TEAM USA AT CANADA INVITATIONAL RECAP

Canada finally beats the USA 7-6!
9Man Exhibition Game

Team Canada was finally on the winning side of a close game with Team USA.
An extra point was the sole difference as these two evenly matched teams battled it out in the pouring rain. The USA struck first on their first possession, when QB John Wiggin connected with Joe Adamson on a 30-yard bomb. Team USA took the lead into the half 6-0. The Canadians scored on a 15-yard pass, and completed the game winning extra point early in the 2nd half. Kevin Kurek of Team USA blocked a field goal attempt early in the game, firing up the US squad. Team Canada showed great discipline and great improvement from last year's game.

CANADIAN OFFICIATING QUESTIONABLE
Cardio Energy's defeat of Team USA Shrouded by Controversy!

In 7-man action, the previously undefeated Team USA lost to last year's tournament champion and hometown team, Cardio Energy. The Canadians defeated Team USA 26-16 in a heavily disputed game.

Team USA took a commanding lead 16-0 early in the first half, on a 20-yard TD pass to Bob Nara, and a 10-yard pass to Jay Walker. Both two-point conversions were good. Cardio Energy scored just before the half, to end the scoring at 16-6. In the second half, with the hometown team losing, one official made some extremely questionable calls, seemingly taking the game into his own hands.

With 15 minutes left in the game and the USA leading 16-6, Cardio Energy marched down field to the USA 15-yard line. On 4th down, the USA stopped them on an incomplete pass. This is where the controversy began and escalated into perhaps the most biased officiated game in international play. The head referee (we will call him "Napoleon") threw a penalty for roughing the passer, automatic first down (The QB was standing and the rusher had the flag in his hand - clearly a call to assist the hometown team). Cardio Energy then scored as they had four more plays from the 5-yard line. This made the score 16-12. On the USA's ensuing drive, the first play, Team USA was called for impeding the rusher and Cardio Energy was called for holding. Offsetting penalties - replay the down, right??? Not exactly, according to head referee, "Napoleon", "…I threw my flag first" (against the USA) "the other flag doesn't count!" This was an obviously controversial call screaming with bias. What happened next was an embarrassment to the sport, as this same ref threw five more penalties against the USA on the same drive putting them at their own 2-yard line. (15 yard's for disputing the call (who wouldn't of questioned that ignorant call), 15 yards for arguing the call, 5 yards for False Start, and 5 yards for delay of game (no 10 second warning), and the last penalty was on a punt where the USA boomed it 55 yards and no return. The USA was penalized for a false start - but only after there was no return by the Canadians.
Cardio Energy played well the last 15 minutes and capitalized by getting the ball at the USA 30-yard line, and scored with 5 minutes remaining to take the lead 20-16.

The USA had a chance with two minutes remaining and the ball on the Cardio 40- yard line, when tournament MVP - Sebastian Leifer picked off Team USA QB Tom Rogers, and returned it 60 yards for the final score and gave Cardio a 26-16 win.

To demonstrate the seeming unfairness of questionable penalty calls against Team USA, let's look at the stats. Sixteen penalties were called on Team USA, equaling 200 yards! Canada's team Cardio had only two penalty calls, equaling a mere 15 yards.

Team USA players - Quotes:
Bob Hayden: "I feel like I'm in Mexico", (Mexican officials also made biased calls)
Bill Madden: " We just got tabernac'ed-EH"
Adam Desanctis: "It's a shame the Referee determined the outcome of the game, With out him this would have been a great battle"
Jim Zimolka: "When we lost in 9man, not one player complained, we had a good game with fair officiating. This game was disgraceful, Ill have a hard time convincing players to return to Canada."

Canadian reactions-
Carmine Pollice(Hitmen): "For all fans of the WWF, Sunday's semi-final was a classic example of a handicap match where one competitor has to beat two opponents. Unfortunately for Team USA the referees were one of the opponents."
Anonymous: "I'd like to think that some flags were not thrown based on who the teams were, but in games in both men's and women's there were a number of questionable flags thrown on out of town teams"

It was unfortunate that one official had to play such a large part of this game as the Cardio Energy team had the skills to compete with the USA Team without the help of the officials.
On a positive note, the tournament was well organized and drew 46 teams - nearly double of last year's. The complex had beautiful green fields and a beer tent. Many of the Canadians were eager to meet and play the USA teams. All teams played in pools of three teams. The top teams of each pool advanced to the A Division and the other two teams dropped to a lower division for playoffs.

In the Women's A Division the Flag A Tag Flamingos defeated the FlagMag/Devils 26-6, Flamingos MVP was #77 Sue Marinucci. The USA women's team went 0-3 losing to the Geants 24-6, FlagMag/Devils 20-6, and Phoenix 22-6. The Women's B final saw the Chiefs defeat the Warriors 26-19.
In the Men's A Div, the Titans defeated Cactus 35-0, while in the B Division Rapaces defeated Longueil 41-20. The 4man division was an All-American final as MTA of Cleveland defeated MR Steer of Londonderry, NH 26-13. MTA's Bob Nara was the MVP.
*Team USA Men went 2-0 on Saturday, defeating the Titans 32-18 and the Knights 14-7.
Lake Worth High School of Lake Worth Florida traveled to the tournament going 1-3. Four players also played for team USA: Nicole Musco, Erin Brant, Mellisa Savage, and Ashley Thames.

By FlagMag Editor - Kodi Wilson

MEN'S 7 MAN RESULTS

Championship AA
Energy Cardio 30 Panthers 21
MVP-Sebeastine Leifer-Energy Cardio,Andre Batson-Panthers
Semis
Energy Cardio 26 USA 16
Panthers 21 Monster Gym 17

Championship A
Titans 35 Cactus 0
Semis
Titans 29 Hitmen 12
Cactus 26 Jeckyle Pub 6

Championship B
Rapaces 41 Longueil 20
Semis-
Rapaces 27 Longueil B 0
Cactus 26 Wolpack 6

MEN'S STANDINGS
1. Energy Cardio-St Jean,Quebec
2. Panthers-Scarbourgh,Ontario
3. TEAM USA-USA
4. Monster Gym-Montreal,Quebec
5. Titans-Montreal,Quebec
6. Cactus-St Jean,Quebec
7.Hitmen-Kirkland,Quebec
8.Knights-Montreal,Quebec
9.FMB-Berthersville,Quebec
10.Temple-Three Rivers,Quebec
11.Rapaces-St Jean,Quebec
12.Lonqueil-Lonqueil,Quebec
13.Jeckyle Pub-Three Rivers,Quebec
14.Lonqueil-B-Lonqueil,Quebec
15.WolfPack-Montreal,Quebec
16.Bodigirls-Berthersville,Quebec
17.BC Brothers-Montreal,Quebec
18.Captain Morgan-Three Rivers,Quebec
19.One Excel-Candiac,Quebec
20.Crapules-Victoriaville,Quebec
21.Crack Ou Casse-St Jean,Quebec
22. Theo-Three Rivers,Quebec
23.Falcons-Monttremblant,Quebec
24.Deliers-Three Rivers,Quebec

Men's 4Man
Championship
MTA 20 Mr Steer 12
MVP-Bob Nara

1.MTA-Cleveland,OH-USA
2.Mr Steer-Londonderry,NH-USA
3. Obelix-St jean,Quebec
4.Jaguars-St Jean,Quebec
5.Rapace-St Jean,Quebec
6.Keene-Keene,NH-USA

WOMEN'S 7 MAN RESULTS

Women-A Championship
Flamingo's 26 Devils 6
MVP-Sue Marinucci
Semis
Flamingos 20 Phoenix 13
Devils 24 Geants 6
Quarters
Flamingos
Devils
Phoenix 24 USA 6
Geants

Women B- Championship
Chiefs 26 Warriors 19
MVP-Angie Ducharme-Warriors
Semis-
Chiefs 18 Excellence 0
Warriors 20 Bitchs 14

WOMEN'S STANDINGS
1. Flamingos-Scarbough,Ontario
2. FlagMag/Devils-Ottawa,Ontario
3. Phoenix-Scarbourgh,Ontario
4. Giants-St Jean,Quebec
5. Storm-Scarborough,Ontario
6. USA-USA
7.Chiefs-Montreal,Quebec
8.Warriors-Montreal,Quebec
9.Excellence Sports-Three Rivers,Quebec
10. Bitches-Three Rivers,Quebec
11.Fleurdelys-Montreal,Quebec
12.Denis Dupoit-St Jean,Quebec
14.Trojans-Lake Worth,FL-USA
15.Survivors-St jean,Quebec
16. Bethovans-St Jean,Quebec

Team USA Men's Roster-
Bill Madden - Manchester, NH-OL
Bob Hayden - Woburn, MA-OL
Arty Hazard - Derry, NH-DL
Jim Wilson - Londonderry, NH-WR
Tom Wilson - Londonderry, NH-OL
John Wiggin - Marshfield, MA-QB
Steve Wiggin - Marshfield, MA-NG
Jim Zimolka - Londonderry, NH-RB
Adam Desanctis - Billerica, MA-WR
Joe Adamson - Davis, CA-WR
Kyman Harris - San Fran, CA-WR
Mark Nations - Atlanta, GA-WR
Kevin Kurek - Cleveland, OH-DL
Bob Nara - Cleveland, OH-DB
Tom Rogers - Cleveland, OH-QB
Jay Walker - Cleveland, OH-DB
Dave Yoder - Boston, MA-OL
Ghazi Al-Marayati - Nashua, NH-OL

Team USA Women's Roster -
Phuong Nguyen - Dallas, TX-QB
Jill Camuso - Peabody, MA-WR
Claudia Apey - Miami, FL-WR
Gaye Harris - San Fran, CA-Rusher
Krystal Wilcox - Providence, RI-DB
Elizabeth Williamson - Wash DC-Rusher
Tiffany Wilkes - Miami, FL-WR
Robin Tortora - Boston, MA-WR
Nicole Musco - Lake Worth, FL-WR
Erin Brant - Lake Worth, FL-WR
Mellisa Savage - Lake Worth, FL
Ashley Thames - Lake Worth, FL