June 23, 2024...League1 Ontario Men's Premier Division...Blue Devils FC vs Sigma FC game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Sunday June 23, 2024 League1 Ontario Men's Premier Division game between Blue Devils FC
and Sigma FC played at Sheridan College in Oakville at 4:00pm.

Blue Devils FC (all navy uniforms, white numbers)

......................1 Taylor Miskolczi
3 Jaedyn Ssaunders...23 Anthony Wright...4 Pat Perriel...5 Monti Mohsen
17 James Lima...8 Samer Hamade...21 Sam Ghouli...15 Marcus Riviere
.............6 Adam Czerkawski (cpt)...12 Mohamed Al Shakma

Subs:...26 Mike Markac (gk)...7 Mat Santos...9 Matt McGrouther...13 Ronaldo Hylton
...16 Jamari Busby...18 Matias Lescano...20 Daniel Prieto...22 Jeremy Rojas...25 Justin Lima
team officials:...head coach Duncan Wilde...assistant coaches Billy Steele and Andrew Seuradge
...teams manager Kim Ashton...goalkeeper coach Glenn McNamara...athletic trainer someone from 'Kinetic Impressions-Therapist'

Sigma FC orange socks and shirts, blalck shsorts and numbers)

...........................1 Dino Bontis
12 Evan Dick...23 Alex Cordon...4 Simon Guardiero...16 Luc Finelli
19 Albert Ledemsa...8 Daniel Firek...10 Noah Nehta...17 Kadell Thomas
.............11 Hoce Massunda...9 Kevaughn Tavernier

Subs:...31 Isaiah Goldson (gk)...3 Santiago Frias...6 Zayne Bruno...7 Amier Shirazi
...15 Daniel Stampatori...20 Domenico Folino...21 Soji Olatoye...24 Damion Kaye
team officials:...head coach John Zervos...team manager Justin Stoddart...physiotherapist Leo Ilzuka

Game officials:...referee Liam Tremblay...referee's assistants Mariusz Buczkowski and Petros Vasilos
...fourth official Vasyl Dzikh...(chartreuse socks and shirts, black shorts)...match commissioner Taylor Marcus

First Half:...game starts 3:58pm...Blue Devils defends south east end played into a strong gusty wind from the northwest.
50 sec...Sigma Massunda beats goalie to top right of box but he knocks ball for BD throw-in.
3 min...Sigma Mehta chips short pass up middle at 25 yards but goalie beats Sigma Tavernier to ball.
5 min...BD Saunders (after give and go with BD Al Shakman where Saunders ran it across goalmouth to right without getting a shot.
Saunders turns and fires 10 yard shot along 2 yard line that goalie dives forward to save.
9 min...BD Lima cross from 20 yards along 7 yard line has defender in crowd head ball forward.
10 min...BD goalie pushes shot wide left of net.
13 min...BD Mohsen cross from 20 yards on left is cleared.
14 min...Sigma Mehta 35 yard freekick from right has BD Wright head ball behind own end line.
15 min...Sigma Mehta cornerkick from right is cleared.
15 min...BD Lima receives pass in open and 10 yard shot has goalie make point blank save.
16 min...BD Mohsen cornerkick from right has goalie make catch head high.
17 min...Sigma Tavernier 15 yard shot has goalie sprawl to stop it. Tavernier gets to ball again and 15 yard shot up middle has
sliding defender deflect it over net.
18 min...Sigma Mehta cornerkick from right is knocked around and goalie smothers ball in crowd of players.
18 min...BD goalie punts ball upfield to BD Czerkawski who rolls through ball pass to BD Riviere up middle and he rolls 12 yard
shot wide left.
19 min...BD goalie is out to 25 yards to head ball away between players.
21 min...BD defender shanks clearance of Sigma player's cross from right and it blows over net.
22 min...Sigma Mehta cornerkick from right is over players in box and has Sigma win another cornerkick on deflection.
22 min...Sigma Mehta cornerkick from left is headed away on near post.
24 min...BD Hamade 50 yard chip up middle has goalie step forward to 15 yards to catch.
25 min...BD Perriel retreats to beat Sigma Tavernier to getting to bounced through ball pass conceding cornerkick.
25 min...Sigma Mehta cornerkick from left has goallie catch in crowd of players on right side of box.
26 min...BD Riviere rolls cross in from left along 12 yards lihe that's cleared.
27 min...BD Lima finishes play with crosss along 8 yard line from right that'ss headed away. BD Mohsen chips 12 yard shot
from left wide right.
28 min...BD Mohsen bashes over Sigma Trainer as he clears ball at 18 yard line on far right. Thomas needs trainer.
31 min...BD Czerkawski 25 yard shot from left has Sigma Firek duck and head away.
31 min...BD Lima receives chip at 8 yards in middle ahd has chance blocked.
32 min...BD Al Shakman cross from 15 yards along yard line has Sigma Guardiero duck and head away.
33 min...Sigma Mehta 30 yard sshot from slight left is wide right.
34 min...Sigma Finelli on rush down left wins ccornerkick on deflection at 15 yards.
35 min...Sigma Mehta cornerkick from left has goalie catch in crowd of players on right side of 6 yard box.
36 min...BD Mohsen is injured near BD 50 yard sideline and needs trainer.
38 min...BD Lima taps pass at 15 yards on right but BD Saunders first-touch puts it over end line.
39 min...BD Lima rolls pass along 7 yard line from right and Sigma Firek clears on left side of box.
41 min...Sigma Thomas on run down left has BD Saunders slide to check and give away cornerkick.
42 min...Sigma Mehta cornerkick from left has BD Czerkawski head away on right side of box.
43 min...BD Saunders cross from 15 yards on right has BD Czerkawski head from 7 yards forward and goalie catches ball on bounce.
45 min...BD sub...Busby replaces Mohsen.
46 min...Sigma Mehta is checked off ball at top left side of BD box. He gets ball back but is flagged offside.
47 min...half ends 4:45pm.

Second Half:...starts 5:00pm.
Halftime sub:...Sigma Stampatori replaces Dick.
46 min...BD goalie is over to top left corner of box to make a catch.
46 min...BD Hamade blasts 30 yarder from left well wide right.
47 min...Sigma Kevaughn Tavernier GOAL...Tavernier steals defender's tapped pass at 8 yards and shoots up middle
around goalie Taylor Miskolczi banking low shot off right post and into net.
52 min...BD Czerkawski an't quite get to ball to twist in 6 yard header as he tumbles over Sigma defender's back.
54 min...Sigma defender's partial clearance looks like a cornerkick but goalie saves it on end line running it back into box
and picking it up.
56 min...BD Saunders rush to right end line and he sends low cross through box and BD Al Shakman shoots 15 yarder from left low
and into outside webbing of side netting.
58 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Thomas earns it on delayed call for foul near center line.
60 min...Sigma Kevaughn Tavernier GOAL...Sigma Daniel Firek sends pass downfield and Sigma Noah Mehta crosses from
right between players and charging Tavernier blasts shot from 6 yards on left into right side of net.
62 min...Sigma defender heads away cross from left on near post.
63 min...Sigma sub...Kaye replaces Thomas.
63 min...BD Al Shakman high 40 yard cross from right has BD Czerkawski head 10 yarder from left between defender
that goalie catches.
64 min...BD Czerkawsski blasts 35 yarder down middle that goalie flies to catch on left side of net.
65 min...BD Al Shakman flicks 12 yard header on cross from right down middle but is over bar.
68 min...BD sub...McGrouther replaces Riviere.
69 min...BD sub...Prieto replaces Ghouli.
70 min...Sigma Cordon heads ball for cornerkick on near left post.
71 min...BD Al Shakman cornerkick from left has goalie catch in crowd just under bar.
72 min...BD Al Shakman 40 yard freekick from right is headed around in box but eventually out left side for Sigma throw-in.
73 min...BD Prieto low blast up middle from 30 yards has goalie dive and push wide right of the post.
74 min...BD player's cornerkick from right has BD Busby on left head from 15 yards into 6 yard box and BD McGrouther knocks
it wide left for goalkick.
76 min...BD Al Shakman cornerkick from right drops into crowd of players for BD McGrouther to blast 8 yard shot that's blocked.
77 min...BD sub...Lescano replaces Hamade.
77 min...A Blue Devils cross comes in from the right and as BD Adam Czerkawski jumps for it to try for the header,
Sigma goalie Dino Bontis also leaps and punches for ball but connects with Czerkawski's head as the ball hits the
outside of the right post and deflects out of play. Referee Liam Tremblay awards Blue Devils a Penalty kick.
78 min...Blue Devils Mohamed Al Shakman GOAL...Al Shakman blasts Penalty kick low and down the middle and goalie
dives over it.
80 min...Sigma Tavernier low shot from 20 yard on let has diving goalie save and ball is cleared out right side of box.
80 min...Sigma sub...Shirazi replaces Tavernier.
.............Sigma sub...Bruno replaces Firek.
81 min...Sigma sub...Olatoye replaces Massunda.
82 min...Sigma Mehta 30 yard freekick from right is cleared in box.
85 min...BD McGrouther kicks loose ball from 22 yards on right that bounces just wide of net.
85 min...Sigma Kaye 22 yard low shot on left is smothered by goalie.
86 min...Sigma Cordon 60 yard freekick from right is caught by goalie.
87 min...Sigma Olatoye has been injured at BD 50 yard line for a full minute as play carries on upfield and needs trainer.
87 min...BD sub...Santos replaces Lima.
92 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Shirazi earns it for kicking ball away after whistle to waste time.
93 min...BD Prieto has 20 yard cross from 10 yard line caught in wind and blow over the bar.
94 min...Sigma Olatoye holds off defender to roll 8 yarder down middle as he slides but rolls ball wide left of post.
94 min...BD Santos blasts low 28 yarder down middle that's stopped.
95 min...BD Busby runs ball over left end line before he can cross.
95 min...Sigma sub...Frias replaces Ledemsa.
96 min...game ends 5:51pm.

Final Score:......Blue Devils FC.......1.........Sigma FC.......2......

Attendance was about 70 people on this warm and sunny but very windy day which effected any ball sent into the air. It was gusting in from the NorthWest which was the alignment of this stadium. Blue Devils had to run into it during the first half and the wind was just as intense when it was Sigma turn in the second. Corner flags were continuously blowing over on the stand-side of the field. A pregame decision was made not to put up the sign boards and so rather than let them just lay on the ground with their metal frames acting as a danger to any player stepping out of bounds, the motorized cart was brought in for the grounds crew to take them all away. On my way in the canopy tent placed near the entrance gate started to levitate before it was eventually weighted down.

This was the first time I've been to Oakville this season (exactly 50km but a nice midday drive). Besides today being the only Men's Premier Division game in the GTA, the stadium is canopied so there's all-season shelter from the rain which has been a problem for the area all this week.

Blue Devils were missing their captain Brandon Duarte today and I wonder what his presence would have added to their midfield. I confirmed after the game with a coach it was Yellow card accumulation and the L1 Canada app confirmed he has five Yellows. If there was a game that you thought the team could do without him it was this one as Sigma had only scored five goals before today in eight league games.

Referee Liam Tremblay gave out only two Yellow cards (both to Sigma players) including one for time wasting. It was a pretty cleanly played game although there were a few trainer-needed-on-the-field injuries.

Both team's goalie's had to be sharp and played well catching crosses in the winds during both halfs. Easy to believe this could have been a 5-5 game if more shots were put on target.

By the time I got home, the other games of today were ended, even the game Scrosoppi vs Vaughan game which was postponed from last night because of the storms. With all the weekend games being over, the standings will stay static until next weekend. Three of the five Wednesday games were not played because of the weather so some teams have now played two less games than others.

Blue Devils record falls to 3 wins, 3 ties, 4 losses for 12 points which puts them in sixth place. This is the second game in a row that Blue Devils have been beaten 2-1. Guelph United lost four games in a row by that score until breaking that by losing 2-0 on Wednesday night in a road game against ProStars FC then winning 4-1 today against ProStars in Guelph.

Sigma's record improves to 2 wins, 1 tie, 6 losses for 7 points. They pull into eleventh place, one from the bottom with Hamilton United only able to earn a tie yesterday. Their second win in a row after last weekend's 2-1 win. Maybe it was Sigma's 5-0 win in their L1 Cup match against a second tier opponent that has shaken up their goal scoring?

The two bottom places have relegation implications with the twelfth team instantly going down to the second tier 'Championship Division' and the second from the bottom having a post season match with the second best of the second tier with them staying up if they win. Sigma has another challenge besides the slow start because their NCAA players weren't here to start the season as those players will be expected to return to school for preseason training/conditioning by early August so points have to be earned now.

I didn't realize Sigma were wearing and orange shirts/black shorts for their road matches this season (other years it was always all white with blue numbers). That would give them another similarity to their affiliation with CPL Forge FC who were playing at the same time just down the QEW highway in Hamilton and winning 2-1 scoring the first two goals then hanging on. We were living that script right here!

Rocket Robin
robin.glover.1958@gmail.com
X @RocketRobin01

Blue Devils FC starters