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Standings,
results and other stats
The Cosmopolitan Soccer League may be headed for its winter break, but last place FC Japan came out of the cold last Sunday to blank Kandia 3-0 in the Bronx for just their second win of the season in Division Two.
“The long awaited Spring has come!” Japan GM Tosh Tatezawa exclaimed. “It’s like that feeling when we (score) three goals to come up with a victory over a quality club like Kandia.”
New skipper Shinobu Ninomiya drew first blood after five minutes before Max Choa (60th) and Max Choa (70th) secured the points in the second half.
“We really believe that this is the start of our real season, and we’ll try to move up in the division with another win next weekend,” said Tatezawa.
His men have struggled all fall in the league and went in last weekend’s match 1-6 (3) at the foot of the table. Inexplicably, Japan have been stellar in the Flamhaft Cup, storming in the quarterfinals with blowout wins over the Hellenic League’s AEK (9-0) and SSCD of the Italian league (5-1).
Kandia coach Colin Hemmings hinted at rust after a three-week layoff, as a factor in the Jamaicans’ defeat, but gave Japan props.
“They’re a good team and deserved it,” he said.
Japan’s reserves won 3-1.
KICKERS STUNNED
Atop the Division Two log, Frosinone stunned hitherto unbeaten Manhattan Kickers 3-0 at the Met Oval to blow the title race wide open.
Pasquale Abiuso and Christiano (two) handed Kickers (6-1-1, 19) their first loss in seven months while claiming a share of the leadership.
“It was a great effort by the whole team,” said Frosinone coach Joe Ruberto, while hailing his goalie Gustavo Acuna for pulling some spectacular saves.
Said Kickers’ boss Mike Fitzgerald: “(We) moved the ball well, at times dominating the game but it was costly mistakes in defense and the inability to score goals that made the difference.
“Take nothing away from Frosinone, they were a young, fit team with some talent.”
Jaime Bahomonde earned the Frosinone reserves a 1-0 decision.
CELTS CLIPPED
At the Verazzano Complex, David Linn had Manhattan Celtic’s face-saver in 5-1 shellacking by Koha.
Mensur Nikaj hit a hat trick for Koha, while Mester Thomas had a brace.
Celtic (5-2-1, 16) are three points off the pace – level with New York Fury whose first team did not play.
Chris Vega struck for the Celtic reserves in a 4-1 defeat, while Fury’s seconds hammered New York Ukrainians by the same scoreline at Grand Street.
CPR NIXED
Elsewhere in Division Two, NIFA beat Central Park Rangers 3-1 at the Met Oval. Ugo Solinas had the CPR goal.
Bola Adeeko (two), Matt Shapiro and Rich Enticott starred in the CPR reserves’ 4-2 victory.
GOAL KING
Brazilian ace Julio Cesar Santos brought his season tally in all competitions to 18 goals in 13 matches with a killer brace against Stal Mielec in Pancyprian Freedoms’ 3-2 win at McCarren Park.
Overall, Santos, once a club mate of the great Ronaldo in Brazil, has scored an incredible 155 goals in 135 matches, including some for Pancyprian’s sister club New York Freedoms in the USL, since September 2002.
Last Sunday, his double strike bailed out the Greek-Cypriots against hard fighting Stal. The Poles were alive and kicking after Lukasz Jagodzinski (55th) had canceled out Peter Halkidis’ penalty opener (30th).
Julio struck in the 65th and 75th minutes to pull Pancyprian away before ex-Polonia forward Miroslaw Sielczak got one back.
“Stal played very defensively, relying on counter attacks. The field was better suited to their type of match,” said George Halkidis.
His Stal counterpart, Artur Kurasiewicz, felt the officiating left much to be desired and disputed Halkidis’ penalty and one of Julio’s goals.
At any rate, Pancyprian (6-3, 18) go into the break four points clear of CD Iberia on the First Division (West) standings.
Adam Mathioudis (two), Ejon Qoku (two) and Nicholas Varvatsoulis tallied for the Pancyprian reserves in a 5-0 romp.
POLES CHECKED
Iberia, they ground out a goalless tie with Polonia at Francis Lewis High School.
“The way I’m looking (at) this game, we lost two very important points but that is soccer,” rued Polonia manager Roman Gierczak, whose side (3-4-2, 11) is closer to the bottom than to the top in the East.
He lamented wasted chances by the quartet of Lukasz Zajac,
Mariusz Kulesza, Damian Janicki and Robert Rzeczycki.
Iberia’s reserves won 2-0.
CHAMPS FALL
Paul Tierney (40th) headed in an Austin Friel corner before the latter (70th) added a second in Lansdowne Bhoys’ 2-0 win over defending champs Brooklyn Italians at Tibbets Field.
The 4-4 (12) Bhoys go into the break in mid-table in Division One (East).
Brooklyn (4-3-1, 13) are just a tie away from second place in the West, but only two points better than second-from-the-bottom Stal.
GREEKS THWARTED
Tom Davison made an impressive debut for Barnstonworth Rovers with a 65th minute leveler in a 1-1 draw with New York Greek-American/Atlas at Cardoza High School. Jordan Chirico had the assist.
Atlas had led early, courtesy of Ricardo Ordain (14th), who was set up by Jerry Saravia.
Rovers’ coach Stavros Zomopoulos claimed a moral victory.
“Although overall a fair result, if a team should have won it, it should have been Rovers,” he said, noting the absence of their first team goalie and a disallowed Steve Pugliese goal (85th).
His reserves, nonetheless, triumphed 3-0 on goals by Mat Lowe (25th), Ron Baskin (30th) and Alex Carabano (75th).
NYAC SURGE
Giuseppe Incitti (70th), Graham Albert (80th) and Hussein Nasreddin (90th) came good for New York Athletic Club down the stretch to pull out a 4-2 win over FC Bulgaria.
NYAC, who ended a three-match skid in the league going back to October, trailed twice at Ichan Stadium.
Ryan Kneipper, off a Ladd Fritz flick-on (35th) tied it up first time before Incitti’s strike.
NYAC (3-4-1, 10) are just three points and one rung above last place Bulgaria, whose reserves were trounced 8-0.
RUSTY CPR
“This was by far our worst display of the season, played in difficult wet conditions. But credit to the Albanians, who played excellently.”
So said manager Yuval Lion after CPR crashed 5-0 to West stragglers New York Albanians (2-7, 6) at Tibbets Field.
“If that is their regular team I find it hard to understand their league position.”
In contrast, Lion’s reserves were unstoppable, running off 9-2 victors on goals by Jean Raymond Gomont (four), Marc Cheesman (3), Reinhard Cate and Jimmy Smyth.
METRO THRILLER
Man of the Match Andre Brown fired in a hat trick to claim the Metro Division One bragging rights for Clarkstown in a seven-thriller with New York Croatia at the Aviators Complex.
John Simone was the other Clarkstown hero as the runaway West leaders (8-1, 24) trumped the best side in the East 4-3. Croatia are 6-1-2 (20).
“A great match played by both teams,” said Clarkstown’s Justin Koblish. “We had some close calls with Peter Drames clearing a ball off the line in the second half and our keeper Jake Epprecht making some key saves.”
SHAMROCK CHRISTMAS
Shamrock, five points behind Croatia in second place, celebrated an early Christmas at McCarren Park. They crushed Long Island United 6-2.
Stephen Douglas (15th), Shane Gallagher (35th), Paddy Geraghty (60th), Mario Auglucci (67th), Shawn Baron (75th) and sub Onder Koksol (80th) scored.
RARE WIN
At Commodore Barry, New York Wanderers posted a rare win, 3-2, at the expense of Hoboken FC.
Tim Syrett, Will Mudge and Thomas Hunt handed Wanderers, 1-8 (3) and dead last in the West, their first win of the season.
Debutant Alex Marti had both goals for Hoboken.
SPORTING HIGH
Sporting Astoria boss Ed Romero was on cloud nine after his side ended a run of poor form with a 7-0 rout of ASA McCarthy at Long Island City High School.
Nick jonassen (two), Greg Hanffou (three), Chris Burns and Jorge Monsalve tallied. Sporting led 4-0 after 15 minutes.
“The difference was the return of our goalkeeper Carlos Hernandez (and) also the hard work of our old vet Chris Tapia with two early assists that put the game away,” Romero explained.
In other Metro Div. One action, Korona Bay Ridge blanked Guyana Juniors 3-0.
ROCKLANDERS HELD
CP Devera’s equalizer off a Ronnie Swinkels rebound earned Gotham Argo a share of the points from a 2-2 draw with Metro Div. Two (East) leaders United Rocklanders at a soggy Pier 40 ground.
Swinkels, Argo’s skipper had the assist on his team’s first goal by Darran “Magoo” Cronshaw that Fritz Bosquet, thanks to Alfonso Morales, canceled out before half time.
Rocklanders than went ahead when Jackson Eugene finished off a Junior Suprice pass only for Devera to level.
“Our performance showed that we certainly belong in the top echelon of the Metro Two division, and we were unfortunate not to have clinched all three points,” said Swinkels, who had a goal disallowed.
“We played strong (the) majority of the game; kudos to all my players,” said Bosquet.
Rocklanders (3-2-4, 13) stayed three points ahead of SC Eintracht who lost 1-0 to New York’s Finest.
CLOSE CALL
Astoria Gaels’ Nestor Allen leveled on the stroke of full time to force a
2-2 tie with Partizani who led twice through Pirro Cece at the Verazzano Sports Complex.
Niall McGuinness (34th) was the other Gaels scorer in the Metro Div. Two fixture.
Gaels end the year third from the bottom in the East (3-1-4, 13).
MIGHTY KICKERS
Paul Cowler scored the only goal of the match against Guyana Veterans ‘B’ at Grand Street to ensure that Over-30 rookies Manhattan Kickers end the fall with the division’s best overall record.
Cowler connected in the 25th minute to up Kickers’ record to 9-1 (27) atop Division One (West).
STRUMPF SPECIAL
Later at Grand Street, Eintracht’s set-piece specialist Tommy Strumpf struck in the nick of time to pip Barnstonworth Rovers 1-0.
Strumpf curled in a free kick in the 89th minute to give the First Division (East) front runners (7-0-2, 23) their seventh win of the season.
“My defense played an absolutely wonderful game. (Rovers) didn’t have a shot on goal,” said coach John Steigerwald.
GUYANESE DERBY
Guyana Veterans ‘A’, 13 points behind Eintracht in second place, thumped their rookie countrymen Pele 4-1 at the Parade Field.
Kester Darlington (two), Chris Giles and Rodwell Paul connected.
CPR NICKED
New York Greek-American/Atlas were also close winners at Riverbank State Park where they edged Central Park Rangers 1-0, thanks to Nick Drosos.
LATE BLITZ
Shamrock produced a second half blitz at McCarren Park to rout S.C. Gjoa 4-0.
Bekir (two), Bruno and Onder Koksol -- the latter for the eighth time this season -- scored.
“We’re getting stronger for next season,” said Eoin Sweeney, whose team (3-4-2, 11) remains bottom in Division Two (West).
LAST GASP
Sime Bergam scored with the last kick of the match to earn New York Croatia a 2-all tie with GH Metros at the Meto Oval. Tomislav Rumora had the other goal.
GOOD OLD BOYS
Barnstonworth Rovers Old Boys came from behind to beat Odyssey FC 4-3 at Floyd Bennett.
Malky Boyd, Brian McLaughlin (two) and Paul Rochester were on target.
“I was very pleased with the way we battled for the result after going 2-1 down,” said Dave Sheeran. “We took it to the opposition in the second half and were justly rewarded.”
SILVER CLASS
The return of goalie RJ “Salty” Diaz inspired Argo Silver to a 2-1 decision over Westchester FC at the rain soaked Pier 40.
Terry Harcourt scored from a free kick before Oscar Vazquez sealed it off a Peter Creedon assist.
Pablo Diaz was the Westchester scorer.
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