Tie costly for Portuguese

KATHY RUMLESKI, Free Press Sports Reporter
2003-09-29 03:58:58

It was a result befitting the two teams. A 1-1 tie with London Portuguese, who had held the title for the past four years, was enough to give AEK Olympic the Western Ontario Soccer League Premier Division championship yesterday.
A close game was expected and that's what fans saw.
Undefeated AEK, ahead by one point in the standings, only needed a tie.
An unexpected loss to Exeter earlier in the season gave Portuguese its first loss since 1999. In the end, it cost the club the title.
As the rain fell and nearly 1,500 spectators looked on, the AEK players chanted, danced and hugged as the team won the WOSL Premiership for the first time.
"This is the happiest and greatest season ever," beamed AEK manager Tom Kouzounas. "Portuguese played amazing, especially at the end."
Portuguese was sparked by defender Jon Hasson's goal in the 61st minute.
Captain Andrew Loague lobbed in a corner kick that Hasson popped into the right corner of the net.
Hasson joined the team in the second half of the season after returning from teaching in England. He showed no fear on the field, tussling with former Western teammate Martin Painter and then, in injury time, getting sent off for hauling down Tim Balatsoukas as he closed in alone on the Portuguese net.
There were plenty of physical moments, Patrick Painter's boot to the head from Frank Neiva, which the referee deemed unintentional.
AEK made CPSL history as the first amateur team to beat a pro side by defeating Mississauga Olympians in the open Canada Cup.
"The Canada Cup gave us more experience for these big games," said AEK captain Giscard Degourville.
Martin Painter, who will take the under-14 boys' team he coaches to the national championships on Thanksgiving weekend in Halifax, scored AEK's goal in the 28th minute with a shot that hit the crossbar and bounced down and in.
This was the second time the two teams have tied this season. They also beat each other once. Portuguese won in overtime in a Premier Cup game while AEK's victory came in a shootout.
in League Cup play.
Yesterday's result means nothing was really settled between the two teams.
Degourville said the rivalry will continue next season.
"We wanted the win . . . but we're still happy."
"With something on the line, you're going to have the emotions running," Loague said. "There are guys putting their all into the tackles and frustrations come out on both teams."
AEK's captain Giscard Degourville is friends with many of the Portuguese players as he played on that team up until three years ago.
He said he switched sides because he didn't feel at the time he was up to the hectic schedule of the Portuguese, who enter Ontario Cup competition every year.
But this year, AEK played in the Ontario Cup and the Canadian Professional Soccer League's Canada Cup.
AEK made CPSL history as the first amateur team to beat a pro side when they defeated the Mississauga Olympians in the open Canada Cup.
Degourville said playing in that competition gave his team an advantage in WOSL play.
"The Canada Cup gave us more experience for these big games."
Martin Painter, who will take the under-14 boys' team he coaches to the national championships on Thanksgiving weekend in Halifax, scored AEK's goal in the 28th minute with a shot that hit the crossbar and bounced down and in.
This was the second time the two teams have tied this season. They also beat each other once. Portuguese won in overtime in a Premier Cup game, while AEK's victory over Portuguese came in a shootout in League Cup play.
AEK OLYMPIC 1 PORTUGUESE 1