August 10, 2024...League1 Ontario...Sigma FC vs Burlington SC game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Saturday August 10, 2024 League1 Ontario Premier Division game between Sigma FC
and Burlington SC played at Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga at 12:00pm.

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

...........................1 Dino Bontis
21 Soji Olatoye...23 Alex Cordon...5 Kyle Walton (cpt)...3 Leshawn Facey
8 Amadou Kone...10 Zayne Bruno...22 Khadim Kane...6 Nino Nikolovski
................9 Kevaughn Tavernier...11 Hoce Massunda

Subs:...31 Michael Makrigeorgos (gk)...4 Nahj Holiday...7 Aziah Reid...12 Kofi Awuah
...16 Youssef Helmy...17 Kadell Thomas...19 Lee Victor Massunda...20 Massimo Cuda...24 Damion Kaye
team officials:...head coach John Zervos...team manager Justin Stoddart...physiotherapist Lleo Ilzuka

Burlington SC (yellow socks and shirts, blue shorts and numbers)

..............................1 Erik Hermanns
13 Andra Neptune...5 Juan Jaramillo (cpt)...4 Joseph Willingham-Murphy...92 Jameel Durhan
12 David Gambrah...6 Ssimon Triantafillou...19 Joseph Nagnonhou...22 Chrisstian Ferraro
................17 Matheus Mello...11 Xavier Enakimio

Subs:...25 Daniel Novak (gk)...3 Luka Frankovich...7 Lucas Raposo...8 Yordana Stoyanov
...14 Dilman Grewal...15 Leaford Allen...16 Antoni Pyziak...18 Daniel Jodah...24 Thomas Tome
team officials:...head coach Darren Tilley...assistant coaches Neil Wilson and Julio Garcia
...team manager Oubaida Ikharbine...goalkeeper coach Michael Niptune...physiotherapist Dana Flatt

Game officials:...referee Ryan Schwenger...referee's assistants Nick Vagenas and Austin Fromhold-Treu
...fourth official Kevin Kim (red socks and shirts, black shorts)...match commissioner Tanish Thakur

First Half:...game starts 11:56am...Sigma defends south end on this warm afternoon with a bright sun in the south west
and a strong breeze from mthe west.
40 sec...Burl Triantafillou 35 yard freekick has defender pop header over own net.
1 min...Burl Ferraro cornerkick from right has defender head away on left side of box.
3 min...Burl Ferraro cornerkick from right is cleared out left side of box. An eventual 30 yard recross is caught by goalie.
5 min...Sigma Bruno is injured at Burl 30 yard line.
..........Burl YELLOW card...Durhan earns it for his part in the play.
6 min...Sigma Walton 30 yard freekick from right has defender head away inside box.
11 min...Burl Neptune long throw-in from right bounces in box but is cleared.
11 min...Burl Ferraro charges in to get to rolled cross from right but skies ball over net.
13 min...Burl Triantafillou 35 yard freekick from left is caught by goalie on near post.
14 min...Burl Ferraro rolls cross from left but defender clears from box.
14 min...Burl Durhan high cross from 30 yards lands on top of net.
15 min...Burl Gambrah rolls ball over right end line as he tries to cut over from right.
16 min...Sigma defender heads away cross into center of box.
18 min...Burl Mello wins freekick at Sigma 22 yards on sliding challenge.
19 min...Burl Triantafillou shoots low 22 yard freekick down middle and diving goalie pushes wide of post.
20 min...Burl Ferraro low cross into box from left is cleared away.
22 min...Burl Ferraro 35 yard freekick chip from right is over players on left for goalkick.
22 min...Burl Gambrah dribbles down right and low 10 yard shot is smothered by goalie on near post.
25 min...Sigma Triantafillou blasts centering pass from 25 yards down middle well over net and back fence.
30 min...Sigma Walton ends Sigma press with 28 yard shot up middle well over net and fence.
31 min...Burl Neptune bounces 25 yarder from right between defenders and to goalie.
32 min...Sigma Tavernier tapss pass back and center to Sigma Bruno who shoots low 18 yarder that diving goalie saves on right post.
34 min...Burl Nagnonhou 40 yard shot up middle is well over net.
36 min...Burl Gambrah long cross from right along 25 yard line can't be kept in on left.
37 min...Sigma Olatoye wins cornerkick on deflection on run up right.
38 min...Sigma player's quick freekick from right is called offside on recross into box.
39 min...Burl Neptune gives cornerkick on left deflecting cross.
39 min...Sigma Nikolovski cornerkick from right is cleared up middle.
40 min...Sigma Nikolovski cornerkick from right is cleared. Sigma Bruno blasts low 22 yarder up middle wide right of net.
41 min...Burl Mello rolls pass to left and Burl Enakimio low 20 yard shot is smothered by goalie on near post.
43 min...Burl wins cornerkick on deflection in 18 yard box.
43 min...Burl Ferraro cornerkick from right has Burl Enakimio low bicycle kick from 10 yards on left is wide right.
45 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Olatoye earns it at Sigma 35 yard left sideline for sliding tackle.
46 min...Burl Triantafillou 40 yard freekick from left has Burl Enakimio leaps in crowd of players and heads ball wide right.
46 min...half ends 12:43pm.

Halftime: Some of the Burl players warm up with no one from Sigma staying outside until about halfway through the break when
all the subs from both teams are out warming up.

Second Half:...starts 1:00pm. The wind is now stronger from the west.
45 min...Burl Mello works ball into right side of box but is checked off ball. A Burl player's shot from 18 yards is blocked
by his own player.
46 min...Burl Mello onw left shoots 18 yarder high and wide right.
51 min...Sigma Kane makes huge poke away on Burl players on right side of box.
53 min...Sigma Hoce Massunda run down left side centers low pass and Sigma Nikolovski one-touches low shot and wins cornerkick
on deflection.
53 min...Sigma Nikolovski recovers partially cleared cornerkick and his low 25 yard shot is stopped by defender in box.
55 min...Sigma Alex Cordon GOAL...Sigma Amadou Kone cross from 18 yards on right endline has Cordon in crowd
of players in the 6 yard box, including goalie Erik Hermanns, head 2 yarder forward off the underside
of the crossbar on left side of goal.
58 min...Burl sub...Allen replaces Nagnonhou.
58 min...Burl Ferraro cornerkick from right has two consecutive shots blocked by defenders.
60 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Facey earns it for something.
60 min...Burl Allen flubs 2 yard tap=in to open net spinning his shot backwards!
62 min...Sigma Bruno 25 yard low shot/cross rolls across face of goal and out right side of box.
63 min...Sigma Hoce Massunda 22 yard shot is between players from left and caught by goalie on near post.
64 min...Burl Neptune can't draw Penalty kick on fall in Sigma box.
64 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Nikolovski earns it for grab on Burl Triantafillou at Burl 40 yard line.
66 min...Sigma Bruno is given ball on right and after run crosses too far forward for Sigma players.
67 min...Burl player's long throw-in has Burl Allen rolls 15 yarder wide of net.
68 min...Burl Mello cornerkick from left has Burl Enakimio pops header in crowd of players over net from 8 yards.
68 min...Sigma sub...Thomas replaces Hoce Massunda.
69 min...Burl sub...Jodah replaces Gambrah.
...........Burl sub...Frankovich replaces Durhan.
70 min...Sigma goalie catches Sigma player's 20 yard shot from right end line on near post.
71 min...Sigma player shoots 22 yarder from slight right wide left of net.
72 min...Burl Triantafillou 35 yard freekick from right has Burl Frankovich pop 15 yarder header over net.
73 min...Burl goalie beats Sigma Tavernier with grab of long bounced freekick with defenders shielding him.
74 min...Burl Allen and Sigma Facey are both injured when Facey leaps over him for header at Sigma 35 yard line. Facey needs trainer.
77 min...Sigma sub...Awuah replaces injured Facey.
............play resumes.
79 min...Sigma Thomas shoots 25 yarder from left just over net.
80 min...Sigma Olatoye is squeezed from getting away shot from 15 yards on bump between defenders.
80 min...Sigma sub...Kaye replaces Bruno.
81 min...Sigma sub...Lee Victor Massunda replaces Tavernier.
81 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Awuah earns it for something.
82 min...Burlington Joseph Willingham-Murphy GOAL...Burl Matheus Mello cross from 33 yards on left has
Willingham-Murphy head 10 yarder from right over goalie Dino Bontis and dip just under bar in center of net.
83 min...Sigma Nikolovski wins freekick on long run to edge of Burl box.
84 min...Sigma Walton blasts 20 yard freekick down middle between players and goalie catches in center of net.
85 min...Burl Enakimio slips and ca'nt get away shot when he's down in Sigma box after Sigma handball is not called upfield
on advantage rule.
88 min...Burl sub...Raposo replaces Enakimio.
89 min...A foul throw-in is called on throw into wind on right.
90 min...Sigma Cordon makes big clearance for ball in center of box.
90 min...Burl Ferraro has midair poke is tipped wide left.
91 min...Burl Allen cornerkick from left is through players in 6 yard box.
92 min...Sigma Nikolovski is injured at center line and needs trainer.
92 min...Sigma sub...Reid replaces injured Nikolovski.
93 min...Injured Nikolovski leaves through the gate.
93 min...Sigma Kane 50 yard freekick from right has defender pop up header and ball is cleared from box.
94 min...Sigma sub...Helmy replaces Kone.
94 min...Burl Raposo shoots 20 yarder from far right over net.
95 min...Burl YELLOW card...Triantafillou earns it for grab on Sigma players on 1 v 3 rush at Burl 40 yard line.
96 min...Burl goalie beats Sigma Olatoye to through ball pass at 15 yards.
97 min...Sigma Lee Victor Massunda run down right and low cross into box is cleared.
97 min...game ends 11:53pm.

Final Score:....Sigma FC..........1..........Burlington SC..............1..............

Attendance was about 40 on this mild early afternoon with the temperature cooler than what we've had in the last few weeks. A gusty crossfield breeze from the west made me not uncomfortable wearing my hoodie rather than just using it as a seat cushion. A Burlington player was called for a foul throw-in when he tossed a ball down the line and the wind blew it out of play. A storm cloud blew over at 70 minutes but kept moving and we had more sunny skies.

I'll give credit to both teams' defenders for keeping the shot down and making it easier for each goalie. Sigma used a backline of Soji Olatoye, Alex Cordon, Kyle Walton (captain), and Leshawn Facey while Burlington lined up Andra Neptune, Juan Jaramillo (captain), Joseph Willingham-Murphy, and Jameel Durhan. Note it was defenders who scored both goals. With Kofi Awuah coming in for injured Leshawn Facey at 77 minutes, four of the six Yellow cards went to defenders.

In noticed Sigma players were rushing their freekicks and cornerkicks many times today to get a quick start on restarts.

Referee Ryan Schwenger gave out six Yellow cards today with Sigma earning four in a game that had some tough tackles at times. There were calls from players and Burlington fans (I was close to them in the stands) for 'Hand ball' for every ball that hit anywhere above the knee. I only saw one mixed call and the referee probably played the advantage as play carried on downfield and a Burlington player finally attempted a shot about 15 seconds later. A few freekicks from just outside the box which weren't questionable as Penalty kicks that may mean that the defenders were smart enough to make their frantic tackle attempt before the attacker got into the box. No water breaks needed today!

There were Sigma players I didn't recognize or were never starters. I asked head coach John Zervos after the game if the roster migration to NCAA schools has started already. He answered they've lost ten players already. I noticed a lot of Burlington players I've watched earlier in the season on the bench today. Zervos said they may be trying to meet the league's U-23 minutes minimum.

By the time I got settled late tonight (I was expected at a party by suppertime that had been postponed from two weeks ago) today's other league games had taken place.

The result improves Sigma's record to 4 wins, 4 ties, 10 losses for 16 points which puts them in tenth place. Hamilton United lost tonight so they are now guaranteed of finishing twelfth and being relegated. Guelph United holds eleventh place with 14 points and a game in hand and plays Blue Devils FC on Sunday afternoon. An eleventh place finish means a one game playoff with the second tier Championship Division's second place team. That would have meant a game against the runner up in the first place duel between FC London and the Toronto FC Academy (their official U-19 team) however a few days ago TFC announced they would not be competing in L1 Ontario next year now that MLS NEXT Pro is starting a U-18 Division and expects all their MLS teams to participate. Looks like the next choice is between third and fourth place teams St Catharines Roma Wolves and Unionville Millken SC who currently both have 29 points.

Burlington improves to 7 wins, 2 ties, 9 losses for 23 points and are all alone in eighth place. They have fizzled after starting this season with a record of 6-0-0 out of the gate (eight opening wins when L1 Cup games are considered). Their one win since then was against Guelph. I hadn't thought of the U-23 minutes rule thinking maybe the vets were in the coach's doghouse. Vets I've watched over the years either with them or other L1O teams include Leaford Allen, Yordan Stoyanov, Daniel Jodah, and Lucas Raposo.

One play that outlines their struggles was at 60 minutes when Leaford Allen who'd only come on two minutes earlier found himself with an open net on the left post with a 2 yard tap-in but he swiped at it and it spun backwards with the crowd near me raising their arms. I was even fooled with the optical illusion of seeing him strike the ball and thought it was in the net until he had to turn back. Somewhat like last week when I saw a 97th minute defender's clearance spin backwards into his own net that forced Alliance to settle for a tie with Woodbridge.

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

Sigma FC starters