Soccer In Toronto 05.23.08

By Rocket Robin Soccer In Toronto

Final Score
Toronto FC Academy 0, St Catharines Wolves 1

Venue
Lamport Stadium, Toronto

Kickoff
8:00 pm

Highlights
68 min … Wolves Graeme McIntosh GOAL
Wolves Antonio Stranges took 35 yard freekick up the middle of the field and his shot is stopped in the player wall. Stranges gets to rebound and rushes up right wing beating a defender and cutting in a low cross from 20 yards. McIntosh is already knocked down in the box but gets a foot in to deflect ball in from 1 yards shot to right corner of the net beyond the goalie who was also down on the play. The goalie Jarret Humphreys was injured on the play and had to be replaced by Soitiri Variokostas before the game resumes.

Notes
» Attendance was about 200 people on this cool evening.

» The scoreboard isn’t working and the field looked almost as dark as last week even through this time I didn’t notice any burnouts at least on the east side.

» Claudio Perri earned the shutout for the Wolves. He had two key saves; one was at 16 minutes when TFC Viktor Anastasov got away a 10 yard shot in a scramble in the box that the goalie blocked at 6 yards. The other was at 66 minutes when TFCA Erick Olazabal took a cornerkick from the left and TFCA Daniel Tannous headed a ball from 12 yards that Perri had to palm over the net while falling backwards. Otherwise his night was mostly spent catching crosses into the box. Olazabal took most of the cornerkicks and freekicks for TFCA and had the best shots on net.

» Wolves chances were limited to off target shots and long shots that often found had defenders knock away before even reaching the goalie.

» Wolves had better ball possession against TFCA than last week’s opponents but TFCA look the best when they counterattack and can start a quick breakout.

» Referee Mickey Donev had to keep control over this rough game but only gave out a few cards.

» I asked TFCA coach Jason Bent after the game of how bad the injury was too goalie Jarret Humphreys but he said it was too soon to say. I heard a rumour soon after the injury that he had a broken rib.

» Next TFC Academy home game will be Friday May 30th at 8:00 pm against Italia Shooters. Their next game will be this Sunday against North York Astros at 3:00 pm at Esther Shiner Stadium in North York.