Former Canadian National team player Paul Stalteri will help in the evaluations today.
December 17-19, 2019--York 9 FC U-21 Identification Camp Open Trial...The three days of trials...Day 2 (by Rocket Robin)
Wednesday December 18, 2019...Day 2 of the Trials
The second day of the trials were scheduled to start at 2:00pm. There was a big effort to ensure the returning players to wear the same colour and numbered pinneys as they checked in.
Warmups started at 2:05pm with some running and kick arounds until 2:20pm. Former Canadian National team player Paul Stalteri was here today to help the coaching staff with the evalutions. All the approximately 100 players here yesterday were asked to return today.
The teams of eight players were kept on the same team but were built into teams of eleven as 11 v 11 would be the only games held today. Some teams had 12 so there could be swapping of an injured or winded player. Games were kept to 15 minutes and then a quick swap for two different teams to take their place. Each team got two games of 15 minutes. There were eight teams and the players were told what positions to play.
The games: Game 1: start 2:29pm...Blues vs Greens...final score 0-0 Game 2: start 2:46pm...the '2nd Green team vs Whites...final score 1-0 for whites. 14 minutes White 14 slides at 8 yards to connect with low cross from left and puts it over goalie down middle just under bar. Game 3: start 3:04pm...the neon Yellows vs 2nd White team...final score 0-0 Game 4: start 3:21pm...the 2nd Blue team vs the 2nd neon yellow team...final score 0-0. Game 5: start 3:35pm...Blues vs Greens...final score 1-0 for Blues 3 seconds! Blue 12 from kickoff finds the goalie off his line and lobs it in from the center line. Game 6: start 3:49pm...2nd Green team vs Whites...final score 1-0 for Whites 7 minutes White 14 receives short centered pass and sends low 15 yard shot over diving goalie into left side of net. Game 7: start 4:02pm...neon Yellows vs 2nd White team...final score 0-0 Game 8: start 4:15pm...2nd Blue team vs 2nd neon yellow team...final score 1-1 8 minutes Yellow 23 chips Penalty kick to high right side of net. 15 minutes Blue in unnumbered pinney scores on 8 yard tap-in to open net when goalie made diving save on short 2 on 0 rush but spilled ball.
Yikes, not a goalfest in any game with only five goals scored in the two hours of game time. There is not much chance of replacing Rodrigo Gattas with this teenage heavy band of trialists.
There was some good goaltending and defending. There appeared to be only six goaltenders again today so that was the only shuffling of players as some got more minutes to fill the eight teams. Like I wrote yesterday, it would be tough to displace the two goalies York 9 re-signed with workhorse Nathan Ingham along with Colm Vance sharing all the workload.
I saw at the end of the session that the players were called together to hear who would be invited back for tomorrow. I wanted to catch the players who scored to put a name down so I came down off the balcony and waited at the one-way doors downstairs except players left through another door to the dressing rooms. I did get onto the field after the players left and some of the coaching staff were still on the field.
Assistant coach Ryan Brennan knew who 'Blue 12' was. He is York 9's first round CPL-U Sports draft choice Stefan Karajovanovic! My jaw dropped almost as far when I heard that as when I saw the goal. He'd just been given the vocal shout out that the game was starting and he noticed the goalie was distracted organizing the defence...not that he was even far off his line but Karajovanovic just put the ball from the center line and caught the top left corner. That raises the question why Karajovanovic was used as a ringer in this game but there'd be easy placing of him with building enough players to fill out eight complete teams. Hey and he's only age 20 so no reason he's out of place here.
Ryan had the list of players but not the numbers they wore but another coach helped me out that 'White 14' was Liam Cox. That name sounded familier. Listed as from Unionville-Milliken. Oh yes! I've seen him play in League 1 Ontario this season. [looking back through my archives I see that he played for Masters FA in 2018 and Toronto Skillz in 2016 and 2017]. He scored the two goals but also set up some sitters which teammates missed.
No reason to downplay 'unnumbered Blue guy''s tap-in goal as just moments earlier he had blasted one off the bar.
There were no referees in the game but the games were mostly played fairly. There were only three fouls in the game where the coaching staff ordered a free-kick or Penalty kick and one goal called back offside. Also apparently no videos were being made as I saw no cameras propped anywhere.
There was a distraction for me when a tweet came through that the Canadian Championship was announced for 2020. Instantly there were almost identical stories from the CPL and writers. It looks like the competition will be regional this year with the pre-qualifying Round pitting York 9 FC vs Masters FA from League 1 Ontario. Masters' owner Junior Groves has been here both days so far. I asked if any of his guys were in these tryouts and he said no. He wasn't surprised by the draw opponents. Masters will play their 'home' game right here at Ontario Soccer Centre (outdoors) rather than their under-equipped L'Amoreaux Park in Scarborough. York Lions Stadium is actually closer to Scarborough then here! Their loyal travelling fans were here at the L1O Championship game against FC London and the week before outnumbered the Blue Devils fans in Oakville for the road game of their semi-final series.
There's a rumour that OneSoccer didn't like the lighting at the Ontario Soccer Centre and that's why after broadcasting the L1O Women's Final they passed on the L1O Men's Final letting L1O use their usual partners. We'll have to see how OneSoccer will handle this game next season.
Winner of that series plays Toronto FC in the Quarter-final round. Despite there being one less team because of Ottawa Fury folding, none of the MLS teams draw a bye into the Semi-Final round for the first time next year. Those teams will have to play six games to claim the Championship.
Today I was looking harder for signs that these trialists were from L1O teams but couldn't find anything obvious. I could hear two trialists speaking in French, a father-aged guy wearing a Montreal Impact parka and a mother in the balcony calming her baby in French. Ahh. Stefan Karajovanovic is from Gatineau Quebec. In 2018, Diyaeddine Abzi played for AS Blainville before being recruited by York 9. Maybe the word has got around and Quebecers have discovered there's opportunities here.
Most popular logo was 'Futurestar Sports' but they had a banner hanging from the railing proclaiming "Futurestar Sports College Combine" that just seemed to be ending before today's York tryout began. I received a tweet while I was here today that tomorrow Sigma FC will be having a college recruitment tryout at Paramount Foods Centre in Mississauga tomorrow morning. I know Vaughan Azzurri and Oakville Blue Devils have had similar showcases. Teenagers are looking to be recruited to colleges and universities but some are here today to try the pro route.
Final day of the trials is tomorrow at 2:00pm.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter @RocketRobin01
Former Canadian National team player Paul Stalteri will help in the evaluations today.
One of the 11 v 11 games.
Another of the 11 v 11 games.
Goalie runs forward to throw ball downfield.
York 9 coaching staff watch closely.
Trialists hear who is invited back tomorrow.
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