Soccer In Toronto 06.05.10

By Rocket Robin Soccer In Toronto

CSL Result
Saturday June 5, 2010

Final Score
TFC Academy 1 Montreal Impact Academy 1

Venue
BMO Field, Toronto

Kickoff
7:00 pm

Highlights
55 min … MIA Kevin Luarca GOAL
MIA Kevin Cossette centers a pass from 25 yards on the right and although Luarca is falling gets 20 yard low shot past goalie Angelo Cavalluzzo into center of net.

75 min … TFCA Doneil Henry GOAL
TFCA Brennan McNicoll cornerkick from right has leaping Henry in crowd of players head ball in from 6 yards into right side of goal past goalie Dominic Provost.

Notes
Attendance was around 60 on this warm evening with a bit of rain falling in the second half. This game was held one hour after the MLS game between Toronto FC and Kansas City Wizards which was played before an announced crowd of 21583. No announcements about the CSL game were made during the MLS game although at least twice fans were urged to stay with their children to come onto the field and take a shot on the cereal mascot Tony The Tiger. That had about 1000 people stay behind but once the kid took a penalty kick and got their prize, the child and the parent were escorted out. Today was the best chance the TFC Academy had of getting some fans as the names were fresh from the three that got to play in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship this past Wednesday against Vancouver Whitecaps. Opportunity lost!

There were goal and substitution announcements during the entire game and the main scoreboard was running. I could hear the music pumping out of nearby Lamport Stadium where there was a pro lacrosse game going on.

TFC Academy used MLS logoed soccer balls rather than the CSL league sponsored Givova balls.

Referee Mike Lambert took himself out of the game at halftime and fourth official Manuel Orellano took over for the second half. The Impact bench kept asking him if he was hurt and that it was too bad he couldn’t continue. They probably liked his more favourable calls.

I confirmed with TFC Academy Junior Team Head Coach Stuart Neely that there was no risk that any Academy players called up to play in the Nutrilite game on Wednesday risked losing any kind of NCAA scholarship eligibility. That was the same answer if it had have been a regular MLS game. Maybe at the third game of a pro call up there would be possible trouble. It sure makes a change from a few years ago when playing for an amateur team in the CSL risked disqualification if they played against a CSL team that had some professional players.

It was a fair result. TFC Academy had the run of play overall in the game but the Impact got their chances. Impact almost scored again at 91 minutes when Kevin Cossette took a cornerkick from the left and the ball was knocked back to him and his low recross had an Impact player’s shot blocked at 7 yards and another player boot the rebound into the left side of the net but the play was flagged offside. So much for my theory that the Impact would tire after playing a game just a night earlier in Hamilton against Hamilton Croatia and losing 2-0 in a rain shortened game. It’s the second weekend in a row they’ve played the Friday-Saturday timetable instead of stretching their weekend until Sunday.