2nd Half:...starts 2:29pm...there is still a strong southwest wind.
halftime subs:...HT Arbelo replaces Cardenas.
...................HT Matthew O'Connor replaces Dukic.
46 min...HT Nelson 20 yard shot from left is palmed over net by flying goalie.
50 min...HT Cvetkovic 35 yard freekick up middle is blasted into wall, HT Cvetkovic gets ball back and runs up right and has cross caught by goalie on short side in front of HT players.
52 min...HT Nelson gets roller in TC box on right and low cross is caught by goalie.
53 min...HT Matthew O'Connor 35 yard shot is wide right.
53 min...HT Milaimovic cross from right after run has HT Gbeke redirect ball and TC defender on left post clears ball.
54 min...HT DiLuca 25 yard shot from right is well over net.
56 min...HT Miles O'Connor 25 yard shot is wide right.
58 min...TC Kresic 35 yard kick bounces wide right.
58 min...HT Milaimovic pushed over on edge of TC box but no call given.
58 min...TC goalie palms ball from left through box.
59 min...HT DiLuca cornerkick from right is whistled down on edge of box.
61 min...TC Harris hurt inside TC box with ball hitting his head.
63 min...TC sub...Sola replaces Crljen.
64 min...HT Matthew O'Connor eludes defender on left and rolls ball into box where HT Milaimovic directs ball wide left from 6 yards.
65 min...HT Milaimovic 20 yard kick from left is bounced to sprawling goalie.
66 min...HT players work out short cornerkick from right and cross to left with no HT player able to get in kick.
67 min...HT Cvetkovic hooks 30 yard shot over net.
69 min...TC Kresic rushes on left and HT Cvetkovic bumps him off ball and goalie dives on it.
70 min...TC sub...Marasovic replaces Kalic.
70 min...HT DiLuca 50 yard kick from right is caught by goalie.
71 min...HT Gbeke rushes down left and crosses ball behind net.
72 min...TC player's partial clearance has HT Miles O'Connor stop it and takes 30 yard shot that's whistled offside although goalie blocks ball pusheing it wide right.
73 min...HT Gbeke rushes up middle and pass to HT Milaimovic on right with his 20 yard shot over net.
75 min...HT DiLuca (?) 30 yard shot is over net.
76 min...HT Nelson gets to ball bounced in middle and one-touches 18 yard shot over net.
77 min...HT Gbeke heads 15 yarder that's caught by goalie.
77 min...TC Zupan injured at center on sliding tackle.
79 min...HT Miles O'Connor 25 yard roller on left is smothered by goalie after long run by HT player on right wing and pass over.
80 min...Thunder RED card...Charles Gbeke for a foul on the edge of the TC box got a Yellow card then referee Alex William pulled out a Red card for the air punching and cursing after the play. William filled in the details for me at the Awards banquet later in the evening that he'd already talked to Gbeke earlier in the game about his complaining.
81 min...HT Nelson blasts cross from right through TC box from 12 yards but no HT players in box to redirect.
85 min...HT Matthew O'Connor cornerkick from left is over all players in box that's wide right for goalkick.
87 min...HT Annisi 30 yard freekick from right has HT Milaimovic on left who can't redirect 10 yard header.
88 min...Toronto Croatia Leo Marasovic GOAL...Marasovic gets away on a 2 on 1 break from 45 yards and rush has him slide in 18 yard shot with goalie diving 10 yards out unable to stop ball.
89 min...HT Nelson cornerkick from left is low and TC Harris clears ball away from box.
90 min...TC sub...Peter Bedenikovic replaces Alstitud.
91 min...HT Annisi eludes two defender on right and his cross is caught by goalie.
92 min...TC goalie catches cross from HT Milaimovic.
92 min...game ends 3:16pm.
Final Score:..........Hamilton Thunder............0.............Toronto Croatia............2............
Attendance was about 100 people on this cool windy day. The wind really did play a factor in this game with the Thunder with the wind at their backs in the second half getting every shot they had with extra power towards the north goal. Toronto Croatia was really hanging on for the entire second half. Goaltender George Azcurra earned the shutout and just for that game could have earned the Goaltender of the Year award at the CPSL Awards dinner later in the evening. He did win! He looked confident rounding the player traffic and catching the crosses that that the Thunder kept putting into the box.
Another upset in today's second semi-final game. Toronto Croatia had played the previous evening in the Wild Card game and now won this matinee and now are in the final. Actually up to the last game of the season they would be a longshot to be here. They beat Brampton Hitmen with an injury time goal two Sunday's ago to jump from fourth to second in the Western Conference and passed the Hitmen in the standings and tied Windsor Border Stars but were given second because of a better record against that team. Last Sunday they beat the Border Stars 5-0 in a quarterfinal game they hosted.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
.
.