City Crushes Connecticut and Keeps Playoff Hopes Alive
Must Win game turns into a rout
City entered the Connecticut game after suffering it's first loss at home in over a year and a half against Sporting Maryland a week earlier. Sitting at 3-4 on the season, City needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive in the Eastern Conference of the National League. The game started with City pounding the Connecticut goal with nearly ten clear chances in the first three minutes of the game. The Connecticut goalkeeper made save after save and kept the game 0-0. Three and a half minutes into the first half a nightmarish mistake in the back led to a Connecticut goal. A stunned City team found themselves down 0-1. City came storming back throttling Connecticut's goal with shot after shot. Finally, one broke through when Aldony Mendez found Jared Wilson-Santos on the wing who slammed it in the upper corner of the net. Two minutes later City's Jeremy Klepal burst down the side of the court and smashed a back post ball to Willy Guerrero who slammed it in the back of the net. That goal seemed to take all the air out of Connecticut who held on the rest of the half desperately making stop after stop to keep City only two goals ahead going into half 3-1.
The gates opened
One minute into the second half City's Jared Wilson Santos set a ball to Jeremy Klepal who smashed in a goal from 25 feet out. That was it. Connecticut was completely deflated and the gates had opened. Aldony Mendez followed shortly after with a free kick goal, and then City scored another and another and another and another. With ten minutes past in the second half it was already 9-2. City had made a statement and made it in a big way. Connecticut would not stay in this game.
Three highlight Moments
City scored three thriller goals in the second half. The first was an amazing individual effort by Aldony Mendez weaving in and out of the defense beating two players before sliding the ball back post to Willy Guerrero who finished the ball soundly to the crowds roar! The second thriller was a dynamic combination between City's Jared Klepal and Aldony Mendez who seemed to beat every player on the Connecticut team in a 5 pass one-two combo before slamming it in the Connecticut net again setting off the City fans. The third thriller was from Jeremy Klepal who received the ball at the pivot spot before spinning around the defender, rolling the ball and deftly flicking it over the goalkeeper with his back foot to a wild celebration in the City crowd. City would finish out the second half scoring a total of 10 goals and giving up 2 late ones making the final score 13-3 in City's favor.
Complete Domination
City's backs were against the wall and the squad came through. Nathan Clarke and Paris Waller made their home debuts for City and had a big impact on the game. Clarke's ability to zing balls across the court to open players helped City open up the game and he even got a goal for himself! Waller's defensive abilities helped keep City organized and structured. Willy Guerrero also came up big for City scoring 2 goals and creating numerous other chances. Aldony Mendez and Jared Wilson Santos each finished with 2 goals and 2 assists while Jeremy Klepal was able to tack on another hat trick for the season and 2 more assists.
Next Saturday City Takes on Rival Columbus Futsal
City will take on Columbus Futsal at 6:00 P.M next Saturday in another home game at the Summit Sports Complex. After this weekends results from the league comes in, we will have an update on the potential playoff situation for City and what this game with Columbus will mean. Stay tuned!