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Match Recap: TFC III 1 - 4 Sigma FC

By League1 Ontario staff, 05/09/17, 10:30AM EDT

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Toronto FC III hosted Sigma FC on Sunday at Kia Training Grounds in what has become one of the league's top men's derbies.

In this edition, TFC III were on the wrong end of the result, with Sigma's Johnny Grant (32', 83') getting a brace en route to a 4-1 win.

Sigma scored early, with first half goals from Duran Lee (14') and Grant giving the visitors a comfortable lead to defend.

TFC's Malik Johnson (36') pulled one back before the break, but Sigma's Jordan Kalonji (49') and Grant registered in the second half to finish the contest with a scoreline that didn't tell the full tale of an on-field chess match.

"I wouldn't say it was a 4-1 game," said TFC III head coach, Danny Dichio.

"If you look at the whole game, I think the contest was a lot closer than that."

"Sigma did very well at punishing us at critical times and on the counter to that we got chances and we didn't put our chances away that we had."

"We had a lot of possession of the ball, Sigma defended very deep, did a good job tactically. The effort was there, the application was... I can't fault the players. It was just one of those days today where we have to take it on the chin and move forward. That's football for you."


Johnny Grant, Sigma FC (Photo: Martin Bazyl)

Head coach Bobby Smyrniotis felt the result against TFC was a result of detailed preparation by the technical staff, and a near flawless execution of a the game-plan by the players in a match that at times became quite physical.

"We always start off with a tactical plan, and each game is a little bit different," he said. 

"This one is a very unique game because we're coming in here to play a team that is very fit and that move very well. We scouted them very well and I thought the game-plan in the first half, in particular, worked very well for us."

"At this time of the season we just try and keep our guys tactically astute particularly as everyone is still getting their legs back into full matches."

"Toronto FC did a good job to start the second half by putting us into our end and sometimes in those situations you start to go into a few more challenges, and both teams did," he added. 

"The one thing we do ask of our guys, and we have some more experienced guys out there, is to handle those time periods in the game and use them to our advantage when we can get going, which I think we did quite a bit in the second half." 


(Photo: Martin Bazyl)

TFC III made a number of changes to the squad from their opening day 6-0 result over FC London, which Dichio explained had everything to do with the club's player pipeline.

"The philosophy of the club is that if players are not playing in the first team, than they have to play at the USL level," he said. 

"If they are not playing there with TFC II, then they have to play at the TFC III level."

"That's the philosophy of the club that we adhere by, and that's why you saw some players brought into the team today that need minutes as part of their development."

"We have to rotate, especially if players are coming down from TFC II and have to play minutes. It's very important for their development."

TFC III next play Oakville Blue Devils on Sunday May 14 at Sheridan Trafalgar Campus, Oakville.

Sigma FC next play Pro Stars FC on Friday May 12 at Terry Fox Stadium, Brampton.