July 4, 2016 League 1 Ontario--Toronto Skillz FC vs Sanjaxx Lions (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the League 1 Ontario game between Toronto Skillz FC and Sanjaxx Lions played Monday 4, 2016 at Birchmount Stadium in Scarborough at 8:00pm.

Toronto Skillz FC (red socks and shirts, black shorts, white numbers)

...................1 Khedar Caesar-Thompson
23 Thanujan Jeyathilaka...27 Christopher Lozanovski...32 Lukas Risto (cpt),,,21 Deven Doodnath
31 Ameel Dharshi...29 Liam Cox...26 Terence Bernard...10 Sameer Fathazada
..................4 Mitchell Wong...8 Ryan Reid

Subs:...0 Viktor Lyczywek (gk)...5 Brad Ayow...11 Mario Ramalho...14 Michael Jahshan...16 Mahmoud Mirsadeghi
...18 Yohance Ennis...22 Ayoub Saoucha
team head coach Leslie Fitzpatrick...assistant coach Isiaka Onibudo...managers Douglas Angelo and Jake Doodnath
...therapists Brian Mak and Deidra Erb

Sanjaxx Lions (white socks and shirts, navy shorts and numbers)

....................1 Matt Zaikos (cpt)
17 Charles Jia...3 Babour Zorimullah...13 Nathaniel Rodney Scarlett...5 Michael Jia
26 Darren Billy...20 Rodrigo Libaque....25 Stefan Nikolic...16 Luke Mellon
..............11 Bryan Uyiosa...9 Hilliard Serrao

Subs:...21 Jordan Cooke...12 O'Neil Mars...14 Keyon Grant...15 Tyriq Armstrong...18 Rizwan Thawer
team officials:...head coach Peter Mellon...team officials Patrick Lowe, Remberto Luna, and Nicoletta Bonafede

Game officials:...referee Marc Henoud...referee's assistants Adam Kanji and Anthony Dimambro
...fourth official Adam Devenyi...(teal shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 8:02pm...TS defends south end on this mild evening with a bright sun in the northwest.
2 min...TS Reid 40 yard freekick from far left bounces wide right for goalkick.
6 min...TS Reid 45 yard freekick down middle has defender deflect wide left for cornerkick.
6 min...TS Fathazada cornerkick from left has nearest defender clear for throw-in.
6 min...T Skillz Liam Cox GOAL...TS Ryan Reid takes long throw-in from 15 yard line on left over to right side of box and Cox heads in 5 yarder forward to right side of net.
9 min...SL Serrao receives throw-in and turns on far right at 12 yards and crosses behind net.
10 min...TS Reid 50 yard freekick from right has defender kick ball away on edge of box.
11 min...TS Bernard receives short cross from right end line and off balance 10 yard shot is wide right.
12 min...TS Doodnath 40 yard freekick from left has goalie bat down ball and pick up.
14 min...SJ Uyiosa and Serrao on give and go play ends with Uyiosa rolling short pass from left across box and defender clears at 5 yards.
14 min...SJ Rodney Scarlett gets back to check TS Dharshi off ball at 12 yards and poke for cornerkick.
15 min...TS Fathazada cornerkick from left has TS Bernard head 7 yarder from 6 yards to right that goalie stops.
16 min...TS Doodnath low cross from near left cornerflag has defender make sweeping sliding clearance at 6 yards.
18 min...TS Reid 20 yard shot from right is just wide left of top corner.
21 min...T Skillz Mitchell Wong GOAL...TS Ryan Reid gives short pass from far right to TS Sameer Fathazada who centers pass to Wong who gets 6 yard low shot up middle into left side of net past diving goalie Matt Zaikos.
23 min...TS Risto 40 yard freekick is caught unchallenged by goalie sprawling forward at 3 yards in center of net.
24 min...SJ goalie leaps to cagtch bouncer at 15 yards ahead of TS Wong.
26 min...TS Reid long throw-in from right has defender head ball through box out left side.
27 min...SJ Serrao low 15 yard shot from right is around defender but wide right.
28 min...TS Lozanovski cross from 25 yards on far right is cleared.
28 min...TS Fathazada low 22 yard shot from left has diving goalie push wide right.
29 min...TS Lozanovski cornerkick from right has TS Bernard kick 10 yarder in crowd wide left of post.
30 min...SJ Uyiosa cornerkick from right is whistled down in box.
31 min...TS Kathazada cornerkick with TS Doodnath on left win another cornerkick on cross. Those two players then waste another cornerkick from the left.
32 min...SJ Michael Jia cross from left is over players in box and SJ Billy has 10 yard shot into side of net on deflection.
33 min...SJ Uyiosa cornerkick on right is whistled down in box.
34 min...TS Bernard can't fully connect and his 10 yard shgot from left rolls to goalie on right post.
37 min...Sanjaxx Hilliard Serrao GOAL...SL Darren Billy low cross from 20 yards on left has SL Bryan Uyiosa in crowd of players in center of box at 8 yards tip pass over to Serrao who shoots 8 yarder on right into short corner of net between post and goalie Khadar Caesar-Thompson.
39 min...TS Lozanovski cornerkick from right has SJ Nikolic as nearest player on right kick ball away.
40 min...TS Reid long throw-in from right has TS Lozanovski pop up 20 yard header that lands on top of net.
41 min...TS Fathazada high cross from left from 15 yards has TS Lozanovski low cross from 10 yards in box unplayed.
42 min...SJ Michael Jia blasts 28 yard partial clearance wide right on deflection.
42 min...SJ Uyiosa cocrnerkick from right is caught by goalie in crowd of players.
43 min...TS Fathazada rushes 12 yard shot on left ahead of pursueing defender just wide left of post.
43 min...SJ sub...Grant replaces Nikolic.
44 min...SJ Serrao 20 yard shot from right is high wide right.
46 min...half ends 8:48pm.

2nd Half:...starts 9:02pm.
halftime sub:...TS Jahshan replaces Dharshi.
47 min...TS Reid long throw-in from right has defender clear ball from box.
47 min...TS Fathazada rolls ball into box from 15 yards on right but goalie clears.
48 min...TS player's 50 yard freekick is over head of leaping TS player at 7 yards on right and out for a goalkick.
51 min...SJ sub...Armstrong replaces Billy.
.........SJ sub...Mars replaces Libaque.
54 min...TS Wong 35 yard shot from left is wide right.
55 min...TS Reid long throw-in from right has TS Jahshan leap and not fully turn header on left at 6 yards and sends ball wide left.
57 min...TS Cox 20 yard roller from right is cleared from box.
59 min...TS Reid long throw-in left has defenders block two shots/crosses from right and middle.
60 min...TS Fathazada cross from left along 8 yard line and TS player hand ball in middle is called.
61 min...TS sub...Ramalho replaces Cox.
.........TS sub...Saoucha replaces Lozanovski.
63 min...TS YELLOW card...Bernard earns it for tackle at TS 45 yard line.
63 min...SJ Zorimullah 45 yard freekick down middle has goalie catch and SJ Mellon is injured crashing into goalie at 3 yards and needing trainer.
66 min...TS Saoucha rush to pass up right and cross from right endline has defender shank clearance and goalie catches on right post.
68 min...T Skillz Michael Jahshan GOAL...TS Mario Ramalho steals ball off SL Hilliard Serrao at TS 45 yard line and rushes down right wing and sends low cross through players and Jahshan slides and shoots low 15 yarder from even with left post between players to right corner of net.
71 min...SJ goalie picks up ball at 15 yards and locks shoelaces with TS Fathazada!
74 min...SJ Mars 40 yard freekick from left has goalie bat ball down at 5 yards then steps forward to pick it up.
76 min...SJ Serrao can't get away clear shot at 25 yards so taps over to SJ Uyiosa whose shot down middle is caught by goalie diving to right.
77 min...TS Doodnath high cross from 40 yardds on left has goalie catch.
78 min...TS sub...Mirsadeghi replaces Bernard.
79 min...TS Ramalho 40 yard freekici up middle is caught by goalie at 5 yards.
79 min...TS Fathazada given short forward pass and rolls 20 yard shot to goalie.
80 min...SJ sub...Cooke replaces Uyiosa.
81 min...SJ Mars turns on pass up middle but defender pokes ball away at 15 yards conceding cornerkick.
81 min...SJ Michael Jia cornerkick from left is cleared by defenders.
84 min...TS sub...Ayow replaces Reid.
85 min...TS Fathazada 30 yard freekick down middle is over player wall and is caught by goalie in center of net.
86 min...TS goalie picks up bouncer at 15 yards to beat SJ player to ball.
88 min...SJ Mellon 29 yard freekick up middle is deflected by player wall and retreating defender clears. SJ player's recross finds open player but offside is called.
90 min...SJ Zorimullah rush and is blocked by defender at 30 yards so blasts shot well over net.
94 min...game ends 9:51pm.

Final Score:...Toronto Skillz FC......3....Sanjaxx Lions......1......

Attendance was about 80 on this mild evening with a setting sun in the north west.

This game was originally scheduled for Saturday night but was bumped for the Robbie tournament with a few days notice because of what I heard was a Dwayne De Rosario celeb game. It worked out for me because I was at the TFC vs Seattle MLS game that night.

Referee Marc Henoud gave out only one Yellow card all night (to Toronto Skillz) in a game that was more wide open than hard checking.

Skillz dominated most of the first half. Sameer Pathazada took most of the corners and Ryan Reid the freekicks. Reid could take a long throw-in like many players take cornerkicks. These would be high and land in the middle of the box. The goal at 6 minutes was almost duplicated at least three times later in the game. This skill certainly reminded me of former player Adrian Serioux.

Sanjaxx had most of their offence carried out by Hilliard Serrao but he reminded me of the current form of Sebastian Giovinco trying to do too much by himself. Only Bryan Uyiosa was successful sending him balls.

Best non-scoring chances were at 15 minutes when TS Sameer Fathazada sent in a cornerkick from the left that had TS Terence Bernard head a 7 yarder from the right that the goalie was able to save. 28 minutes had TS Fathazada take a low 22 yard shot from the left that the diving goalie was able to push wide right of the post. 42 minutes had SL Brian Uyiosa send in a cornerkick from the right that had the goalie catch in a crowd of players. 63 minutes had SL Babour Zorimullah take a 45 yard freekick down the middle that the goalie caught and survived SL Luke Mellon crashing into him at 3 yards although it was Mellon who was injured and needed the trainer. 76 minutes had SL Serrao not able to get away a clear shot from 25 yards so tapped the ball over to SL Uyiosa whose shot down the middle was caught by the goalie diving to the right.

Tonight was the first win (in League play) for Toronto Skillz in their first year in League 1 Ontario. They won a first round League Cup game just over a month ago. Sanjaxx have won only one game this season so this was certainly not a meeting of powerhouses. Lions had scored only five goals in seven games until tonight.

Interesting that as Raheem Edwards made his MLS debut on Saturday with Toronto FC—-with history being airbrushed (even on Wikipedia) that he came through their system, the truth is he got his start in League 1 Ontario playing for Internacional de Toronto in 2014—-a franchise that folded mid-season then completed that year with ANB Futbol. Maybe there is an unpolished gem on one of tonight's teams.

Lions used twin brother defenders Charles and Michael Jia as cornerbacks.

Toronto Skillz record improves to 1 win, 9 losses, 1 tie for four points but surprizingly pull into a tie for sixth place (out of eight teams) in the Eastern Conference with both Aurora United and Masters FA Saints who have played one less game and have one less loss. Those three teams are in their own standings ghetto with the fifth place team already having 14 points.

Sanjaxx stay last/eighth in the West with a record of one win, seven losses, no ties for three points.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Toronto Skillz FC starters