Alexandria PBFC – Gulf Coast Premier League https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com The premier soccer league of the gulf coast. Thu, 11 Jul 2019 14:51:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.3.20 https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cropped-New-GCPL-Logo-32x32.png Alexandria PBFC – Gulf Coast Premier League https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com 32 32 Week 9 Recaps: BOCA and Krewe secure playoffs spots in the West; Motagua keeps their hopes alive; Tallahassee stays on top in the East https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/week-9-recaps/ Tue, 09 Jul 2019 20:00:30 +0000 https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/?p=4338

Eastern Conference

After a last minute venue change due to rainy weather, Tallahassee SC faced off against Hattiesburg FC at Gene Cox Stadium on Saturday night. The men from Tallahassee had a lot of pressure on their shoulders going into this matchup because they needed a win to clinch a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. All hopes of making the playoffs were lost for HFC, however, as they were in dead last going into this game with a 2-1-5 record. Even though Hattiesburg was in last place, they played as if they had something to prove and came out with every intention to win. Both clubs played tremendous defensive for most of the first half but Tallahassee’s Jonny Fitzgerald was able to slide on past HFC’s keeper in the 46th minute to give the Lions a 1-0 lead going into halftime. Fitzgerald’s late first half goal would hold as the only goal of the game and Tallahassee would go on to clinch a playoff spot with their 1-0 victory over Hattiesburg FC.

AFC Mobile played at home on Saturday night against Pensacola FC in a game that had a lot at stake for the club from Alabama. AFC needed to defeat Pensacola to secure a playoff position in the Eastern Conference standings, while Pensacola was already eliminated from playoff contention. The first half was off to an intense start as both sides came out with fire under their feet. Both clubs had plenty of opportunities to add a goal to the score sheet in the first forty five minutes of the match, but neither team could get one to go as the scoreline would remain at 0-0 going into halftime. There were no goals scored in the match until a penalty kick was awarded to Mobile after Sam Blackburn was taken down in the box by a Pensacola defender in the 51st minute. Arad Lev-Ari eyed the penalty kick and slotted the ball home to give AFC the 1-0 lead they were looking for with 38 minutes left in regulation time. Lev-Ari would score another goal in the 76th minute that would extend the Mobile lead to 2-0 late in the match. Pensacola would finish the game strong and put a goal in the back of the net with a header off a corner kick by Lyuboslav Vitanov in the 87th minute to cut the Mobile lead to one goal. AFC went into a defensive formation towards the very end and they were able to hold onto the 2-1 lead over Pensacola FC to clinch a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Port City FC’s playoff hopes were hanging on a thread come Saturday night as they hosted the third place Gulf Coast Rangers at Herbert Wilson Stadium. The defending champions needed two things to go their way in the Western Conference standings if they wanted to reach the playoffs in back to back seasons. The first thing the Sounders needed to do was beat the men from Gulf Coast and the second thing they needed was for AFC Mobile to lose to Pensacola FC. Unfortunately for Port City, they did their part in beating the Rangers, but AFC Mobile was able to hold off Pensacola at home. The Sounders came away with a 4-3 victory over the Rangers in a dramatic game that was action packed till the very end. The game started in Gulf Coast’s favor as David Hall put the Ranger’s up by one in the 8th minute after slotting the ball home past the Sounders keeper. In the 33rd minute, the Sounders evened the match at 1-1 with a pin-point header from Felipe Madreo. A minute later, in the 34th minute, Port City extended their lead with another goal from Felipe Madreo who took one touch at the top of the box and fired it into the net to take a 2-1 lead. The halftime score came with the Sounders still leading the Rangers 2-1. in the second half, the game was eventually equalized after the Rangers scored on a penalty kick in the 54th minute. It didn’t take long for Port City regain the lead, however, as Tylor Davis scored off a perfect pass from Cavan Doherty near the top of the box in the 59th minute. In the 88th minute, Michael Cooper added to the Sounders lead with a shot low and away that found it’s way past the Rangers keeper. Gulf Coast would score one more goal before the game was finally over but it wouldn’t be enough to defeat the Sounders.

Central Conference

In a battle for first place in the Central Conference standings, Northshore United made the short journey south to Pan American Stadium on Saturday to take on FC New Orleans. Immediately after the first kickoff whistle was blown, the fans could tell that the game was going to have a playoff feel to it. As the first half progressed the players became more physical and emotions began to run high. The referee had no choice but to hand out multiple yellow cards to both teams to regain control of the game. Both clubs had equal opportunities to score in the first forty-five minutes of play but the first half would end in a 0-0 tie. At the start of the second half, Northshore made some key substitutions and came out applying heavy pressure on the New Orleans defense. United’s aggressive style of play would eventually pay off in the 85th minute after Adam Zulli finds Zachery Breaux on the sixth yard line for a tap in goal that would give Northshore a late 1-0 lead. Breaux’s goal would propel Northshore to a clean sheet 1-0 victory over FC New Orleans, giving the club from NOLA their first loss of the season.

Baton Rouge United hosted Mississippi Blues SC in their last home game of the season at Olympia Stadium in Louisiana on Saturday night. Leading up to the matchup, Baton Rouge United had lost every single game they had been a part of but they were determined to end the season with a bang. In the first half, Cole Hatier opened the scoring for Baton Rouge with a goal in just the 8th minute of the contest. Caleb Cretini followed suit with another first half goal for the club from Louisiana in the 23rd minute. United would add to the score sheet with their third goal of the match after Sidney Chenevert found the back of the net in the 47th minute. Sidney’s goal was followed by another Baton Rouge goal in the 52nd minute from Seth Ward. Not long after Seth’s goal, Zayne Zezulka would make it 5-0 Baton Rouge with a terrific shot that rolled past the Blues keeper. The goals would continue to pour in for United as they would make it a 6-0 game in the 73rd minute but the Blues would finally respond with a goal of their own in the 76th minute that would prevent them from getting shutout. Each team would score one more goal before the final whistle was blown and the game would end in a surprising 7-2 victory for the club from Baton Rouge.

In a game full of late second half action, Gaffa FC hosted Motagua New Orleans in a thrilling matchup at Freedom Ridge Stadium in Jackson, Mississippi. Motagua was facing elimination on Saturday night as they needed a road win against Gaffa to keep their playoff vision alive. In a stale first half, both goalkeepers held their ground and neither club was able to put any points on the board. After the first forty-five minutes of play, the scoreline would remain at 0-0. Most of the second half saw similar results until Motagua’s Kenroy Rodriguez ended the 0-0 drought with a phenomenal goal in the 80th minute to put New Orleans on top with a one goal lead. Towards the end of the game, in stoppage time, both clubs were able to sneak one last goal into the back of the net before the game was over, but in the end, Gaffa FC proved to be no match for New Orleans. Motagua would go on to defeat the men from Jackson in a much needed 2-1 victory, keeping their playoff hopes intact.

Western Conference

Over the weekend, Boca Knights FC tried to keep their number one spot atop the table in the Western Conference as they played against Cajun SC at LUS Fiber Stadium in Lafayette, Louisiana. Unfortunately, Cajun SC’s chances of making the playoffs were already diminished before the game even started, but that didn’t stop them from leaving everything they had on the field. The back and forth match opened with a goal from Abdullah Rayyan in the 32nd minute, giving the Knights a one goal lead early on. The Knight would hold their 1-0 lead going into halftime. At the start of the second half, Cajun SC would find some offensive momentum of their own with a great goal from Austin Clause in the 50th minute that would tie the contest at 1-1. Twenty minutes later, Guilherme Fao Martins gave the Knights their second lead of the game with a well placed shot that found it’s way past the Cajun keeper in the 70th minute. Determined to fight back, the club from Lafayette again responded with a goal of their own after Brandon Briscoe scored in the 75th minute, evening the game at 2-2. The last fifteen minutes of the game was plagued with fouls as the referee handed out three yellow cards to three different Cajun SC players before the final whistle was blown. There was plenty of late game excitement but the match would end in a 2-2 tie, leaving Boca with one point instead of the three they were hoping for.

Louisiana Krewe needed a win on the road against the Central Texas Lobos at Bob Shelton Stadium on Saturday night to stay in the playoff hunt in the Western Conference. The Krewe would get their win and go on to shutout the Lobos in a well deserved 5-0 victory. Adrian Olivaras Rodriguez was hands down the man of the match for the Louisiana Krewe as he scored four goals in under ten minutes in the first half of action alone. Adrian started his scoring drive off with a nifty goal from point blank range in the 31st minute after a nice assist from one of his teammates. His second goal of the game came in the 35th minute off a header from a corner kick that bounced past the Lobos keeper and into the back of the net. Two minutes later, in the 37th minute, Adrian would score for a third time after a soft shot off a save from the Lobos keeper right in front of the goal. Adrian would score his fourth and final goal of the match right after his third one in the 38th minute to give the LA Krewe a sturdy 4-0 lead before the halftime whistle was blown. At the start of the second half, the Krewe would add one more goal to their already large lead after Mauricio Andres Rancel buried one in the 54th minute to take a 5-0 lead over Central Texas. The scoreline would remain at 5-0 throughout the rest of the second half and Louisiana Krewe would walk away with a clean sheet victory the Lobos.

Alexandria PBFC traveled to Cargill Park on Saturday night to go to war against a team that hasn’t won a game all season, Shreveport United. To everyone’s surprise, Shreveport ended the first half with a one goal lead after a goal in the 19th minute from Thomas Sanford who scored off a well placed shot that flew past the Pool Boys keeper. United would continue the goal scoring in the second half with a goal in the 51st minute from Gary McCormick that would give Shreveport a solid 2-0 lead. The men from Shreveport extended their lead to three goals after Sanford scored another superb goal in the 78th minute. Even though the Pool Boys were down 3-0, they never back down from a challenge and Matthew Young would net his first goal of the season in the 83rd minute, cutting the United lead to 3-1. Alexandria’s last minute efforts would fail and they would go on to lose the game in a tough 3-1 defeat, giving Shreveport their very first win of the season.

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Week 8 Recap: Louisiana Krewe dethrones Alexandria PBFC; FC New Orleans stays undefeated; Tallahassee SC stays on top o the east https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/week-8-recap/ Tue, 02 Jul 2019 20:00:51 +0000 https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/?p=4318

Eastern Conference

In the second leg of the Forgotten Coast Cup, AFC Mobile traveled to Herbert Wilson Stadium on Saturday to take on Port City FC. After losing to the Azaleas in the first leg, the Sounders came away with a win in this one in a scoreline of 2-1. Missing Jordan Hall in the attack due to suspension, Port City relied on Micheal Cooper to get the job done. Cooper took to the challenge and ended up scoring both of the Sounders goals. To start the contest, both teams came out on the offensive with great ball moment and possession, but neither team could find the back of the net as the first half ended in 0-0. At the start of the second half, in the 47th minute, the Sounders took the lead after a cross was sent into the box that found the head of Cooper who directed the ball right at Mobile’s keeper, forcing the goalie to make a big save. Cooper followed up his header to get the rebound and buried the ball into the high corner of the goal, making it 1-0 Port City. In the 60th minute, a penalty was awarded to AFC. Chisom Ogbonna stepped up to the ball and booted it out of the keepers reach to tie match 1-1. The last goal of the came only a few minutes later when Cooper slotted the ball into the far post to give the Sounder the late 2-1 lead. The end of the match was a defensive battle for Port City as they were able to hold onto their lead and take the second leg of the Forgotten Coast Cup.

Tallahassee SC tied Pensacola FC in an exciting matchup at Ashton Brosnaham Stadium on Saturday night that ended in a 1-1 draw. Even though the match ended in a draw, the Battle Lions were still able to walk away with a point and stay in first place in the Eastern Conference with two games left to play in the regular season. The intense matchup saw only two goals in the full ninety minutes of action with Tallahassee SC striking first after Pete Love took advantage of a penalty kick in the 37th minute. Tallahassee’s first half PK gave them a 1-0 lead going into the second half. Unfortunately for the Battle Lions, Pensacola FC collected themselves at halftime and responded with a spectacular equalizing goal from Gareth Green in the 66th minute. Green’s game tying goal would end the match in a 1-1 draw, giving both teams one point a piece in the Conference standings. Tallahassee SC didn’t secure the win they were looking for, but they were able to secure the outright lead in the Eastern Conference.

In a stalemate of a match, the Gulf Coast Rangers made the journey to Crusader Field on Saturday to test their skills against Hattiesburg FC. In a well contested first half, HFC got the ball rolling in the 20th minute with an outstanding goal from Paul Bracken. Paul’s goal would stand as the only goal in the match going into halftime. In the second half, the match would begin to open up as Hattiesburg’s James Cooper found the back of the net for the second goal of the game for HFC. After trailing 2-0 with 25 minutes left in regulation time, the Rangers decided it was time for a late second half comeback. Calum Kearney started off the scoring rally off for Gulf Coast with a goal in the 84th minute. The momentum gained from Calum’s goal was used to tie the game in stoppage time as Matt McArthur blasted a shot past the Hattiesburg keeper, ending the match in a stunning 2-2 tie.

Central Conference

In this week’s Game of the Week, FC New Orleans took on Motagua New Orleans at Tad Gormly Stadium for the second Big Easy matchup of the season. Going into this game, both of these New Orleans clubs were tied with 15 points in the Central Conference standings. The only thing that was keeping Motagua from taking second place from FC New Orleans was the 22 to 23 goal differential. This NOLA matchup was off to an electric start with Motagua’s Kenroy Rodriguez striking first for the Blue Eagles with a goal in the 11th minute to give his team a 1-0 lead. As the match went on, FC New Orleans was able to tie the game in the 31st minute with a nice goal from Jesus Benitez. After a well fought first half, the halftime score remained at 1-1 and both teams headed to the locker room to regroup for the second half. FC New Orleans would open the second half with a goal in the 58th minute to take a 2-1 lead, but Motagua would respond with a quick goal in the 60th minute to tie the game up again. Determined to be the best soccer club from NOLA, FC New Orleans took over the rest of the game with another goal from Jesus Benitez in the 76th minute and a goal from Gilberto Dominguez in the 87th minute. These two goals would put FC New Orleans on top by a score of 4-2 and they would go on to win and secure the second place spot in the Central division.

Saturday’s match between Baton Rouge United and Northshore United was canceled due to weather, but the I-12 rivalry was rescheduled and renewed on Tuesday night. At Olympia Stadium in Baton Rouge, Northshore United was looking to secure three more points and to stay atop the table in the Central Conference. Northshore opened the match with a goal almost immediately after the starting whistle was blown. Just two minutes into the game, Tony Judice found the back of the net off a free kick that put the men from Covington up 1-0. Baton Rouge put up an outstanding fight for the rest of the game, but they could never put one past the Northshore keeper. Even though Northshore was able to hold onto the number one seed and win the game in a final score of 1-0, Baton Rouge never gave up and they stuck it out until the very end.

In the annual Sippi Cup at Clinton High School Stadium, Mississippi Blues SC hosted Gaffa FC in a thrilling matchup between neighboring teams. The weather was overcast but the players and coaches were ready to go once the kickoff whistle was blown. Gaffa FC came out of the gate aggressive and took an early 1-0 lead in the 3rd minute after Thomas McCraney stripped a shot down the right side of the net with no one around him, leaving the Blues keeper frozen. Gaffa FC took a 2-0 lead before the first half ended in the 41st minute when Craig McCabe fired a shot on goal that was deflected into the top right corner of the net by the Blues goalie. The Mississippi Blue’s struggled to get their offense going in this one and ended up getting shut out by the men from Jackson in a tough 2-0 loss.

Western Conference

Trying to keep their playoff hopes alive, Cajun SC hosted Central Texas Lobos at LUS Fiber Stadium on Saturday night. The match was off to a fast start with the Lobos drawing first blood in the 4th minute of the game after Daniel Dominguez slotted the ball home, past the Cajun SC keeper. Even though Central Texas was off to a great start, their offense began to dwindle as the match went on. Cajun SC capitalized on the Lobos dwindling offense with an equalizing goal from Josh Hughes in the 30th minute. The scoreline would remain at 1-1 going into halftime. The second half saw a lot of back and forth action, however, as both teams fought hard for a chance to take the lead. With heavy legs and no more substitutions, the club from Lafayette was finally able to break the tie in the 76th minute as Kade Kling buried one in the back of the net, ending the match in a much needed 2-1 victory for Cajuns SC.

Alexandria PBFC gets dominated by Louisiana Krewe at home over the weekend in a shocking 6-2 defeat. The loss puts the Pool Boys in third place in the Western Conference and moves the Krewe into second place. Louisiana dominated the matchup from the very beginning with Oscar Castellanos scoring the first goal of the game in the 17th minute. Ten minutes later, in the 27th minute, Dril Juno Mboungou scored for Alexandria to tie the game at one goal apiece. Not long after the game was evened up, Mauricio Rancel gave the Krewe a 2-1 advantage with a nifty goal off a rebound from a mistake by the Pool Boys keeper. Louisiana would then score two more back to back goals in the 48th and 49th minute to give them an outright 4-1 lead. Looking to extend their lead even further, in the 56th minute, Louisiana’s Adrian “Oli” Rodriguez added another goal to the score sheet with a low shot down the left side of the goal that found its way past the goalkeeper. PBFC would try to fight their way back into the game with a goal by Mackenzie Young in the 62nd minute, but Oscar Castellanos would score his second goal of the match with 20 minutes left in regulation time to give the Krewe a demanding 6-2 lead. The scoreline would stay the same for the remainder of the match as Louisiana Krewe comes away with the 6-2 victory.

The Boca Knights take over the top spot in the Western Conference on Saturday night with a solid 3-1 win over last place competitor, Shreveport United. Shreveport looked calm and composed at the beginning of the match as Ali Ibrahim snuck one past the Knights keeper to give United an early 1-0 lead. Even though Shreveport started the game on a high note, their luck would soon run out as Abdullah Rayyan evened the match at 1-1 with a goal for Boca in the 24th minute. The score would stay at 1-1 as both teams headed to the locker room for halftime. For most of the second half, it was a constant end to end battle with both teams creating scoring opportunities, but it would be the Knight’s who eventually gained the upper hand. Luis Pena gave Boca the lead after a great goal in the 83rd minute and to add some extra insurance to the score sheet in the 90th minute, Guilherme Fao Martins rolled one past the Shreveport keeper, securing the 3-1 victory for the Knights.

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Week 7 Recap: Pool Boys and BOCA FC stay neck and neck; Gaffa FC staying alive in the playoff race; Tallahassee SC dethrones Rangers https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/week-7-recap/ Tue, 25 Jun 2019 20:00:15 +0000 https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/?p=4252

Eastern Conference

AFC Mobile was able to pull into second place in the Eastern Conference on Saturday with a win 2-1 win over Hattiesburg FC at Archbishop Lipscomb Stadium in Alabama. The Azaleas fell behind early in the match after a free-kick from just outside the penalty area in the 8th minute was rebounded by James Cooper and chipped over the Mobile keeper, giving HFC an early 1-0 lead. In the 28th minute, Mobile’s Chisom Ogbonna was brought down right outside the box, leading to a free kick opportunity that Arad Lev-Ari rocketed right past the Hattiesburg keeper to equalize the game at 1-1. The scoreline would remain at 1-1 going into halftime. Shortly after the second half started, AFC took the lead with a goal from Sam Blackburn who slotted home the game winning goal from a tight angle in the 54th minute. The Azaleas created a couple more chances throughout the second half but couldn’t find the back of the net to extend their one goal lead. The last 15 minutes of the match was filled with fouls and slid tackles as Eddie Dakwa and Ogbonna were both shown yellow cards. Hattiesburg FC put a powerful shot on goal towards the end of the match but, it hit the post and the Azaleas managed to hang on and come away with a 2-1 victory.

In a game where both teams left everything they had on the field, the Gulf Coast Rangers fell short to Tallahassee SC at Fairhope Municipal Stadium on Saturday night in a score of 2-0. The match decided who would stay in first and second place in the Eastern Conference and who would fall. Since AFC Mobile was able to beat Hattiesburg FC, the Azeleas were guaranteed one of the two spots in the east. With that being said, playoff positioning was at stake for both teams during this matchup. In the first half, the Battle Lions took a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute after star player Boneco Brazil scored off an excellent strike that found the lower corner of the goal. The rest of the first half was a constant battle, but neither club was able to score before the halftime whistle. The second half was a similar story as Tallahassee SC was able to able to earn themselves another goal, extending their lead to 2-0. As much as the Rangers tried to make a comeback, they just couldn’t get things going offensively and ended up getting shut out by the Battle Lions at home. The win lifted the men from Tallahassee into first place and will keep their playoff hopes alive.

In a thrilling match that saw nine goals in ninety minutes, Port City FC made the trip to Ashton Brosnaham Stadium on Saturday night to play against Pensacola FC. The Sounders took no time easing into this one as Jordan Hall poked the ball past the 59ers keeper in just the 2nd minute after a pass from Ashton Leblanc, giving Port City a very early 1-0 lead. Only two minutes after the Sounders goal, in the 4th minute, the match was evened up at 1-1 with a Pensacola corner kick that was headed into the back of the net by Lyuboslav Vitanoz. Port City FC would fight back to regain the lead in the 10th minute when Caleb Counselman put one away off a deflected save from the 59ers keeper. Four minutes later, in the 14th minute, the match was tied up again after Gareth Green dribbled into the box and slotted the ball past the Sounders keeper to even things up at 2-2. The 2-2 tie would eventually be broken after Matthew Edwards found the back of the net in the 35th minute for the Sounders, giving Port City another one goal lead. However, Pensacola would catch a break in the 45th minute after the referee awarded them a penalty kick for a collision in the box. Gareth Green stepped up to the penalty shot and placed the ball out of the goalie’s reach, tying the game at 3-3 at halftime. Both teams were cautious at the start of the second half, but that would change in the 60th minute after Steven Gallagher sent in a beautiful cross that found the head of Kieran Robins who buried it into the back of the net for the Sounders. Kieran’s goal would put Port City up 4-3 and give them their third lead of the contest. Miraculously, the match was tied up yet again with a Pensacola goal in the 67th minute off a deflected through ball that found the feet of Andy Wentz who finished the ball past the Sounders keeper. The 59ers would finish the match in heroic fashion with a last minute goal in the 90th minute from Christopher Searcy, ending the match in a well deserved 5-4 win over Port City FC.

Central Conference

Over in the Central Conference, Motagua New Orleans faced off against the Mississippi Blues at Pan American Stadium on Saturday night. In this one sided matchup, Motagua New Orleans controlled the game from the opening whistle and didn’t take their foot off the gas throughout the entire match, defeating the Blue’s in a 9-0 clean sheet victory. The goal scoring, however, didn’t start for Motagua until the 35th minute of the first half when Nestor Peralta Jr. snuck the ball past the Blues keeper for the first goal of the contest. After the first goal was scored, the flood gates were opened and the goals started pouring into the back of the net for the squad from New Orleans. Nestor Peralta Jr. would add two more goals to the score sheet for Motagua before the first half ended and he would go on to score another goal in the 58th minute, giving Nestor his fourth goal of the match and New Orleans a 4-0 edge with thirty two minutes left to play. Motagua would continue to play hard throughout the second half, scoring five more goals before the match was officially over. Man of the match, Nestor Peralta Jr. scored the last goal of the match in the 86th minute, giving him his fifth goal of the game and Motagua New Orleans a perfect 9-0 defeat over the Mississippi Blues.

Attempting to salvage their losing record late in the season, Baton Rouge United headed East on Saturday to go head to head against FC New Orleans. The club from NOLA is still undefeated with four wins and three draws on the season while Baton Rouge United is in dead last with seven straight loses. The match saw little action in the first twenty-five minutes of play, but that would soon change as Roger Llergo would find the back of the net for New Orleans with a smooth one touch snipe in the 28th minute. FC New Orleans would continue to attack the goal in the first half and they would go on to score two more goals before the halftime whistle. Baton Rouge would also put one away before the first half was over with a goal from Zayne Zezulka in the 45th minute, cutting the New Orleans lead to 3-1 at halftime. At the start of the second half, Baton Rouge United was able to keep their offensive momentum going with a goal from David Barbera in the 57th minute, making it a close 3-2 game with 33 minutes left to play. Even though Baton Rouge United started to rally back, their offensive efforts were no match for FC New Orleans as Jesus Rivera Benitez dominated the second half with three straight goals in the last thirty minutes of the game. Roger Llergo also added another goal to the score sheet before the match was over, giving him his second goal of the game and FC New Orleans an easy 7-2 win.

Sitting in first place in the Central Conference, Northshore United ventured over to Freedom Ridge Park Stadium on Saturday to face off against the 2017 GCPL Champions, Gaffa FC. The game was evenly matched as neither side could come up with a goal in the first 89 minutes of play. The first half was a standstill with both teams playing some very solid defense. Most of the second half saw similar results until the 90th minute when Tom Cosgrove took the ball away from a Northshore defenseman at the top of the penalty box and ripped a shot past the United keeper, ending the match in superb fashion with a 1-0 upset home win for Gaffa FC.

Western Conference

The Alexandria Pool Boys extended their lead at the top of the Western Conference table on Wednesday night with a 1-0 win over Cajun SC at Wildcat Stadium. The game was off to a slow start with both sides calculating their offensive attacks early on, but as the match continued, Cajun SC was able to put a lot of shots and pressure on, Nathan Gautreau, the Pool Boys keeper. Nathan was resilient between the posts and was able to come up with some big saves for his club when they needed him most. All of Nathan’s saves would soon pay off as Dril Juno Mboungou broke the 0-0 tie with a shot on goal in the 45th minute that soared past the Cajun keeper, giving the Pool Boys a 1-0 lead going into the second half. Alexandria’s one goal lead would hold true for the rest of the match and they would go on to defeat the Cajun club in a 1-0 shutout victory.

Boca Knights FC managed to hold onto the second place spot in the Western Conference on Saturday night with a win over Central Texas Lobos. On their home pitch, at Bossier High School, the Knights put on a clinic against the Lobos as they put away five unanswered goals in regulation time, leading to a clean sheet 5-0 victory. The Boca scoring drive started in the 24th minute after a phenomenal goal from Quesi Weston. After Weston’s goal, the Knights offense began to slow down, but their energy would be reignited in the 42nd minute after a nice shot from Jevanni Hinkson that flew by the Lobos keeper. Two minutes later, in the 44th minute, Quesi Weston found the back of the net for a second time, extending the Knights lead to 3-0 before the end of the first half. In the opening minutes of the second half, the match went through another period of slow and possessive play but again picked up speed after David Martinez put one past the Central Texas keeper in the 77th minute. Ending the match on a high note, Alvaro Torres scored the fifth and final goal of the game for Boca in the 90th minute, securing the three points needed and a hard fought shutout victory.

Shreveport United forfeited their match against Louisiana Krewe.

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Week 6 Recap: Come From Behind Win For The Pool Boys; Last Two Undefeated Clubs Remain In Central; Pensacola FC Shake Things Up In The East https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/week-6-recap/ Tue, 18 Jun 2019 15:00:35 +0000 https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/?p=4204

Eastern Conference

In a highly anticipated Eastern Conference matchup, AFC Mobile ventured out to Florida to battle against Tallahassee SC on Saturday night. Going into the match, both teams had 10 conference points with three wins, one draw, and one loss each. In the first half, about 15 minutes into the game, the evenly matched contest saw AFC controlling the ball and pace of play early on, but in the 19th minute, Mobile made a mistake and gave the ball away in their own backfield, forcing Domenic Nascimben to make a huge save on a shot from one of Tallahassee’s forwards. Tallahassee had another chance at a goal in the 34th minute but the ball bounced off the far post after a scramble in Mobile’s box. Even though Tallahassee had multiple chances to score in the first half, the halftime score remained at 0-0. At the start of the second half, in the 53rd minute, Tallahassee didn’t take their foot off the gas as they fired another hard shot on goal that Nascimben was barely able to save, keeping the game tied at 0-0. Towards the end of the second half, Mobile found their footing and they were able to put some shots on goal, but Tallahassee’s keeper was a brick wall and didn’t let one by. In a hard fought battle, the game would end in a 0-0 tie and both teams would leave with a hard earned point.

Last years champions, Port City FC, finally got back to their winning ways on Saturday night in a 2-1 second half comeback victory over Hattieisburg FC at Herbert Wilson Stadium in Gulfport. This was a game that both teams desperately needed to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. The match started off slow with the Sounders in control early on, but it was Hattiesburg FC who would find the back of the net first. In the 43rd minute, HFC’s Michael Kuwornu stepped up and curled the ball just inside the goalpost for the first goal of the game off a free kick placed in the center of the field near the 18 yard marker, giving Hattiesburg FC a 1-0 lead at halftime. Even though Port City was down by a goal going into the second half, they maintained their composure and were able to tie the game in the 70th minute when Caleb Counselman sent a nice through ball to Jordan Hall who took a touch past his defender and finished the ball in the bottom corner. The equalizing goal caused the crowd at the Herb to go wild and their supportive energy was transferred onto the field as Jordan Hall scored another goal for the Sounders in the 72nd minute, making it 2-1 Port City. The last 10 minutes of the match, however, was a defensive battle for the Sounders as they cleared out all of HFC’s final attempts to tie the game. After the final whistle blew, the Sounders celebrated a much needed win and a crucial 3 points that keeps them in the playoff hunt.

Winning their first game of the season on Saturday night, Pensacola FC took down the first place Gulf Coast Rangers at Fairhope Municipal Stadium in a solid 7-2 victory. The club from Pensacola got it going early with a laser shot from Gareth Green that found the top right corner of the goal in just the 6th minute. Moments later, in the 13th minute, Lance Nelson slotted a shot home that gave the 59ers an early 2-0 lead. In the 33rd minute, one of the Ranger’s center backs found himself out of position in the backfield and his mistake would eventually lead to another easy goal for the visitors from Pensacola. Before the first half was over, the 59ers would add two more goals to their already large lead with a goal from Christopher Searcy in the 36th minute and another goal from Gareth Green in the 43rd minute, giving Pensacola a 5-0 lead at halftime. To kick off the second half, Yan Linevu scored his first goal of the season and the first goal of the game for the men from Gulf Coast with a volley off a corner kick, cutting the Rangers deficit to four goals. The Rangers would find the back of the net for a second time in the 78th minute, but by this time in the match, the 59ers lead was already too big to come back from so Gulf Coast had no choice but to settle for an upsetting 7-2 defeat.

Central Conference

With five straight losses and zero wins going into this game, Baton Rouge United hosted Motagua New Orleans at Olympia Stadium in Louisiana. Baton Rouge was off to a promising start in the first half and they even took an early 2-0 lead with goals from Zayne Zezulka in the 6th minute and Hector Elias in the 17th minute. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worst for Baton Rouge when Motagua responded with three goals of their own before the first half was over, taking a 3-2 lead going into halftime. Midway through the second half, Daniel Occupati tied the game up with a goal for Baton Rouge in the 68th minute. As the tension was rising, it was Leonadro Barros who broke the tie for New Orleans with a goal in the 77th minute. Two minutes later, Kenroy Rodriguez earned himself his second goal of the match, putting Motagua up by a two goal lead. Rodriguez would score his third goal of the game in the 90th minute that was back by another goal in that same minute by Samir Arzu who put away his second goal of the game. Motagua’s relentless efforts and demanding 7-3 lead would go on to give them 3 more points in the Central Conference standings and a superb win on the road.

FC New Orleans, one of the only two teams that is still undefeated this season, traveled to Freedom Ridge Park Stadium on Saturday to take on Gaffa FC. The club from NOLA is chasing Northshore United, a team that is also undefeated, for the top spot in the Central Conference. This was a must win match for FC New Orleans if they wanted to have a chance at taking the number one seed from Northshore this week. The first half of the match was one big defensive battle and there were minimal offensive runs for both clubs in the first 45 minutes of the game. With that being said, the scoreline remained at 0-0 once the halftime whistle was blown. The second half, however, was a completely different story. To start the scoring off, Gaffa FC would take the lead in the 70th minute off an accidental own goal by FC New Orleans. Two minutes later, in the 72nd minute, Stephen Roberson would put one away for Gaffa FC, making it a 2-0 with only 18 minutes left to play. To everyone’s surprise, FC New Orleans was able to rally back from their bizarre own goal mix up with two goals of their own. The first late comeback goal for NOLA came from Appolinaire Tientcheu in the 82nd minute and their second late goal came in stoppage time from Roger Llergo. This exciting Central Conference matchup would end in a 2-2 tie after an outstanding turn around from the FC New Orleans’ offense.

At Wolverine Stadium on Saturday night, Northshore United took to their home pitch to play against the Mississippi Blues. With the Gaffa FC versus FC New Orleans match ending in a draw, Northshore United was presented with a chance to extend their lead at the top of the Central Conference and keep their miraculous undefeated still going. For most of the first half, neither team was able to put a shot on goal and there were no true threatening scoring opportunities from either side. However, after a few United substitutions, Northshore was able to take a 1-0 lead over Mississippi with a carefully placed shot by Mason Morise that floated past the Blue’s keeper in the 38th minute. For the remainder of the first half, Northshore continued to control the game, but they were unable to add to their one goal lead before halftime, keeping the scoreline at 1-0 going into the second forty-five minutes of play. In the second half, the Blues would proceed to have problems offensively. Northshore would capitalize on the Mississippi Blue’s poor offense as they were finally able to increase their lead to 2-0 in the 65th minute when Zac Breaux buried a penalty kick right down the center of the goal. United’s two goal lead would hold for the rest of the match, giving them a 2-0 shutout victory over the Blues and the outright lead in the Central Conference standings.

Western Conference

Over in the Western Conference, Louisiana Krewe FC hosted Boca Knights FC at UL Lafayette Soccer Field on Saturday night. The Knights were looking to hold onto the top spot in the West with a win over Louisiana Krewe FC but things didn’t go quite as planned. The match saw a lot of action and finesse in the first 45 minutes of play with Cristian Cubedo scoring the first goal of the game off a corner kick in the 25th minute for Louisiana, putting them ahead 1-0. Eleven minutes later, in the 36th minute, Quesi Weston would sneak one past the Louisiana Krewe keeper, tying the game at one goal apiece. The scoreline would remain at 1-1 going into halftime. At the beginning of the second half, in the 50th minute, Louisiana Krewe FC would find themselves a man down for the rest of the match after Musab Ambusaidi was given a red card for serious foul play. Even though the Krewe were a man down for most of the second half, their defense was able to lock down the backfield and not allow a goal for the rest of the game. Boca Knights FC had multiple chances to capitalize on their extra man opportunity but they couldn’t score another goal before the final whistle was blown and the game ended in a 1-1 tie, leaving both teams with one point each.

Two teams at the very bottom of the Western Conference, Shreveport United and Cajun SC, faced off against each other on Saturday night at Cargill Park in Shreveport, Louisiana. The 2019 GCPL season is already halfway over and Shreveport United is still looking for their first win of the season. Meanwhile, Cajun SC is also trying to get things going in the second half of the season. The matchup between these two Louisiana teams was one sided as Cajun SC was the only club to score throughout the full 90 minutes of action. Cajun SC scored early and often with four goals in just the first 57 minutes of the game. Two of Cajun SC’s goals came from veteran striker Austin Clause who scored in the 17th and 54th minute. Kade Kling also added two goals to the scoresheet for Cajun SC with a goal in the 33rd and 57th minute. Kade and Austin’s goals proved to be enough for the Cajun club to win as they would hold onto their lead for the rest of the match and defeat Shreveport United in a well deserved 4-0 clean sheet victory.

The Alexandria Pool Boys made the trip to Texas on Saturday to go head to head against the Central Texas Lobos at Bob Shelton Stadium. The Lobos dominated the first half and put away three quick goals in the first 15 minutes of the game. Brayan Castillo was the first Central Texas player to find the back of the net with a very early goal in just the 6th minute. Right after Castillo’s goal, in the 9th minute, Oscar Saavedra scored a nifty goal that extended the Lobos lead to 2-0. In the 15th minute, Zaid Ali also put one past the Alexandria keeper in the first half for Central Texas to give his club a demanding 3-0 lead. Being down by three goals in the first 15 minutes didn’t seem to faze the Pool Boys because they started to come alive in the 31st minute with a goal of their own from Matheus Barrozo. Barrozo would continue to pressure the Lobos keeper and he would go on to score his second goal of the match in the 45th minute, cutting the Alexandria lead to 3-2 at halftime. The second half got off to a slow start as Central Texas settled into their defensive formation. The Pool Boys were relentless, however, as they fired shot after shot at the Lobos keeper. Alexandria’s offensive second half efforts would soon pay off in the 73rd minute when Mathues Barrozo scored his third goal of the game, tying the match at 3-3 with 17 minutes left to play. To pull off a late comeback victory, Pierce Townsend would score the fourth and final goal of the match for the Pool Boys in the 83rd minute, securing the three points and an unbelievable 4-3 win for the club from Alexandria.

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Week 5 Recap: Krewe take first leg in Lafayette derby; FC New Orleans flexes muscle on Blues; Rangers claim the east https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/week-5-recap/ Tue, 11 Jun 2019 15:35:39 +0000 https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/?p=3937

Western Conference

Kicking off week 5 western conference play was the top of the table BOCA Knights versus mid table Alexandria PBFC on Wednesday night at Bossier High Stadium. The first half saw both teams find very little chances with the rain playing it’s part in creating some heavy touches and mistimed passes. BOCA would slightly favor in possession in the first half which ended 0-0. The second half started in similar fashion with both teams not giving too much. In the 57th minute, Italo Barbosa, added one to his score card heading home a goal to put BOCA up 1-0. Shortly after Quesi Weston found space for what was a sure goal but a big save by Pool Boys keeper, Jason Fritz, would keep the Alexandria crew in the game. The Pool Boys would get on the board in the 80th minute after a blunder by the BOCA keeper, resulting in an indirect kick inside the BOCA 6 yard box, and a quick restart by Pool Boys tying the game 1-1. The final minutes of the game were terminated by the officiating crew due to unauthorized personnel entering the field for BOCA and Pool Boys were awarded a 3-0 forfeit.

In the first leg of the first edition of the Lafayette Cup, Cajun SC hosted Louisiana Krewe FC at Clark Field on Saturday night. The weather was fair and the fans were ready as both teams tried to secure three more points for their club and a chance to advance up the ladder in the Western Conference standings. The match was well defended on both sides of the field and the goalkeepers were holding their own until the 44th minute of the first half when Louisiana Krewe’s Forward Adrian Olivares Rodriguez broke the 0-0 tie with a header off a superb cross from the right side of the pitch by Erick Flores. Adrian’s lone goal would stand as the only goal of the match and the Krewe would walk away with a 1-0 victory over a struggling Cajun club.

The Central Texas Lobos headed east to Louisiana on Saturday to battle against Shreveport United at Cargill Park’s Lee Hedges Stadium in Shreveport. With Central Texas and Shreveport United both losing and not scoring a goal in last weeks outing, they were both looking to bounce back from such tough defeats with a win in this week’s matchup. Unfortunately for Shreveport United, the Lobos wanted it more as they came out on top with a 4-0 clean sheet victory over the men from Shreveport. To start the four goal scoring drive off for Central Texas, Jose Alex Marin found a pass from Jordan Guardado in the 5th minute that he rolled past the keeper to give the Lobos an early 1-0 lead. Oscar Saavedra would do the rest of the goal scoring for the Lobos as he would add to their 1-0 lead with a goal 30 minutes into the first half and two goals in the second half. Saavedra’s hat trick would officially put the game out of reach for Shreveport United and the Central Texas Lobos would win the game by a 4 goal margin.

Eastern Conference

After tying Port City 0-0 earlier in the week, Gulf Coast FC traveled to the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex in Mobile on Saturday night to play in their second game of the week against AFC Mobile for another chance at taking the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers and Azaleas played in front of a record breaking crowd that reached over 1,500 rowdy fans. Once the game started, the first half saw four quick goals in just the first 25 minutes with the Rangers taking an early 2-0 lead after a goal from Xavier Audergon in the 5th minute and a goal from David Hall in the 11th minute. Moments later, Mobile put away two goals of their own with a goal from Mikey Conneh in the 13th minute and an equalizing goal from Arad Lev-Ari in the 24th minute, tying the match at 2 goals apiece going into the second half. David Hall would eventually break the 2-2 tie with his second goal of the match in the 52nd minute with a rip from 25 yards out. For the Ranger fourth and final goal of the game, Hall scored another deep goal from about 30 yards out, giving himself the hat trick and his team a 4-2 lead. The Azaleas would try to battle back, scoring one more goal off a penalty kick in the 61st minute, but the remainder of the second half was a stalemate and the match ended in a 4-3 Ranger win. The Gulf Coast FC win puts them in first place and AFC Mobile in third place in the Eastern Conference because Tallahassee FC beat Port City, shifting the table to where Tallahassee FC now resides in second place.

Tallahassee SC hosted 2018 GCPL champs, Port City FC, Saturday night at Gene Cox Stadium. Although the Mighty Lions were not on their home field, due to heavy rains, they did not miss a beat as they finished the first half of the season sitting in third place in the eastern conference. The struggling Gulfport unit would get on the board first in the 14th minute thanks to header by Felipe Madero. Shortly after Michael Seng for Tallahassee would take advantage of a weak clearance by Port City and tie it up 1-1 in the 18th minute. 2 minutes into the second half David Villa would put the home team up 2-1. In the 52nd minute Jared Arde of Port City would force the Tallahassee keeper to come up with a huge save to keep the Lions ahead 2-1. The nail in the coffin would come in the 75th minute from Boneco Bazil of Tallahassee putting his team ahead 3-1 and securing the 3 points.

In a game that was postponed for Wednesday night, last place Pensacola FC hosted Hattiesburg FC at Ashton Brosnaham Park in Florida. The first half was a standstill with both teams struggling to find their offense and the back of the net, leaving the match at a 0-0 tie going into halftime. Things would soon change in the second half, however, as the first and only goal of the game for Pensacola FC came in the 68th minute from Eric Buer. Eric’s goal gave Pensacola a late 1-0 lead, but HFC would soon rally back and take over the game with three unexpected goals of their own in just four short minutes. Tim Tuomikowski started the scoring rally off for Hattiesburg with a goal in the 78th minute. One minute later, Matias Pazos scored a goal and two minutes after that James Cooper scored a goal, giving HFC a hard earned 3-1 lead in the 89th minute. This is where the game would end and where HFC would defeat Pensacola FC in a late comeback 3-1 win.

Central Conference

Still looking for their first win of the 2019 season, Baton Rouge United hosted Gaffa FC on Saturday night at Olympia Stadium in Louisiana. The club from Baton Rouge is currently sitting at the bottom of the entire GCPL standings with zero points and five straight losses. They have only scored two goals in their past five games but one of their two goals came in the matchup against Gaffa FC. The lone Baton Rouge goal was scored late in the second half in the 86th minute by Igor Castillo. But by this time in the match, Gaffa FC had already put away four goals of their own with three goals in the first half and one goal in the second half. Thomas McCraney put Gaffa FC on the board first with a goal in the 5th minute and Gregory Anderson extended the lead and scored the second goal of the match in the 31st minute. Thomas McCraney added another goal to the score sheet in the 36th minute for Gaffa FC, giving McCraney his second goal of the game and the club from Jackson a solid 3-0 lead at halftime. Cillian Thompson would score the fourth and final goal of the match for Gaffa FC in the 71st minute of play, clinching the 4-1 victory and prolonging Baton Rouge United’s losing streak.

In a game that saw an overwhelming amount of goals, FC New Orleans absolutely overwhelmed the Mississippi Blues at Pan American Stadium on Saturday night. The game featured an astounding thirteen goals with twelve of them coming from the New Orleans side. To kick off the action, it was Roger Llergo who scored first for the NOLA squad with two back to back goals that were four minutes apart from each other in the 2nd and 6th minute. Llergo kept his hot streak going in the 17th minute with his third goal of the game, giving FC New Orleans a very early 3-0 lead. Shorty after Roger Llergo’s hat trick, Johan Castillo was able to find the back of the net for the Mississippi Blue’s in the 19th minute. This would be the only goal that the Blues would be able to muster up in the full 90 minutes of play. Gustavo Castillo Garcia would take over for FC New Orleans from here as he also earned himself a hat trick in Saturday matchup with goals in the 25th, 36th, and 76th minute. The hat tricks didn’t stop there, however, as Mehmed Muminovic also joined in on the feeding frenzy with three goals of his own. Erick Gunera and Julius Afolabi also scored goals for their club throughout the one sided match as FC New Orleans defeats the Mississippi Blues in a gratifying 12-1 win.

At the top of the Central Conference, Northshore United sought to tack on three more points to their undefeated record against Motagua New Orleans at Pan American Stadium on Wednesday night. Motagua came out on the offensive with a hard shot from Brandon Chagnard in the 12th minute, but Northshore keeper JP Furman came up with a big save to keep the score at 0-0. On the counter attack, Mason Morise sent in a beautiful cross to Zachary Breaux in the 15th minute who buried it into the lower corner, making it 1-0 Northshore. Five minutes later, in the 20th minute, Hisham Abdelaziz tied the game at 1-1 with a laser shot from thirty yards out. New Orleans almost scored again in the 30th minute but JP Furman came up with another big one on one save for Northshore. The Blue Eagles were finally able to make it a 2-1 game toward the end of the first half with a goal from GCPL all time leading goal scorer, Reece Wilson who headed the ball home in the 47th minute. The evenly matched contest saw another equalizing goal in the 63rd minute after Michael Boudreaux found Cam Robinson on a long cross that Cam headed into the net, tying the match at 2-2. The game winning goal came in the 74th minute off a great solo effort by Cam Robinson who crossed it to the front of thegoal for Conner Walmaley to finish, ending the game in a 3-2 Northshore victory.

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Week 4 Recap: Alexandria PBFC Hang 10; Northshore United Claw Back To Stay Top of The Central; A 7-Goal Thriller In Pensacola https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/week-4-recap/ Tue, 04 Jun 2019 14:00:50 +0000 https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/?p=3726

Eastern Conference

Seeking their first road win of the season, Tallahassee SC made the long journey west to Crusader Field to go head to head against Hattiesburg FC on Saturday night. Both teams struggled to find their offense in this matchup with Tallahassee SC’s Boneco Brazil scoring the only goal of the match in the 19th minute. Leaving his feet and striking the ball in mid air with an athletic bicycle kick, Boneco left the crowd stunned and the goal keeper frozen as the ball flew past HFC’s keeper and found it’s way into the back of the net, giving Tallahassee a 1-0 lead. In the 70th minute, the club from Florida had a chance to extend their lead with a penalty kick, but the Hattiesburg keeper came up with a big save, keeping the lead at 1-0. Towards the end of the second half, HFC was finally controlling the tempo of the game and they even had a chance to tie it in the last minute of stoppage time, but Matt Tanner, Tallahassee’s goal keeper, made a great save on the back line, securing the three points and the road win for Tallahassee.

In a must win match for both teams in the Eastern Conference, last place Pensacola FC went to war with first place AFC Mobile on Saturday night at Ashton Brosnaham Stadium in Pensacola. This roller coaster of a match saw the club from Mobile score four goals in the first half alone. With few chances coming from either side in the first few minutes of play, the game would eventually pick up speed when Sam Blackburn started the scoring drive off with an Azalea goal in the 16th minute assisted by Tillman Schober. Eleven minutes later, in the 27th minute, Iba Ndaw would give the  Azalea’s a two goal lead after another great assist from Tillman Schober. AFC Mobile would continue to score and Schober would continue to dish out assists as two more goals were scored before the first half was over. One of the two goals came from Chisom Ogbonna in the 33rd minute and the other goal came from Arad Lev-Ari who poked the ball home off a Tillman Schober cross just before the first half ended, giving Tillman his fourth assist of the match and Mobile a comfortable 4-0 lead. Unfortunately, the storyline flipped for AFC Mobile in the second half as their performance became sloppy and slow. Pensacola FC took advantage of Mobile’s sloppy play early in the second half and found a glimpse of hope with a cheeky flick goal in the 48th minute. The 59ers continued to attack the Azalea backline and were able to find the back of the net yet again in the 60th minute with a goal off of a wonderful corner kick, cutting the Azalea lead to 4-2. The team from Florida would get another lucky goal in the 96th minute from an accidental own goal by AFC Mobile but the match would end in a well fought 4-3 battle that found a deserving AFC Mobile club on top.

The Gulf Coast Rangers tried to keep their undefeated season afloat on Wednesday night as they took on the Port City Sounders at Fairhope Municipal Stadium in Alabama. While Port City FC was trying to get back to their winning ways, the 2-2-0 Rangers squad needed only three more points to take over the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. After a thirty minute rain delay, the game was finally underway and Port City started the game with aggression and pace, putting pressure on the Rangers keeper early. Winger Joao Facanha and striker Jordan Hall continued to pressure the keeper and constantly created chances for Port City throughout the entire match, but the Sounders just couldn’t get one past the Rangers keeper. With just a few shots on goal and minimal possession of the ball in the full 90 minutes of play, Gulf Coast also struggled to find their offense during the match. It was a game of defense and goal keeping with the match ending in a 0-0 tie, making this the first 0-0 draw of the 2019 GCPL season.

Central Conference

In week four’s GCPL Game on the Week, it was a battle between the undefeated as FC New Orleans traveled to Covington to take on Northshore United at Wolverine Stadium. There was no easing into this match with both clubs coming out passing and probing from the opening kickoff. The first strike in this clash of unbeaten contenders came from Northshore. Eric Schwing made a long throw into the center of the New Orleans box in the 8th minute that was met by rising Mason Morise who nodded the ball past the keeper, giving him his third goal of the season and Northshore the early 1-0 lead. FC New Orleans would go on to eventually tie the game at 1-1 in the 35th minute when a perfectly placed ball off of a free kick found its way into the net past the United keeper. Tightly contested, the first half would end tied at 1-1. The club from NOLA would extend their lead to 2-1 in the second half after a floated cross was met on the half volley, hitting the right goal post and sailing into the back of the net. In the 60th minute, FC New Orleans gave themselves even more breathing room with another shot from the top of the box where the forward had time and room to score a well placed shot. Luckily for Northshore, FC New Orleans drew a straight red card with a harsh sliding tackle midway through the second half. This proved to be a costly mistake as the determined United club would rally back late in the second half with goals coming in the 74th and 82nd minute both from Zac Breaux. Northshore United and FC New Orleans both avoided their first loss of the season as the match would end in a 3-3 draw, leaving the two clubs undefeated after four regular season games.

Baton Rouge United and the Mississippi Blues, two teams that are in desperate need of three points, faced off against each other on Saturday night on the Blue’s home turf at Arrow Stadium. Losing their first three straight matches and having scored only one goal in the entire 2019 GCPL season, Baton Rouge United was looking to redeem themselves on Saturday night and bounce back from a long losing streak. However, the Blue’s had other plans in mind as they took control of the match late and shutout Baton Rouge in a much need 3-0 victory. All three of Mississippi’s goals came late in the second half. Their three goals came from Jarrad White in the 68th minute, Jan Bergk in the 75th minute, and Caleb Carpenter in the 87th minute. Overall, it was a great effort by all the men from Mississippi Blue’s squad as they handed Baton Rouge their fourth straight loss of the season and secured a much needed three points for the relentless Blue’s squad.

After an astounding 8-0 win against Baton Rouge United last week, a confident Motagua New Orleans club took on a struggling Gaffa FC squad at Pan American Stadium in Jackson on Saturday night. Motagua came out fierce and aggressive at the start of the game with Kenroy Rodriguez scoring just 10 minutes into the match giving New Orleans a 1-0 lead. Not long after Motagua’s first goal, in the 18th minute, Gaffa FC tied the match at 1-1 with a rebound doorstep goal from Gregory Anderson. However, the game wasn’t tied for long as Steve Morris, Motagua New Orleans’ team captain, went on a three goal rampage before the end of the first half. Morris was a madman on the field and scored three back to back to back goals in under twenty minutes in the 28th, 35th, and 45th minute. At halftime, Gaffa FC would find themselves down by three goals in a 4-1 deficit. The score would remain the same for most of the second half until Gaffa FC’s Chance Bourdene was finally able to put one past the Motagua keeper, making it a 4-2 game. The last goal of the match came in the 89th minute from Nestor Peralta Jr., giving New Orleans a demanding 5-2 lead and putting the icing on the cake for a solid three goal win.

Western Conference

Shreveport United, a team that is still looking for their first win of the season, headed to Alexandria on Saturday night to play against the Pool Boys. The club from Alexandria only had one goal in last week’s loss against Louisiana Krewe, but they came out with their foot on the gas in week four’s matchup. In just the first 10 minutes of the first half, the Pool Boys found themselves up 3-0 with two back to back goals by Gylles Mitchel in the 2nd and 4th minute and a goal from Dril Juno Mboungou in the 7th minute. The boys from Alexandria showed no mercy towards Shreveport United as they continued to pour goals into the back of the net throughout the rest of the match. Mackenzie Young added to Pool Boys demanding lead with two more back to back goals in the 17th and 18th minute, making it 5-0 Alexandria. The Pool Boys would score one more goal before the half was over, making it a 6-0 game at halftime. As if six goals wasn’t already enough, PBFC added four more goals in the second half. Matheus Barrozo scored two goals late in the second half and Claudy St. Louis and Mackenzie Young had one goal apiece in stoppage time, giving Alexandria PBFC a clean sheet 10-0 victory and Mackenzie his first hat trick of the season.

Over in Lafeyette, the Krewe hosted the Central Texas Lobos on Saturday night at the UL Lafayette Soccer Field. Going into this matchup, both of these clubs earned their first three points of the season last week and they were both seeking to add three more. It was a well defended match from both sides as there was only one goal scored in the entire game. The lone goal came in the 75th minute of action from Louisiana Krewe’s Dillion Gallet who found the ball off of an assist from Oscar Castellanos, putting it away and giving Louisiana a late 1-0 lead. The single goal was enough for the men from Louisiana to take down the squad from Central Texas with the game ending in a 1-0 victory for the Krewe.

Pumped and ready to bring home another win, the Boca Knights fought against Cajun SC to keep their undefeated season alive on the pitch at Bossier High School. Italo Barbosa started the Knights off on a high note with a swift goal in the 2nd minute of play. The Knights were quick to extend their lead in the 8th minute to 2-0 when Quesi Weston scored just 6 minutes after Barbosa. Towards the end of the first half, Cajun FC found the spark in offense they needed to claw their way back from a 2 goal deficit when Brandon Briscoe scored back to back goals in the 32nd and 45th minute, ending the first half in a 2-2 tie. The boys from Boca collected themselves at halftime and ran away with the game in the second half. Carlos Martinez scored the third goal of the match for the Knights in the 51st minute and David Martinez would officially put the game out of reach for Cajun SC after scoring in the 79th minute, sealing the 4-2 win and three more points for the still undefeated Boca Knights FC.

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Week 3 Recap: BOCA Tops The West; Northshore United Stays Undefeated; AFC Mobile Knocks Off Rivals https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/week-3-recap/ Mon, 27 May 2019 20:00:53 +0000 https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/?p=3686

Eastern Conference

In the first ever Panhandle Cup, Tallahassee SC defeated Pensacola FC 5-1 on a hot Saturday night at Florida States Sports Club Fields giving them their first victory in club history. The first matchup between these two Panhandle rivals featured a lot of offense from the Tallahassee club but it was the visiting 59ers squad who found themselves on the scoreboard first. In just the 5’ minute of play, Pensacola’s Michael Lightbourne put the ball past the Battle Lions keeper giving them the early 1-0 lead. The Pensacola lead wouldn’t last long, however, as Michael Seng connected with Noah Voyles in the 8’ minute of play for the equalizing goal, tying the match at 1-1. The rest of the match was completely controlled by TLHSC who continued to play aggressive and bring the pressure. Their aggressive play would pay off in the 13’ after Forward Daniel Villa scored on a one on one chance against the 59ers keeper. The Battle Lions aggressive style of play continued to pay off as the game went on with their third goal coming in the 39’ from Sy Fontenot who cleaned up a cross that was punched away by the keeper. Another one of Tallahassee’s goals came just 4 minutes later in the 43’ when Adam Donaldson split the defense and buried the ball in the back of the net giving the Lions a sturdy 4-1 lead. To seal the first win in club history and to give the Lions a much needed 3 points, Sy Fontenot scored his second goal of the game in the 85’, ending the game in a 5-1 victory over Pensacola FC.

Rivals AFC Mobile and Port City FC went head-to-head on Saturday night in the first leg of the Forgotten Coast Cup at Archbishop Lipscomb Stadium. Taking charge of the match early, the Sounders started the game immediately on the attack and had the Alabama squad on their heels. Even though the first half belonged to Port City in both possession and opportunities, it was AFC Mobile’s Tillman Schober who found the back of the net in the 44th minute with a low hard shot that rolled right past Sounders keeper Grant Adam giving Mobile a 1-0 lead going into halftime. Once the second half started, Port City came out the same way they did at the beginning of the match; aggressive and on the attack. Unfortunately, the Sounders continued to struggle as they found themselves down 2-0 in the 50th minute after an unexpected own goal. Shortly after the Port City own goal, in the 58th minute, Mobile’s Arad Lev-Ari stormed down the right wing past the Sounders defense to put in AFC Mobile’s third goal of the match, giving them a 3-0 lead with 30 minutes left in regulation. Port City refused to give up and was finally able to put some points on the board after Jordan Hall buried a penalty kick in the 80th minute, but it wasn’t enough to beat the competitive club from Mobile. At the end of regulation, the final score was 3-1 as AFC Mobile takes the first leg of the Forgotten Coast Cup.

Looking to keep their unbeaten streak alive, the Gulf Coast Rangers battled against Hattiesburg FC on Saturday at Fairhope Municipal Stadium. The Rangers squad featured some new young talent with seventeen year old Sergi Cebrian starting at center midfield for the first time this season. The team from the Coast came out strong in the first half as their first and only goal of the game came in the 8th minute from a David Hall header after a Jordan Sinclair corner kick. After scoring the only goal of the match, the Rangers squad began to settle in and completely take over the game defensively. HFC fought to regain confidence and established good ball possession in the last 10 minutes of the first half but just couldn’t buy a goal. The Rangers back five kept HFC’s frontline under control for the rest of the game as they continued to play well throughout the second half. Frustration began to set in for Hattiesburg FC late in the match, leading to a red card in the 86th minute that left them playing with only 10 men for the remainder of the match. Recording their first shutout of the season, the Gulf Coast Rangers were able to hold onto the 1-0 home victory against the men from Hattiesburg.

 

Western Conference

The top of the table met the bottom of the table in the Western Conference as Shreveport United hosed BOCA FC at Lee Hedges Stadium. On Wednesday night, the Boca Knights came ready to play and were eager to keep their winning streak alive as they beat Shreveport United 5-1. Rafa Muniz was the leading goal scorer for the Boca club, scoring two of their five goals in the 58’ and 67’ minute. Muniz’s fellow Knights joined in on the scoring sheet with the other three goals coming from Quesi Weston (29’), Pedro de Sliva (42’) and Luis Pena (75’). United struggled to find the back end of the net throughout the match but found a spark of hope in the 60’ minute with their only goal of the game coming from a penalty converted by Gary McCormick. Sadly, one goal would not prove to be enough to beat the red hot Boca Knights.

With the GCPL season finally in full swing, Louisiana Krewe had their home opener on Saturday night hosting the Alexandria Pool Boys. The Krewe put on a show for their home crowd this weekend as they defeated the Pool Boys 3-1. Louisiana was assertive and fast on their feet throughout the whole match. In the 21’ minute, for the first goal of the game, Erick Medina sent a beautiful through ball past the Alexandria defense right to Adrian “Oli” Rodriguez who beat the keeper and calmly finished the ball home, making it 1-0 Louisiana. The next goal for the Krewe came in the 33’ minute from another excellent through ball pass from Medina to Dillon Gallet who cooked the ball into the left side of the net past the keeper. Louisiana’s third and final goal came from Mauricio Rancel in the 57’ minute, giving the Louisiana club a dominant 3-0 lead with 33 minutes left in regulation time. The Pool Boys were able to avoid the shutout with a late goal in the 86’ minute from Mackenzie Young but the late goal wasn’t enough to avoid the loss. Overall, it was a very competitive match and now both teams are tied for second place in the Western Conference.

Central Texas Lobos hosted Cajun SC Saturday night with both clubs coming off of home losses the prior week. A much needed win for both teams was on the agenda, but it was the Lobos who came out early swinging. In the very first minute of the game, Jordan Guardado put the home team on the board, giving the Lobos a 1-0 lead. Much of the first half saw the Lafayette boys keeping possession with a few chances being denied by the Lobos defense led by keeper, Blake Lander. The second half saw a slew of chances for both sides with Cajun almost finding their equalizer in the dying minutes of the game. The last chance for Cajun saw center back, Aaron Boudreaux, head home what looked to be a for sure goal, but an acrobatic display by Lander, kept the clean sheet and gave the Lobos their first 3 points of the season.

Central Conference

The GCPL league leaders, FC New Orleans, hosted the 2017 champs, Gaffa FC, on their home pitch at Muss Bertilino Stadium on Thursday night. The long awaited matchup between these two Central Conference clubs was an entertaining one as these two teams battled it out neck and neck. Gaffa FC was the first team to strike in the 5’ when Chance Bourdene headed to ball into the right side of the goal off a corner kick. Even though the NOLA club found themselves down by one goal early, they battled hard and went on to score the next two goals of the match. The first one of these two goals came in the 47’ by Gilberto Perez Dominguez and the other goal came in the 60’ by Gustavo Castillo Garcia who gave FC New Orleans the go-ahead 2-1 lead over the Jackson squad. At this point in the game, FC New Orleans looked confident on the pitch and possessed the ball with ease. Unfortunately, the confident New Orleans team made a costly mistake in the 75’ that send Craig McCabe to a penalty shot. McCabe booted the ball in the bottom left corner of the goal past the New Orleans keeper, tying the game 2-2. The rest of the match was a stalemate as both teams had chances to take the outright lead. At the end of regulation, the score was still 2-2, ending the game in a draw.

Sitting at first place in the Central Conference, Northshore United headed north to Millsaps College on Saturday to face off against the 0-2 Mississippi Blues. The Blues were looking to come home with their first 3 points of the season but found themselves down early when United’s Cameron Robinson grabbed his second goal of the year in the 13’, easily scoring from inside the box. The rest of the first half was well defended by both squads as neither team let up a goal until the second half of action. Northshore extended their lead to 2-0 and got the breathing room they were longing for in the 78’ when Andrew McInnis met a corner kick with authority, sinking the ball forcefully in the back of the net past the keeper. In added time, the third and final goal of the match came from Andrew McInnis yet again after he capitalized on sloppy play from the Mississippi backfield. This is where the game would end and where Northshore United would take a 3-1 victory over the struggling Blues club to be crowned top dog in the division table.

The club at the bottom of the division standings, Baton Rouge United, traveled to Pan America Stadium on Saturday to square off against Motagua New Orleans. Baton Rouge is off to a very rough start to the season and has scored only one goal in their last three games. During this Louisiana matchup, the storyline remained the same for the boys from Baton Rouge. They found themselves in a hole early on as the New Orleans squad scored goal after goal. The Motagua club scored a whopping 8 goals in 90’ minutes of action. Forward Carson Gorecki put away three of the eight goals from New Orleans, earning himself a hat trick. Samir Aruz also had a phenomenal performance with two back to back goals in the 47’ and 53’ minute. Their other three goals came from Kenroy Rodriguez (39’), Nestor Peralta Jr. (77’), and Steven Morris (88’). In conclusion, the team from NOLA walked away victorious after a great team effort to secure the 3 points for the home team.

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Week 2 Recap: Pool Boys Stun Rivals; FC New Orleans Keep Rolling; AFC Mobile Top Of The East https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/week-2-recap/ Tue, 21 May 2019 16:00:45 +0000 https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/?p=3638

Eastern Conference Recap

As Eastern Conference play continued on Saturday night, a short handed Gulf Coast Rangers squad fought their way back from a one goal deficit in the second half to bring home all 3 points against newcomers Tallahassee SC. Halfway through the first half, Gulf Coast found themselves playing with only 10 men after Liam Moore left the game with an ankle injury. Having already made their only substitution of the match, the eastern shore squad had no choice but to finish the match with one less player. A defensive blunder in the Rangers back field led to an unusual own goal, gifting Tallahassee a one goal led in the first half. Shortly after the bizarre own goal, Xavier Audergon equalized the match with a half volley shot that found it’s way between the goal posts. The GC Rangers would then take the lead in the last 10 minutes of the game with a wonderful strike from just outside the 18 by David Hall. The team from the Coast would hold on to the lead until the end of the match in a rewarding 2-1 comeback win.

After a solid performance in week one, Hattiesburg FC was looking to keep their winning momentum going forward as they faced off against AFC Mobile on Crusader Field. Unfortunately for them, AFC Mobile’s goalkeeper, Domenic Nascimben, came ready to play and didn’t let up a single goal the whole match. AFC Mobile maintained contorl early in the game when midfielder Tillman Schober curled the ball into the top far corner of the goal in the 13th minute giving the Azaleas an early 1-0 lead. In the 43rd minute, midfielder Chisom Ogbonna was awarded a penalty kick that he slotted home extending the Azaleas lead 2-0. Shortly after the second half whistle Hattiesburg almost pulled one back when Andrew Elkins headed a dangerous ball towards goal, but the AFC Mobile keeper came up big to keep it a 2 goal lead. The third and final goal, came from Mobile’s leading goal scorer, Iba Ndaw who calmly kicked the ball past the HFC goalkeeper sealing the 3-0 shutout victory against a tough Hattiesburg squad.

In their home opener, Port City FC hosted Pensacola FC at Herbert Wilson Stadium. Last year’s champs were looking for their first win of the season on Saturday night and Jordan Hall looked to help that cause scoring the first goal of the match for the Sounders with an acrobatic bicycle kick in the 31st minute. Another goal came two minutes into the second half from forward Tom Carles who poked the ball right past the goaltender giving Port City a 2-0 lead. With about 10 minutes left in the match, Pensacola FC’s Mikey Lightbourne took advantage of a free kick and slotted the ball in the top left corner of the goal closing the deficit to a 2-1 lead. At the beginning of stoppage time, Felipe Madero beat Pensacola’s keeper 1 on 1 and rolled the ball past him, leading Port City to a much needed 3-1 victory.

Central Conference Recap

FC New Orleans traveled to Baton Rouge United Saturday night riding a wave of momentum from their impressive win vs. Motagua New Orleans the week before. That wave proved to be in full force as FC New Orleans came out pinning the young United unit on their heels early and often. In the 20th minute, Jesus Rivera, notched his second goal of the season from a Huber Lopez cross putting the New Orleans club up 1-0. Early in the second half United conceded their second goal leaving an unmarked Huber Lopez in front of goal for an easy shot. In the 74th minute a keeper blunder on United’s part found FC New Orleans youngster, Erick Gunera, who buried a 30 bomb to go up 3-0. Milos Skoric for United did respond shortly after with a rocket from the right side that nailed the post, offering United their only real chance on goal.

In a game where both teams started off their GCPL campaign’s on a bad note the week prior, Motagua New Orleans and Mississippi Blues were fighting to get their season’s back on track. Unfortunately for the home team, Motagua stole the show. The first half saw much of Motagua keeping possession with little access to unlocking the Blues defense. In the 44th minute Motagua finally broke through with some tricky dummy work leaving right back, John Hamide, all alone for the easy 1v1 score. Second half started with the Blues almost equalizing, but a big save by Motagua keeper, Jose Santos Jr., kept the New Orleans club in the lead. Blue Eagle veteran, Samir Arzu, dished the second blow in the 77th minute to give Motagua a 2-0 lead. Shortly after, young rising New Orleans player, Kenroy Rodriguez, sealed the deal giving the 16-17 Champs their first win of the season.

The men from Jackson, Gaffa FC, took on Northshore United on Saturday evening, but left empty handed after a 2-1 battle. Northshore’s Andrew McInnis put the team on his back with an outstanding performance in the first half putting away two goals in the 26th and 33rd minutes. Gaffa responded just before the halftime whistle blew thanks to their target man, Chance Bourdene, but the two first half goals gave United the cushion they needed to secure the 3 points in front of their home crowd. Gaffa FC never gave up and battled till the very end, but they proved to be no match for Andrew and the squad from Northshore.

Western Conference Recap

Over the weekend, the Boca FC Knights traveled to Bob Shelton Stadium to take on the Central Texas Lobos. The game started off extremely slow but eventually picked up the pace after Jose Alex Martin opened the scoring for Central Texas with a spectacular one touch finish that found its way just inside the left goal post. A few minutes after the Lobos scored, Knights Forward Rafa Muniz snuck the ball through a pair of Central Texas defenders legs and past the right side of the keeper, tying the match at 1-1. Both teams dug deep in the second half to try and come up with the go-ahead goal but it was the Boca FC Knights who came out victorious as they scored two more goals in the second half to give them the 3-1 win over the Central Texas Club.

Alexandria PBFC traveled south to their traditional rivals Cajun Soccer Club in the Third Coast Soccer Game of the Week. It was the visitors who got on the board early on two occasions.  In the fourth minute a Matheus Fulini free kick was redirected by Henrique Pimpao across the face of goal for attacking midfielder, Pierce Townsend, to register his first goal of the season.  In the 11th minute Mackenzie Young played a cross to Henrique Pimpao who was unable to direct his shot on goal, due to what was determined to be a foul by the Cajun SC defender.  Pimpao stepped up to deposit his first goal of the season from the penalty spot.  Once both teams settled down after the quick start, possession seemed to even out, and Cajun SC were unlucky to not get one back due to the fine play of Nathan Gautreaux in the Pool Boys goal.  Later, several key saves by the Cajun SC keeper, Oliver Leblanc, kept the score at 2-0 until the 78th minute when Leroy Mahagayu found a streaking Pimpao up the left side of the field, before cutting in and recording his second of the game, and setting the 3-0 score line.

Louisiana Krewe FC traveled to Messmer Stadium on Sunday to play against fellow Louisiana team Shreveport United. In a well-contested match between the two clubs, it was Louisiana who took an early lead after capitalizing on a mistake from Shreveport’s defense. They took the lead on a counter attack in the 15th minute when #19, Olivares Adrian, made a good finish right in front of the goal. LA Krewe had multiple chances to extend their lead in the second half but were unable to find the back of the net. They would pay for these missed chances after Shreveport’s Pau Cin chipped the ball over the Krewe keeper in stoppage time, ending the game in a 1-1 draw.

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Week 1 Recap: FC New Orleans comes out strong; Cajun SC top of the table; late game heroics in the east https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/week-1-recap/ Thu, 16 May 2019 18:00:26 +0000 https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/?p=3621

Eastern Conference Recap

Eastern Conference play started off on Friday night with Pensacola FC hosting Gulf Coast Rangers in a battle that saw late drama from both teams scoring in the last 10 minutes. The 59ers struck first with a thunder strike from Mikey Lightbourne in the 19th minute. Shortly after, a scramble in the box, during a Rangers corner, saw Liam Moore (26′) sneak one past the Pensacola keeper to tie it 1-1. The second half looked to be a stale mate when Yan Linevu for the Rangers broke the silence in the 81st minute, but a minute later Mikey Lightbourne equalized to help seal the draw in front of the home crowd.

Over in Mobile, the Azaleas hosted the new boys from Tallahassee. AFC Mobile didn’t wait too long to welcome the newcomers after big man, Iba Ndaw, slotted one home in the 13th minute.  The Lions responded in the 30th minute with a cheeky chip over the keeper by Sy Fontenot, tying it 1-1. Both teams battled it out in the second half when a beautiful free kick in the 86th minute for Tallahassee SC was banged in by Pete Love. But late game heroics were afoot by none other than home town hero, Chisom Ogbonna, after scoring the equalizer in the 90th minute.

The new eastern conference rivalry commenced with the first half starting with an impressive display by Hattiesburg man between the sticks, Adrian Cabado, after keeping Port City’s scoring threat, Jordan Hall, at bay in the early minutes. The 2018 champs saw themselves with a slew of chances early but failed to find the back of the net. The second half saw some life in Hattiesburg forcing Port City FC keeper, Adam Grant, to come up big in the 50th minute to keep it tied 0-0. In the 58th minute the scoring line was finally broken with Jordan Hall banging one home for the Sounders, but an offside flag kept the game level. After a standstill for both teams the 89th minute saw Hattiesburg FC shock their coastal rivals, with U19 academy product, Elean Fajardo, sealing the deal for the early season upset

Central Conference Recap

In the wee hours of Saturday morning, Gaffa FC and Mississippi Blues faced off in an early #SippiCup derby. The Blues looked to be the team in charge early but a quick goal by Gaffa captain, Cillian Thompson, in the 9th minute gave the 2017 champs some breathing room. To further crush the cross town rivals hopes, Stevie Roberson, of Gaffa would score two back to back goals (17′ and 20′) to give them a commanding 3-0 lead. The second half leveled off with the Blues clawing their way back in the game. Caleb Carpenter gave some hope scoring in the 65th minute to make it 3-1, but Gaffa would hold on to seal the 3 points.

In Covington, the two United’s faced off with a series of wild delays thanks to mother nature and timed lights. A 45 minute delay to kick off didn’t seem to bother the hometown club much after Mason Morise put Northshore up 1-0 in the 2nd minute. Not long after Morise would add to his tally giving his club a 2-0 lead in the 13th minute. Baton Rouge would find themselves back in the game after a quick counter was finished by Eduin Delcid in the 20th minute, but Baton Rouge United would shoot themselves in the foot a minute later after a red card was issued to Ahmad Chabayta after a tiff in the box. The second half would see Northshore United run away with the game after a goal in the 46th minute by Zachary Breaux and the final blow by Chase Rushing in the 58th. The game would end 4-1.

In a game labeled the New Orleans “Clasico” the meeting between Motagua New Olreans and FC New Orleans saw the new comers take the first leg. The Gators jumped up early on the board after a nice header from Jesus Rivera in the 10th minute. Rivera looked to have added more to his tally in the 21st minute but was immediately called for offside. For majority of the match both teams had their fair chances but FC New Orleans pounced on a defensive blunder by the Blue Eagles and added to their lead in the 82nd minute thanks to Gilberto Perez. The defensive mistakes continued for Motagua giving up a third goal in stoppage time to Julius Oladimeji, ending the game 3-0.

Western Conference Recap

The new buzz out of Lafayette, Louisiana Krewe, made their way up north to take on the western conference champs, BOCA FC. What started off as a back and forth contest would soon break in the 41st minute as the 2018 GCPL scoring leader, Quesi Weston, used his brute strength to fend off a defender and beat the keeper to put his club up 1-0. In the 65th minute the Krewe equalized with some great team work that resulted in a beautiful cross into the box where Adrian Olivares found the end of it to tie it up 1-1. Shortly after in the 74th minute the big man up top for BOCA drew a penalty that resulted in a red card for the Krewe. Weston would step up and bury it to put the Knights up 2-1.  Remainder of the second half saw some very chippy play with 6 yellow cards being issued. Game ended 2-1.

In Alexandria, the Pool Boys looked to start off their season on the right foot, but much like in 2018’s season opener, Central Texas Lobos would prove that to be a difficult task. In the first half, Pool Boys held on to possession and out shot the Lobos, but nothing too threatening for the traveling team. The second half offered some excitement with a beautiful volley from a corner for the Pool Boys academy product, Elias Hanna, in the 56th minute. Soon after in the 64th minute a penalty was awarded to the Lobos, which was converted by Oscar Ramirez. Directly after the penalty a red was issued to Oscar Saavedra of Lobos for shoving the keeper. The game would end on a chippy note with 6 yellow cards issued. Game ended 1-1.

Shreveport United made the trip down to Lafayette to take on 2018 finalists, Cajun SC. The first half proved to be a period where both teams were feeling each other out with no real threats from either in the first 15 minutes. In the 16th minute Kade Kling of Cajun would put his club on the board 1-0. On a counter attack from the Shreveport side in the 30th minute, Gin Pau, would equalize the playing field. But a minute before the halftime whistle blew, Austin Sun Chee Fore, for Cajun would put them up 2-1. The second half was all Cajun, with goals from Ezra Hebert (46′), Dayton Prejean (54′) and Kade Kling (75′), in what could be said was a very mild mannered game. Cajun would win 5-1.

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WEEK 2 GAME OF THE WEEK: ALEXANDRIA PBFC PREPARE TO FACEOFF AGAINST CAJUN SC IN WESTERN CONFERENCE RIVALRY MATCH https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/week-2-game-of-the-week-alexandria-pbfc-cajun-sc/ Wed, 15 May 2019 16:45:03 +0000 https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/?p=3608

This week’s Third Coast Soccer Game of the Week for the 2019 GCPL season will feature Alexandria PBFC and Cajun SC. These two western conference rivals have been battling with each other since before the existence of the GCPL and just recently joined forces to foster the athletic development of their young players.

In an effort to provide more and better opportunities to the players in Central Louisiana, Cajun Soccer Club of Lafayette and Crossroads Soccer Association (PBFC’s parent organization) of Alexandria partnered up in between the 2018 and 2019 youth soccer seasons.

“With this partnership and the fact that our coaching staff is made up of CSC youth staff, there’s an obvious respect for CSC’s youth development, but ultimately, a shared vision of providing an upper level outlet for standout youth players and alumni (in the GCPL) is the connecting link that makes the CSA/CSC partnership so special.” said PBFC Head Coach Jeremy Poklemba . “Now that the clubs have a joint venture in developing youth talent, it of course adds another layer to the great rivalry we’ve had over the past 6-8 years.”

The Pool Boys had a roller coaster season last year after a solid run in 2017. They recently added some new college talent and made some significant changes to their roster.

Matheus Fulini, a LSUA graduate, joined PBFC this season after a stint with Shreveport Rafters of the NPSL last season.

“We have a strong connection to the local colleges in the area (Louisiana College and Louisiana State University-Alexandria), and we have been fortunate in drawing some serious talent from all over the world into our roster.” added Poklemba “With all that talent, it’s sometimes difficult to gel into a cohesive team. Hopefully we’ve learned from the past and our new roster additions will fit into their roles as we push forward for another playoff birth.”

One of the new players to watch for on Pool Boys FC is midfielder Elias Hanna. Hanna, a local Crossroads Soccer Association product and current CSC Academy Team member, has an unmatched work ethic and is a great distributor of the ball. Another off season addition to look out for is center midfielder Matheus Fulini, former Louisiana College and LSUA player who is expected to do great things from the middle of the pitch. Supporting these new players at the forward position is Mackenzie Young, a Scottish skipper who has the ability to play anywhere on the pitch.

Cajun SC’s squad consists of all but 2 players who have graduated from the CSC youth academy.

Cajun SC is coming off a strong start to their season after dismantling Shreveport United 5-1. The Lafayette unit has made it to the GCPL finals the last two years, but have unfortunately come up short both times. Mark Hiller, the new Cajun SC head coach, is determined to help his club bounce back from these devastating finals loses as he has been preparing his players during the off season for another opportunity to compete in the championship.

“We have tried to implement a clear style of play which the boys have bought into,” said Cajun SC Head Coach Mark Hiller. “Everyone knows the roles they are expected to fulfill within the system we have implemented. We are confident as always of reaching the playoffs but know the teams in the league are very tough and every game will be close. We will take it one game at a time and try to improve with each game.”

This talented Cajun SC squad is also full of young college talent as they are the only team in the GCPL to feature over 80 percent of homegrown players.

“The GCPL has given our collegiate players an avenue to come home and continue to train in an environment that pushes them all,” stated Cajun SC Executive Director Michael Ritch. “They go back to their college teams in great shape and as better players. The local guys that still play have done an amazing job of creating a buy in from everyone where they are all accountable to each other. They set the foundation of what this team is made of and the give the future generations something to strive for.”

Kade Kling and Jordan Angelle are two top Cajun SC players to look out for come Saturday night’s matchup. Kling is a goal scoring winger who possesses strong one v one skills while Angelle is an athletic full back who has the potential to add some needed assists from the dangerous areas he gets into. These two players seek to lead Cajun SC to a much needed victory over their western conference rivals early in the season.

The journey to the playoffs continues on Saturday for these two clubs as Cajun SC hosts Alexandria PBFC at LUS Fiber Stadium at 7:45pm. Come on out to watch these two Louisiana teams duke it out in this game of the week.

This Game of the Week feature is sponsored by Third Coast Soccer. The largest retail soccer store in the gulf south. Visit www.thirdcoastsoccer.net today!

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