Home Field Dominance Continues for Milltown FC

July 22nd, 2010 by MSG No comments »


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From Milltown FC:

The Rogers Centre in Toronto played host to two of the world’s most famous football clubs on Friday night but it could be argued that the most important professional soccer match occurring in the province of Ontario that evening was taking place at Bishop Reding Field in Milton.

Milltown FC and FC Hamilton Croatia, two of the three new entries in the Canadian Soccer League for the 2010 season, took to the pitch in Milton on Friday tied for 3rd place in the league standings. Milltown came into the match full of confidence thanks to their seven game undefeated streak while the club from Hamilton entered this game riding a three game winning streak of their own, during which time they had outscored their opponents by a combined 14-2.

Milltown FC’s starting lineup featured two new faces for this match. The International Transfer window opened on July 15, allowing MFC`s Head Coach and Director of Soccer Operations, Rafael Carbajal, to add Bahamian national team striker Lesley St. Fleur to the team’s roster. St. Fleur signed with the club earlier in the week, following a weeklong trial where he impressed the coaching staff with his potent combination of blazing speed and outstanding skillfulness. Coach Carbajal also inked Brian Alcantara, a 21 year old midfielder from the Toronto area, and inserted him directly into the starting lineup in place of the injured Jason Morgan.

The near capacity crowd was treated to an exciting start to this match. Just two minutes into the first half, Irishman Aidan O’Keefe, Hamilton’s leading scorer, executed a perfect chip shot from about 20 yards out that just eluded the finger tips of Milltown’s goalkeeper Scott Cliff to give the visitors an early 1-0 lead. It was O’Keefe’s 8th goal of the season.

The young squad from Milton did not hang their heads and, just five minutes later, they were able to even the score at 1-1. MFC midfielder Martijn Kuijpers slid a lovely through ball up the middle that Agustin DeMedina was able to reach just ahead of the onrushing Hamilton keeper, Cameron McKay. DeMedina’s delicate toe-poke directed the ball just past McKay’s outstretched arms and into the back of the net, to the delight of the home crowd.

After those two early goals, the remaining 38 minutes featured fairly even possession of the ball but not a lot of great scoring opportunities as the Milltown and Hamilton defenders did a good job of keeping most of those chances to the outside.

MFC has had a habit of coming out very strong in the 2nd half and this game would be no different. Milltown came out of the locker room flying, winning most of the midfield battles and creating some good counter attack opportunities. In the 60th minute, Coach Carbajal opted to bring Cordell Benjamin into the game in place of Erick Olazabal and moved Lesley St. Fleur out to the left and it didn’t take very long for this decision to bear fruit as, just 10 minutes later, St. Fleur whipped in a low, hard cross into the Hamilton box that Benjamin’s got his right foot onto and deposited into the roof of the net, past McKay, giving Milltown FC a deserved 2-1 lead.

Now trailing for the first time in the match, Hamilton applied quite a bit of pressure on Milltown, trying to find an equalizer, but a combination of strong defending and excellent goalkeeping kept the visitors at bay. When the final whistle was blown, the Milton fans showed their appreciation and, as has become custom, they gathered at the exit of Bishop Reding Field and showered their team with applause as the players headed for the showers.

“I am very proud of the way the team played tonight,” said Coach Carbajal. “Hamilton Croatia is a very talented and experienced team but we proved that we have a lot of quality in our team as well. We showed a lot of character after giving up the early goal. Agustin’s goal was important because it settled us down and, after we tied the game, we kept our focus for the rest of the match and came out with a very important result.”

The victory gives Milltown FC 22 points from 12 games, extends their undefeated streak to 8 games and propels the five month old club into sole possession of 2nd place in the CSL table.

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Milltown FC Close in on Top Spot

July 17th, 2010 by MSG No comments »


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From Milltown FC:

Milltown FC continued to impress with a 2-1 victory over FC Hamilton Croatia, Portugal FC handed the Astros their fourth consecutive defeat, 1-0 on a penalty kick, while London City held league leaders York Region Shooters to a 2-2 tie, three games in the CSL Friday night.

Milltown FC were down 1-0 quickly when Hamilton Croatia’s Aidan O’Keefe chipped the ball to find the top corner of the net after just two minutes of play, his eighth goal of the season, but it took just six minutes for the home side to get on level terms with a goal by Augustin De Medina took the ball up the middle to drive it into the net from 20 yards for a 1-1 tie at the interval.

With both teams battling for top honors in the CSL First Division, the game picked up in intensity during the second half and the effort paid off for Milltown FC at the 70th minute mark when midfielder Cordell Benjamin struck his third of the season with a strong drive that went straight for the roof of the net.

Milltown held the lead to the final whistle for a 2-1 victory which put the Milton-based side second position in the standings with a 6-2-4 WLT record for 22 points. FC Hamilton Croatia are also in a strong position to bid for the league title and are at 5-2-4 for 19 points.

North York Astros failed to create enough meaningful opportunities to avoid losing their fourth consecutive game since the impressive 5-2 result over Brantford Galaxy on June 20.

Portugal FC won the game 1-0 at Lamport Stadium in Toronto’s west-end on a goal from the penalty spot by Andrea Lombardo who found the corner just out of reach of North York goalkeeper Nelson Zamora. Referee Andrew Kravets ruled Astros’ striker Mahyar Kohbad brought down a Portugal forward with an untidy challenge inside the box.

Portugal FC had opportunities to increase the lead, the most outstanding coming from Branko Majstorovic who pulled the ball wide from three yards while collecting a rebound.

Portugal improve their position with a 4-5-2 record for 14 points, while North York Astros have the same 4-5-2 record and14 points in the standings.

London City forward Michael Marcoccia put his side into the lead at 22 minutes at Cove Road in London and 15 minutes later Andrae Rollins tied the score for the visiting league leading York Region Shooters, a 1-1 tie at the interval.

York Region took the lead at 56 minutes after London goalkeeper Scott Mueller made a spectacular save only to have the ball handled in the penalty area resulting in a Shooters goal from the penalty spot. Referee Justin Tasev awarded the kick and Kadian Lecky found the net for his eighth of the campaign and a 2-1 York Region lead.

London City’s Tom Beattie had one good effort saved by York Region goalkeeper Camilo Benzi at the 66th minute mark, but Beattie came back 20 minutes later to tie the game at 2-2 with an impressive free kick from 20 yards.
York Region Shooters continue a the top of the standings, but it’s a slim one point for a 7-3-2 record and 23 points, while London City are at 1-5-3 for 6 points.

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Milltown FC Adopts a Tobacco-Free Policy

July 16th, 2010 by MSG No comments »


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From Milltown FC:

Milltown FC, the newest member of the Canadian Soccer League, representing the Town of Milton, is showing commitment to the health of its coaches, players, spectators, and the community at large by adopting a tobacco-free policy. The policy sends a clear message that tobacco and sport don’t mix.

“Sport and recreation organizations play a vital role in the health and wellness of the community and tobacco-free policies strengthen this impact,” said Dino Rossi Jr., Milltown FC president. “We strongly encourage other organizations to join the movement and adopt their own tobacco-free policies.”

Milltown FC’s tobacco-free policy ensures that all games, activities, tournaments, competitions, practices, training sessions, events and other performances sanctioned by the organization will be 100 per cent tobacco-free. That means no smoking, snuffing, dipping, or chewing tobacco by players, participants, coaches, spectators and officials within 9 metres of any Milltown FC activity. The policy also extends to its youth summer camp training program run by licensed coaches and professional players.

\It is important to discuss tobacco use with players, especially youth,” said Rafael Carbajal, Milltown FC’s director of soccer operations and head coach. “People typically understand how tobacco affects their health, but many don’t think about how tobacco can negatively impact their performance.” Milltown FC’s tobacco-free policy was inspired in part by Play, Live, Be Tobacco-Free, a partnership of public health, sport and non-profit organizations that champion the tobacco-free sport and recreation movement across Ontario. The policy was developed with the assistance of the Halton Region Health Department.

“In addition to health benefits, tobacco-free policies are important for positive role-modelling,” said Dr. Bob Nosal, Medical Officer of Health for Halton Region. “This is especially important for youth. When young people see adults they trust using tobacco, it “normalizes” the behaviour and makes them more likely to try it.”

Removing tobacco use from sport and recreation is also making a mark on the global stage, as seen through FIFA’s (International Federation of Association Football’s) smoke-free policy for the 2010 World Cup. The tournament regulations clearly state that smoking is not permitted during in the technical area during any matches. South Africa took the policy one step further by implementing a smoking ban in all 10 official stadiums, as well as on all public transportation to and from tournament venues.

For information on how to develop a tobacco-free policy visit www.playlivebetobaccofree.ca.

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Poll: FIFA World Cup Round of 16 winners

June 26th, 2010 by MSG No comments »


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From the Milton Sports Guy:

There are several tantalizing matchups in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 including Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal taking on pre-tournament favourite Spain.

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16 nations are left standing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which continues this morning in South Africa.

As expected, there are some juicy matchups on tap in the round of 16, but the biggest shock of the tournament so far was the implosion of both of the 2006 finalists.

France and the defending World Champions from Italy both failed to advance past the group stage. France played some horrible football and folded amidst internal strife and controversy, finishing their tournament with a 2-1 loss to the previously winless South Africans. Italy also managed nary a win, and were shocked by upstart Slovakia 3-2 in their final group stage match.

Don’t worry about any kind of drop off in play from the remaining teams though — all 16 nations currently alive are more than deserving. Although of the matchups should be good, close, hotly contested affairs, we’re looking forward to these:

United States vs. Ghana, Saturday June 26, 2:30pm
The U.S. rallied late to defeat Algeria earlier in the week and they look to be setup for a run to possibly the semis. If they can get past Ghana, they’ll face the winner of Uruguay/South Korea — not necessarily World powerhouses. Ghana represents the host continent’s only chance at the championship.

England vs. Germany, Sunday June 27, 10:00am
Two of the most historically successful footballing nations as well as the two with arguably the biggest sense of entitlement.

Argentina vs. Mexico, Sunday June 27, 2:30pm
The explosive Argentines, arguably the best team in the tournament so far, against a tough Mexican team which is always dangerous.

Brazil vs. Chile, Monday June 28, 2:30pm
Despite losing to Spain, Chile has played some great football in this tournament and faces their continental rivals, the always favoured Brazilians, who haven’t looked quite as polished as we expected. This one has upset written all over it.

Spain vs. Portugal, Tuesday June 29, 2:30pm
Defending Euro champion and pre-tournament favourite Spain takes on their geographical neighbour Portugal led by Cristiano Ronaldo. This one should be an absolute classic with one of these very talented clubs exiting the tournament early.

Here is the full schedule for the Round of 16 and be sure to take our poll below — who will advance to the final 8? Enjoy the matches!

Uruguay vs. South Korea, Saturday June 26, 10:00am ET
United States vs. Ghana, Saturday June 26, 2:30pm ET

Germany vs. England, Sunday June 27, 10:00am ET
Argentina vs. Mexico, Sunday June 27, 2:30pm ET

Netherlands vs. Slovakia, Monday June 28, 10:00am ET
Brazil vs. Chile, Monday June 28, 2:30pm ET

Paraguay vs. Japan, Tuesday June 29, 10:00am ET
Spain vs. Portugal, Tuesday June 29, 2:30pm ET

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The Milton Sports Guy is regular contributor to MiltonSearch.com.

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Milltown FC extend unbeaten streak to 3 games

June 21st, 2010 by MSG No comments »


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Milltown FC extended their unbeaten streak to 3 games, playing to a draw against London City at Bishop Reding. (Photo courtesy of Milltown FC, www.milltownfc.com)

From Milltown FC:

After four consecutive games away from home, Milltown FC returned to the friendly confines of Bishop Reding Field on June 18th, taking on Canadian Soccer League rivals London City. This match marks the first of six straight Friday night home field fixtures for Milltown, a stretch of matches that will be critical to MFC’s playoff hopes.

Milltown entered this match in a tie for 5th place in the CSL table, sitting on 8 points from six games, five of those games being played away from home. London City, who had suffered through a difficult 2009 season, came into the game with 4 points from only three games and the word around the league is that the 2010 edition of the league’s oldest club was vastly improved for 2010.

Milton area soccer fans once again came out in strong numbers to support their home squad and warmly welcomed new signing Chris Suta to the starting lineup. Milltown FC’s head coach, Rafael Carbajal, made the decision to insert Suta, an 18 year old Windsor, Ontario native, at left fullback in place of Michael Jan, who continues to recover from injury. Suta officially joined the club earlier in the week, after having briefly trialed with the club in early May.

The first 20 minutes of this match was evenly played, with each team exchanging decent chances. However, in the 22nd minute, MFC forward Eros Olazabal was hauled down inside the 18 yard box by a London defender and referee Hassane Rafai pointed immediately to the penalty spot. Martin Kuijpers took full advantage, drilling a rocket past the London City goalkeeper, making the score 1-0 for Milltown FC.

Milltown enjoyed a confidence boost after grabbing the early lead. They put quite a bit of pressure on the visitors, highlighted by a dramatic right footed volley by Kuijpers from about 25 yards that required an acrobatic save from London’s keeper. Unfortunately for the home fans, Milltown’s lead disappeared at 36th minute mark when a free kick from outside MFC’s 18 yard box was driven neatly into the back of the net by London City midfielder Thomas Beattie. It was a picture perfect free kick that MFC goalkeeper Scott Cliff had no chance to save. The halftime score was 1-1.

It did not take the home side long to retake the lead. On 53 minutes, Kuijpers fed a lovely through ball straight up the middle of the London defence. Milltown forward (and Milton resident) Tristan Scott shrugged off a challenge from a London defender to run onto the pass, controlled it quickly and poked it past the onrushing London keeper to make it 2-1 for MFC, sparking a loud celebration from the home fans. This goal marked the first time this season that Milltown FC had managed to score more than one goal in a game.

However, it did not take very long for the mood in the stands to quickly change from joy to concern when, just a few minutes later, goal scorer Scott was shown a second yellow card. His sending off left Milltown down to 10 men with more than 30 minutes left to play.

Unfazed, Milltown’s young team remained very organized, limiting London’s goal scoring opportunities and even creating a few chances of their own. However, at the 81st minute, London City earned a penalty shot when MFC forward Erwin Balazs, who came into the game 15 minutes earlier as a substitute, was deemed to have handled the ball inside the 18 yard box, resulting in a spot kick which London City forward Anasse Brouk converted to tie the score once again. There would be no further scoring and the two teams would have to settle for a 2-2 draw.

“We were a bit unlucky tonight”, said Coach Carbajal. “I believe we were the better team tonight. We defended well, created some good chances and got a couple of goals. However, we made a few critical mistakes and those mistakes cost us earning the full three points.”

With the draw, Milltown moves to a record of 2 wins, 3 ties and 2 losses for a total of 9 points, dropping them to 8th place in a very congested league table, only 2 points out of 2nd place.
Portugal FC will be the next opponent to visit Bishop Reding Field in Milton. This match takes place on Friday, June 25th. Game time is 8:00pm.

Here are the highlights:

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Big win for Milltown FC in Brampton

June 15th, 2010 by MSG No comments »


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From Milltown FC:

After battling Toronto Croatia to a draw last Sunday in Etobicoke, Milltown FC descended on Victoria Park Stadium in Brampton, hoping to end their string of four straight road games with another positive result.

Milltown FC head coach, Rafael Carbajal, welcomed Ben Ragan and Tristan Scott back to the starting lineup for this game, both players having recovered from injuries that kept them out of the club’s last match. Unfortunately, Michael Jan, who had started every game thus far this season at left fullback, was unable to dress for this game due to injury. Jesse Mahal made his second straight appearance in the starting lineup in Jan’s place.

Brampton Lions entered this game as the only team in the Canadian Soccer League that had yet to register a victory in the young 2010 season and came out in this match clearly intent to change their luck. From the opening whistle, the Lions pushed the tempo, applying quite a bit of pressure on the youthful squad from Milton. However, when referee Carol Anne Chenard blew the final whistle to end the game, it was Milltown FC who emerged victorious, escaping with a 1-0 victory, thanks in large part to the continued excellent play of goalkeeper Scott Cliff, a well organized defence led by Thierry Mangwa-Batomen and a well taken goal late in the second half by Agustin DeMedina.

The first half was a fairly even affair, although Brampton did have more of the possession and came closest to scoring in the 34th minute as forward Judah Hernandez left footed a shot from 20 yards out that rung off the crossbar. Milltown had a couple of chances of their own but, at the end of 45 minutes, the two teams went to the locker rooms scoreless.

Early in the second half, Mangwa-Batomen was deemed to have tripped up Lions attacker Blazej Skoczylas at the edge of the 18 yard box and a penalty was called in favour of Brampton. Fortunately for the visitors, the penalty kick, taken by Judah Hernandez, struck the crossbar and the game remained scoreless. Unfazed, Brampton kept up the pressure after the miss but Milltown remained well organized in the back and was effective in keeping the Lions to the outside.

At 66 minutes, Coach Carbajal made two key substitutions, bringing on Cordell Benjamin and Gersi Xhuti in place of Tristan Scott and Eros Olazabal. Thirteen minutes later, Xhuti collected a ball at midfield and delivered an over the top pass to Benjamin who then put in a well weighted ball into the 18 yard box that DeMedina ran onto, deftly controlled with his right foot and then calmly slotted into the back of the net with his left foot, just past the outstretched hands of Lions keeper Roy Blanche. This timely goal proved to be the only offense Milltown needed to pull out the much needed victory, giving Cliff his third shutout of the season.

This is a very good win for us. We fought hard and took advantage of our best chance to score”, said Coach Carbajal. “Brampton may not have many points this year but they are a good team. We will take these three points and get ready for our home game against London City on Friday night.”

With the win, Milltown moves to a record of 2 wins, 2 ties and 2 losses for a total of 8 points, putting them in a three-way tie for 5th place in the league standings.

A much improved London City side will be Milltown’s next opponent on June 18th. This will be only the second match for Milltown FC on their home turf at Bishop Reding Field in Milton. Game time is 8:00pm.

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What Burke and Co. can take away from the Stanley Cup playoffs

June 11th, 2010 by MSG No comments »


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Blackhawks' forward John Madden and the Stanley Cup visit a tavern in Chicago. How good would it be to see this type of scene in Toronto?

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From the Milton Sports Guy:

Watching Jonathan Toews hoist Lord Stanley’s big silver mug the other night must have been special for long-suffering Chicago hockey fans. No, not the Johnny-come-lately’s, of which I’m sure there are plenty, but the true hockey fans that stuck with the team through the putrid era of the late nineties up until, well, up until a couple of years ago.

What their victory means, is that ladies and gentlemen, your Toronto Maple Leaves now hold the longest Stanley Cup drought in the league at 43 years and counting (not including of course the 1967 expansion clubs that have yet to win: the St. Louis Blues and the Los Angeles Kings).

It was inevitable.

And for Leaf fans, their lack of success stings a little more starting now.

When Brian Burke (who guided the Anaheim Ducks to the Cup just a few seasons ago) took over the floundering club, many assumed this franchise would finally be headed in the right direction. Under his guidance, it would only be a matter of time before he would be able to right the big blue and white ship and get the team back into the playoffs and building towards the ultimate goal. Two seasons into his tenure, there are indeed some promising signs, but I would suggest Leaf fans not hold their breath on this one. Success comparable to what Chicago is experiencing now is still a loooooong way off at best.

Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star recently penned an interesting article, looking at the teams in this year’s final, how they got there and where God’s Team is in relation.

It’s a great piece. Although there are some encouraging signs now that the Leafs have turned over the old regime’s roster, the hasty trading away of two first round picks to the Bruins for Phil Kessel (you may have heard about this) isn’t exactly the type of move that was part of Philadelphia or Chicago’s blueprint.

Here’s the article:

Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke, a Stanley Cup winner with Anaheim in 2007, has his own ideas on how to build a winner.

And he’s sure to be watching Wednesday night when the Chicago Blackhawks, on the cusp of their first Stanley Cup championship since 1961, take on the Flyers in Philadelphia in Game 6. A Chicago win means the Leafs would take over the dubious distinction of being the NHL team with the longest Cup drought (43 years).

The game is ever-changing and there are lessons the Leafs can learn from the Blackhawks and Flyers about how they made it to the finals:

1. High draft picks matter. It’s understandable if Burke is a little tired of hearing this, given the Phil Kessel trade and all, but the Cup finalists acquired a number of important pieces from the top end of the draft.

For Chicago, Patrick Kane was a first overall selection (2007), Jonathan Toews third overall (2006), Brent Seabrook 14th overall (2003) and Duncan Keith 54th overall (2002). For the Flyers, Mike Richards was 24th overall (2003), Jeff Carter 11th overall (2003) and Simon Gagne 22nd overall (1998).

And sometimes gems can be found in the late rounds, especially if you’re patient: Dustin Byfuglien was the 245th pick in 2003 and Niklas Hjalmarsson went 108th in 2005.

But top picks are generally the dummy-proof way to acquire top-end talent cheap. That’s putting a lot of pressure on Toronto’s Luke Schenn (fifth overall, 2008) and Nazem Kadri (seventh overall, 2009) to be top producers. They are the only two first-round picks from the last five years still with the Leafs (goodbye Tuukka Rask and Jiri Tlusty). Tomas Kaberle may yet yield a first-round pick, but Burke seems more intent on getting a quality NHLer back and skipping the draft-and-wait process.

2. Depth, especially third-liners who can score, is of utmost importance. Not only does it help a team weather injuries (see Flyers without Carter, Ian Laperriere or any one of their multitude of goalies), but it also helps on offence.

Burke talks of top-six forwards and bottom-six forwards. But checkers who can score — Chicago’s Dave Bolland, for example — and scorers who can check — Chicago’s Kris Versteeg and Toews — give a coach the flexibility to move players up and down the lineup. Chicago’s 7-4 trouncing of the Flyers in Game 5 was made possible when head coach Joel Quenneville broke up his top unit to essentially give the Blackhawks three scoring lines.

The Flyers are strong in this regard, too, with Claude Giroux finally showing some of his offensive prowess after a year spent mostly on the third line, and Danny Briere showing a comfort level at both ends of the ice.

3. You don’t have to spend crazy dollars on goalies. Sure, this may go down as the highest-scoring Cup final in history, but either Antti Niemi or Michael Leighton is going to get his name on the chalice and neither earns more than $1 million a year (Niemi gets $827,000, Leighton $600,000). And while snipers have had their way in this series, both goalies had marvellous runs to get here. Leighton did what no other goalie in NHL history has done — shut out the Habs three times in one series, for example.

Both are in line for raises, but they won’t get crazy dollars. The Hawks went to Europe to find the late-blooming Niemi in 2008. Burke is following the curve here, having got a pretty good goalie in Jonas Gustavsson last year and perhaps another in Jussi Rynnas this spring. Jean-Sebastien Giguere has one more year left on his lucrative deal. A solid blue line — anchored by Chris Pronger in Philadelphia, Keith in Chicago and perhaps Dion Phaneuf in Toronto — can work wonders.

4. Turnarounds can happen quickly. Burke believes this already, thus his strategy of trading for Kessel, a young, proven goal-scorer, and Phaneuf, a top-tier defenceman who has yet to hit his prime. The Flyers finished dead last in 2007. The Blackhawks were 26th of 30 that same year (and won the draft lottery, giving them Kane). But there are no guarantees. Edmonton and Florida also missed the playoffs that year (as did the Leafs) and remain largely untroubled by having to make ice for their buildings in May.

5. Atmosphere matters. From their rocking pre-game theme songs to spine-tingling cheers for the anthems to post-goal celebrations, the fans at both Chicago’s United Center and Philly’s Wachovia Centre are having a good time.

At the Air Canada Centre, any attempt at cheering — especially that “Go Leafs Go” chant after a whistle — is immediately interrupted by an in-game advertisement or some lame promotion that basically sucks the life out of the building. The Leafs tried a theme song this past season — “Free To Be,” by Alan Frew, the former front man for Glass Tiger — but it was kind of slow and kind of preachy.

The Hawks are 8-3 at home in the playoffs and the Flyers 9-1 because their buildings are hard to play in. If the Leafs were to figure out that winning is more important than making a quick buck on a bank promotion, they’d follow the lead of the Flyers and Blackhawks. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment has created great atmosphere with its soccer team, Toronto FC; maybe they can apply the TFC model to hockey and try to rekindle some of the atmosphere that prevailed at Maple Leaf Gardens during the Leafs’ heyday.

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Poll: World Cup starts tomorrow – who will advance?

June 10th, 2010 by MSG 1 comment »


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Italy defeated France in 2006 to claim the World Cup. Yes, it was indeed the 'Zinadine Zidane headbutt game.

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The World Cup kicks off tomorrow in South Africa with the host country facing Mexico at 10:00 am Milton time.

So, who will win it this time around?

There is an interesting trend to take into consideration: when a World Cup is held in the Northern Hemisphere, countries from that hemisphere generally win (other than Brazil, who have won in the Northern Hemisphere 5 times). An even stronger dominance has been shown when the World Cup has been held in the Southern Hemisphere — a ‘northern’ country has never won a World Cup in a ’southern’ country (granted, most World Cups have been held in the Northern Hemisphere).

What we’re saying is, don’t be so quick to peg Italy as repeat champions, or Spain, coming off their Euro 2008 triumph. Or Portugal. Or God forbid, jolly old England.

For the geographically-challenged out there, South Africa is of course in the Southern Hemisphere and we’re suggesting you start looking for this year’s world champion on the bottom half of the globe.

Oh, and you should also consider that an African nation has never won the World Cup, so count out countries like Ivory Coast, Cameroon and South Africa — even though the host country usually has a relatively successful tournament.

Also in the Southern Hemisphere: Australia and New Zealand, but they’re longshots to even advance past the group stage.

Where should we look to peg this year’s potential favourites? South America. Argentina has arguably the game’s best player in Lionel Messi, and Brazil has the best all-around team as usual.

Given the location of this year’s event, it could very well be one of these great South American powerhouses’ turn to hoist the golden mug in a month’s time.

Or maybe not.

What do you think? We invite you to complete the polls below and choose the two teams from each group you think will advance to the round of 16:

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Milltown FC earns well-deserved result away from home

June 9th, 2010 by MSG No comments »


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From Milltown FC:

Milltown FC entered Sunday’s away match with Toronto Croatia battling several nagging injuries to starting players and facing the inevitable fatigue that comes from playing two games in less than 48 hours for the second weekend in a row. Despite those issues, Milltown’s youthful squad put on a strong showing, executed their game plan almost perfectly and left Etobicoke’s Centennial Park Stadium with a well deserved 1-1 draw, giving the team five points from its first 5 games.

Sunday’s game marked the debut of both Range Hussein and Jesse Mahal in the Milltown FC starting lineup. Mahal stepped in for injured central defender Ben Ragan while Hussein started in midfield, in place of Erick Olazabal, who was moved up front to play alongside his twin brother Eros and Agustin DeMedina.

The two teams traded good chances in the early going of the first half but without anything to show for it. However, in the 33rd minute, Milltown midfielder Martijn Kuijpers’ excellent free kick ricocheted off the bar, landing in front of striker Eros Olazabal, who calmly drove the ball past Toronto Croatia keeper Sandi Matika, giving Milltown a 1-0 lead and snapping a 200+ minute goal scoring drought.

After the halftime break, Toronto Croatia turned up the pressure a bit and had some decent chances on goal but Milltown’s goalkeeper (and captain) Scott Cliff was up to the challenge.

At the 70th minute, Milltown had its best chance to extend their lead, as Range Hussein broke in on goal from the right side of the 18 yard box and smashed a shot from a tight angle that beat Matika but unfortunately hit off the post. The rebound found its way to Erick Olazabal but his powerful 15 yard right footed strike was well saved by the TC goalkeeper, who had scrambled back into position.

In the 80th minute, Toronto Croatia’s pressure paid off as veteran forward Hugo Herrera found the back of the net to tie the score at 1-1, slotting home a rebound that Milltown was not able to effectively clear.

Despite the addition of 6 minutes of extra time in the second half, Milltown stayed calm, composed and organized down the stretch, dealing with each wave of pressure thrown at them by the Croatians very effectively. Milltown FC Head Coach Rafael Carbajal was understandably pleased with the effort.

“This is an important point for us. It is never easy to get a result on the road in this league”, said Carbajal. “Our team learned something important today. They worked hard tonight, all the way to the final whistle and were rewarded. We will grow and improve as a team thanks to this experience.”

With the win, Milltown moves to a record of 1 win, 2 ties and 2 losses for a total of 5 points.

The first team faces yet another important away fixture next week as they descend on Brampton’s Victoria Park Stadium, to take on Brampton Lions. Game time is 3:00pm.

In other news from the weekend, the Milltown FC Reserves battled back from conceding an early goal to defeat Hamilton Croatia’s Reserve side by a score of 2-1. Milltown’s goals came from Colin Keay and Romeo Parada.

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Injury Time Goal Sinks Milltown FC at Lamport Stadium

June 7th, 2010 by MSG No comments »


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From Milltown FC:

Milltown FC went into Friday evening’s away match against Portugal FC hoping for a positive result after suffering the club’s first ever defeat the previous Sunday in Brantford and looked well on their way to securing at least one point from this fixture until a 91st minute header by PFC attacker Jarek Whiteman sent the team from Milton home empty handed.

Portugal claimed the three points, winning 1-0.

The first half was a fairly even affair, with each team missing out on a golden goal scoring opportunity.

Thanks to some neat passing, PFC forward Andrea Lombardo was put in all alone on Milltown GK Scott Cliff in the 8th minute, but could not finish, driving the ball wide of the near post.

In the 30th minute, Milltown FC’s newly signed striker Tristan Scott was fouled by PFC keeper Mike Silva inside the 18 yard box, earning a Penalty Kick. Midfielder Martijn Kuijpers took the penalty for Milltown but Silva made a big save, diving to his right to corral Kuijpers’ low drive.

In the 2nd half, Portugal FC came out strong, putting constant pressure on the Milltown defence. Thanks to the strong play of Milltown defender Thierry Mangwa and goalkeeper Scott Cliff, Portugal FC were held off the scoresheet.

However, in second half injury time, PFC did eventually find the back of the net, as Whiteman got his head to a curling corner kick, leaving Cliff no chance.

“This is a tough loss for our club,” said Milltown FC President, Dino Rossi. “Our team was well organized and worked hard to defend. We were only two minutes away from walking out with an important point on the road but instead we go home with no points and we have another tough game on Sunday. We must do better.”

Milltown FC takes to the field again on Sunday night (June 6) at Etobicoke Centennial Stadium, where they take on Toronto Croatia. Kickoff is 8:15 pm.

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