June 1, 2019 League 1 Ontario--Sigma FC vs Ottawa South United Force (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Saturday June 1, 2019 League 1 Ontario game between Sigma FC and Ottawa South United Force
played at Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga at 4:00pm.

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

....................31 Luke Iacobellis
3 Reginal Laryea...6 Mauel Morgado...15 Samuel Gardner...2 Malcolm Duncan
.......7 Tyriq Armstrong...14 Simon Triantafillou...11 Hilli Goldhar
.......10 Justin Stoddart (cpt)...9 Leaford Allen...21 Noah Jensen

Subs:...1 Oluwarimidalare Olatunji (gk)...5 Oluwageun Oyeunle...8 Manvir Brar...16 Faisal Ghaffur
...17 Brock Lindow...19 Taha Ilyass...22 Cody Green
team officials:...team head coach John Zervos...asssistant coach David Igreja and Philip Opassinis
...manager Perry Chadjiioannou...therapist Victoria Carlucci

Ottawa South United Force (all white, black numbers)

............1 Horace Patient Sobze Zemo
12 Adam Rombough...17 Zachary Toupin...5 Ali Jabara (cpt)...24 Ian Kerr
.......8 Barou Jr Mbuyamba (cpt)...10 Kody Kazda...18 Hansly Malonga
......11 Abdulrahman Akinwande...6 Sami El Said...16 Eric Watson

Subs:...2 Olivier Menard...14 Chris Yoo...15 Varouje Avedissian...22 Turner Johnson
...23 Johnny McDonald
team officials:...team head coach Peter Mapendere...assistant coach Jay Bhindi

Game officials:...referee Marc Henoud...referee's assistants Ethan Bent and Steven Kassar
...fourth official Scott Bowman...(yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

First Half:...game starts 4:02pm. Sigma defends north end on this mild and overcast day although
the sun comes out later. Airplanes are taking off constantly from Pearson International and flying overhead.
2 min...Sigma Morgado chips 55 yarder up middle between players and ball bounces to goalie.
4 min...OSUF Rombough 40 yard shot from right is well wide left of net.
6 min...Sigma Triantafillou low 35 yard shot up middle is wide left.
7 min...Sigma goalie is out to clear ball before OSUF Akinwande can get to through ball.
8 min...OSUF Akinwande runs up slightly on left side from 30 yards and shoots low 15 yarder into outside
left webbing of net.
10 min...OSUF goalie gets to bouncer loose in box.
12 min...OSUF Akinwande 15 yard shot from right is caught by goalie on near post.
15 min...Sigma Armstrong low 25 yard shot from right is smothered by diving goalie.
16 min...Sigma Triantafillou rush for ball bouncing on right side of box and cross near end line has leaping
Sigma Armstrong head 6 yarder over net.
17 min...Sigma Armstrong holds off defender on run to right end line but sends high cross over the box.
19 min...Sigma Triantafillou threads roller from 18 yardsws and Sigma Allen blasts low 8 yarder up middle
is deflected wide.
20 min...Sigma cornerkick from right injures defender and OSUF goalie smothers shot along left end line.
24 min...Sigma Armstrong eludes three guys and passes back in box and Sigma Stoddart low 18 yarder hits defender.
25 min...Sigma Allen wins cornerkick on OSUF Jabara sliding check at 15 yards on right.
26 min...OSUF goalie catches ball off head of Sigma Gardner when ball crossed from left along 6 yard box.
27 min...Sigma Goldhar can't win Penalty kick but wins cornerkick on bump over on left side of box.
28 min...Sigma Jensen cornerkick from left is caught overhead by goalie.
30 min...Sigma Jensen is tapped pass and 18 yard shot from left just misses top right corner.
31 min...Sigma goalie flies to catch OSUF Kazda 25 yard shot from right before OSUF El Said can get to ball
at 5 yards on left post.
34 min...Sigma Jensen crosses tapped cornerkick from right and Sigma Triantafillou heads 12 yarder from left
that goalie catches on near post.
36 min...Sigma Goldhar rolls pass forward and Sigma Allen gets ball tangled in his feet holding off defender
and rolls 15 yarder tha goalie picks up.
37 min...Sigma Goldhar on give and go on left shoots low 12 yarder on far left that goalie catches on near post.
38 min...Sigma Margado receives chested pass back and blasts 22 yarder down middle that goalie catches.
39 min...Sigma Gardner heads 12 yarder on cross from cornerkick on right and bounces wide right after deflection
off defender.
40 min...Sigma Morgado blasts 25 yarder between players up middle that goalie catches on top left corner.
40 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Morgado earns it for tackle at Sigma 40 yard line.
41 min...OSUF Mbuyamba chips 40 yard freekick down middle that defender in crowd heads wide left.
41 min...OSUF Mbuyamba cornerkick from left bends into box and is cleared.
42 min...OSUF Akinwande shoots 22 yarder from left wide left.
44 min...Sigma Armstrong receives ball on right in open and 18 yard shot is shanked wide right.
45 min...half ends 4:47pm.

Second Half:...starts 5:05pm.
halftime sub...OSUF Avedissian replaces Malonga.
45 min...Sigma Jensen blasts 20 yarder off left post. OSUF goalie smothers rebound shot from 15 yards in crowd of players.
47 min...Sigma Morgado 25 yard freekick from slight left is shot over net.
49 min...Sigma Morgado dribbles up right and 8 yard shot deflects for cornerkick off defender.
50 min...Sigma Goldhar cornerkick from right is into box. Sigma Morgado heads ball wide left.
56 min...OSUF Mbuyamba blasts 25 yarder down middle just over bar on pass from OSUF Watson running on left.
OSUF El Said was injured at OSUF 40 yard line earlier in play and needs trainer.
59 min...Sigma Goldhar cornerkick from right is low and nearest defender heads ball away on right. Sigma Armstrong gets
to rebound at 22 yards and shoots 22 yard sky ball up middle and over net.
60 min...Sigma Tyriq Armstrong GOAL...Sigma Malcolm Duncan chips high cross from 28 yards on left. OSUF goalie
Horace Patient Sobze Zemo comes forward in crowd of players to catch but Armstrong on jump heads 12 yarder that
bounces into empty net.
61 min...Sigma goalie out near edge of box on left to gather up bouncer ahead of OSUF Watson.
63 min...OSUF Watson shoots 40 yarder up middle that bounces wide right.
64 min...Sigma Armstrong rush to right end line and cross has Sigma Stoddart fire midair shot from left off target.
64 min...Sigma sub...Ghaffur replaces Jensen.
65 min...OSUF Akinwande long rush up right even with Sigma Duncan and 15 yard shot tips off Sigma Duncan for cornerkick.
66 min...OSUF Kazda high cornerkick from right is over players and ball is partially cleared and OSUF Mbuyamba
blasts 25 yarder well over net.
67 min...Sigma El Said ends long period of pressure with 35 yard shot.
68 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Ghaffur earns it for tackle on OSUF player at OSUF 40 yard line.
69 min...OSUF sub...Johnson replaces El Said.
70 min...Sigma Triantafillou 25 yard low blast wide right between players up middle.
70 min...Sigma sub...Brar replaces Triantafillou.
72 min...Sigma Armstrong taps centering pass and Sigma Goldhar shoots 20 yarder just over bar.
72 min...OSUF sub...Menard replaces Kerr.
73 min...OSUF Rombough is injured at OSUF 50 yard line and needs trainer.
75 min...OSUF sub...McDonald replaces injured Rombough.
76 min...Sigma Stoddart cornerkick from left is short and Sigma Goldhar shoots 25 yard chip over bar from far left.
77 min...Sigma sub...Lindow replaces Stoddart.
77 min...Sigma Allen tips ball off OSUF Toupin at 40 yard line but goalie is out to 35 yards to clear.
78 min...OSUF Johnson holds off defender at 25 yards to shoot roller just wide right of post.
80 min...Sigma Lindow has 20 yard shot from left is blocked by sliding defender.
81 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Goldhar earns it for argueing call near center line.
84 min...Sigma Brar cornerkick from left has Sigma Gardner flip across box. The ball is then crossed back but called offside.
85 min...Sigma sub...Green replaces Armstrong.
86 min...Sigma Goldhar taps pass left to Sigma Allen and low 15 yard shot trapped by goalie on left post. Allen jabs
it but goalie smothers.
87 min...OSUF Jabara is injured at OSUF 25 yard line.
88 min...Sigma Allen gets shot over sliding defender at 12 yards but goalie smothers save at 3 yards.
89 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Gardner earns it for hand ball slowing down OSUF rush down left side.
90 min...OSUF Akinwande 35 yard freekick from slight left is wide left of post.
92 min...OSUF YELLOW card...Mbuyamba earns it for kicking ball away tripping up Sigma Goldhar near cornerflag.
95 min...OSUF Akinwande run even with Sigma Duncan to get to ball and shoots 15 yarder from bad angle into
right webbing of net.
96 min...Sigma sub...Oyegunle replaces Allen.
96 min...game ends 5:56pm.

Final Score:...Sigma FC......1.......Ottawa South United Force......0.......

Attendance was about 50 on this mild and overcast day with the sun coming out just before game time. It did start
to rain just after the game ended and the media outlets were topping themselves comparing what we were supposed
to get with last Saturday's lightning storm that ruined the York 9 FC CPL league home opener. That didn't happen
but it may have scared some people away.

One of the 'fans' attending was Forge FC assistant coach Peter Reynders sitting in the spectators' seating.
I saw him last Saturday at the York 9 FC vs Forge game in Toronto acting as the Forge head coach while
Bobby Smyrniotis was serving a two game suspension. Forge wasn't playing this weekend so why not be here?
It was just announced around the message boards within the last three days about the secretive CPL rules
that if a player suffers a season ending injury, although his salary counts against the salary cap, the team
can sign a '24th player'. That means there can still be some players make their way into the lineup so why
not scout a player you know just in case? Sigma talent seems to be endless. The L1O just set up a reserve
league this year with some teams not entering this season but Sigma granted two teams.

Richie Laryea (b 1995) was acquired by MLS Toronto FC this season to help their midfield after a detour
with Orlando City. He played for Sigma a few years ago and also attended University of Akron.
Now Reggie Laryea (b 1998) is doing the same (ie Sigma and U of Akron). Only difference is I'd place
the younger brother as more of a defender.

Luke Iacobellis earned the shutout for Sigma. I counted him making only two saves as the OSUF shots were
all stopped before they got to him or fired high or wide of the net.

Referee Marc Henoud gave out five Yellow cards (four to Sigma) with three for professional fouls or arguing
in a game that wasn't too rough.

I thought Sigma was going to run away with this game with so many early scoring chances but they had to wait
to well into the second half for a single goal and could not get an insurance goal so one kick at the end
could have got OSUF a result.

OSUF goalie Horace Patient Sobze Zemo played outstanding keeping his team in the game and holding off Sigma
for the first 60 minutes. The goal was his only error as he stepped forward into a crowd of players
to try to catch a high cross and was outjumped by Tyriq Armstrong.

Best non-scoring chances were at 16 minutes when Sigma Simon Triantafillou ran for the ball bouncing
on the right side of the box and crossed near the end line and the leaping Sigma Tyriq Armstrong headed
a 6 yarder over the net. 19 minutes had Triantafillou threading a rolling pass from 18 yards and Sigma
Leaford Allen who blasted a low 8 yarder up the middle that deflected out for a cornerkick. 26 minutes
had the OSUF goalie take the ball off Sigma Samuel Gardner just when he was going to head the ball that
was crossed into the 6 yard box. 31 minutes had the Sigma goalie fly to catch OSUF Kody Kazda's 25 yard
shot from the right before OSUF Sami El-Said could get to the ball at 5 yards on the near post. 38 minutes
had Sigma Manuel Morgado receive a chested pass back and blasted a 22 yarder down the middle that
the goalie caught. Two minutes later Morgado blasted a 25 yarder between players up the middle that
the goalie caught on the top left corner. First minute of the second half and Sigma Noah Jensen blasted
a 20 yarder off the left post and the goalie smothered the subsequent rebound shot from 15 yards
in a crowd of players. 86 minutes had Sigma Hilli Goldhar tap a pass left to Allen and his low 15 yard
shot was trapped by the goalie on the near post. Allen then jabbed at the ball but the goalie smothered it.
88 minutes had Allen get a shot over a sliding defender at 12 yards but the goalie smothered the ball
at 3 yards.

The result moves Sigma up to third place with a record of 3 wins, 1 loss, 1 tie for 10 points.
They scored their tenth goal of the season today (eight against). Their firepower has been reduced
by placing so many guys with Forge FC (eight players I counted plus their head coach Bobby Smyrniotis)
but have kept their tradition of having a good defence.

OSUF's record falls to 0 wins, 5 losses, 0 ties. That's at the bottom of the table of 16 although
by the time I got home Toronto Skillz had lost the last league game of the night to have an identical
record. They have allowed 12 goals in their games but have only scored 1 goal.

The 'goals for' is similar to last season but the 'goals against' is a huge improvement. They have
a new goalie in Sobze Zemo who has come over from Gatineau in the PLSQ the other side of the bridge
on the Ottawa River. He commanded his players not just in the box but in their half. They had nine
of their eighteen players in today's game born this century!

It is a five and a half hour drive from Ottawa to get here (without weekend traffic jams) and the
majority of teams are around the GTA so these trips happen on average every second weekend. At least
for today's game they were using the full size coach of Carleton University Ravens. (one of the
universities in Ottawa). I had a great interview with team head coach Peter Mapendere and he did
have a credible answer for why OSUF puts up with these long road trips rather than trying to join
the Quebec league with most teams less than half the travel distance. Mapendere said they could have
had even more teenagers on the team today but they stayed behind to study for their high school exams.

The field is exactly the same as last year (it's also the home field of North Mississauga SC) but
the park as a whole has a different name (mostly for the hockey arena). It was known as the Hershey
Centre but some time last year changed to the Paramount Fine Foods Centre. Only change I noticed
was the airplanes flying overhead were flying east to west and rising whereas every other time over
the years I remember them flying west to east and descending to nearby Pearson Airport. It was
probably just because of the weather. As long as they weren't alternating direction plane after
plane it was probably pretty safe.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter @RocketRobin01

interview with OSUF head coach Peter Mapendere...4 min 30 sec
Mapendere answers questions of why OSUF is so much better than last year, OSUF players
at the CPL tryouts, the background of their new goalie, the disadvantage of the long
bus rides to the GTA, why this Ottawa team don't play in nearby Quebec.

The goalie is Horace Patient Sobze Zemo who was acquired from PSLQ Gatineau.
The successful trialists were goalie Jared St Thomas and defender Turner Johnson.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter RocketRobin01

Sigma FC starters