We started our 2024 USL League Two campaign last night with a road match at Florida Elite. While we didn't return with the win we were hoping for, we secured a road point against a tough opponent, which is never a bad thing.
Our team is still changing every day as new players arrive for the summer and others are awaiting approval from the league and the U.S. Soccer Federation, but we got our first look at our team and there's a lot to be excited about!
Florida Elite came with a hard press in the first 10 minutes or so, but the boy shield them off. Our goalkeeper, Mathias Tieppo (you remember him, right?), made a great on a shot toward the upper right corner to keep Florida Elite out of the net.
After withstanding that early pressure, our guys settled in and started to control the game. We held a significant edge in possession throughout the game, including in the first half.
The first goal of the game came in the 30th minute and it was a beauty. Yuki Nakamura sent a pass toward the touch line for Matheus Ferreira. Ferreira reeled it in and flipped it back across the goal, where Alvaro Carrera was ready to head it home.
Unfortunately, Florida Elite equalized before halftime. One of the few mistakes we made proved costly as the opponents jumped on a pass in the back and scored off the turnover. However, we came back after halftime and dominated possession and saw plenty of shots, but none went through.
After holding off one last push from Florida Elite, we left the field and returned home with a point. Here's what Coach Anderson DaSilva had to say about the game:
"Being the first game, I definitely saw things I haven’t seen in practice, especially from the new players... Once we have everybody, I’ll have a better idea of what they can contribute to the team. I was proud of my team that they didn’t lose their cool and stayed composed. It was a much different game from what we’ve experienced in the past against Florida Elite."
Alvaro was named Man of the Match for his goal. The Southeast Division player of the year picked up right where he left off last season, securing points for the team. Here's what Alvaro said about the honor: "It feels good, but it doesn't just feel good personally, it feels good collectively, because it was also the effort of my teammates that put me in position to score the goal."
Our next match will May 29th, this time against the USL League Two newcomers from Brooke House FC. The game will be played at 7 pm at Showalter Field in Winter Park.
We'd love to see you out at the game, but, if that's too far away, we'll see youJune 1st when we play our home opener against Brevard SC at The Range!
