can't be started on one field and completed on a second so this could be a gamble...Turns out there was no more lightning and no rain neither. We certainly were on the edge of the storm because we could see the rain actually getting closer across the parking lot so that hurried the rush inside. OK kickoff turned out to be 7:10pm.

That one goal had an interesting and controversial set up. 28 minutes had Tomasz Skublak injured in a collision with GU Armado Oakley who was breaking out at the GU 30 yard line. Skublak needed the trainer for a leg injury and had to leave the field. Players took an improv water break in the hot, humid weather. The game resumed at 30 minutes and Skublak returned a minute later. 33 minutes had Skublak sprinting to get to what looked like a through ball pass but the ball rolled over the end line. The play was ruled a deflection off a Guelph player and so it turned out to be the cornerkick play for the goal. That cornerkick ruling caused an uproar on the Guelph bench.

Andres Vaikia earned the shutout for Scrosoppi with a few key saves. Tonight he had a defensive line of Baryal Khan, Joshua Parades, Victor Gallo and Luka Frankovich to block a lot of shots and make sure some of them were from a distance or poor angle.

Scrosoppi was trying to score an insurance goal right until the end but there were complaints of time wasting. With Scrosoppi's home field being under reconstruction, they are playing this year at Ontario Soccer Centre, 53 km away, they aren't bringing ball kids from their youth clubs. Although balls are strategically placed around the field, the goalie had an annoying habit of walking for the one near the cornerflag rather than behind the net in some cases infuriating Guelph head coach Justin Springer. Also Scrosoppi suffered some injuries. Skublak appeared to jam his hand at 49 minutes and needed the trainer. “Why are we stopping the game for a finger injury?” Khan was injured one minute later. This would all be forgiven if some of these epic season stoppage times were added but referee Marko Grubisic only added four minutes which also enraged the Guelph bench. Grubisic gave out four Yellow cards in the game. Two to Scrosoppi in the first half and two to Guelph in the second.

Scrosoppi had at least three players from the Guelph Championship team of 2021, their debut year in L1O. Pierce Lang was at the game to call the action for online viewers and went through with me at least four players who were on Blue Devils FC or worked their way through the Oakville soccer system.

This game must be considered the game of the week as both teams were tied for second place with 27 points. Certainly these teams may meet again for the six teams that make the playoffs. Both teams are comfortably on their way to finishing in the Top 12 for the combined/weighted 2022/2023 standings and therefore survive in the soon to be smaller Premier Division. There are ten teams running away from the other teams in the current twenty-one team sized table.

The win moves Scrosoppi into a tie for first place (but ranked second because they have scored less than Blue Devils FC who won on Friday night). They have played one game less than Blue Devils and have one more win so I blame the league webmaster for the table. Scrosoppi's record improves to 10 wins, 2 losses, 0 ties for 30 points.

Guelph's record falls to 8 wins, 2 losses, 3 ties for 27 points and they drop to third place for now. This was the only game today. There are seven games on Sunday so Guelph may lose a few spots.

Rocket Robin
robin.glover.1958@gmail.com
twitter @RocketRobin01

Scrosoppi FC starters