By Jay Mwamba

Former U.S. international Kyle Martino (above) marked his Cosmopolitan Soccer League [CSL] debut with a late goal in New York Athletic Club ’s 3-1 victory over Lansdowne Bhoys on Travers Island last Sunday. The win avenged NYAC’s 3-0 defeat to the Bronx Irishmen the previous weekend.

A 28-year-old midfielder most recently with the LA Galaxy before ending an injury-ravaged pro career last year, Martino killed off ten-man Lansdowne with his 90th minute strike.

He had one goal and eight caps for the U.S. national team between 2002 and 2005.
NYAC got off to a whirlwind start, going up 2-0 within the opening three minutes through Brian Kuritzky [1st] and Ryan Kneipper [2nd].
Damian Mescall [12th] pulled one back for Lansdowne but that would be as close as the visitors, who had Gareth McCrory dismiss ed [75th], would get.

“All credit to Lansdowne, they’re one of the best teams we’ve played all year,” said NYAC coach Michael Coughlin. “They gave use everything we could handle and then some.”

Coughlin noted that NYAC’s 3-0 loss to the Bhoys in a game much closer than reflected by the scoreline, had been extra motivation for his men [7-3-1, 22] who moved into joint second with Polonia.

RESERVE REVERSAL
NYAC’s reserves also had payback on their mind after Lansdowne’s seconds ended their unbeaten run on March 22. They got it in the combined D’Arpino Cup/league fixture, blanking the Irishmen 2-0.

Khouri Mullings and Elton Hassall [the former from a stunning 25 yards] scored from second half free kicks.

FIRE-BOUND
As the CLS welcomed one seasoned MLS performer in Martino last week, one CSL regular made the move in the opposite direction.

The Chicago Fire signed powerful forward Stefan Dimitrov who’s been honing his skills with struggling FC Bulgaria in the CSL First Division. Terms of the contracts were not disclosed.20

Dimitrov joins the Fire after three years at Concordia College where he was top scorer in the NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer 2008 regular season with 23 goals and one assist in 17 games. He was voted to the 2008 Daktronics NCAA Division II All-America Second Team and named the 2008 East Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

BULGARIA BOOST
Perhaps buoyed by the club’s association with a player of Dimitrov’s quality, FC Bulgaria ended a two-match skid by edging Frosinone 3-2 in a clash between the bottom two at the Met Oval.

Samuel Ortega [25th], Marco Messercola [35th] and Ivailo Dimitrov [40th] secured what was just Bulgaria’s third win of the season [3-9, 9].
Asen Penev [54th, 70th] had both goals in the Bulgaria reserves’ 8-2 drubbing.

SUPER STAL
Goalie Marcin Czerwinski was in stellar form once again for Stal Mielec, pulling off his second penalty save in a week at McCarren Park.

But if there’s one player in the league that knows how to solve goalkeepers it’s Julio Cesar Santos and the Brazilian goal machine is all Pancyprian Freedoms needed to nick a 1-0 decision.

“We ran into a brilliant keeper that [restricted] his side to a respectable 1-0 loss,” said Pancyprian’s George Halkidis. “Julio scored in the 55th minute. Minutes later he had his penalty saved and along with three point blank headers and a couple of one-on-one saves, their keeper kept the score respectably low.”

With hitherto second place New York Greek-American/Atlas coming a cropper against Brooklyn Italians, Pancyprian [10-2, 30] moved eig ht points clear in first place.
Erion Qoku and Adam Mathioudis earned Pancyprian’s reserves a 2-1 win.

ATLAS CRUMBLE
Brooklyn’s Paul Nittoli and Marucio Ruiz sent a Greek-Atlas team missing the injured Josh Trott reeling to a 2-1 defeat at Cardoza High School.

“Great game!” exclaimed winning coach Joe Privatelli, whose fromer champions [4-5-3, 15] picked up a much-needed win.

Atlas’ second unit battled back to eke out a 2-1 decision, courtesy of Gene Small and Nicholas Varvatsoulis.

“A very close game to the final whistle,” observed Atlas coach Mike Megaloudis.

POLISH RUN
Szymon Hryszczyk [68th] and Mariusz Kulesza [81st] connected against Manhattan Kickers to make it two wins in a row for Polonia at McCarren Park.

“It was a very hard fought and very entertaining game that we deserved to win,” said manager Roman Gierczak, suggesting that they could have won by a larger margin if not for superb goalkeeping by Chris Schilling.

Eric Krackauer [55th] and Gilad Bloom [75th] clinched a 2-1 result for Kickers’ reserves. Bartek Malinowski was the Polonia scorer.

ROVERS TIE
Elsewhere in Division One, Barnstonworth Rovers’ Steve Pugliese and Carlos Vazquez of CD Iberia exchanged goals in a 1-1 tie at Icahn Stadium.

BRAVE CELTS
Ten-man Manhattan Celtic came from behind to upset New York Croatia 2-1 in New Jersey and cut the Second Division pace-setters’ lead to three points.

Dominick Gauthier [75th] and Michael Thomas [85th] scored after Celtic [7-3-1, 22] had a player ejected [55th].

Croatia [8-2-1, 25] led at half time through Florent Sodji.

“The lads rea lly wanted the win today. They deserved it,” said coach Ian Woodcock, whose reserves also prevailed 2-1 on John Tanios’ brace after Kevin Skrivanich’s [65th opener for Croatia.

Celtic, meanwhile, will hold try outs at 8:30 pm this Sunday [April 5] for new players. Email Woodcock at: ian@classicconstructionservice.com for more information.

MASTER YODA
Akira Yoda was the Man of the Match at Verrazano Sports Complex where FC Japan held off Clarkstown 7-5.
Yoda banged in four goals in the first half alone as Japan led 6-0 at the break. With Japan rotating players, Clarkstown hit back with five unanswered goals to cut the deficit to one, but Yoda returned to the fray to notch number five and subdue the visitors.
Japan’s reserves lost 2-0 with Takashi Mokonuma, at 53 the oldest player on FCJ’s roster, solid in defense.

“With tons of experience, he held the fort for FCJ as the central defender,” said Takehiko Nakamura. “Takashi kept pushing his opponents back with his defensive partner Hitoshi Okude. The reserves have not won a single=2 0match yet, but with true warriors such as Takashi, the spirit is there.”

REDS DELIVER
Also at Verrazano, Paul De Leonardis, Ilija Zlatar and Robbie Newman scripted Central Park Rangers’ 3-2 decision over Koha.

“We deserved the win, with a solid performance, although pitch conditions and fog kept the game interesting, said Paul Sewards, singling out Danny Azzo for Man of the Match honors.
CPR’s reserves won 3-0.

ADAM’S BRACE
Adam Maliniak [two] and 17 year-old forward Mateusz Trancula starred in Ukrainians 3-2 squeaker over Ridgewood Romac at McCarren Park.
Veteran Gheorghe Radulescu [two] replied for Ridgewood.

SHAMROCK ENCORE
Shamrock bested Korona Bay Ridge for the second time in seven days. The Metro Div. One leaders cruised to a 3-1 win on Randalls Island to go nine points clear.

Karl Hughes [two] and new find Dave Bloomfield connected. The Rocks won 1-0 on March 22.

STREAKING DENNEHY’S
Shamrock had a major assist from Mr. Dennehy’s who knocked off Pythagoras Samos
1-0 on skipper J.P. Loize’s effort to join the Greeks in second place [5-2-4, 19].

Lance Pitterson had the assist as the Carmine Street Boys won their second straight.

“While still to play to our full potential, we are showing our new found battling character to ground out results when necessary,” said player-manager Ronan Gardiner.

SPORTING COME-BACK
Sporting Astoria’s 4-1 romp over Hoboken FC on Randalls Island lifted them into third place in Metro Div. One.

Alex Jonassen [35th], who also had two assists, and hat-trick hero Ayo “AJ” Ajaja [40th pen., 49th, 55th] hauled Astoria back after Alex Marti [26th] had shot Hoboken ahead.

Astoria boss Ed Romero lauded Ajaja’s performance. ““It was a great display of strength, technique and speed,” he said.

GOTTSCHEE NEW BLOOD
Newcomers Dominick Cinquemani and Giorgio Ferrara inspired BW Gottschee’s 5-2 thrashing of Long Island United at Herricks Field.

Cinquemani struck twice [15th, 85th] and Ferrara once [50th] in the Metro Div. One fixture. Raul Rodriguez [60th] and Daniel Giraldo [75th] were the other marksmen.

V.V.N.A. TIE
Darran Cronshaw’s leveler in a 2-2 tie with Atlas Lions on Randalls Island preserved VV Nieuw Amsterdam’s unbeaten record.
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But the Dutchmen now share the Metro Div. Two leadership with NY Enforcers who beat Partizani FC 2-0.

Atlas overcame an own goal to lead 2-1 before James Carrico’s through ball set-up Cronshaw’s equalizer.

“A fair result for both teams,” noted Amsterdam’s C.P. de Vera.

Enforcers, meanwhile, dispatched short-handed Partizani FC 2-0 to join Amsterdam on the 21-point mark.

“We started the game with eight players and finished with 10,” said Partizani official Eni Zejnati.

OVER-30s
Once-beaten Division One [North] title favorites New York Dinamo still lead second-place Manhattan Kickers by a double-digit margin despite dropping two points in a 0-0 tie < /SPAN>with New York Greek-American/Atlas.

DOUBLE ‘D’
Dylan Dodd had two goals in Kickers’ 4-2 thumping of Brooklyn Italians at John Dewey High School. Paul Cowler added one for the 6-3-1 [19] title chasers.

PREMIER CLASS
Division One [South] frontrunners Barnstonworth Premier edged New York Croatia 2-1 on Randalls Island to open up a three-point gap over idle Pele Masters.

Nedgy Nazon [15th] and Marlon Johnson [25th] were on target.

DEPENDABLE TOMMY
At Kaiser Field, SC Eintracht’s dependable Tommy Strumpf [70th] secured full points in a 1-0 win over Guyana Veterans ‘A.’

CPR ROLL
In Over-30 Division Two action, Central Park Rangers rolled past Maltese Dolphins 3-1 at Verrazano for their third consecutive win.

Hakan Nizam buried a Kevin Fink corner for CPR’s opener, then after Maltese had equalized, set up Fink for number two. Ernest Teran provided the insurance goal.

BOYS PEGGED
Barnstonworth Old Boys’ reign atop the Division Two log lasted just a week before a 1-all tie with Argo Silver on Randalls Island cost them dearly.

“Massively disappointing is the only way to describe our performance,” said BOB coach Dave Sheeran. “We had plenty of chances to win it, but were not clinical enough to put the game away.”

TESORO TOPS
Former leaders Tesoro edged BW Gottschee 1-0 on a late penalty at Randalls to regain first place [10-1, 30] from Old Boys.

“Both teams had chances to score in a very entertaining game,” said Gottschee official Ed Silva.

MARIO CONSOLATION
Later on Randalls Island, Mario Angelucci bagged Shamrock’s consolation goal in a 3-1 loss to Pele.

FACE-SAVER
Razmik Nenejian [55th] also grabbed a face-saver for Homenetmen in a 6-1 thrashing by SC Gjoa.

GOALFEST
There were goals galore at Westchester FC’s first spring outing with the upstate side crushing RTG 8-0 at Saxon Woods.

Brad Matthews scored twice and had three assists. Hugo Guaglianone, Erik Donis [two]; Dieter McCalla and Sean Maher [two] were also on target.