Weekly Review Azzi's Superlative Team & Player of the Week 2004/2005

[termatofylakas]

Re: Azzi's Superlative Team & Player of the Week

Azzi getting quick with the write ups. One and a half hours after the Inter game and it is in the write up. Brian got Inter's first and then Adel went out. Then Sheldon and Andrew scored on whoever went in net. Is Bronco the big guy on the back line for Croatia who wears number 4? If so he went in for Adel it looked like.

 

[knowone]

Re: Azzi's Superlative Team & Player of the Week

let me just save azzi the effort...

TEAM OF THE WEEK----ICSF INTER for their superlative
performance in beating reigning league champs SURREY UNITED
for their first premier league title.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK----SHELDON M? for scoring two huge
goals for his side in INTER's victory.

for his effort sheldon will receive several nasty clattering
tackles next week against from the SAPPERTON lads.

NO PIZZA FOR YOU!

 

[knvb]

Re: Azzi's Superlative Team & Player of the Week

PREMIER DIVISION FINAL—ICSF INTER – SURREY UNITED 3-2

The Premier Division final—between Group ‘A’ winners ICSF Inter and Group ‘B’ champions Surrey United—was played on Sunday at Kensington Park in Vancouver in front of a reasonably large crowd. One would have thought that the defending champions, Surrey United, would have had the advantage considering the fact that they were well-rested while ICSF had played two important games the previous week. In fact, the previous Sunday, ICSF had defeated Columbus-Clan FC in overtime to clinch a spot in the Imperial Cup final. Then, on Thursday evening, in a must-win situation, Inter had defeated Croatia SC to clinch first place in the Group ‘A’ table. Despite all of this, it was Inter that came storming out of the starting blocks in search of an early goal. At the 5th minute mark, defender Matt Judd came extremely close to giving Inter the lead when his great header hit the cross-bar with Surrey’s goalkeeper, Drew Smiley, well beaten. However, as is often the case, it was Surrey United that took the lead, albeit against the run of play, when defender Martin Schaefer drove home a blistering volley from outside the penalty area that eluded the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Dennis Kindel. ICSF fought back with grit and tenacity and came close to tying the match on numerous occasions. In quick succession, Andrew Corazza, VJ Kos, Mike Tempesta, and Brian VanSchagen all missed glorious chances to knot the score. Just as it seemed as if Schaefer’s goal would stand up as the winner, Matt Judd once again rose above all Surrey defenders to head home the tying goal late in the second half. Shortly thereafter, VanSchagen’s header—on a great cross from Corazza—barely missed the net and the game had to be settled in overtime. Young Sheldon Maistry gave Inter the lead in the first overtime period, but Surrey rallied back and got the equalizer a minute or so later when Gareth Wilkshire’s long shot bounced off the crossbar onto the path of an unmarked Dave Hleuka who calmly slotted the ball in the back of the net. During the second overtime period, Inter finally got the winner, once again from the foot of Sheldon Maistry who capitalized on a goalmouth scramble. The victory marks the first time that ICSF Inter has gained the Premier Division Championship in the VMSL. Congratulations to coach Joe Marrello, manager Sam Pantusa, and the entire ICSF organization! It should be noted that Inter is still in the running for the Imperial Cup and the Province Cup titles.

TEAM OF THE WEEK: ICSF INTER for its clinically solid performance in defeating the defending VMSL Premier Division champions, Surrey United by a 3-2 score in a match that had to be settled in overtime. Despite the close score, Inter fully deserved the victory as it carried the majority of the play and had far more scoring chances. As a result of the victory, Inter has finally won its first VMSL Premier Division championship.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: ICSF Inter’s young SHELDON MAISTRY for scoring two overtime goals—goals that allowed his team to defeat Surrey United in the Premier Division championship game. As a result of his excellent performance, MAISTRY will receive a prize of a pizza for two, compliments of THE GOLDEN BOOT CAFFE`. The prize is available up to 2005-04-28. The pizza must be consumed on the premises.

 

[Keeper]

Re: Azzi's Superlative Team & Player of the Week

Dave Hleuka who calmly slotted the ball in the back of the net.

If that was "calmly", hummingbirds are comatose.

 

[Hands of Stone]

Re: Azzi's Superlative Team & Player of the Week

Even a Provincial Cup Report, well done Azzi and Smiley.

WEEK #26–2005-04-18

PROVINCE CUP—ROUND OF SIXTEEN

The Provincial Cup playdowns got off to a great start for the VMSL on Friday evening at Gates Park in Port Coquitlam when Westside Rino soundly defeated the host PoCo Dominion by an emphatic 3-0 margin. Westside had numerous scoring chances prior to taking the lead at the 20th minute mark when a pair of youngsters—Devin Matthews and Alex Kosanin—combined to score the opening goal. Matthews received a brilliant through pass from Kosanin before unleashing a wicked drive past the bewildered PoCo goalkeeper. About 10 minutes later, another youngster—Steve Deblasio—emulated Matthews’ goal by blasting a great shot from well outside the penalty area into the corner of the net. In the second half, Rino’s boys defended their lead with a great deal of poise and composure. Veterans Boban Aleksic and James Prescott—as well as young Jonathan Poli—led the way defensively, allowing PoCo virtually no scoring chances. At the other end of the pitch, Westside hit the goal post on a couple of occasions before John Chou put the game out of PoCo’s reach with yet another long shot that eluded PoCo’s goalkeeper. As a result of the victory, Westside will now travel to Victoria to take on VanTreights FC in the Province Cup quarter-finals.

On Sunday, at Adanac Park in Vancouver, a pair of closely-contested games were played in front of numerous, and enthusiastic, spectators. The first game saw the newly-crowned VMSL Premier Division champions—ICSF Inter—host the Sapperton Rovers in a match that fully lived up to its expectations. The final 2-1 result in Sapperton’s favour fully reflects how evenly matched the two teams were on this particular day. The Rovers took advantage of an ICSF defensive blunder to take a very early lead when Paul Favaro slotted home the go-ahead goal from close range. Late in the first half, a long free kick from the foot of Brian VanSchagen caused Sapperton’s goalkeeper Cory Breure to commit an uncharacteristic error and allowed Kevin Crouch to head home the tying goal. In the second half Sapperton took control of the game and created numerous scoring chances. In particular, Paul Favaro missed on a couple of close range shots that could have sealed the result in the Rovers’ favour. Finally, at the 85th minute mark, Sapperton got the winning goal when Paul Favaro was rewarded for his tireless midfield work as he scored his second goal of the match on a header, capitalizing on a deflection from a corner kick. During the last 5 minutes the Rovers seemed to lose their composure and allowed Inter to come storming back in search of the equalizer but eventually survived the onslaught. Special mention should be made of the fine performances by Sapperton midfielders Paul Favaro, Mike Favaro, and Emilio Bottiglieri. As a result of the well-earned victory, the Rovers will now take on Peace Arch—of the Fraser Valley Soccer League—in the Province Cup quarter-finals.

The second game played at Adanac Park—between Croatia SC and the visiting Surrey United—also provided the large crowd with a lot of excitement as both teams threw caution to the wind in search of a Province Cup quarter-final slot. In the end, Surrey United prevailed by a 2-1 score, thanks mainly to the outstanding goalkeeping of Drew Smiley who time after time thwarted Croatia’s attacks. Surrey got off to a flying start and took the early lead when young Justin Carvery broke down the left wing before laying off an immaculate pass onto the path of an unmarked Shawn Blakeway who made no mistake from close range. From that point on, Croatia took the game to the visitors who seemed content to defend their narrow lead. Early in the second half, wee Robbie Wilson hit the cross-bar with a shot that could have given Surrey an insurmountable lead. However, Croatia came storming back and deservedly levelled the score midway through the second half when Aaron Keay converted a penalty kick that was awarded when Dario Kuna was brought down in the penalty area by Dave Hleuka. Soon thereafter, Tom Babic blasted a vicious free kick to the far post only to see Drew Smiley make an incredible save. In the overtime, the pattern of the match remained more or less the same as Croatia displayed more technical skill while Surrey United depended on determination and grit. Once again, however, Surrey took advantage of a counter-attack as Justin Carvery outpaced a flat-footed Croatia defence before smashing a wicked left-foot shot past goalkeeper Adel Massoud for what proved to be the winning goal. In the second overtime period Croatia continued to press in search of the equalizer and came extremely close on several occasions. Once again, Drew Smiley stood tall and denied the Croatian attackers the opportunity to send the game into penalty kicks. As a result of the hard-earned victory, Surrey United advances to the next round of the Province Cup where they will meet Chilliwack.

Also on Sunday, at Kensington Park, two other Province Cup games involving VMSL teams were played. The first game featured Columbus-Clan FC and the Vancouver Island champions Victoria Gorge. Columbus outplayed the visitors for most of the game but squandered numerous scoring opportunities and, in the end, was beaten by a 2-0 score. The loss eliminates the young and promising Columbus team from further Province Cup play.

In the second game, Sporting Club hosted the Burnaby Canadians in a game that ended in a 5-4 overtime victory for the Portuguese team. The fact that these two teams have incredibly good defensive records seemed to be totally ignored in this high-scoring free-for-all. Sporting took the lead when Burnaby defender Tony Gaita volleyed a cross into his own net very early in the match. Veteran Sal Cuccione tied the game at the 15th minute mark when he outraced the Sporting defenders with his renowned speed. Just before the halftime whistle, Trevor Rosencrans scored the first of his two goals to re-establish Sporting’s lead. Rosencrans seemed to put the game out of Burnaby’s reach early in the second half when he scored his second goal of the match. The Canadians, however, came roaring back and, led by young midfielder Brian Fowler, were able to once again tie the score. First, Fowler scored on a brilliant 20-metre shot to reduce Sporting’s lead to one goal and then Mike Gahan sent the game into overtime by deflecting a corner kick into the net. In extra time, Devon Greenside and Ryan Dormer scored for Sporting while Mike Gahan scored his second of the match for the Canadians. Sporting Club will now travel to Victoria to take on the Vancouver Island champions, Gorge FC.

TEAM OF THE WEEK: SAPPERTON ROVERS for their excellent performance in defeating VMSL Premier Division champions, ICSF Inter by a 2-1 score in a match that had the numerous spectators at the edge of their seats for the entire contest. The Rovers fully deserved the victory as they outplayed Inter for most the match, particularly in the second half. As a result of the well-deserved victory, Sapperton qualifies for the Province Cup quarter-finals.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Surrey United’s goalkeeper DREW SMILEY for his amazing performance in his team’s 2-1 overtime victory over Croatia SC. Time after time, Smiley thwarted Croatia’s attacks making some saves that bordered on the incredible. For his excellent performance, SMILEY will receive a prize of a pizza for two, compliments of THE GOLDEN BOOT CAFFE`. The prize is available up to 2005-05-05. The pizza must be consumed on the premises.

 

[knvb]

Re: Azzi's Superlative Team & Player of the Week

The quest for the Province Cup title resumed on Saturday at Newton Athletic Park with a nail-biting encounter between two of the VMSL’s best teams—Surrey United and Sapperton Rovers. Surrey emerged victorious on a penalty kick shoot-out after 90 minutes of regular time and 30 minutes of overtime could not produce a winner. Surrey United, under the guidance of veteran coach Martin Foden, enjoyed the majority of the play in the early going and deservedly took a 1-0 lead when mid-fielder Todd Stauber volleyed home a Shawn Blakeway pass from just inside the penalty area. In the early part of the second half, United failed to capitalize on two great opportunities to increase their lead. First, a brilliant cross from Ryan Hopp was headed wide by Shawn Blakeway with Sapperton’s goalkeeper, Cory Breure, well beaten. Then, Niall Thompson was unable to convert a great passing play involving Ryan Hopp and Todd Stauber as he fired the shot wide of the mark. From that moment on, the Rovers took control of the situation and applied sustained pressure on the Surrey defence for the remainder of the match. Two substitutes, Trevor Todd and Kevin Hearne, seemed to make an incredible difference as Sapperton came surging forward looking for the equalizer. In fact, midway through the second half, the two combined to score the tying goal as Todd sent an impeccable cross into the box, a cross that Hearne calmly headed behind goalkeeper Drew Smiley. Despite a great deal of Sapperton dominance for the remainder of the regulation time, no further goals were scored and the game had to go into overtime. Ironically, the pattern of the overtime was a replica of regulation time with Surrey coming back to apply some early pressure and also scoring the go-ahead goal. Defender-turned midfielder Martin Schaefer ran onto a great through ball from Todd Stauber before hammering it past Breure for what appeared to be the winning goal. However, with 5 minutes remaining in the second overtime period, the Rovers once again equalized as Matt Ormerod timed his run to perfection before heading home a perfect cross from the foot of Emilio Bottiglieri. As a result, the match had to be decided on penalty kicks. Not surprisingly, Surrey United won the shootout as Gareth Wilkshire, Todd Stauber, and Ryan Hopp scored easily, while Drew Smiley made an incredible save on a shot by Jeff Rogers to turn the tide in Surrey’s favour. As a result of the victory, Surrey United will now face the winner of the match between Victoria VanTreights and Sporting Club in the Province Cup final. VanTreights reached the semi-finals by defeating Westside Rino 3-0 in the replay of the protested game played a week earlier.



UNDER 21 PROVINCE CUP SEMI-FINALS

Westside Rino qualified for the Under 21 Province Cup final by defeating Sikh United Gunners 5-3 in a match played on Sunday at Kinsman Stadium in North Vancouver. Westside had to come from behind on two separate occasions to finally eliminate the feisty and determined Fraser Valley team. Jorge Devicente and Nick Slaney each scored twice to lead Rino’s boys to victory. Matt Karmal added the insurance marker late in the game. Westside’s backline, composed of Adam Geddes, Matt Karmal, Dave Ehlen, and Jason Mosberian, was outstanding throughout the match. It should also be mentioned that goalkeeper Andrew Taft made a spectacular save on a penalty kick when the score was tied at 2-2. As a result of the victory, Westside Rino will now advance to the Province Cup final against Victoria Gorge United since Gorge defeated Croatia SC 4-0 in the other semi-final match. The final will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2005 at Town Centre Stadium in Coquitlam starting at 12 noon. The Under 21 final will be followed by the Master’s final at 2:00 p.m.

TEAM OF THE WEEK: SURREY UNITED for its spirited performance in defeating the Sapperton Rovers on penalty kicks after a 2-2 overtime draw. The victory enables Surrey to advance to the PROVINCE CUP final on May 15 at Swangard Stadium against either Victoria VanTreights or Sporting Club.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Surrey United’s TODD STAUBER for his excellent performance in his team’s 3-2 penalty kick victory over the Sapperton Rovers in the Province Cup semi-finals. Not only did Stauber lead the way in the midfield with his amazing work ethic, but he also scored the game’s opening goal on a brilliant volley from the edge of the penalty box and set up Surrey’s second goal. Furthermore, Stauber calmly slotted home a penalty kick in the shootout. For his excellent performance, STAUBER will receive a prize of a pizza for two, compliments of THE GOLDEN BOOT CAFFE`. The prize is available up to 2005-05-17. The pizza must be consumed on the premises