June 21, 2014 League 1 Ontario--Master's FA Saints vs Sigma FC (from League 1 Ontario website)

Master's FA Saints 0 - Sigma FC 5
. Tue Jun 24 
Written By: Rollins, Duane  

Sigma Academy overcame a sluggish first half to score five goals in thirty-four minutes on route 
to a 5-0 win over Masters Academy at L'Amoreaux Field Saturday.

The game was played in exceptionally hot conditions and both sides struggled to find a rhythm 
in the first half. The game was stopped on several occasions as players cramped on the 
hot surface.

Sigma head coach Bobby Smyniotis acknowledged the challenges following the game.

"The biggest thing is you try and keep your focus," he said. "Maybe we didn't have it 
(in first half), we kind of followed the tempo. Call it the weather, call it the conditions, 
but we didn't really have a good, high tempo."

However, the coach stressed the importance of getting back to Sigma's style in the second 
half and playing through the challenges of the weather.

With a lot of overlapping play from the full backs, Sigma got on the front foot and forced 
the issue throughout the second half.

The breakthrough came in the fifty-fifth minute when a Masters giveaway found Mark Anthony 
Gonzalez alone fifteen yards from goal. His quick blast was too much for MFA keeper 
Shane Lopez and it opened the floodgates for a dominating half hour stretch.

Smyniotis gave praise to his players for the way they pushed through. He highlighted the 
play of right fullback Johnny Grant for helping push the tempo.

"He did a lot, and sometimes as a right back people don't notice it," Smyniotis said.

Grant pointed to a full team effort as key to the second half performance. 

"I thought the first half was really slow due to the weather," he said. "We all came out 
in the second and knew we had to pick up our tempo. There was a good thirty minute stretch 
at the end of the game when we played really quickly and created a lot of chances."

Indeed, the chances came fast. After a Emery Welshman blast off the crossbar forced MFA 
to give up a corner, Sigma converted off a Giuliano Frano tap in.

Then two pieces of great skill highlighted the game. Picking up a loose ball at half, 
Alex Halis beat four men before drawing Sane Lopez off his line to slot it home 
in the seventieth minute.

Eight minutes later Frano would complete his brace with a beautiful curling free kick 
from thirty-five yards.

In the eighty-ninth minute, substitute Nolan Holdridge would complete the scoring when 
he converted a three on two counter-attack with a perfect shot to the keeper's far 
right corner.

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