CSL Week 20

[Rocket Robin]

Result of the Wednesday September 24, 2008 CSL game between Brampton Lions and Portugal FC played at Victoria Park in Brampton at 8:00pm.

19 min…Portugal FC Wigor Gomes GOAL…PFC Mike Diluca back heels pass and Gomes low blast from 28 yards on right has ball roll into low left side of net.

21 min…Portugal FC Mike Diluca GOAL….Diluca’s low 15 yard shot in crowd of players is into center of net.

25 min…Portugal FC Wigor Gomes GOAL…Gomes gets another back heel and rolls 15 yarder into right side of net under sprawling goalie Kevin Doyle who reacted well too late.

**39 min…Portugal FC Emerson Fiti GOAL…Fiti 35 yard freekick from right has ball dip and fly into low left side of net.

50 min…Lions Adolfo Mella GOAL…Lions Jeremy Shepperd cornerkick from left has defender pop up header in box. Lions’ player head ball down and Mella midair 10 yard blast is into right side of net just under bar.

51 min…Portugal FC Emerson Fiti GOAL…Fiti on rush on left sends low cross in to box that charging Lions defender Nickolas Poku gets to and deflects to inside of right side of net for own goal behind flying goalie.

57 min…Lions Daniel Nascimento GOAL…Lions Cam Medwin on right sends in low cross from 18 yards on right has Nascimento jab at ball with foot from 10 yards into center of net with goalie Michael Silva guarding right side of net.

79 min…Lions Daniel Nascimento GOAL…Lions defender sends 50 yard shot pushed up middle and when PFC defender decided not to head ball, ball flies into box waist high and Nascimento kicks shot under goalie from 12 yards.

Final Score:……….Brampton Lions………3…………Portugal FC……….5………….

**The CSL website lists Fiti’s first goal at 6 minutes and the only way I can think of how they messed that up is that it should have been translated as being scored 6 minutes BEFORE the end of the first half.

Attendance was about 100 people on this mild night with mosquitoes buzzing around. By the end of the game, a mist was rising off the field.

This game had been rescheduled from Sunday September 7th when it was postponed because of a waterlogged field. Midweek games don’t draw fans and no children as ball retrievers and their parents don’t come out on school nights so I was surprised that even this many people turned out.

Turning point of this game as it turned out was the PFC third goal within six minutes and then the quick one-minute counter-goal after the Lions first tally. This kept the Lions comeback until it was too late.

PFC’s Ilailson DaSilva at 77 minutes had a 25 yard blast down the middle hit the right post and Danny Amaral blasted the rebound over the open net from 12 yards. Lions Cam Medwin cornerkick from right at 92 minutes had Nordo Gooden head the ball from 10 yards that deflected off the left post for a goal kick.

The goalie for Portugal FC tonight was Michael Silva who had that blooper in their game against Toronto Croatia on Friday night and was benched for the second half in that game. He didn’t show up on the roster given out tonight but teams often use outdated lists. I’ve seen him last year play a bad game and then play fantastic his next game. He was left all alone on some of the Lions goals. He had to put up with four cornerkicks from Jeremy Sheppard alone in the second half in the Lions comeback attempt.

Referee Vito Curalli kept good control of this game and gave out few cards. This game was important in the standings for both teams and the comeback chances kept both teams concentrating on the end to end rushes and avoid it becoming a hack fest if one team had been blown out.

This game result should ensure Portugal FC of a playoff spot although they are ‘last’ in the International Division. (Think the West of CFL football. or the East of MLS soccer) for the strength of the division compared to the National Division.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

[mikesoccer]

lol.Nascimento some how manages to always be there. Pfc started strong. I agree about pfc golie he can have those bloopers and come up big also. This year he has came up big for pfc. As for lions i thought in the begging of the season they would be the team to cause the upsets, But now with this team i have second thoughts. I heard they barely have any players to practices

[Rocket Robin]

Result of the Friday September 26, 2008 CSL game between Portugal FC and London City played at Lamport Stadium in Toronto at 8:00pm.

22 min…Portugal FC Wigor Gomes GOAL…PFC Ramon Bailey dekes defender on left side of box and 8 yard shot is blocked by sprawling goalie Matt Baca. Gomes blasts 8 yard rebound over fallen goalie into middle of net under the bar.

82 min…Portugal FC Danny Amaral GOAL…PFC Ramon Bailey in middle on edge of box clips pass to Amaral on left and his sharp angle 10 yard shot is into right side of net.

91 min…Portugal FC Mike DiLuca GOAL…PFC Danny Amaral rushes up middle and he passes to DiLuca who rounds defender and cuts 12 yard shot down middle under bar.

Final Score:……Portugal FC…….3………..London City………..0……….

Attendance was about 200 on this cool night. There were lots of children and parents in the crowd tonight as ball boys and girls and playing a halftime game. The under- 10 boys beat the under-16 girls although the boys had about 60% more players on their team. Tonight’s game was the Rogers Community TV Game of the Week and was broadcast live in Toronto.

Ian Cummings who was the usual backup for Portugal FC earned the shutout tonight. He didn’t have to do much but made some key saves. Most of City’s chances were on free kicks in the second half. The score line was close until the last ten minutes of the game and a tie was a possibility. PFC had clinched a playoff spot earlier in the week. PFC was one of only two teams that City has taken points off this season.

Referee Vito Curalli (who also had that position on Wednesday night with the Portugal FC vs. Brampton Lions game) kept control of this game and gave out few cards.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

[Rocket Robin]

Result of the Saturday September 27th, 2008 CSL game between Windsor Border Stars and TFC Academy played at St Joan of Arc Catholic High School in Maple at 8:00pm.

12 min…TFCA Allarydo Matheson GOAL…Matheson takes low 15 yard shot from left that’s into right side of net beyond diving goalie Anthony Santili.

27 min…Border Stars Nick Jordan GOAL…WBS Jeff Hodgson 35 yard freekick from right has ball stopped at 12 yards but Jordan turns and hooks 12 yard midair shot into left side of net near post.

32 min…Border Stars Tom Nedved GOAL…WBS player’s cornerkick from right has ball headed down in box then partially cleared. WBS Jeff Hodgson pushes ball wide to the cornerkick kicker who crosses back into box for Nedved to kick 7 yarder into center of net.

54 min…WBS Tom Nedved (?) is knocked over on left side of box and referee Justin Tasev calls a Penalty kick.

55 min…Border Stars Christian Moyorga GOAL…Moyorga rolls Penalty kick to left with goalie Jarrett Humphreys diving right.

91 min…TFCA Allarydo Matheson is knocked over just inside box. WBS Erik Elmauer is given a Yellow card and a Penalty kick is called.

92 min…TFCA Allarydo Matheson blasts Penalty kick just over net and it hits the football goalpost behind the soccer net.

94 min…game ends.

Final Score:……..Windsor Border Stars…….3……….TFC Academy……….1…………

Attendance was about 60 on this cool and wet night with a misty rain falling most of the game. This was actually counted as a home game for Windsor as the original date of Saturday July 12th in Windsor was postponed at TFC’s request because they were in some youth tournament. With the season almost over, this game was squeezed in to the second last weekend of the year with Windsor also in the Toronto area to play TFC Academy as a TFC home game on Friday (a 1-1 tie, played at this stadium too) and then Sunday afternoon here in Maple again as a home game for Italia Shooters (their regular home stadium). TFC agreed to pick up the hotel bill in town for the Border Stars but it’s a tough three games in three day schedule for the visitors. The crowd was the family and friends of the Academy team.

I heard Border Stars last night had two players Red carded (as did TFC Academy) and when the team has traveled with the bare minimum of players or even without a full team of eleven I thought they’d be in trouble but they did make three subs during the second half to keep fresh legs out there.

Near misses were at 67 minutes when WBS Erik Elmauer received a pass from center and from 20 yards blasted a shot from the right off the right post and the rebound was cleared and at 78 minutes when TFCA Matt Stinson waited for a sky ball in the WBS box come down and he nodded a 12 yard header that hit the left post.

Tonight was the 17th birthday of TFCA player Domenic Roberts.

I asked Don Ferguson who is a goalkeeping coach of TFC Academy about their structure. They have a team in the CSL Reserves Division that is made up of their Under 16 team. They are playing in the championship game against Italia Shooters Reserves on Monday night. Next year SOME of those players may move up to the TFC Academy main team which right now is made up of their Under 17 team. Their will be new players but there’s no reason why some of their players can’t stay where they are on the CSL Reserves team despite their age. SOME of the Under 17 team may advance up to the main TFC Reserves team but there is a strict line that once they do advance to that level they can’t come back to the Academy teams.

Tonight’s loss eliminated the TFC Academy from playoff contention with one game to go to complete their schedule. I can see the team improving next year if the majority of the team does stay together. This team was only culled together from tryouts within a few weeks before the CSL season started.

After the game TFC Academy coaches were congratulating Border Stars players in the hallway with intros from WBS owner Jeff Hodgson and seemed to be very interested in some of the young players.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

[Ivan]

Looks like some of their U16s (Matheson, Stinson) have already moved up to U18s. So this strict line says they can't go back to the U16s?

[Rocket Robin]

He didn't say no about the U16s to U18s back to U16s movements. What was clear is that you can't go up to the Toronto MLS Reserves (where guys like Cunningham slummed for playing time) and then go back to amature status. I don't expect that would be a CSL league rule because they have semi-pro teams but it's probably some MLS rule.

[L.T.]

The line is in place to allow the Academy players to retain NCAA eligibility...

[VPjr]

quote:Originally posted by L.T.

The line is in place to allow the Academy players to retain NCAA eligibility...

I wish I could say that I'm surprised that MLS puts the NCAA's priorities over what is best for its clubs (you know...those clubs that have to cough up millions to just join the MLS and then have to subjigate self interest in favor of college soccer). What a great league.

[Rocket Robin]

Result of the Sunday September 28th, 2008 CSL game between Brampton Lions and London City played at Victoria Park in Brampton at 2:30pm.

19 min…Lions Daniel Cameira GOAL…Lions Alex Arbelo 45 yards on right has Lions player knock ball down at 20 yards for Cameira to kick ball into net.

25 min…Lions Adolfo Mella is injured on sliding tackle running to ball just inside City box. Referee Manuel Orellano signals for Penalty kick. Mello was replaced by Mohamed Kanu.

27 min…Lions Alex Arbelo GOAL…Arbelo blasts Penalty kick into right corner of net out of reach of diving goalie Matt Baca.

37 min…Lions Mohamed Kanu GOAL…Lions Geron Deporte on run up middle touches short pass to Kanu who turns and blasts 25 yard shot into top left corner of net over flying goalie.

58 min…Lions Alex Arbelo tripped up by sliding defender Mochine Talouati just inside right side of City box. A Penalty kick is called.

59 min…Lions Nicholas Poku GOAL…Poku blasts Penalty kick into top left corer of net out of reach of flying goalie.

64 min…Lions Jeremy Sheppard GOAL…Sheppard rolls 12 yarder into center of net upon receiving pass up middle.

70 min…Lions Jeremy Sheppard GOAL…Sheppard on right takes 20 yard blast that tucks between sliding goalie and right post.

Final Score:……..Brampton Lions……..6…………London City……….0………..

Attendance was about 100 on the Lions final regular season game of the year. It must have been a disappointment for the club as I’ve seen attendance of triple this at other games played here. This was Fan Appreciation Day and there were giveaways including the players throwing brand new full size soccer balls into the stands. Team owner Arnold Milan was in the stands for today’s game. After the game he admitted to me that this has been the only game he’s been able to see this season.

Both referee’s assistants were brutal this game drawing scorn from fans and the City bench. I was surprised that a Lions fan talked in the crowd and admitted that the 25 minute play that resulted in the Penalty kick and the injury should have been called offside. I’m sure the Lions would have traded the goal for the injury not to have happened. Adolfo Mella signaled immediately as he hopped around that he should be stopped. He must have been in agony but it looked like the Club Med crazy sign dance. Manuel Orellana called both half’s at exactly 45 and 90 minutes because what’s the point of injury time in a blowout like this?

Kevin Doyle and Robert Paollozi shared the shutout for the Lions. Doyle was injured at 81 minutes when he slid for a save at 12 yards and City Mike Vanden Kuval tripped over him. He survived a cornerkick but was then helped to walk off the field.

Nicholas Poku was allowed to take the second Penalty kick as it was his birthday today! It was well struck and no goalie in the world would have been able to get over far enough to stop it.

City only looked good for a brief patch at the beginning of the second half when Lions defender Luis Rivero was injured when he bumped heads with Andrew Loague in the Lions box. He was treated off the field for five minutes and that’s the time when three chances for a goal. City worked in three subs into the second half.

Lions look like they’ve secured the 7th playoff spot but will have to wait until next week as their schedule is over.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

[VPjr]

^ 6 goals for Brampton but none from Nascimento? what's up with that? LOL....did he even play today Robin?

Jeremy Sheppard is a nice player. I like what I've seen from him the 3 times I've seen Brampton play this season.

London is really going to need to take their operation more seriously or why bother? 2 points for the entire season. not good. Calling them the Derby county of the CSL is affront to Derby County.

[Eric]

Astros - St Catharines 0-0

St Catherines can't get it together, they play a man up for more than one half but they couldn't score a goal and they needed the win big time!!

Astros had many chances to put the game away even with a man down (Jonathan Hurtis got a red card) but their strikers kept missing the net, including breakaways.

Nice crowd again at Esther Shiner, I think this is the first year I've seen so many people at the Astros home games, somebody is doing something right at the club.

I just can't believe what's happening to St Catherines this season, they finished first in the National Division last year and this year they may not even make the play-offs.

[Rocket Robin]

Danny Nascimento wasn't listed as a starter or substitute in Sunday's game.