September 3, 2014 League 1 Ontario--Master's FA Saints vs Sigma FC (from League 1 Ontario website)

  
Master's FA Saints 2 - Sigma FC 1
. Thu Sep 4 
Written By: Rollins, Duane  

A late game push by an undermanned Sigma Academy was not enough to overcome Master's Futbol 
Academy Saints last night in League1 Cup play in Vaughan.

The Saints won 2-1, and draw even with Sigma in Group B play. With four clubs within two 
points, all is still left to play for as the L1 Cup enters its final stages.

With many of its players away to their NCAA programs, Sigma's depth was tested last night. 
However, its young line-up illustrated the depth of ability Sigma has in the game's 
opening minutes.  

Playing on the fast surface at the Ontario Soccer Centre, Sigma was forcing the issue 
early. They were especially good at finding space down the flanks. One such run created 
a corner in the game's eighteenth minute.

An in-swinger was perfectly placed to the back post, but MFA keeper Shane Lopez was up 
for the task. He dove bravely to his left to stop Tevin Wynter's blast. A rebound would 
fall straight to the foot of Luca Perez, but his shot couldn't beat Lopez either.

There would be no rest. Another rebound was gathered by Nolan Holdridge but his 
eighteen-yard attempt was tipped over for another corner. That corner was collected 
by Lopez and those back-to back-to-back saves swung the game's momentum 
one-hundred-and-eighty degrees.

It was as if MFA believed their keeper couldn't be beat. Suddenly, they pushed forward 
and just four minutes later a perfect cross from the far right touchline sailed forty 
yards from Alex Dimitriu's foot to Marcus Malcom's. The run was as perfect as the pass 
and it was a simple tap-in from there.

After five minutes of pressure, MFA would strike again. Only Malcom himself knows 
whether he was trying to cross the ball or chip the keeper, but either way a tight 
angle effort from nearly the left corner flag somehow managed to elude the keeper's 
fingertips, and find its way into the opposite corner.

Up 2-0, MFA tightened things up. Although Sigma would have lots of possession for 
the rest of the half (and through nearly forty minutes of the second half as well), 
MFA effectively kept them wide. Time and time again Lopez would prove brave in the 
box by gathering crosses under pressure.

With just five minutes to play it looked impossible for Sigma.  However, substitute 
Lucus Ferritto had a different view. After stealing the ball at midfield he ran twenty 
yards straight at the MFA box. At the left hand top of the box he unleashed a driving, 
curling beauty that sailed perfectly into the left corner of goal.

It re-charged the game and set-up a frantic finish.

With Sigma throwing men forward and the MFA back-line tiring, it was once again 
up to Lopez. And, once again Lopez had an answer. No fewer than five times Sigma put 
dangerous balls into the box, and on each occasion they found the stable hands 
of Lopez, who steered MFA to a hard fought 2-1 victory.

back to League 1 Ontario 2014 menu

.

.