August 24, 2019 League 1 Ontario--Sigma FC vs Masters FA (game report by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Saturday August 24, 2019 League 1 Ontario game between Sigma FC and Masters FA
played at Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga at 12:00pm. This was the first game of their
two game Quarter Final series.

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

...................1 Luke Iacobellis
2 Cody Green...12 Manuel Morgado...5 Oluwageun Oyegunle...4 Francis Kwashie
7 Tyriq Armstrong...6 Johhny Son...10 Justin Stoddart (cpt)...20 Christian Samaniego
............17 Markell Saddler...9 Leaford Allen

Subs:...31 Jack Cristini (gk)...8 Manvir Brar...14 Jaiden Jacob...16 Soji Olatoye
...19 Ameir Shirazi...21 Nino Nikolovski...22 Greg Moulopoulos
team officials:...team head coach John Zervos...assistant coaches David Igreja and Philip Opassinis
manager Perry Chadjioannou...therapist Victoria Carlucci

suspended player Samuel Gardner

Masters FA Saints (all red, white shoulders and numbers)

..................1 Spiridon Koskinas
11 Shawn Brown...4 Anthony Wright...3 Adam Czerkawski...2 Atif Muhammad Ali
16 Akeem Priestley...19 Randy-Durand Misse Miyenga...17 Nathan Ferguson...14 Triston Frankson (cpt)
...............20 Francis Ameyaw...70 Yasin Shawan

Subs:...55 Daniel Gosciniak (gk)...7 Anwar Al-Sawi...8 Samer Hamade...12 Maleik DeFreitas
...18 Sani Dey...30 Duante Walkes...10 Aziah Reid
team officials:...team head coach Rick Titus...manager Hubert Groves...assistant manager Devon Porter

Game officials:...referee Brian Butler...referee's assistants Sean Simpson and Twayne Anderson
fourth official John Leuser...(all black uniforms)

First Half:...game starts 12:03pm...Sigma defends south end on this hot and sunny day with the sun in the south west.
There's a breeze from the west.
2 min...Sigma goalie catches 25 yard shot down middle.
2 min...MFA Ameyaw receives pass at 35 yards on right and runs forward to take low 25 yarder that is stopped.
3 min...Sigma Armstrong taps left to open Sigma Saddler who shoots low 15 yarder from left that goalie smothers on left post.
6 min...Sigma Saddler is swarmed without getting away shot from 12 yards.
8 min...MFA Priestley is injured at MFA 45 yard line.
13 min...MFA gaolie is injured sliding for save at 15 yards in middle.
15 min...MFA Ferguson is bumped off ball without getting away shot on run to ball at 15 yards on left.
16 min...Sigma Samaniego 30 yard freekick from right is caught by goalie overhead on left post.
17 min...Sigma Stoddart cornerkick from right has defender head away at 6 yards in middle. Sigma Armstrong shoots
partial clearance just over bar from 15 yards.
There's a delay while the referee orders a hole in the net be tied.
20 min...MFA Priestley long run on left and cross into box but no one is there to make a play.
22 min...MFA Misse Miyenga fires 40 yard shot over players and well over net.
23 min...MFA Priestley cornerkick from right is caught by goalie in crowd of players.
24 min...Sigma Allen eludes MFA Wright but slips and rolls 20 yard shot up middle that goalie smothers on right post.
25 min...A water break is called.
26 min...MFA sub...Hamade replaces Ferguson before restart.
27 min...MFA Frankson wins cornerkick on left with footwork near end line.
28 min...MFA Priestley cornerkick from left. Sigma goalie reaches overhead to bat away as he falls down. MFA Czerkawski
blasts partial clearance from 20 yards well over net.
29 min...Sigma Kwashie low cross from 22 yards on left is cleared in box.
30 min...Sigma Stoddart 33 yard freekick from has goalie slide to knock ball away. Sigma player has 18 yard shot blocked.
31 min...Sigma Stoddart cornerkick from right has Sigma Saddler nod header from left but defenders clear in middle of box.
33 min...MFA Priestley and MFA Ameyaw run downfield ends with Priestley backheel pass intercepted inside Sigma box.
34 min...MFA Shawan passes forward into Sigma box but no one is there for play.
37 min...A Yellow card appears to be given to an AU player upfield well away from the play but the league doesn't list it.
38 min...Sigma Allen rolls ball ahead for Sigma Saddler but goalie dives wide left of net at 7 yards to smother before he can
get to it.
42 min...MFA YELLOW card...Frankson earns it for pulling down Sigma Green on run at MFA 25 yard line sideline.
42 min...Sigma Stoddart 33 yard freekick from right has Sigma Armstrong head ball back into box from left but defender clears.
44 min...Sigma Stoddart flicks header from edge of box that bounces to MFA goalie. Stoddart goes down injured
and needs trainer.
47 min...half ends 12:50pm.

Second Half:...starts 1:06pm.
46 min...MFA Czerkawski chips pass upfield from 60 yards to MFA Hamade who shoots 25 yarder wide right.
47 min...MFA Samer Hamade GOAL...MFA Randy-Durand Misse Miyenga passes down left wing for
MFA Francis Ameyaw who continues to near the left end line and sends in cross past goalie
Luke Iacobellis guarding left post. Hamade one-touches midair 6 yard shot forward
into open net on right side.
48 min...MFA Hamade rolls pass from left of box to MFA Ameyaw but defender cuts in front to clear.
51 min...MFA Czerkawski whiffs on low cross into MFA box but goalie dives forward to smother ahead
of Sigma Allen at 8 yards.
52 min...MFA goalie out to edge of box to prevent Sigma Armstrong from getting to ball.
53 min...MFA sub...DeFreitas replaces Misse Miyenga.
54 min...MFA Brown bumps Sigma player off ball on left side of MFA box.
55 min...MFA sub...Walkes replaces Shawan.
56 min...MFA Priestley 30 yard freekick from right hits head in player wall and pops high but falls and goalie
has to palm ball over bar.
56 min...MFA Priestley cornerkick wins another cornerkick on deflection.
57 min...MFA Priestley cornerkick from right has goalie punch away in crowd of players.
58 min...MFA Walkes is checked off ball by Sigma Morgado on left side of box.
58 min...Brown run down right eluding defender and 18 yard shot is into side netting.
59 min...Sigma goalie and MFA Walkes are both injured by crash together jumping for header on edge of 6 yard box.
Walkes needs trainer.
62 min...Sigma Stoddart cornerkick from right has goalie palm ball through box out left but play is whistled down.
64 min...MFA Hamade is injured at MFA 45 yard line well away from play with leg problem.
65 min...MFA Priestley dekes Sigma Kwashi that he falls backwards and Priestley gets 15 yard shot caught by goalie
on near post.
66 min...Sigma Allen pressure play with 8 yard shot pas sliding defender and off left post. MFA Walkes run up field
on 2 on 2 fast break out rolls 15 yarder from right that goalie dives left to smother.
67 min...Sigma sub...Brar replaces Samaniego.
.........MFA sub...Al-Sawi replaces Hamade.
69 min...Sigma Stoddart high cornerkick from left has Sigma Morgado pops it up on a header from the right side
back into the middle of the box and Sigma Saddler got away an 8 yard shot that the goalie makes a foot save
on the near post.
70 min...Sigma Manuel Morgado GOAL...Sigma Manvir Brar passes from 25 yards on left to Morgado
in middle of box and he rolls 10 yarder into right corner of net beyond goalie Spiridon Koskinas.
71 min...A water break is called before the restart.
71 min...MFA sub...Reid replaces Priestley before the restart.
73 min...Sigma Green makes key check and carries through Sigma box before winning freekick.
74 min...Sigma Stoddart 20 yard blast is blocked by MFA player.
74 min...Sigma Son recovers partial clearance and blasts 22 yarder over net.
75 min...Sigma sub...Olatoye replaces Saddler.
76 min...MFA Reid can't get around defender so taps pass to MFA Ameyaw whose 8 yard shot is pushed wide left
by the goalie.
77 min...MFA RED card...manager Junior Groves is ejected from the MFA bench for constant complaining.
77 min...MFA DeFreitas cornerkick from left has ball through players in box and MFA Czerkawski slide at 5 yards
sends ball well over net.
80 min...MFA DeFreitas cornerkick from left has Sigma Morgado head away. MFA Al-Sawi blasts 18 yarder that's
blocked by defender.
81 min...Sigma Armstrong rolls pass forward to Sigma Brar up left and defender jostles him off ball at 12 yards
until whistle.
82 min...MFA Al-Sawi chips ball from 55 yards to MFA Walkes who gets ball at 15 yards and 10 yarder from left
has goalie dive to push ball wide left.
82 min...MFA DeFreitas cornerkick from left is cleared but MFA are awarded a freekick at 25 yards.
83 min...MFA Adam Czerkawski GOAL...Czerkawski bends 25 yard freekick up middle around player
wall and into right side of net just inside post past flying goalie.
84 min...Sigma sub...Jacob replaces Son.
86 min...Sigma sub...Nikolovski replaces Kwashie.
87 min...MFA YELLOW card...Brown earns it at MFA 30 yard line.
88 min...Sigma Stoddart 35 yard freekick from left is headed away.
89 min...Sigma Stoddart high cornerkick from left has leaping Sigma Allen not able to turn header at 20 yards
on right.
90 min...Sigma sub...Moulopoulos replaces Armstrong.
91 min...MFA YELLOW card...Walkes earns it for knocking over Sigma Morgado leaping for long freekick.
Morgado is injured.
92 min...There's another Sigma offside call.
94 minutes...Sigma RED card...Cody Green earns it for a *football* tackle from behind
on MFA Francis Ameyaw on the far left dribbling towards the end line. [I expect
the direct Red was given for something said after the tackle...Green may have been
the last man back but the play was well outside the box and I expected Ameyaw was going
to kill time at the cornerflag]. *CFL/NFL football!
97 min...game ends 1:58pm.

Final Score:......Sigma FC......1.......Masters FA........2........

Attendance was about 100 on this Saturday game starting at Noon. The weather was warm with
a bright sun in the south west. It certainly wasn't as hot as the last month but the referee
scheduled a water break in each half and neither team looked like they objected when the time
came for the stoppages.

The first half had few great scoring opportunities as much of the action was in the midfield.
Final stats compiled by the league had Sigma leading in offside calls by 8 to 4. That and
a lot of whistles for fouls broke up both teams' momentum.

Referee Brian Butler gave out four Yellow cards in the game (three to MFA) plus two Reds.
MFA manager Hubert 'Junior' Groves was ejected from the bench for making some comments during
a stoppage in play at 76 minutes. A league tweet put the fouls count at 21 to 13 against Masters
in a close checking, rough game.

Surprise early substitution had an MFA switch of midfielders with Samer Hamade coming into
the game at 26 minutes for young (2002) Nathan Ferguson. Hamade is a (1998) so it's not like
he's an old guy. Head coach Rick Titus is not afraid to make early changes so it wasn't
a complete surprise. Ferguson didn't look injured but he was easily bumped off a ball
at 15 minutes without getting away a shot from 15 yards. Hamade didn't last all that long
as he was eventually replaced at 67 minutes but...he got that important opening goal.

Of course Sigma FC head coach John Zervos can also be seen as a substitute genius as he put
in Manvir Brar just three minutes before Brar put the pass in that got Manuel Morgado their goal.

I didn't notice anyone camcording the game until it was over. If they hadn't they'd have missed
Adam Czerkawski's winning goal with a Giovinco-like freekick that will be one of the goal-of-the-year
candidates at the L1O year end awards banquet. The game was being filmed from the east side
of the field facing into the sun. The cam guy said he had the proper filter. Games I've attended
earlier this year (both Sigma and North Mississauga) have filmed from the west but that can be
a problem with fans walking by and possibly jostling the bulky tripod. There are more than our
spectators as it is also a pathway to Field #2 which was holding a youth game. ANB Futbol girls
was one of the teams. ANB were one of the founding members of L1O but only played in 2014 and 2015.
They did give the world Adonijah Reid and the three Mills brothers (who moved over to Vaughan Azzurri).

I made sure while congratulating Titus after the game to mention what Ryan Telfer said at the
York 9 FC v Pacific FC post game press conference about his uncertainty of making a decision to play
for Canada or Trinidad & Tobago. Titus eventually played for T&T in 2002 at age 33 after being
ignored for years by Canada. Titus said he knew Telfer well. I thought Titus could offer some
good advice.

Best non-scoring chances were at 17 minutes when Sigma Justin Stoddart took a cornerkick from the right
that a defender headed away at 6 yards in middle but right to Sigma Tyriq Armstrong who shot the partial
clearance just over the bar from 15 yards. 28 minutes had MFA Akeem Preistly take a cornerkick from
the left. The Sigma goalie made an overhead knock down as he fell and a defender rolled it away but
MFA Adam Czerkawski blasted the partial clearance from 20 yards well over the net. 38 minutes had
Sigma Leaford Allen roll a pass ahead for Sigma Markell Saddler but the goalie dove wide left of the
net at 7 yards to smother the ball before he could get to it. 56 minutes had MFA Preistly take
a 30 yard freekick from the right that hit a head in the player wall and pop up but fall and the goalie
had to palm the ball over the bar. 58 minutes had MFA Shawn Brown run down the right eluding a defender
and his 18 yard shot was into the side netting. 65 minutes had Preistly deke Sigma Francis Kwashie
making him fall backwards but the time taken on the 15 yard shot was caught by the goalie
on the near post. Next minute had Sigma Allen finish a pressure play with an 8 yard shot past
a sliding defender and off the left post. The play continued with MFA getting away on a fast break
with MFA Ameyaw and Duante Walkes on a 2v2 break and a 15 yarder that the goalie dove to smother.
69 minutes was another Sigma common play for cornerkicks but this time almost worked as Stoddart sent
in a high cornerkick from the left. Morgado popped up a header from the right side back into the middle
of the box and Saddler got away an 8 yard shot that the goalie made a foot save on the near post.
76 minutes had MFA Aziah Reid not able to get around a defender so tapped a pass to Ameyaw whose 8 yard
shot was pushed wide left by the goalie. The resulting cornerkick had MFA Maleik De Freitas send
it in from the left between players in the box and Czerkawski slid at 5 yards and pop the ball over
the net. 82 minutes had MFA Anwar Al-Sawi chip a ball from 55 yards to MFA Walkes or Ameyaw who got
the ball at 15 yards and took a 10 yarder from the left that the goalie dove to push wide
of the short corner.

Two things that made this game easier for me to watch was Masters wore all red uniforms with white
numbers (instead of white numbers on graduated pink) and the Sigma portable scoreboard was almost
billboard sized as compared to the North Mississauga table top one which was mostly obscured last
week with the fourth official standing right in front of it!

The series continues two weekends from now in Scarborough with Master's holding a 2-1 lead and scoring
two away goals. Of course these are both GTA area teams so the advantage is certainly not like
Forge FC travelling to Honduras! No L1O playoffs for the men on the Labour Day weekend.

This scoreline was a reversal of the one regular season meeting these two teams had. Saturday May 15th
had Sigma beat Masters 2-1 at L'Amoreaux Park in Scarborough. That early season match would have
had Sigma at full strength. The Sigma tweet is less than two weeks old but proudly announces that
thirteen players have left the team to attend NCCA and Canadian universities. No wonder
they're struggling.

One reason I chose to attend this game is I won't be at the rematch Saturday September 7th as I'll
be down at BMO Field for the Canada vs Cuba CONCACAF Nations League game. Wow so much soccer
in the Toronto area!

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter @RocketRobin01

Sigma FC starters