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Standings,
results and other stats
Whenever Julio Cesar Santos suits up, Pancyprian Freedoms can always count on a goal or two. Against United German Hungaria last Sunday, the Brazilian ace hit a hat trick to put Pancyprian in the final four of the US Open Cup Region 1 Finals.
The Greek-Cypriots won 3-1 at St. John’s University.
A former club mate of Ronaldo’s in the Brazilian first division, Julio scored in the 17th, 57th and 89th minutes to knock out UGH, the Eastern PA champions.
“UGH tied the score on the 35th minute. That was the only time they mounted any kind of attack the whole match,” said Pancyprian manager George Halkidis.
“We dominated the entire 90 minutes. It was one of our better outings lately,” he added.
Next up for the Cosmopolitan Soccer League (CSL) envoys and Eastern New York finalists are Aegean Hawks of the Metro DC/Virginia Soccer Association. That match will be played in Washington, D.C. on May 18.
Pancyprian beat Hellenic archrivals New York Greek-American/Atlas 1-0 in the Eastern NY final last month.
PLATINUM CD
Four days before dispatching UGH, Pancyrian had come a cropper to CD Iberia, 4-1, in a rescheduled CSL First Division fixture at St. John’s.
Julio scored in that one, too.
“No comments about the game, only that we were horrible. Every last one of us,” Halkidis conceded.
Iberia’s famous victory was scripted by Steve Nyarady, Antonio Trillo [pen.], his replacement Chiki Vazquez and Nick Smaldone.
ENCORE
CD went one better last Sunday, trouncing FC Bulgaria 5-1 at Francis Lewis High School to pick up another three points.
Vinny Russo, back from a serious knee injury, opened the scoring. Nyarady, Marcos Monteagudo, and super-sub Chiki Vazquez (two) got the other goals.
“This is the second [time] that Chiki has had a big impact on the game off the bench,” said Diego Monteagudo. “Against the Freedoms he came in for the injured Trillo and scored to make it 3-0 before the half.”
More importantly, Iberia [8-4-2, 26] climbed to within two points of leaders Pancyprian on the First Division [West] standings.
CD won the reserve game against Bulgaria 2-1.
CPR FIRST
In the East, first half goals by Kwesi Mills-Odoi and Tony DeLorenzo gave Central Park Rangers a historic 2-0 victory over New York Athletic Club at Ichan Stadium.
“CPR had never beaten NYAC before and this result is a benchmark towards where we want to be going this season,” said CPR manager Yuval Lion, whose goalie, the aptly named Ben Lucki, saved a penalty.
Rangers, beaten 2-0 in the reserves, share first place with Greek-American/Atlas on the 26-point mark.
GREEK VICTORY
Atlas had an own goal to thank for their 1-0 decision over Stal Mielec at the Midland Beach Soccer Field.
POLISHED EFFORT
Elsewhere in the CSL top flight, Polonia avenged their Manning Cup quarterfinal loss to Lansdowne Bhoys on April 13 with a 2-1 win at McCarren Park.
Lukasz Bielen [7th pen.] and Damian Janicki [12th] got the Poles off to a quick start. Guy Stampur [65th] pulled one back for the Irishmen.
Martin Podovieslky had Polonia’s only response to strikes by Lansdowne’s Kevin McGinny (two) and Matt Mitchell in the reserve tussle.
FROSINONE RULE
Rookie side Frosinone knocked off Manhattan Kickers 3-1 in their top-of-the-table clash at the Elmont Sports Complex to claim pole position in Division Two.
Cordeiro Thiago [35th, 82nd] and Pasquale Abiuso [51st pen.] connected before Andy Stern, who had an earlier effort disallowed, scored in injury time.
The Long Islanders [10-2-1, 31] moved two points ahead of Kickers with a game in hand.
Toure and Cassetta tallied for the Frosinone reserves in a 4-2 loss to Kickers.
CELTIC STALLED
At Pier 40, New York Fury’s Matt Fuller and James Steidel exchanged goals with Manhattan Celtic duo, Stuart Evans and James Prince, in a 2-2 stalemate that put a crimp in the latter’s promotion plans.
“It was a little frustrating. We did not play our best football but they [Fury] played well so it could have gone either way,” player-coach Ian Woodcock lamented.
However, Celtic [8-2-2, 26] remain in the promotion picture as they trail Kickers by three points with two games in hand.
The Celtic-Fury curtain-raiser also finished 2-2 with John Tanios and Barry O’Connell earning the former a point.
KOHA CRUSHED
Bottom side Koha are just one more loss away from certain relegation after a 4-1 thrashing by FC Japan at the Verazzano Sports Complex.
Takao Kenmochi [4th], Takao Nakasuji [6th, 18th] and Shinobu Ninomiya (33th pen.) led the Japan onslaught.
Koha’s reserves prevailed 4-0.
THREE-WAY TIE
Ukrainians kept their unbeaten streak in the spring going, courtesy of Slavetij Mareyniuk [two] and Yemeni David Alkasim who scored in a 3-3 tie with lowly Ridgewood Romac at McCarren Park.
“We’re doing pretty good,” Steve Kovalenko, coach of the mid-table side, noted.
His reserves won 4-1.
KANDIA HELD
Also in Division Two, Kandia were held to a 1-all tie by Central Park Rangers who pegged back David Taylor’s first half effort at the Metropolitan Oval.
The Jamaicans were 6-0 victors in the reserve match.
CROATIA PROMOTED
New York Croatia clinched the Metro Division One [East] title, and promotion to Division Two, with a 4-2 romp over Sporting Astoria at the Aviator Sports Complex.
Louis Brun and Damir Penava each struck twice to lift Croatia to an unassailable 32 points [10-1-2].
Sporting boss Ed Romero, whose team led twice, called it a tough loss.
“Obviously we are not one of the top teams because we were unable to defeat Guyana and Croatia,” he admitted. “But we have a good team to build on for next season.”
Sporting go into their final game of the season against Korona Bay Ridge this weekend second in the East [7-6-2, 23] after Shamrock [6-4-4, 22] surprisingly forfeited to BW Gottschee.
WESTERN FRONT
Clarkstown, leaders in Metro Div. One [West] hammered ASA McCarthy 5-0 at Red Hook to improve to 11-3 [33].
But the real boost to their title ambitions may have come from short-handed Mr. Dennehy’s who ground out a goalless tie with second place Guyana Juniors [8-2-3, 27].
Guyana have a game in hand to Clarkstown.
KERRY GOLD
Kerry Hall’s double [12th, pen., 22nd] consigned Korona Bay Ridge to a 2-1 defeat against Hoboken FC at the Overpeck County Park.
ROVERS ROLL
United Rocklanders’ lead in Metro Division Two [East] is down to one point after a 4-1 mauling by Barnstonworth Rovers in their top-of-the-table scrap at Floyd Bennett Field.
Okey Obudulu, Gavin Dick, Brian McLaughlin and Paul Bryans upped Rovers’ stats to 5-6-2 [17] with two games in hand to Rocklanders [18]. Jackson Eugene notched Rocklanders’ consolation.
MAGOO WINNER
Darran “Magoo” Cronshaw, assisted by skipper Ronnie Swinkels, eked out a 1-0 Gotham Argo decision over SC Eintracht at the Met Oval.
The result kept Gotham level with Korabi on the 26-point mark, atop the Metro Div. Two [West] log.
Korabi, forfeit winners over Astoria Gaels, have two games in hand.
PYTHAGORAS THREAT
The real threat in the West, however, may come from Pythagoras Samos, who edged Zenit 2-1 at the Southern Fields improve to 7-1-3 [24], two points off the pace.
Spiro Tsirkas and Aleko Alba produced the win for the Greeks, who have a game in hand to Korabi and three to Gotham.
BAD EQUATION
Partizani found out the hard way that nine players don’t always equal eleven when they showed up short-handed for their match against NY’s Finest.
They trailed 6-0 at half time.
Finest scored five more times on resumption when a tenth player showed up for Partizani.
Alban Dizdari had the visitors’ face-saver in the 11-1 drubbing.
OREN’S TREY
Eric Oren [three] and the ubiquitous Tommy Strumpf starred for Eintracht who knocked off BW Gottschee 4-0 in an Over-30 affair at the Met Oval.
“One more game left versus Banatul and then the playoffs,” coach John Steigerwald remarked.
The runaway leaders improved to 12-1-2 [38] in the First Division [East].
SILVER WAIT
Silver Lake, in second place 17 points behind Eintracht, topped Guyana Veterans ‘B’ 3-1 at Floyd Bennett. They must win again against Barnstonworth Rovers this weekend to make the playoffs.
Philo Esposito, set up by Timmy Selmani, had a goal and an assist against Guyana. John Tafuri and Sinani Selmani, fed by John Lia, were also on target.
MASTERFUL PELE
In the West, Pele Masters outgunned Manhattan Kickers 5-2 at Kaiser Field to nudge the Over-30 rookies out of first place.
Pele [10-2-3, 33] now top the standings by two points over Kickers, who’ve played one game less.
Number three side, Barnstonworth Premier, meanwhile, missed out on a chance to challenge for a playoff berth with two games remaining after succumbing 4-0 to Banatul at the Met Oval.
SILVER NICKED
New York Greek-American/Atlas pipped 10-man Argo Silver 3-2 at Pier 40 to remain on course for the Over-30 Division Two [East] title.
Stelios Stylianou, Xenofon Efthimiades and Mpampis Karamanlis scored for first place Atlas [11-1, 33].
Silver, Gotham Argo’s Over-30 team, saw two players limp off injured in the first half, but one of them, Theirry Debaille, hobbled back on.
“I put him on the field to be a body in the second half,” said coach Dana. “He was badly limping and couldn’t run but managed to put one in off a header on a corner kick.”
Oscar Vasquez, assisted by Ken Tenaka, was the other marksman.
CONBOY LEVELER
Mike Conboy’s late equalizer earned Central Park Rangers a 1-all draw with Maltese Dolphins.
“Steve O’Connor from Dublin was awarded man of the match honors for his solid game at sweeper and helping keep us in it,” said CPR’s Andrew Faherty.
RTG BEATEN
Buoyed by their first ever win in the CSL the week before, RTG gave it their all against Westchester FC but came up short in a 1-0 loss at Floyd Bennett.
David Kasolo, back from injury, scored.
“Stellar defense by Julio Cesar and another shutout by keeper Carlos Trinones, his seventh of the season,” said Hugo Guaglianone, giving props to his other star performers.
ROCKS THRASHED
Playing with ten men for more than an hour, Shamrock crashed 6-1 to GH Metros after leading 1-0 at half time at the Met Oval.
“Fatigue got the best of us,” said Eoin Sweeney, whose side led early through Turkish ace Onder Koksol – his 15th goal of the season.
CROATIA NEAR
Elsewhere in Over-30 action, New York Croatia edged Barnstonworth Rovers Old Boys 2-1 at the Aviator Complex.
Goals by Sime Bergam and Elvis Prorokovic put New York Croatia [11-3-1, 34] within three points of the Division Two [West] title.
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