July 29, 2017 League 1 Ontario--Sigma FC vs Durham United FA (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Saturday July 29, 2017 League 1 Ontario game between
Sigma FC and Durham United FA played at the Hershey Centre at 4:00pm.

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

...............1 Trston Henry
3 Domnic Samuel...4 Jelani Smith...14 Jerome Smith...5 Kyle Walton
17 Tajon Buchanan...8 Giuliano Frano (cpt)...6 Faisal Ghaffur...22 Mansoor Alfazy
...........18 Mike Matic...11 Kadell Thomas

Subs:...31 Baj Maan (gk)...2 Arlick Ntabana...7 Daniel Jodah...9 Alex Halis
...16 Simon Triantafillou...20 Manvir Brar...21 Noah Mehta
team officials:...head coach Bobby Smyrniotis...other team officials Phil Opassinis,
Joe Hanley, Mike Matic, Ken Peter

Durham United FA (white socks, shorts, and shirts, red numbers)

.................0 Peter Katarsaris
2 Johnathon Parolini...5 Joe Zupo (cpt)...6 Cameron Brooks...13 Tajmir Ashraq
19 Tyrell Rayne...7 Christian Moncrieffe...17 Joseph Roccasalva...8 Hayden Clarke...11 Stefan Lamanna
................9 La Rohne Young

Subs:...1 Michael Canam (gk)...10 Kashiff DeJonge...18 Duwayne Ewart...12 Michael Maiorano
team officials:...head coach Sanford Carrabin...other team offcial Felix Dirlenzo

Game officials:...referee John Vlahos...referee's assistants Adam Devanyl and Ashin Behpour
...fourth official Fabrizio Stasolla...(yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

First Half:...game starts 4:00pm...Sgma defends south end on this hot and humid afternoon.
2 min...Sigma Kadell Thomas GOAL...Sigma Tajon Bucanan beats defender who had slipped on right
side of box and sends low cross from 15 yards on right end line that has Thomas pound in 2 yarder
on right side forward into roof of net between goalie and defender.
6 min...DUFA Brooks blasts freekick from 35 yards down middle that hits head in player wall.
9 min...DUFA Roccasalva cornerkick from left is headed out right side of box.
12 min...DUFA player's run down left and high cross from 20 yards is cleared out right side of box
by defender.
18 min...DUFA Rayne run on right and rolls centering pass to DUFA Young in middle and he has 8 yard
shot is stopped point blank by fallen goalie and defender clears.
19 min...Sigma goalie catches 25 yard cross from left.
19 min...Sigma Thomas rush down left and cuts towards goal but rolls ball to goalie trying to deke defender.
20 min...DUFA Roccasalva cornerkick from left is over players in box and bounces for Sigma throw-in.
22 min...DUFA Rayne cross from right and 25 yards has goalie fly and palm ball wide left but
he wins freekick.
24 min...DUFA Young weaves down right and blasts 25 yarder just over bar.
26 min...Sigma Thomas runs down left and cuts low cross near end line and Sigma Alfazy blasts 12 yarder
up middle wide left of net.
29 min...Sigma Walton 30 yard freekick from right is low and defender clears just nside of box.
30 min...Sigma Matic has 22 yard shot up middle blocked. Sigma Thomas blasts rebound from 22 yards
on his left that tps right for cornerkick.
30 min...Sigma Alfazy low cornerkick from right has defender clear.
33 min...DUFA Ashraq run down left recovers ball twice and wns cornerkick on left on shot from 8 yards.
34 min...DUFA Roccasalva cornerkick from left is partially cleared and DUFA player blasts 25 yarder well high
and wide left.
37 min...DUFA Tyrell Rayne GOAL...DUFA Joe Zupo from 65 yards threads high pass between two defenders
at 30 yards and Rayne at 25 yards turns and fires 22 yard blast into top right corner of net.
40 min...Sigma Buchanan at 25 yards on right rolls pass to Sigma Matic but with back to goal just back heels from 15 yards but it's easily cleared.
41 min...DUFA Zupo 65 yard chip down middle has goalie charge forward and catch at 15 yards.
43 min...Sigma Thomas rush down left and cuts to center and rolls pass to right and Sigma Matic shoots low 15 yard
shot that goalie stops and defender clears at 3 yards.
43 min...Sigma Thomas passes from 20 yards along left end line and Sigma Matic on left rolls pass through 6 yard box
but unplayed.
44 min...Sigma Thomas cross from 25 yards on left but ball cleared from middle of 6 yard box out right side.
45 min...Sigma Kadell Thomas GOAL...Sigma Tajon Buchanan cross from 25 yards on right has goalie
Peter Katarsaris fumble overhead catch through his hands and Thomas at 5 yards on left side of net blasts
shot into roof of open net.
45 min...half ends 4:45pm with no injury time.

Second Half:...starts 5:02pm.
Halftme sub:...Sigma Halis replaces Matic.
46 min...DUFA Moncrieffe low freekick from 28 yards on right is cleared by first defender.
47 min...DUFA Young low 22 yard freekick up middle is blasted into player wall and DUFA player called offside
when ball passed in to him.
49 min...DUFA Brooks makes dangerous back pass from left to prevent charging Sigma player and ball rolls just
wide left of post chased by retreating goalie.
50 min...Sigma player's cornerkick from left has defender on left leap to flick high over box.
51 min...Sigma Walton 30 yard freekck from right has defender gives up cornerkick.
51 min...Sigma player's cornerkick from right up field and not crossed into box.
55 min...Sigma Frano 30 yard freekick from left is just over bar.
56 min...DUFA La Rohne Young GOAL...A DUFA player is tackled like a football game at 33 yards in middle
but referee signals to play on and DUFA Stefan Lamanna rolls pass forward and Young gets it at 28 yards
and runs up middle on breakaway and takes low 18 yard shot to right side of net past sprawling goalie Triston Henry.
58 min...Sigma Samuel makes big slide tackle to strip DUFA Clarke of ball at 30 yards on right.
59 min...Sigma sub...Brar replaces Alfazy.
.........DUFA sub...Ewart replaces Rayne.
60 min...Sigma RED card...Kadell Thomas earns a direct ejection from referee John Vlahos for kicking
someone at DUFA 30 yard line.
62 min...DUFA Ashraq throw-in from left is popped forward and DUFA Clarke tips ball wide.
63 min...DUFA sub...DeJonge replaces Clarke.
64 min...DUFA Roccasalva 45 yard freekick from right has ball stopped in player wall and cleared.
65 min...DUFA Moncrieffe 45 yard freekick down middle has defender head ball away on left side of box.
66 min...DUFA Lamanna cross from 22 yards on right end line has goalie catch on right post diving forward.
68 min...Sigma Halis rolls ball forward to Sigma Frano for run from 45 yards to 15 yards and crosses blocked.
69 min...DUFA Lamanna steps by defender to get low 25 yard shot from left that goalie catches.
71 min...Sigma sub...Triatafillou replaces Ghaffur.
73 min...Sigma Buchanan beats goalie but tips ball out right side of box and can't win freekick at 20 yards when
he flies when tripped.
73 min...DUFA Lamanna run on left gets past defender but rolls ball too far forward and to goalie.
75 min...DUFA sub...Maiorano replaces Young.
76 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Brar earns it for knock down at Sigma 35 yard line.
77 min...Sigma sub...Jodah replaces Frano.
78 min...Sigma Brar run up left beating defender but is caught by two when cuts toward box. He taps pass
to Sigma Jodah who rolls 15 yarder just wide of post.
79 min...Sigma Jodah high cornerkick from left is over players in box.
80 min...Sigma Jelani Smith beats defender cutting towards box from right and taps pass that is then flicked
to Sigma Jodah who has 12 yard shot blocked and cleared.
83 min...Sigma Jodah cornerkick from left has DUFA players clear.
84 min...Sigma RED card...Manvir Brar earns his second Yellow card in 8 minutes for a shoulder grab
on a DUFA player at Sigma 30 yard line cutting towards middle.
............(Sigma Yellow card...Goalie Triston Henry receives it card for complaining about that last call.
.............It also looked the referee ejected Sigma head coach Bobby Smyrniotis for complaining as well
as he and Brar both made their way to the dressing room).
86 min...DUFA Moncrieffe 33 yard freekick from left has defender head wide right.
86 min...DUFA player's cornerkick from right has defender head through box.
87 min...Sigma sub...Ntabana replaces Halis.
88 min...DUFA Ashraq is injured near left on off balance cross near left corner flag when pushed over.
89 min...Sigma goale punches DUFA Maiorano's 30 yard freekick from left away and wins freekick.
90 min...DUFA Roccasalva cross from 25 yards on left has charging DUFA Ewart head ball wide left from 8 yards.
91 min...Sigma/DUFA player YELLOW card...somebody earns it after DUFA are called offside.
93 min...Sigma Buchanan holds off defender to get away 15 yard shot on right wide right.
93 min...game ends 5:50pm.

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

Attendance was about 150 on this hot and humid afternoon with some 
low clouds which caused the airplanes which approach Pearson Airport 
from the west fly really close overhead. There's one about every 
three minutes.

Sigma had to adapt to playing with two men down near the end. 
It wasn't as bad as it could have been. Sigma used their fifth sub 
(league max) to sub out forward Alex Halis who had only come 
in at halftime with defender Arlick Ntabana at 87 minutes.  
DUFA meanwhile had only brought four subs (including a goalie) 
and had brought in their three field players by the 75 minute mark. 
When DUFA Tajmir Ashraq was injured when pushed over trying to send 
in an off balance cross from near the left cornerflag at 88 minutes 
he could not continue and the team just played short (or in this 
case only 'up' one man). The Sigma goalie punched 
DUFA Michael Maonano's 30 yard freekick from the left away but 
won a freekick with DUFA players piling into the box at 89 minutes. 
90 minutes had DUFA Joseph Roccasalva cross from 25 yards on the 
left and DUFA Duwayne Ewart charging down the mddle headed 
an 8 yarder wide left of the post. The referee gave out a Yellow 
card at 91 minutes and I'm not even sure to what team as he was 
more than 15 yards away from their group—probably didn't want 
to get near them with tempers flaring. Sigma's Tajon Buchanan 
had the last chance holding off a defender to get away a 15 yard 
shot on the right wide right of the post. Sigma had survived the 
four minutes of added time to stay undefeated in league play.

Sigma's record improves to 11 wins, 0 losses, 3 ties for 36 points 
and are in first place in the Western Conference with a six point 
lead on Oakville Blue Devils who they happen to have next on their 
schedule for a home game on Thursday game. This could be the most 
important game of the season as the race will be almost over 
at the two-thirds mark of the season if Sigma wins.

Durham's record improves to 6 wins, 5 losses, 3 ties for 21 points. 
They are in fourth place in the eight team Eastern Conference. 
They are 8 points behind Woodbridge and have played three games 
more than the conference leaders.

I didn't hang around to ask questions except to have La Rohne Young 
fill in the assist on his goal. Where were Sigma stars Mo Babouli 
(although two assists 18 year old Tajon Buchanan played well) 
and Johnny Grant? I was off to see Pro Stars host Toronto Skillz 
that started in less than an hour—wow would I get a surprise.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter RocketRobin01

Sigma FC starters