The Attak, playing with some of the best young players in Quebec in just their third season in the Canadian Soccer League, defeated Serbian White Eagles, a team with several former professionals from Europe with a history in Canadian soccer going back to 1968.
The game was scoreless through 90 minutes, then 30 minutes of overtime before Trois-Rivieres outscored the Toronto-based Serbian Eagles 3-2 in the penalty kick decider.
The Quebec side lost defender Mike Vitulano at 55 minutes when referee Bedik Charchafian showed the red card for tripping in the penalty box. Serbian Eagles’ forward Sasa Viciknez sent the penalty kick over the bar.
Guillaume Heroux, Serge Dinkota and Felix Cardin scored from the penalty spot for Trois-Rivieres Attak, while Marc Jankovic and Jonathan Hurtis found the net for Serbian Eagles.
“I had to go on defence after losing our man and the plan worked for us, “ said an elated Trois-Rivieres head coach Philippe Eullaffroy after the game. “They are a very skilled side and I’m proud of the win.”
The game was a repeat of last year’s final when these two teams met in a thriller won by Serbian White Eagles, also with penalty kicks.
The Attak won the National Division in the regular season just ended and led the overall 10-team standings. Serbian White Eagles won the International Division.
The game ended a five month-long season in the CSL, Canada’s only professional soccer league.
Serbian White Eagles
Dan Pelc (GK), Marc Jankovic (MB), Dragorad Mikicevic (LB), Mirko Medic (MB), Adrigan Tismenar (M), Uros Stamotovic (M), Goran Vlaski (RB), Alex Braletic (M), Dragan Radovic (F), Sasa Viciknez (F), Kiril Dimitrov (M), Marko Petrovic (GK), Victor Anaststov (MF), Nikola Sisovic (F), Jonayhan Hurtis (M), Danijel Baston (F) Velijko Lukovic (F), Shan Lammie (F), Thierry Mangawa Batomento (MB), Milos Vucinic (M), Nikola Butalic (M), Mihajlo Bacanin (M), Milan Janosevic (M).
Head Coach: Dusan Prijic
Trois-Rivieres Attak:
Reda Agourram (F) Francesco Augustin (D) Andrei Badescu (GK), Félix Cardin (M), Joey Cortese (M), Kevin Cossette (M), Samuel De Chantal Dumont (D), Serge Dinkota(D)
Guillaume Héroux (F), Mircea Ilcu ( F), Simon Lagarde (GK), James Louis-Jeune (D / M), Elkana Mayard (D), Pierre-Rudolph Mayard (M), Amine Meftouh (D /M), Diderot Nana (M), David Lewis Lamoureux (GK), Karl Ouimette (D), Yannick Rome-Gosselin (F), Chris-Michel Rumuri (M), Shady Saleh (F), Maxim Tissot (D), Mike Vitulano (D).
Head Coach: Philippe Eullaffroy
