TLfC Gulf Coast: Pelicans, Battle Lions to face off in huge mid-week battle
Wednesday’s match between Pensacola and Tallahassee will decide the Florida Panhandle 850 Cup champion and, in all likelihood, the division winner.
Tallahassee SC will host Pensacola Football Club in the most important match of The League for Clubs Gulf Coast Conference season at 6 p.m. CST Wednesday at Gene Cox Stadium. At stake: the 2025 Florida Panhandle 850 Cup trophy and a commanding lead in the conference’s East Division.
Pelicans seek revenge
Tallahassee forward Braeden Paul scored the only goal of Pensacola FC’s only loss in second-half stoppage time on Sunday, May 25 at Ashton Brosnaham Stadium, the Pelicans’ home pitch.
It was a match in which the Pelicans took 19 shots and put 10 on target; the Lions had two shots on goal and only needed one.
“That’s the way the game goes sometimes,” PFC coach Dean Logan said at the time.
Read more about the first match at the link below:
Tally nips Pelicans 1-0 in clash of Top 5 sides
Braeden Paul scored the only goal Sunday in SC Tallahassee’s 1-0 win at Pensacola FC. CREDIT: SC Tallahassee
Tallahassee SC (5-0-0, 15 points) and Pensacola FC (5-0-1, 15 points) meet again Wednesday at Gene Scott Stadium in Tallahassee; kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CST.
Both teams have won twice since their first meeting and are clearly the class of the first-year TLfC Gulf Coast Conference.
Panhandle 850 Cup decider
Wednesday’s match also will decide who earns this year’s Florida Panhandle 850 Cup, a challenge trophy for teams in the Florida Panhandle. Supporters of the Pelicans, Battle Lions and Florida Roots bought the trophy, which Pensacola has held for the past four years. The Roots, a Panama City club, isn’t fielding a men’s team this summer.
The Cup champion will be decided by aggregate score, so Tallahassee carries a one-goal lead into the second match.
Pensacola 6, GC United 1
The Pelicans’ potent offense (a league-leading 24 goals) continued to struggle to convert chances in a 1-0 win against Sowegans, but rebounded with six scores Saturday against Gulf Coast United in Gulfport, Miss.
Logan said Pensacola’s objective was to execute its goalscoring chances; United didn’t make it easy.
“We wanted to take control of the game from the start, and control the tempo to our liking,” Logan said. “Gulf Coast was playing in a mid to low block and very compact, so they were trying to make it difficult for us to get in behind their defensive line.”
Just a little patience
Logan credited his players’ patience and ball movement for helping the Pelicans find success.
Rodrigo Bacci scored Pensacola’s first goal, heading in Michael Lightbourne’s corner kick at the back post in the 13th minute.
Teryn Davis equalized after a Pensacola turnover in its own defensive third three minutes later. Alex Gravel converted another Lightbourne corner kick in the 43rd minute and the Pelicans led 2-1 at halftime.
“Credit to Gulf Coast, as they were really organized defensively….We weren’t really satisfied with the overall first half performance, and made a couple adjustments based on what we saw from Gulf Coast in the first half,” Logan said. “We were really fantastic in the second half. Our ball movement in their middle and defensive third caused lots of problems to their backline.”
“We weren’t really satisfied with the overall first half performance, and made a couple of adjustments….We were really fantastic in the second half.”
— PFC coach Dean Logan
Bacci assisted on Bruno Marques’ goal in the 46th minute and scored his second in the 74th; Colin Spuler came off the bench and scored in the 82nd and 88th minutes to finish the scoring.
“The guys were hungry, after not converting the chances created in the previous two games,” Logan said, but also praised a Pensacola defense that has allowed just four goals in six matches.
“We didn’t allow a shot on target from Gulf Coast in the second half. Aaron Boateng was stellar for us again in the absence of Joao Ribeiro, who is nursing a slight injury,” Logan said. “(Boateng) even ended the night with an assist.”
The fifth-year coach didn’t forget his bench.
“Our subs came on and really impacted the game for us. I was really happy with their performances,” he said.
Marques back on the board
Marques scored his conference-leading seventh goal of the season, but his first after recording hat tricks in the Pelicans’ first two matches.
“It was really great to see Bruno Marques getting back on the score sheet,” Logan said. “He worked really hard all night, and deserved to be on the score sheet.”
Logan said goalkeeper Gabriel Mendoza “provided great leadership and communication” and “kept the players organized and focused.”
Playoff outlook
Pensacola has scored 24 goals and conceded just four in six matches for a +20 goal differential; Tallahassee has 23 scores and allowed four (+19) in one fewer match. The Pelicans and Battle Lions almost certainly represent the Eastern Division in the conference playoffs; third-place Sowegans (2-3-0, six points) has lost twice to Pensacola and once to Tallahassee and first-year side Valdosta FC is winless in six matches.
When the 10-match regular season concludes later this month, the top two teams in the East will play the top two from the west — currently Gaffa FC (4-3-0, 12 points) and Pensacola FC Academy (3-2-1, 10 points) — for the conference championship.
Logan is hoping the Pelicans finish the season strong.
“We now focus on the game at Tallahassee on Wednesday,” he said. “We are ready and up for the challenge. We know it’s going to be a very good game, and hope that we can be the ones leaving with the three points.”
STANDINGS
EAST DIVISION
1. Pensacola FC, 5-1-0, 15 points, +20
2. Tallahassee SC, 5-0-0, 15 points, +19
3. Sowegans SC, 2-3-0, 6 points, -5
4. Valdosta FC, 0-6-0, 0 points, -26
WEST DIVISION
1. Gaffa FC, 4-3-0, 12 points, +7
2. PFC Academy, 3-2-1, 10 points, +2
3. Union 10 FC, 3-1-0, 9 points, +4
4. Gulf Coast United, 1-4-0, 3 points, -10
5. AFC Mobile, 0-4-0, 0 points, -12
SCORES
Saturday, June 7
• Tallahassee 5, Valdosta FC 0
• PFC Academy 4, Gaffa FC 1
• AFC Mobile 1, Union 10 FC 4
• Gulf Coast United 1, Pensacola FC 6
WEEK 6 MATCHES
(Times CDT)
Wednesday, June 11
• Tallahassee SC vs. Pensacola FC, 6 p.m., Gene Cox Stadium, Tallahassee
• Valdosta FC vs. Sowegans SC, 6 p.m., North Lowndes Park, Hahira, Ga.
• AFC Mobile vs. Gulf Coast United, 7 p.m., Davidson High School, Mobile
Saturday, June 14
• Union 10 FC vs. Gulf Coast United FC, 5 p.m., Village Park, Daphne, Ala.
• Sowegans SC vs. Tallahassee SC, 6:15 p.m., Lee County Sports Complex, Leesburg, Ga.
• Gaffa FC vs. AFC Mobile, 7:15 p.m., Stribling Field, Ridgeland, Miss.