April 29, 2023...L1O Men's Premier League Unionville Milliken SC vs Forge FC (game report by Rocket Robin)

..................

Result and details of the Saturday April 29, 2023 of the League1 Ontario Men's Premier Division game between
Unionville-Milliken SC and Sigma FC played at The Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan at 9:00pm.

Unionville Milliken SC (all red uniforms, white numbers)

......................1 Matthew Mattila
........2 Jordy Sindjui Sibopa...4 Hans-Conny Chery (cpt)...15 Dany Penda
6 William Lyden...5 Ethan Hunter...8 Andy Lau Moon Lin...19 Marco Frangini
........9 Temesgan Alemseged...7 Kaden Bennett...11 Saif Jaffer

Subs:...0 Ezequiel Carrasco (gk)...3 Abdel Youssef...12 Yuaan Cheliyan...13 Adam Belquas
...14 Aidan Gideon...16 Michael Dattolico...17 Michelangelo Khan...18 Frangeld (Franky) Tinaj
...20 Tenzin Worsal...22 Khalid Ahmed
team officials:...team head coach Filipe Bento...manager Natasha Whyte...equipment manager Moses Kgasa
...therapist Stefan Di Conza

Sigma FC (all white uniforms, blue shoulders and numbers)

......................1 Dino Bontis
3 Jacob Cordon Cruz...2 Evan Dick...5 Kyle Walton...20 Kwasi Poku
7 Kevaughn Tavernier...10 Noah Mehta...21 Khadim Kane...8 Faisal Ghaffur (cpt)
................9 Emery Welshman...17 Ryan Kheedo

Subs:...31 Eduard Ambrus (gk)...6 Gabriel Goransson...11 Hoce Massunda...12 Nino Nikolovski
...14 Yousef Helmy...15 Luc Finelli...16 Luka Milidragovic...22 Imani Abiud...24 Daniel Firek
team officials:...team head coach John Zervos...assistant coach Dominic Rajna...manager Justin Stoddart
...therapist Liam MacPherson

Game officials:...referee John O'Hara...referee's assistants Liam Tremblay and Daniel Jacob
...fourth official Morgan Wright-Mellone...(neon green shirts and socks, black shorts)

First Half:...game starts 9:01pm...Unionville defends south end on this cold and damp night. If the rain had started again
I would have hidden in the 'treehouse' (the wooden broadcast building) that this year has a second roof on the top level
which makes two stories to keep dry.
1 min...UM goalie runs wide to clear ball.
1 min...Sigma Massunda short centering pass from left has Sigma Ghaffur slides at 5 yards pushing ball into left goalpost.
UM give up cornerkick.
2 min...Sigma Mehta cornerkick from left is headed through box and out right side.
7 min...Sigma player rolls ball though box but ball is cleared.
7 min...Sigma Welshman spins around and 10 yarder forward on right has defender stop and clear on right post.
10 min...UM Jaffer back to check Sigma player off ball at 8 yards.
12 min...Sigma Welshman one-touches low pass from right wide right of post from 7 yards.
13 min...Sigma Poku 20 yard freekick from right edge of box hits right post and defenders eventually clear.
15 min...UM Bennett rushes down middle from center line pass forward to UM Jaffer who first-touches ball rolling it over end line
on left.
16 min...Sigma Welshman rolls pass forward on left. Sigma Poku runs to end line and low cross through 6 yard box
and Sigma Tavernier kicks ball wide right from 5 yards.
19 min...UM Bennett has 10 yard shot blocked by defender.
20 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Welshman earns it for sliding tackle on UM Alemseged at Sigma 30 yard line.
23 min...Sigma Kheedo rush to left end line and rolls pass through 6 yard box that has two sliding Sigma players miss!
24 min...Unionville Milliken Kaden Bennett GOAL...Bennett steals ball from Sigma defender who'd been given awkward
backpass on left edge of 18 yard box and races along 10 yard line to middle leaping sliding goalie Dino Bontis.
He cuts 10 yard roller to left corner of net freezing defender on goal line in center of net. It would have been a sure PK
if Bontis had contacted Bennett.
30 min...Sigma Welshman can't win Penalty kick on run behind defender on right side of box but rolls ball over end line.
32 min...UM Chery pops up cross into UM box from right behind endline.
33 min...Sigma Poku high cornerkick from right has UM Chery head away in crowd of players in box.
35 min...Sigma Walton at 30 yards passes upfield on left around defender. Sigma Tavernier has 10 yard shot on left is blocked.
36 min...Sigma Mehta cross from 25 yards has goalie palm ball over net near left post.
36 min...Sigma Poku cornerkick from lefft is cleared from box.
42 min...UM defenders clear two Sigma chances into UM box.
43 min...Sigma goalie is out to 28 yards to beat UM Jaffer to through ball up middle and clears.
45 min...Sigma Kheedo eludes defender to get into left side of box and crosses but defender clears in middle of box.
45 min...Sigma Welshman 12 yard shot hits defender (no hand ball is called) and ball is cleared.
46 min...half ends 9:47pm.

Halftime: Only Sigma subs stay outside to warm up.

Second Half:...starts 10:06pm...It hasn't rained yet.
halftime subs:...UM Belquas replaces Lin.
45 min...UM goalie is out to 15 yards to pick up ball.
46 min...Sigma Kheedo is called offside receiving cross at 15 yards in middle.
48 min...Sigma Kheedo long run up left and low cross from 25 yards into center of box and goalie dives forward to catch.
50 min...Sigma Massunda has 12 yard shot blocked. Sigma Goransson fires 25 yard clearance up middle wide right.
51 min...UM Bennett on break has his 15 yard shot is blocked as two retreating defenders catch him at 15 yards.
53 min...Sigma Tavernier run on right then rolls 10 yarder that goalie smothers on near post.
55 min...Sigma Emery Welshman GOAL...Sigma Faisal Ghaffur chips ball into box from 25 yards from right.
A Sigma player chests the ball down at 8 yards aligned with left post over Welshman who steps behind defender
and 8 yard shot is under flying goalie Matthew Mattila to left side of net.
57 min...UM goalie catches 30 yard shot from left after Sigma players work out short cornerkick from left.
58 min...UM YELLOW card...Sibopa earns it for tackle on top left edge of UM box.
59 min...Sigma Mehta 25 yard freekickc from left rolls into net on right corner but referee's assistant has flaged play offside.
60 min...Sigma Welshman 8 yard shot has flying goalie makes point blank save.
60 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Dick earns it for argueing previous non-goal play.
61 min...UM sub...Ahmed replaces Belquas (who'd only come in at halftime).
62 min...UM defender pops up Sigma shot at 8 yards on left and goalie catches high on near post.
65 min...Sigma Mehta 28 yard blast from left stop made.
66 min...Sigma YELLOW card...Cordon Cruz earns it for tackle injurying UM Alemseged at UM 40 yard line.
67 min...Unionville Milliken Saif Jaffer GOAL...UM Kaden Bennett rolls pass between players from 25 yards
finding Jaffer who shoots 15 yard roller into right corner of net beyond diving goalie.
69 min...UM Ahmed bends 18 yard shot from left after beating two defenders is just over bar in center of net.
71 min...UM goalie catches 25 yard freekick up middle just under bar.
72 min...Sigma Ghaffur rolls 15 yarder from left is wide left of net after steal ends up with pass to him in the clear.
73 min...Sigma sub...Nikolovski replaces Kheedo.
74 min...UM Temesgan Alemseged is injured in collision in UM box which also involved the goalie and two Sigma players
crashing together to play a high cross into the box. Referee John O'Hara awarded Sigma a Penalty kick.
75 min...Sigma Emery Welshman blasts his Penalty kick to left side about halfway up the bar and diving goalie pushes
ball wide of the post.
76 min...Sigma Mehta blasts 25 yarder from left is well over net.
77 min...Sigma Nikolovski cross from 30 yards on right finds Sigma Tavernier along on left but 8 yard shot is blocked.
78 min...UM Jaffer cuts in from left and 18 yard shot is caught by flying goalie on right post.
80 min...Sigma Faisal Ghaffur GOAL...Sigma Noah Mehta passes down middle from 30 yards and Ghaffur slides
for it at 12 yards to lift it over goalie sliding towards him and ball bounces into left side of net.
82 min...Sigma sub...Firek replaces Mehta.
83 min...Sigma Welshman makes flying header on cross from left is deflected by defender wide left of net.
83 min...Sigma player rolls 15 yarder from left into outside webbing of UM net.
85 min...UM sub...Khan replaces Alemseged.
86 min...Sigma YELLOW card...(Tavernier or Poku) earns it for tackle at Sigma 50 yard line.
86 min...UM sub...Youssef replaces Sibopa.
87 min...Sigma sub...Massunda replaces Ghaffur.
............Sigma sub...Finelli replaces Dick.
88 min...Sigma Massunda cornerkick from right has goalie catch on near post.
90 min...Sigma player's blast deflects off UM defender at 20 yards and deflects wide for cornerkick.
91 min...Sigma player's cornerkick from right has defender head away on near post.
92 min...Sigma YELLOW card...(Tavernier or Poku) earns it for sliding tackle on UM Jaffer rushing up left side
at Sigma 28 yard line and needs trainer.
93 min...Sigma sub...Abiud replaces Cordon Cruz.
93 min...Sigma Walton 35 yard freekick from left is easily caught by goalie.
94 min...Sigma player's 40 yard freekick from left has Sigma player pop up header in crowd at 10 yards and goalie catches
ball under bar.
95 min...game ends 10:56pm.

Final Score:...Unionville Milliken SC......2........Sigma FC.........2.........

Attendance ended up being about 50. The weekend threat of a record amount of rain for the GTA may have scared some people off but there was none falling for the length of this game. Oh and the Maple Leafs were on television. Still I'd list what I think is the main reason below:

UM was told with one week until the season started by the City of Markham officials informing them that they would not be opening the school where they play Bill Carruthers Secondary School's building for their changerooms nor washrooms so the L1O management decided not to play any games on the property. This also effects Alliance United who found the University of Toronto's Varsity Stadium for their home games until the university needs their fields back in August—then they'll play at Birchmount Stadium in Scarborough. The OSC is already hosting home games for Scrosoppi FC (63 km from home town Milton) as their school and field, Bishop Reding CHS is undergoing renovations.

The late starts and distance away from Markham kill off any chance of having their youth teams and parents here to watch. I'd call it a 'rolling' crowd of 50 as it appeared people would crowd up to the fence after leaving the OSC building to see what the noise was about then leave to go home to be replaced by others leaving the grounds. Very few bothered to seat in the bleachers.

I was surprised by the result with me coming into tonight believing last year's standings but I didn't recognize many names on the Unionville roster. Only two players weren't born this century with starting goalie Matthew Mattila and starting defender/captain Hans-Conny Chery being born in 1999.

I expected a big turnover after last year's poor finish. Head coach Filipe Bento after the game answered me that they've turned younger this season and most have come through their own youth system. Yes that's why there's L1O Reserves and the OPDL etc.

Sigma dominated the first 15 minutes with the ball barely leaving the UM end and I thought 'Here we go' but UM then had their spots. Last year's reverse fixture had Sigma hosting UM on August 6th at Tim Horton's field and walloping them 7-2.

Sigma missed too many chances throughout the game to deserve to win and Unionville had enough opportunities to get all three points. Both goalies Matthew Mattila of UM and Dino Bontis (yes the son of the former CSA president) played well with some spectacular saves to keep the score low.

Sigma's roster had former Forge FC players Emery Welshman and Kwasi Poku (why not he's a 2003) in the starting lineup and there's a possibility they could return to the CPL team. The CPL just announced last week that each team could have one 'downward player movement' team to rehab and give young players competitive minutes so Sigma would be the obvious choice.

Referee John O'Hara gave out six Yellow cards (five to Sigma) with all but one for tough tackles. One penalty kick was awarded but both teams were looking for more which he waved off not falling for player theatrics.

Tonight's result means that Sigma move up to first place with a record of 2 wins, 0 losses, 1 tie for 7 points. They are tied with Blue Devils FC (who had beaten Masters FA 2-1 just one hour earlier in the only other L1O Men's Premier game today) but are given first even with both teams at a GF/GA of +5 because they've scored 11 vs 8 for Blue Devils. I'd expect at least one team to pass them Sunday as there are four games scheduled. Sigma will be getting some NCAA players in their line up as soon as next week so they should improve but those players leave in August so over the years that's why Sigma fizzle. They finished 8th last year and of course want to survive the Top 12 division split at the end of this season.

Unionville-Milliken's record improves to 1 win, 1 loss, 1 tie for 4 points. That's good for 10th as of tonight which is equal to Alliance United but ranked behind them because of goal differencial. Their chances of being in the top 12 (two year cummulative total) are bleak because of last year's 20th place finish.

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


Unionville Milliken SC starters


Sigma FC starters


Unionville Saif Jaffer (11) takes opening kickoff.


Sigma players line up for short cornerkick.


midfield action


Sigma Kyle Walton (5) sends kick into box.


Sigma Kwasi Poku (20) dribbles upfield.


Sigma Emery Welshman (9) has just take second half kickoff.


Sigma Emery Welshman (9) runs up for Penalty kick.

Each year I conduct a post game audio interview with the head coach of each team the first game
I see them play in the season. I'm doing it again this year. 


Sigma FC head coach John Zervos  (6 minutes, 58 seconds) 

Your thoughts on tonight's game?
Your reason for playing games before CPL games as doubleheaders? 
What is Sigma's reaction to L1O team Hamilton United Elite as being named as 'an Official Forge FC 
Development Club'?  
Will you again have university players coming and going into the team as the season goes on?
Are all the university players back on the team now?
How great is it to have alumni like Emery Welshman able to come back to Sigma? Can he return to Forge FC? 
How important is it for Sigma FC for players and recruiting etc to survive the L1O Premier Division Top 12 
split at the end of this season? 
Are you ready for this year's Credit River Cup? 



Unionville Milliken SC head coach Filipe Bento  (7 minutes, 00 seconds)  

Your thoughts on tonight's game? 
Is this year's team a bunch of new players? 
How do you feel now in your second year of coaching this team?
How much of a shock is it to have your home games moved here on such short notice cutting off your fan base? 
How tough is it to finish Top 12 and will you be OK as a community team being in the lower division?

back to 2023 League1 Ontario menu

.

.