Expansion team Weston United scored its first victory in the Canadian Soccer League with a 3-2 defeat of Ooty Black Pearl in the opening game of three at the Mattamy Sports Park Saturday. Dynamo Toronto also won a 3-2 squeaker in the second match and Serbian White Eagles triumphed with a 4-2 score over Hamilton City in the late game.
It was a physical opening game encounter with Black Pearl and Weston United attempting to come up with their first win of the season after playing seven regular season league games. There were many untidy challenges and referee Steve Senderovic had to point to the penalty spot twice. Ooty Black Pearl struck first from the spot after defender Steven Craig was tripped in the box at 14 minutes and Dario Brezak made no mistake in finding the net. Brezak scored a second goal immediately following the break and defender Luan Cortez struck for Weston United, a 2-1 Black Pearl lead in the second half. Goals by Joan at 73 minutes and midfielder Vitor de Jesus at 76 minutes won the game for Weston United.
A penalty also opened up the scoring in the second match when Dynamo striker Mykola Temniuk was fouled in the box and Ivliev Sergii scored for a1-0 Dynamo lead at the 25th minute mark. Temniuk made it 2-0 three minutes later and midfielder Pavlo Chornomaz increased the Dynamo lead to 3-0 at 38 minutes, the former Ukrainian First League player heading in a cross from the wing out of reach by Falcons’ goalkeeper Vasyl Shpuk. It was 3-0 at the break.
Toronto Falcons rallied to score two second half goals by Daniil Rodin at 71 minutes and Denys Diachenko at the 75th mark, which held for a 3-2 score in favour of DynamoToronto at the final whistle.
Serbian White Eagles goalkeeper Adrian Ibanez saved an early penalty in the late game, but this was followed by Hamilton City midfielder Vukasin Kovacevic cutting in from the wing to score for a 1-0 lead at 20 minutes . Danilo Bakoc tied 1-1 for Serbian White Eagles at 38 minutes and two minutes later Srjan Simovic put the Toronto-based team into a 2-1 lead. Hamilton City tied 2-2 with a picture goal from outside the box by Branco Gavric, the goal coming at the 49th minute mark. Serbian White Eagles was more prominent as the second half progressed, which paid dividends, goals by Nikola Timolijevic at 61 minutes and forward Vladimir Strizovic at the 70th minute mark, a 4-2 score at the final whistle.
Games in the Canadian Soccer Lead will resume at the Mattamy Sports Park on Saturday, August 12 with Toronto Falcons vs. Serbian White Eagles at 2pm, Hamilton City vs Ooty Black Pearl at 4 pm and Scarborough vs Weston United at 6pm.