back to 1st half details

2nd Half:...starts 8:59pm.
halftime sub...TC Harapyn replaces Kulis.
47 min...DS Ennis 20 yard shot deflected to goalie.
47 min...TC O'Connor steps into ball on edge of box and 18 yard shot is caught by goalie.
48 min...DS Circelli 30 yard freekick from right is caught by goalie.
51 min...TC player's 35 yard freekick from right is pushed up right for TC O'Connor for cross into box but play called offside.
52 min...TC Kalic rolls 15 yard shot from right through crowd of players wide left of net.
53 min...TC O'Connor 20 yard roller is picked up by goalie.
56 min...TC Marasovic long run down left when DS Gennaro misses tackle and defender pushes him off ball on left side of box.
57 min...TC Zupan chips ball into box but play cleared.
58 min...Toronto Croatia Caswain Mason GOAL...Mason rush down left wing and low 12 yard cross that diving goalie on left post loses control of and as he sprawls he pushes ball into own net.
58 min...DS sub...Brown replaces Berceda.
............DS sub...Aloia replaces Estrada.
64 min...TC Laurito 20 yard freekick from extreme right is knocked away in box.
65 min...TC Kalic chipped ball forward and blasts 15 yarder over net as he's being pushed off ball.
67 min...TC Harris cross through box along left line but no TC player around to take shot.
68 min...DS Potter replaces Fennell.
69 min...TC Laurito 25 yard blasts shot from right is well high and wide left after short cornerkick from right is worked out.
71 min...DS Ennis 20 yard low blast through crowd of players that goalie stops and falls on endling good DS pressure including a few blocked shots in box.
73 min...TC player's short cornerkick from right is worked out and TC Mason crosses ball wide left.
74 min...TC player's 30 yard shot from right is caught by goalie well off line.
77 min...TC Laurito holds off defender on right and cross to center chipped ahead offside.
78 min...TC sub...Pavlovic replaces Marasovic.
..............DS sub...Diamini replaces Ennis.
79 min...TC Zupan pokes 7 yarder that is easy for goalie to stop.
83 min...DS goalie catches high popped up ball in crowd of players.
84 min...TC sub...Gubesic replaces Zupan.
87 min...TC Laurito cross from left has TC player in box offside.
88 min...DS Harris 40 yard freekick from right has TC goalie charge out in crowd to grab bouncer on left of box.
89 min...TC Mason long run down left wing but crosses ball over box.
91 min...DS oglaie palms ball through box on TC player's cross from right line.
92 min...game ends 10:01pm.

Final Score:..............Toronto Croatia...........2............Durham Storm.............1............

Attendance was around 125 on this extremely hot and humid night. I felt Toronto Croatia held the upper hand in this game with more chances but they were often thwarted by offside flags or no one in the box to play the excellent crosses sent in by Caswain Mason, Halburto Harris, and Leo Laurito.

Referee Alex Williams kept this game pretty much under control except at the 40 minute mark when Croatia goal scorer Peter Curic pushed Storm's Matt Gennaro over as the Storm player got ready to place a free kick. Gennaro retaliated and the referee gave both player cards away from the action but the other players on the field got into a shoving match. Both coaches called on their players to back off. The Storm bench complained because they lost two players Red carded last week in Montreal (Laval Dynamites) for the same kind of incident. Manager Velemir Crljen wisely subbed off Curic immediately because he looked like he would soon be baited into a fight any minute.

CPSL 2004 Goalie of the Year George Azcurra was in the net for Toronto Croatia. I saw him on FSWC television playing beach soccer at a tournament in Brazil for the Canadian National Beach Soccer team. He says the ball isn't much different than a regular soccer ball. (Wow I'm sure I'd break my toes kicking a ball barefoot). Season starting goalie Roman Harapyn played as a defender when he came into the game at halftime.

The field wasn't in good shape. The grass was long and really slowed down the ball and ground passes maybe helping to keep the ball in play on this short, narrow field. The long grass helped cover some of the bald patches. Maybe an appropriate name for this place would be "Combover Field".

The Croatian "Olympic" team had played Toronto Croatia a few weeks ago in an exhibition game and beat the local team 4-1. It was supposed to be 2-1 until the last twenty minutes when Toronto put their subs in so they could say they had the opportunity to play. This Olympic team right now is the Croatian Under 21 team but they'll be Olympic age by the next games in China.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

back to CPSL menu

.

.