The Attak needed a win with a Brampton Lions loss to take the National Division and it was that combination that gave Trois-Rivieres two National Division titles and a runner-up position in the three years since the team entered the CSL.
Yannik Rome-Gosselin scored his 8th of the season to give Trois-Rivieres a 1-0 lead at 19 minutes and Reda Agourram, the CSL’s leading scorer, scored his 13th goal of the season to make it 2-0 three minutes later and that was the score at the interval.
Croatia forward Niko Pesa scored at 52 minutes to reduce the Attak lead to 2-1, but Alex Surprenant increased the lead to 3-1 for the home side at 71 minutes and Guillaume Heroux made it 4-1 at 86 minutes.
Trois-Rivieres Attak won the National Division title with a 10-4-2 record for 32 points and they have two games remaining in the regular season, the next one on Sunday at home against Serbian White Eagles.
It was just Toronto Croatia’s second defeat of the season and they lead the International Division with a 10-2-5 record for 35 points and just one game remaining before the playoffs.
Midfielder Joseph Phillip was the hero at the Toronto west-end stadium when his two goals for Portugal in the dying minutes gave his team the break they have been searching for. While the unexpected, thrilling performance did not secure one of the eight positions to go to the CSL championship series, the goals and win by Portugal sets up their last game for an almost certain contender position.
Portugal FC took a 1-0 lead on a strike by midfielder Andrew Leite at 37 minutes and the goal held up for a 1-0 half time lead and it was not until the 83rd minute that David Guzman scored his 10th of the season for the Lions, a 1-1 score.
Two minutes later, Phillip scored his first for a 2-1 Portugal lead, but that was cancelled out by Brampton midfielder Andrew Da Silva who beat Portugal ‘keeper Mike Silva for a 2-2 score at the 86th minute mark.
Moving well into added time the 2-2 result appeared inevitable for a disappointed Portugal club until the last seconds Phillip struck the winner at 95 minutes.
Portugal FC have one game remaining in the regular season, against lowly London City on September 18, at which time the Toronto west-end side have an excellent opportunity to nab a playoff position.
Two players were shown the red card by referee Giammi Facchini. Selmir Sehic of Portugal FC was ejected at 55 minutes and Daniel Nascimento of Brampton was ordered off at the 74th minute mark.
There are three games in the CSL Sunday:
Sunday, Sept. 13 Lamport Stadium 3 pm TFC Academy vs. London City
Sunday, Sept. 13 Trois-Rivieres 4 pm Trois-Rivieres Attak vs. Serbian White Eagles
Sunday, Sept. 13 Maple 5 pm Italia Shooters vs. North York Astros
