Cosmopolitan League

Standings, results and other stats

Ending eight weeks of futility in the CSL, Lansdowne Bhoys tore up the formbook in dramatic fashion last Sunday, stunning Long Island League leaders Glen Cove 4-0 to storm into the Manning State Cup quarterfinals with their first win of the season.

On bye in the first round last month, the Bhoys traveled to Long Island bottom of the table in the CSL First Division (West) with a solitary point from seven matches.

Coach Paul Doherty's men were also missing three key players in forward Anderson Garcia, midfielder Marty Griffin and veteran left fullback Michael "Mogo" Flood. But they had a Dessie Beattie who was on fire and a Conor Hunter at his predatory best.

Hunter struck twice (10th, 20th) while Beattie had assists on the other goals by Cleveland Jordan (55th) and Damian Mescall (75th).

"We waited long for this to happen. I knew they'd do it," Doherty said. "Four-zero; it could have been more. It was a fantastic performance."

TASO CLINCHER
The Bhoys' reward is a quarterfinal encounter with Pancyprian Freedoms, who scrapped past CD Iberia 2-1 thanks to Taso Polydefkis' 80th minute winner at St. John's University.
Iberia had earlier canceled out Julio DeSantos' 25th opener for the Greek-Cypriots.

KICKFEST
Manhattan Kickers scored four goals in a six-minute blitz late in the second half to down Hispano American 6-2 at Grand Street and secure a quarterfinal spot.

Mike Fitzgerald's men were making heavy weather of Hispano, who showed up with only 10 players, before the last minute pyrotechnics.  They led just 1-0 at the interval, courtesy of Franco (34th) and went up 2-0 on Argentine Elliot Brook's 46th minute effort only to get pegged back.

Between the 82nd and 88th minutes, however, David Taylor, Sherwin Vialva, Scott Conti and Ricky Debedout went on a scoring spree to clinch it  for Kickers, 3-0 victors over Forest Park in the first round.

BROOKLYN BASH
Standing between Kickers and a semi-final berth are Brooklyn Italians, equally impressive in forking out Sebil SC 6-1 at the Verrazzano Sports Complex on a day that the CSL claimed six of the last eight places in the New York State competition.

Javier Panteleon, Leonardo Butepita (two), Filipo Giufre, Sal Conigliaro and David Salazar tallied for the Italians, 3-0 conquerors of Argentina Juniors in round one.

KANDIA THWARTED
Kandia's bid to complete the double over Athletic Club at Travers Island was thwarted by a late Giuseppe Incitti goal (80th) that forced their second round tie into extra time and then penalties.
Peter Masconi converted the winning spot kick for NYAC who prevailed 6-5 in the shoot-out to advance to the next round.

Kandia had led 1-0 from skipper Michael Bailey's 10th minute spot kick. 
NYAC face Polonia, whose Mariusz Kulesza connected in a 1-0 decision over Integral, in the quarterfinals on December 4.

ATLAS CRUMBLE
Also in the Manning Cup, Ex-MetroStar and Venezuelan international Giovanni Savarese netted for New York Greek-American/Atlas in a 2-1 loss to Irish Rovers at Cardoza High School.
The Irish tackle West Babylon, who beat Barnstonworth Rovers 3-0 on penalties, with the winners from that quarterfinal to meet the Polonia-NYAC survivors.

Barnstonworth were unlucky against Babylon. Andy Abramovich put them 1-0 up in OT but Babylon tied it with the last kick in regulation.

FLAMHAFT CUP
At Wards Island, FC Japan captain Tomohiro Tsuchiya missed an extra time penalty but then redeemed himself by hitting the only goal of the match (102nd) against the Italian League's SSCD in the Flamhaft Cup.
Japan are drawn against Lake Grove in the quarters.

 "Overall, (SSCD) had better ball possession, but we defended patiently and counter attacked to create some chances. We also tried a new formation system which worked well to keep us in the game," said GM Tosh Tatezawa.

MOORE WINNER
Liam Moore had the solitary goal at Grand Street where
New York Wanderers joined Japan in the Flamhaft Cup's last eight at ASA McCarthy's expense.

CELTIC CLIPPED
At Chelsea Pier 40, Manhattan Celtic's Flamhaft Cup interest was ended in the second round by Hellenic American League entrants Frosinone, who run off 4-2 winners.

Ed McPherson and Michael Thomas connected for Celtic, 3-2 victors over OCFC Middletown in the first stage.
"Good team they were," Celtic boss Ian Woodcock complimented Frosinone.

Later at Pier 40, the Celtic seconds edged Roosevelt Island International's 'B' team 2-1 in a make-up game to maintain their hundred percent record (6-0, 18) atop the Division Two reserve standings.
Argentine Andres Vacarezza and Devon James scored in the second half after Alexander Sinclair (35th) had put Roosevelt ahead.

In other Flamhaft Cup action, Central Park Rangers Red bowed out 1-0 to Ossing Port. 

SHAMROCK SAIL
 Donald Kelly (10th), Mark Cassidy (25th) and Paddy Gerathy (40th) scripted the Shamrock metro team's 3-0 upset win over Second Division FC Japan's reserves at Msgr. McClancy that put the Irishmen in the D'Arpino Cup quarterfinals.
Three Village, who dispatched Koha 2-0, await the Rocks.
Earlier at Msgr. McClancy, Shamrock's Over-30 side dropped a 1-0 decision to SC Brasil.

POLISHED EFFORT
Polonia's 'B' team set up a D'Arpino Cup quarterfinal date with the Guyana Juniors-Smithtown winner after thrashing East Meadow 7-2.

Darius Stefanowski (two), Darius Krug (two), Michael Siwiec, Marius Barnak and Chris Sloma were on target.

ALBANIAN THRILLER
New York Albanians' reserves banged in three extra time goals to knock off Integral 5-2 in an exciting D'Arpino tie that saw each club lead once before it ended 2-2 in regulation.

Nino Pjetri (two), Danny Dedvukaj, Zef Biba and Michael Selca tallied for the CSL reps, who square off with South Shore in the quarters. 

Said Pjetri: "We dominated the match on a very poor pitch but it was one of those games that the ball would not go in. I had a goal disallowed because the referee did (not) see the ball cross the line before it was cleared."

COSMO MOVERS
Also through to the D'Arpino Cup quarterfinals are Pancyprians' youthful second eleven who beat metro side New York City Infinity All-Stars 4-0 at St. John's; NYAC's reserves, who blanked Lansdowne's bench players 2-0; and Greek-American/Atlas, 4-3 penalty winners over Irish Rovers after a goalless tie.
Sporting Astoria reached the last eight last month after trouncing South Jamaica 5-2.

BAD BREAK
Gotham Argonauts went out 6-5 on penalties to Forest Park after what the CSL Metro club's Nicholas Raudenski described as a "yellow-card ridden match" at Wards Island.
         
Another Metro side, OMM, forfeited their D'Arpino tie with South Shore, while Barnstonworth Rovers' reserves crashed 4-2 to New York West Indies despite Yuri Krym hitting the mark.

MARTH CUP
Islip dashed hopes of an all-Cosmopolitan League, all-Guyanese Marth Cup quarterfinal clash between Pele Masters and Guyana Veterans 'B' when they edged Pele 2-1 at Wards Island.
Jean Paul Pierre-Louis had the Pele goal in the losing effort.
Junior Walker and Lindon Angel steered Guyana past Garden City.
         
ROVERS IN
Barnstonworth Rovers 'A' came good in the Over-30 competition, when they held off Lindenhurst 2-1 in Long Island to move into the quarters.
Pete Best slotted in a Ben Wiener rebound (35th) before Hernan Paredes (70th) added what proved to be a decisive second goal when the hosts converted a late penalty.

GAELS RALLY
Glen Richie (25th) and Georgy (35th) inspired Astoria Gaels' 2-1 comeback win over Second Division Koha in a make-up game at Commodore Barry field.
Koha's reserves won 2-1.

Elsewhere in Division Two, Central Park Rangers White defeated Banatul 3-0 in a reserve fixture. James Ohadike, Mark Cheeseman and Jimmy Smyth scored.
         
METRO DIV. ONE
BW Gottschee came from behind twice at the Metropolitan Oval to force a 2-2 tie and end FC Bulgaria's one hundred percent record in Metro Div. 1.
Stefan Dimitrov (30th) and George Iltchev (65th) struck for Bulgaria, but an own goal (35th) and Esneyder Angola's equalizer (70th) saw the leaders (5-0-1, 16) drop their first points of the campaign.
         
OVER-30s
Gottschee's Over-30 side slipped 1-0 to SC Eintracht who had a Tony Alessandro (75th) goal at Queens Children's Hospital.
Guyana Veterans 'A' and New York Greek-American/Atlas tied 2-2 at Canarsie Beach with Howard Beaton and Trevor Burnett on target for the former and Memo Cortes and George Touros the Greek marksmen.

FOR A GOOD CAUSE
Eric Butte, Barnstonworth Rovers' director of business development, Cosmopolitan League trustee and all-round good guy, is challenging all Cosmopolitan teams with players living or working in midtown Manhattan to exceed Rovers' donation of canned food to the ongoing Hurricane Katrina relief effort.  

"We won't be able to measure it, but we can all compare our claims for bragging rights over a beer at the Rovers' pub one night.  Regardless, it is a great cause and easy way to be part of a great humanitarian effort, so bring a can or an entire soccer bag full of canned foods, soup, hams, beans, vegetables etc., and drop them off on 38th and Fifth Ave. between 9 am and 5 pm," he says.

There will be a tractor trailer in conjunction with "Feed the Children" and "American Family Drive" at 5 pm outside Lord & Taylor on 38th Street off of Fifth Ave., through Monday.  
"The Tractor Trailer will be accepting FOOD ONLY, each day between 9 and 5 through Monday, November 21st, and will then drive the food supplies down to the Gulf Coast to provide relief to the victims of Hurricane Katrina," said Butte.

FirstTouch is published weekly by David Witchard
©2005, David Witchard/FirstTouch Online

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