September 14, 2014 League 1 Ontario--Sigma FC vs Toronto FC Academy (from League 1 Ontario website)

  
Sigma FC 1 - Toronto FC Academy 1
. Tue Sep 16 
Written By: Staff, League1  


Two of League1 Ontario's top performers in the inaugural 2104 season shared the points at Mississauga's 
Hershey Centre on Saturday night, as Sigma FC and Toronto FC Academy ended all square at 1-1. 

There was very little between these young, talented and technical sides - as the scoreline would 
suggest - and in the end it would be individual efforts that would prove the only route 
to a scoreline. TFCA's Molham Babouli, the league top scorer, stuck his eighteenth tally of the 
season on the forty-fifth minute, while Sigma's Michael Matic would bookend the match with 
well-taken penalty on ninety minutes. 

Both sides pressed high up the park, forcing defenders into rushed passes and a large number 
of midfield interceptions and counter-attacks. The first of such chances came in the sixth minute, 
as TFCA pressing forced Sigma to cough up the ball in their own defensive third. The Junior Reds 
made good use of the ball around the area, pressing and probing through one touch play on either 
flank before Marcos Nunes found a third man combination run, courtesy of Marco Rodriguez, 
in the box. Rodriguez's quick release was only prevented from finding the goal by the lunging 
Sigma netminder.

Sigma's play featured slightly more direct passing, searching for quick balls into their central 
forward before laying off and attacking wide zones. Sigma's right fullback Winter benefitted from 
such a combo in the twelfth minute, breaking in behind the defensive line and knocking a dangerous 
cross to a streaking central option who only marginally missed the target.

Only slight differences separated the sides for much of the half, as well-marshalled defences 
on both sides kept attacking threats to a minimum, or at least confined to the flanks. TFCA 
continually proved the more imaginative around the area however, and a flurry of quick combinations 
led to the Reds smashing a close-range effort off the crossbar in the twenty-sixth. Otherwise, 
it was a battle of defensive and midfield concentration as both reds and blues sought to maintain 
possession amidst a rabid pressing game.

Deadlock was broken just ahead of the half-time whistle, when Sigma had a headed effort cleared 
off the TFCA goalline and found themselves desperately chasing a swift Reds counter; all was 
for nought though, as the ball was quickly swung from flank to flank, stretching the recovering 
Sigma defenders, before a long aerial ball was dispatched via the head of Babouli. One-nil 
to the Reds at the break.

The second half commenced in much the same fashion as the first, shaping early as a battle 
between forward pressing systems, and defensive players clearly mandated to build-out the 
play on the ground. TFCA had greater success in this regard, with their defenders clearly 
more comfortable than Sigma counterparts to drive or dribble at pace from the back if passing 
lanes were closed, drawing their forward markers out before turning back and resetting play into 
support in the significantly less packed defensive third. Yet TFCA would occassionally overplay, 
and Sigma punished these errors with quick counters. TFCA were nearly punished for their indulgeance 
on the ball in the fiftieth minute, when a free quick awarded for a late recovering TFCA tackle led 
to a direct kick to Sigma deep on the Reds' left flank. The ensuing ball swung in low and hard, 
nearly finding the bottom back corner, a la the recent Angel Di Maria free kick 
for Manchester United.

Both sides ultimately found their best chances in 1v1 efforts, with TFCA memorably working 
Sigma's right flank for a five minute stretch two/ thirds into the match, passing up clear 
passing combos to rotate a player driving at the Sigma right back. This resulted in space 
created in the inside and central channels, and a quick penetrating pass into this zone led 
to a first time effort that was barely blocked by the Sigma defence.

In the end, it would be a Sigma singular effort that decided the result. Sigma's left winger 
Zajac received a ball wide on his wing, squared up to his marker, and drove past with speed. 
The Reds defender lunged into the tackle, taking more man than ball, and the official didn't 
hesitate to point to the spot. Sigma's Matic stepped up to finish the game (not to mention 
a brilliant exhibition of the skill inherent in League1 Ontario teams) at one apiece.    

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