June 16, 2013 CSL--Toronto Croatia vs Niagara United (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Sunday June 16, 2013 CSL game between Toronto Croatia and Niagara United played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 8:00pm.

Toronto Croatia (blue socks, white shorts and numbers, red shirts)

.....................12 Antonio Ilic
7 Halburto Harris...4 Sven Arapovic...3 Josip Keran...15 Ainsley Deer
19 Petar Mingon...8 Hayden Fitzwilliams...16 Josip Strkalj...22 Mladen Bajamic
..............10 Tihomir Maletic (cpt)...9 Kresimir Prgomet

Subs:...1 Sergio Moralo (gk)...17 Bryan Martinez (fwd)...18 Blazej Skoczylas (fwd)...20 David Alva (mid)...21 Christian Kusiewicz (mid) ...23 Nikola Brtan (def)...25 Joseph Filipic (mid)
team officials:...head coach Miodrag Akmadzic...manager Ivan Kulis...assistant manager Perica Arapovic...physio Amanda Liddle

Niagara United (all black, sky blue numbers)

......................1 Jonathan Bruggeling
9 Lucas Folino...28 Marco Stencel...6 Malcolm Mings...13 Chris Lanni
43 Matta Waddington...8 Johnnhy Paiva...35 Anthony Mermigas (cpt)...17 Derek Paterson
..............19 Keith Makubuya...38 Preston Corporal

Subs:...40 John DeLuca (gk)...4 Anthony Fruci (def)...14 Matthew Cain (mid)...21 Gary Boughton (--)...24 William Janetos (--) ...36 Michael Vitaterna
team officials:...head coach James McGillivray...manager Tony Visca...assistant manager Micahel Lapoyda

Game officials:...referee Marie-Soleil Beaudoin...referee's assistants Miriam Jabali and Carmen Currie...fourth official Genevieve Woo ...(neon yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...starts 8:01pm...TC defends south end on this warm evening with a bright sun in the north west.
1 min...TC Maletic cornerkick from left has NU Mermigas head away from inside box on right.
2 min...NU goalie out jumps TC Prgomet to catch high ball.
2 min...TC Prgomet rolls cross from 15 yards on left through box and NU goalie dives to right to block TC Bajamic who can't get 10 yard shot on right and deflects for goalkick.
7 min...TC Maletic bounces 30 yard freekick from right that goalie catches on right post.
10 min...TC Prgomet looked like he pushed ball too far ahead on run down left but gets shot as he's bumped by NU Folino and goalie saves 10 yard shot.
12 min...NU Makubuya 25 yard is low and blast from left deflects off defender.
12 min...NU Corporal 25 yard blast down middle deflects off defender and flies over net.
14 min...TC sub...Alva replaces Mingon.
16 min...TC Maletic 35 yard freekick from right has goalie catch over head of TC Arapovic.
17 min...TC Maletic cornerkick from right has defender head away and TC Bajamic blast from 25 yards over players and over net.
19 min...NU Stencel heads ball back to goalie to prevent charging TC Prgomet gettting to ball on left wing.
20 min...TC Maletic pushes pass too far forward from 20 yards down middle to left for TC Fitzwilliams to get to but ball rolls over end line.
22 min...TC Keran 30 yard freekick from left is blasted and bends over net.
23 min...NU (TC own goal) GOAL...NU Chris Lanni freekick from 40 yards on left has TC Sven Arapovic at 12 yards flick header into own net just under bar on left past goalie Antonio Ilic guarding center of net.
24 min...NU goalie rushes wide left to bat down ball and gather it in from TC Fitzwilliams.
26 min...TC Maletic rush on right and 22 yard shot has goalie dive and push ball wide right of net.
27 min...TC Maletic cornerkick from right has TC player win freekick on left end line.
28 min...TC Bajamic 15 yard freekick along left endline has TC Keran head 6 yarder down and ball bounces wide right of net but play had been whistled down for pushing in box.
30 min...TC Harris heads ball behind charging goalie at 22 yards on pop up but defender at 15 yards clears.
31 min...TC Maletic rush up middle and is jostled off shot by NU Folino at 15 yards and TC Deer follows up with 20 yard shot from left into outside webbing of net.
32 min...NU YELLOW card...Lanni earns it for tackle at NU 40 yards.
34 min...NU Mermigas 20 yard blast from left has goalie block but defender partially clears from 8 yards. NU players rekick twice on deflections including one by Makabuya. NU Mermigas than kicks 18 yarder over bar.
35 min...the setting sun is no longer a factor.
36 min...TC Deer cross from 25 yards on left has TC Maletic head ball over bar at 5 yards on right.
37 min...NU Mermigas suffers head injury at TC 50 yards.
37 min...NU Corporal flicks 25 yard header up middle that bounces for goalie to save.
39 min...TC Harris low cross from right near cornerflag has defender clear at 7 yards in box.
40 min...TC Prgomet 15 yard chip cross from right is caught by goalie.
41 min...TC Kresimir Prgomet GOAL...TC Mladen Bajamic recovers a blast that had deflected off defender and rolls ball forward up middle for Prgomet to turn and shoot 12 yarder low into left side of net with goalie Jonathan Bruggeling anchored to center of net.
43 min...TC Harris 18 yard blast from right is caught by sprawling goalie.
44 min...TC Maletic short rush to right end line and crosses from 15 yards is behind net.
44 min...NU Folino cross from 25 yards on right is through box unplayed and out left side.
47 min...half ends 8:48pm.

2nd Half:...starts 9:03pm.
46 min...NU Lanni long throw-in from left is headed away. NU Waddington 30 yard shot from left is wide right of net.
47 min...NU YELLOW card...Paiva earns it for pushing over TC Bajamic on run up right.
48 min...TC Bajamic 28 yard freekick is into player wall and bounces ball over wall but defender behind them clears.
52 min...NU Waddington 35 yard freekick from left is wide left but wins cornerkick on goalie's pushing ball out of play.
53 min...NU Mermigas cornerkick from left has ball just over jumping players.
54 min...TC Maletic taps ball back to TC Harris on right at 25 yards and TC Harris sends forward pass that rolls over end line.
55 min...TC Progomet is given pass on throug ball when TC player beats defender to high ball at 45 yards. TC Prgomet on far right rounds goalie but 20 yard shot on tough angle is well over net as defenders get back into play.
55 min...NU YELLOW card...Waddington earns it for complaining about last play.
56 min...NU Waddington 35 yard freekick down middle is blasted well over net.
57 min...NU Coporal cuts low 30 yard shot from right well wide right of net.
60 min...NU sub...Vitaterna replaces somebody.
63 min...TC Maletic cornerkick from right has defender head ball wide left for throw-in.
64 min...NU goalie charges to 25 yards to beat TC Maletic to through ball pass.
65 min...NU Mermigas cornerkick from left is well over box and NU player's recross from right is over box to NU Mermigas who chips cross and NU Makubuya misses good connection on bicycle kick at 18 yards in middle.
69 min...TC sub...Skoczylas replaces Strkalj.
.........NU sub...Janetos replaces Paiva.
71 min...NU Folino long throw-in from right has ball headed away in box.
72 min...TC Alva rolls pass forward to TC Folino but he's squeezed out of play by two NU defenders for goalie to grab ball.
73 min...NU Stencel 30 yard freekick from right has goalie fly to left and push ball away from NU player on left post.
74 min...NU Waddington 33 yard shot from left is low and bounces to goalie.
77 min...NU Stencel 30 yard freekick from right drops into box and NU Makabuya misses header lunging at 8 yards.
78 min...TC Bajamic 30 yard freekick is blocked in player wall.
80 min...TC Folino flicks 30 yard header that bounces to goalie.
81 min...TC Maletic pushes pass forward to TC Prgomet on rusn up right and cutting in has 15 yard shot deflect off defender and sprawling goalie saves at right post.
83 min...TC Harris cross from 30 yards on right is through box wide left nad rescued on end line but cleared.
83 min...TC sub...Martinez replaces Skoczylas.
84 min...TC Martinez rolls pass forward just a step ahead of TC Maletic at 12 yards.
87 min...NU Makabuya cross from right is over box.
87 min...TC Martinez charges for loose ball but shot is blocked by charging goalie.
88 min...TC Bajamic low 20 yard shot from right is wide right of net.
88 min...TC YELLOW card...Arapovic earns it for knock on head of NU Waddington at TC 50 yards.
89 min...NU player's 50 yard freekick has defender head ball back for goalie to catch.
89 min...TC Bajamic blasts 30 yard shot from right wide right of net.
91 min...NU Stencel 45 yard freekick from right has defender clear and NU Waddington blasts 20 yard shot over net from left.
93:35 min...game ends 9:51pm.

Final Score:.....Toronto Croatia.........1..........Niagara United............1..............

Attendance was about 90 on this warm night.

The officiating crew were all female tonight led by referee Marie-Soleil Beaudoin. Croatia players and fans were upset by how many offside calls they had called against them. Niagara players were upset in expecting more freekick calls for the hard checking on their players. With such a small crowd it was easy to make out what was being said on the field. Beaudoin was vocal too thanking her assistants for flagging plays.

Best non-scoring chances started early--2 minutes--with TC Kresimir Prgomet rolling a cross from 15 yards on the left through the box and the NU goalie dived to the right to block TC Mladen Bajamic from getting a clear 10 yard shot and was able to deflect it for a cornerkick. 26 minutes had TC Tihomir Maletic rush on the right and take a low 22 yard shot that the diving goalie pushed wide right of the post. 34 minutes had NU Anthony Mermigas take a 20 yard blast from the left that the goalie blocked and a defender partially cleared from 8 yards. NU players got in two rebound kicks that defenders blocked including one from Keith Makabuya then Mermigas finished by kicking an 18 yarder over the bar. 36 minutes had TC Ainsley Deer cross from 25 yards on the left and Maletic headed over the bar from 5 yards on the right.

Second half had TC Prgomet given through ball pass over on the right and he rounded the goalie but his 20 yard shot on a tough angle was well over the net although by then enough defenders were back to try a goal line save at 55 minutes. 77 minutes had NU Marco Stencel take a 30 yard freekick from the right that dropped into the box and NU Makabuya lunged for a header at 8 yards but missed. 81 minutes had TC Maletic push a pass forward to TC Prgomet on a run up the right and he cut towards the goal and took a 15 yard shot that was deflected off a defender and the sprawling goalie saved on the right post.

This was a very productive weekend for Niagara in their visit to Toronto. They earned their first victory of the season on Friday night against Serbian White Eagles 1-0 at this same stadium. They went back to Niagara Falls then came back here for tonight's game. Their Reserves team travelled to Mississauga to beat Toronto Croatia 'B' 4-1 on Saturday night. Head coach James McGillivray answered me after the game that no player stayed in Toronto for the weekend nor played all three games.

Toronto Croatia's record is now 4 wins, 1 tie, 0 losses and Niagara's is 1 win, 3 ties, 3 losses.

I had only half hour from the end of the Brampton vs Waterloo game to get here in time but thanks to a key tip of which exit to turn off take I got here just before the national anthems.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Niagara United starters