PFC Academy earns draw in season opener against Mobile
Pensacola FC 1559, the PFC men’s academy team, conceded a goal from a turnover but rallied for a 1-1 draw in front of a nice home crowd Wednesday.
Tungamirai Kagoro (7), shown playing for W.P. Davidson High School of Mobile, Ala., in April, scored Pensacola FC Academy’s only goal Wednesday in a 1-1 draw with AFC Mobile in The League for Clubs season opener for both teams. CREDIT: Mike Kittrell/preps@al.com.
Score doesn’t reflect performance
PFC 1559, the Pensacola FC men’s academy team, scored late Wednesday at Ashton Brosnaham Stadium to salvage a 1-1 draw against visiting AFC Mobile in a match it could — maybe should — have won.
“Overall I was very happy with the team once we settled into the match,” PFC Academy coach Kyle Sealy said. “The team is very young so we are learning on the fly, but we controlled most of the game and were unlucky not to put a few chances away during the match.”
Equalizer
The Pelicans’ loan goal was a pleasing blend of individual skill and teamwork. Tungamirai Kagoro, a speedy wingback who recently finished his prep career at W. P. Davidson High School in, ironically, Mobile, dribbled into the Azaleas’ defense and finished a nice give-and-go with Miller Thorsen, smashing home the equalizer in the 79th minute.
“Tunga finished off a great move from the right hand side with some good combination play to free Thorsen down the line, and he made a great cut back to Kagoro,” Sealy said of the scoring play. Kagoro and Thorsen both were second-half substitutions; Sealy said the bench was effective for Pensacola.
“I have to give huge credit to the subs that came on with fresh legs and really forced Mobile back and created some good chances,” he said.
Turnover punishes Pelicans
AFC Mobile took the lead on a 33rd minute miscue by the Pelicans.
Goalkeeper Tanner Boxberger left the penalty box to provide help on the right side; when the left centerback had trouble with Boxberger’s pass, Azaleas’ attacker Bien Bienvenue stole the ball and smashed it into the net before Boxberger could recover.
“We try to play confident and with composure, trusting our goalkeeper to contribute to the build up,” Sealy said of the play. “He just left one pass short for our cornerback and it led to a turnover.
“It was his only mistake of the game, but it was a costly one in the end.”
‘Solid platform’
The goal was one of Mobile’s few shots. For most of the match, the Pelicans’ defense pressured the Azaleas, forcing turnovers and frustrating Mobile’s attack.
“I thought our back line of Jacob Ticknor, Brandon Reyes, Justin Boldin and Camden Carner were fantastic, giving us a solid platform to play off of,” Sealy said.
Good turnout
The match was played in front of an estimated 200 fans; about a dozen members of Causeway Rebellion, the Azaleas’ supporters’ group, waved banners, chanted and drummed throughout the match, providing a biased, but fun, atmosphere.
Sealy said the team appreciated the crowd.
“It’s great for the Academy boys; being local, they have friends and family coming to watch them play as well as younger players in the area that look up to them,” he said. “I was honestly shocked at how many people came out, but it was an amazing home opener.”
Starting lineups:
PFC 1559 — Tanner Boxberger, Justin Boldin, Jacob Tickner, Brandon Reyes, Camden Carner, Ryan Chandler, Felipe Lawall, Josiah Arroyo, Eric Romero, Jackson Clarke, Irumva Steven. BENCH — Exavier Ali, Jackson Callaway, Rohan Francis, Nolan Godwin, Tungamirai Kagoro, Hayden Olsen, Miller Thorsen
AFC MOBILE — Andrew Moore, Espoir Njandgizi, Tristan Cohen, Colton Greene, Moses Angulo, Rayan Amison, Danny Saye, Sam Hughes, Salman Almandeel, Bien Bienvenue, Jean Musunga. BENCH — Gonzalo Secien, Maxime Varoqui, Baba Mediateur, Jacob Anderson, Mendes Barber II, Patrick Davis, Gneh-Kewon Dahn, Talan Galavan
Up next:
PFC 1559 (0-0-1, 1 point) will host Gulf Coast United (0-1-0) at 7 p.m. Saturday. The Gulfport, Miss., side lost 1-5 Saturday at Gaffa FC of Jackson, Miss.
The match is the second game of a Youth Night doubleheader. The Pensacola women’s academy hosts the GCU women at 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for both matches, and purchase of an adult ticket allows the purchaser’s child to enter Ashton Brosnaham Stadium for free.
AFC Mobile will host Gaffa FC at 7:15 p.m. Saturday at Davidson High School.