2nd Half:...starts 9:11pm...there's still a gusty wind from the south and more misty rain is falling.
47 min...VSD Chibueze cross from right end line that's behind net.
49 min...VSD Giumerra 35 yard freekcik up middle roller that goalie saves on right side.
53 min...MO sub...Haddad replaces Brown.
54 min...MO Fitzwilliams pushes ball forward to charging MO Tilley runs down left and takes 15 yard shot that's deflected off defender.
55 min...VSD McDonald pushes ball up middle to VSD Gus Kouzmanis who turns and fires low 20 yard shot just wide left.
61 min...MO DiPlacido sends ball up middle and MO Tilley gets in alone on run and chips ball from 18 yards over goalie but tips off top of crossbar.
62 min...VSD Tommy Kouzmanis 15 yard shot from left blocked on short side by goalie for cornerkick.
64 min...Olympians Adrian Serioux GOAL...Serioux in a crowd of players in box blasts 10 yarder into top left corner of net.
65 min...MO Lawrence 35 yard freekick from right is well over net.
67 min...now sheets of rain are falling.
70 min...VSD Giumerra 20 yard freekick into player's leg in wall. VSD Hazan rebound blast into wall, VSD Smith shot from 12 yards is wide left.
72 min...MO goalie stops VSD Gus Kouzmanis point blank from 5 yards.
73 min...VSD Marshall chips ball from 25 yards that VSD Smith leaping header from left 5 yards stopped by goalie flying to right.
74 min...VSD Gus Kouzmanis turns and cuts 10 yard shot to goalie.
77 min...VSD Tommy Kouzmanis cornerkick from right is over players in box.
78 min...Sun Devils Gus Kouzmanis GOAL...Gus gets ball up middle all alone and his 20 yard shot is stopped point blank by goalie Patrick Osunduba but ball rolls over him and Gus taps ball into open net from 10 yards.
80 min...VSD Giumerra 25 yard shot is over net.
81 min...VSD Gus Kouzmanis cuts up middle and slips as he shoots wide left from 12 yards.
82 min...MO sub...Ornoch replaces Tilley.
83 min...VSD player takes 15 yard shot over net.
84 min...MO Giumerra runs up left and sliding VSD Garzon knocks ball out of bounds.
84 min...my umbrella flips inside out in the wind.
85 min...MO goalie picks up roller on left corner of net as low cross sent in from near left end line.
86 min...Olympians Hayden Fitzwilliams GOAL...Fitzwilliams scores while in all alone from 40 yards on through ball as he fires low shot to right corner of net from 15 yards on left side.
88 min...VSD Gus Kouzmanis blasts shot from left side that goalie stops on right corner that he knocks away then crashes with VSD forward. VSD Garzon gets a rebound on partial clearance and blasts over net from 25 yards.
90 min...VSD Giumerra 35 yard shot freekick that lands in box but knocked around and ends in goalkick as VSD McDonald crosses over from right near end line but behind net.
91 min...game ends 9:57pm.
Final Score:.........Vaughan Sun Devils..........3............Mississauga Olympians.........4........
Attendance was about 40 tonight. There was a strong wind from the south right from the start of the game. As we'd been warned all day by weather reports, the Toronto area was going to be hit with the remnants of Hurricane Lili tonight. The rain started drizzling in the first half but really got to sheets of water falling during the last half hour of the game. With 15 minutes to go the strong wind picked up the tent/canopy used by the PA announcers much like it turned my umbrella inside out in the first half. I ended the game dictating the highlights into my microrecorder because I couldn't write anything in my wet notebook. Still, I'd rate this the second most exciting game I've seen this year (last week's semi-final Cup game was the best).
Referee Mike Czetanovic didn't give out any cards in this wide open game although there were a lot of offside calls. Hayden Fitzwilliams scored two of the goals for the Olympians. Olympians coach David Gee said he and the A-League Toronto Lynx both tried to sign him back in May. He's played with the Olympians for about a month. Lynx players on the roster tonight were Adrian Serioux, Sean Faria, and David DiPlacido. Brian Ashton was at a banquet and Ryan Lucas was leaving for home in Barbados. Tonight's win clinches 2nd place in the Western Conference and means they will host the home game against Hamilton Thunder.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
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