...........
August 27, 2023 League1 Ontario...Simcoe County Rovers vs Scrosoppi FC semi-final game report (by Rocket Robin)
...........
Simcoe County Rovers (white socks anda shirts, navy shorts, light blue numbers)
........................1 Baj Maan
3 Tajay Reid...8 Alejandro Portal...19 Justin Earle (cpt)...24 Cameron Dasilva
...........12 Javier George...20 Paul Karagianakos...17 CJ Smith
...........10 Orlendis Benitez...9 Jevontae Layne...11 Shawn-Claud Lawson
Subs:...7 Gabriel Boakye...13 Michael Markac...14 Feargod Ozomba...16 Allen Saye-Blegay
...18 Ijah Halley...21 Cheimeka Azurunwa...22 Shamir Akbar...25 Peter Sheberstov...27 Luc Ihama
team officials:...team head coach Jason Beckford...assistant coaches Paul Smith and Zak Zico Hahrady
...manager Donte Henry...equipment amanager Bola Avolonto...therapists Mark De Lange and Milad Mohib
Vaughan Azzurri (all navy uniforms, white numbers)
........................1 Christian Calabro
3 Jaytin Pablo...4 Nyal Higgins...2 Daniel Gogarty...14 Sammy Ssebaduka
..........15 Isacc Bradbury...5 Raheem Rose (cpt)...10 Jeronimo Sabbatasso
..........21 Soji Olatoye...8 Christopher Campoli...11 Ryan Robinson
Subs:...12 Alessio Carbone (gk)...13 Aparacio Pedro...16 Jarred Phillips...29 Antonie Decoteau
...20 Gianni Angaran...22 Dujon Martin....23 Paiman Sultani...25 Joseph Bourgeois
team officials:...team head coach Carmine Isacco...assistant coaches Anthony Vadori, Luca Forno,
Martine Eleuteri, and Sergio De Luca...therapist Casey D'Mello
Game officials:...referee Mahboob Gulestani...referee's assistants Kurtis Portengen and Marko Grubisic
...fourth official David Giannotti...(chartreuse socks and shirts, black shorts)
First Half:...game starts 6:32pm...SCR defends north end on this warm night with a blindingly bright sun in the west.
2 min...An SCR player's cross from 25 yards on the far right is well over the net.
6 min...VA Campoli low cross from 25 yards on the far right is caught by the goalie.
9 min...SCR Smith 22 yard shot from right is well high and wide left of net.
12 min...VA Ssebaduka long run up left and wins freekick near end line when he's pushed over.
13 min...VA Robinson freekick from 25 yards on far right is through box has VA Olatoye shin ball wide right from 3 yards.
14 min...VA player clearance on left is off SCR player and deflects wide right of net.
14 min...SCR Benitez wins freekick on edge of box when tripped.
15 min...SCR Lawson 22 yard freekick from right has goalie push ball wide right as he flies over to post.
18 min...VA Olatoye is teppaed a pass by VA Campoli and his long run up right and his cross from 20 yards on end line
has defender touch ball back to goalie at 3 yards on left. No back pass called by referee.
20 min...VA Robinson cornerkick from left has goalie punch ball away on near post. VA Pabla blasts 30 yard rebound
up middle that goalie catches.
21 min...VA goalie beats SCR Benitez at 15 yards to smother through ball pass.
21 min...SCR Jevontae Layne GOAL...SCR Paul Karagianakos retreats to intercept ball on edge of SCR 18 yard box on right
and turns and lofts 65 yarder down field to Layne on right side on the run from 35 yards and his low 22 yard shot has
goalie Christian Calabro slide to get a piece of the ball but it continues into left side of net.
22 min...VA Rose bends 25 yard shot well over net.
24 min...SCR YELLOW card...Benitez earns it for knocking down VA Bradbury who is injured at VA 35 yard line.
26 min...VA Rose 28 yard freekick from left has VA Higgins on right end line cross behind the net on high volley.
27 min...VA Pabla pops header abck to VA goalie to break up play.
30 min...SCR Karagianakos low 33 yard shot up middle is smothered by goalie diving left.
31 min...VA Olatoye cross after run down right has VA Campoli pop 12 yard header down middle well over net.
33 min...VA Ssebaduka ends VA pressure when he's checked off ball at 20 yards starting an SCR fast break out.
36 min...SCR Portal chips 35 yard cross from right over players and over left end line.
41 min...SCR Benitez has 12 yard shot down middle blocked.
42 min...SCR Earle makes key clearance over own end line.
42 min...VA Robinson cornerkick from left is headed away by first defender on left. VA Robinson eventually gets ball back
but crosses behind net.
91 min...SCR Benitez 35 yard freekick from right has defender leap on right edge of box and head away.
92 min...half ends 7:19pm.
Halftime: Both sents of starters return to dressing rooms. The substitutes stay out to warm up.
Dwayne De Rosario and Julian De Guzman with SCR team official Will Devellis present Alyssa Nikkel of the Rovers women's team with the Golden Ball award.
There's a contest for the best fan goal celebration.
Second Half:...starts 7:38pm.
Halftime sub:...SCR Boakye replaces Smith.
46 min...SCR Boakye touches ball to SCR Layne who shoots 22 yarder wide left from middle around goalie.
47 min...VA Ssebaduka bends 30 yard shot from left wide left.
48 min...SCR Benitez 22 yard shot from slight right that deflects for cornerkick.
48 min...SCR Tajay Reid GOAL...SCR Orlendis Benitez cornerkick from left has Reid on right head 6 yarder
forward into top right corner of net.
50 min...SCR player can't win Penalty kick on fall in VA box.
50 min...SCR Lawson cross from left after short cornerkick on left has goalie catch on near post.
52 min...There's no Penalty kick again for a soft fall in the VA box.
53 min...SCR YELLOW card...Boakye carns it for tripping VA Ssebaduka on run down left at SCR 40 yard line.
54 min...SCR YELLOW card...Reid earns it for complaining when SCR Lawson was pushed over twice.
55 min...SCR YELLOW card...Head coach Jason Beckford earns it for complaining about call.
55 min...SCR Benitez 45 yard freekick from right is over net.
56 min...VA Ssebaduka runs down right and 28 yarder from bad angle is over net.
61 min...SCR Orlendis Benitez GOAL...Benitez is centered pass from SCR Shawn-Claud Lawson on left sideline
at 40 yard line and chips 28 yarder up middle just under the bar in center of net.
63 min...VA Ssebaduka is treated for a leg injury waiting to throw-in.
63 min...SCR Lawson at SCR 35 yard line is injured and needs trainer.
65 min...SCR sub...Halley replaces injured Lawson.
67 min...VA YELLOW card...Bradbury earns it for a sliding tackle on SCR Benitez at VA 30 yard line near right sideline.
68 min...SCR Portal 40 yard high freekick from right sideline has SCR DaSilva head ball wide left over left sideline.
69 min...SCR Benitez is injured away from play and needs trainer at VA 50 yard line.
70 min...SCR sub...Saye-Blegay replaces injured Benitez.
71 min...VA YELLOW card...Gogarty earns it for knock over of SCR Layne at SCR 45 yard line.
72 min...SCR Boakye run up right cutting to middle and low 28 yard shot that rolls to goalie.
73 min...SCR Earle takes 20 yard freekick on tap over is shot into player wall.
74 min...VA sub...Martin replaces Olatoye.
............VA sub...Pedro replaces Ssebaduka.
75 min...VA Rose taps pass forward on left side of box and VA Sabbatasso tips it over end line wide left.
76 min...SCR Halley long run up left and is checked off ball but wins cornerkick.
76 min...SCR Karagianakos slips and pushes ball over right end line without getting a shot and is injured on play.
78 min...VA Campoli cross along 15 yard line from left is over head of VA Robinson and out for goalkick.
79 min...SCR Layne wins freekick at VA 25 yards and is injuured and then there's a player dust up.
81 min...VA sub...Bourgeois replaces Sabbatasso.
81 min...SCR Halley 30 yard freekick from left is over to right and SCR player crosses back to Halley and he wins cornerkick
on run to end line.
82 min...SCR sub...Azurunwa replaces Karagianakos.
82 min...SCR Halley cornerkick from left is headed through box out right side by defender.
83 min...SCR Layne recovers ball and 18 yard shot from left is hight right of net.
85 min...SCR YELLOW card (?) to someone for slowness taking a cornerkick from the right. (does not show up on the league site
so it may have been a just a warning.
87 min...VA sub...Philips replaces Robinson.
87 min...VA Rose long throw-in from left is headed away. VA Pedro 30 yard shot is wide right and high.
87 min...VA Gogarty is called off helping VA goalie and then goalie slides and the SCR runs into him. The referee intervenes.
89 min...VA Pedro wins cornerkick off SCR Saye-Blegay slide.
90 min...VA players win three cornerkicks in a row and they are all cleared.
91 min...SCR goalie is out to edge of box to fumble ball.
92 min...VA YELLOW card...Martin earns it for upending of goalie.
93 min...VA Higgins is given breakaway from 35 yards and run in to chip goalie and ball from 12 yards is wide right.
95 min...VA YELLOW card...Pabla earns it for knock over of SCR player on sideline at VA 45 yard line.
96 min...game ends 8:29pm.
Final Score:....Simcoe County Rovers.......3........Vaughan Azzurri.......0.......
Trying to piece together assists by playing back that portion of the livestream after I got home didn't work out so well as the Rovers light blue numbers on white didn't show up on the telecast. I appreciated the honesty of the goal scorers after the game as their answers for the first and third goal were both “I'm not sure”. Attendance was maybe 1100 which is the largest crowd I've seen for L1O this season. I was given a short pregame tour of the premises by SCR CEO Peter Raco who said the aluminum bench stands hold 600 and the grounds can hold 1500 (because of the fire marshall's maximum). Many of those not in the stands brought their own chairs. All fans were kept on the west side (so they didn't have to stare into the sun). Some fans not paying admission viewed the game from the bernes in the south endzone and the east side as there was not complete signage or tape covering the schoolyard chainlink fencing. Rovers dominated large portions of this game. Vaughan seemed to be 'off'. To sum up their night, VA Nyall Higgins was given a breakaway pass up the middle at 93 minutes at the 35 yard line and ran in and chipped the goalie at 12 yards but bounced it wide right of the net. 90 minutes had Vaughan win three cornerkicks in a row that were all cleared away. Speedy winger Sammy Ssebaduka who I wrote played so well in their last two games had some long runs and then ruined them by getting checked off the ball or passing to an opponent. Raheem Rose in the midfield was their best player and even he was checked a few times. Referee Mahboob Gulestani gave out a total of eight Yellow cards (five to Rovers) in a close checking game. Quite a three minute spell at 53 minutes when SCR Gabriel Boakye drew one for tripping VA Sammy Ssebaduka on a run down the left then SCR Tajay Reid for complaining when SCR Shawn-Claud Lawson was pushed over twice. Next minute SCR head coach Jason Beckford for complaining although the whole team was angry that two rather lame claims for a Penalty kick call were waved off within two minutes of the Rovers second goal. Baj Maan earned the shutout for Rovers. He had few saves to make because of the poor shooting by Vaughan and his defensive line of Tajay Reid, Alejandro Portal, captain Justin Earle, and Cameron DaSilva keeping shots from a distance or blocking them. A pregame ceremony had the Barrie mayor and the local MPP on the field along with club president Julian de Guzman (former Toronto FC and Canadian National team player and current TSN television commentator) and L1O president Dino Rossi here at kickoff and later de Guzman with SCR co-owner Will Devellis came back with Dwayne De Rosario (former TFC and other MLS teams and CNMT player) at halftime to present Rovers top scorer on their L1O women's team, Alyssa Nikkel, with a trophy. The Barrie Pipes and Drums were on the field before the game to play over the announcement of the long list of corporate sponsors and the read out of the starting lineups of both teams. It was if the band was on cue so noone would hear anything else. Yuck to 'Scotland The Brave' and techno music and the screaming announcer reading the home team all at the same time. I drove up to Barrie wearing my personalized York United FC jersey which has my name 'Rocket Robin' #58 so I could be identified in case I did see Peter Raco because he had come down to Toronto to watch Rovers in the playoffs last year and said he was looking for me but we didn't meet until the game was over and everyone was going home. Today I parked in the parking lot and was looking around for the pay box as a sign said parking fees were required 24 hours a day. First guy I asked was a guy wearing a Rovers polo shirt as I thought he'd know the requirement...it turned out that was Peter Raco and he greeted me by name before I'd even turned around (my name is on the back). That's when my tour started. He said parking rules by the college was not enforced during their games. Two more bits of uniform fun were after the game when I saw Dwayne DeRosario and said something like “I hope it's soon that I can see both of your sons playing at the same time” and he said “So do I!” For Ijah Halley I pointed to my York United crest (by now I had put on a hoodie) and he thought it was from the time he played. “No this year, look 0.0% beer as I pointed to the Carlsberg logo. My fear on driving to Barrie was coming home on a Sunday night as there'd be a huge traffic jam retuning from 'cottage country' which I saw on my drive north. When it was time to drive home, I noticed I was averaging 60 kph on the road with 80 and 100 posted speeds which is comparable to my drives in the GTA because of posted maximums. Head coach Jason Beckford told me in an interview that the team practices in Aurora only halfway the distance north of Toronto to save his players the long drive. The weekend results set up a Final between the two top finishing teams. Scrosoppi FC finished first and will host at Ontario Soccer Centre not because they earned it but as the OSC has hosted every year because of their seating capacity, facilities, and their geographic location centrally between all the L1O teams. Scrosoppi has had to use the OSC this season because their field of Bishop Reding CSS in Milton (40 km west of here) was under renovation this year both building and grounds. J.C. Massie is about 100 km north of the OSC. This year marks only the third season for Scrosoppi and the second for Simcoe County Rovers. They have not had enough time to get this good through their youth teams affiliations instead acquiring players from other L1O teams. I call the team assembly for them and a few others like Electric City FC 'Mike's Mercenaries' from an SCTV sketch in their early tv years (wow 45 years ago) when they had almost no budget and John Candy narrated an ad parodying GI Joe dolls as being hired as mercenaries by the 'mysterious Mr Goldman' (a Ken doll in a business suit). I had half finished an article about this for The Sentinel (today I met Andrew the editor at today's game) before he told me he had stopped publishing. With 2024 bringing in promotion and relegation, new teams will start two levels down from the Premier so rich dollar owners will have to work their way up. Hey Rovers midfielder Ijah Halley and defender Tajay Reid both played for Scrosoppi just last season. Orlendis Benitez and Alejandro Portal aka 'The Cubans' both played for Vaughan last year. They have a chance to make it two championship seasons in a row when they play in the final next Saturday. Given a few years, those autograph seeking youth players wearing their own SCR kits will be working their way onto the rosters of SCR men's and women's teams. I wonder which lasts longer, sharpie signed jerseys or signing on thundersticks? Vaughan was up here way back on July 9 and Rovers won that game 3-2. Rovers were at the OSC to play Scrosoppi Saturday July 15 (hey I was there) and Scrosoppi won 3-2. Scrosoppi built a 3-0 lead and Rovers scored twice in second half injury time to make it close.Rocket Robin
robin.glover.1958@gmail.com
twitter @RocketRobin01
Simcoe County Rovers starters
Vaughan Azzurri starters
Azzurri Christopher Campoli (8) takes opening kickoff.
Rovers Cameron Dasilva (24) takes throw-in.
Rovers player's freekick from right.
Azzurri Isacc Bradbury (15) takes freekick.
Rovers Shawn-Claud Lawson (11) has taken throw-in.
Rovers presentation Julian De Guzman, Rovers Alyssa Nikkel, Dwayne De Rosario, and Will Devellis
present Nikkel with the golden ball for the Rovers women's player with the most goals.
Rovers Gabriel Boakye (7) is a halftime sub.
Rovers Gabriel Boakye (7) trying to check Azzurri Raheem Rose.
A Rovers player is down
Azzurri Christopher Campoli (8) near Rovers end line.
back to 2023 League1 Ontario menu
.
.