September 1, 2024...League1 Ontario...Hamilton United vs Burlington SC game report (by Rocket Robin)

Result and details of the Sunday September 1, 2024 League1 Ontario Men's Premier Division game between Hamilton United
and Burlington SC played at Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton at 1:00pm.

I will be posting pictures, logos, and more of a play-by-play about this game someday (ie. the offseason).

42 min...Hamilton Zachary Maharaj GOAL...Maharaj is tapped a pass and blasts 20 yard shot from slight right into left side of net past goalie Daniel Novak.

46 min (first half) Burlington (Ibrahim Ahmat own goal) GOAL...Burl David Gambrah gets to cross sent in from left and connects on 7 yard header down the middle that HU Ibrahim Ahmat heads up at 3 yards and ball drops over goalie Michael Ciarmoli into right side of net.

48 min...Burlington Yordan Stoyanov GOAL...Burl Christian Ferraro feeds pass up left from 30 yard line that finds Stoyanov who rushes to 15 yard line while cutting in towards goal and he shoots low over sliding goalie to short left side of net. (Stoyanov was a halftime sub).

82 min...Hamilton Moussa Limane GOAL...HU Zachary Maharaj on run down right sends low cross along the 12 yard line that charging HU Elton Nymah was a step behind but ball continues over to charging Limane who blasts 10 yarder from left into right side of net with goalie frozen expecting Nymah to shoot.

94 min...Burlington Joseph Nagnonhou GOAL...Burl Keani Fairbanks chip from 50 yards up the middle and Nagnonhou beats the defenders in an offside trap to receive ball in the middle at 18 yards and roll 8 yarder into right side of net.

Final Score:.....Hamilton United........2.......Burlington SC........3.........

Attendance was around 60 on this hot early afternoon. There was a storm cloud before the game but a burning bright sun came out just as the second half started.

This game was played at Brian Timmis Stadium at McMaster University in Hamilton. I had flashbacks while driving the one way streets around the campus (as if the one way streets in Hamilton weren't confusing enough) when I saw a building that said 'DeGroote School of Business'. Yeah this is where I heard the first formal introduction of the Canadian Premier League on February 1, 2018 with newly appointed CPL Commissioner David Clanachan answering questions.

The opening lineups didn't look too promising with Hamilton only listing three substitions for their bench as the home team. Burlington was better with six on their bench whereas the leaegue maximum is nine. I drove to an L1O game in my neighbourhood on Friday night even though I was warned by the app a few hours before the game that it was 'postponed' but in person I asked around and found out Alliance United the visiting team had forfeited. Yep this morning on my way out I looked at the app and found that the game was not played and the result was up as a 3-0 result (a win for North Toronto)...the standard forfeit score. This is the last weekend of the season. There are no playoffs for the first time this season and the relegation and playoff relegation place has already been determined. Also at the other end, there were only two teams that still had a chance to win the league title in the last weekend.

First half had brilliant goaltending by Hamilton goalie Michael Ciarmoli. I had said hello to someone I thought was a L1O official but it turned out to be a doppelganger who was a Burlington official. He said he'd heard that Hamilton might use an outfield player in net. Yes the app revealed that 18 year old Ciarmoli had played eleven games with Hamilton United's L2 (league 2 ie Reserves) and U20 teams but always as an outfield player. This was his first game as goalie and first with the Premier Division team.

A small crowd that included one Hamilton United's youth teams acting as ball girls today and entertaining at halftime in a Penalty kick contest. Also the usual entourage of players' relatives. After the game an older couple greeted Burlington goalscorer Yordan Stoyanov with 'So many missed chances'. This game even had the referee's relatives with Nava Rajabi getting her assistants and the fourth to pose for a picture from the stands after the game.

This stadium is the home of University of McMaster Marauders. This stadium is more cozy than Tim Hortons Field where the team has a few home games before a CPL game involving Forge FC kicks off. Brian Timmis Stadium keeps the football lines on view. It actually helps me mark down a 35 yard shot as I can see the lines or do the geometry of measuring the angle and yard markings to make my estimate. Official capicity is 5000 fans so larger than York Lions Stadium (on the York University campus) which hosts the CPL York United FC. It feels great to say that 5000 seats is now not large enough for Forge FC.

Hamilton United finish with a record of 0 wins, 5 ties and 17 losses for 5 points and finish twelfth of the twelve teams and will be relegated to the second tier Championship Division next season. They picked up their scoring a little but still finish with only 14 goals scored in 22 games and goals against of 60—both division worsts. This limited budget team couldn't pay for players and couldn't keep up with the (relative) 'big spenders' of other Premier Division teams. Probably second tier is their level.

Burlington improves their record (with one game to go) at 9 wins, 2 ties, 10 losses for 29 points. That's good enough for eighth place. I went a little overboard when they started their season with eight straight wins (two in League Cup play) proclaiming them the team to watch then they fizzled, not winning for nine games including being eliminated from the Cup. They have Daniel Jodah on their roster who is now 29 but played on the unbeated Toronto FC III team that won the first season of competition in League1 Ontario back in 2014. Mo Babouli and Aidan Daniels were also on that team and are still CPL stars this season.

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

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