September 16, 2017 League 1 Ontario--Sigma FC vs Pro Stars Academy (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details for the Saturday September 16, 2017 League 1 Ontario game between
Sigma FC and Pro Stars Academy played at Hershey Centre in Mississauga at 4:00pm.

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

....................1 Triston Henry
2 Johnny Grant...4 Jelani Smith...3 Dominic Samuel...5 Kyle Walton
8 Giuliano Frano (cpt)...9 Alex Halis...21 Mansoor Alfazy...7 Kadell Thomas
.............10 David Velastegui...11 Daniel Jodah

Subs:...31 Baj Mann (gk)...12 Dumebi Iheanacho...14 Jerome Smith...15 Nate Dos Santos
...18 Mike Matic...20 Chrstian Samaniego...22 Jordan Kalonji
team offcials:...head coach Bobby Smyrniotis...other team officials John Zervos, Mike M. Matic,
Joe Hanley, and Kieran Persad

Pro Stars FC (all white, blue numbers)

.....................22 Jonathan Albanese
15 Dario Giatti Da Silva...18 David Bain...19 George Owusu...5 Ethan Millington-Clarke
.........14 Jermy Jodah...9 Jacob Rodrigues...7 Nathanial McAuley
..........2 Jaelen Jackson...8 Kebwe Dyer (cpt)...17 Luke Kim

Subs:...1 Justin Barrett (gk)...11 Michael Said...13 Santiago Echeverri...6 Isaih Noel
...10 Bryson Brown

Game officials:...referee Filip Dujic...referee's assistants Kim Lee and Souhal Abdali
...fourth official Nicolas Piperno...(yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

First Half:...game starts 4:03pm...Sigma defends south end on this hot and humid afternoon
(a surprise for this late in the year) with a bright sun in the south.
1 min...Sigma Thomas cross from left deflects in box for cornerkick.
2 min...Sigma Velastegui cornerkick from right is headed away in box.
3 min...Sigma Alfazy low 22 yard shot up middle is wide left.
4 min...Sigma Jodah cross from 20 yards near left end line is step ahead of Sigma Thomas. A cross
from the right has charging Sigma Halis head 6 yarder wide left of post.
5 min...Sigma Thomas low 20 yard shot up kmiddle has goalie sprawl and push ball wide left.
6 min...Sigma players work out a short cornerkick from the left that is wasted as it is finally
crossed into box and flagged offside.
7 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Jodah earns it for tackle on PS player at Sigma 25 yard line.
9 min...Sigma Velastegui cornerkick from right has Sigma Halis head 10 yarder from left that goalie
palms over net.
10 min...Sigma Velastegui cornerkick from right is over players in box and bounces for throw-in.
14 min...PS goalie dives forward and he got a piece of the crossed pass from 18 yards across 8 yard line.
Sigma Thomas then blasts 12 yarder wide left.
15 min...Sigma Giuliano Frano GOAL...Frano blasts 20 yarder down middle into top right corner of net
past goalie Jonathan Albanese.
17 min...PS goalie punches ball away in crowd of players at 4 yards on right post.
20 min...Sigma Ihearnacho rolls cross from 15 yards on right and Sigma Velastegui one-touch 10 yard roller
up middle that goalie smothers.
20 min...PS YELLOW card...Jodah earns it for pushing over Sigma Halis at 25 yard line.
21 min...Sigma Halis 28 yard freekick from left low and kicked wide left but offside flag was up.
23 min...Sigma Thomas pulls up and up middle run to 25 yards and chips ball that bounces for goalie right of net.
25 min...Sigma Frano is centered pass and sends low 28 yarder just wide right.
25 min...referee calls a water break.
27 min...play resumes.
27 min...Sigma Halis 25 yard freekick from far left is caught overhead by goalie.
31 min...PS goalie beats Sigma Grant to ball at 20 yards and concedes cornerkick.
31 min...Sigma Velastegui cornerkick from right is over to left and Sigma Grant crosses through 6 yard box.
Sigma Frano shoots 10 yarder from right over net.
32 min...Sigma Alfazy blasts 28 yarder down middle over net and back fence.
33 min...Sigma Velastegui through ball one-touch from 15 yards is up middle just wide right.
36 min...Sigma Alfazy pass to Sigma Velastegui has goalie save and Sigma Thomas over run ball.
37 min...Sigma Daniel Jodah GOAL...Sigma Mansoor Alfazy sends in pass and Jodah skies 10 yarder from left
into roof of net just under bar at top left corner.
39 min...PS McAuley 45 yard freekick from left is cleared on edge of box.
40 min...Sigma Velastegui and PS McAuley are both injured on crash just inside PS box.
42 min...PS Jodah cornerkick from left has defender head away just inside box.
45 min...PS goalie beats Sigma Thomas to bouncer at 15 yards on left side of box sent upfield by Sigma Frano.
46 min...Sigma Alfazy forward pass to Sigma Jodah who shoots 12 yarder up right that goalie pushes wide right.
47 min...half ends 4:50pm.

2nd Half:...starts 4:50pm...the halftime break probably lasted longer as it was a long walk to the dressing rooms!
Halftime sub:...Sigma Jerome Smith replaces Jelani Smith.
46 min...Sigma Thomas rolls cross from 15 yards on left that deflects off defender and goalie smothers.
51 min...PS YELLOW card...Bain earns it for tripping Sigma Velastegui at center llne.
52 min...Sigma Grant beats defender on right and cross has Sigma Thomas fumbles up tap-in. The play ends up not being
cleared and Sigma Jodah boots 15 yarder over net.
53 min...Sigma Jerome Smith GOAL...Jerome Smith makes short run on right and takes low 15 yard shot into
left corner of net.
55 min...Sigma Velastegui cornerkick from right has defender pop up and ball bounces behind goalie and lands on top
of net.
55 min...PS sub...Echeverri replaces Rodrigues.
56 min...Sigma Velastegui cornerkick from right has Sigma Thomas not able to keep in on left end line.
57 min...PS sub...Noel replaces McAuley.
59 min...Sigma sub...Matic replaces Velastegui.
60 min...Sigma Frano 30 yard cross from right bounces wide left for goalkick.
61 min...Sigma Halis gets away 20 yard shot as being bumped over and shot is wide right.
62 min...PS sub...Said replaces Bain.
65 min...Sigma sub...Samaniego replaces Alfazy.
65 min...Sigma player pokes pass through middle and PS goalie charges to pick up ball before Sigma Grant can get to it.
66 min...Sigma Giuliano Frano GOAL...Frano's freekick from 30 yards up the middle hits head in player wall
and deflects into left side of net just inside post with goalie frozen in center of net.
68 min...Sigma Thomas cross from 40 yards on left has Sigma Matic send freekick header at 20 yards up middle just wide left.
68 min...a water break is called.
.........Sigma sub...Kalonji replaces Halis.
71 min...play resumes.
72 min...Sigma Jodah nutmeg pass up right to Sigma Grant and his cross has goalie swat ball over box wide left for cornerkick.
73 min...Sigma Grant low 22 yard shot deflects off defender into outside webbing of net.
74 min...Sigma Grant low cross from right is into box but defenders clear.
74 min...Sigma Jodah rush on right and low cross from 28 yards is cleared.
75 min...Sigma sub...Ihewanacho replaces Grant.
........PS sub...Brown replaces Jackson.
76 min...Sigma Jordan Kalonji GOAL...Sigma Kyle Walton takes long throw-in from right side and ball is headed down
and Kalonji takes quick low blast up middle from 25 yards under diving goalie to left side of net.
77 min...Sigma Jodah cross from right has Sigma Thomas not able to get 12 yard shot up middle.
78 min...Sigma Thomas is tapped pass and low 20 yarder from left is smothered by diving goalie on left side.
81 min...Sigma Samaniego chips 30 yard freekick from left that goalie gets hand to on right wide of post but wins whistle.
82 min...Sigma Kalonji low cross from right has Sigma Matic deflect 8 yarder wide right.
83 min...PS Jodah rush down mddle then rolls ball forward and right for goalkick.
85 min...Sigma Jordan Kalonji GOAL...Sigma Kadell Thomas rush on left and dribbles in to 20 yards and his shot
is saved but the rebound pops forward for Kalonji to shoot low 15 yarder up middle to left side of net.
86 min...Sigma Thomas rush on left and cross over box from 15 yards cleared on right.
88 min...Sigma Matic 30 yard blasts up middle is over net.
90 min...Sigma Frano 25 yard shot has goalie stop and Sigma Matic has shot deflect wide left.
92 min...Sigma Frano backheel pass forward at 30 yards and Sigma Matic blasts 25 yarder that goalie pushes wide left.
92 min...game ends 5:55pm.

Final Score:....Sigma FC........6.....Pro Stars Academy....0....

Attendance was about 60 on this hot, humid and sunny day. Before the 
game started referee Filip Dujic arranged for a water break in each 
half which looked appreciated by both teams.

The Hershey Field that was used was the northern one because the 
southern one that is closer to the dressing room is 50% torn up down 
one side for replacement. I was here a month ago when there was 
a tear in the 6 yard box and yellow duct tape was applied so the 
referee wouldn't cancel a game. (North Mississauga Panthers men's 
and women's L1O teams also plays here). I'd ask why they couldn't 
wait a month but an L1O official said it was the City of Mississauga 
who decided. Hmm. Yes better not turn that down or they may move 
on and spend the money somewhere else.

Sigma ground officials strung together what must have been 150 yards 
of extension cords to just reach the endzone fence. The music played 
OK but the PA announcements were an almost silent garble. I was able 
to put the subs together from the league website for my more detailed 
report. Sigma's Jerome Smith replaced Jelani Smith at halftime 
so league tweets of 'J Smith' scoring at 53 minutes would confuse 
a lot of people.

The referee gave out three Yellow cards (two to Pro Stars) in a game 
that never got rough. Sigma were almost too fast to be caught 
holding onto the ball.  

The Pro Stars lineup was thrown together about half hour before 
the match as team officials said they were still waiting for two 
more guys to get there. This is common practice for quite a few 
teams in the league. It just can hurt the game day cohesion. 
Most teams make late comers start on the bench.

Checking my own notes and I didn't mark that Pro Stars got a shot 
at goal. That doesn't mean a shot on net but not even a shot that 
was high or wide. That was only brought to my attention from 
an MLS game I heard about in midweek when New England playing 
nine men against eleven after two early Red cards, didn't get 
a shot towards the Atlanta net. Pro Stars had one-pass too many 
or the ball poked away before they'd get away a shot. I saw one 
first half Pro Stars cornerkick that was quickly headed away just 
inside the box for the only thing near a scoring chance.

Triston Henry earned the shutout for Sigma.  I'm sure he was ready
for any challenge if Pro Stars had been able to get past defenders
Johnny Grant, Jelani Smith, Dominic Samuel, and Kyle Walton.

Pro Stars had a midweek game (the third attempt to play this home 
game fixture against Toronto Skillz) and were beaten 5-0 
on Wednesday night. Skillz are a struggling team in the Eastern 
Conference and I would have thought this was the game Pro Stars 
could win their first game of the year but Skillz have won three 
games in the last month so I wouldn't have expected 
a different result.

I greeted Pro Stars goalie Jonathan Albanese before the game.  
It's the first time I'd seen him since he didn't have to wear 
a mask to protect a broken nose he picked up in a game I was 
at on July 8th.    

Sigma's Kadell Thomas had countless runs up the wing and sent 
numerous crosses into the box the entire game.

Jordan Kalonji proved most efficient for Sigma with the two 
last goals at 76 and 85 minutes considering he only subbed 
on when a water break ended at 71 minutes.

I hadn't seen Sigma since the end of July so I asked after 
the game where was (ex MLS-TFC player) Mo Babouli. Coach 
Bobby Smyrniotis answered that he is away in Europe trying out. 
He wouldn't narrow down to one country so it sounded like 
he's got a few countries and teams in mind. I got a flashback 
to a bus holiday I had where it was a different country every 
second day and it's hard to know where you are.

[Sunday Spoiler Alert: I've just returned from the Sunday night 
Woodbridge v Toronto Skillz game and Quillan Roberts wasn't 
in the Strikers net. I asked an official and he answered that 
Roberts was trying out for a team in Nevada. USL? Yes. 
Hmm only one I know is the 'Reno 1868'....Also I noticed 
on the L1O website that Chris Mannella was not in the Vaughan 
lineup so maybe that means good news for him from tryouts 
in Spain.]

I was at this game because I was 'uninvited' to a barbecue 
for TFC season ticket holders. We SSHs could apply but we were 
warned that space was limited. That's two years in a row for me.  
I wasn't too disappointed as I knew the MLS team was 
in Los Angeles and the USL team (TFC II) was in Harrisburg 
Pennsylvania and TFC III (this league) were playing tomorrow 
so I didn't expect to see any players or coaches.

Sigma's win improves their record to 13 wins, 1 loss, 
and 4 ties for 43 points. They are in second place in the 
Western Conference but five points behind leaders Oakville 
Blue Devils who play on Sunday afternoon.

Pro Stars record falls to 0 wins, 18 losses, 1 tie for 1 point. 
They are in eighth place in the eight team West. Their scoring 
record of 13 goals and their goals against of 79 are both the 
worst in the league.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter @RocketRobin01

Sigma FC starters