SC Toronto won the match but York Region Shooters took the spoils following a ding-dong 127 minutes of entertaining second leg quarterfinal playoff soccer at Lamport Stadium in
The second of a two-game home and away series to decide the team to advance to the semifinals in pursuit of the CSL Championship – the Shooters won the first clash 1-0 on October 9 – was described by Rogers TV commentator Zamir Karim as “One of the best games in the CSL all season.”
The score at the end of 97 minutes of regular time plus added time was 4-3 for SC Toronto, which added up to a 4-4 aggregate over the two games. 30 minutes of extra time were played to decide the winner – which it didn’t, so the 4-4 aggregate went into penalty kicks, won 4-2 by York Region Shooters.
There were nine attempts for the 4-2 penalty kick victory by York Region, but the game itself also saw three spot kicks and all found the net.
The first produced the opening goal of the game when SC Toronto’s Massimo Mirabelli scored following a tripping incident called by referee Gianni Facchini. That was followed by a similar infringement by SC Toronto and forward Kadian Lecky scored for the Shooters at 39 minutes, a 1-1 score at half-time.
SC Toronto went ahead at 52 minutes, a goal by Alexandros Halis, but the visitors tied the game 2-2 10 minutes later from the third spot kick and like the earlier one, Kadian Lecky made no mistake for his second of the match. Referee Facchini ordered the kick following a pushing incident in the SC Toronto box.
Mirabelli struck his second of the game at 73 minutes for a SC Toronto lead, but at 89 minutes Jason De Thomasis scored an untidy goal, but one which tied the game 3-3 for the Shooters and which appeared to be the quarterfinal decider.
But SC Toronto came back to score again when Halis headed past York Region goalkeeper Adam Majer and two defenders at the 96th minute mark, a last minute life-line that led to the 30 minutes of extra time. The goal came after the home side’s John Louis Perruzo was red-carded at 93 minutes and before Lecky was sent off the bench at 97 minutes.
SC Toronto lost coach Carmine Isacco when he was ordered out of the game just before half-time for dissent.
Playoff summary to date:
CSL CHAMPIONSHIP – Playoffs
Quarterfinals – First leg
Serbian White Eagles 2,
Quarterfinals – Second leg
SC
Teams tied 4-4 on aggregate, York Region Shooters advance to semi-finals on penalty kicks 4-2.
Upcoming games:
Quarterfinals – Second leg
Saturday, October 15, Centennial Stadium, 8 pm Serbian White Eagles vs.
Sunday, October 16, Terry Fox Stadium 3 pm Capital City FC vs.
Sunday, October 16, Centennial Stadium 7 pm
