September 22, 2016 League 1 Ontario--Sanjaxx Lions vs Oakville Blue Devils (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Thursday September 22, 2016 League 1 Ontario game between Sanjaxx Lions and Oakville Blue Devils played at Monarch Park in Toronto at 9:00pm.

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

.....................1 Tayjon Campbell
13 Charles Jia...18 Nathaniel Rodney Scarlett...16 Nicholas Charles...19 Michael Jia
26 Eric Kayenga...6 Dhialo Pozo...5 James Taylor...12 Stefan Nikolic
..............3 Timothy Cordova...7 Nathan Clayton

Subs:...1 Emmanuel Aigbukor (gk)...22 Keyon Grant...2 Rodrigo Libaque...14 Dylan Udhesister
...15 Filmon Issack...10 La'el Daniel...4 Bryan Uyiosa
team officials:...head coach Patrick Lowe...other team officials Remberto Luna and Nicoletta Bonefede

Oakville Blue Devils (all navy, white numbers)

......................1 Mike Constanzo
20 Hitesh Joshi...18 Christian Young...25 Stephen Mallom...22 Al James
11 Rahim Thorpe...8 Judah Hernandez...14 Taylor McNamara (cpt)...6 Tarik Roberts
...............16 Khody Ellis...7 Macca Wilde

Subs:...2 Craig Hendry...3 Gurjot Uppal...10 Jacob Gramegna...21 Jean Paul Lyons
...5 Shamar Wright...23 Roman Young
team officials:...team head coach Duncan Wilde...assistant coaches Billy Steele and Glenn McNamara

Game officials:...referee Hassane Rifai...referee's assistants Mohamed Mohamed and Braeden Krampert
...fourth official Alexis Vaughan...(teal shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 9:02pm...Sanjaxx defends west end on this mild and humid night.
1 min...SJ Charles Jia cross from 40 yard line on right is over SJ players in box and cleared on left.
2 min...OBD Roberts low cross from 22 yards on left has defender clear behind end line.
2 min...OBD Wilde short cornerkick from left is passed back to him and 25 yard chip from left has OBD player at 6 yards called offside.
9 min...OBD Wilde 30 yard freekick down middle has goalie dive to right post to smother.
12 min...SJ Cordova wins cornerkick on run along right end line.
12 min...SJ Nikolic cornerkick from right is over goalie and SJ Cordova falls backwards and can't redirect header at 7 yards on left.
15 min...OBD Ellis and SJ Charles are both injured in collision of heads on right edge of SJ box. Both need trainers.
18 min...OBD player takes quick freekick from 25 yards on right is cleared out left side of box.
21 min...OBD McNamara from 60 yards chips ball down middle over defenders and OBD Ellis times run to get by them onside at 40 yards and chargtes to 30 yards and chips over net.
22 min...OBD Thorpe cross from 25 yards on right bounces out left side of box.
23 min...OBD Roberts quick freekick from 45 yard line on left forward for OBD James and he crosses from 15 yard line is through box unplayed.
24 min...OBD Wilde cornerkick from left has defender on left head away.
25 min...SJ Charles cuts across to middle from 25 yard line on right and shoots 25 yarder down middle well wide right of net.
27 min...OBD Wilde at 40 yards in middle intercepts bad backpass and pushes over to OBD Ellis and he runs forward and 18 yard shot is saved by sprawling goalie.
28 min...OBD Roberts low 22 yard shot on left is into left outside webbing of net.
29 min...OBD Hernandez low 25 yard shot between players up middle is wide left.
33 min...OBD Joshi blasts 20 yarder from left that goalie sprawls to save at 5 yards. Charging OBD Thorpe shoots 12 yard rebound down middle over net.
34 min...SJ Taylor 28 yard shot down middle is over net.
35 min...OBD Roberts 20 yard shot from left is just wide left of net.
36 min...SJ Charles Jia and SJ Cordova on give and go on edge of OBD box doesn't quite work. SJ Nikolic follows up with weak roller from 18 yards to goalie.
37 min...OBD Thorpe is injured in OBD box and needs trainer.
41 min...SJ Michael Jia throw-in from left has SJ Pozo shoot 25 yard roller from left that goalie smothers on left post.
42 min...OBD goalie charges forward to catch SJ Rodney Scarlett 50 yard freekick from left in crowd of players at 15 yards.
42 min...OBD sub...Hendry replaces injured Thorpe.
45 min...OBD Ellis cross from 25 yards on far right is blocked by defender and cleared.
46 min...SJ Charles head ball back to goalie from 25 yards to prevent charging OBD Ellis from getting to ball.
46 min...SJ Nikolic 40 yard freekick from left has defender head away in crowd of players on edge of box.
47 min...OBD YELLOW card...McNamara for tackle on SJ Nikolic at center line.
47 min...half ends 9:49pm.

2nd Half:...starts 10:03pm.
46 min...OBD Joshi at 15 yards on right has defender poke ball away.
47 min...OBD Roberts 25 yard freekick from left has goalie jump and catch on left post.
48 min...SJ Michael Jia taps cetner ing pass and SJ Taylor blasts 28 yarder down middle over net.
49 min...OBD Roberts dribbles up middle and 25 yard shot spins off defender and rolls to goalie.
50 min...OBD Joshi long throw-in from right has defender at 12 yards in middle heads ball away.
52 min...SJ sub...Uyiosa replaces Kayenga.
54 min...SJ Clayton receives short pass from SJ Nikolic and 35 yard shot up middle is wide left.
55 min...SJ Taylor backwards head flick from 12 yards is wide left.
56 min...OBD Ellis 15 yard shot from right end line has goalie smother on right post and survive OBD Wilde slide.
57 min...OBD Ellis is checked off ball at 15 yards on left by SJ Charles while on run into SJ box.
57 min...SJ Cordova on run down left has OBD Hendry poke ball away.
58 min...SJ Nikolic low cornerkick on left has OBD Hendry clear on left side of box.
59 min...SJ sub...Daniel replaces Pozo.
59 min...SJ goalie gets to ball first on back spin and has OBD Wilde flip over him. The play carries on downfield but Wilde doesn't move and needs triner. The players take a water break while he's being treated.
63 min...OBD Hernandez 35 yard freekick from right has SJ Nikolic flick away.
63 min...OBD sub...Roman Young replaces injured Wilde.
64 min...OBD sub...Wright replaces Christian Young.
65 min...OBD Wright long throw-in from left has defender at last second on right post head ball away for cornerkick.
66 min...OBD Hernandez rolls cornerkick from right and OBD McNamara shoots 25 yarder from right just wide left of post.
67 min...OBD Hernandez shot up middle from 22 yard after defender whiffs clearance has gaolie catch on bounce.
67 min...OBD Joshi deflects ball off defender on rush at 18 yards and ball bounces for goalie to grab.
69 min...SJ Michael Jia 35 yard cross from left has goalie step forward to catch in front of players charging into box.
71 min...OBD sub...Uppal replaces Mallom.
73 min...OBD Roman Young run on right and runs in from end line and defender clears his roller.
74 min...OBD Roman Young low 30 yarder up middle between players and wide right of net.
75 min...SJ Taylor 40 yard freekick down middle is cleared on edge of box.
75 min...OBD Joshi can't get by defender on right inside box but wins cornerkick.
76 min...OBD Hernandez cornerkick from right has ball cleared and OBD McNamara at 15 yard shot through crowd of players is stopped.
77 min...OBD Ellis plaows into goalie after he cleared backpass.
77 min...SJ Cordova blasts 40 yarder up middle wide left of net.
78 min...OBD Wright 22 yard low shot from right bounces wide left of post.
79 min...SJ Nikolic 28 yard freekick on right has nearest defender clear.
80 min...OBD Gurjot Uppal GOAL...OBD Shamar Wright takes a long throw-in from the left and Uppal heads an 8 yarder in the middle of the box to top right corner of net with goalie Tayjon Campbell guarding the center of the net in a crowd of players.
82 min...SJ sub...Libaque replaces Clayton.
.........OBD sub...Gramegna replaces Hernandez.
83 min...OBD YELLOW card...Uppal earns it for body check on SJ player at OBD 28 yard line.
84 min...SJ Libaque 25 yard freekick from left has goalie dive forward to catch at 5 yards.
84 min...OBD Ellis 20 yard shot on left bounces between players and goalie catches.
86 min...OBD goalie catches chip at 15 yards and survives SJ player flipping over him.
87 min...OBD defenders survive two chips into box with a blocked shot then a deflection.
88 min...SJ sub...Grant replaces Charles Jia.
90 min...OBD Roman Young is checked off ball in SJ box.
90 min...OBD Wright long throw-in from left has defender flick header through box.
91 min...OBD Roman Young chips 15 yarder that goalie catches after OBD Wright settss him up between defenders.
93 min...game ends 10:52pm.

Final Score:......Sanjaxx Lions..........0..........Oakville Blue Devils........1.......

Attendance was about 35 on this mild and humid night. This was the last home game for Sanjaxx this season. They finish the schedule with three games on the road. They spoiled Oakville's last home game of the season on Sunday with a 2-1 win. It is unusual for the league to schedule a back to back game but this game was postponed from the last weekend in July so all the fans would concentrate on the League Cup Final that weekend even through these two teams weren't involved. I expect the rescheduling to midweek and such a late start cut into the attendance.

Referee Hassane Rifai gave out only two Yellow cards tonight—both to Oakville in a game that was wide open but it did get rough in places. Two OBD players had to be subbed off through injury. Rahim Thorpe was injured in the OBD box at 37 minutes and Macca Wilde flipped over the Sanjaxx goalie at 59 minutes in a collision. OBD Khody Ellis and Lions Nicholas Charles bumped heads at 15 minutes in a collision and both needed a trainer. Those two players (both wearing #16) were shadowing each other all night.

OBD's leading scorer Filipe Velila was serving a suspension for this game for Yellow card accumulation. His 13 goals were certainly missed. Second leading scorer is Khody Ellis with 5 goals. Chris Mitchell was sitting in the crowd as he was Red carded in their last game against FC London.

OBD had a lot of chances in the first half but there was always a last defender to block or poke away the ball.

Mike Constanzo earned the shutout for Oakville with a few key saves.

Best non-scoring chances were at 27 minutes when OBD Macca Wilde at 40 yards in the middle intercepts a poor backpass and pushes the ball over to Khody Ellis and he runs forward and his 18 yard shot was saved by the sprawling goalie. 33 minutes had OBD Hitesh Joshi blasts a 20 yarder from the left that the goalie sprawled to save at 5 yards. OBD Rahim Thorpe charged forward and shot the rebound from 12 yards down the middle but over the net. 65 minutes had OBD Shamar Wright took a long throw-in from the left and a defender at the last second on the right post headed away for a cornerkick. (Wright would be more successful 15 minutes later!).

This was only the third time this season I'd seen each of these teams. If I can get to the Master's FA game I'll have seen all of the men's teams three times minimum. It's the second time this season I've been to Monarch Park. The stadium is part of Monarch Park Collegiate Institute. First time was at the end of May but now the school is suddenly famous for being home to Canadian swimmer Penny Oleksiak who won four medals, including a gold, in August at the Olympic games in Brazil at the age of 16!

The loss drops Sanjaxx to a record of 4 wins, 14 losses, 1 tie for 13 points. That leaves them in seventh place in the eight team Western Conference.

Oakville's win improves their record to 8 wins, 9 losses, 4 ties for 28 points. That's puts them in a tie with Windsor Stars for fifth place in the West. Last year they were the league champs finishing first in the single conference of twelve teams.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Sanjaxx Lions starters