Open Canada Cup (Semi-Finals)

[Rocket Robin]

Result of the Sunday September 4th, 2005 CPSL game between Windsor Border Stars and Laval Dynamites played at Cove Road in London at 3:38pm. This was the first Semi-Final match in the Open Canada Cup.

27 min...Border Stars Aaron Byrd GOAL...WBS Jeff Hodgson rolls through ball from 25 yards on left that has Byrd connect from 15 yards into left side of net up middle over sliding goalie Nicolas Pinto.

32 min...Border Stars Aaron Byrd GOAL...WBS Radek Papiez runs up right wing and cross from right from 20 yards through players in box and Byrd knocks 5 yarder into net from spot even with left post.

44 min...Dynamites RED card...Francis Agyei earns his second Yellow card for a hard tackle on left side that injures WBS Tati Errecalde's leg.

57 min...Border Stars Tati Errecalde GOAL...WBS Jeff Hodgson runs down middle, ball blocked and Errecalde 15 yard shot from left is into top right corner of net.

59 min...Border Stars Radek Papiez GOAL...Papiez is pushed a ball through on right and he slots a 12 yard shot into left side of net.

62 min...Border Stars RED card...Border Stars goalie Anthony Santilli calls off his defenders to play a through ball and LD Jammil Demers taps him/slaps his face and that starts a pushing match between players from both teams. Referee Giovanni Oliviera first gives Demers a Yellow card and then LD Nasson Theosmy a Yellow card for arguing the call and not backing off. Oliviera than gives Santilli a Red card for his part in the incident. Midfielder Steve Merkar came in from the substitute's bench to play goal and Radek Papiez was taken off to make room for him.

68 min...Border Stars RED card...Scott Patriquin for kicking LD Mohamed Ridouani in back of legs as Ridouani had jostled him with a forearm to the back.

72 min...Border Stars Aaron Byrd GOAL...WBS Tati Errecalde rushes to through on left and rolls cross to Byrd who boots it in from close range.

74 min...Dynamites Nicolas Rotiroti YELLOW card for kicking away ball when referee called him for knocking over WBS Kevin McLellan inside box on right resulting in a Penalty kick call.

Border Stars Tati Errecalde blasts Penalty kick well high and wide left of net.

Final Score:...Windsor Border Stars..............5...............Laval Dynamites..............0

Attendance was about 100 on this hot humid afternoon with sun in the west and no wind.

The Border Stars wrapped up this game in the first half with a 2-0 lead and a one man advantage. They increased the lead but lost the services of two players through Red cards: starting goalie Anthony Santilli and starting defender/assistant coach Scott Patriquin. Patriquin after being ejected behind the stands complained that Ridouani had punched, scratched and spat on teammates but later regretted being baited into retaliating. Byrd was subbed immediately after scoring his third goal. Border Stars than played more conservatively conceding corner kick and defending well while avoiding drawing any more cards. Team owner/midfielder Jeff Hodgson said after the game the team had some extra players left back in Windsor so they will have a full bench of substitutes. (I had seen a game early in the year where they beat Toronto Croatia 1-0 with the bare eleven men, no subs). This looks like the competition that they're try to win--they are the defending champs of the Open Canada Cup last year and Hodgson has personally won three years in a row as Harry Gauss announced he was a member of the London City 2003 Cup winning team.

Les Dynamites had only brought three subs. I heard that this wasn't their 'real' team and they'd left several players behind. This was the first time this year I'd seen this team and really the first since 2003 as they sat out the 2004 season.

The game before this was the first semi-final of the Women's Canada Cup between York Region Lady Shooters and North York District Allstars won by York 3-0. I got here in time for the second half and saw all the goals. Ashley Rodrigues (65 min), Kesia Broome (80 min), and Renata DeThomasis (88 min) scored. Team co-owner Cindy DeThomasis says York University (the school) restricts any signings from playing in this league. This weekend four Ontario universities are holding a tournament so that ties up even more players. That's a problem that the USL has avoided by ending their season a few weeks earlier.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

[Rocket Robin]

Result of the Sunday September 4th, 2005 CPSL game between London City and Vaughan Shooters played at Cove Road in London at 7:38pm. This was the second Semi-Final match in the Open Canada Cup

34 min...Shooters Stalin Cardenas GOAL...VS Fitzroy Christie rushes down on left wing and sends in centering pass. A City defender stops the ball but Cardenas takes away ball and sends 7 yarder to top left corner of net behind goalie Haidar Al-Shaibani.

38 min...City Miguel Knox GOAL...Knox takes 35 yard free kick around player wall and has ball bounce into right corner of net beyond diving Brian Bowes who looked like he got a late jump on ball.

47 min...Shooters Jason DeThomasis GOAL...DeThomasis gets away on left and his 8 yard shot while all alone is put into the net.

63 min...City Dennis Peeters GOAL...LC Mohcine Talouati corner kick from right, LC player on left heads ball back to center of box and Peeters knocks in 5 yarder.

76 min...City RED card...Rob Della Croce picks up his 2nd Yellow card when VS Darryl Gomez flicks quick shot from 20 yards and Della Croce is called for a handball on the edge of the box by referee Vito Curalli.

Golden Goal Overtime (two 15 minute halves).

120 min...City Keith Andrew GOAL...LC Miguel Knox corner kick from left is headed around in box and Andrew gets 7 yard shot in crowd of players into top center of net.

Final Score:.....London City.........3...........Vaughan Shooters..............2........(in 2nd Half of Golden Goal Overtime).

Attendance was about 150 on this warm evening with the sun already setting.

The game started only about 20 minutes after it was originally scheduled. Considering this was the fourth game of the day and any of them could have gone into overtime, this timetable worked well after all. The men's semi-finals were scheduled for Golden Goal overtime while the women's overtime was scheduled for Silver Goal rules which would have meant full periods and possible Penalty kicks in each game. The game ended at 10:32pm.

The Shooters turned this game into a shooting gallery with most of the chances after 66 minutes and especially with the one man advantage. Joey Todaro came into the second half of overtime for the first time since breaking his ankle months ago. Jason DeThomasis looked good tonight with his shooting and pass offs to teammates.

Keith Andrew came into the game at 98 minutes and within two minutes drew a Yellow card. Shooters Oday Khaghani did worse when he came on replacing Jorge Molina and immediately gave up the final corner kick of the game.

Between the Men's semi-finals, London Selects earned the second Women's semi-final spot when they beat Durham Region Allstars 4-2 with goals from Eva Havaris (9 minutes), Erika Lapari (54 minutes), and Tammy Scurri (63 minutes Penalty kick and 86 minutes). Amanda Durno (24 minutes) and Allison Genoski (61 minutes) scored for Durham. Manager Ryan Gauss said the London ladies were down six players away at Western University and five on US scholarships. The London team had gone 10-0 in league games this year but having to bring in a new team for this tournament is something the CPSL will have to get along with. The USL W-League plays in this city too with their Monarchs franchise. Recruiting by the two teams has been a problem said Ryan Gauss. The Monarchs "don't like us much" and they haven't accepted their challenge too play them, he said.

The day had the CPSL use the Locus pink ball for the ladies game and the Locus yellow ball (which won't be available retail until 2006). The balls were easier for me, as a fan to see than the standard white colour world leagues have used over the years.

The finals for both Men's and Women's games take place today in London but I drove back to Toronto after the game so I could see the USL Toronto Lynx finish their home schedule against Minnesota Thunder. I don't think this game has a chance of being more exciting than either Final. London teams earn spots in both finals. No complaints from any Voyageur please about them getting in as a Wild Card team from their host status will be heard this year.

This was the most exciting game I've seen so far this year, now beating out the USL Toronto Lynx vs. Puerto Rico Islanders 4-4 tie in my memory. I'm so glad I went even though I knew I wouldn't stay for the final. It was just over 400 km roundtrip.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

[Rocket Robin]

Open Canada Cup Final:

Border Stars 3 London City 0

Losing your starting goalie and a defender the night before is less important than playing 120 minutes the night before. I wondered how that would end.

Lady Shooters 1 London Selects 0 (previously unbeaten on 11-0 run)

Rosters changed around as so many players have gone back to university.