June 23, 2006 CSL London City vs Windsor Border Stars (from London Free Press)

City left to rue missed chances

Sat, June 24, 2006

By MORRIS DALLA COSTA, FREE PRESS SPORTS COLUMNIST

London City had most of the play and most of the chances. But Windsor Border Stars had the only goal -- and that's all that really counts.

Windsor defeated London City 1-0 last night in Canadian Soccer League play at Cove Road, another tough loss at home.

"I'm disappointed, we deserved better than what we got," said coach Harry Gauss. "We created a lot of chances, but couldn't connect. The bottom line is you have to put the ball in the net."

City came out of the half trailing 1-0, but they deserved better.

Radek Papiez scored for Windsor when the City defence parted like the Red Sea. Papiez walked in from the top of the 18-yard box and beat starting goalie Haidar Al-Shaibani with a low shot. It was one of few good chances Windsor had.

City, on the other hand, had at least five good chances. With the insertion of 17-year-old striker Jose Bruno Mota from Hull, Que., City was as lively up front as they've been all year.

"He's got a lot of talent," said Gauss. "This is the level he has to produce at. He wants to go to Europe and play there, so he has to produce here. If he can't here, he won't make it.

"He's a crowd's delight. He got here at 2 a.m. and died a little in the second half, but he showed quite a bit."

City worked the ball well through the middle and when Windsor closed that up, London used the speed of Mota and Michel Daoust to give the Border Stars trouble.

The two best chances for City game off great passes from midfielder Johan Wikman.

In the fifth minute, he found Daoust through the middle, sending in him alone. Daoust hammered a shot that Border Stars goalkeeper Anthony Santilli stopped with his legs. The ball came down just over the top of the net.

In the 29th minute, Wikman found Mota with an identical pass. Mota went in alone as well and his hard shot was parried by Santilli.

Mota beat the Border Stars defence again in the 41st minute. He managed to evade a charging Santilli, but couldn't get enough on his shot and the ball was cleared by a Windsor player.

City again had injury trouble in net. Al-Shaibani came off with a shoulder problem in the 37th minute to be replaced by Ibrahim Hadzic, who was hurt against Oakville Blue Devils last week and still wasn't 100 per cent.

But Hadzic provided some stability. He acted like a sweeper, charging out to cut out any long balls. Unorthodox but effective, he was all over the field.

Notes
The Canadian Soccer League women's Canada Cup schedule has been changed again. There will only be two games at Cove Road today. Markham will play Brampton at 5:30 p.m. and London City Lady Selects will play the Border Stars at 8:30 p.m.

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