Electric City rolls to UPSL Mid-Atlantic title with 5-1 statement win
A first-half brace from Walton and then three goals in the first 12 minutes of the second half seal the win in Anderson
It was a championship Saturday in Anderson, South Carolina as Wake FC visited Electric City FC in the UPSL D1 Mid-Atlantic Final. The two teams had not met in the regular season as Wake forfeited that match due to travel issues and the stage was set to have the top two teams meet for the Spring title and UPSL promotion.
Electric City saw forward Kenny Walton score a first-half brace to give the hosts a 2-0 advantage at the half before they blasted out of the locker room after the break to score three goals in 12 minutes to leave no doubt as to the result of the match. Wake claimed a late consolation goal to break up the Electric clean sheet but just couldn’t find anything else to add to the scoreboard on the afternoon.
The opening 15 minutes of the match didn’t get into any rhythm as numerous fouls disrupted the flow of play. Wake was content to take long-range shots from their attacking opportunities while Electric was more patient on the ball and more deliberate in their build-up play. Wake seemed a step slow and a step behind during the run of play and Electric kept pushing the tempo of the game to keep the visitors unsettled.
Electric City found their opening goal in the 26th minute as Kenny Walton was the first runner to a short cross driven into the near post from the right flank where he headed the ball past the keeper for the 1-0 lead. The midfield possession and control of the match only increased for Electric after the goal.
Walton struck again in first-half stoppage time as he left his feet to slide into a driven ball running across the goal box to re-direct the cross into the net for the 2-0 advantage at the half.
The weather changed greatly at the half as the warm sunny day became a very windy, overcast afternoon. Electric City had the wind at their backs and came out of the break with more energy and more focus than the visitors from Wake FC.
Electric City took the halftime talk to heart and poured in three goals in the first 12 minutes of the second half to leave no doubt to the final result of the match.
Eduardo Melgar Majia scored in the 49th minute as he looped a header into the net from a cross driven from the right flank. Just six minutes later, Jayden Mace went on a long solo dribble on the left midfield flank before driving inside at the top of the box to rip an absolute laser of a shot into the back post upper 90 past the helpless Wake FC keeper. Eduardo Melgar Majia capped the scoring frenzy in the 57th minute by dribbling the keeper and slotting the ball into the empty net after picking the ball off the Wake defense to score his brace and push the score out to 5-0.
Wake FC did find a consolation goal in the 74th minute as Hector Rodriuez went on a solo dribble inside the Electric PK box to slot the ball in low to the near post and to break up the shutout on the afternoon.
This goal allowed along with the wind toppling over the match camera knocking out the livestream were the only blemishes on a perfect day of soccer for Electric City.
The final 15 minutes played out scoreless and Electric City completed their double of winning the UPSL D1 Mid-Atlantic Regular Season title and Playoff Final.
“Hard work beats talent every time,” said Electric City forward Kenny Walton after the game. “It’s been a pretty good season for us, I’m very grateful, I’m grateful to God, I play for my mom, and I’m grateful for those two goals in the championship today. Coach told us who was going to score (at the halftime talk), and they did it. He (Head Coach Jimmy George ) called it, he’s always positive with all his players. It’s beautiful to be champions this year, we just created this team…the first year and champions…it’s amazing.”
“The big picture (at Electic City) is about giving kids opportunities… a lot of kids from this community never got a shot and this season has been about giving kids that shot to get to the next level,” said Electric City Assistant Coach Ravon Ashy about Electric City FC. “One thing brought us all together, a soccer ball. It’s about bringing a community together, bringing life to a stadium in an area that needs some life. The whole season we were pushing them hard at training, we pushed them hard so when it came to game day they never saw anything they had not seen in practice. Every moment they’ve seen in games…they’ve seen in practice. Promotion comes next, but we’re going to enjoy the moment tonight, next season we obviously get the promotion but right now we’re going to enjoy ourselves and enjoy ourselves with the (Electric City) community.
Electric City finish their inaugural season with a 12W-1L-0T record and two trophies in the case. This fall Electric will join fellow South Carolina clubs Soda City, SC United Heat, Boiling Springs, and Charleston United in the UPSL Mid-Atlantic Premier Division.
