Brevard SC 0–3 The Villages SC
Man of the match, Lucas Mauro, was focused from the first minute to the last. He kept encouraging his teammates to switch the play quickly to create more chances to score.
Even after 3 goals he pushed as if we needed another goal for the win. You wouldn't know it by watching him that it was the final minutes of the game. He kept pushing, passing, and asking for the ball as if it was the very beginning.
He also scored a very nice goal by dribbling Brevard's defender and placing the ball on the opposite side of their goalkeeper.
Man of the Match interview at The Standard Coffee with Lucas Mauro
How do you feel about your return to the Buffalo?
When I came at the start of this year for our friendly against Hertha BSC, I felt like I had returned home. I was welcomed right away and I know that when feel good about a situation things tend to flow for me. I couldn’t see myself playing for any other team in the USL2. It had to be The Villages SC.
What is different between the first year (2021) and this year?
Personally, I think the biggest difference is – experience. During my time away I played for the UCF which is a large university with a great soccer program that requires a lot of physical strength and overall game intelligence. I now feel more prepared than in my first year here.
2021 was your first experience playing soccer in the USA. How did that Summer with us help you prepare to play at the university level?
I realized that soccer in the USA is a lot more physical. At several of our games, our opponents might not have been better technically but they always had the physicality. That’s what I had to adapt to and it has stayed with me.
This season as an example, in our first game against Tampa Bay United I went in thinking it would be a tough game physically and I was right. All we were missing to be a full-on fight was boxing gloves. If it were to go any further we would have had to get UFC (MMA) contracts.
What did you think about this past game against Brevard SC?
I think our team was able to adapt very quickly to playing on turf. We train every day on grass, so the speed of the game, and the way we carry the ball are very different. In the first 5-10 minutes we were able to adjust and then control the game. We maintained possession and created more chances than in our previous game. There was a good balance on both the right and left sides. We crossed and finished more. Our first half was 1x0 but it could very well have been at least 3x0 even before they had their player sent off.
What do you think about being selected “man of the match” and about the positive responses you received?
I think it’s very important. It goes back to the first question, that feeling of being welcomed and knowing that people are also happy that I’m back is very gratifying.
As to being selected, it was something that I was speaking with coach the other day. I told him that while I have the energy, no matter the score, I’m always going to run as much as I can and that is what I tried to do. I started playing as a winger then in the second half, I moved to the #10 position. I tried to distribute the ball as much as I could and I’m glad to have helped the team in that way.
At the very end of the match, the ball went out and instead of staling you were calling for it with the same enthusiasm as in the beginning. You were playing as if we needed a goal to win. Do you remember that final play?
Yes, I noticed that when the ball went out, there were 3 of their defenders against 4 of our attackers. They were not coming at us as fast because, as you said, it was the end of the game. I wanted to take advantage of that. So, when my teammate got the ball for the throw-in I asked for it so I could do the overlap. We didn’t score that goal but we could have and that’s what keeps me going. Even in the final minutes.
