Wed June 1, 2016 League 1 Ontario L1O Cup 1st Round--Sigma FC vs Masters Futbol (from League 1 Ontario website)

Masters Send Sigma Crashing Out Of L1 Cup After Penalties
06/03/2016, 5:00pm EDT
By League1 Ontario staff

First in the west Sigma FC hosted sixth in the east Masters FA Saints in the 
final first round men's L1 Cup match-up, and it was the hosts that would 
be hanging their heads at the whistle.

"We did tie up the game, and probably created another four or five good 
opportunities, but when you don't take those opportunities it usually 
comes back to haunt you," said Sigma head coach, Bobby Smyrniotis. 
"When it went to penalties, it was an open game again."

Giant killers Masters will now proceed to the second round following 
the penalty tiebreaker after both sides were deadlocked 1-1 at the 
end of regular time.

Masters Isaiah Page (34') put the visitors on the board first, but 
Sigma's Marcel Zajac (65') levelled the score with under a half hour 
to go. Masters showed great focus and defensive resiliency in the 
second frame, keeping out a Sigma side that maintained possession 
but just couldn't carve out a finish aside from Zajac's penalty.

"In the second half we were trying to ensure that we didn't give 
up any space defensively," said Masters technical director, 
Junior Groves.  

"If they were going to beat us they would have to beat us on angles, 
and so we played narrow across the back. Unfortunately we conceded 
a penalty, but we just continued to play on and ultimately we got 
the result."

Sigma's Alex Halis started the penalties for Sigma, but hammered 
his effort off the top right corner crossbar and post joiner.

The two teams traded efforts before Masters' Hoshovskyj and Zajac 
underhit their penalties and were saved. Everything came down 
to the ninth penalty by Sigma's Mrabure, which he sent high and 
off target. 

"I thought it was an interesting game from the beginning 
to be honest," concluded Smyrniotis. "The opponent had some very 
good chances in the first half and went up one nil, 
and rightfully so."

"We created a lot of chances but weren't sharp around the goal. 
When we look at the second half we can see that we controlled 
the tempo and pace but it didn't turn into what we wanted."

Masters will meet Toronto Skillz in the second round of the 
L1 Cup on June 21 (6:30 pm) at L'Amoreaux. 

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