July 16, 2023 League1 Ontario...Blue Devils FC vs Hamilton United game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Sunday July 16, 2023 League1 Ontario Men's Premier Division game between Blue Devils FC
and Hamilton United at Sheridan College in Oakville at 4:00pm.

Blue Devils FC (all navy uniforms, white numbers)

......................1 Erick Hermanns
2 Andra Neptune...4 Patrick Perriel...24 Dubem Obilo...21 Abraham Jones
........19 James Lima...11 Gianluca Spadafora...12 Samer Hamade
.......10 Brandon Duarte (cpt)...6 Adam Czerkawski...7 Mathew Santos

Subs:...26 Taylor Miskolczi (gk)...3 Elijah Wanlass...8 Aziah Reid...13 Damion Kaye
...15 Marcus Riviere...17 Noah MacIntyre...20 Damola Akanni...23 Matthew McGrouther
...25 Ethan Miskolczi
team officials:...team head coach Duncan Wilde...assistant coaches Billy Steele and Glenn McNamara
...manager Kim Ashton

Hamilton United (all orange uniforms, white numbers)

.....................1 Ethan Cagalj
16 Jacob Geyer...5 Riel Carol...22 Abass Ajibade...21 Elijah Smith
.........8 Ideal Shefqeti (cpt)...24 Gideon Waja...7 Elton Nyumah
.........14 Donan Bequri...15 Mujtaba Ameen...11 Jamu Iluya

Subs:...25 Marco Ferrusi (gk)...3 Damiano Refosco...4 Dimitrios Nikolaidis...6 Mahmood Rehman
...10 Noah Dedomincis...18 Stefan Jokanovic...19 Caleb Kemper...23 Alban Boci
team officials:...team head coach Karman Derayeh...assistant coach Andrew Derayeh

Game officials:...referee Kevin McEleney...referee's assistants Vasyl Dzikh and John Leuser
...fourth official Najeeb Almasri...(chartreuse socks and shirts, black shorts)

First Half:...game starts 3:59pm...Blue Devils defend north end on this hot and humid after with a bright sun in the west.
1 min...BD Duarte long run up left side to end line and low cross through 6 yard box is unplayed.
2 min...BD Santos low 40 yarder up middle bounces to goalie.
3 min...Ham Waja low 25 yarder up middle has diving goalie push ball wide left.
4 min...Ham Ameen high cornerkick from left is over players in box and bounces for throw-in.
11 min...HU Elton Nyumah GOAL...Nyumah steals ball off last BD defender back Patrick Perriel and on breakaway up the
slight left runs in from 55 yards and from 12 yards as he's being caught by retreating defenders shoots low and under
diving goalie Erik Hermanns to right corner of net.
14 min...Ham defender pops header back to goalie to break up BD play.
16 min...BD Hamade is finally noticed to be injured at BD 50 yard line and needs trainer. Players on both teams take a water break.
18 min...BD Jones run to left end line and crosses over box. BD Hamade low cross from right is cleared by defender.
20 min...Ham Iluya breaks in from center line up left and BD Perriel ends up catching him and poking ball away at 15 yards.
21 min...BD Czerkawski heads a pop up from 15 yards that goalie catches in crowd of players on edge of 6 yard box.
22 min...Ham Nyumah rush up left and caught from behind at 20 yards before getting shot away.
23 min...BD goalie catches cross sent in from 25 yards on left.
24 min...A water break is called.
26 min...play resumes.
27 min...Ham goalie catches chip from 40 yards a step in front of charging BD Lima.
28 min...BD Santos chips through players from 40 yards in front of charging BD Czerkawski for goalie to make catch.
31 min...Ham Waja low 20 yard freekick from slight left is blocked in player wall.
31 min...Ham Carol pokesl ball to Ham Waja who gets shot from 6 yards on right blocked by sliding defender and goalie on near post.
32 min...BD Santos pass from 45 yards on left is to open BD Lima on right at 20 yards and he shoots wide right.
35 min...BD goalie gets to ball near edge of box before Ham Iluya can get to it on pass to left.
36 min...BD Santos low 30 yard shot down middle is smothered by goalie.
37 min...BD Jones run to left end line and cross to BD Santos who can't turn header at 12 yards.
38 min...HU Nyumah rushes in on break and is tripped up by defenders.
Referee Kevin McEleney gives the BD goalie a Yellow card and awards HU a Penalty kick. The trainer is out to treat Nyumah
who'd been knocked over the end line in the collision.
39 min...HU Jama Iluya shoots Penalty kick low and wide right of the post. The goalie had dived the right way.
43 min...Ham YELLOW card...Bequiri earns it for tackle on BD Duarte at BD 35 yard line.
44 min...BD Spadafora heads ball downfield at 20 yards on left wide left of net.
46 min...Ham Bequir 25 yard freekick from right bends for goalie to catch.
47 min...BD Jones bends 25 yarder from left that goalie catches.
48 min...BD Santos 30 yard freekick up middle hits head in player wall and is cleared.
49 min...BD player's 22 yard freekick on right end line drops into 6 yard box and is cleared.
49 min...half ends 4:48pm.

Second Half:...starts 5:04pm.
Halftime sub:...BD Riviere replaces Santos.
......................BD Akanni replaces Spadafora.
46 min...BD Duarte 25 yard freekick from right has BD Hamade flick 5 yard header off left post deflected to goalie who pushes
to left for Ham freekick call.
47 min...BD Duarte and Ham Shefqeti are called for head bump. Both players need trainers at Ham 50 yard line. Both players
are captains.
49 min...BD Jones long throw-in from left has BD Duarte called for pushing to get to ball in 6 yard box.
51 min...BD Akanni fakes a few crosses until he reaches left end line and 15 yard cross is caught by goalie on near post.
53 min...BD Czerkawski receives pass up right and rolls ball forward. BD Duarte takes 10 yard shot into outside webbing of net.
54 min...HU Elton Nyumah GOAL...HU Donan Beqiri crosses from 20 yards along right endline has Nyumah flick header
from 5 yards forward into top left side of net.
54 min...Ham YELLOW card...Nyumah earns it for rushing into the fourth row of the stands to kiss his girlfriend!
56 min...BD Czerkawski pops cross from 22 yards over net from 6 yards.
57 min...BD YELLOW card...Czerkawski earns it for complaining about BD being awarded a freekick 50 yards away.
58 min...BD Obilo 50 yard freekick from middle bounces to goalie unplayed by BD players waiting on edge of box.
59 min...Ham sub...Dedomincis replaces Bequiri.
............Ham sub...Rehman replaces Ameen.
61 min...Ham player taps to Ham Rehamn who shoot low and wide right.
61 min...BD sub...MacIntyre replaces Lima.
62 min...BD Perriel 55 yard high chip bounces to goalie.
62 min...Ham YELLOW card...Rehaman earns it for midair kick that almost hits defender who ran into play at 10 yards
on right side of BD box.
63 min...Ham Nyumah had chance to chip goalie and skies it to right side of box.
64 min...BD MacIntyre chips 40 yarder from right that BD Czerkawski flicks 12 yard header wide right in box that
Ham goalie waits for pressure before diving on it.
66 min...Ham Iluya ends pressure by knocking ball over end line trying to deke defenders. BD goalie was trapped at 20 yards
trying to make clearance.
67 min...BD sub...Kaye replaces Neptune.
68 min...A water break is called.
69 min...Ham sub...Kemper replaces Nyumah before restart.
70 min...BD sub...Miskolczi replaces Jones.
71 min...BD Kaye crosses over box from right. BD Akanni chips 18 yarder from left well wide right of goal.
71 min...BD YELLOW card...Kaye earns it for bumping over defender as he muscled his way into right side of box.
74 min...BD Duarte 30 yard cross has sliding BD Riviere on right not able to redirect shot on right post at 5 yards.
75 min...Ham YELLOW card...Kemper earns it for pull down of BD Riviere at BD 20 yard line.
76 min...BD Kaye can't win Penalty kick trying to get by Ham Carol for second time.
76 min...BD Duarte 22 yard shot on far left is caught by goalie on near post.
77 min...BD Kaye turns around defender to get 12 yard shot that goalie catches in middle of net.
79 min...BD Duarte low 30 yard shot is caught by goalie.
81 min...BD Czerkawski on run down left is broken up by him rolling a centering cross that hits heel of retreating defender.
82 min...BD Akanni cross from left is over Ham box.
83 min...BD MacIntyre cornerkick from left has defender flick header on near post over players in box.
84 min...BD defender gets foot out to break up Ham Dedomincis pass to Ham Iluya in center near edge of box.
85 min...BD Akanni cross from left cornerflag has BD Riviere on right head back across box but play is broken up.
86 min...BD MacIntyre cornerkick from left has Ham Shefqeti head ball away in 6 yard box.
88 min...HU Jamu Iluya wins a Penalty kick when BD Dubem Obilo bumps him over on run into box.
89 min...HU Idea Shefqeti GOAL...Shefqeti hop-steps and skips on his approach then shoots Penalty kick to right side
of net as goalie dives left.
92 min...BD Brandon Duarte GOAL...Duarte intercepts clearance at 40 yards and blasts 30 yarder from slight left into
top right corner beating the reach of goalie Ethan Cagalj.
94 min...BD Czerkawski wins cornerkick on 28 yard shot that deflects off defender which goalie catches but already over end line.
94 min...BD MacIntyre cornerkick from left. BD Riviere has whiff on his pop up bicycle kick at 8 yards. BD Duarte
lofts 10 yarder wide left of goal.
95 min...game ends 5:54pm.

Final Score:....Blue Devils FC........1.......Hamilton United.......3........

Attendance was about 110 on this sunny, hot and humid late afternoon. That was about the same amount as were here for the L1O Women's game which had about 5 minutes to go when I arrived. A miserable day for Blue Devils fans as they lost to London City 3-0.

I was sure I saw Lucas Birnstingl when I first got here and expected him to be the starting goalie for the Men's Blue Devils team as he's been for many years. Manager Kim Ashton said he's retired. OK must have been recently as he was the starter when I drove here in the second week of the season. I thought she said he was 35 (soccer sites say he's 33) and she said he's helping with their youth programs and I know he has a goalie academy. I'm thinking there's a good chance he trained his own replacement. Erik Hermanns (1999), let's go. Maybe Birnstingl left today after the Women's game.

Hamilton was the only team I hadn't seen this season. They finished ninth last season with a 10-10-1 record for 31 points. Ok this year they were struggling and there's worries they may not make the Top 12 Division split coming at the end of this season and 2023 game points weighted 25% more than 2022 results in the two season/combined points that will determine who survives the Premier Division.

You couldn't tell today there was any trouble with Hamilton today, coming in to play a team that was see-sawing every week for first place with the back and forth of whoever plays the earliest on the weekend.

I saw a Hamilton play where there were three different players backheeling a pass to work the ball downfield for a clearer shot. Jamu Iluya had a way to avoid constant offside calls as he'd keep walking back to be onside and not turn if the ball was sent down the field again but let a teammate get it then turn around and be a passing option.

Hamilton had a backline of Jacob Geyer, Riel Carol, Abass Ajibade, and Elijah Smith. Head coach Kamran Derayeh told me after the game that they were actually four midfielders but the team has had to adapt as many in the squad have returned to school leaving roster spaces open. They played well with headers of crosses to clear the box and key blocks to protect goalie Ethan Cagalj.

Blue Devils had a lot of unforced errors like passing too soon or sending it over the end line or shooting without being close enough for a serious shot. Adam Czerkawski is co-leading scorer of the league with 14 goals but today was almost invisible. I remember he was a tall defender back in the pre-Covid years of championship Masters FA where he'd only come up to the front to try to head in a cornerkick. Tomasz Skublak (whom I watched yesterday tie him with two goals for Scrosoppi FC) is the other goalscoring leader. Captain Brandon Duarte was the only one putting in dangerous shots, cornerkicks, and crosses today.

Referee Kevin McEleney gave out six Yellow cards (two to Blue Devils) plus the two Penalty kick calls for Hamilton. I changed where I was sitting for the second half to a more neutral location as the Blue Devils parents and friends were complaining about every call. Those pregame announcements about respecting the officials are ignored but they aren't the only team supporters that does it.

Hamilton's Elton Nyumah took the best Yellow card ever when after he scored his second goal he ran into the stands and up to the fourth row to kiss a woman. I asked her after the game if it was unexpected “Yes” and it wasn't her birthday. Now I wonder why he waited to his second goal?

The loss was only the second for the Blue Devils this season (although the second in three weeks) and first loss at home. Their record drops to 10 wins, 2 losses, 3 ties for 33 points. They'd only allowed 11 goals against this season until today. They are in second place (by the time I got home and opened up my computer, all the games of the weekend were over). Combined with last year's second place finish, they locked up a spot in the 2024 Premier Division (the top 12 teams) weeks ago but are in a race for home field advantage and a possible bye in the playoff battles of the top six teams this season. Winner of the playoff championship will be the L1O representative in the Canadian Championship next season.

Hamilton's record improves to 5 wins, 6 losses, 3 ties for 18 points. The final playoff spot is currently held by Sigma FC with 24 points. Sigma often has problems starting about now as their student players return to NCAA schools about now and the team in previous years finishes with a teenage roster often getting squeezed out of the playoffs or knocked out in the early rounds.

More important for Hamilton is surviving in the Premier Division as with this weekend's results they now have 41.25 points for the 2022/2023 weighted/combined table which is the same as Burlington SC who played two games this week, Thursday and two hours after the Hamilton game started and they earned two ties so they also have 41.25 points but have played two more games. A huge showdown comes Sunday August 6 when they have to visit Burlington for this season's game.

Those two teams are above the fourteenth place team by 7.50 points but as coach Derayeh pointed out, Woodbridge and Sigma are still catchable. Woodbrige ended up winning tonight and is 3.50 points ahead and Sigma had the bye week of the twenty-one teams this season stay at 47.25 points.

Hey with today I can say I've seen all twenty-one teams in the league at least once. It took 14 weeks and 24 games to see them all. A bit slow this year because of all the CPL York United FC and MLS NEXT Pro Toronto FC II games I attend usually knocks out every second Friday or Sunday. I also have interviews with 20 of the 21 coaches including today. Now what? I'm only six teams out from seeing every team at least twice so it might be possible.

My interview with Hamilton United head coach Karman Derayeh (6 minutes, 11 seconds)

Your thoughts on today's game?
Where do most of your players come from?
Do some of those student players come from McMaster?
What are you getting out of your agreement newly signed with CPL Forge FC?
All good except losing 2022 L1O leading scorer Miles Green to Sigma?
What thrill must it be for your team to play double headers at Tim Horton's Field?
How important is it for Hamilton to survive in the Premier Division for next season?
I tell him how Forge head coach Bobby Smyrniotis downplayed the Premier Division.
Do you have a 'no earring' policy for players this year?

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

Blue Devils FC starters