TORONTO CROATIA, MONTREAL ACADEMY AND YORK REGION SHOOTERS THROUGH….shut-out victories Sunday

Toronto Croatia, Montreal Impact Academy and York Region Shooters are through to the semifinals following shut-out victories in the CSL Championship playoffs Sunday.

 

Toronto Croatia blanked a gutsy Niagara United 2-0 following a game that could have reversed the score had the first-year Niagara side been a little luckier with  goalscoring opportunities, while the Impact academy team registered their tenth win in succession to defeat TFC Academy 2-0 and York Region Shooters squeaked through with a penalty goal, a 1-0 result over Windsor Stars.

 

Following a scoreless first half and well into the second half during which the visitors had two opportunities to take the lead (Lucas Folino struck the upper goal post and Mohammed Mohammed might easily have scored), Toronto Croatia forward Bozenko Lesina stepped on the Centennial Park surface as a substitute at the 78th minute mark to meet a cross from the right and head into the top right corner for a 1-0 lead.  It was a picture goal, well out of reach of Niagara goalkeeper John De Luca.

 

 Marin Vucemilovic Grgic made it 2-0 for the home side just before the final whistle to move the current CSL champions into the semifinals.

 

Earlier in the day at the Saputo Stadium in Montreal, Mircea Ilcu struck twice to give the Montreal Impact Academy their tenth consecutive win, the first goal coming at 9 minutes, a low shot following a cross from Zakaria Messoudi for a 1-0 score at the interval.

 

Ilcu re-direrected a pass from midfielder Dominique Morin to score from close range in the second half, the ball going past TFC goalkeeper Adam Street at the 63^rd minute mark for the home side’s second goal and it was 2-0 at the final whistle.

 

It was close throughout at Windsor Stadium with the teams separated by a penalty marker at 75 minutes when referee Hassane Rafai pointed to the spot following a pushing foul in the box by Windsor defender Michael Chiandussi.

 

Shooters’ midfielder Darryl Gomez found the net, which turned out to be the winner and advance the

 

Shooters’ midfielder Darryl Gomez found the net, which turned out to be the winner, a 1-0 result  to advance the York Region side to the last four.

 

Referee Raffai pulled out the red card to eject substitute Filip Rocca from the bench at 86 minutes.

 

The weekend summary of quarterfinal results from the First Division:

 

CSL Championship – Quarterfinals

Serbian White Eagles 1, SC Toronto 0

Montreal Impact Academy 2, TFC Academy 0

York Region Shooters 1, Windsor Stars 0

Toronto Croatia 2, Niagara United 0

 

Toronto Croatia, Montreal Impact Academy, York Region Shooters and Serbian White Eagles advance to the semifinals, to be played weekend October 19 – 21

 

Montreal Impact Academy vs. York Region Shooters

Toronto Croatia vs. Serbian White Eagles

 

There was one quarterfinal game played Sunday in the Second Division playoffs:

 

CSL Second Division Championship – Quarterfinals

 

SC Toronto B 6, SC Waterloo B 0

 

The weekend summary of quarterfinal results from the CSL Second Division:

 

CSL Second Division Championship – Quarterfinals

Brampton City Utd B 2, Niagara United B 1

York Region Shooters B 2, Windsor Stars B 0

Mississauga Eagles FC B 2, TFC Academy II 0

SC Toronto B 6, SC Waterloo B 0

 

SC Toronto B, Brampton City Utd B, York Region Shooters B, Mississauga Eagles FC B advance to the semifinals to be played weekend October 19 – 21

 

SC Toronto B vs. Mississauga Eagles FC B

Brampton City Utd B vs. York Region Shooters B