Queen's Park Rangers Crowned Champions!

Champions. Queen's Park Rangers, the Ontario Public Service's soccer team are Division 3 champions.

QPR arrived at the decisive match against Toronto Allstars prepared for its final battle. This was evident in their aggressive, high-intensity approach.

Shaking off some cup final jitters, QPR flexed its muscle and began to chip away at Allstars defense. The opposition neutralized QPR's continued attacks and countered with their typical, slow buildup.

Then, finally, the ice breaker. Unable to find a good passing option, Sergio "El Matador de sangre fria" Guillermo released a missile from 25 yards out that the Allstar goalkeeper tried in vain to intercept. 1-0 QPR.

In the second half, QPR's pressure kept mounting and conceded no chances to the opposition, leaving QPR's goalkeeper Kang largely unemployed.

Ten minutes into the second half, it was Hadi "Schillaci" Fazli who doubled QPR's lead with a wonderful diagonal shot from inside the box. 2-0 QPR.

Shortly after, the referee brandished a second yellow card to the Allstar midfielder which saw him ejected. Despite this, and after a long pause due to a disciplinary issue that arose from the ejection, Allstars spirit wasn't broken. In fact, on a scramble resulting from a corner, Allstars halved their deficit. 2-1 QPR.

A testament to Allstars resolve, they never gave up on the match, and looked like the aforementioned pause shifted the momentum, with Allstars attempting more shots towards goal.

QPR, however, went back to work. Sticking to their script they regained the reigns of the match and sought to take advantage of Allstars' defense, which was left vulnerable. In fact, it was as a result of a counterattack that Bernardo "El Pato" Melendez scored the game-winning-goal with a header that lobbed the goalkeeper. 3-1 QPR.

But it wasn't enough.

Hungry for more goals, QPR returned on the attack, and found a fourth goal with "Dangerous" Dan Yanful, who slotted one past the right of the opposing keeper. 4-1 QPR.

In added time, a small defensive distraction by QPR allowed Allstars to re-establish their goal deficit at two but it was too little too late. 4-2 QPR.

At the triple whistle QPR players cheered with their arms aloft to begin the celebrations.

"I am really proud to have captained this team to victory. It's the payoff that I had been thirsting for from the beginning. This achievement is the coronation of this group's dream and the result of nine months of painstaking work from recruitment, selection, man-management, and tactics/strategy. It is now time to celebrate, before we begin planning for a new season and more victories", QPR captain Fasano remaked during the post-match celebrations. 

Box Score

Queen's Park Rangers 4, Toronto Allstars 2

QPR Goals: Guillermo, Fazli, Melendez, Yanful


Queen's Park Rangers Champions Roster:

Goalkeepers: 
Harry Kang
Roman Pasternak

Defenders: 
Michael Allison 
Perry Arzumanian 
Rocco Fasano (C) 
Kevin Gocool 
Voytek Roszuk 
Marc Mulchan 
Cameron Power 
Andrew Sansalone 
Max Zaman

Midfielders: 
Michael Aziz
Paul Bovdis
Ryan Chippy
Kesavan Ganesh
Pran Ganesh
Hadi Fazli-Sarijloo
Fred Kodjayan
Bernardo Melendez
Konrad Stypka

Forwards: 
Enan Hoque
Soben Thambidurai
Dan Yanful 

Queen's Park Rangers vs. BMF United: Semifinal Recap

Guillermo scores the opening penalty

In September 2013, BMF United eliminated Queen's Park Rangers at the semifinal round beating them with two unanswered goals.

On Sunday evening, Fate paired the two teams for yet another semifinal, with QPR relishing the prospect of avenging yesteryear's elimination.

The weather conditions that worsened as kickoff was approaching, made it so that any revenge would be served not only cold, but wet. In fact, the game kicked off in a bona fide torrential downpour, coupled with cold winds bringing the temperature close to 5 Celsius.

QPR began by leading game play, with the right convinction. With the wind (and rain) at their back, QPR poured on the attacks going close to scoring in the first half with shots by Bovdis and a header by Power. The many balls sent forward for Durai did not produce the desired outcomes as the ball skipped on the wet turf.

The second half saw QPR holding the fulcrum of play despite the wind, now against them. In fact, they had a few chances to score late in the game with an open net missed by Durai after a Zaman header but never conceded a single dangerous scoring chance to BMF United. This bares witness to the great work by a solid defensive phase.

Ending in a scoreless draw, QPR punted its fate on the lottery of a penalty shootout. With nerves of steel, Guillermo, Bovdis, Zaman, Power and Roszuk scored their penalties, while Kang saw one of his penalties hit off the post and out.

After Roszuk's scored penalty - the first in extra penalty shootouts - BMF United' defender shot his penalty over the net, which spelled the dramatic end of the penalty shootout thereby granting QPR access to the final, next Sunday.

"I'm very proud of the performance tonight, despite the inclement weather. Even though the difference in the end was our better fortune, we deserved to win within regulation. I'm elated with the win, with our team's temperament during a difficult game, and elated to have lead this team to the final", remarked QPR captain, Fasano.


Box Score

QPR 0, BMF United 0 (5-4 after penalty shootout)

QPR Goals: Guillermo, Bovdis, Zaman, Power and Roszuk

QPR Line Up
Goalkeeper: Kang
Defenders: Allison, Mulchan, Power, Zaman, Ganesviligham, Gocool.
Midfielders: Chippy, Roszuk, Fazli, Ganesh, Stypka, Guillermo, Bovdis.
Forwards: Yanful, Durai

Next Game: FINAL vs. Toronto Allstars, Sunday September 28, 6:30pm, Downsview Park Field 2.

Queen's Park Rangers vs. FC Unionville: Quarter Final Recap

Queen's Park Rangers took full advantage of their bye week, regained players from injury, and faced 7th placed FC Unionville in the quarter final round.

QPR started with high intensity, wanting to make the match theirs right from the start.

At the tenth minute, QPR play culminated in a deserved advatage, with Durai putting the ball away with a diagonal shot. 1-0 QPR. 

QPR could have doubled their lead shortly after with the Unionville goalkeeper stopping a point blank shot by Melendez, after a generous play by Durai.

As most games go, when you don't kill off your opponent they become stronger. By this token, Unionville upped their game and mounted pressure on QPR who was increasingly becoming unglued with respect to tactics and psychological resilience.

The pressure paid off for Unionville deep in the second half when they were awarded a penalty. The QPR bench stood up and lined up along the touch line in support of Kang, who was beat but saw the ball hit off the crossbar and out!

QPR resisted for another 15 minutes, courtesy of some outstanding defending - led by Zaman, whose legs are black and blue as I write -  and producing two good chances with Yanful and Chippy.

At the final whistle, QPR ran on the field with their arms aloft for conquering the semifinals where they will face their long-time rival, BMF United who ran out victors over QPR's bête noire NAFC Origami.

"We played a tough game with a great tempo in the first half, but came apart a little in the second half. We will play the next match with better tactical discipline and with cooler heads". QPR captain remarked after the final whistle.

Box Score

QPR 1, FC Unionville 0

QPR Goal: Durai

QPR Caution: Zaman

QPR: 

Goalkeeper: Kang

Defenders: Allison, Gocool, Mulchan, Zaman, Ganeshviligham

Midfielders: Aziz, Chippy, Fasano, Bovdis, Fazli, Melendez, Sansalone, Ganesh, Guillermo 

Forwards: Yanful, Durai.

Next Match: SEMIFINAL vs. BMF United, Sunday September 21, Downsview Park Field 3, 9PM