September 19, 2021 League1 Ontario Men's Premier--Vaughan Azzurri vs Woodbridge Stikers game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Sunday September 19, 2021 League1 Ontario Men's Premier League game between Vaughan Azzurri
and Woodbridge Strikers played at North Maple Regional Park Turf Field #2 in Maple at 7:30pm.

Vaughan Azzurri (all navy, white numbers, red trim)

......................12 Christian Calabro
..........15 Reginal Laryea...18 Alain Sargeant...2 Jarred Phillips
5 Raheem Rose...3 Riley Ferrazzo...17 Christian Zeppieri...6 Julian De Sousa
...........10 Jason Mills...9 Dujon Martin...11 Zac Zitoli

Subs:...1 Anthony Gurrieri (gk)...4 Daniel Cramarossa...7 Jahsua Mills...8 Gianluca Sciortino
...13 Dylan Carriero...14 Trevor Carabin...16 Thomas Bielanski...19 Jason Gajadhar...20 Nicholas Spittle
team officials:...team head coach Patrice Gheisar...assistant coach Anthony Vadori and Jorden Feliciano
manager Tony De Palma...therapist Estaban Clavijo

Woodbridge Strikers (all white, blue numbers)

......................76 Alexander Pothemont
2 Keegan Wilson...5 Raphael Owusu...19 Shaim Blair...21 Jacob Rodriguez
...........11 Dante Pavan...6 Joshua Parades...16 Amron Asaad
...........20 Exxose Kadiebue...9 Abdou Raouf Mohammed...10 Ignazio Muccilli (cpt)

Subs:...1 Matthew Lozada (gk)...3 Tristan Gayle...8 Franco Giuliano...15 ohamed El-Sabahy
...18 Joshua Garcia...22 Santino De Bartolo...23 Gianpiero Pellicano...24 Zion Richards
team officials:...team head coach Peter Pinizzotto...assistant coach Michael Aquino
...manager Hayley Green and John Scarlato...terapist David Lisi

Game officials:...referee Nick Vagenas...referee's assistants Melvin Christopher and Gianluca Di Carlo
...fourth official not listed...(neon yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

First Half:...game starts 7:33pm...VA defends south end.
1 min...VA De Sousa cornerkick from right has W Pavan shank clearance over back fence form near post.
1 min...VA De Sousa cornerkick from right has goalie step forward in crowd of players to catch ball.
2 min...W Mohammed rush down right and rolls 22 yard shot that diving goalie pushes wide left.
2 min...W Muccilli cornerkick from left has defender head away.
8 min...VA Martin can't turn header from 7 yards when VA Zeppieri freekick from 25 yards on right finds him in open near
left post.
10 min...VA Rose rush down right and cross has goalie fly forward to 8 yards to catch in front of two charging VA players
waiting to tap-in.
11 min...W Muccilli cornerkick from right has W Owusu on right pops up header well wide right of net.
12 min...VA De Sousa is injured near left corner flag. W Wilson avoids Yellow card.
13 min...VA Zeppieri 25 yard freekick near left sideline caught by goalie in crowd of players on right side of box.
14 min...VA Zeppieri chips 30- yarder just over head of charging VA Zitoli at 12 yards on left.
15 min...VA Zitoli cross from 22 yards on left has defender head away in from edge of 6 yard box.
20 min...W Pavan chips 35 yarder from right and defender clears just inside box.
23 min...W Kadiebue gets breakaway down middle and rolls 22 yarder that goalie slides to 15 yards to stop. W Muccilli
shoots rebound well wide left from 20 yards on right.
24 min...W Pavan cuts in from right and low 20 yard shot is smothered by diving goalie.
32 min...VA Jason Mills gets away pass as he's falling over to VA Zitoli open at 25 yards on left and he bends 18 yarder
over bar.
33 min...W Parades is injured and needs trainer at W 30 yard line.
33 min...W YELLOW card...Lozada (the back up goalie) earns it on bench for complaining about last play.
35 min...VA Zitoli passes to VA Martin on left in alone and he shoots roller wide left.
37 min...VA Zitoli taps pass to left and VA De Sousa rolls pass forward to VA Martin who at 6 yards on far left shoots
high and wide right.
38 min...VA Zitoli passes left to VA De Sousa and he sends low cross to center of box that defender clears.
38 min...VA YELLOW card...De Sousa earns it for check on W Wilson injurying him and he needs trainer at 15 yard line on left.
40 min...W Wilson crosses from 30 yards on far right has goalie charge forward to catch at 12 yards.
43 min...W Pavan cornerkick from right has defender in crowd of players head away and start fast break out on left by VA Zitoli
with 80 yard run who wins cornerkick on duel with W Wilson.
44 min...VA De Sousa cornerkick from lefft starts fast breakout.
45 min...VA goalie misses bouncer on right but recovers to clear ball for throw-in at 30 yards.
46 min...VA De Sousa blasts 35 yarder well over net.
47 min...VA YELLOW card...Sargeant earns it for check at VA 40 yard line in middle.
48 min...W Muccilli 40 yard freekick down middle is between players and wide left of net.
48 min...half ends 8:21pm.

Halftime: Wow! windbreakers, sweatshirts, and/or blankets are a must as the temperature is dropping fast.

Second Half:...starts 8:39pm.
46 min...W Rodriguez cross from 25 yards is cleared by defender.
48 min...W Rodriguez clearance of low cross almost puts ball in own net.
49 min...VA players short cornerkick on left doesn't work when they can't get ball into box.
50 min...W goalie is out to edge of box to beat VA Martin to through ball.
51 min...W Mohammed cross from right sideline is cleared in box.
54 min...VA Martin quick low shot on net from has goalie slide to push ball left of post.
55 min...VA players work out short cornerkick from left but ball is cleared when finally crosses into box.
56 min...VA Rose gets two low shots from 20 yards on right that are stopped.
57 min...VA sub...Carriero replaces De Sousa.
...........VA sub...Bielanski replaces Martin.
59 min...VA player's cross from left end line is cleared by defender in 6 yard box.
60 min...W sub...Richards replaces Mohammed.
..........VA sub...Spittle replaces Zitoli.
62 min...VA Rose cro from left end line has goalie dive forward to clear.
65 min...W YELLOW card...Kadiebue earns it for roughing after whistle blown at VA 40 yard line for
VA freekick call.
66 min...W YELLOW card...Rodriguez earns it for tripping VA Spittle preventing run for loose ball up sideline.
66 min...VA Zeppieri 35 yard freekick from right is ping ponged around box and defender clears it for cornerkick.
67 min...VA Zeppieri cornerkick from left is cleared to start fast W break out.
67 min...VA Phillips makes big clearance preventing W Wilson from shot in box.
68 min...W sub...Pellicano replaces Asaad.
73 min...VA YELLOW card...someone* earns it for something at W 50 yards as play carried upfield.
* (it was either Phillips or Zitoli, I missed when the other one got his card.)
73 min...VA YELLOW card...some official on the VA box earns it for complaining about VA card.
74 min...W Richards shanks 12 yard shot from lefft well wide left.
77 min...VA Rose gets long pass from VA Zeppieri at 35 yards on left and runs to edge of 18 yard box and cuts alone
line but has shot blocked.
78 min...VA Spittle pushes pass to VA Bielanski down field and he shoots 15 yarder wide right.
78 min...VA sub...Jahsua Mills replaces Jason Mills. (his brother)
80 min...W Kadiebue makes tackle clipping VA Ferrazzo injurying him at VA 40 yard line. Kadiebue was already
on a Yellow card so that was a risky play.
82 min...VA Rose an't control long pass on left and pushes ball over end line.
83 min...VA Zeppieri cornerkick from right is cleared and he dribbles into box but has shot blocked.
84 min...VA Zeppieri receives short cornerkick on right and crosses into box that has VA Laryea on left at 6 yards
not able to turn header.
86 min...VA sub...Gajadhar replaces Phillips.
...........VA sub...Cramarossa replaces Zeppieri.
...........W sub...Asaad replaces Kadiebue.
88 min...W YELLOW card...someone on the W bench earned it for dropping ball on throw-in on the sideline
delaying restart.
89 min...VA Ferrazzo rush on right and cross off defender deflects to goalie on right post.
90 min...W sub...De Bartolo replaces Richards.
90 min...VA Carriero gets long throw-in for run down right and he crosses that goalie catches.
91 min...VA Rose rush on left and 25 yard shot is over net.
92 min...Vaughan Raheem Rose GOAL...VA Dylan Carriero gives short pass to Rose who turns and
fires 22 yarder from slight left into top right hand corner of net over goalie Alexander Pothemont.
92 min...VA goalie is out to right side of box to catch bouncer.
93 min...game ends 9:27pm.

Final Score:......Vaughan Azzurri......1......Woodbridge Strikers.......0........

Attendance surprised me as it climbed to about 250 as the game wore on. The crowds aren't usually
this large for Vaughan. Standing room only and partly because the game was held on Turf Field #2
for the first time since I've been here that Vaughan has used this field while letting a community
group use the other one with the larger stands. I thought it was genius the switch of field
as the #1 field has the crowd staring into the setting sun.

This is the closest 'derby' game in the league in distance except for Sigma FC vs North Mississauga SC
as those teams share the same grounds at Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga.

This was their first home game with a 7:30pm starting time rather than 8:30pm but the sun was already
below the horizon before the game started. So much for going back to my car for my sunglasses.
Also I'd returned separately for insect repellent when I heard the first bug but there weren't any
as the temperature dropped like a stone. Windbreakers, sweatshirts, and/or blankets were a requirement
by halftime tonight. Also the earlier starting time allows more children and parents to attend now
that school is back in session.

Very appropriate that Raheem Rose scored the winning goal as he'd been bombing down the wing sending
in crosses throughout the game.

Christian Calabro earned the shutout for Vaughan with a few key saves but was greatly helped out
by his back line of Reginald Laryea, Alain Sargeant, and Jarred Phillips as well as retreating
midfielders who were back in time to prevent Woodbridge players from getting away shots or blocking
shots from loose balls. Reggie in the backline will never get the headlines of his older brother
Richie the Toronto FC and Canadian national team player—one reason is he is a more 'stay at home'
defender.

Woodbridge defenders Keegan Wilson, Raphael Owusu, Shaiem Blair, and Jacob Rodriguez were also
a protective wall and certainly played better than last week's game when Masters FA scored five second
half goals mostly by bursting through the middle for long runs.

More accurate shooting by both sides would have really tested the goalies tonight.

I was concerned when I saw Dujon Martin wearing the #9 for Vaughan. After the game I asked Carmen Isacco
about what happened to usual #9 Orlendis Carlos Benitez Hernandez the team's leading scorer. He said
he was still with the team but is injured. Actually tonight Raheem Rose ties OCBH for the team lead
at three goals.

I asked referee Nick Vagenas after the game if he gave a Yellow card after the goal for excessive
celebration as there were players on the field near the bench celebrating with Raheem Rose. No he was
just trying to get the game restarted! I asked because it seemed like the cards were flying out but
rereading my notes I only counted five players (three for Vaughan) 'on the field' earn Yellows but
to that must be added at 33 minutes the Woodbridge backup goalie still on the bench for complaining
about a call, an official on the Vaughan bench for some complaining about a Vaughan player on the field
picking up a card at 73 minutes, and a Woodbridge official for dropping a spare ball on the field delaying
a Vaughan throw-in at 88 minutes.

This is the first game I've been to that is a rematch of a game I saw earlier in the season but now that
teams have played six or seven games, they will all start playing teams a second time although with only
a 12 game season because of the late start, they are not going to play every team in their conference twice.

Vaughan stays in first place in the East with a record of 5 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie for 16 points.
They are tied with Unionville Milliken for fewest goals allowed at only five.

Woodbridge is the opposite with 0 wins, 5 losses, 1 tie for 1 point and are in last in the seven team
East Conference. Tonight's results was the story of their season with tough breaks. It was their first
game of the season against Vaughan during the league's second week when Joshua Parades earned a Red card
at 44 minutes leaving them shorthanded for the entire second half. Only good news of the day for Woodbridge
is that their U-14s won the Ontario Cup today but—wait for it—it was their Girls team so even that won't
be helping the men's team three years from now.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter @RocketRobin01

Woodbridge Strikers starters