October 7, 2017 League 1 Ontario--Match Recap: Masters FA Saints vs Durham United FA (by Rocket Robin (from League 1 Ontario)

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Result and details of the Saturday October 7, 2017 League 1 Ontario game between
Masters FA Saints and Durham United played at L'Amoreaux Park in Scarborough at 3:30pm.

Masters FA Saints (all red, white numbers and shoulders)

......................99 Daniel Gosciniak
17 Patrick Baradi...16 Randy Durand Miyenga...5 Marc Jankovic...13 Paul Antoine
6 Eddy Dabire...7 Kevin Dhillon...8 Cosco Thomas...30 Marcus Malcom
............70 Jose De Sousa...10 Joey Melo

Subs:...0 Danny Grant (gk)...19 Aaryn Massy...15 Dhailo Pozo...3 Yasin Shahwan
...14 Kamden Holder...12 Josh Lee
team officials:...head coach Rick Titus...other team officials Junior Groves, Coach Mason,
Tajlor Plaja, Randy Olsen, and Norm Lee

Durham United FA (all white, red numbers)

....................1 Peter Katsaras
.......4 Vince Sasso...5 Joe Zupo (cpt)...6 Cameron Brooks
15 Tyrell Rayne...7 Christian Moncrieffe...17 Joseph Roccasalva...8 Shaud Claud Lawson...2 Trevor Hill
.............19 Dylan Campbell...9 La Rohne Young

Subs:...0 Ben Cowman (gk)...11 Hayden Clarke...12 David Reilly...18 Isaiah Greaves
team officials:...head coach Sanford Carabin...other team officials Desmond Warner, Felix Direnzo,
and Eugend Alves

Game officials:...referee Hassane Rifai...referee's assistants Brad Doubrough and Cyrus Eshafri
fourth official Ricky Wu...(all black uniforms)

First Half:...game starts 3:36pm. MFA defend south end on this mild partly overcast afternoon. There's
a strong wind from the west that before the game carries the tent away that covered the timekeeper's tent
until it was tied to the fence.
1 min...MFA Thomas cross from 25 yards on left is just a step ahead of MFA Dabire flyng header at 3 yards on right.
2 min...MFA Melo low 22 yarder between players up middle is caught by goalie.
9 min...MFA Melo in middle at 35 yards feeds pass to MFA Thomas charging up left and he trips over ball under
defender's pressure without getting away 8 yard shot.
12 min...DUFA Campbell run down left but runs over end line before he can cross.
13 min...DUFA Rayne cross from 12 yards on right has MFA Jankovic deflect ball for cornerkick.
14 min...DUFA Roccasalva cornerkick from right has DUFA Hill jump and deflect ball with foot a 6 yarder down middle
that goalie dives to smother on left post.
16 min...DUFA Rayne high cross from 25 yards on right gets blown well over box by wind.
16 min...MFA Dabire can't save ball near right corner flag that would have him in clear all alone.
17 min...DUFA Moncrieffe 60 yard freekick from right has bounce through defenders but too far forward at 15 yards
and goalie catches on bounce.
18 min...MFA YELLOW card...Dhillon earns it for swearing at DUFA Moncrieffe's ankle kick that injured him.
20 min...DUFA Rayne run to right end line and long cross has goalie fly forward to punch ball away.
22 min...DUFA Campbell shot from 15 yards is caught by goalie.
22 min...MFA Melo 45 yard freekick from left is through box and wide right.
24 min...MFA Thomas low cross from right wins cornerkick.
25 min...MFA Jankovic heads long cross from right down at 5 yards on left but DUFA goalie picks up ball.
26 min...MFA defender clears n box to prevent DUFA shot.
28 min...DUFA Lawson finishes pressure blasting partial headed clearance into crowd of players.
29 min...DUFA Campbell makes point blank shot at 10 yards on left that's saved by goalie.
30 min...MFA Da Sousa gets taps over pass and his 15 yard shot is just wide left off deflection but wins cornerkick.
31 min...MFA Thomas cornerkick from left is headed wide right on bounce in crowd of players.
32 min...MFA Melo cornerkick from left is sent through box unplayed.
33 min...MFA Melo blasts partial clearance from 25 yards down middle but over net.
34 min...DUFA Rayne run down rght and survives jostling by MFA Antoine to shoot 10 yarder on rght end line across
box for goalkick.
37 min...DUFA Rayne rusn down right and rolls cross/shot from 18 yards that goalie picks up.
38 min...DUFA Young 33 yard freekick from left is caught by goalie on right post.
39 min...MFA Melo bnlasts 25 yard shot down middle that ogalie bats down and defender clears.
40 min...DUFA Roccasalva cornerkick from left has ball headed in box and DUFA Zupo blasts 18 yarder from right
over net.
42 min...MFA Melo in mddle on run slides and passes to left and MFA De Sousa at 18 yards on open shot shoots into
left outside webbing of net.
46 min...half ends 4:21pm.

Second Half:...starts 4:39pm.
halftime sub:...MFA Shahwan replaces Beradi.
46 min...DUFA Zupo 45 yard freekick down middle has DUFA Roccasalva flick 10 yard header that leaping goalie
palms over net.
46 min...DUFA Roccasalva cornerkick from left is over box. A recross from the right side is sent behind end line.
47 min...MFA De Sousa is centered low cross and he blasts 18 yarder well over net.
48 min...MFA Melo low cross from left has MFA De Sousa shoots 18 yarder just over net.
49 min...MFA Shahwan on run down right eludes two defenders and shoots 15 yarder over net.
50 min...MFA Dhillon 55 yard freekick up middle bounces wide left for goalkick.
52 min...MFA Shahwan low cross from 25 yards on right is through box unplayed.
54 min...DUFA Campbell eludes sliding tackle on long run up left and blasts 10 yarder that sprawling goalie stops
wide left of post.
55 min...DUFA Zupo 45 yard freekick down middle has MFA Jankovic head ball away on edge of box.
56 min...MFA Paul Antoine GOAL...Antone intercepts DUFA player's clearance and fires 22 yard from
left as he falls and sends ball into top right corner past goalie Peter Katsaras.
57 min...MFA Melo pass to MFA Antoine who shoots wide left from 3 yards.
58 mn...MFA player's cornerkick from left is through box.
59 min...MFA Thomas run down middle cutting in from left has 10 yard shot pushed wide right by goalie.
60 min...MFA Thomas cornerkick from left is partially cleared and MFA Jankovic's 18 yard header is wide left.
61 min...MFA Dabire run up middle from center and 22 yard blast is wide right.
63 min...MFA Melo cuts in from left and shot is saved.
64 min...DUFA sub...Clarke replaces Lawson.
65 min...DUFA sub...Greaves replacces Hill.
67 min...DUFA Brooks is injured at MFA 40 yard line. A water break is improvised while trainer treats Brooks.
69 min...MFA Shahwan cross from right finds MFA De Sousa who turns and fires 12 yarder over net.
71 min...DFUA Moncrieffe 40 yard freekick down middle has goalie catch on bounce just wide of left post.
72 min...DUFA Campbell long run on left and cross has MFA player head over own net.
72 min...DUFA player's cornerkick from right is cleared from box for fast break.
73 min...DUFA Greaves cross from left and has DUFA player recross from right but DUFA Young can't get away shot
on swarming by defenders at 8 yards.
74 min...DUFA Campbell 30 yard shot up middle is smothered by goalie.
75 min...MFA De Sousa 25 yard freekick hits head in player wall.
77 min...MFA Thomas rolls pass too far forward from 25 yards and goalie picks it up to prevent completion.
79 min...MFA sub...Pozo replaces Malcom.
80 min...MFA Jankovic 60 yard freekick finds MFA Shahwan on right and his cross along end line has goalie palm
across goal and out left side of box.
81 min...MFA Antoine cornerkick from left has MFA Jankovic head ball from 15 yards and goalie catches on bounce.
83 min...MFA Jankovic concedes cornerkick on low cross from right.
83 min...DUFA player's cornerkick from right has MFA player head away for fast break.
84 min...MFA Shahwan low cross from right has defender stop pass in box.
85 min...DUFA Young turns and fres but defender slides to deflect shot out for cornerkick.
85 min...DUFA player's cornerkick from right has defender clear.
86 min...MFA Jose De Sousa GOAL...De Sousa is fed pass up the middle by MFA goalie Daniel Gosciniak
for 40 yard breakaway and he runs up middle and rolls 20 yarder to right side of net with goalie
sprawling in center.
86 min...While MFA De Sousa and and about half his teammates go back to celebrate with their own goalie,
DUFA players restart and MFA have to prevent something like an 8 v 3 rush.
88 min...MFA sub...Holder replaces Thomas.
.........MFA sub...Massy replaces Durand Miyenga.
.........MFA sub...Lee replaces Melo.
89 min...MFA player's 30 yard freekick from left is roller wide left of net.
89 min...MFA Shahwan 15 yard shot on right deflects off defender and pops up for goalie to catch.
90 min...DUFA Campbell pokes 18 yarder up middle that goalie stops.
92 min...MFA De Sousa cross from left has MFA Shahwan at 10 yards twist header that goalie catches.
93 min...game ends 5:27pm.

Final Score:....Masters FA Saints...2...Durham United FA...0...

Attendance was about 50 on this warm sunny afternoon with 
a strong crossfield wind from the west.

Referee Hassane Rifai gave out only one Yellow card all game 
that I notivrf and that was actually 'for language' not for 
a pushing match after Kevin Dhillon of Masters was upended 
on a sliding tackle with 'studs up' he said. He got up on used 
most of the words from the George Carlin routine 'Seven words 
you can't say on television' or Andy Kaufman and Jerry Lawler 
on David Letterman. Lots of freekicks but Rifai let the two 
teams play.

In a pregame ceremony a man in a wheelchair was brought out 
to take part in the coin-toss. It was the father of Master's 
Patrick Beradi who is suffering from MS. After the game the 
players grouped together to walk to the stands to say goodbye 
to their fans for the season and made sure to thank the father.

Durham had only brought three subs and one of them was a backup 
goalie whom club officials warned the fourth official was 
an unlikely option to come in as a field player. Another player 
came later too late to be on the roster (so he was ineligible 
to play) but was given special permission to sit on the bench 
in a pinnie rather than have to sit in the crowd. I thought 
the lack of choice might tire the players out later in the 
game on this hot day (for this time of year) and players 
on both teams ran to the sideline at 67 minutes when there 
was an injury on the field—just what DUFA feared after they'd 
made their two planned subs within three minutes Cameron Brooks 
was injured but he played on after the trainer came out to help.

Daniel Gosciniak earned the shutout for Masters but he had 
a lot of help from his defence blocking shots or checking 
players off the ball and clearing. Best saves were at 14 minutes 
when DUFA Joseph Roccasalva sent in a cornerkick from the 
right that had DUFA Trevor Hill jump and deflect ball with 
his foot at 6 yards down the middle that Gosciniak dove 
to smother on the left post. 20 minutes had DUFA Tyrell Rayne 
run to the right end line and take a long cross that the 
goalie flew forward to punch away from a crowd of players. 
29 minutes had Dylan Campbell take a 10 yard shot from the 
left that the goalie made a point blank save. 46 minutes had 
DUFA Joe Zupo take a 45 yard freekick down the middle that 
had Roccasalva flick a 10 yard header that the leaping goalie 
palmed over the net. DUFA really had no shots after 74 minutes.

Master's could never really relax until that insurance goal 
at 86 minutes. They had so many chances to score but 
constantly blasted shots over the net in open play and 
freekicks. But given enough chances..... they eventually 
made some of them count.

Master's started off with the only chances in the first 
12 minutes then Durham had a good spell then chances evened 
out for both teams.

In one spell at the start of the second half Masters 
Jose De Sousa was centered a low cross and he blasted 
an 18 yarder well over the net. The next minute Master's 
Joey Melo sent in a low cross from the left and De Sousa 
shot another 18 yarder over the net. Next minute had Masters 
Yasin Shahwan on a run down the right elude two defenders 
and shot a 15 yarder over the net. It's one thing to complain 
about the MFA poor shooting but the point is they were getting 
all these chances and that would eventually pay off.

I was looking forward to seeing Masters one last time 
as I'd noticed on the L1O websites some familiar names 
in the last six weeks from years past.  Their coach 
Rick Titus must have the largest Rolodex in the city.  
I watched a 'new' player to the roster score the winning 
goal on a road trip to Ottawa. Easy to see as he was almost 
a foot taller than most of the players. Yes it was defender 
Marc Jankovic who I had watched over the years in the CPSL 
playing for Toronto Croatia until the end of 2013 when 
I made the switch to the start of the new L1O league. I spoke 
to Jankovic before the game and he said he played for 
Scarborough of the CSL this year. They lost in the final 
to York Region Shooters after extra time in a shootout. 
I noticed on the calendar that the game was held a few 
hours before the TFC vs Red Bulls game at Lamport Stadium 
about three blocks away from BMO Field. Because of the length 
of the game it overlapped the start of the MLS game. Jankovic 
said he signed with Masters in August but still played 
in both leagues and only missed one game. Titus said that 
the CSL is an unsanctioned league so there isn't a problem. 
Some of 'his guys' were playing for the CSL at the start 
of this season before Titus was confirmed as the coach 
of Masters (making the move from North Mississauga who 
he coached last year).  Of course there are plenty 
of L1O players who also play for their schools (and many 
who are NOT permitted by their schools from doubling up). 
Another player who played for the CSL (at least until 
a few weeks ago) was forward Milos Scepanovic who played 
for Serbian White Eagles this season. I'd have liked 
to see them play on the same team after years of Croatia 
vs SWE but Scepanovic wasn't here today. Those games were 
more the rivalry of the fans than the players in my opinion. 
Another player scratched from today's preliminary lineup 
was Shawn Brown who spent time with both SWE and Croatia 
(and other teams) over the years.

This was the final game of the season for both teams. 
(22 league games)

Master's record improves to 9 wins, 10 losses, 3 ties 
for 30 points. They finish fifth in the eight team 
Eastern Conference. After a poor start, the hiring of Titus 
early in the season and the bringing over of 'his guys' 
who were not playing with any L1O team brought a marked 
improvement to their results.  Their 2016 record was 3-17-2 
for 11 points and last in the East.  

Durham's record drops to 11 wins, 8 losses, 3 ties 
for 36 points. That record is identical to North Toronto Nitros 
who travelled to Ottawa—game started 30 minutes ahead 
of this one—and NTN won 2-1 to catch them. Durham had beaten 
NTN last weekend. Durham gets ranked third in the East ahead 
of NTN because their goals plus/minus record was +24 which 
was 4 better than NTN.  Durham announced at their home game 
last week that they had never finished as high as third 
in prior seasons.

Now I've just got enough time to get up to Aurora for their 
game against Toronto Skillz!  

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter @RocketRobin01

Masters FA Saints starters