Rocket Robin

Just a quick message from the League 1 Ontario games of Saturday September 14, 2019 as I've got an early start tomorrow. Today was the first game of the semi-finals with the second legs happening next weekend. I was at the Masters FA vs Oakville Blue Devils game at L'Amoreaux Park in Scarborough. That ended 0-0 and was a pretty rough game with at least two multi player dustups. At the end of the night both teams had a player Red carded and OBD earned five Yellows and Masters had two. Referee Brian Butler knew what he was doing and didn't fall for any in the box diving. Trainers had to be called out a few times for injuries to both teams. I thought there may have been about 100 people on this cool night with the temperature dropping as the sun had set just before the game started. Good defences on both sides with Spiridon Koskinas for Masters and Lukas Birnstingl for Oakville. Birnstingl has a shutout stretching through the playoffs back to the regular season. I had started the evening at Mt Joy for the Alliance United vs FC London game as I expected I could be in Oakville next weekend and therefore would have seen the 'final four' again before the championship game. It was suggested that I leave well before the game started because Alliance had only eleven players and none of their University of Toronto guys were here (two games this weekend?) and the team had no substitutions. They were trying to call in some guys just to sit on the bench and avoid the fine imposed by the league. “The game (score) could get ugly” and “it'll be a massacre” was what I heard. Quite a shock as the team only lost 1 game all season! I took his advice and drove to L'Amoreaux (it was actually on my way home anyway). Now the two who suggested this were Alliance head coach Ilya Orlov and assistant Julian Green! I'd like to thank them now for their warning as the game ended 5-0 for London. While at the Master's game the L1O tweets stopped early so I though the game was still 1-0. Well the chances of going to the return leg in London next Friday night were remote anyway but now that's saved me the drive for sure. Now AU won't bother to play U of T players even if they have no games next week with a scoreline like that. More details in a few days but I may have a larger role tomorrow at the York 9 matinee game as a lot of reporters will be at the Toronto FC game downtown (the games overlap) and even the CPL league reporters will be split up as the Forge FC game in Hamilton will end at the exact time as the York game begins. Rocket Robin robing@eol.ca twitter @RocketRobin01

September 13, 2019 Toronto FC II vs Orlando City B played at BMO Training Ground partially in the rain again. My game report at: http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports19/19tfc256.htm For MM3 Julian Dunn-Johnson was an unused sub. Campbell not on the bench.

Sept 8, 2019 at last! Vaughan Azzurri vs FC London quarterfinal action leg 2. my game report at: http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports19/19l1o114.htm

September 8, 2019 (finally) Masters FA vs Sigma FC played at L'Amoreaux Park in Scarborough. Second game in their quarterfinal series. My game report at: http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports19/19l1o113.htm

The owners didn't want the Cup games (over the years scheduled midweek) which wouldn't leave much time to promote nor even rent out a stadium on short notice.

Sept 7, 2019 All audio of the post game press conference and hallway interviews after the Canada vs Cuba game in Toronto on Saturday. head coach John Herdman, Junior Hoilett, Jonathan David, Doneil Henry, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Milan Borjan, and Richie Laryea. http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports19/19cana04.htm My stuff is NOT behind a pay wall.

September 6, 2019 Toronto FC II vs Chattanooga Red Wolves played at BMO Training Centre in the rain--well first half anyway. The canopy has not been replaced. My game report at: http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports19/19tfc254.htm For MM3 Dante Campbell was an unused sub.

September 5, 2019 Alliance United FC vs North Mississauga Panthers SC played at Centennial College in Scarborough at 8:45pm. my game report at: http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports19/19l1o111.htm Alliance are the first team to advance to L1O semi-final.

The Men's Final will be held on Friday September 27th at 8:00pm. It's already been announced as being streamed on OneSoccer. Asking L1O Commissioner Dino Rossi before Saturday's Women's Final, I found out it will be held at the Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan. It's on a Friday as OneSoccer has a triple-header of CPL games on Saturday. I don't have a problem with that (all going well) although I'm going to have to have to blast away from BMO Training Centre in Downsview where TFC II will have finished playing their final home game of the season in theory by 6:00pm. It just will be hard on supporters if their team is from out of town. The Men's teams of FC London and Oakville Blue Devils (who actually finished first) are in the quarterfinals right now. London is a two hour drive to Vaughan (north of Toronto) on a Saturday holiday weekend but try to get here on a weeknight with rush hour traffic. Oakville is a lot closer but it's harder to avoid the Toronto traffic. Also still in the mix are teams inside the GTA: Alliance United and Master's Futbol both from Scarborough Sigma FC and North Mississauga both from Mississauga Vaughan FC from Maple, new field is less than 10 km north-east from Ontario Soccer Centre Woodbridge Strikers (their home field is less than 500 metres from the Ontario Soccer Centre)

August 31, 2019 League1Ontario Women's Championship Oakville Blue Devils vs FC London played at Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan includes sound bytes of MVP Jade Kovacevic my game report at: http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports19/19l1o108.htm

August 31, 2019 League1Ontario Women's Championship Oakville Blue Devils vs FC London played at Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan includes sound bytes of MVP Jade Kovacevic my game report at: http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports19/19l1o108.htm

Using some footage of last year. February 1st is on a Friday though. Only one day/evening though. It's the soccer offseason though so maybe some more exhibits. Maybe TFC will be there? International Centre in Mississauga near the airport..could mean it's bigger depending on which 'Hall' they rent out. I remember Forge FC had a booth but York 9 FC did not! http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports18/18l1o202.htm There. Found my own recap of last year's show. It was August 26th so it's been put off until the offseason.

August 25, 2019 just a mention in my game report of the L1O game that North Mississauga SC will be playing at 'Park 459' by 2021 but not a site for CPL. hmm! http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports19/19l1o102.htm Anyone in that area know what are the plans for the development as a whole?

August 25, 2019 North Mississauga SC vs Alliance United FC quarterfinal match. My game report at: http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports19/19l1o102.htm

No electric equipment set up over there. You'd need miles of cables to go around the end zones to connect up.