CSL 2010 Week 21

[Rocket Robin 2]

Result of the Friday September 24th, 2010 CSL game between Serbian White Eagles vs Portugal FC played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 8:00pm.

Final Score:.........Serbian White Eagles.........0.........Portugal FC.........0............

Attendance was about 125 on this mild night with gusty winds from the north west. Today a record hot temperature hit the city for the highest temperature at this time of year ever but starting in the evening the temperature was cooling.

Milos Kocic earned the shutout for the White Eagles. Mike Silva did the same for Portugal FC. Both teams had good runs and passing until they got to within 20 yards of goal and they'd have the ball poked away by defenders are make

a bad pass or have their shot attempt blocked.

Referee Joe Audi only gave out a few cards and most of them were for obstruction like hockey hip checks breaking up a player's run.

Best scoring chance was in the second half when at 67 minutes, SWE Sasa Viciknez took a wind-aided 26 yard freeekick up the middle that had the goalie block and SWE Milos Scepanovic miss connecting on a 5 yard blast from the left post.

White Eagles have now not won in eight games although six of these games have been ties. The team has fallen from first to fourth over this time. The team has just lost the ability to score. New head coach Nicky Budalic mixed things up by keeping strikers Sasa Viciknez and Shawn Brown on the bench until well into the second half. The team had most of the chances in the second half but that was partially the weather conditions with a strong wind from the north. That really took the momentum off PFC shots and added to the power of White Eagles chances. That did work against them too because goalie's punts and long through passes rolled over the PFC end line a few times.

Portugal remains a point behind the White Eagles in a tie for fifth place.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

[Rocket Robin 2]

Result of the Sunday September 26th, 2010 CSL game between Toronto Croatia and Hamilton Croatia played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 8:15pm.

75 min...Hamilton Adam Leggett GOAL...Aidan O'Keefe leads rush on extreme left and passed ball toward middle for Leggett to shoot low 15 yard shot from the left into the right side of the net beyond diving goalie Sandi Matika.

94 min...Hamilton Aiden O'Keefe GOAL...TC Tonci Pirija took a 40 yard freekick up the middle. Ham Ivan Razumovic headed the ball down and started a fast break. O'Keefe lead a 3 on 1 break on the left and all they had to do was get past Pirija and they're in alone. The TC goalie had come upfield to stand in the Ham box to try to get a header and was out of the play. O'Keefe rolled in a 35 yard shot from the left into the empty net.

95 min...game ended right after the restart.

Final Score:......Toronto Croatia.........0............Hamilton Croatia..........2...........

Attendance was about 1000 people which is the second home game in a row where Toronto Croatia has drawn that large a crowd. The other game was against bitter rivals Serbian White Eagles. Tonight's game had a majority of Hamilton fans. Some had come in a stretch Hummer limosine! Some of the travelling fans sang and lit flares. This game is certainly not a love-in just because both teams were ethnically Croatian. The home match for Hamilton back at the end of July only lasted one half when the Hamilton captain Antonijo Zupan punched the referee after being Red carded and was later arrested. That game took weeks to decide and the league finally quietly awarded Toronto Croatia a win as they were leading 1-0 at the time. Hamilton's current captain is Jason Shannon. Tonight's referee John Oliva kept control night with a few strategic Yellow cards. Both teams had trouble with offside calls throughout the night.

I cleared up the goalscorers by asking the Hamilton players while the game results were being read in to the league at the end of the game as the first goal was announced wrong in the press box. They also couldn't see the 4th official held up 3 minutes extra time (not 2) at the end of the game.

A few plays could have changed the game. At 67 minutes TC Tihomir Maletic (the CSL's leading scorer) took a 19 yard freekick blast that hit the left goalpost and deflected to the left. TC Hayden Fitzwilliams then took a 10 yard shot from the left but a defender blocked it. Melford James earned the shutout for Hamilton. Earlier in the contest, HC Preston Corporal was on a break on the right from 15 yards but at 5 yards the TC goalie crawled out after sliding to take the ball off his foot. In first half injury time HC Jamie Dodds took a cornerkick from the left that had an HC player hit the bar after the TC goalie palmed the ball through the box. Dodds eventually got the ball back and the goalie sprawled to save an 8 yard shot on the left post. At 91 minutes HC Danny Jirta made a key sliding tackle inside the HC box to give up a cornekick but prevent an open shot from 6 yards.

Toronto Croatia still haven't locked up a playoff spot yet as Brampton Lions could catch them. (The Lions tied Brantford Galaxy 1-1 in a game that started just over an hour earlier). Toronto Croatia still has four games to go to their season in the next one and a half weeks while some teams have two, one or no games left to finish their 24 games. Hamilton is in a much better position with tonight's win moving them up to a tie for third with two games to go.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca