August 12, 2023 League1 Ontario...North Toronto Nitros vs St Catharines Roma Wolves game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Saturday August 12, 2023 League1 Ontario Men's Premier Division game between North Toronto Nitros
and St Catharines Roma Wolves played at Downsview Park in North York at 8:00pm.

North Toronto Nitros (black shorts and numbers, white socks and shirts, green shoulders)

...........................1 Alexandre Lin
11 Jaylen Drummond...3 Alex Meczarski...5 Christian Westlaken (cpt)...4 Brandon Barone
7 Luca Dimarco...13 Tadija Vukas...15 Kaostubh Bolla...22 Bilal Reslan
.................9 Zakaria Abdi...10 Ali El Zeir

Subs:...12 Anthony Cipressi (gk)...2 Luca Porfiris...6 Josiah Sowa...8 Juan Delgadillo
...14 Kai Martin...16 Akeim Villous...18 Emil Kisse...20 Pablo Hempelmann-Perez...21 Jamie Benayon-Abraham
team officials:...team head coach Marko Milanovic...assistant coach Filip Prostran and Rasih Pala
...manager Daniel Barillari...therapist Marwah Hashimi

St Catharines Roma Wolves (amber socks and numbers, maroon shorts and shirts)

..........................1 Enrique Orozco
14 Soki Qamali...2 Christian Lacuesta...25 Eric Woodland...5 Victor Kariuki
8 Matthew Roda...12 Engjell Qamili...26 Nicholas Andreola (cpt)...21 Adam Lila
.................19 Antonio Agovski...9 Michael Solomon

Subs:...16 Carson Provenzano (gk)...7 Klisman Toma...10 Jordale Byers...11 Jake Kelly
...13 Nate Smyth...18 Azeel Jivraj...22 Gianluca DelPriore...30 Lucas Vetere
team officials:...team head coach Federico Turriziani...assistant coach Davide Massafra

Game officials:...referee Kim Lee...referee's assistants Roshan Mendonca and Austin Fromhold-Treu
...fourth official Mhaboob Gulestani...(teal shirts and socks, black shorts)

First Half:...game starts 7:59pm...Nitros defends north end.
2 min...Nitros Dimarco low cross in from right has Wolves Andreola clear from center of boc.
3 min...Nitros Bolla oornerkick from right has Nitros Barone pop header on left over end line.
5 min...Nitros goalie catches long throw-in into box after it had been knocked around.
8 min...Wolves Lacuesta rescues ball on left end line then wins freekick when defender knocks into him.
9 min...Wolves Solomon low 22 yard freekick from far left has goalie smother in center of net.
10 min...Nitros Bolla cornerkick from right is over players in box and Nitro's win throw-in on left on low blocked recross.
12 min...Nitros Dimarco cross from right near end line has Nitros Abdi flick header on near post over net from 3 yards.
13 min...Wovles Andreola gets to cross from right and pops 10 yarder over net.
13 min...Nitros Drummond blocks Wolves clearance from Wolves 15 yards on right and goalie dives to left to smother.
14 min...Nitros Reslan 45 yard freekick from left is high wide right over players for goalkick.
17 min...Nitros goalie calls off defender so he can pick Wolves roller along left end line.
18 min...Nitros YELLOW card...El Zeir earns it for kicking ball towards net after being called offside at 30 yards.
21 min...Nitros Reslan cornerkick from left has Wolves derfender clear. Nitros El Zeir wins cornerkick on deflection on his shot.
22 min...Nitros Reslan cornerkick from right has Nitros Barone head from right back across 6 yard box and goalie takes ball
off head of Nitros forward at 3 yards before he could make play.
25 min...Wolves Andreola 22 yard shot from left wins cornerkick on deflection off defender.
26 min...Nitros goalie swats cornerkick from left off Wolves Agovski for a cornerkick on right.
26 min...Wolves Agovski cornerkick from right is partially cleared and Wolves Woodland chips 25 yarder over player that
goalie catches.
27 min...Nitros Abdi 15 yard low shot is into net but called back offside.
28 min...Nitros Westlaken heads ball back to goalie from 25 yards to break up through ball.
29 min...Nitros Reslan ends Nitros pressure with short pass to Nitros Abdi who tips ball off himself and over end line
from 10 yards and is not able to rescue ball on right end line.
32 min...Nitros Bolla 28 yard freekick from near right end line has defender head away on near post.
32 min...Nitros El Zeir is injured in Wolves box.
35 min...Wolves YELLOW card...Woodland earns it for kicking ball away after Nitros freekick call at Wolves 50 yard line.
36 min...Wolves Lila is injured on right edge of Wolves box and needs trainer for head injury. Both teams use this time for
a water break.
40 min...Wolves Solomon receives pass and 20 yard shot forward on left hits outside of right post.
40 min...Wolves YELLOW card...Lila earns it for tackle at Wolves 40 yard line.
41 min...Nitros Meczarski or Westlaken 40 yard freekick up middle is over net and back fence!
41 min...Nitros DiMarco low cross from near right end line is behind Nitros forward and out left side of box.
42 min...NTN Tadija Vukas GOAL...NTN Zakaria Abdi taps pass from 20 yards to Vukas who takes low 20 yard shot
from middle off the inside of the the left post beyond diving goalie Enrique Orozco.
44 min...Wolves Solomon 30 yard shot up middle is smothered by goalie.
45 min...Nitros Drummond bends 25 yarder from slight right just wide left of post bending inward.
47 min...Nitros Drummond cross from right has Nitros Reslan have shot blocked.
47 min...half ends 8:46pm.

Halftime: Only the Wolves subs stay out to warm up.

Seconc Half:...starts 9:02pm.
Halftime sub:...Nitros Delgadillo replaces El Zeir.
48 min...Wolves Road throw-in from right cornerflag is cleared over to left of box.
49 min...Nitros YELLOW card...Drummond earns it for knock down at Nitros 22 yard line on left.
49 min...Wolves player's 28 yard freekick from left has defender head wide right for cornerkick on leap forward.
49 min...Wolves Agovski cornerkick from right has Nitros Abdi start fast break out up left side.
51 min...Wolves Andreaola low cross from right end line has ball deflect off defender and roll to goalie on near post.
52 min...Nitros Delgadillo 45 yard freekick from let is whistled down at 25 yards in middle for Wolves freekick.
54 min...Nitros Reslan gets to ball on left and rolls centering cross which retreating defender knocks wide left over fence.
55 min...Wolves sub...Kelly replaces Lila.
56 min...Wolves Solomon receives pass on 2 on 2 rush and 15 yard shot hits right post on near side getting past goalie trying
to smother it.
57 min...Wolves Solomon rush on right and low cross into box has sprawling defender prevent shot.
57 min...Wolves YELLOW card...Qamili earns it for tackle at Nitros 30 yard line.
58 min...Wolves Nicholas Andreola GOAL...Andreola recovers a ball deflected off an NTN player and takes low 22 yard shot
down the middle into left side past diving goalie Alexandre Lin.
60 min...Nitros Reslan 40 yard freekick from left has Nirtros Barone head 8 yarder in crowd of players over bar.
61 min...Nitros Bolla rush towards left end line but defender gets to ball and clears it for a throw-in.
62 min...Nitros sub...Hempelmann-Perez replaces DiMarco.
............Nitros sub...Villous replaces Reslan.
63 min...Nitros Vukas cross from 15 yards on right has goalie get had up to knocke ball down preventing Nitros Abdi from 6 yard
header waiting on left.
64 min...Nitros player injured at Nitros 35 yard line.
65 min...Wolves Qamili 28 yard shot down middle is between players and goalie catches on right side of net.
66 min...Nitros Barone makes big clearance in box.
67 min...Wolves Michael Solomon GOAL...Solomon picks up loose ball and takes 25 yard shot from right that's into
left corner of net.
69 min...Wolves Solomon chips 20 yarder that goalie palms wide right after fumbling catch.
70 min...Wolves Solomon cornerkick from right is cleared from box.
73 min...Nitros Hempelmann-Perez 50 yard freekick from left has Nitros player not able to win Penalty kick or freekick
near edge of box on dive.
78 min...Nitros sub...Porfiris replaces injured Meczarski.
79 min...Wolves Kelly runs down left and rolls centering pass but defender clears.
81 min...Nitros Hempelmann-Perez 35 yard freekick up middle is low and diving goalie pushes ball wide left.
82 min...Nitros Delgadillo(?) cornerkick from left has defender on post pop header over to right but out of box.
83 min...Wolves sub...Byers replaces Solomon.
85 min...Nitros sub...Benayon-Abraham replaces Vukas.
86 min...Wolves Andreola 40 yard shot up middle after receiving pass from left is well wide right of net.
87 min...Wolves player makes sliding lunge that gives up cornerkick on left.
87 min...Wolves Agovski flicks Nitros cornerkick from right. Agovski then has to leave field with bloody eye.
88 min...Nigtros Delgadillo has shot blocked at 15 yards on 20 yard shot.
90 min...Nitros Abdi pops 12 yard header that goalie catches at 6 yards falling backwards. Abdi is injured and needs trainer.
92 min...Wolves sub...Vetere replaces Woodland.
93 min...Wolves Vetere kicks in goal after offside whistle.
93 min...Wolves Qamili and Nitros Bolla crash heads at Wolves 15 yard line in Wolves box and both need trainers.
............Nitros YELLOW card...Bolla earns it for his aggression on the play.
96 min...Wolves sub...Smyth replaces injured Qamila before play resumes. Qamila has left with a bloody forehead.
98 min...Wolves goalie catches ball on bounce on edge of box.
99 min...Nitros Hempelmann-Perez 40 yard freekick on right has ball land on edge of box and defenders are able to clear.
101 min...game ends 9:58pm.

Final Score:...North Toronto Nitros.......1.......St Catharines Roma Wolves......2......

Attendance was about 70 by halftime on this warm night with the sun already below the shadow of the buildings before the game started. With no more women's games this season which have their own crowds, there was no ice cream truck outside the gate as I expect the operator found a more lucrative place for business.

Michael Solomon had hit the post at 40 and 56 minutes so this third time was fitting that he scored the winning goal for his persistence.

Wolves had more chances from about the 55 minute mark. Nitros were having their shots blocked or saved as their chances dried up later in the game.

Referee Kim Lee gave out three Yellow cards to each team. The first for each team was for time wasting with kicking the ball towards the net after being called offside and for kicking the ball away after a freekick call against them near the centre line...both unnecessary by the players. With Nitros offensive threat Ali El Zeir picking up one of those at only 18 minutes, it may have been why he was subbed out at halftime. There were no water breaks scheduled but both teams took informal ones each half when a trainer had to be brought onto the field to treat an injury.

Six minutes of added time at the end of the second half turned into eleven as there was a clash of heads just inside the Wolves box and Wolves Sokoi Qamili needed the trainer and to be helped from the field. Nitros Kaostubh Bolla was given a Yellow card and recovered a lot faster. Wolves coaches and players were pleading for the game to end but with their record, they must have suffered some last minute disappointments this season. I saw them Wednesday night get beaten 3-1 by Masters FA after taking an 18 minute lead, a team with a comparable record to Wolves.

The scoreboard has been refurbished. The University's name was changed last year from Ryerson but then it had be decided on as Rams was modernized. The scoreboard now declares 'TMU BOLD' (Toronto Metropolitan University). Bold can fit any gender, whereas 'Ewes' was the old name of many of the women's teams. The scoreboard can be programmed to any six charactor name so tonight it was NITROS and ROMA. Last year the old board had painted on it: home and visitors.

The loss drops Nitros record to 9 wins, 6 losses, 3 ties for 30 points and drops them to tenth place after today's other results and with only two games to go, it looks like their run to the playoffs is just about over. There are still eight teams still to play this weekend and the 34 point standard held by the sixth and final playoff bound team which is Electric City FC could be raised by 33 point Burlington SC on Sunday. Burlington also has the more important goal of finishing in the Top 12 of combined 2022/2023 Premier Division split for survival in the top tier for the 2024 season.

Wolves' record improves to 4 wins, 11 losses, 2 ties for 17 points. That keeps them in seventeenth place out of the twenty-one teams just ahead of North Mississauga who also won tonight. With last year's record, they were confirmed for the second tier months ago.

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

North Toronto Nitros starters