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Standings,
results and other stats
A day after claiming the pan-Hellenic bragging rights, Pancyprian
Freedoms gave the visiting British Army Medical Services (AMS)
team a taste of top flight CSL soccer with a 5-0 trouncing at St.
John’s University on Monday night. A
The three-time Cosmopolitan League champs used their entire complement
of 18 players in the international friendly, but it was the usual
suspects: Tasso Polydefkis (two), Brazilian ace Julio Cesar Santos,
Stelios Andreou and Danny that did the damage.
“We started out real strong and never gave them a chance,”
said coach George Halkidis. “Their coach (Paul Dale), as a
matter of fact, said we’re the best side they’ve faced
since 1997 when they started touring.”
The British play Second Division FC Bulgaria at the Aviator Sports
Complex Thursday night (8 pm) before winding up their tour against
Central Park Rangers’ First Division side at Pier 40 on Monday
(kick-off 8:30 pm).
AMS, who compete in the British Army League and for the Massey and
Tinsley trophies, travel overseas every two years to play against
top amateur sides.
The team has over the past decade played in South Africa, Gibraltar
and Canada.
HELLENIC LOCAL DERBY
Twenty-four hours before Pancyprian crushed AMS, Harry Tsagaris
had scored the only goal at Cardozo High School to hand the Greek-Cypriots
the pan-Hellenic bragging rights at the expense of New York
Greek-American/Atlas.
With First Division (East) leaders Polonia pipping New York Athletic
Club 1-0 at Travers Island, the win kept second place Pancyprian
in the title race.
“It was a very good game with the Pancyprians having the better
chances in the first half despite the heavy wind in (Atlas’)
favor,” said Halkidis.
Atlas goalie Mike Mellis held off the visitors before Tsagaris coolly
buried a rebound from a free kick (40th). Even then, Atlas,
by then reduced to ten men, could have salvaged something from the
game but saw their best chance cleared off the line five minutes
from time.
“Overall we’re pleased with the result and hopefully we’ll
be playing in the League championship come mid-June,”
wished Halkidis.
Pancyprian’s reserves lost 2-0.
POLE POSITION
Polonia (9-1-4, 31) stayed six points ahead of Pancyprian, who have
a game in hand, thanks to ex-Polish pro Bartek Pietrzko’s 56th
minute winner against NYAC.
“They took one of their two chances well and we couldn’t
finish our numerous opportunities,” summed up NYAC forward
Hussein Nasreddin.
Polonia won the curtain-raiser 4-2.
BHOYS SAFE
Lansdowne Bhoys secured their First Division future with a hard
fought 2-1 decision over Central Park Rangers at the Metropolitan
Oval.
Player-coach Tommy McMenemy (35th) and big Paul Tierney (80th) tallied
for the Irish, with Steffen Schollaert the CPR scorer.
“We controlled possession much of the game but Landsdowne perhaps
showed greater determination when it counted,” offered CPR
manager Yuval Lion.
The Landsdowne reserves forfeited.
FURY FIRST
“We are the Fury!” cried an ecstatic Spencer Dormitzer
after the East stragglers ended a season of futility with a stunning
3-1 upset of CD Iberia at Francis Lewis High School in Queens.
“We won with three fantastic goals,” Dormitzer recounted.
“A bicycle (kick) by Danny D’angelo; a one-on-three, beating
the keeper by Noel Kammermann, and a Marco Van Basten-like volley
(by) Jon Hemmert.”
The free-scoring Steve Nyarady had Iberia’s lone response,
bringing his season tally to 12.
Iberia called the result a “disaster,” this after their
reserves had prevailed 4-1 against pretty much the same Fury players.
BROOKLYN TEMPEST
Manhattan Kickers and Brooklyn Italians battled both on and off
the field in a bad tempered affair that ended 1-all at the Verazzano
Sports Complex.
Richie Webb (85th) nicked a massive point for Mike Fitzgerald’s
men with a spectacular 40-yard effort that canceled out Christian
Cuba’s opener for the Italians.
With New York Albanians crashing 6-2 to Barnstonworth Rovers, last
place Kickers (2-7-4, 10) moved to within two points of safety in
the West.
Kickers’ reserves fell 3-2.
ROVERS ROMP
Hat trick hero Phil Hobbins, Steve Pugliese (two) and Andy Abramovitz
scripted Rovers’ victory over Albanians at Ichan Stadium.
Rovers’ reserves went one better, winning 7-2.
FIVE STAL
Dariusz Cioczek struck three times while Lukasz Jagodzinski and Sylwester
Godlewski chipped in with a goal apiece as Stal Mielec pasted
Kandia 5-0 at Randalls Island to move closer to the Second Division
title.
With four matches remaining, Stal (10-0-4, 34) are five points clear
of FC Bulgaria (9-3-2, 29) who won via forfeit over Astoria Gaels.
NIKAJ CLINCHER
Mensur Nikaj (60th) connected at Verazzano to lift 10-man Koha (7-5-4,
25) past FC Japan 1-0 and into third position in Division Two.
Japan GM Tosh Tatezawa, whose reserves lost 5-2, lamented his first
team’s loss. “We had more possession of the ball for almost
the entire game but could just not connect the numerous scoring
opportunities,” he said.
WASTEFUL CELTS
Manhattan Celtic ceded third place to Koha by a point after coughing
up a 2-0 half time lead established by Bryan Lewis (25th) and Fritz
Elder (40th) in a 2-2 tie with NIFA at Chelsea Pier 40.
James Martino, who converted a penalty after Harvey Bertrand was
fouled, and Billy Geffrard were the NIFA marksmen.
“We didn’t put our chances away,” rued Celtic chief
Ian Woodcock.
“We’re back!” declared Bertrand.
The reserves drew 0-0.
BEECH SHINES
Chris Beech’s trey had Central Park Rangers up 3-2 against
Banatul at the Met Oval when the game was abandoned.
Rich Enticott and Paul Sewards also bagged hat tricks in the CPR
reserves’ 6-1 romp.
RIDGEWOOD SLIP
Skipper Paddy Gregahty’s late winner (83rd) at Verazzano dealt
Ridgewood’s Metro Div. One East championship hopes a severe
blow while keeping Shamrock’s title dream in the West alive.
Geraghty handed the Rocks a 2-1 victory after Ridgewood’s Dan
Turda (40th) had pegged back Mario Angelussi’s opener (20th).
Ridgewood (9-3-1, 28) lost ground on undefeated East pace-setters
Guyana Juniors (9-0-5, 32) who trounced ASA McCarthy 4-1 at McCarren
Park.
Kyle Gregory scored for McCarthy (5-9-1, 16).
Shamrock’s seventh win of the season (7-3-3, 24) cut first
place Sporting Astoria’s lead atop the West standings to four
points with three games left, after the latters’ goalless tie
with New York Wanderers.
In other Metro action, Clarkstown edged SC Ukrainians 1-0 at McCarren,
while Hoboken FC 1912 made it six points out of a possible six in
their last two fixtures when New York City Infinity All-Stars forfeited.
METRO DIV. TWO
Long Island United (13-0, 39) shot back to the top of the table
without kicking a ball when New York Wanderers forfeited.
Frosinone (12-1-1, 37), who had a bye, dropped to second.
BIG DENNEHY’S
Mr. Dennehy’s thrashed S.C. Eintracht 5-0 at the Oval to remain
in the promotion picture on 33 points.
Lance Pitterson had a hat trick, with Dan McAnally and Matt Chicavich
accounting for the other goals.
According to teammate Dan Fallon, it was Chicavich’s first
goal in an 11-a-side game since his days at Chaminade High School
on Long Island.
OMM LOSS
Brothers Keoma and Marcos Nascimento were on target for OMM in a
5-2 loss to New York Croatia.
MORE GOTHAM BLUES
Paul Walker got short-handed Gotham Argo’s consolation in a
4-1 defeat by New York Enforcers at O’Connor Field.
“Ten-man Argo made a brave fight against the well-stocked
Enforcers, but ultimately succumbed due to some defense miscommunication
and excellent finishing by the Enforcers,” observed Argo captain
Ronnie Swinkels.
Elsewhere in Metro Div. Two, New York’s Finest hammered Partizani
4-0 at Wards Island.
PELE ROUT
Sal Leanti notched SC Gjoa’s face-saver in a 7-1 drubbing by
unbeaten ‘B’ Division title contenders Pele Masters at
Dyker Field.
Pele (8-0-6, 30) closed to within two points of countrymen Guyana
Veterans ‘A’ who were off.
Guyana Veterans ‘B,’ meanwhile, knocked off Argo Silver
3-0 at Verazzano on goals by Linden Angel, Wendell James and Nigel
Allen.
SHEERAN’S GLEE
At the Metropolitan Oval, Barnstonworth Old Boys boss Dave Sheeran
was pleased as punch after his Over-30 side hammered SC Eintracht
4-1.
Andrew Compagno, Erik Chiprich, Matt Salganik and Brian McLaughlin
tallied, while Tommy Hanzelmann grabbed the Germans’ face-saver.
Said Sheeran: “A fantastic overall performance by the Old Boys,
especially considering my squad is down to bare bones due to several
absences and long-term injuries.”
ROCKY EFFORT
Bruno Angelussi and Burak erased a two-goal BW Gottschee lead in
the last 15 minutes to earn Shamrock a 2-2 tie at Wards Island.
Alejandro Jaramillo and Milton Ospina had Gottschee cruising before
the Irish stormed stormed back.
ATLAS
CRUMBLE
Also in the ‘B’ Division, Stelios Stylianou was on target
for New York Greek-American/Atlas in a 3-1 defeat by Maltese Dolphins
at Cardozo High School.
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