CSL 2012--Week 5

[Rocket Robin]

Result of the Friday June 1st, 2012 CSL match between

Serbian White Eagles and York Region Shooters played

at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 9:00pm.

40 sec...SWE Sasa Vukoje GOAL...SWE Richard West gets

away shot down middle from 30 yards and goalie Emanuelle

Ameltonis bats ball down under bar and to the left.

Vukoje alone at 10 yards on extreme left blasts shot

into high right corner of net.

Final Score:.....Serbian White Eagles.....1......

....York Region Shooters.....0......

Attendance was only about 40 on this mild but rainy

night. It had rained all day and was raining before

game time. I got here having to drive through two

intersections with the traffic lights not working.

The game started and the rain even stopped about

30 minutes in but started up again when the

second half started.

The other CSL game tonight had been called off in

the afternoon in London because of a flooded field.

That wasn't the problem here on this field-turf field

but it didn't mean it was a well played game. Players

would try to make passes and the ball would roll or

bounce out of bounds with this bowling alley non-grip

for the ball. To compensate, the players would then

make sure they rolled softies to their teammates but

then those passes were easy for the opponents to run

up to and intercept.

Milos Djurkovic earned the shutout for the White Eagles.

He had a few key saves to make and was saved by his

defenders clearing a few balls into the box.

Best non-scoring were at 14 minutes when YRS Desmond

Humphrey took a cornerkick from the right that had

YRS Ricky Herron head the ball down at 15 yards and

YRS Chris Thomas get a foot out to pop the ball just

over the bar from 8 yards. 37 minutes had SWE Kirie

Dimitrov get a pass from 60 yards to him for a 2 on 1

break from 45 yards. He shot low from 20 yards that

the sliding defender Herron blocked at 6 yards.

Dimitrov got the ball back at 12 yards on right and

shot over the net. Added time had SWE Sasa Vukoje take

a 15 yard shot from the right that eluded the goalie

but a defender headed the ball away at the left post.

47 minutes and SWE Zoran Rajovic crossed from 30 yards

on the left and SWE Andre Orlando flew and tipped a 10

yard header down the middle wide right of the post.

50 minutes had SWE Richard West send in a low cross

from 20 yards that the sliding Rajovic just missed

connecting at 5 yards down the middle.

Most of the rest of the game was played in the White

Eagles end with them getting a few counterattacks

against the pressing Shooters. 81 minutes had YRS

Desmond Humphrey take a low 25 yard blast up the middle

that the diving goalie pushed wide right of the post.

88 minutes had Humphrey's 45 yard freekick from the right

had the goalie fumble the catch over his head at 10 yards

in a crowd of players but the defenders cleared out the

left side of the box. 92 minutes had SWE Richard West

on a 2 on 1 rush from 40 yards (with 67 minute sub Sasa

Viciknez as a decoy) take a 20 yard shot from the right

that hit the outside of the left goalpost. 94 minutes

had YRS Humphrey's cornerkick from the right have

YRS Jason DeThomasis not able to turn a header from 5 yards.

DeThomasis had two earlier freekicks in the second half

blasted over the net.

Referee was Geoff Gamble, an MLS official again this

year. He gave out two Yellow cards to each team

and only one of them was for a sliding tackle which

usually is the most common call on a wet field but

the players weren't doing those dangerous tackles

tonight. Funniest moment was him signalling for

a spare ball from the sideline at 25 minutes but

all the balls had been kicked into the north end

endzone (which with the running track stetches

40 yards) and had not been retrieved.

This was the first time I'd seen the White Eagles

this year. I have seen last year's SWE players

Alex Braletic, Milos Scepanovic, and defenders

Mirko Medic and Mark Jankovic all playing for

Brampton City United a few weeks ago. White Eagles

have moved up some players from last year's

Reserve team. Also they've added Mississauga

Eagles forward Richard West and SC Toronto

midfielder Ramon Bailey. Club official Dragan

Bakoc said West joined the team because he's

good friends with Bailey. Ooooh Miami Heat:

what a great recruiting method!

This was the fifth game of the season for Shooters

and their record falls to 1 win, 1 loss, and 3 ties

for 6 points and so not in the top eight. They've

only allowed two goals but have only scored two.

Captain and last year's leading scorer Kadian

Lecky was not playing tonight.

White Eagles record improves to 3 wins, 1 loss in

4 games for a share of first place with Toronto

Croatia with an identical record but have scored

half as many goals.

With so few fans, they could stay dry under the shelter

of the press box or with any kind of pull, come inside

the press box. I asked two White Eagles officials

about the late starts which I'm sure meant no

children would be here no matter what the weather.

The City of Toronto gave them a choice of a 7-9pm

or 9-11pm time period to play. (Sunday nights are

not a problem as Toronto Croatia gets 8pm starts).

I heard there was a team practicing tonight in the

7-9pm time slot.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

...I asked two White Eagles officials

about the late starts which I'm sure meant no

children would be here no matter what the weather.

The City of Toronto gave them a choice of a 7-9pm

or 9-11pm time period to play.....

If Toronto teams can make it down the 401 for an 8:30pm kick off in London, Ont. at the end of their work week is 7pm really mission impossible in Etobicoke? Even allowing for the avoiding having to pay for 4 hours rather than 2 on the field rental factor (which might be a hint to some on here that they don't have a 7 figure annual budget) it seems a slightly odd choice on their part from a spectator standpoint. Guess it's more pleasant to play late at night under the lights when it is a bit cooler though from a participant standpoint.