FALL RIVER, Mass. – Dean Williams scored the lone goal to lead the Taunton Eagles to a 1-0 win over Fall River Sports in the first leg of LUSA Cup competition at Billy Gonsalves Field on Saturday.
Williams scored in the 44th minute while Eagles keeper Sean Gonsalves made five saves to give the Eagles a crucial one-goal advantage going into Wednesday’s second leg in Taunton. Keeper Nellio Miranda came up with four saves for the hosts.
With a blustery wind at their backs, Fall River charged into Taunton territory early and often during the bulk of the first half. And they didn’t have to wait long for their first golden opportunity.
In the fourth minute, Alex Machado sent a free kick to the far post to an unmarked Ruben Jose. But Jose couldn’t get his forehead on it as the Eagles let out a collective gasp.
Another opportunity arrived in the 26th minute when Andre Antunes sent a through ball that split two defenders that put Jose in a perfect opportunity to score. That was until Gonsalves rushed over to poke it away and end the threat.
Fall River thought they’d scored the opener at the half hour when Machado sent free kick into the box, where Antunes brought it down and sent it wide to Jose Guardado, who tucked it under the bar. But the assistant referee flagged it offside, as the home crowd loudly jeered the call.
More jeers came in the 44th minute when Williams got a hold of a Eddy Lopes free kick and promptly slipped it past Miranda to sucker punch Fall River right before the half.
The hosts came out hungry for the second half, but with the Eagles packing the back, it became difficult to break through.
In the 53rd minute, Jose carried it down the right, then beat his mark and charged into the area. Once again, Gonsalves came off his line and boldly ripped the ball away.
Stoppage time brought one final chance for Fall River to equalize. In the 91st minute, Edmundo Juarez pounded a shot from distance that flirted with the far post before it ultimately skipped wide.
The clubs will meet for the second leg on Wednesday at 7pm at Shore Street Field.
Loading ...
It’s great that you are taking the time to write about semi pro soccer. For me high school and college soccer were more or less a waste of time, mainly because I learned very little. My 16 or 17 years playing semi pro soccer were totally enjoyable. It was almost completely ethnic when I played . I saw something new and different almost every game. Fantastic experience.
I’m also really glad to see this level of the US soccer pyramid covered. I just wish there were some more writers on staff to cover BSSL and MSSL as there’s great stuff going on there too. Battery Park Gunners of BSSL are national amateur champs after all… But keep up the good work on LUSA, it’s great to read.
Thanks for the kudos, guys. The amateur games are a treat to watch because the players – not to mention the fans – are so invested in the success of their clubs. It’s not just getting the win, it’s about bragging rights. And it’s like that every week. Everyone knows each other, and so that familiarity breeds rivalries, both friendly and fierce. To me, that’s really the essence of the game.
And Logan – at some point, we’d love to extend coverage to other deserving leagues and teams. Battery Park Gunners is a great example of a team that we’d be happy to give some ink to. Hopefully, in the not so distant future, we can bring a writer aboard to cover them.