CPSL Week 13 results

[Rocket Robin]

Result of the Friday August 6th, 2004 CPSL game between Toronto Croatia and Brampton Hitmen at Memorial Park in Streetsville at 8:00pm.

12 min...Hitmen Hugo Herrera GOAL...Hitmen Phil Ionadi cornerkick from right has charging Herrera leaping 5 yard header into right side of net beyond goalie George Azcurra.

15 min...TC Antonijo Zupan GOAL...Zvjezdan Kresic 30 yard freekick into wall of BH players, BH player blasts clearance off player in own wall injuring him. Ball deflects back into Hitmen box and TC player rolls ball forward to Zupan for 7 yard shot over goalie Ricardo Isgro into right side of net.

45 min (first half)...Hitmen Phil Ionadi GOAL...Ionadi 30 yard shot through crowd of players low and deflected into net by a body from 5 yards.

66 min...TC Antonijo Zupan GOAL...TC Avjezdan Kresic takes 50 yard freekick (after first waving his teammates to charge into Hitmen box) and leaping Zupan heads ball bouncing in from 5 yards.

Final Score:............Toronto Croatia...............2.................Brampton Hitmen...................2............

Attendance was about 120 on this rather cool evening.

Both teams had control of the game for extended periods of the game with Toronto Croatia having a hard time clearing from their own end until the first goal. Many of the passes and dribbling were compromised by the pock marked grass which was certainly a contrast from what some of the game officials experienced while refereeing the international games at the Skydome last weekend.

Angel Velasquez from Deportivo Cruz Azul was the only one of the three Mexicans that played tonight. He was a solid defender but many of his passes were intercepted. Antonijo Zupan played well for Toronto Croatia going on quite a few dribbling runs and getting his head to some of the crosses into the Hitmen box. Both goaltenders had some good saves tonight or the score would have been much higher.

The Hitmen don't win but end a four or five game losing streak. Hitmen captain Phil Ionadi said the team's trouble is they can't to score goals. On Wednesday he said the Wolves got first half goals and they fell apart arguing eventually losing to St Catharines 4-0 for only that team's second win of the year. There was a bit of arguing tonight too but mainly whether the Hitmen should have to chase into the forest to retrieve the balls that went out of bounds on the west side of the field or wait until the referee would finally signal the fourth official to part with a spare ball. Someone like me wearing long pants and a coat wasn't bothered by the branches and undergrowth but I wouldn't have enjoyed it wearing just shorts and spikes on my shoes.

The game was good natured but tough with Hitmen coach Steve Nijjar kidding Croatia Velemir Crljan while he was waiting to sub on in the second half that he was still under suspension. The end of the 2003 season with Crljan trying to duck a suspension as a player by continuing his duties as coach resulted in the CPSL overturning a playoff game and giving Crljan a half year suspension. Steve Nijjar's reaction to seeing him last year resulted in the league suspending Nijjar for the opening games of 2004.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

[Rocket Robin]

from CPSL press release: (never heard of Paul Munster until this year. Anyone have any background on his earlier career? No jokes about his parents being Herman and Lily and living at 1313 Mockingbird Lane

MUNSTER SENSATIONAL FOR LONDON CITY FRIDAY

Paul Munster, a 22 year-old Northern Ireland-born forward with London City was described by a group of fans as being sensational in scoring all four goals for his side in City’s 4-3 victory over St. Catharines Wolves at Cove Road, London Friday.

Munster went on a three-goal scoring spree in a 10-minute period just before half-time to put London City 3-1 up at the interval following an opening goal by Anthony Stranges of St. Catharines in the first minute of play. St. Catharines tied the game in the second half on goals by Tony Carbonara and Frank Zumpano at 60 minutes and 72 minutes, respectively, but Munster struck the winning goal at 89 minutes for a 4-3 final score.

Munster, who registered his 11th through 15th goals in the goalscoring title race, is now seven in front of Michael DiLuca of Toronto Supra.

In two other games played in the CPSL Friday night, Toronto Croatia and Brampton Hitmen deadlocked 2-2 at Memorial Park in Mississauga and North York Astros defeated Durham Storm 3-1 at the Civic Stadium in Oshawa. Alen Majstorovic, Raffy Der Bedrossian and Sergio Gutierrdz scored for the Astros while Richard Gayle struck the lone goal for Durham.

Antonjo Zupan scored both goals for Toronto Croatia in the 2-2 at Memorial Park, while Hugo Herrara and captain Phil Ionadi scored for the Hitmen.

[Rocket Robin]

Result of the Sunday August 8, 2004 CPSL game between Vaughan Shooters and Metro Lions played at the Ontario Soccer Centre at 7:30pm.

71 min...Shooters Joey Todaro GOAL...VS Chris Turner in middle receives short pass and rolls ball left for Todaro to take low 15 yard shot to right side of net beyond diving goalie Courtney Campbell.

76 min...Lions Caswain Mason GOAL...Mason is centered pass from right and takes 18 yard blast into left corner of net beyond goalie Robert Scala.

Final Score:...........Vaughan Shooters..........1..............Metro Lions............1.......

Attendance was about 250 on this warm evening. The east side fence has been knocked down and will be moved about 20 feet further from the field to allow bleachers to be installed on that side in time for the Ontario Cup finals for all age groups. With the game kicking off at 7:44pm about a third of the crowd left at the end of the first half but that's the trade off of filling the stands with youth soccer teams.

Each team controlled parts of this game as the momentum swung back and forth. Shooters goalie Robert Scala caught some important crosses into the box to prevent many dangerous plays to Lions forwards Gabriel Salustius and Maxim Dorneval. The Lions prevented many goals by the defenders limiting the shots against with their back three of Kevin Ricketts, Sacha Kosanovic, and Marc Jankovic. Jankovic may be the tallest player in the league and could easily outjump Shooters forwards Jose Anikewe, Mathew Palleschi and Joey Todaro. Kosanovic was often the last man back and broke up plays. The Shooters were caught quite often jumping offside and other times their shooting was well off target.

The CPSL will be announcing that a team from the lower divisions of Italy will play Brampton Hitmen next Sunday and in about two weeks the Metro Lions will play a visiting team from Jamaica.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

[reporter]

From last Saturday's Kitchener Record

By Josh Brown

Record Staff

Coming to Kitchener was the best and worst thing that

ever happened to Northern Ireland's Paul Munster.

When he made his first trek to town three years

ago he was a rising soccer star with Cliftonville, a

club in Northern Ireland's Premier league. He was coming off

his best season and the 19-year-old Belfast native was ready

to challenge for a starting spot on the roster.

But his soccer career collapsed in a split second when

he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee

during a pick-up game at Budd Park.

"It was just a simple throw-in," said Munster, who was

in Kitchener as part of a sport-and-school exchange at the

time. "I went to receive the ball and landed awkwardly.

"I thought I broke my leg. The pain was unbelievable.

I've never felt so much pain in my life."

But he felt worse when doctors told him he needed

surgery and that he would be sidelined for more than

two years. Upon hearing the news his club in Cliftonville

released him outright.

"I was ready to go to the bar," said Munster.

"It was enough to drive me to the drink. All

my mates back home were playing in the Premier and

I had to watch."

Becoming a spectator wasn't easy for the Irish lad. Munster

had grown up in a Catholic household steeped in soccer

history. His grandad, dad and brother Darren had all played

competitive ball. Soccer was all he had known since he

was born.

"I've been playing since I started walking," he said. "Since

we were kids you just played it in the streets.

Soccer in Ireland is like hockey here."

Sensing the injury might bring him down, he decided to

flee the saturated soccer scene back home and return to

Canada to clear his head. He hooked up with former

pro player Eddie Edgar at the Doon Soccer Park Group

and took a job teaching local kids at year-round camps

in Kitchener. He moved in with the host family he

stayed with during his first visit to the area and

slowly rediscovered a love for the game.

Last spring he noticed his knee started feeling like its

old self. And as soon as he started kicking the

ball, thoughts of a comeback emerged. Edgar had a contact

in the Canadian Professional Soccer League and helped Munster land

a job with London City.

"I had no idea my career would start back up

in Canada," the 22-year-old said. "It's been going so well

that people are thinking I should be moving on to

better leagues."

In London, Munster is a hit on and off the

field. He's scored 11 goals in 10 games and constantly

gets hounded by fans for autographs and pictures.

"It feels good after the games to spend time with

the fans and not think about my knee anymore."

And word is getting out. Scouts from higher North American

leagues are increasingly coming out to see him play. He

even has a few leads with teams in the United

Kingdom.

But Munster understands he still has a long road ahead

of him before he returns to the elite level. Until

something concrete comes along, he'll keep doing what he does

best -- teaching in Kitchener and scoring goals for London

City.

"There are a lot of guys here who have potential.

They just need the experience of going somewhere else," he

said. "I've already experienced it. And now that I've got

a feeling for soccer again, I want to go back

to the top."