Soccer In Toronto 09.05.09

By Rocket Robin Soccer In Toronto

CSL Result
Saturday September 5th, 2009

Final Score
TFC Academy 0, Serbian White Eagles 3

Venue
Esther Shiner Stadium, North York

Kickoff
3:15 pm

Highlights
18 min … White Eagles Thierry Mangwa GOAL
SWE Sasa Viciknez cornerkick from right is tipped through box and Mangwa leaned forward and headed in 6 yarder from left into short left of net which goalie Garrett Cyprus got a hand to but behind the goal line.

63 min … White Eagles RED card
Dragorad Milicevic earned a direct expulsion for a crunching tackle at SWE 30 yard line with TFCA Doneil Henry. Referee Steve DePiero gave Henry a Yellow card for his part in the collision. White Eagles are actually given the freekick.

66 min … White Eagles Sasa Viciknez GOAL
SWE Marc Jankovic pass from 60 yards on right had SWE Adrian Tismenar push the ball in middle over to Viciknez who from 20 yards on left blasts shot into right side of net.

92 min … White Eagles Jonathan Hurtis GOAL
Hurtis takes a 45 yard chip from the left that’s over the head of the leaping goalie and into the right side of the net.

Notes
Attendance was about 100 on this warm afternoon with a bright sun in the west after about the 20 minute mark of the game which TFC Academy had to stare into first. This was a home game for TFCA but the crowd was more than half White Eagles fans. The Academy draws only the players’ parents and family members. A reason the CSL schedule was put out so late this year as there were plans to have Academy game played at BMO Field possibly right after MLS TFC games (much like the two years TFC were part of the MLS Reserve Division). This game was taped for broadcast in the evening on the Rogers Community channel.

One parent confirmed that the Academy team had four starters from their junior team and one reserve player from that team. Many of their first team starters have gone off to college. This will cause the team to struggle as their reserve team is made up of even younger teenagers than the regular team. They have by no means locked up a playoff spot yet.

Dan Pelc earned the shutout for the White Eagles making a few key saves. Many of the Academy shots were off target but Pelc smothered some low shots blasted through traffic in the box. Both teams thought chipping the goalies was a good strategy. Pelc’s “shutout saver” was at 85 minutes when TFCA Justin Maheu got a ball up the middle and he chipped a 20 yard shot that Pelc jumped and caught at 10 yards. White Eagles man-sized defenders Thierry Mangwa, Marc Jankovic, Mirko Medic and Dragorad Milicevic kept the smaller Academy team taking most shots from well outside the box. White Eagles were often called on offsides breaking too fast for passed balls.

Sasa Viciknez almost had a second goal at 85 minutes when Shane Lemmie rolled a ball to him from 30 yards in the middle over to the left and Viciknez kicked a 15 yarder that hit the left goalpost near the bar and the goalie turned and caught the deflection at 8 yards. Shane Lemmie came in as a 62 minute substitute. He had been absent from the team for a few games as the team had suspended him. His pairing with Viciknez worked well during games a month ago.

Referee Steve DePiero officiated last night’s game between Toronto Croatia and St Catharines Wolves. He wasn’t too popular red carding a Croatia player and today’s against the White Eagles. He can make the tough calls but probably won’t be given the assignment for the regular season closer between Croatia and White Eagles.

White Eagles draw to within one point of Toronto Croatia who won last night. Those two teams are predicted to finish one-two in the standings. Initial playoff pairings have both teams hosting a quarterfinal game on Sunday September 27th played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke with the White Eagles playing at 5:00 pm and Toronto Croatia playing at 8:15 pm.