Hickory FC Tops Greenville United 3–1 in Hard-Fought Conference Clash
Under the lights at Moretz Stadium on Wednesday night, tempers flared, yellow cards flew, and two of the Southeast Conference’s hottest clubs went toe-to-toe in a physical, emotionally charged match.
Hickory FC, fresh off a momentum-boosting 1-0 win over local rival Appalachian FC on Saturday, looked to ride that high against a surging Greenville United side coming in on a two-match win streak of their own. And from the opening whistle, it was clear neither team was backing down from a battle.
If one word could capture the tone of this match, it would be “chippy.” The referee’s whistle was a near-constant presence, and by halftime, six yellow cards had been issued — three apiece — as both sides played with intensity, embracing a hard-nosed, aggressive style that made space and time hard to come by.
Greenville nearly opened the scoring just thirty seconds into the match with a lofted through ball from beyond midfield that dropped perfectly at the feet of a streaking striker.
The visiting forward slotted it home with ease, briefly quieting the Hickory crowd — but the sideline referee raised his flag for offsides, and the goal was wiped away, allowing Hickory FC a brief sigh of relief.
After the early scare, the home side settled in and started to create chances of their own. The breakthrough came in the 23rd minute, when midfielder Harri Rowe whipped in a corner kick that found the right foot of Guille Muñoz, who found an opening amongst the pack to put it away and give Hickory FC a 1-0 lead.
Just seven minutes later, Hickory doubled their lead.
A quick counterattack left Greenville’s defense scrambling, and Antonio Pineda was brought down in the box, earning Hickory a penalty. Daniel Almeida stepped up and confidently buried it, pushing the lead to 2-0.
But the half wasn’t without concern for Hickory.
In the 40th minute, defender Jonah Straube, already playing with a cast on his left arm, took a nasty fall after being upended by a Greenville attacker. Straube landed hard on his right shoulder and stayed down for several minutes before being helped off by medical staff.
Greenville pulled one back in stoppage time after pouncing on a sloppy turnover near midfield. The ball landed at the feet of a midfielder, who took a touch and fired a long-range shot that curled past the Hickory keeper, making it 2-1 just before the half.
It was more of the same in the second half — physical play, rising tempers, and more cards handed out as emotions continued to run high.
Four additional yellow cards were shown after the break — three of them to Greenville United — as their frustrations began to spill over. As the match wore on, Greenville’s attention seemed to shift their focus towards the referees than their opponent.
The decisive moment came in the 79th minute. What looked like a routine pickup by the Greenville United goalkeeper quickly turned into a defensive miscue for Greenville, as the goalkeeper and a fellow defender collided, causing the ball to pop free.
Hickory’s Leo Souza was in the right place at the right time as he quickly found a cutting Thomas Pollacchi, who was able to put it home and extend the lead to 3-1, effectively putting the nail in the coffin.
For Hickory FC, this should serve as a testament to their toughness. Regardless of the style of game their opponent wants to play, they won’t back down from a fight.
Photo Credit: Jackson Shoe/Hickory FC