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Result and details of the Saturday September 23, 2017 League 1 Ontario game between Sigma FC and Sanjaxx Lions
played at Hershey Centre Indoor at 4:00pm.

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
10 David Velastegui...9 Alex Halis...8 Giuliano Frano (cpt)...22 Mansoor Alfazy
............11 Daniel Jodah...7 Kadell Thomas

Subs:...31 Baj Mann (gk)...12 Dumebi Iheanacho...14 Jerome Smith...18 Mike Matic
...20 Christian Samaniego...21 Manvir Brar...23 Jordan Kalonji
team officials:...head coach Bobby Smyrniotis...other team officials John Zervos,
Mike M Matic, Joe Hanley, and Kieran Persad

Sanjaxx Lions (white socks and shirts, navy shorts and numbers)

.....................01 Tayjon Campbell
4 Zain Azhanruddin...21 Nathaniel Rodney-Scarlett...9 Jordale Byers...6 Lucas Crimi
11 Julio Calvalho...10 Quinn Kirkendall...12 Stefi Nikolic...14 Petro Kollias
.............7 Israel Perrin...28 Fabio Vilaca

Subs:...1 Nuno Goncalves (gk)...25 Matthew Rathbauer-Russell...8 Tomas Ondras
...17 James Carvalho...16 David James
team officials:...head coach Laza Lowe...other team offcials Nickie Bonafede, Devon Porter,
and Remberto Luna

Game officials:...referee Hassane Rifai...referee's assistants Bradley Doubrough and Twayne Anderson
fourth official Keith Yuen...(yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

First Half:...game starts 3:59pm...Sigma defends south end...this game was held indoors.
2 min...Lions Nikolic blasts 30 yarder down middle high and wide left.
3 min...Lions goalie jumps to grab bouncer at 15 yards ahead of Sigma player.
3 min...Sigma goalie dives to smother 25 yard shot from left.
5 min...Sigma Vaelastegui cornerkick from right is flicked twice including send from Sigma Grant at 8 yards.
7 min...Sigma Giuliano Frano GOAL...Sigma Kadell Thomas chips 20 yarder from slight left and Frano
flicks header from 6 yards over goalie Tayjon Campbell in middle to left side of net.
10 min...Lions Nikolic bends in 35 yard freekick in middle over to left but defender heads away.
11 min...Sigma Thomas run on left holding off Lions Azharuddin but another defender gets into play for
check at 10 yards and goalie smothers ball at 4 yards.
12 min...Lions Carvalho bends 25 yard cross from right but it's over left end line for goalkick.
14 min...Sigma player from 15 yards on far right takes shot and Lions goalie dives to push shot wide left.
15 min...Sigma players work out short cornerkick and cross along 6 yard box is too high for a header.
18 min...Sigma Kadell Thomas GOAL...Sigma Daniel Jodah low cross from 20 yards on right has Thomas
in middle at 7 yards shoot ball over goalie into right side of the net.
22 min...Lions Nikolic low 28 yard shot between players is caught by goalie.
23 min...Lions goalie dives forward to smother ball at 10 yards ahead of both Sigma Thomas and Jodah.
23 min...Lions goalie catches ball shoulder high sent in from 18 yards up middle.
24 min...Sigma Alfazy 25 yard shot is roller up middle smothered by goalie.
27 min...Lions goalie makes point blank save on Sigma Grant's 6 yard shot on right post after cross is sent
in from left and first shot is blocked by defender.
27 min...a water break is called even though the game is indoors.
29 min...game resumes.
30 min...Lions Kirkendall can't get away shot at 20 yards when defenders close in from all angles.
30 min...Lions Vilaca rolls ball across goalmouth and defender clears.
34 min...Sigma Daniel Jodah GOAL...Sigma is tapped back a pass by Sigma David Velastegui and
blasts 22 yarder from the far right into the top left corner of net.
35 min...Sigma David Velastegui GOAL...The Sanjaxx goalie makes a sprawling save on Velastegui's shot
from 12 yards. Velastegui then blasts the 8 yard rebound into the open net.
39 min...Sigma Halis dekes two defenders down middle and fires 12 yard shot that goalie sprawls to save.
41 min...Lions Perrin takes ball off goalie at 18 yards on left end line but cross attempt is cleared
by defenders.
42 min...Lions goalie runs to edge of box to clear through ball.
43 min...Sigma Thomas sends 28 yarder roller forward from left that rolls past defenders and teammate to goalie.
44 min...Lions YELLOW card...Vilaca earns it for knocking over charging Sigma Jelani Smith who needs trainer.
46 min...Sigma sub:...Jerome Smith replaces injured Jelani Smith.
47 min...Sigma Grant charges to loose ball and blasts 15 yard shot from right that sprawling goalie saves.
48 min...half ends 4:47pm.

Second Half:...starts 5:03pm.
47 min...Lions goalie beats Sigma Grant to through ball pass and grabs on right side of box.
50 min...Lions Kirkendall wins cornerkick when checked off ball.
51 min...Lions player's cornerkick from right has Lons player partially whiff on 10 yard kick from left. Lions
get second chance on low cross from right but ball is through 6 yard box unplayed.
51 min...Lions Nikolic 25 yard freekick from left bends wide right of net.
52 min...Lions clearance actually hits ceiling of arena near the sideline.
52 min...Sigma Kadell Thomas GOAL...Sigma Johnny Grant charges forward on right to get to cross and runs
forward and sends low 22 yard cross from end line that has Thomas pound in 3 yarder in middle.
53 min...Sigma sub...Samaniego replaces Frano (Grant becomes captain).
54 min...Sigma Kadell Thomas GOAL...Thomas in middle shoots 15 yarder forward and sprawling goalie gets
piece of at 6 yards but deflects ball into right side of net.
55 min...Sigma sub...Matic replaces Jodah.
57 min...Lions Nikolic blasts 40 yard shot after cutting to middle from right is high and wide left.
58 min...Sigma David Velastegui is pulled down in SJ box and is awarded a Penalty kick.
60 min...Sigma David Velastegui blasts Penalty kick to right and goalie Tayjon Campbell flies
to push ball wide right of post for cornerkick.
60 min...Sigma cornerkick from right is whistled down in box after goalie swats away.
61 min...Sigma Brar replaces Samuel.
62 min...Lions Perrin turns and lofts 25 yarder from left that goalie double palms over net.
63 min...Lions Nikolic cornerkick from elft has Lions player head 7 yarder just over bar.
64 min...A clearance is made and lands in the balcony.
65 min...Sigma Thomas is checked off ball at 12 yards on left.
70 min...A water break is called.
72 min...play resumes.
73 min...Sigma Matic has shot blocked on edge of box in middle.
77 min...Lions Carvalho 28 yarder down middle is wide right.
78 min...Sigma sub...Mann replaces Henry in goal. This sub was held back by Sigma officials until could
decide whether the injured Sigma Velastegui who was hurt just outside the Lions box could continue.
79 min...Sigma Samaniego feeds pass to charging Sigma Halis and his 22 yards shot is wide right.
80 min...Sigma Halis pass to Sigma Thomas who chips charging goalie from 15 yards on left and ball bounces
just wide right of post.
81 min...Lions sub...Carvalho replaces Nikolic.
82 min...Lions goalie smothers 20 yard low shot from left.
83 min...Lons Vilaca is injured at Lions 25 yard line.
85 min...Sigma Thomas on left rolls pass to Sigma Halis but he pushes 25 yarder on first touch that's rolled
to goalie.
87 min...Sigma Velastegui rolls pass forward to Sigma Halis charging on right and he shoots 30 yarder high
and wide right.
88 min...Sigma player's short from 25 yards on left is well high and wide right of net.
89 min...Lions Kirkendall 25 yard shot from far right is caught by goalie on bounce.
91 min...Sigma Kadell Thomas GOAL...Sigma Mike Matic receives pass at 15 yards in middle is stopped
by sprawling goalie. Thomas then sends 5 yarder into empty net.
91 min...Lions sub...Ondras replaces Perrin.
92 min...game ends 9:50pm.

Final Score:.....Sigma FC......7.....Sanjaxx Lions.....0.....

Attendance was about 65 all sitting in a balcony overlooking 
the field. This game had been scheduled to be at this indoor 
facility quite a while ago (so I was told after I got there) 
because of planned renovations to the outdoor field. The field #1 
was torn up last weekend and today it had about 50% of the 
replacement field installed. An underpad (very similar to what 
would be under an indoor carpet) that fit together like a jigsaw 
puzzle and then segments of turf to go on top of that which 
still needed to be stretched to the edges. I walked over 
to Field #2 where last week's game was held but their was already 
a game on with one of Sigma's youth teams. Actually I was glad 
it was moved indoors because this weekend we're having a heatwave 
that's more severe than any we had in July or August. So just 
walking the length of seven extension cords (that's how long 
the field #1 back to the dressing room and across another 
parking lot left me soaked and melting so it was good 
to get inside.

The field size is regulation (they don't use the hockey rink) 
and has a swimming pool, gymnasium and museum (Jason Spezza 
and Paul Coffey hockey shirts on display). Some of the padding 
is missing on the steel beams at field level but no one 
ran into them.

Referee Hassane Rifai called a water break in each half anyway. 
He only gave out one Yellow card. That was to Sanjaxx's 
Fabio Vilaca for a tackle on Jelani Smith at 44 minutes which 
put him out of the game after the trainer spent some time with 
him. Jerome Smith subbed for him—the same as last week when 
he was a halftime sub for him. Sigma players mostly passed 
around so much they were too fast to catch.

Kadell Thomas scored four games in this game. I thought 
he looked the best in last week's game against Pro Stars FC 
too but he was mostly putting in crosses for teammates from 
the wing. Today's game he put him as forward with Daniel Jodah.

I thought the Lions goalie Tayjon Campbell played well but 
he had little clearance protection for any rebounds 
he let out. His best moment was when he saved David Velastegui's 
Penalty kick.

Triston Henry and Baj Mann shared the shutout for Sigma. 
Mann came into the game at 78 minutes. Neither goalie had 
much to do. Mann was born in 2000 and was the youngest player 
on the team today. This was his L1O debut.  L1O action 
should look good on a resume.  Field player Hilli Goldhar 
was another 2000 but he was a late scratch as the eighth 
sub and the team had to whittle a name off their gamesheet 
before game time.

This was only the fourth time I'd seen Sanjaxx this season 
and first time since the beginning of July. Their record 
isn't good but the best thing they've done for me as a fan 
(and other fans and league and club officials I talked to) 
were change their main kits to navy numbers on white shirts 
(instead of yellow numbers on white which was very difficult 
to see). They didn't have a long bench and only subbed 
in two players. I was waiting for new player David James 
(no not the retired Liverpool goalie but a former CPSL player) 
but he didn't get into the game.

So now we know that the answer to my question "Where's 
Mo Babouli?" I asked last week when his name wasn't on the 
Sigma roster and the answer "Trying out in Europe" 
was correct. He signed with Syrian team Al-Ittihad. 
(OK I just consider that country as part of Asia). 
I've read he was born in United Arab Emirates and his 
Wikipedia page backs that up but says he is Syrian-Canadian. 
The country is still involved in a civil war so I don't 
know how safe conditions are.

The win for Sigma improves their record to 14 wins, 1 loss, 
4 ties for 46 points. They are in second place in the 
Eastern Conference and close to 3 points behind 
Oakville Blue Devils (before OBD's game on Sunday).

Sanjaxx record falls to 4 wins, 13 losses, 3 ties 
for 15 points. That leaves them in seventh place in the eight team East.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter @RocketRobin01

Sigma FC starters

Sanjaxx Lions starters

Sanjaxx Israel Perrin (7) takes opening kickoff.

Sigma Mansoor Alfazy (22) runs down wing.

Sanjaxx Petro Kollias (14) duels with Sigma Mansoor Alfazy (22).

Sigma Daniel Jodah (11) takes second half kickoff.

Sigma David Velastegui (10) Penalty kick stopped.

midfield action

more action

back to 2017 League 1 Ontario Men's index

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