August 21, 2016 League 1 Ontario--North Toronto Nitros vs Master's FA (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Sunday August 21, 2016 League 1 Ontario game between North Toronto Nitros and Master's FA played at Esther Shiner Stadium in North York at 8:30pm.

North Toronto Nitros (green socks and shirts, black shorts and numbers)

......................12 Connor Bullen
37 Jason Akoa...15 Christian Westlaken...16 Carl De Abreu (cpt)...44 Najee Holder
...........17 Myles Abreo...19 Lucas Afework...37 Jason Akoa
...........20 Killian Elkinson...9 Abdallah Etchanti...6 Jayden Doyle

Subs:...1 Shwan Sawyers (gk)...32 Joseph Maggisano...25 Javao Hoseini
team officials:...head coach Hermann Kingue...other officials Ilya Orlov, Gary Fleming, Jools Murray, John Bianchi, and Shawn Sawyers

Master's Futbol (white socks, shorts and numbers, black shirts)

.......................0 Justin Robertson
17 Yasin Shahwan...5 Aaryn Massy...16 Prince Apawu...3 Ashton Hyde
8 Jaleni Grant (cpt)...15 Sherwin Emmanuel...6 Kamden Holder...14 Camarri Johnson
............19 Jordale Byers...12 Christian Inchima

Subs:...20 Levonte Johnson...4 Togo Marshall...10 Allando Matheson...11 Justin Smith...13 Matthew Ali
...-- Jevon Alleyne...2 Dio Daniel Nash
team officials:...head coach Andrey Savelev...other officials Junior Groves, Matthew Ali, Marc Blackburn, Josh Lee, and Justin Robertson

Game officials:...referee John Vlahos...referee's assistants Nquita Amirkhanian and Joseph D'Onofrio
...fourth official Cyrus Eshafi...(teal shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 8:35pm...NTN defends west end on this cool night with a wind from the north.
1 min...MFA Grant 35 yard freekick bounces through box and wins cornerkick.
2 min...MFA player's cornerkick from left has MFA Byers head 12 yard header over net.
3 min...MFA Grant chips pass from 50 yards has MFA Johnson shoot 15 yarder well over net.
6 min...NTN Jayden Doyle GOAL...NTN Myles Abreo passes from 22 yards on right that finds Doyle at 15 yards on far left and he shoots low shot that catches right corner of net just inside post and outstretched leg of goalie Justin Robertson.
9 min...NTN Elkinson rush on right and centers for midair NTN Elchanti to knock 10 yarder over net with his hip.
12 min...NTN Doyle rush on left and low cross from 25 yards near end line goes through 6 yard box and NTN Elchanti 3 yard shot stopped on right post by goalie and deflects wide for cornerkick.
13 min...MFA Inchima rush on right and chips 25 yarder that squeezes through goalie's raised arms but he has time to turn and save on left post.
15 min...NTN Doyle rush on left short cross to NTN Elchanti who has 12 yard shot blocked. NTN Doyle blasts rebound from 15 yards that has goalie bat up at 2 yards and catch.
16 min...NTN De Abreu 35 yard freekick from right is well high and wide left of net.
17 min...MFA Inchima gets cross from left and 15 yard shot is over net.
18 min...MFA Byers picks up loose ball and low 22 yard shot is smothered by goalie.
18 min...NTN Doyle rush on left and low cross from 25 yards on far left is through 6 yard box just a step ahead of charging NTN Elchanti.
20 min...NTN Elkinson cornerkick from right has NTN Westlaken on left not quite able to redirect kick from 5 yards on left.
27 min...NTN Jayden Doyle GOAL...NTN Carl De Abreu passes forward from 40 yards and an NTN player one-touches ball forward and Doyle shoots in 15 yarder.
28 min...MFA Byers wins cornerkick on 7 yard shot that deflects off defender.
29 min...NTN Killian Elkinson GOAL...Elkinson receives long pass after an MFA cornerkick from right is cleared and he rushes 1 on 1 from 40 yards. He holds up at 22 yards letting another defender into the play but bends kick around both of them that flying goalie gets hand to but can't prevent ball finding right side of net.
31 min...MFA Christian Inchima GOAL...MFA Jaleni Grant pass from 40 yards in middle to Inchima who chips 20 yard shot over leaping goalie Connor Bullen at 6 yards and ball drops into center of net just under bar.
34 min...NTN Elchanti 25 yard freekick has defender head away and start fast break.
36 min...NTN Elkinson cornerkick from right is over players in box and wide right.
37 min...MFA Inchima receives centering pass from right and 22 yard shot is wide left.
38 min...MFA sub...Matheson replaces Inchima.
40 min...NTN Elkinson gets loose ball and 22 yard shot down middle is well over net.
43 min...MFA Matheson chips pass forweard from 30 yards on left too far forward for MFA player to save on left end line.
45 min...NTN Myles Abreo GOAL...NTN Jayden Doyle rescues ball at left cornerflag and crosses into box where NTN Elkinson knocks ball down and Abreo pounds in loose ball from 5 yards on right over diving goalie and into left corner of net.
46 min...half ends 9:21pm.

2nd Half:...starts 9:35pm.
halftime sub:...MFA Nash replaces Holder.
46 min...NTN player's cross after run to left end line drifts behind net.
48 min...NTN Elkinson is threaded pass up middle and he sends 20 yard shot over net.
49 min...NTN sub...Hoseini replaces Doyle.
52 min...NTN Hoseini chips 50 yard cross from right that goalie jumps to catch.
52 min...NTN Myles Abreo GOAL...NTN Javao Hoseini cross from 50 yards on right finds Abreo alone at 15 yards for low shot from left that's into right corer of net.
54 min...MFA Byers has 15 yard shot from near right end line blocked.
56 min...NTN Elkinson 28 yard kick from left bounces to goalie.
58 min...MFA Byers splits defenders on left but weak 15 yard shot is picked up by goalie.
59 min...MFA sub...Levonte Johnson replaces Byers.
60 min...MFA Matheson wins freekick in middle getting away 22 yard shot up the middle.
60 min...MFA Jaleni Grant 22 yard freeekick down middle is over net.
61 min...NTN Elkinson low cornerkick from right has defender boot away ball in box.
62 min...NTN Elkinson 35 yard freekick from right has NTN player poke 8 yard shot that goalie saves but play flagged offside.
64 min...NTN Abreo beats offside trap by run up left and 25 yard shot is deflected wide left by goalie goalie guarding short side post.
66 min...MFA Emmanuel 35 yard freeklick has MFA Levonte Johnson dive forward in crowd of players and his 10 yard header is popped up for goalie to catch.
68 min...NTN sub...Maggisano replaces Abreo.
69 min...NTN Akoa knocks down pass and 18 yard shot is blocked by defender and he kicks rebound from same spot wide right for goalkick.
71 min...MFA sub...Ali replaces Hyde.
74 min...MFA Apawu chips freekick from 35 yards forward and left to MFA Jaleni Grant and he crosses near left end line has MFA Leeevonte Johnson not quite able to redirect diving header from 5 yards.
76 min...NTN player's 40 yard shot from left is wide right.
78 min...NTNAfework 30 yard shot from left deflects off two players and rolls to goalie on left post.
79 min...MFA Massy 25 yard deflected shot on second attempt spins for goalie to grab before MFA player can get to it.
83 min...MFA sub...Marshall replaces Emmanuel.
84 min...MFA Camarri Johnson is knocked down on left side of box after MFA throw-in from right is worked across box. Referee John Vlahos awards MFA a Penalty kick.
85 min...MFA Allando Matheson GOAL...Matheson chips Penalty kick to right side of net over flying goalie.
86 min...NTN defender makes key block to break up 2 on 1 break on right side conceding cornerkick.
87 min...MFA Matheson has shot blocked from 20 yards winning cornerkick.
87 min...MFA Jaleni Grant cornerkick from left has defender head ball away.
90 min...NTN Killian Elkinson GOAL...Elkinson shoots 33 yard freekick from left that dips into top right corner of net.
91 min...MFA Matheson gets to flicked pass downfield and his 15 yard shot is blocked by goaloie. Matheson turns for ball and backheels shot that goalie also stops.
93 min...game ends.

Final Score:.......North Toronto Nitros.........6........Master's FA............2.......

Attendance was about 50 on this rather cool evening for late August. This game was played at Esther Shiner Stadium in North York as NTN team officials said Varsity Stadium is booked for the University of Toronto's football, soccer, track programs etc for most of the games until the end of the year. This was not an unexpected turn of events. I have commitments that have prevented me from getting to any L1O games early afternoons so I haven't seen them play a home game before tonight.

NTN Jayden Doyle played as a winger and had lots of free runs down the left side and got in plenty of pinpoint crosses for teammates but it was himself that scored the first two goals. He was subbed off at 49 minutes for what he said after the game was a groin injury.

NTN Myles Abreu scored two goals of his own putting in two shots from inside the box.

NTN Killian Elkinson also had two goals including a Sebastian Giovinco like freekick at 90 minutes.

Nitros had a thin bench with only three subs but they built up a big lead so they could survive any second half onslaught.

Master's brought Allando Matheson into the game at 38 minutes. I watched him play for TFC Academy in 2009 and 2010. In those days with just a team in the CSL, he left for university in the fall of 2010 and wasn't back with TFCA. I asked him after the game—he went to University of Connecticut and graduated in "Communications, Women's Gender, and Sexual Studies". He said this was only his third game for Master's (L1O website shows the other two were in June) as he was injured. He was listed on other sites as being from Scarborough so this team is a good fit for him as that's their base of operations. He was frustrated most of the night because his teammates couldn't get the ball to him. I used to compare him to Danny Dichio back in the day as a hold-the-ball basher but of today's players he would compare to Jozy Altidore. My old links list him playing for Forest City London in the PDL in 2015. I wonder what he would have turned out if TFC had a PDL team a decade ago.

I confirmed after the game with referee John Vlahos that he gave out no cards during the game. The game was wide open with no vicious tackles. Both teams were caught offside a few times.

Best non-scoring chances were at 9 minutes when NTN Killian Elkinson rushed down the right and centered a cross for a midair hipped 10 yarder by NTN Abdallah Elchanti over the net. 12 minutes had NTN Jayden Doyle rush on the left and send a low cross from 25 yards near the end line that went through the 6 yard box and NTN Elchanti had a 3 yard shot stopped on the right post by the goalie who deflected it wide. The next minute had MFA Christian Inchima rush on the right and chip a 25 yarder that squeezed through the goalie's raised arms but he had time to turn around and save it on the left post. 66 minutes had MFA Sherwin Emmanuel take a 35 yard freekick and MFA Jevon Alleyne dove forward in a crowd of players and popped up a 10 yard header that the goalie was able to catch. 91 minutes had MFA Allando Matheson get to a short flicked pass downfield behind defenders and his 15 yard shot was blocked by the goalie. He turned for the ball and backheeled a shot that the goalie was also able to stop.

Nitros record improves to 9 wins, 4 losses, 3 ties for 30 points and fourth place in the eight team Eastern Division. First place Vaughan Azzurri were beating Woodbridge Strikers a few miles away tonight to stay seven points ahead of NTN.

Master's record falls to 1 win, 14 losses, 1 tie for 4 points and eighth in the East. They have the worst record in the league and the worst plus/minus goals for/against at -50.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

North Toronto Nitros starters