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Results and details of the Tuesday May 10, 2022 Canadian Championship game between Guelph United FC of League1 Ontario
and HFX Wanderers FC of the Canadian Premier League played at Alumni Stadium in Guelph at 7:00pm ET.
This the opening night in the Preliminary Round.
Guelph Unired FC (white socks, shorts, and numbers, red shirts)
..................1 Svyatoslav Artemenko
4 Amardo Oakley...5 Harvey Marchant...3 Marko Maletic...15 Dion Stergiotis
........11 Evan Dick...14 Lucas Doros...16 Jack Sears...12 Marcel Zajac
.......10 Jace Kotsopoulos (cpt)...7 Alexander Zis
Subs:...20 Samuel Spoelstra (gk)...8 Tomasz Skublak (fwd)...9 Jared Agyemang...13 Luke Rankin
...17 Reggie Laryea (mid)...18 Gray Yates (mid)...19 Devante Walker (def)
team officials:...head coach Keith Mason...assistant coach Justin Springer...goalkeeper coach Don Ferguson
...physiotherapists Estee Black, Aidan Nolan, and Justine Tobin...athletic trainer Aseel Alsayed...team manager Mickael Rougette
HFX Wanderers FC (gray socks and shirts, blue shorts, names and numbers)
.....................50 Christian Oxner
3 Zachary Fernandez...14 Mateo Restrepo...22 Mohamed Omar...30 Colin Gander
........13 Aidan Daniels...18 Andre Rampersad (cpt)...5 Pierre Lamothe
........23 Cory Bent...11 Akeem Garcia...9 Samuel Salter
Subs:...1 Kieran Baskett (gk)...2 Peter Schaale (def)...7 Alex Marshall (fwd)...19 Obeng Tabi (def)
...21 Marcello Polisi (mid)...27 Ryan Robinson (fwd)...28 Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare (mid)
team officials:...head coach Stephen Hart...assistant coaches Alex Dorado and Dan Clark...goalkeeper coach Jan-Michael Williams
...physiotherapist Danielle McNally
Game officials:...referee Filip Dujic...referee's assistants Peter Pendli and Jason Vaillancourt...fourth official Fabrizio Stasolla
...(all black uniforms)
First Half:...game starts 1:06pm...Guelph defends north end. The weather is mild (this is the first outdoor game this season that I've
been able to watch in a hoodie instead of a parka. There's a bright sun setting in the north west that caused the HFX goalie to hold
his hand over his eyes. There's a wind from the south.
2 min...GU player's throw-in on left. The ball is crossed in from right line. GU Oakley at 25 yards on right chips wide left.
6 min...HFX YELLOW card...Aidan Daniels earns it for body check on GU Marko Maletic running down the right sideline.
6 min...GU Zis 40 yard low freekick from right at 30 yard line has GU player stike and connect on weak shot from 12 yards that rolls to goalie.
7 min...HFX Garcia rushes down middle eluding defender but chips 12 yarder that goalie flies to catch at 4 yards.
7 min...GU goalie dives and makes point blank save on HFX Salter.
9 min...GU Kotsopoulos wins freekick near right end line.
10 min...GU Zis 28 yard freekick along right end line is headed over box. GU Zajac wins cornerkick on deflection.
10 min...GU player's cornerkick from left has HFX defender head ball wide right from near post for another cornerkick.
11 min...GU Zis cornerkick from right. GU Zajac cross from left has GU Maletic head wide of net on bouncer to goalie.
12 min...GU Maletic makes another big stop as the last man back. That's at least twice already.
13 min...HFX Bent blasts partially cleared ball from 25 yards well over net and it hits scoreboard at the end of the endzone!
16 min...GU Zajac has 20 yard shot blocked.
17 min...GU Oakley makes big defensive tackle.
19 min...GU Stergiotis heads ball behind own net on cross from left.
19 min...HFX player's cornerkick from right is partially cleared over to left wide of box. GU Harvey Marchant tackles HFX Mohamed Omar
from behind as Omar's running away from the net. Referee Filip Dujic calls a Penalty kick. Omar is injured and needs trainer.
21 min...HFX Akeem Garcia GOAL...Garcia blasts Penalty kick low to left side of net beyond diving reach of goalie Svyatoslav Artemenko.
23 min...HFX Gander 35 yard freekick from left has defender head away on edge of box.
23 min...HFX Bent stelas ball off GU Oakley's fumble and bends 20 yarder while cutting to middle wide right.
26 min...HFX Marchant chips 30 yarder down middle well over net.
28 min...HFX Rampersad is injured on check attempt on GU Doros and wins freekick at center line.
31 min...GU Sears through ball up left for GU Zajac but goalie out to top of box to slide and clear for throw-in.
32 min...HFX Garcia on left centers pass to HFX Salter in middle at 25 yards. He sidefoots ball to HFX Daniels who continues run on slight
right to near endline and sends low cross through 6 yard box and HFX Bent kicks 4 yarder that's popped up and wide right for goalie to pick
up on bounce.
33 min...HFX Lamothe is tapped pass and 25 yard shot up middle has goalie dive and push right of post.
34 min...HFX Lamothe cornerkick from right has HFX Rampersad in crowd of players leap and head off the bar. Rampersad pops up rebound
with head and goalie punches it away and GU Oakley scissor kicks ball away at 8 yards.
34 min...GU goalie catches shot over his head just under bar.
36 min...GU Kotsopoulos gets by defender on run up left and another defender clears for throw-in.
37 min...GU goalie makes big save on 25 yard shot after HFX player's run up right as referee's assistant signals offside then puts his flag
back down. HFX Salter was injured upfield earlier on play at GU 50 yard line.
40 min...HFX Salter low 30 yarder from right bounces and diving goalie pushes ball wide right.
40 min...HFX Bent high cornerkick from left is headed around and defender heads over own net.
41 min...HFX Bent cornerkick from right has defenders clear from box.
43 min...GU Zis 40 yard freekick down middle is over to right sideline at 20 yards and GU Oakley wins cornerkick on deflection.
44 min...GU Zis cornerkick from right is cleared in box.
46 min...HFX Bent rush down left outracing defender on left and cross is over head of charging HFX player at 2 yards on right post.
47 min...half ends 7:53pm.
At halftime I looked around to see even more of the stands had filled in. It appeared to be sit where you want so it was the outer
fringes that filled up last. Tickets were $20 online or in advance and $25 at the gate.
The subs stayed outside to warm up on the field.
Second Half:...starts 8:09pm.
halftime sub:...GU Laryea replaces Sears.
47 min...HFX Bent eludes defenders on left but goalie blocks his shot and it deflects back off him for goalkick.
47 min...HFX player's throw-in has defender head for cornerkick.
47 min...HFX Bent cornerkick from left has HFX Salter on right post at 3 yards head ball forward and down and goalie is over
to near post to make stop. Salter then kicks low and across box but GU Zajac boots ball wide right for cornerkick.
48 min...HFX Lamothe cornerkick from left deflects off nearest defender for another cornerkick.
48 min...HFX Lamothe cornerkick has HFX Bent elude players but is not able to get away a shot and passes over to another HFX player
who rolls it over end line.
51 min...GU Kotsopoulos chests ball at 35 yards to set up breakaway but goalie comes out to 22 yards to clear ball away.
52 min...HFX Fernadez long throw-in on right wins cornerkick.
52 min...HFX Gander cornerkick from right has nearest defender clear away.
53 min...GU goalie is out to edge of box to beat HFX Salter to bouncing through ball pass.
54 min...GU goalie catches 40 yard shot from right.
55 min...GU YELLOW card...Reggie Laryea earns it for stepping on slipped HFX Andre Rampersad at HFX 40 yard line.
57 min...HFX Lamothe breaks up middle on counterattack and rolls ball forward and left to charging HFX Bent who sends low cross
into center of box and sliding HFX Garcia pops up ball at 4 yards and HFX Salter heads from slight left at 4 yards off outside
webbing of net.
59 min...GU sub...Tomasz Skublak replaces Jace Kotsopoulos. Skublak also puts on the captain's armband.
60 min...HFX Aidan Daniels GOAL...HFX Pierre Lamothe cornerkick from right is rolled to center at 25 yard line and Daniels
gathers it, steps around GU Marcel Zajac and blasts 22 yard shot through crowd of players and just under bar in center of net.
62 min...HFX sub...Marcello Polisi replaces Pierre Lamothe.
65 min...Retreating HFX Fernandez breaks up pass at HFX 28 yard line stopping GU break in on left.
66 min...HFX Salter low cross from right has defender clear in middle.
67 min...HFX Ferandez stops, turns after bump with GU Maletic and 20 yard shot up the middle is over the net. Maletic is hurt and needs
the trainer.
69 min...HFX Daniels 40 yard chip from right has goalie catch in front of HFX player waiting to head ball at 8 yards on left post.
71 min...GU Maletic gets back in a play to break up HFX Fernandez rush into box conceding cornerkick.
71 min...HFX Bent cornerkick from right has charging HFX Restrepo flick header at 10 yards on right through box and it is deflected
wide left by GU Marchant.
72 min...HFX Bent cornerkick from left has GU Skublak leap to head away.
72 min...HFX Bent can't win Penalty kick call on dive in box. Note: He gets waved at by referee to 'get up'.
73 min...HFX sub...Alex Marshall replaces Cory Bent.
.........HFX sub...Ryan Robinson replaces Akeem Garcia.
74 min...HFX Fernandez cornerkick from right has defender head away and HFX player blasts rebound over bar from 25 yards.
74 min...GU sub...Jared Agyemang replaces Alexander Zis.
77 min...GU YELLOW card...Marcel Zajac earns it for diving in HFX box on left side of box after slight contact.
.........GU YELLOW card...Tomasz Skublak earns it for dissent by swearing at the referee before he even gave out the card to Zajac.
80 min...HFX sub...Peter Schaale replaces Aidan Daniels.
80 min...GU Maletic breaks up another HFX scoring attempt.
81 min...GU YELLOW card...Evan Dick earns it for shirt grab on HFX Andre Rampersad at center line.
82 min...HFX Robinson low cross after run on right has GU Stergiotis deflect for cornerkick.
83 min...HFX Marshall cornerkick from right has defender on right head away.
83 min...HFX Marshall low shot between players from 30 yards has goalie stop.
84 min...GU Zajac bends in cross from 30 yards on left that goalie catches.
85 min...HFX Marshall through ball pass has HFX Salter tips wide left of post.
85 min...GU sub...Devante Walker replaces Evan Dick.
87 min...HFX Marshall boots shot wide left from 25 yards.
88 min...HFX Robinson dekes goalie on run down left then boots ball back into play from end line but defenders clear.
89 min...GU YELLOW card...Lucas Doros earns it for trip of HFX Alex Marshall on run.
90 min...GU goalie punts ball. GU Skublak heads 25 yarder over defenders and ball bounces to goalie.
92 min...GU player's 33 yard freekick from right has goalie fumble in crowd off players but ball is cleared.
93 min...game ends 8:57pm.
Final Score:...Guelph United FC........0........HFX Wanderers FC.........2.......
Attendance was announced during the second half as 1728. That is better than the York United games I attend and they are in the CPL. This game was well organized with many in the crowd children and their parents from the local soccer clubs in the area. A 7:00pm start meant the game end would not be past the kids' bedtimes and could bring in working folks from nearby as this city doesn't have the traffic chaos of Toronto. There was a lot of local promotion too. The stadium is also being used as a training camp for the CFL Toronto Argonauts with players and prospects lugging their gear to and from the premises. I had attended Guelph's L1O game on Saturday when they game to the GTA (Brampton) and played (middle-of-the-pack) Pro Stars FC. They held a 2-0 lead at halftime and subbed in the returning Svyatoslav Artemenko in goal (Samuel Spoelstra had started). Artemenko had made headlines for serving a tour of duty with the Ukrainian army when he signed a contract to play with a Ukrainian team just before the country was invaded by Russia. When he came in to the L1O game he looked shaky and gave up one of the two Penalty kicks called against them. They also gave up two goals in two minutes and Pro Stars pulled off a 3-2 victory over the 2021 L1O champions. This game Artemenko did play conservatively at the start by pushing a few shots wide of the post rather than risk trying to catch it and give up a rebound if he fumbled. His experience showed as the game wore on with some amazing catches in crowds of players. It turned out to be a good call by the coach to give him the start. Poor shooting by HFX kept Guelph in the game for the first 60 minutes and the score from not being rolled up. Guelph were outpossessed almost 2-1 and barely got into the HFX third of the field. Daniels played well in midfield. I didn't realize he had received a Yellow card (the only one for HFX) at only 6 minutes. Maybe the threat made him play more careful. Colin Gander played well for HFX on the wing with good runs and crosses. He played for Guelph on last year's team and was claimed by HFX in the U-Sports Draft a few months ago. (he also played for University of Guelph so that's why he could be claimed). I thought Marko Maletic was the best player on Guelph with many key blocks and clearances. I could see a CPL team making an offer for him next year. It was Tomasz Skublak's first game this season. He played for HFX in 2019 after being seen by Stephen Hart while with Vaughan Azzurri of League1 Ontario. Tonight he replaced Jace Kotsopoulos but last season it was having them on the field at the same time that helped Guelph win the championship. HFX Joao Morelli, argubably the MVP of the CPL suffered a season ending injury a few weeks ago and that gave Guelph a little more of chance than when the draw was first made. HFX came to the GTA for some exhibition games against L1O teams a few months back including Vaughan Azzurri and were so impressed with forward Ryan Robinson that they recruited him for their team! Parmpreet Singh Johal wasn't in the Guelph lineup after I watched him play a strong game last Saturday. I saw him after the game and he answered that he didn't know why either. Referee Filip Dujic gave out six Yellow cards (five to Guelph) including two on the same play at 77 minutes as Marcel Zajac, he judged to have embellished his fall to draw a Penalty kick. While walking over to show him a card, he turned and gave Skublak one for dissent for commenting and gesturing his frustration of not awarding a Penalty kick. I didn't have the best angle but the fall looked soft. OK no PK then; but Dujic saw at 72 minutes, HFX Corey Bent dived in the box hoping to win a PK and he just gave him a two handed signal to 'Get up' but no card for simulation. Christian Oxner earned the shutout for HFX. He only had two shots that were on target so he didn't have much to do. Wanderers move on to face MLS Toronto FC in the quarterfinal. HFX will put up more of a challenge than Guelph ever could. The winner of this game was always going to be the host city for the quarterfinal. Guelph is only 100 km away from Toronto so it wouldn't have had the same feeling as an away game in a hostile environment if not played in Halifax. I don't expect to see York United the way the draw was conducted. It was great news to get updates on Fotmob that they'd won in Ottawa on Penalty kicks after a 90 minute game but their reward is to have to travel to Victoria to play Pacific FC. If they win that game they have to travel to play the winner of the Cavalry FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps game. This year just wasn't a good draw for York! HFX saves a fortune as I heard their season ticket bundle pricing included a Canadian Championship home game so now they don't have to provide refunds if they had been knocked out tonight. Looks like York guessed right by not tieing their ticket package to this compeition. Not much chance getting through to host the final! So now for Guelph United it's back to L1O play and a long, hard slog to battle through to retain their championship and get 90 minutes of glory next year. In 2021, York easily beat Masters FA 5-0 pulling away at the end after Masters had not being able to play during 2020. Vaughan Azzurri represented L1O best by holding off HFX back in 2019 and losing by the away goal rule including a 1-0 win in Halifax. At the post game press conference, Stephen Hart and Aiden Daniels when asked about Toronto FC stuck to their answer in 'looking to their next game' which is hosting Cavalry FC this weekend in regular CPL action. Guelph United will be preparing for a Sunday game away to Woodbridge Strikers who currently have a 2 wins 1 loss record which is a better record than Guelph's 1-1-1 right now. This massive L1O season with 1 table of 22 teams fighting for six playoff spots and top two getting a bye, every point is important. There's also the specter of a division split with a two year table being compiled to break off 12 teams for a Premier division with one team promotion and relegation after that so it may be very difficult to move up after the split and I'd expect the lower ten teams would never be invited to compete in this competition. "...Losing in front of your home town, the crowd call your name, they love you just the same." 'Boxers' a song by Steven Morrissey and Alain Whyte I thought of after the game as the crowd was leaving. Yes there's a lot of pride here! Rocket Robin robing@eol.ca twitter @RocketRobin01
Guelph United FC starters
HFX Wanderers FC starters
oooh that crowd!
HFX Wanderers Akeem Garcia (11) taeks the opening kickoff.
Guelph Amardo Oakley (4) works ball out of own end.
Guelph Evan Dick (11) races up wing.
HFX Wanderers Colin Gander (30) receives pass on wing.
HFX Wanderers Akeem Garcia (11) will score on this Penalty kick.
Guelph Jace Kotsopoulos (10) has just taken the second half kickoff.
midfield action
HFX Wanderers Zachary Fernandez (3) takes throw-in.
post game handshakes
Match stats provided by FotmobTeam stats (from Fotmob app) Guelph United FC HFX Wanderers FC ball possession 35.6% 64.4% totals shots 5 22 chances created 3 17 big chances 0 6 accurate passes 188 429 pass success 68% 82% fouls 16 11 corners 4 11 offsides 2 4 total shots 5 22 shots on target 2 11 shots off target 1 10 blocked shots 2 1 shots off woodwork 0 1 shots inside box 2 14 shots outside box 3 8 accurate passes 188 429 ........in opposition half 50 206 ........in own half 138 223 passes 278 523 pass success 68% 82% long balls 59 49 accurate long balls 19 25 crosses 14 16 accurate crosses 2 4 duels 108 108 duels won 53 55 duels lost 55 53 dribbles attempted 12 26 dribbles succeeded 7 13 tackles attempted 26 17 tackles succeeded 14 11 aerials won 10 11 interceptions 17 19 disipline yellow cards 0 0 disipline red cards 0 0 keeper saves 8 1back to 2022 York United FC menu
back to 2022 League1 Ontario menu
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