Guelph United comes back for another stoppage-time tie
GUELPH – Guelph United will be hoping that history doesn’t repeat itself Sunday when they’re to close out their Premier1 Ontario Men’s Premier soccer season.
A 2-2 tie with the Woodbridge Strikers Sunday at Centennial Bowl leaves the locals tied with Burlington SC for fifth in the standings, two points ahead of Electric City FC of Peterborough, the only team currently behind them in the standings that can finish ahead of them. However, Alliance United FC and the North Toronto Nitros can finish tied with United.
Guelph United 2 Woodbridge Strikers 2
“You never want to take credit away,” United coach Justin Springer said. “When you give up a goal on a deflection despite having the better part of the play inside the second half, I definitely think that was a goal that came against the run of play. But again, give full credit to them to get themselves in those opportunities to get that shot and to make that chance. It was a little bit difficult to react from that, but I thought the guys responded really well from it.”
After a scoreless first half Sunday, United opened the scoring 15 minutes into the second half on a free kick by Colin Gander.
However, Woodbridge rallied with two goals 12 minutes apart to go ahead with four minutes to go in regulation time. However, United captain Amardo Oakley scored in stoppage time to keep United unbeaten at home. It was the second consecutive home draw for United and they scored the tying goal in stoppage time both times.
Luca Pinto and Justin Cicchillo scored for Woodbridge.
“To have the emotional swing to go from up one to down one inside of a 12-minute period and for the guys to come back and claw back and go forward and to continue to fight to the very end, I think that’s been the story inside both of these last home games,” Springer said. “It really has come down to the final five minutes and the guys did well to keep fighting to the very end.”
While Oakley’s goal was a tying goal, it really felt like a winning goal and the team celebrated as if that was the case.
“It did in that moment and I think that shows what exactly is on the line,” Springer said. “We need another win to get us in the playoffs.”
United is out to finish in a playoff position, the top six, after finishing out of the playoffs last season when they placed seventh.
Woodbridge (6-6-7) is aiming to remain in the Premier Division next season when the existing league splits into two divisions. Top 12 are to remain in the Premier Division while the others will be placed in the Championship Division. The Strikers are 13th, a point and a half behind Hamilton United (7-7-4), the team Guelph United knotted in its previous home match, in the promotion/relegation standings that takes into account last year’s and this year’s standings. Guelph United has already clinched a spot in the Premier Division.
The Strikers and Hamilton United are to meet in Vaughan Sunday night. Winner stays in the Premier Division. Hamilton United stays in the top division with a tie.
Guelph United (10-3-6) is to finish its regular season with a home game against ProStars FC (5-10-4) Sunday at Centennial Bowl.
“We can only control these 90 minutes and what will happen will happen, but we have to make sure we put ourselves into a position so that we can be in that conversation,” Springer said.
ProStars aren’t in the running for the playoffs and have already claimed their spot in Premier Division for next season thanks to a 14-6-1 campaign last season that got them in the playoffs.
United will have four practices this week to get ready for their match with the Brampton-based ProStars. And they’ll use those practices to concentrate on both their own play and that of the visitors.
“A lot of game prep for the upcoming formations and the upcoming principles that the opponent really has, their overall tendencies and a lot of corrections inside of our own shape, our own tactics and our own whole team orientation,” Springer answered when asked what United will work on this week. “It’s going to be a big week of prep and we’ve got to control three points that we absolutely need against ProStars next Sunday.”
Actually, the locals will know exactly what they need to do when they take the field as the only teams in the league they’re concerned about all finish their regular seasons Saturday.
Electric City (10-5-4) is to play Windsor City FC (6-11-2) at Windsor Saturday night while Alliance United FC (9-4-6) is to host the Simcoe County Rovers (13-4-1) Saturday night in Scarborough. North Toronto Nitros (9-6-3) are to host the Rovers Wednesday night in Scarborough and play Sigma FC (9-6-4) at Mississauga Saturday afternoon.
Game time for the Guelph United-ProStars game at Centennial Bowl Sunday is 5:30 p.m.
- Guelph Sports Journal
Guelph United comes back for another stoppage-time tie
GUELPH – Guelph United will be hoping that history doesn’t repeat itself Sunday when they’re to close out their Premier1 Ontario Men’s Premier soccer season.
A 2-2 tie with the Woodbridge Strikers Sunday at Centennial Bowl leaves the locals tied with Burlington SC for fifth in the standings, two points ahead of Electric City FC of Peterborough, the only team currently behind them in the standings that can finish ahead of them. However, Alliance United FC and the North Toronto Nitros can finish tied with United.
Guelph United 2
Woodbridge Strikers 2
“You never want to take credit away,” United coach Justin Springer said. “When you give up a goal on a deflection despite having the better part of the play inside the second half, I definitely think that was a goal that came against the run of play. But again, give full credit to them to get themselves in those opportunities to get that shot and to make that chance. It was a little bit difficult to react from that, but I thought the guys responded really well from it.”
After a scoreless first half Sunday, United opened the scoring 15 minutes into the second half on a free kick by Colin Gander.
However, Woodbridge rallied with two goals 12 minutes apart to go ahead with four minutes to go in regulation time. However, United captain Amardo Oakley scored in stoppage time to keep United unbeaten at home. It was the second consecutive home draw for United and they scored the tying goal in stoppage time both times.
Luca Pinto and Justin Cicchillo scored for Woodbridge.
“To have the emotional swing to go from up one to down one inside of a 12-minute period and for the guys to come back and claw back and go forward and to continue to fight to the very end, I think that’s been the story inside both of these last home games,” Springer said. “It really has come down to the final five minutes and the guys did well to keep fighting to the very end.”
While Oakley’s goal was a tying goal, it really felt like a winning goal and the team celebrated as if that was the case.
“It did in that moment and I think that shows what exactly is on the line,” Springer said. “We need another win to get us in the playoffs.”
United is out to finish in a playoff position, the top six, after finishing out of the playoffs last season when they placed seventh.
Woodbridge (6-6-7) is aiming to remain in the Premier Division next season when the existing league splits into two divisions. Top 12 are to remain in the Premier Division while the others will be placed in the Championship Division. The Strikers are 13th, a point and a half behind Hamilton United (7-7-4), the team Guelph United knotted in its previous home match, in the promotion/relegation standings that takes into account last year’s and this year’s standings. Guelph United has already clinched a spot in the Premier Division.
The Strikers and Hamilton United are to meet in Vaughan Sunday night. Winner stays in the Premier Division. Hamilton United stays in the top division with a tie.
Guelph United (10-3-6) is to finish its regular season with a home game against ProStars FC (5-10-4) Sunday at Centennial Bowl.
“We can only control these 90 minutes and what will happen will happen, but we have to make sure we put ourselves into a position so that we can be in that conversation,” Springer said.
ProStars aren’t in the running for the playoffs and have already claimed their spot in Premier Division for next season thanks to a 14-6-1 campaign last season that got them in the playoffs.
United will have four practices this week to get ready for their match with the Brampton-based ProStars. And they’ll use those practices to concentrate on both their own play and that of the visitors.
“A lot of game prep for the upcoming formations and the upcoming principles that the opponent really has, their overall tendencies and a lot of corrections inside of our own shape, our own tactics and our own whole team orientation,” Springer answered when asked what United will work on this week. “It’s going to be a big week of prep and we’ve got to control three points that we absolutely need against ProStars next Sunday.”
Actually, the locals will know exactly what they need to do when they take the field as the only teams in the league they’re concerned about all finish their regular seasons Saturday.
Electric City (10-5-4) is to play Windsor City FC (6-11-2) at Windsor Saturday night while Alliance United FC (9-4-6) is to host the Simcoe County Rovers (13-4-1) Saturday night in Scarborough. North Toronto Nitros (9-6-3) are to host the Rovers Wednesday night in Scarborough and play Sigma FC (9-6-4) at Mississauga Saturday afternoon.
Game time for the Guelph United-ProStars game at Centennial Bowl Sunday is 5:30 p.m.
- Guelph Sports Journal