August 5, 2023 League1 Ontario...NDC Ontario vs Alliance United Women's Premier Final game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Saturday August 5, 2023 League1 Ontario Women's Premier Division game between
NDC Ontario and Alliance United FC played at Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan at 7:00pm.
This is the Final of the playoffs for the championship.

NDC Ontario (all red uniforms, white numbers)

........................32 Noelle Henning
.......25 Jadea Collin...76 Stephanie Schoeley...4 Zoe Markesini (cpt)
21 Nikolina Istocki...13 Bianca Hanisch...38 Teegan Melenhorst...18 Ava Greco...73 April Lantaigne
...............41 Annabelle Chukwu...11 Rosa Maalouf

Subs:...34 Madison London (gk)...3 Mikayla Coore-Pascal...15 Alexis Gordon...29 Jaileah Cox-McPherson
...37 Elia Kettles...64 Isabelle Chukwu...72 Victoria Rocci...77 Katherine Ozard...87 Adriana Bianchin
team officials...team head coach Joey Lombardi...assistant coach Onkar Dhillon...manager Tania Singfield
...equipment manager Bruna Mavigier...therapist Amy Stefaniuk

Alliance United (white socks and shirts, black shorts and numbers)

........................1 Gurieen Toor
13 Cassie Chan...9 Laura Gosse (cpt)...21 Hannah Chown...2 Jennifer Wolever
..........3 Hope Windebank...15 Kristin Parkes...17 Hannah Anderson
..........8 Chelsea Cheung...16 Miranda Badovinac...19 Leda Naihin

Subs:...30 Levanta Staggolis (gk)...5 Samantha Gravina...6 Valentina Greco...10 Anne Yeomans
...11 Jessica Giordanella...12 Antonia Figueroa...15 Hannah Chau-Stacey...18 Julia Cochrane
...29 Vita Naihin
team officials:...team head coach Angelo Cavalluzzo...assistant coach David Ennis...team director Tommy Bianchi

Game officials:...referee Amanda Kwan...referee's assistants Beth McClelland and Angelina Baldino
...fourth official Ronni Bijovet...(teal socks and shirts, black shorts)

First Half:...game starts 7:04pm...NDC defens south end. There's a blindingly bright sun in the north west and a hot
temperature at game time but it is cooler than earlier in the afternoon.
3 min...AU Naihin long run up left and low cross from 20 yards has defender stop and clear.
3 min...NDC Collin run to right end line but ball is out before she can send in cross.
7 min...NDC Istocki pass up right wing is just too far forward for NDC Melenhorst and over end line.
10 min...NDC Istocki long throw-in from right is cleared from right side of AU box.
11 min...AU Leda Naihin is tripped on run for long pass up left.
.........NDC YELLOW card...Collin earns it for the trip.
12 min...AU Parkes 33 yard freekick from left is low and AU Leda Naihin skies 30 yarder up middle that goalie catches at 15 yards.
13 min...AU Badovinac intercepts ball at 30 yards up middle and quick low shot is picked up by goalie wide left of net.
14 min...AU Chown run on left and high cross is over box and out right side.
15 min...AU Leda Naihin run to left end line and low pass is too far forward for teammate at 5 yards and rolls through box.
17 min...AU Chown makes two big headers to clear ball out of box against NDC Annabelle Chukwu.
23 min...NDC Istocki long throw-in from right is headed out right side for another throw-in.
23 min...NDC Istocki long throw-in from right is also headed away.
24 min...NDC Lantaigne high cornerkick from right is out left of box is over heads of falling NDC players.
26 min...NDC Maalouf 25 yard freekick from left is low and smothered by goalie on left side of box.
28 min...AU YELLOW card...Windebank earns it for bumping NDC Lantaigne wide of box.
29 min...NDC Lantaigne 30 yard freekick from left is cleared out right side of box.
30 min...NDC Collin run along right end line in box and can't draw Penalty kick on fall at 8 yards.
32 min...NDC YELLOW card...Maalouf earns it for throwing ball downfield after she run it out left sideline and AU awarded
throw-in.
33 min...NDC Istocki run into right side of box but AU Cheung checks her off ball.
36 min...NDC Greco rolls ball over end line on run down left wing trying to get around defender.
41 min...NDC Lantaigne 35 yard freekick from right rolls up for NDC Melenhorst from right of ball on 1 on 3 near
right end line.
43 min...NDC Lantaigne wins cornerkick off Windebank on blocked cross on 25 yard cross from left.
44 min...NDC Maalouf high cornerkick from left has NDC Markesini blast 3 yard shot from right past over net.
47 min...half ends 7:51pm.

Halftime: neither team stays outside and that means even the subs. The NDC players come back out first and do some non-ball
exercises but it's almost at the 15 minute mark.

Second Half:...starts 8:11pm. The temperature is cooler.
47 min...NDC Annabelle Chukwu runs into top right of box but her pass attempt is intercepted and cleared.
47 min...NDC Maalouf chips 28 yarder from slight left bounces to goalie.
50 min...AU Chown makes big block of cross on right side of box.
51 min...NDC Ava Greco GOAL...NDC April Lantaigne sends in high cornerkick cross from right that Greco
heads 7 yarder while even with left post forward into left side of net past goalie Gurleen Toor.
52 min...AU Windebank 40 yard low cross from right is just steps ahead of two charging teammates.
54 min...NDC sub...Kettles replaces Melenhorst.
............NDC sub...Isabelle Chukwu replaces Hanisch.
55 min...NDC Istocki intercepts pass at 28 yards and rolls pass to NDC Maalouf who shoots 15 yarder well over net.
56 min...NDC Annabelle Chukwu is checked by AU Gosse in box and no Penalty kick is given just a cornerkick.
56 min...NDC Lantaigne high cornerkick from right has defender head away up middle of box.
57 min...AU goalie catches 30 yard chip from right on right side of 6 yard box in front of crowd of players.
59 min...NDC Annabelle Chukwu runs down middle and rolls ball forward on right to NDC Maalouf who has 15 yard shot
that goalie stops on near right post.
62 min...AU Chown long throw-in from left has AU player head into left side of box and AU Parkes tips up ball that goalie catches.
63 min...NDC goalie is injured away from play on edge of box with a leg injury and needs trainer.
Both teams take water breaks during the delay.
65 min...play resumes.
Offsides are called a few times for both teams in the last few minutes.
67 min...NDC Annabelle Chukwu intercepts and runs in middle from 50 yards and passes to NDC Maalouf at top right of box
but can't get away shot.
67 min...AU sub...Vita Naihin replaces Leda Naihin. Wow twin sisters!
69 min...NDC Schoeley dribbles in from 40 yards on left deking two defenders and 10 yard rolls is deflected for cornerkick.
69 min...NDC Maalouf cornerkick from left has AU Gosse head away on right post.
70 min...NDC Lantaigne high cornerkick from right has NDC Maalouf head 12 yarder on left wide left of net.
71 min...NDC Annabelle Chukwu run on right side of box and low centering pass wins cornerkick on defenders tip.
71 min...NDC Lantaigne high cornerkick from right has NDC Annabelle Chukwu heads 10 yarder that goalie palms over bar
after she hits ball on shot.
72 min...NDC Istocki cornerkick from left has goalie make overhead catch on right side of box.
The sun is finally below the tree line.
76 min...AU sub...Greco replaces Windebank.
78 min...NDC Maalouf bends 30 yard shot from left well high and wide right of net.
80 min...NDC sub...Bianchin replaces Maalouf.
81 min...NDC Collin high cross from 20 yards near right end line is over players in box.
84 min...AU Vita Naihin low cross is into box from right is cleared for cornerkick.
85 min...AU Welever high cornerkick from right has goalie catch ball in crowd of players in center of box.
86 min...AU goalie out of box to clear before NDC Isabelle Chukwu can get to it.
87 min...NDC Isabelle Chukwu has defender check her off ball at 20 yard line on run down middle.
88 min...NDC sub...Ozard replaces Istocki.
89 min...AU Chown long throw-in from right wins cornerkick on defenders header.
90 min...AU Wolever high cornerkick from right bends behind net.
91 min...AU player's high cross from 28 yards has ball knocked around. The ball is kicked off an NDC player
on right for cornerkick. NDC Schoeley is injured on play and needs trainer. The NDC players go over to their bench
during this break for a pep talk.
93 min...AU Wolever cornerkick from right is cleared on left and even AU goalie was up into box on play.
94 min...Alliance Cassie Chan GOAL...An AU player takes long throw-in from left that AU Kristin Parkes does backward
header just inside left edge of 18 yard box towards center of box. AU Vita Naihin sticks out foot but misses near
left edge of 6 yard box. Chan beats sliding defender Stephanie Schoeley to ball and sends 8 yarder from middle of box
to left side of net past goalie Noelle Henning.
95 min...NDC Lantaigne cross has NDC Isabelle Chukwu make flying header from 8 yards hit left post but play is called offside.
95 min...regular time ends. Now starts two 15 minutes halfs.

Regulation Time: NDC Ontario.....1.......Alliance United......1......

First Half Overtime (15 minute)...starts 9:10pm. It's now twilight as the sun has set and the mosquitos are quite thick now.
NDC defends north end.
92 min...NDC Lantaigne on left is through ball pass to NDC Bianchin who has goalie out to edge of box to make point blank save.
93 min...NDC Collin cross from right has goalie reach to get hand to and knock to left side of box for defender to head away.
94 min...NDC Collin receives tapped pass and her 8 yard roller has goalie smother ball.
97 min...AU Wolever 33 yard freekick from right has AU Chan pop header behind her from 20 yards wide left of net.
98 min...AU player's long rhrow-in from left is popped on header to center of box but shot is blocked.
98 min...AU YELLOW card...Greco earns it for holding at NDC 45 yard line.
99 min...Alliance Hannah Chown GOAL...AU Jennifer Wolever freekick from left sideline at 45 yard mark has jumping
Chown outleap crowd of players including goalie just behind her and flick header from 6 yards on slight left into center
of open net.
103 min...NDC Collin low cross from left after run up right has NDC Annabelle Chukwu slide in 6 yard box but the ball
gets by her at 3 yards and out left side.
105 min...there's not added time. Half ends 9:25pm.

Second Half of Extra Time: (15 minutes)...starts 9:29pm.
105 min...NDC goalie out to left side of box to pick up ahead of AU Vita Naihin at 5 yard line.
106 min...NDC Isabelle Chukwu low cross near right end line deflects off defender and back to goalie.
107 min...AU Greco makes big stop on NDC Lantaigne at top left of box.
108 min...AU YELLOW card...Badovinac earns it for tackle at AU 30 yard line on right.
109 min...NDC Lantaigne chips 40 yard freekick from right is caught by goalie in center of box.
109 min...NDC Greco is injured at AU 45 yard line in middle.
110 min...AU defender makes big clearance at 15 yards in center of box.
111 min...NDC Collin runs ball over right end line trying to deke defender.
112 min...NDC Lantaigne 20 yard shot from left is caught by goalie.
113 min...NDC Lantaigne high conrerkick from right has NDC Markesini pop 12 yard header in crowd of players on left well over bar.
115 min...NDC Schoeley chips 45 yarder catching NDC players in AU box offside.
117 min...NDC Greco chips pass to NDC Bianchin who 10 yard chip is caught by goalie.
119 min...AU Chown sends long 35 yard throw-in down to right end line.
119 min...AU sub...Cochrane replaces injured Parkes who exits on the far side of field.
120 min...AU players time waste with dribbling skills near the NDC right cornerflag.
122 min...NDC Collin long throw-in from right is cleared.
123 min...NDC Lantaigne cornerkick from right is tipped wide left for goalkick.
124 min...AU Wolever is injured in the AU box.
125 min...AU players make a few more clearances.
125 min...game ends 9:49pm (even 1 minute added time turned into 5 minutes because of another injury).

Final Score:....NDC Ontario........1.........Alliance United..........2......(AET)....

Attendance was estimated by Dino Rossi, President of League1 Canada, as 450 based on ticket presales and estimates. I may build that up to 500 with people continueing to arrive later. The game time caused the L1O Men's Premier Division game between Masters FA (the home team....yes even they have held some of their games here at the Ontario Soccer Centre) and Unionville-Milliken SC who hold all of their home games here this season was moved up to 3:00pm giving league officials a two hour window to set up. All the NDC home games are held here.

The game had long spells where each team would dominate and the ball would barely leave the opponents half. NDC opened up like that in the first 10 minutes the Alliance reversed it for the next 10 minutes. NDC closed the last 15 minutes of the half with all the chances. The second half had few long spells of dominance until Alliance had to pull out all the stops in the last 10 minutes plus the 3 minutes added which was extended because of an injury.

Both teams had players who could catapult in long throw-ins from the sideline to just inside 18 yard box so the tying goal play was not as amazing to see after seeing something similar although less successful almost ten times earlier. I'd marked down Nikolina Istocki and Jadea Collin of NDC able to do that and Hannah Chown for Alliance although there must have been a second player who had that ability as Chown was in the box waiting for the ball. That throw-in was taken quickly as the AU goalie Gurleen Toor was caught upfield seconds earlier in the NDC box waiting to play a cornerkick and while retreating booted a ball up the sideline that deflected off an NDC player at 20 yards that bounced out of bounds to set up that throw-in.

NDC stands for the National Development Centre. There are three of them in Canada and the British Colombia and Quebec region teams won their provinces championships so I heard. The BC one is run as Whitecaps Academy REX and the Quebec one is run as PEF Quebec but administered by CF Montreal. (so the other provinces have the backing of the MLS team in their province). This Ontario one has the best 16 and 17 year old girls in the province. The reason they don't absolutely dominate by huge scores every game is because other teams include older women on their rosters so their size and stamina and experience partly even things out.

A forwarding tweet from the Alliance account from the University of Toronto said the Alliance United roster included 12 current students, 7 alumni, and 4 staff members from their programs.

This was the first L1O Women's game I'd attended this season. So far I've been to 29 in the premier Men's league. Last year was the same and it was the same teams that played off in the final last year. NDC Ontario won that one 3-1.

Some of the steam was let out of the encounter but mostly kept under raps was the winner was to play in the L1O league's Interprovincial championship this year in BC. It turns out Alliance was going to be the Ontario representative anyway because NDC is committed to supply players to Canada's youth teams for a CONCACAF qualifying tournament. Something similar happened last year when the national championship was held in Quebec.

Amanda Kwan was the referee for this game (she was for last season's final too). The league tries to award this assignment to the best game officials of the season. She gave out five Yellow cards that I counted (three to Alliance) but no play was really viscious. Injuries mounted in the extra periods because bodies were conking out by adding an extra third of a game (time-wise) to one that was already intense from the start.

Alliance made a sub at 67 minutes when starter Leda Naihin was replaced by Vita Naihin. They are twin sisters born in 2005. NDC had a pair of 2006 twin sisters with Annabelle Chukwu playing the full 120 minutes and Isabelle Chukwu coming on as a substitute at 54 minutes.

Both teams brought full benches of 20 players but NDC only switched up four players and Alliance only three. One sub on each team was more of a time wasting reason as NDC made one at 88 minutes to hold on to their lead and Alliance made one at 119 to hold onto theirs. Wow those are two fit teams. The temperature started off hot but cooled when the sun set and bug spray was needed once it was dark.

Same teams as last year, I double checked some things before and after the game. Alliance and U of T head coach Angelo Cavalluzzo I made sure I had it right. I saw the end of his professional career in a horrific injury he suffered with Toronto FC II when they played a game at Monarch Park and it was his uncle who was the local Toronto sportscaster who I watched on CFMT although I didn't speak a word of Italian so I could see Toronto Italia highlights. Left the TV on and the Portuguese newscast and see the Toronto Supra highlights. On the sideline evalutating players was Bryan Rosenfeld who I double checked played for Toronto Blizzard and he said North York Rockets of the CSL and when Rockets joined the APSL. I'm pretty sure I asked the same questions last year.

NDC head coach is Joey Lombardi. I saw John Yacao before the game wearing an NDC jacket. I found out he is an assistant coach during the week but does not stay behind their bench for games. He is the head coach of the L1O Men's club Scrosoppi FC. No conflict there as that club does not have a women's team. Their home games are also held at the Ontario Soccer Centre this year while their stadium in Milton is behind renovated.

The player I remember most from NDC has moved on to play pro with NWSL Orlando City is Amanda Allen and she still has those Diana Ross long eyelashes which fascinated me in how they stay attached after a long workout like a soccer game.

I could say Alliance United came prepared to win as right when the final whistle blew they had at least one bench player run onto the field with a huge orange coloured flare. Orange is the colour of the Alliance kits (although not tonight as they wore white shirts to not clash with the all red NDC kits).

Medals were presented after the game. Game officials were given copper coloured ones (a sharp eyed son quizzed colour blind Dad why he was mixing them up with the gold ones) pregame. Referee's posed, NDC took their silvers and rushed off, and Alliance got their golds and waited for the trophy presentation. The trophy has turned the corner of its square base with the year 2020 which would have been the first one on the next side. Hardly noticeable. There was not competition in that pandemic year. Of course the Queen song 'We Are The Champions' was played.

Well tomorrow I'm off all of 500 yards away at Vaughan Grove to watch Woodbridge Strikers vs Windsor City of the L1O Men's Premier Division as their regular season still has three weekends to go until their playoffs start. I have some info on the L1O Men's 2024 season set-up from Dino Rossi which I'll drop into that report.

Rocket Robin
robin.glover.1958@gmail.com
twitter @RocketRobin01

NDC Ontario starters