Huge second half lifts Soda City to 5-0 win over Charleston
Soda remain undefeated to open fall 2025 season
It was a tense first half in Irmo Saturday night before Soda City FC erupted for four second-half goals to bounce Charleston United 5-0 in the UPSL Mid-Atlantic South Game of the Week.
Soda City forced an own goal in just the 3rd minute of play as a Charleston defender making a recovery run swept the ball into his net seemingly putting the hosts on their way to a huge first half. Charleston United, however, settled into the match and their highly organized defensive block provided no openings or scoring chances as the match went to the half with Soda up 1-0.
Soda was very patient in the attack and displayed this willingness to circulate the ball and pick their moments to go forward in large spells of the first half. A more aggressive and higher pressing Soda emerged from the dressing room after the break.
The second half would be all Soda City and the hosts didn’t wait long into the new half to blow the game wide-open.
Caleb Daniels made a late, back post run on a Soda corner kick in the 47th minute where he headed the ball down into the ground where it bounded past the scrambling Charleston keeper for the 2-0 lead. Just seven minutes later, it was Soda again finding the nets after some high pressing defense turned the ball over in the Soda attacking third of the field. TJ Paul was slipped a ball into his feet and he then went on a long, solo slalom run with the ball glued to his feet into the Charleston box before he drove the ball low into the back post for the 3-0 Soda advantage.
The furious opening to the second half then settled into the more patient Soda style of play but in the 80th minute a frantic, bouncing Charleston back pass forced their keeper into an errant clearance that found its way to Soda forward Caree Collier who scrambled the ball into the open net for the fourth Soda goal.
The final goal of the evening was from Soda’s Skyler Fields who ripped a low, skipping ball from outside the area into the Charleston net through the static, shell-shocked defense deep into second-half stoppage time. Final score 5-0 to Soda.
Jacob Cotton went all 90 minutes in the Soda nets collecting the shutout.
With the win Soda moves to a perfect 3W-L-0T record at the top of the UPSL Premier Mid-Atlantic South conference. Up next is a trip to Savannah to play the Coastal Kings on Saturday, October 4 at 7 PM.