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Results of the Sunday September 26th, 2004 CPSL game between Brampton Hitmen and Toronto Croatia played at Victoria Park in Brampton at 3:00pm.
Brampton Hitmen (all white, navy numbers, baby blue shoulders and sleeve stripe)
........................21 Tony Swaminathan
...........22 Nicholas Poku...5 Milodrag Akmadzic...19 Sean Roberts (cpt)
18 Lovemore Ncube...10 Adolfo Mella...8 Bayete Smith...11 Paul Daccobert...6 Maximilliano Andrada
.....................17 Kurt Mella...9 Hugo Herrera
Subs:...29 Ricardo Isgro...2 Donald Burton...12 Jonathan Bustamante...3 Sean Holmes...20 Yusif Jawando...7 Jean Cruz Real...15 Angel Velasquez
team officials:...coach/manager Hector Marinaro...assistant coach Pernell Mason...official Ruben Toro
Toronto Croatia (blue socks, white shorts and numbers, red shirts)
..........................1 George Azcurra
...............3 Halburto Harris...5 Antonijo Zupan...6 Mario Kulis
22 Denny Draganic...11 Velemir Crljen...8 Hugo Alstitud...9 Zvjezdan Kresic...21 Marko Milicevic
......................16 Edin Kalic...10 Leo Laurito
Subs:...12 Vinko Kozinas (gk)...2 Ante Pavlovic...4 Rudy Spajic...7 Emil Vidra...15 Joseph Lewe (mid)...18 Marko Bedenikovic...23 Peter Bedenikovic
team officials:...manager Theo Krajacic...coach Josip Cvitanovic...assistant coach Ivan Cuvalo
Team officials:...referee Steve Cahoon...referee's assistants Afshin Korkorian and Mike Roeken...fourth official Robert Burns...match observer Angelo Magliocco
1st Half:...game starts 3:08pm...BH defend north end on this hot humid afternoon with a bright sun in the south.
4 min...TC Draganic freekick from 30 yards is just over top of net.
6 min...BH Adolfo Mella 30 yard freekick from right is booted away by sliding defender.
7 min...TC Kresic long run down left, cuts centering cross, TC Laurito quick 20 yard shot rolls to goalie.
9 min...BH Herrera 35 yard freekick is headed away by leaping defender.
10 min...BH Adolfo Mella 25 yard freekick balst hits top of crossbar ball out of play.
13 min...BH Daccobert injured when charging for pass at TC 25 yards. Freekick awarded.
14 min...BH Daccobert slips on 25 yard freekick and ball blocked and cleared by players in wall.
16 min...Toronto Croatia Marko Milicevic GOAL...TC Edin Kalic on rush down right wing and shot from 20 yards is wide left but Milicevic all alone put in 8 yarder from left into open net to right corner with goalie Tony Swaminathan caught out of play.
17 min...TC Kalic rush on right and 15 yard shot is over net on tough angle.
20 min...BH Ncube bounces 25 yard shot from right that's caught by goalie.
21 min...BH Adolfo Mella cornerkick from right is headed away by TC Crljen, rebound shot blocked on edge of box.
23 min...BH Smith long throw-in from right, BH Adolfo Mella gets to bounced ball on left and 12 yard kick is blocked by goalie.
24 min...BH Adolfo Mella 35 yard freekick from left is headed away on edge of box, BH Smith 25 yard rebound is well over net.
25 min...TC Kalic 25 yard shot from right is blocked by sliding goalie.
26 min...TC Kresic rolls ball forward too far ahead for TC Kalic so BH goalie grabs it.
27 min...BH Herrera low 20 yard shot from right has diving goalie block and then crawl for rebound as ball is rolling towards net.
28 min...TC Laurito low 20 yard shot bounces to goalie.
29 min...BH Akmadzic bumps TC Laurito off ball on left so goalie can dive for it.
30 min...TC Kresic long run up left and 10 yard shot from left pushed wide left by sliding goalie. A BH defender was injured on the play.
31 min...TC Laurito cornerkick from left, BH Akmadzic leaps and heads ball away, TC Kresic low 15 yard shot is saved.
32 min...BH Daccobert 20 yard blast defelcts off foot of TC Harris well over net wide right.
33 min...BH Adolfo Mella cornerkick from right, cleared, BH player kicks ball back in and ball ball deflected over net.
34 min...BH Adolfo Mella cornerkick from right is cleared out of box.
36 min...TC Draganic 25 yard shot from right is wide right.
37 min...BH Poku run on right and chips to goalie and retrating goalie palms over net.
38 min...BH player cornerkick from left has charging goalie punch ball forward.
39 min...TC Laurito on left crosses over players in box, TC Draganic 25 yard shot from right is well over net.
40 min...BH Daccobert 35 yard freekick has BH player in crowd of players 12 yards on left pop up header over net.
42 min...TC Milicevic rush down left and crosses over box but wins cornerkick.
43 min...TC Draganic cornerkick from right is caught by goalie in crowd.
44 min...BH Adolfo Mella freekick from from 25 yards on right has forward kick to BH Ncube intercepted, BH Adolfo Mella gets ball back and 25 yard cross has BH Akmadzic leaping 8 yard header.
44 min...TC Kalic cornerkick from left has leaping goalie swat ball back left.
45 min...TC Kalic cornerkick from left has goalie punch away ball.
46 min...BH Poku 45 yard cross from right is over crowd and caught by goalie.
47 min...BH goalie catches long throw-in from right.
47 min...half ends 3:55pm.
2nd Half:...starts 4:13pm.
halftime sub...BH Velasquez replaces Poku.
49 min...BH player's 30 yard freekick from right deflects off head off wall and leaping goalie swats ball off head player.
51 min...TC Laurito pushes ball ahead on left for TC Harris to shoot 15 yarder that tips for cornerkick.
52 min...TC Draganic cornerkick from right is whistled down in box.
52 min...TC Laurito injured in center circle.
54 min...TC Harris run on left and cross headed over box by defender.
55 min...BH Adolfo Mella 30 yard freekick from left near corner into box and BH Daccobert 12 yard shot just wide of top left corner of net.
56 min...BH Smith long throw-in punched away by goalie.
57 min...TC Draganic rush up middle on 3 on 2 and cahips 15 yard shot over net.
59 min...TC Laurito rush on right and though ball to TC Draganic has him flub shot off target from inside box.
60 min...TC Laurito on left, TC Crljen in center finds pass to TC Kalic on edge of box on right but play called back offside.
61 min...TC Laurito rush on left eludes defender and 20 yard shot is blasted well over net.
62 min...BH Smith through ball from left too far for BH forward and goalie picks up easy ball.
64 min...BH Ncube through ball kick from left is stopped by charging goalie.
66 min...TC Harris rush on left and 10 yard shot near left end line blocked by sliding goalie.
67 min...BH Bustamante gets to ball on left of box and blasts 10 yarder well over net.
68 min...BH sub...Real replaces Kurt Mella.
68 min...TC Kalic pushes ball by defender but goalie runs out to pick it up.
69 min...TC Kresic 40 yard freekick from right, TC Laurito knocks down ball on header and 12 yard shot point blank tipped wide by sprawling goalie.
70 min...TC player's cornerkick from left (second in a row from right) has BH defender head ball out just by right top corner.
71 min...BH Real gets to ball on box and sliding pop up from 15 yards is caught by goalie.
71 min...TC goalie flies left to push ball away on 25 yard blast through players in box.
73 min...BH Kurt Mella after short cornerkick from left crosses from left line and defender blocks and clears ball.
75 min...BH Akmadzic stays with TC Laurito on rush up left and poke checks him when he tries to cut in.
76 min...BH Ncube 20 yard kick from cetner is well wide left.
78 min...TC Kalic given through ball on right and rush upfield, 15 yard shot has goalie get hand to ball and tip across box but defender clears.
79 min...BH sub...Jawando replaces Andrada.
............TC sub...Bedenickovic replaces Milicevic.
80 min...TC players 25 yard shot chipped wide right.
83 min...TC Laurito leads 3 on 1 rush and pushes ball past BH Akmadzic but goalie picks up ball in box.
85 min...TC sub...Bedenikovic replaces Draganic.
86 min...Hitmen Jonathan Bustamante GOAL...Hitmen Adolfo Mella rushes on left and 15 yard shot has goalie George Azcurra slide over to left post and possibly get piece of ball and Bustamante gets 3 yarder on right post to pound in shot to open net on right side.
87 min...TC Kalic cross to TC Laurito has goalie cahrge out to grab ball.
88 min...TC Zupan slides to get to centering pass and 15 yard shot tipped wide right.
89 min...TC Crljen on second cornerkick from right has charging TC Zupan have BH defender tip shot wide.
89 min...TC Crljen cornerkick from right has goalie catch in crowd of players in box.
90 min...BH Kurt Mella up middle, short cross to left for Ncube has shot blocked.
91 min...TC goalie charges out to kick away BH Bustamante cross pass, BH Kurt Mella follow up shot from 20 yards is off target.
92 min...TC Crljen 30 yard freekick from right is headed away by defender.
93 min...Toronto Croatia Leo Laurito GOAL...TC Zvjezdan Kresic rushes up right wing and cuts cross from 12 yards on right over defender and goalie and Laurito on left post 5 yards out has time to knock ball down and blast 3 yarder into top of net.
94 min...game ends 5:02pm.
Final Score:..........Brampton Hitmen.........1............Toronto Croatia.........2.......
Attendance was about 250 on this hot humid day with a bright sun in the south.
I'd rank this game as the most exciting 'League' (i.e. two league teams in a regular season game) game of the year that I've attended. This game was filled with end to end action on rushes and counterattacks. Toronto Croatia were really pressing at the end after the Hitmen equalized with their goalie playing sweeper at the center line knowing a tie would not likely be enough to get them into the playoffs. Toronto Croatia were ahead of Hitmen in the standings but would have been knocked out if they hadn't won as people expect Hitmen will win their game in hand against the already ousted London City later this week. Hitmen as host of the playoffs this year get a spot in the Wildcard game.
Leo Laurito scored the winner on about his tenth opportunity with other chances being either saved, off target, or passed off to other Croatia players. Adolfo Mella had the most opportunities for the Hitmen but his chances were also saved or off target. Both teams had many cornerkick and freekick chances. The game was fairly close checking but referee Steve Cahoon didn't give out any cards this afternoon.
Hitmen's regular captain Phil Ionadi was missed in the midfielder and I caught him on the way out when I saw him. He said he'd just landed at 3:30pm at the airport after attending a family wedding in Italy. Defender Sean Roberts wore the armband today. Some of the Windsor Border Stars players were scouting this game from the stands as they were in town overnight and had a game a few hours later in Vaughan against Vaughan Shooters.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
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