Augusta rolls to 5-0 win over short-handed Middle Georgia
Augusta Arsenal Soccer Team stays perfect on the season moving to 3-0
It was a match up of first-place Augusta versus last-place Middle Georgia Sunday afternoon at the Augusta Soccer Park in a match rescheduled from Saturday due to heavy rains.
The Augusta Arsenal Soccer Team saw five different players score a goal in the 5-0 shutout win as the short-handed Middle Georgia FC squad faced an uphill climb the entire match as they only traveled with nine players for the match.
Augusta opened the match with a cautious, but controlled approach to their attack as they exploited the open spaces and numerical advantages created by Middle Georgia playing with only nine players.
The hosts didn’t have to wait long before scoring a goal when Kaynan Ibrahim collected a through ball in the 7th minute and then proceeded to rip a shot high into the back post for the 1-0 Augusta lead. A free kick at the goal line just at the edge of the penalty box provided the second goal in the 30th minute as the ball was served into the near post where Augusta’s Mathias Baladi was first to rise and drive the ball into the net with a powerful header. With the score 2-0 to Augusta, the hosts added a third goal in the 33rd minute as Austin Bryant was there to clean up a loose ball in the goal mouth after the initial shot had rebounded off the far post right to the feet of Bryant.
Middle Georgia despite the challenges of playing with just nine players had a few attacking moments on the counter as well as few dangerous free kicks to keep Augusta honest. Middle Georgia made it a game and all credit to them for traveling with limited numbers and still putting in a spirited effort in the match.
The second half saw wholesale changes to the Augusta lineup and Augusta stayed on the front foot finding a fourth goal in the 71st minute as Eduard Lopez connected on a long-range shot from the midfield as Middle Georgia was too slow to pressure the shot. A final goal came via the penalty spot as James Lee placed the ball low to the keeper’s left after a trip in the box sent Augusta to the spot. Final score 5-0.
Adelphe Amehon went all 90 minutes in the Augusta net coming up with several key collections and two saves to preserve the shutout.
When asked about the state of the program, Augusta Coach and founder Merquiades McLellan has been pleased with the growth of the program from season one to season two.
“There was a lot more growth than we were anticipating (from season one to season two),” said McLellan. “So, when we did tryouts we had enough people for two teams, so we’ve actually started a reserve team. The goal to have this team also go UPSL Division 1 because there is that much talent here in Augusta. Another big thing is, of course Dallas (Dickerson) now that he is fully “on” …he’s a much better coach than I am, I’m not actually a coach but a player that just tried his best. The other growth area has been Traci (Hilton) our director of operations, she’s really good at what she does with networking, getting sponsors, and all that kind of stuff. These were key things that were added on from last season from me being just a one-man band.”
With the win Augusta moves to 3W-0L-0T on the season and still has not allowed a goal this season. The next match will be at FC Atlanta on October 11 at 7:30 PM.