CSL 2010 Semi-Finals

[Rocket Robin 2]

Result of the Friday October 22nd, 2010 CSL game between Portugal FC and Brantford Galaxy played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 8:00pm. This was a one game semi-final.

21 min...Galaxy Ranko Golijanin GOAL...A BG player crossed from 12 yards from left that goalie Mike Silva saved. BG Miodrag Andjelkovic kicked an 8 yard rebound that the goalie blocked. BG Fazlagic Harris then backheeled the ball back as he was blocked by defender from a shot and Golijanin kicked a 12 yard shot from the right into the left corner of the net.

34 min...Galaxy Ranko Golijanin GOAL...BG Miodrag Andjelkovic passes a through ball from the center circle that finds Golijanin behind the defence at 40 yards and he rushes to left when he cuts in a though angle shot from 15 yards into the top right corner of net over the goalie.

40 min...Portugal FC Jarek Whiteman GOAL...PFC Whiteman is alone on a 1 on 3 break and splits the defence of BG Stanko Karacic and Zachary Tait and taps in a 7 yarder into the right corner of the net past goalie Ante Domjanovic sprawling in the middle of the net.

49 min...Portugal FC Andrea Lombardo GOAL...PFC Dominic Oppong on left passes centering ball from 20 yards and Lombardo in middle sidesteps defender Dragan Oluic and sends low 16 yard shot into right center of net beyond goalie anchored to the line at the center of the net.

51 min...Galaxy Miodrag Andjelkovic GOAL...BG Nenad Begovic cornerkick from left is over players in box but charging BG Nyema Patric Gerhardt slides in at 8 yards to send low ball back across box from right to Andjelkovic on left who kicks in 5 yarder into top of net.

61 min...Galaxy Kyle Grootenboer GOAL...Grootenboer is given a pass on charge up middle on give and go with BG Fazlagic Harris at 35 yards and his shot from 20 yards is into top left corner of net.

62 min...Galaxy Ranko Golijanin GOAL...Golijanin pokes ball off PFC defender Andre Stewart who was last man back and races up the middle from 40 yards to roll 20 yard shot to left side of net.

87 min...Portugal FC Massimo Mirabelli GOAL...Mirabelli on run on right from 45 yards blasts a 20 yard shot into middle of net just under bar as defender BG Stanko Karacic turned around to avoid blocking the ball.

Final Score:.......Portugal FC.......3...........Brantford Galaxy........5..........

Attendance was about 120 people plus 30 ball kids on this very cold night. This was the one game semi-final for the chance to play in next Sunday's CSL Championship game. This is not the Portugal FC usual home field of Lamport Stadium but something tells me the league waited to long to book it as they didn't expect the 5th place team to draw a home game for the semi-final. This is the home stadium of Serbian White Eagles (2nd in the standings but knocked out in the quarterfinals) and Toronto Croatia (8th place in the standing, still in it, but must play away to 3rd place Hamilton Croatia on Sunday). Brantford Galaxy were the 7th place team but upset the White Eagles last week. The crowd was very pro-Galaxy.

Watching the first 20 minutes with both goalies of Galaxy Ante Domjanovic and PFC Mike Silva making spectacular saves, it felt like it might be a 1-0 score to win it. By 2-0 the game felt like it would be over but PFC did claw back to tie it. The turning point was that within two minutes of PFC tieing the game, Galaxy took the lead again and then it was easy for them to increase it as the last 35 minutes, PFC were forced to push up and the Galaxy ended up having several breakaways and just rolled up the score.

Maybe one or two chances that would have kept PFC in it was at 75 minutes when 68 minute sub Luca Forno on a 2 on 1 break kicked an 18 yard shot that hit the right post and on the resulting cornerkick Joseph Del Priore shot just wide left of the post. Galaxy with a lead like they had shouldn't have let PFC have any chances like that one or at 87 minutes. Galaxy didn't start making their subs until 81 minutes.

Referee Mathieu Bourdeau (whom I don't remember seeing anywhere before) gave out cards throughout the game but kept events in check so it wasn't too rough. I thought a big lead would lead to a bunch of PFC cheap shots but the game stayed very open.

The game was broadcast live in the Toronto area (and I'd expect Brantford too) by Rogers Community channel but using the Brantford broadcast crew although one of the commentators was new/guesting because he flubbed an intro by calling the city Brampton. I went home and played the goals again to fill in the assists on each play. .

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

[mlatimudan]

Hammer Cro - T.O. Cro 2-0

It's Hammertime !

[Rocket Robin 2]

Result of the Sunday October 24th, 2010 CSL game between Hamilton Croatia and Toronto Croatia played at Brian Timmis Stadium in Hamilton at 7:00pm. This was a one game semi-final.

27 min...Hamilton Croatia Aiden O'Keefe GOAL...O'Keefe 22 yard freekick is deflected in player wall and drops into right side of the net leaving goalie Sandi Matika standing in the center of the net.

54 min...Hamilton Croatia Adam Leggett GOAL...HC Preston Corporal on the right sends pass over to near edge of box to Leggett and he cuts a 22 yard low shot to the right corner of the net.

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

Attendance was about 1500 people on this cold wet night with rain falling at various times before, during, and after the game. It made the on-field footing slippery and players risk falling on the natural grass. The stadium was almost filled for this game. There were a group of Ultras who lit fireworks and flares and beat drums but they kept their distance from the family types nearer the front and closer to the midfield. Only weather compromise was an announcement that no kids would be allowed on the field during halftime because of the chopped up field. (the one other game I saw in Hamilton this year there were dozens of kids kicking a ball around at halftime). Very appropriate as the sky opened up for all of 90 seconds and then suddenly stopped just as quickly.

Melford James Jr earned the shutout for Hamilton and had to be brilliant to stop Toronto from tying the game at various points.

Dave Barrie was the referee for the game and kept the players in check so the game didn't get out of hand.

Best non-scoring chances started early when at 10 minutes, TC Tihomir Maletic (the CSL leading scorer) turned on a defender on the edge of the box to get a pass and took a 15 yard shot that was stopped point blank by Melford James Jr at 8 yards on the left. TC Boris Tomac got Maletic to then tap the rebound back to him and he blasted a low 12 yard shot wide left of the post. At 21 minutes, HC Adam Leggett took a midair kick of a cross from 25 yards that had HC Preston Corporal one-time a midair shot from 15 yards that was caught by the diving goalie Sandi Matika on the left post. At 64 minutes TC Tomac rolled a pass in from the left for TC Halburto Harris to blast a 30 yard shot that the goalie stopped and then blocked a 10 yard rebound. In the same minute TC Niko Pesa suddenly was in alone at 12 yards on the left and his shot had James stop. James then caught a cornerkick from the left that TC captain Tonci Pirija sent into a crowd of players. At 85 minutes TC Harris took a 28 yard cross from the left that James batted forward in a crowd of players in the box.

The win sets up the final Sunday October 31st at 2:00pm at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke between Hamilton Croatia and Brantford Galaxy. I expect a large spirited crowd of travelling supporters of both teams. It may raise the bar for the MLS Cup three weeks later which will also involve two non-Toronto area teams.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca