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Result and details of the Sunday May 7, 2018 League 1 Ontario game between
Toronto FC III and Sigma FC played at KIA Training Centre in Downsview at 1:00pm.

Toronto FC III (all read, white numbers)

......................1 Brogan Engbers
15 Steven Furlano (cpt)...4 Nikola Stakic...3 Robert Boskovic...2 Andrew Dias
18 Nicholas Osorio...19 Dante Campbell...10 Matthew Srbely...11 Malik Johnson
..............7 Aidan Daniels...5 Ethan Beckford

Subs:...12 Filippo Di Bennardo (gk)...6 Malik Smith...8 Jacob Maurutto-Robinson...16 Marko Mandekic
...20 Daniel DeSilva...21 Glenn Muenkat...22 Kota Sakurai
team officials:...head coach Danny Dichio...assistant coaches Gianni Cimini, Laurent Guyot,
Lucciano Lombardi and Phil Boerger...manager Mairin Scannell...equipment manager Kevin Murphy
...therapists Any Choi, Fabian Casal, Kevin Halford, and Samra Habtom

Sigma FC (blue socks and shirts, black shorts, white numbers)

.......................1 Triston Henry
2 Johnny Grant...4 Jelani Smith...3 Dominic Samuel...5 Kyle Walton
8 Giuliano Frano (cpt)...20 Mansoor Alfazy...6 Faisal Ghaffur...21 Duran Lee
..............10 Justin Stoddart...24 Jordan Kalonji

Subs:...31 Corey Marques (gk)...9 Mike Matic...11 Sean Merrick...12 Arlick Nibana
...14 Nathan Dos Santos...16 Simon Triantafiliou...23 Manvir Brar
team officials:...head coach Bobby Smyrniotis...other officials John Zervos, Antonio Floro
Mike Matic, Ken Peter, and Joe Hanley

Game officials:...referee Timothy Wong...referee's assistants Jason Olinsky and Melissa Snedden
...fourth official Hassane Rifai...(all black uniforms)

1st Half:...game starts 1:01pm...TFC defends south end on this cold and windy day.
2 min...Sigma Kalonji races upfield on right wing from center and crosses along 10 yard line too far ahead of Sigma Stoddart.
3 min...TFC Beckford race on left and gets low shot that goalie bats away and TFC Osorio heads 8 yarder off bar.
4 min...Sigma 10 rolls pass at 15 yards over to Sigma player who shoots 12 yarder from left low that goalie smothers.
8 min...Sigma player's cornerkick from right is low and cleared by first defender on right side of box.
9 min...TFC goalie catches chip from 22 yards from far right just under bar.
11 min...TFC Srbely gets tapped back pass at 25 yards in middle and shoots roller through crowd of players wide left of net.
13 min...Sigma Duran Lee GOAL...Sigma Justin Stoddart cornerkick from right
is high and Lee leaps above defenders and heads 5 yarder forward into top left corner of net.
16 min...TFC goalie picks up Sigma player's blast from 25 yards that deflects off defender.
18 min...TFC Dias cross from 30 yards from left has TFC Beckford leap with defender on him
and heads 5 yarder from right wide right of net.
19 min...TFC Srbely cuts low 25 yard shot wide left of net.
25 min...Sigma player's freekick from 28 yards and TFC player pops up header. Sigma player
heads 12 yarder that goalie catches under bar.
29 min...Sigma Lee is injured at center line.
31 min...Sigma Johnny Grant GOAL...Sigma player racing in on left cutting
in and passes to Sigma Mansoor Allazy who gives pass in clear and Grant
shoots 15 yarder down middle over sliding goalie Brogan Engbers.
32 min...Sigma Grant long run up right wing and cross has Sigma Walton on left get foot to ball at 8 yards
but kick it forward and wide left.
36 min...TFC Malik Johnson GOAL...TFC Steven Furlano cross from 22 yards
on far right has Johnson in crowd of players shoot in low 10 yarder over
diving goalie Triston Henry.
37 min...Sigma Kalonji charges for high bouncer into box and goalie jump for high ball but ball is wide left.
39 min...TFC Beckford run on left and blasts from 18 yards has flying goalie but down near top right side
and rebound chance called offside but goalie recovered to smother ball.
41 min...TFC Daniels short cornerkick to TFC Johnson whose shot is blocked at 15 yards on left. Daniels cross
from 25 yards has TFC Stakic heads wide right from 8 yards in crowd of players.
45 min...TFC Dias low cross from left has defender in 6 yard box beat TFC player to kick ball behind end line.
46 min...TFC Dias low cornerkick from left has TFC Beckford blast 15 yarder through players that goalie palms over net.
47 min...TFC Beckford receives low cornerkick from right and blasts 20 yarder
through crowd of players that defender clears on left post.
47 min...half ends 1:48pm.

2nd Half:...starts 2:01pm...it's still windy but now the sun is out. There's been no rain so far.
48 min...TFC Daniels shoots partial clearance high and wide right from 20 yards.
49 min...TFC YELLOW card...Daniels earns it for knock down at Sigma 40 yard line.
49 min...Sigma Jordan Kalonji GOAL...Kalonji is given low pass down the middle from 50 yards
by Sigma Mansoor Allazy and runs onto it at 25 yards and rounds the goalie who cames out to 20 yards
and fires low 15 yard shot from right into short side of open net beating retreating defenders.
51 min...TFC Srbely blasts shot from 25 yards on right wide left past flying goalie but wide left.
52 min...TFC Furlano receives short cross at 25 yards on right and shoots low blast that goalie smothers
53 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Alfazy earns it for tackle on TFC Campbell.
53 min...TFC Dias 30 yard freekck is wide left of net.
54 min...TFC YELLOW card...Srbely earns it for grabbing Sigma player charging over center line.
56 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Walton earns it for restricting TFC freekick at TFC 30 yard line
by not backing away.
58 min...TFC YELLOW card...Osorio earns it for tugging down Sigma player at Sigma 20 yard line.
60 min...TFC sub...Sakurai replaces Srbely.
.........TFC sub...DaSilva replaces Osorio.
62 min...Sigma sub...Ntbana replaces Stoddart.
63 min...TFC Daniels 30 yard freekick has goalie fly to left to push shot wide of post.
64 min...Sigma sub...Brar replaces Alfazy.
65 min...TFC Campbell low cross from 20 yards through box wide left for goalkick.
65 min...Sigma Kalonji rolls pass to Sigma Frano on right and has shot stopped.
66 min...TFC Beckford eludes defender on run up right and ends with 10 yard shot stopped point blank
by sliding goalie who deflects it over net.
67 min...TFC Daniels cornerkick from right has TFC Sakurai flick 8 yard header wide left of post.
69 min...TFC Dias 28 yard freekick from right has defender pop header over net.
70 min...Sigma Frano makes key header to clear TFC cornerkick from left that was behing knocked around in box.
71 min...TFC Furlano rolls ball up right to TFC Beckford who crosses into 6 yard box which TFC 20 can partially
shoot back and goalie dives to smother on left post.
73 min...TFC Dias cornerkick on left has defender clear on left side of box.
74 min...TFC sub...Mandekic replaces Johnson.
74 min...Sigma goalie outjumps TFC Furlano to palm cross over endline for cornerkick.
74 min...TFC Mandekic cornerkick from right is over players in box.
76 min...TFC Furlano cross from 25 yards on right has TFC Campbell charging forward not able to fully connect
and fumbles ball wide left.
77 min...TFC player's 18 yard shot hits fallen player in face at 12 yards and ball is cleared.
78 min...TFC Campbell heads cross at 16 yards across box on right but noone has made run into box.
79 min...Sigma sub...Triantafillou replaces Frano.
81 min...TFC Mandekic 30 yard freekick from right has goalie charge into crowd of players to knock away.
83 min...Sigma Johnny Grant sends low cross from 15 yards near right end
line has Sigma Dominic Samuel upended by fallen goalie in box at 5 yards
while rushing forward for ball. Referee Timothy Wong calls a Penalty kick
and gives TFC goalie Brogen Engbers a Yellow card.
84 min...Sigma Johnny Grant blasts low Penalty kick has diving goalie save
on right post by pushing ball wide. The referee's assistant put his flag
up as the goalie had taken a step forward before the shot was taken.
85 min...Sigma Johnny Grant GOAL...Grant blasts retaken Penalty kick low
to right side of net with goalie diving left.
85 min...Sigma sub...Merric replaces Kalonji.
.........TFC sub...Muenkat replaces Beckford.
86 min...TFC Sakurai shoots off sliding defender at 20 yards for cornerkick.
86 min...TFC Dias cornerkick from left has defender head away in box.
87 min...TFC Furlano is tapped back pass and chips 15 yarder just over bar.
87 min...TFC chips 40 yarder into box that's knocked over end line for cornerkick.
88 min...TFC Mandekic low cornerkick from left is cleared from box.
89 min...TFC Boskovic heads ball across box and TFC player can't win Penalty kick on slip.
90 min...Sigma sub...Dos Santos replaces Lee.
91 min...TFC player's cornerkick is short from right and TFC Mandekic cross to left is cleared.
92 min...TFC Sakurai low 25 yard shot is through crowd of players wide right of net.
93 min...TFC Red card...Dante Campbell is given a straight Red on a delayed
call for flattening a Sigma player in the center circle as play moved
upfield. When the advantage ended after Sigma Triantafillou gave a short cross pass from right that
Sigma Arlick Nibana rolled a 20 yard shot through a crowd of players that the goalie picked up,
a multi player dust-up broke out in the TFC box.
95 min...game ends.

Final Score:......Toronto FC III.......1.........Sigma FC......4......

Attendance was about 30. It was parka weather again but the sun came out 
in the second half for the first time in about five days. We're not used 
to this weather dragging on into May. The wind is exaggerated at this 
location, the remnants of the old military Downsview Airport now down 
to one runway which is still being used for commercial freight flights. 
I wonder if the Avro Arrow reached Mach 1.9 at the end of the 1950s 
because of the wind? Whichever team was playing in the south end found 
it very hard to cross the center line. That was TFC in the first and 
Sigma for the second half. There was no rain and the grounds crew did 
set up a canopy for the scorers table and sound system. I think this 
was partially for show as they were committed to Livestream the game 
for internet watchers.

Sigma's goal at 49 minutes proved to be crucial as it was one of the 
few times they were able to get out of their own end in the second half.

The injury time brawl was partially to do with the 'advantage' playing on. 
I suspect that Sigma players thought that Aidan Daniels was going to get 
away with the knockdown upfield. I saw a Sigma player down in the center 
circle but at the time I moved my eyes away to see the Sigma rush. I looked 
at the Livestream recording of that moment after I got home and the 
commentator mentioned there was a man down at the time but the camera 
had already moved downfield to follow the action. Referee Timothy Wong 
gave out six Yellow cards (two to Sigma) plus the Red. Between 53 and 
58 minutes he gave out four Yellow cards on four separate plays 
(two to each team) and that mostly curbed the rough stuff until 
the end of the game.

Ethan Beckford (three goals last game vs FC London) and Nicholas Osorio 
(two goals last game) were kept off the score-sheet this week.

Both Triston Henry for Sigma and Brogan Engbers for TFC played well 
in goal. I've been marking my notes for decades 'dive for save' 
or 'flew for save' when the goalie leaves his feet depending on where 
on net the shot is going. Today the word was 'flew for save' as there 
were a lot of top corner shots by each team.

This was the time of year over the last few seasons of this league 
when Sigma is at their best. Last season Sigma blasted off with a 9 win, 
0 loss start by the end of June. They ended up fizzling out later in the 
season when many of their players returned to NCAA schools before the 
middle of summer. By the end of the season they are playing with their 
high-schoolers. This is what I worry about with the League 1 Ontario 
champions next year getting an entry into the Voyageurs Cup. Other L1O 
teams have the same problem but not so heavily as Sigma. What time of year 
would their qualifier be? Late Spring vs Fall will make a huge difference 
in the caliber of competition the L1O teams can put out.

I'd still say Toronto FC III has a better chance of finishing the season 
higher up the table based on past seasons when they grow in experience 
and have other teams lose players to schools. Also this year the squad 
is considered U19 or U20 rather than U17 and they won't burn out players 
on the TFC PDL team which their organization folded the end of last year.

Johnny Grant is the veteran of Sigma. He played four years with them 
in his development then went to play in Europe and with 
MLS Montreal Impact. It's not unusual for a player to return to Sigma 
for a brief stay. I saw Emery Welshman after his Toronto FC days come 
back to stay sharp then move on to USL Real Monarchs and this season 
NASL Puerto Rico. Leaford Allen had the Grant role last year although 
he told me he didn't come through the Sigma system. I received a tweet 
that Sigma grad and MLS 2017 SuperDraft first round selection 
Kwame Awuah played his first game for MLS New York City FC today. 
Details reveal he was an injury time sub but it's a 'start' to his 
MLS career.  Awuah also went to U of Connecticut as did Sigma's 
most famous player, Cyle Larin!

Anthony Totera was here as a game production director for the league 
to make sure things ran smoothly. I got to congratulate him on the 
CanPL league launch announcement as he's been taking a lot of grief 
over the last two years as the story moved from rumours to reality. 
I did much the same last night when I saw Duane Rollins as game 
director at the Masters vs OSUF game.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter @RocketRobin01

Toronto FC III starters

Sigma FC starters

TFC Aidan Daniels (7) takes opening kickoff.

Sigma goalie Triston Henry prepares for shot.

midfield action

Sigma Jordan Kalonji (24) and Mansoor Alfazy (20) take seoond half kickoff.

TFC Aidan Daniels (7) takes freekick.

Sigma defender heads ball away from box.

Sigma Johnny Grant (2) takes Penalty kick.

back to 2017 League 1 Ontario Men's index

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