The 2019 GCPL regular season came to an end on Wednesday night after the rained out matches from last week’s hurricane were finally played out. With the regular season coming to an end, this meant that the playoffs are here and the battle to hoist the GCPL Cup is on.

This year, the highly anticipated postseason is set to begin and with five new clubs making their GCPL playoff debuts. The path to lifting the 3rd annual GCPL Cup will kick off this Saturday, July 20th with two quality quarterfinal matches on deck.

#3 BOCA Knights FC v. #6 AFC Mobile (7pm at Bossier High School)

The Western conference champions will host the Eastern conference outfit from Mobile in a highly anticipated match up. Both clubs have displayed over the season a knack for scoring goals with quality attacking threats up top. AFC Mobile will look to midfielder and team scoring leader, Arad Lev-Ari, to display some magic for the Azaleas, while the Knights expect Brazilian forward, Rafa Muniz, to lead the attacking front in hopes to advance to the semis. Both BOCA and Mobile will be without their two star players, Quesi Weston and Chisom Ogbonna, due to suspensions.

#4 Louisiana Krewe v. #5 Tallahassee Soccer Club (7pm at UL-Lafayette Soccer Stadium)

The two best defensive units in the GCPL will meet in Lafayette for a quarterfinal battle. Leading the defensive front for the Battle Lions is keeper and Eastern conference June Player of the Month, Hugo Peruzzi, averaging an impressive .77 GAA, the best in the league. Looking to test Hugo and his stout defensive front will be Krewe’s leading scorer and front runner for the GCPL golden boot , Adrian Olivares Rodrigeuz. The Lafayette unit has also impressed on the defensive front with a .80 GAA, thanks in part to defender and Western conference June Player of the Month, Cristian Cubedo. Tallahassee will rely on forward and former Shreveport Rafter, Boneco Bazil, to test the Krewe’s top defender.

The semifinals are set to be played on Wednesday, July 24th.

#1 Northshore United v. Lowest Seed (7pm at Northlake Christian High School)

The second year club claimed the number one seed and enjoyed being crowned regular season champs. Climbing out on top in a grueling 3-way playoff race in the Central conference, Northshore have impressed thanks to stellar season from a corp unit. But the attacking prowess of Zachary Breaux and Mason Morise have contributed heavily to the Covington club. The Ramblers will await the lowest seed that advances from the quarters.

# 2 FC New Orleans v. Highest Seed (7pm at Pan American Stadium)

The kings of New Orleans shined in their first year in the league with some top performances by former Pioneros de Cancún man, Roger Llergo, and CD Vida bound, Jesus Benitez. The Gators led the league in goals scored and displayed a potent style of attack, scoring a total of 42 goals in 10 games. FC New Orleans will have to fill in the void of the players who have returned to their pro clubs, but the NOLA crew has plenty of depth to be up for the task.

The GCPL Cup will be played at a location to be determined by highest seed (pending league approval for hosting). Entry will be $10 for adults and $5 for kids and can be purchased here: https://archive.gcpl.sportzstudio.com/gcpl-store/.

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.

El Clásico de Nueva Orleans que se disputará esta jornada entre el Motagua New Orleans y el FC New Orleans ha sido nombrado el Third Coast Partido de la Semana. Aparte de ser una rivalidad intensa, estos equipos se están peleando un sitio en la liguilla, pues ambos han sumado 15 puntos en la tabla de la Conferencia Central. El FC New Orleans ha ganado 4 partidos y empatado 3 y se mantiene en sitio número dos, mientras el Motagua New Orleans está en tercer lugar con un record de 5 victorias y 2 derrotas (el desempate está basado en resultados de enfrentamientos directos, y no en diferencia de goles). El vencedor de esta batalla estaría en posición para reclamar el primer lugar de la tabla Central, y por lo tanto se espera un partidazo.

Tras caer ante el FC New Orleans en la Jornada 1 de la temporada regular, el Motagua busca vengarse en el partido de este sábado. Las Águilas Azules no se han olvidado de aquel juego en el que se vieron inferiores en el marcador final, y se han estado preparando diligentemente para buscar superar a este contrincante.

“Nuestra preparación para este juego es igual que cada semana, con un énfasis en la eliminación de los errores mentales que cometimos en la primera jornada,” comentó el director técnico de Motagua New Orleans Mario Martínez. “La posesión del balón es clave para llevar acabo nuestro estilo de juego, y por lo tanto nuestra preparación está basada en el juego en conjunto. Entrenamos la presión de balón y la condición física es vital para nuestro equipo veterano, sumando piezas jóvenes para desarrollar una fórmula perfecta rumbo al éxito.”

Aunque el Motagua New Orleans no está acostumbrado a estar en un sitio tan bajo en la tabla Central de La GCPL, lo han usado como impulso para retomar sus hábitos victoriosos y estilo de  uego único.

Al mando de esta resurgencia está el mediocampista Kenroy Rodrigues, jugador completo cuya habilidad de llevarse el equipo a la espalda en momentos vitales, lo ha caracterizado como pieza fundamental de este conjunto. El rol de apoyo en la delantera, se encuentra Nestor Peralta Jr., atleta ágil y versátil quien mete goles a placer. Viene de marcar cinco goles ante el Mississippi Blues SC y con hambre insaciable de anotar más. Adueñándose de los tres palos para el Motagua está el veteranísimo arquero Donaldo Morales. Su posicionamiento y su habilidad de comandar el área grande han sido vitales en el éxito del equipo en juegos claves.

El FC New Orleans está emocionado por volver a encarar a su rival neo-orleanés, con preparación
específica para este segundo enfrentamiento.

“Seguimos con la preparación que nos caracteriza, enfocándonos en el juego en conjunto y gozo por mejorarnos como equipo” dijo el director técnico del FC New Orleans Wilmer Peralta. “Este partido tiene sabor especial por varias razones – en cuanto al talento profesional y experiencia internacional, estos dos equipos son inigualables. A la misma vez, se está disputando un partido que puede llegar a definir la liguilla en este grupo. Nuestra preparación será igual de intensa con múltiples sesiones de entrenamiento, enfocándonos en lo sicológico y en mantenimiento de nuestro estilo tranquilo pero letal – receta cuya eficacia se comprobó en la primera iteración de este clásico.”

Plagados por lesiones a lo largo de la temporada, el FC New Orleans por fin logrará tener un plantel al 100%, con la mejor alineación hasta la fecha. La confianza de estar completos y saludables podría darle la ventaja mínima al FC New Orleans, quien necesita esta victoria para mantener el invicto y asegurar su pase a la siguiente ronda.

Una de la revelaciones del FC New Orleans ha sido el lateral izquierdo Ibrahim “Ibra” Belkouche. Este estadounidense de origen árabe es proveniente de los New Orleans Jesters y el equipo de la Universidad de Tulane, y una fiera en la banda zurda. Su velocidad impresionante, visión de campo, y su baja estatura crean una combinación difícil de marcar para cualquier defensa. El arma secreta de FC New Orleans es el joven Erick Gunera, canterano de Louisiana Fire e hijo nato del estado. A este mediocampista le encanta encarar a la defensa, con avocación depurada de atacante.

Sin duda, este Partido de la Semana patrocinado por Third Coast será un evento histórico para los aficionados de estos equipos y para seguidores de futbol en la ciudad de Nueva Orleans. ¿Cuál equipo de NOLA prevalecerá y se adueñará de un boleto a la liguilla en la Conferencia Central? No se pierdan de este partido este sábado, 29 de junio 2019, a las 8pm en el Estadio Tad Gormley. Nos vemos allí.

The Big Easy matchup between Motagua New Orleans and FC New Orleans is this week’s Third Coast Soccer Game of the Week. This New Orleans Rivalry game is shaping up to be something special as both teams currently have fifteen points in the Central Conference standings. FC New Orleans is in second place in the conference with an undefeated record of 4-3-0, while Motagua New Orleans is in third place with a 5-0-2 record. The winner of this matchup has a chance to take over a playoff position in the Central Division, so it should be a great game to watch.

After losing to FC New Orleans in week one of the regular season, Motagua will be looking for redemption during Saturday night’s contest. The Blue Eagles have not forgotten about the first meeting and have been diligently preparing themselves for the upcoming match.

“The week’s preparation is no different than any other week, the only emphasis is to eliminate the mental mistakes we made in our 1st meeting,” stated Motagua New Orleans Head Coach Mario Martinez. “We prepare in a way that allows us to capitalize on our style of play, possession is key, we train to pressure the ball, and Fitness is vital in this weeks preparation for we are a veteran team, yet the implementation of our young guns, we feel it’s a perfect melting pot for success.”

Even though Motagua New Orleans is not accustomed to trailing in the GCPL Central standings, it has pushed them to dig deep and concentrate on getting back to their usual standards and Motagua style of play.

Leading the charge for the Blue Eagles is attacking midfielder Kenroy Rodrigues who is a complete overall player with the ability to take over the game in a moments notice. Supporting Kenroy, in the forward position is Nestor Peralta Jr, an agile and versatile athlete who can score at will. He is coming off a five goal game against Mississippi Blues SC and is hungry for more goals. Holding it down between the posts for Motagua is goal keeper, and former Honduran international, Donaldo Morales. His positioning and ability to command the box has kept the Blue Eagles in almost every match that they have played.

FC New Orleans is excited about the rivalry matchup as they have also been preparing for the second meeting.

“We are very much looking forward to preparation this week,” commented FC New Orleans head Coach Wilmer Peralta. “This game has a special flavor to it on multiple accounts – it’s undoubtedly the biggest rivalry seeing two teams who are stacked in terms of talent and international playing experience. Not to mention, there are massive playoff implications at stake. Our preparation will be as intense as ever, with a special focus on maintaining our unique style of play with cool heads – a recipe that has already proven effective in the first leg of the New Orleans derby.”

Riddled with injuries for the better part of the season, FC New Orleans will finally be able to play at full strength as they plan to field their most impressive starting lineup to date. The confidence that comes with a full and healthy squad could potentially give FC New Orleans the edge they need to win and keep their undefeated season alive.

One of the breakout star players for FC NOLA is left back Ibrahim “Ibra” Belkouche. Ibra is a former member of the New Orleans Jesters and Tulane University Club Soccer Team and he is a relentless force to be reckoned with on the left side of the field. His superb speed and vision make him incredibly difficult to mark on overlap plays on the wing, making it hard for the opposing teams to attack from the left flank. Another player to look out for is midfielder Erick Gunera, a sharp player who likes to attack the goal.

There is no question that this Third Coast Soccer Game of the Week will be one to remember for the fans and supporters from New Orleans. Which NOLA team will prevail and claim a playoff spot in the Central Conference? Come find out on Saturday night at 8:00 pm at Tad Gormley Stadium. See you there.

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.

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.

Friday night’s Third Coast Soccer Game of the week will feature FC New Orleans and Northshore United, two unbeaten teams that sit on top of the Central Conference standings. FC New Orleans is undefeated in their last three games with a draw at home versus Gaffa FC while Northshore United has won their last three straight matches.

Northshore Coach Chris Penton seems unfazed by FC New Orleans’ impressive undefeated record as he has not changed his team’s game plan going into this weekend’s tough matchup. “The approach will be similar to the last 3 games,” Coach Penton commented. “We have to work on how to dictate space and create opportunities for transitions into the final 3rd. We’ve been getting to know the players and are starting to get a better feel for our own teams strengths and weaknesses. FC New Orleans gives us a different challenge in terms of style of play and experience. It should be a great game for the fans on Friday.”

In just their second season in the GCPL, Northshore United has been extremely dominant and have been putting in a lot of hard work during the off-season as well as regular season to get to where they are now.

“Learning from year-one mistakes through what worked and what did not helped us get back on track for this season,” United Owner Robbie McCray commented. “We, as a club, wanted to refocus on training which is most important to us. Winning is a result of all the hard work the guys are putting in at training.”

United Midfielder Cameron Robinson is among the top players to watch for come Friday night. Robinson is a winger who has a lot of pace and likes to run. He has two goals and one assist on the season. Another Midfielder to keep your eyes on is Eric Schwing. Schwing is a defensive mid with great ball distribution and outstanding counter attacking plays. The last player to look out for is Andrew McInnis who is a physical forward that likes to motivate his team and lead by example. He is Northshore’s leading scorer with four goals on the season.

FC New Orleans Coach Wilmer Peralta also seems unbothered by Northshore’s intimidating unbeaten record because his club has been preparing for this Central Conference powerhouse matchup in the same way that they did for their first three games.

“We are approaching this match with the same seriousness as always,” Coach Peralta commented. “Every rival is to be treated as a high-level opponent and this is no different. Northshore United has proven itself worthy of being the top team in our Conference and our preparation will be tailored to try to expose their weaknesses. At the end of the day, however, we will be focused on honing our strengths, as that is our best defense against a strong team on their home turf. Continuing to fortify our formidable back line, perfecting our tiki-taka style of passing, and finishing all of our opportunities on goal – those are just a few of our big preparation aims. We will hold nothing back and are confident in obtaining a convincing win.”

The men from NOLA have yet to lose a game this season, but they still feel as if there is room for improvement and they are striving to get better with every match they play.

“Though FC New Orleans has had a great bout of success, early on, it is still a very new team,” FC New Orleans Director of Operations Pepe Serrano stated. “That comes with a lot of growth, and a lot of room for improvement. The strength has come from our adversity. We played a few pre-season matches that didn’t go our way and are still growing accustomed to the unique league rules (e.g., hockey-like substitutions). Nevertheless, the struggles we have faced have brought us closer together – and our drive is our fortitude.”

A top player on FC New Orleans to watch for is nifty Forward Roger Llergo. Considered to be FC New Orleans’ secret weapon, Llergo feels right at home between the defensive backline and midfielder set. He uses his speed to pressure opposing teams in their own half which allows him to quickly transition to attack where his finishing accuracy is to be feared by any keeper. The second player to look for is Gustavo Castillo. Castillo’s face-value talent is his crisp ball distribution and high pass accuracy, but he is good for a few knuckleball shots on target from long range. Not to mention, he had a 40 yard upper-90 bomb of a goal in his club’s home opener v. Gaffa FC, so you can expect him to put constant pressure on the United keeper as well.

This Central Division matchup between these two top dogs will be on Friday night at Wolverine Stadium at 7:00pm. It will be a great match to watch and I wouldn’t want to be someone who misses it.