CSL Week 8

[Rocket Robin]

Result of the Friday July 4, 2008 CSL game between Toronto Croatia and Portugal FC played at The Hershey Centre in Mississauga at 8:00pm.

43 min…Croatia Hugo Herrera GOAL…TC Halburto Harris crosses from 30 yards on right that has Herrera get at 15 yards. He held back and waited for goalie Mike Silva to charge out and dive and then chipped 12 yarder into top right corner of net over defenders on goal line.

Final Score:……..Toronto Croatia……..1……….Portugal FC……..0……….

Attendance was about 125 on this warm evening with the bright sun still out in the first half in the North West.

Portugal FC came out fast in the first half and kept Toronto Croatia trapped in their own end for the first 15 minutes. Both teams were caught on offside calls throughout the game. Most of the shots were from the edge of the box or blocked by defenders. Lots of free kicks and cornerkicks were whistled down for bumping in the box or caught without much trouble. Mike DiLuca almost got a tying goal in injury time but he one-timed a 12 yard shot just over the bar. Roy Blanche earned the shutout for Toronto Croatia.

This was the first time I’ve seen Portugal FC this year. They looked much better than last year when they were one of only two teams that didn’t make the playoffs. They didn’t give up and pressed right until the end whereas last year near the end of the season, a first half goal against seemed to deflate the team. This year three teams don’t make the playoffs but I expect they may all come from the weaker National Division. Tonight’s game leaves just London City that I haven’t seen yet in 2008.

I was talking to message board poster Kris Fernandes during the game about his trip to the Euros last month. After the game the question was raised about this league (most popular message board question about the CSL) “How much do you think these players get paid?” Just then an official from Toronto Croatia came by and answered. Trois-Rivieres Attak pays the best because the players are under contract with their parent team USL Montreal Impact. After that Toronto Croatia and Serbian White Eagles are the best. For Croatia the team budget for this year is $90,000. The incentives I caught were $250 for a road win, $75 for a tie, and $25 each practice. . There’s enough in the budget to have signed a 28 year old player who plays in the 1st division Croatian league just in time to get in a few practices and a possibly a game before their showdown with Serbian White Eagles the end of next week. They are looking forward to the TFC Academy staying in the league as there’s a rumor that a high profile sponsor is coming in to sponsor the league and that means there would be more money for player budgets for every team. (It sounded like this would be one of the TFC sponsors not some smaller one like Locus and Inev????[can’t think of this year’s sponsor although I was staring at the spare balls tonight] who just supply the league soccer balls). From what I’ve heard over the years, some of the teams are amateur.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

[Rocket Robin]

Result of the Sunday July 6th, 2008 CSL game between Brampton Lions and Toronto Croatia played at Victoria Park in Brampton at 2:30pm.

1.5 min (90 seconds)…Toronto Croatia Hugo Herrera GOAL…Herrera heads 3 yarder into open net while fallen as he receives cross into box to left post over goalie Adrian Ibanez.

12 min…Lions Daniel Nascimento GOAL…Nascimento blasts 25 yard shot up middle that deflects off defender and pops over goalie Roy Blanche to drop into the right side of the net.

Final Score:……Brampton Lions…….1………Toronto Croatia……..1………

Attendance was about 250 on this very hot and humid afternoon with a bright sun in the west. There were plenty of young boys teams playing before the game and at halftime and that meant hundreds of parents.

After two quick goals, I expected they would continue but there was no more scoring although plenty of chances. At 37 minutes, Croatia had to sub their injured forward Tihomir Maletic with Tomislav Ples.

Lions dominated in the second half from the last 20 minutes. At 75 minutes, Lions Jeremy Shepperd on a 1 on 1 rush with a defender on the right heads a 15 yard ball but goalie Roy Blanche jumped up and got a hand to it to prevent being chipped. A minute later Lions Adolfo Mella blasted a 10 yard shot off the right goalpost after a TC defender flubbed a clearance attempt.

Right at 90 minutes, Lions Jeremy Shepperd send in a 20 yard cross from the left and the ball just bounce by the right post but a sliding Daniel Nascimento can’t push the ball in. A minute later Nascimento one touches a 20 yard shot from the right that goalie Roy Blanche caught on the right side of the net. At 92 minutes on the last chance of the game, Croatia’s Hugo Herrera ran up the middle and falls as he leaps over the diving goalie and flips over him but the ball is pushed wide right of the net on the goalie’s dive at 18 yards. Herrera rolled around injured but referee Manuel Orellano wasn’t going to call a penalty kick on the goalie playing the ball.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca