August 21, 2015 League 1 Ontario--Durham United FC vs Sigma FC (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Friday August 21, 2015 League 1 Ontario game between Durham United FC and Sigma FC played at Kinsmen Park in Pickering at 8:00pm.

Durham United (navy socks, red shorts, navy & red chests, navy backs, yellow numbers)

......................1 Eugene Alves
3 Jacob Sooklal...5 Joe Zupo...2 Taejon Mikle-Ryan...6 Matt Stowell
.....8 Taylor Lord (cpt)...7 Christian Moncrieffe...16 Kashiff De Jonge
.....17 Joseph Roccasalva...14 Kristian Lee-him...9 Le Rohne Young

Subs:...1 Eugene Alves (gk)...19 Jordan Roberts...18 Justin Gordon...10 Mark Tarazhi...11 Miguel Oliveira
...15 Gary Canam
team officials:...head coach Sanford Carabin...team officials Ron Clarke, Corrado Roccasalva, Connor Schmitt, and Dr Alex Hawkins

Sigma FC (all white, blue numbers)

......................1 Corey Marques
15 Nico Correa...14 Luca McLean...16 Reggie Laryea...4 Nolan Holdridge (cpt)...5 Aaron D'Souza
............10 Patricio Espin...8 Manvir Brar...11 Marcel Zajac
.................7 Kadell Thomas...9 Jordan Kalonji

Subs:...31 David Igreja (gk)...17 Daniel Oginii...19 Andrei Pogan...20 Jesse Samaniego...21 Jonathan Van Drine...22 Nicholas Pasutto
team officials:...head coach John Zervos...team officials Philip Opassinis, James Haloulos, and Ken Peter

Game officials:...referee Pierre Acouri...referee's assistants Braedon Krampertand Anthony Dimambro...fourth officials John Vlahos
...(teal shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 8:01pm...DUFC defends east end on this mild evening with the sun already below the tree line.
5 min...DUFC De Jonge wins cornerkick on deflected cross from 15 yards.
6 min...DUFC Stowell cornerkick fromleft is head high through box unplayed. DUFC Roccasalva blasts partial clearance from 22 yards on right that's blocked at 10 yards in box.
7 min...Sigma goalie hangs on after diving for ball on challenge by DUFC Roccasalva.
7 min...DUFC Lee-him 22 yard roller is wide left of post.
9 min...DUFC Young jumps for header and 15 yarder bounces to goalie.
11 min...DUFC Stowell 30 yard freekick from right is chip and DUFC De Jonge leaps and heads 12 yarder wide right of post.
13 min...DUFC Roccasalva short pass from 15 yards on right has DUFC Moncrieffe blasts 12 yarder that goalie flies to push wide left of post on screen shot.
14 min...DUFC Stowell cornerkick from left has goalie on right side swat ball through box. DUFC Roccasalva midair shot is well over net from 18 yards.
16 min...Sigma Zajac blasts 35 yarder well over net from middle.
18 min...Sigma Kalonji 30 yard blasts offback of DUFC Mikle-Ryan and spins back to DUFC goalie.
19 min...Sigma Zajac eludes two defenders to left end line and comes back out from left and takes 7 yard shot that's blocked by goalie.
20 min...Sigma Zajac blasts 15 yarder from left that goalie pushes into left webbing of net.
21 min...Sigma Espin cornerkick from left has DUFC defender pop header away on right.
23 min...Sigma Holdridge heads cross away at 10 yards sent in from right.
24 min...DUFC Moncrieffe blasts 28 yarder up middle has goalie fly to push wide left. The Sigma goalie is injured on the play.
26 min...DUFC Stowell low cornerkick from left has DUFC De Jonge shot is blocked at 18 yards on left.
26 min...DUFC Young can't control ball on left end line and pop up for goalkick.
DUFC players have made a lot of passes that rolled out of bounds that breaks momentum.
27 min...DUFC Moncrieffe sidesteps sliding defender to blast low 22 yarder up middle and goalie stops at 5 yards and big rebound is cleared.
30 min...DUFC Young hops over sliding defender and 15 yard shot up middle is batted downby goalie.
32 min...DUFC Lord low 28 yarder up middle is through players and saved by goalie.
34 min...Sigma Zajac rushes on left and holds off three players and passes off to Sigma Espin who has his 20 yard shot up middle hit bar.
35 min...Sigma Laryea 30 yarder upmiddle is through crowd of players and has goalie dive to catch on left post.
37 min...DUFC Roccasalva high cross from 30 yards on far right drifts behind net.
38 min...DUFC goalie beats Sigma Brar to through ball to dive on ball.
39 min...Sigma Nico Correa raises his arm while he's running towards own net in Sigma box as a DUFC forward pushes ball past him. The ball strikes his arm as he and the team and Sigma officials claim he was being pushed into it. Referee Pierre Acouri signals a DUFC Penalty kick.
40 min...DUFC Christian Moncrieffe GOAL...Moncrieffe shoots Penalty kick low to right side as goalie Corey Marques dives to center.
43 min...Sigma Espin cornerkick from right is cleared. Sigma Zajac works ball up and chips 25 yarder over defenders on left which goalie catches.
45 min...DUFC YELLOW card...De Jonge earns it for pulling down Sigma Correa who was breaking out of own end at 20 yard line.
47 min...half ends 8:48pm.

2nd Half:...starts 9:02pm.
46 min...Sigma Kalonji low 22 yard shot from right has diving goalie smother at 6 yards.
48 min...DUFC YELLOW card...Lord earns it for shirt grab at center line on Sigma Thomas.
49 min...Sigma McLean 60 yard freekick from right has goalie catch wide right of net.
51 min...DUFC Joe Zupo GOAL...DUFC Matt Stowell cornerkick from left has defender deflect ball back towards goalie. DUFC Taejon Mikle-Ryan heads ball in box back to Zupo who taps in 5 yarder. Sigma captain Nolan Holdridge earns a Yellow card for complaining that Zupo was offside.
53 min...Sigma Brar misses connecting on 12 yard shot up middle.
56 min...Sigma Zajac taps short pass across for Sigma Kalonji to blasts low 25 yard shot wide left.
57 min...DUFC sub...Canam replaces Sooklal.
58 min...DUFC Lee-him receives centering pass and blasts 20 yarder up middle well over net.
58 min...DUFC goalie smothers ball wide leftof net on deflection to prevent cornerkick.
60 min...Sigma Zajac is tripped on left corner of box for freekick.
61 min...Sigma Zajac blasts 22 yard freekick from left around player wall but DUFC Lord heads ball away.
62 min...Sigma goalie charges forward in crowd to punch 40 yard freekick away on edge of box.
63 min...DUFC Lee-him low 28 yard shot deflects off defender and smothered by goalie.
64 min...DUFC De Jonge rush up left and 15 yard shot is popped up by defender and is smothered by goalie.
65 min...Sigma Zajac 22 yard freekici up middle is just over bar and hits football bar above soccer goal.
66 min...DUFC sub...Gordon replaces De Jonge.
68 min...Sigma player chips 30 yarder from right. Sigma Zajac shot from 15 yards up middle is blocked. Sigma Kalonji midair 12 yard shot is wide right.
69 min...Sigma player's cornerkick from right has goalie bat down and pick up on the right post.
69 min...Sigma Espin 22 yard shot deflects up and Sigma Kalonji shoots 20 yarder down middle wide right of net.
71 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Correa earns it for tackle at Sigma 45 yard sideline.
71 min...DUFC Young cross from 22 yards on far right has ball bounce through box.
72 min...Sigma Espin rolls 18 yard shot just wide left of post.
73 min...DUFC Gordon rolls 22 yard shot from left that goalie smothers.
73 min...Sigma Zajac heads cross from right wide left from 12 yards.
76 min...DUFC sub...Tarazhi replaces Roccasalva.
77 min...DUFC Tarazhi cornerkick from right is caught by goalie near left post.
78 min...Sigma sub...Samaniego replaces McLean.
80 min...DUFC Lee-him charges for ball up left and goalie dives but can't grab ball at 15 yards on left edge of box. Lee-him crosses through 6 yard box but no one is there to tap it in.
82 min...DUFC Mikle-Ryan 40 yard cross from left sideline is caught by goalie.
83 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Samaniego earns it for sliding tackle on DUFC Lee-him.
83 min...Sigma sub...Pogan replaces Brar.
84 min...DUFC Gordon gets chip of quick freekick and low 22 yard shot on left is stopped by sliding goalie on left post at 5 yards. Gordon rolls 15 yard rebound is wide left.
86 min...Sigma Holdridge low 22 yarder from left is smothered by goalie.
87 min...A DUFC defender makes a key check to keep Sigma Thomas from getting away shot in box.
88 min...DUFC sub...Roberts replaces Young.
91 min...Sigma Nico Correa is pulled down in box and referee awards a Penalty kick.
92 min...Sigma Marcel Zajac GOAL...Zajac Penalty kick is low to right post past diving goalie Peter Katasaras.
92 min...Sigma sub...Oginni replaces Kalonji.
93 min...DUFC Lee-him 25 yard shot down middle is batted down by goalie and picked up.
94 min...Sigma Holdridge low cross from 15 yards deflects off Sigma Zajac at 2 yards on left post wide left.
94 min...game ends.

Final Score:.....Durham United FC........2........Sigma FC.......1.......

Attendance was about 80 on this mild night.

DUFC dominated the opening 15 minutes of the game then Sigma took over for the next 10 and after that both teams had chances for the rest of the half. The second half was even with Sigma pressing to catch up and DUFC waiting for counterattack opportunities.

Referee Pierre Acouri gave out five Yellow cards that I counted (three to Sigma).

Best non-scoring chances were at 13 minutes when DUFC Joseph Roccasalva sent a short pass from 15 yards on right that DUFC Christian Moncrieffe blasted a 12 yard screened shot that the goalie flew to push the ball wide left of the post. 19 minutes had Sigma Marcel Zajac elude two defenders to get to the left end line and he comes back out from the left to the center and has his 7 yard shot blocked by the goalie. A minute later Zajac blasted a 15 yarder from the left that the goalie pushed into the outside left webbing of the net. 24 minutes had DUFC Moncrieffe blast a 28 yarder up the middle that the goalie had to fly to the left to push wide of the post and was injured on the play. 34 minutes had Sigma Zajac rush on the left and taking on three defenders pass over to Sigma Patricio Espin whose 20 yard shot up the middle hit the upper part of the bar. 80 minutes had Kristian Lee-him charge for the ball up left and the Sigma goalie dived on but couldn't corral it and Lee-him rescued the loose ball on the left end line and crossed through the six yard box but no one was there to tap it in. 84 minutes had DUFC Justin Gordon receive a quickly taken chipped freekick and his low 22 yard shot from the left was stopped by the sliding goalie on the left post at 5 yards and Gordon then rolled the 15 yard rebound wide left of the post.

This was the first game this season I've seen Durham play at Kinsmen Park. I'd seen them play four other 'home' games but they were at Oshawa Civic Stadium and the Pickering Soccer Centre (an indoor facility). This was partially because this park wasn't ready because of spring flooding and also that the 'United' in the team name means they wanted to rotate games around Durham County. The wait was worth it as this year there's no huge bald patch in the center circle, no football lines (some fans say there's no gridiron football played here this year). Another thing I remembered from last year was to bring mosquito spray and it was needed once it got dark. Only one ball disappeared into the swamp on the south sideline but it was retrieved with a fishnet on a pole at halftime.

The win improves DUFC's record to 10 wins, 2 draws, 4 losses for 32 points. They move up to fourth place passing ANB Futbol by two points. This was about the time last year where they finished their season losing most of their last ten games as players left the team to go back to colleges. Sigma's record falls to 10 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses for 33 points and are still tied for second place with Vaughan Azzurri but have lost their game in hand.

Back in Toronto I was taping a program on the Rogers Community channel spillover sports channel—369—which was supposed to be a DUFC game. It could have been a men's or women's League 1 Ontario game. There was no television crew here tonight so I realized it wasn't a live game. OK. A DUFC official said a Rogers crew was out there recently to tape a men's game but packed up after the first half because of lightning in the distance. There was no game delay that night. Playing it back after I got home, I got two hours of test pattern which meant it never reached the air.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Durham United FC starters