The McGill Redmen soccer team was eliminated from the Quebec Student Sports Federation playoffs in a frustrating 3-1 loss against the UQAM Citadins this past Friday evening, marking the end of their 2010 season. Entering the game as the second-ranked team in Quebec, the Redmen had high hopes of pursuing further success and qualifying for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championships, where they were the runner-up for the national title in 2009.
Both teams appeared focused and played with determination from the very beginning. The Citadins lit up the scoreboard early with a goal in the seventh minute of play. A corner kick by midfielder Manuel Chaffort made contact with defender Marvin Omie as he headed the ball into the net.
With the Citadins’ prompt lead, the pace of the game continued to pick up. However both teams struggled to carry the ball deep into the opposing half. The Citadins defenders worked hard to hold onto their lead by ensuring thorough coverage of the Redmen offence. In the 33rd minute, UQAM’s Clément Crozet and Andrew Romanelli got a breakaway. Crozet took full advantage of Romanelli’s presence as he passed the ball and Romanelli’s shot saw the back of the net, advancing UQAM to a 2-0 lead.
“We came out a bit flat and UQAM scored two goals,” said Head Coach David Simon in an email to the Tribune. “We then played with a lot more intensity, controlling possession of the ball and creating dangerous opportunities.”
A mere three minutes later, the Redmen retorted with a goal as defender Graeme Tingey headed the ball into the net, with an assist from playmaker Yohann Capolungo. As the Redmen continued pushing to close the score gap, both teams began to play more aggressively, causing the referee to intervene frequently.
As the second half began, the Redmen returned to the field with fresher legs and a strong emphasis on offence. The Citadins’ goalkeeper Raphael Schott was put to work as he faced a barrage of shots on net by the Redmens’ offensive trio: striker George Banks and midfielders Olivier Babineau and Yoanne Capolungo.
However, the Redmen paid the price for their inability to score when the Citadins put the game away with a third goal. Much like the first, Chaffort took a good corner and the ball was guided into the net by midfielder Nicolas Bertrand.
In an effort to re-establish the momentum of the Redmen attack, Simon added forwards Alexander King and Peter Valente in place of defender Alexander Damianou and midfielder Sami Obaid. However, the force up front was not enough to outplay the Citadins who seemed to make better use of their chances.
“They had four corner kicks and they scored two goals off [them],” said Banks. “They were just playing more efficiently than we were [on offence].”
With less than 10 minutes left in the match, McGill was awarded a penalty kick. The final chance for McGill was spoiled as Schott dove accurately and blocked Obaid’s low shot. As the end of the match neared, all reservations passed and both teams began to openly express their enmity. The overall tension resulted in four yellow cards issued throughout the match: three to UQAM and one to McGill.
As the whistle blew, the Redmen looked over in disappointment as the Citadins celebrated advancing to the next round. Missed chances and incomplete plays were emblematic of this year.
“It’s basically been the story of the season,” said Banks. “This whole season we’ve had a lot of games where we’ve outplayed teams but we just haven’t been able to put the ball in the back of the net at the right moments—the big moments.”
“In most games, just like Friday, we hade more shots on net and crosses in the box than our opponent but failed to score when required,” said Simon.
The game concluded with a final score of 3-1 and ended the Redmen’s 2010 campaign with a record of 7-5-1.
The UQAM Citadins go on to the final against the Laval Rouge et Or—the first-ranked team in the regular season. Regardless of the outcome, both teams will advance to the CIS championships in Toronto next weekend.
