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Result and details of the Sunday May 25, 2025 Canadian Premier League game between York United FC and Vancouver FC
played at York Lions Stadium in North York at 2:00pm ET.
York United FC (dark green socks and shirts, navy shorts, white names and numbers)
................................1 Diego Urtiaga
..........5 Frank Sturing...8 Elijajh Adekugbe (cpt)...4 Oswaldo Leon
23 Rilely Ferrazzo...7 Steffen Yeates...21 Kembo Kibato...6 Orlando Botello Linares
..........20 Gabriel Bitar...18 Julian Altobelli...11 Massimo Ferrin
Subs:...12 Ivan Pavela (gk)...3 Luke Singh (def)...9 Bryan Rosa (fwd)...10 Adonijah Reid (fwd)
...16 Max Ferrari (mid)...19 Olusola Jimoh (fwd)...32 Luca Accettola (mid)
team officials:...head coach Mauro Eustaquio...assistant coaches Jose Mateus Lima and Jose Petinga
...goalkeeper coach Camilo Benzi...physiotherapists Daniel Gasbarri anda Ancilla Mak...doctor Hrishov Sarker
...kitman Eduardo Rodas
Vancouver FC (all white uniforms, black naames and numbers)
...............................1 Callum Irving (cpt)
15 Aidaan O'Connor...13 David Norman...4 Allan Enyou...7 Thierno Bah
.........5 Matteo Campagna...8 Mehdi Essoussi...6 Vasco Fry
.........9 Alejandro Diaz...25 Pathe Ndiaye...14 Terran Campbell
Subs:...41 Felipe Jaramillo (gk)...10 Juan Batista (mid)...17 Emrick Fotsing (mid)...24 Henri Godbout (mid)
...26 Taryck Tahid (fwd)...29 Kevin Podgomi (mid)
team officials:...head coach Afshin Ghotbi...assistant coach Philip Lund...goalkeeper coach Niko Giantsopoulos
...kitman Arturo Munoz...athletic trainer Amelia Ng
Game officials:...referee Mario Al-Ayass...referee's assistants Twayne Anderson and Bradley Doubrough...fourth official Yusri Rudolf
...(all black uniforms)...referee assessor Amato De Luca
A pregame rain starats at 12:30pm but only lasts 15 minutes then restarts later. There is a strong wind from the north.
First Half:...game starts 2:09pm...York defends south end on this mild and overcast afternoon with a strong wind from the north.
40 sec...York Botello is injured at York 50 yard line when Van Essoussi clips his ankle.
3 min...York Ferrazzo low cross from 20 yard line on right wins cornerkick on defensive block.
3 min...York Botello cornerkick from right has Van Enyou head away from edge of 6 yard box.
4 min...Van Fry cross from right has Van Campbell first touch from 22 yards rolled to goalie.
8 min...Van Campbell cross from 20 yards on left lands on top of net.
9 min...York Botello low 25 yard shot from left has retreating defender concede cornerkick.
10 min...York Bitar cornerkick from left has Van players head away. York Botello crosses chip from left at 22 yards has goalie beat
York Sturing to punch away at 7 yards.
12 min...Van Fry cornerkick from right is high and bends behind net. York Ferrazzo is injured in crowd of players in box.
13 min...Van Bah run on left but is checked by York Sturing and clearance deflects off him for goalkick.
16 min...Van Campbell rush down left and rolls centering pass to 12 yards with retreating York players and York Botello
is pulled down and injured. Van Ndiaye had pulled him from behind.
18 min...Van Essoussi 35 yard chip down middle and York Sturing makes key header in box to prevent possible break-in.
19 min...York Adekugbe holds up Van Ndiaye from getting clear shot inside box.
22 min...York Ferrazzo receives quickly taken freekick from left all alone on right and his 25 yard shot is over the bar.
23 min...Van Essoussi shoots 22 yarder low and forward just wide left of post but wins cornerkick on deflection.
23 min...Van players work out short cornerkick from left and Van Bah chips into box from 28 yards on left and Van Campagna
header from 12 yards hits defender and is cleared.
23 min...York Bitar and York Ferrin get away on 2 on 1 breakaway but pass to Ferrin is wide left for him to have to chase it
and defenders catch up to prevent shot.
25 min...York Ferrazzo run down right and rolls shot from 25 yards rather than pass and goalie easily smothers.
28 min...Julian Altobelli GOAL...York Oswaldo Leon on left chips from York 35 yard line has Altobelli on breakaway
up middle at Van 40 yard line. Altobelli dribbles forward and shoots roller from 15 yards into right side of net past
diving goalie Callum Irving.
32 min...Van Essoussi cross from right has York Ferrazzo races into 6 yard box to fly and head ball away.
35 min...Van Fry cornerkick from left is whistled down in box. York goalie and York Botello are injured in box.
38 min...York Leon keeps Van Campbell from getting to through ball and sheppards ball over end line.
40 min...York Bitar is injured at York 40 yard line in collision with Van Fry.
42 min...Van YELLOW card...Essoussi earns it for stopping York Altobelli from breaking away at York 40 yard line on left.
44 min...York Botello is injured out of bounds in front of York team bench on bash from Van Campagna.
45 min...Van Enyou bumps York Altobelli into rolling 25 yard shot down middle for goalie to pick up.
45 min...York Leon jumps and heads Van Diaz cross from left through box out right side.
46 min...Van Fry cornerkick from right is out to Van Essoussi downfield and he rolls it into box for Fry and has York Yeates
make a big clearance inside 6 yard box.
46 min...Van Fry cornerkick from right is high and York defender on left side of box pops header away on edge of 6 yard box.
47 min...half end 2:56pm.
Halftime entertainment: There's the 'Chicken Dance' song with the Maple Lodge Farms mascot. Then there's a mini game in the south west corner. There's a contest to kick a soccer ball from the sideline into a mini net on the center dot spot which is very similar to the soccer golf contest they usually have. It has been three weeks since they've had these activities because of the team road trip and the Canadian Championship game not having any fan events.
Only the Vancouver subs stay out at halftime to warm up although the York subs came back out about halfway through the break.
Second Half:...starts 3:13pm.
halftime subs:...Van Batista replaces Campbell.
45 min...Van Bah turns and sends 12 yarder from right just over bar.
47 min...York Yeates short forward pass on slight right and York Altobelli rolls 22 yarder just wide left of net.
49 min...Van Fry chips freekick from 30 yard line on right that defender heads away in box from 10 yard line and whistle is blown.
51 min...Van Bah 35 yard freekick down middle chips to left end line but Van Diaz is already over line as he hooks high cross back
into box.
53 min...Van Batista hits bar on 20 yard kick. Van Diaz is hurt in box. York Botello is also hurt in box. Both need trainers.
56 min...York Yeates near right end line rolls ball back for York Kibato to shoot 22 yarder over net.
58 min...Van Fry chips pass from 25 yards on right wide left and over end line on bounce.
59 min...Van Batista on right end line rolls ball to edge of 6 yard box but defender clears.
62 min...York Botello cornerkick from right has ball deflect off a few players in 6 yard box and is over end line for
another cornerkick.
63 min...York Botello cornerkick has leaping goalie catch in crowd of players in 6 yard box.
64 min...York Adekugbe makes two big blocks of shots in box by Van players.
64 min...York Bitar rolls pass for York Altobelli but defender intercepts on right side of box.
65 min...York Bitar 25 yard freekick from left is over bar.
66 min...Van player rolls through ball up slight left. Van Ndiaye can't draw Penalty kick when York Adekugbe trips him up.
67 min...York goalie is out to right side of box to grab bouncer.
68 min...Van sub...Tahid replaces Ndiaye.
...........Van sub...Godbout replaces Essoussi.
...........Van sub...Fotsing replaces Diaz.
69 min...Van Batista 50 yard chip from left has goalie pick up on right.
71 min...York sub...Jimoh replaces Bitar.
73 min...York sub...Rosa replaces Altobelli.
75 min...Van Fry cross from left 30 yard line and leaping goalie catches at 7 yards tumbling over own defender York Botello.
Goalie needs trainer. Van Norman in box can't draw Penalty kick as Botello pushed him before the collision.
78 min...Van YELLOW card...Godbout earns it for tripping York player carryinig out of own end. York Ferrin needs trainer but
doesn't have to leave field because opponent was carded.
80 min...Van Godbout receives long cross from left and gets break and rolls 12 yarder from right that's wide left of net.
81 min...York sub...Singh replaces Ferrin.
82 min...Van Fry eludes York Singh but his cross along 10 yard line is well over box.
84 min...Van Fry 18 yard chip from left hsa goalie pick up on bounce on right post.
86 min...York YELLOW card...Botello earns it for holding Van Bah breaking over center line on right.
87 min...York Rosa is squashed by Van Enyou and O'Connor at York 50 yard line. Both Rosa and O'Connor are injured in collision
and need trainers. O'Connor is kicked in the face when Rosa is cartwheeled over.
91 min...York Jimoh is injured when knocked down by Van Campagna after keeping ball in bounds on sideline but dribbling it
after whistle.
93 min...The referee sorts out cards after a dustup after Jimoh was knocked down.
.........York YELLOW card...Leon earns it for his part in dustup.
.........York YELLOW card...Rosa earns it for his part in dustup.
.........Van YELLOW card...O'Connor earns it for his part in dustup.
.........Van YELLOW card...Tahid earns it for his part in dustup.
94 min...Van Podgomi replaces Bah.
98 min...Van Fry low cross/shot from 12 yard line sideline caught by goalie on short post.
99 min...Van Enyou rolls pass to Van Norman on sideline but out of bounds.
100 min...Van Tahid wins freekick at York 20 yard line by York Singh.
101 min...Van Fry wins cornerkick on left on deflection of his freekick.
102 min...Van Fry cornerkick from left has goalie smother deflection.
102 min...game ends 4:10pm.
Final Score:......York United FC.........2.......Vancouver FC...........1........
Attendance was not announced but someone on a fan message board said it was 1452. I didn't think it looked good and wasn't expecting much because of the rain starting at 12:30pm would make some fans turn back. I didn't think there were as many vendor trucks in the endzone as most weeks. This weekend was "Doors Open Toronto 2025" and some food trucks may have gone to other locations. Also the York record is bad with them only winning their first game of the season and not winning a home game yet.
York wins and the PA system plays "Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer. We now know this is the victory song as they played it after York beat FC Laval in the Canadian Championship first round game.
Referee Mario Al-Ayass gave out seven Yellow cards today (three to York) but two to each team were given out after an early second half added time dustup when York's Olusola Jimoh was pushed over while killing time dribbling near the sideline.
Elijah Adekugbe was in the backline playing in just a back three. He was wearing a mask as he answered at the post game press conference that he'd broken his nose in last week's game against Valour FC held in Winnipeg. Interesting as he's usually a defensive central midfielder but he anchored an experienced backline with Frank Sturing and Oswaldo Leon. They were quite effective as most of the Vancouver shots were coming in from outside the box.
Julian Altobelli's goal gives him six goals in eight games and ties him for the league lead with Atletico Ottawa's Sam Salter who didn't score this weekend but set the CPL record with four goals in one game last weekend. A statistic I hadn't realized until reading about it was Altobelli's shot was the only shot 'on target' for either team whis entire game! Vancouver outshot York 10-9.
Interesting set up for the goal with a chipped pass over the defenders setting in Altobellin on a breakaway. I've seen highlight packages of York losing some games this season with the same play being used against them. York head coach Mauro Eustaquio answered after the game that Vancouver set a press and that created space behind their defence so they exploited that.
Vancouver has only scored six goals in league play in seven games now. They now have on their roster the two holders of the all-time record for CPL goals with Terran Campbell with 40 and Alejandro Diaz with 39 and both were starters. Campbell only played the first half and was subbed off for Brazilian striker Juan Batista who hit the bar from 20 yards at 53 minutes.
Vancouver head coach Afshin Ghotbi said this was their third game in eight days and he hoped an unchanged lineup would help. He said he felt they played better in the second half. They had a Canadian Championship Quarter-Final match on Wednesday night hosting Cavalry FC for a 1-1 tie in their first leg. York United will have a midweek game in their Quarter-Final on Wednesday June 11th against Atletico Ottawa.
Vancouver were missing defender Kunle Dada-Luke who is serving a Red card suspension and midfielder Paris Gee for personal/family reasons. Kevin Podgomi came in at 94 minutes. He is only age 17 and his bio says he played for L1O team ProStars FC's youth teams in previous years.
I was dreading the end of the game because York had given up so many leads this season and ended up losing so many games. They are almost as bad as MLS 2024 champion Los Angeles Galaxy who have still not won a league game this season after 15 games. They lost a game earlier this year without allowing their opponents a shot on net but scored an own goal!
The referee signaled a quite understandable, because of injuries, ten minutes of injury time which stretched into twelve. York had made one noticeable (and not like-for-like) substitute at 80 minutes when they brought on defender Luke Singh to replace forward Massimo Ferrin. Yes I agreed! Protect the lead you hold rather than pressing for an insurance goal.
On my out of the post game press conference, the York United Academy were playing their League1 Ontario Championship division (second tier) match against North Mississauga SC with about 60 people watching in the stands. I heard two loud cheers moments apart as I walked across the parking lot. North Mississauga had just scored two goals enroute to winning 3-1. York had gone to North Miss's home field the Friday before and won 3-2. The result evens the academy's record as 2 wins, 2 losses, 2 ties for 8 points and drops them to seventh place of the twelve teams in the division. Interesting fact is they used their CPL back up goalie, unused in today's game as the starter in this game for the first half then Daniel Sanei for the second half.
By the time I got home, the final CPL game of the weekend was just ending.
The win improves York United's record to 2 wins, 5 losses, 1 tie for 7 points. That suddenly boosts their placing from eighth (ie last) to fifth in a tie with Pacific FC with an identical record but with a better goal differential.
Vancouver FC's record falls to 1 win, 4 losses, 2 ties for 5 points and they are all alone in seventh.
There has been a gap formed already in this 1/4 mark of the season with the top four teams opening up space between them and the fifth place team. Fifth place York is six points behind fourth place Forge FC. This gap happened last season too with four teams breaking away from the pack (York was one of them before settling in to an island position of fourth between the two groups. This season York is back in the pack and HFX Wanderers FC is in the top tier. Good thing for the lesser teams there are five playoff spots available. Last season all eight teams still had a chance for a playoff spot until the weekend before decision day--the last day of the season. Current year's third and fourth place teams are Cavalry FC and Forge FC--last year's first and second place finishers who ultimately met in the league final. I can't see them falling with Cavalry overcoming their usual slow start and Forge still undefeated but suffering from 'tie-too-much' at the moment with four draws in seven games.
York United's next game was to be a 'home' game this Sunday but it was moved up to Saturday night and will take place in Quebec City as the now annual 'CPL On Tour' match. The opponent is red hot HFX Wanderers (tied for first) who have beaten York already this season when they came to Toronto and won 2-1 on Sunday April 13th which was their home opener. York took a first half lead in that game then gave up two second half goals.
After today, York won't play here for four weeks. Next actual home game is Sunday June 22nd at 1:00pm against current co-first place team Atletico Ottawa.
Rocket Robin
robin.glover.1958@gmail.com
York United FC starters
Vancouver FC starters
York Gabriel Bitar (20) takes opening kickoff.
A Vancouver throw-in.
An injury scare with York goalie Diego Urtiaga down.
Vancouver Alejandro Dias (9) takes second half kickoff.
midfield action
York Orlando Botello (6) takes cornerkick.
York Gabriel Bitar (20) will send this freekick over bar.
Vancouver make a triple substitution at 68 minutes.
Vancouver Vasco Fry (6) wins cornerkick on this deflected freekick.
Handshakes after the game.
Game stats from canpl.ca
York United Vancouver FC
goals-scored 1 0
Assist 1 0
possession- perc 46 54
shots 9 10
shots- on- goal 1 0
blocked-Shots 3 6
total-passes 415 482
passing-accuracy-percentage 82 84
corners 4 6
crosses 10 23
offsides 2 1
duels-won 52 38
saves 0 1
clearences 26 17
fouls 8 17
yellow-cards 3 4
Red Cards 0 0
penalty-goals 0 0
own-goals 0 0
throw- ins 20 16
pass-attempts 415 482
free-kicks 1 1
crosses-successful 1 4
Shots At Goal Inside Box 3 5
Shots At Goal Outside Box 6 5
missed-passes 78 78
Held Interceptions 0 0
Fisted Interceptions 0 1
Total Goalkeeper Interceptions 0 0
tackles- total 16 11
passes-completed 337 404
key-passes 7 5
tackles- successful 6 8
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