ASL: O’s Score Late, But Riders Prevail
- Updated: May 10, 2015
Photo credit: Mass United FC
CUMBERLAND, R.I. – Michael Rincon’s second goal cancelled out a late comeback bid from the Rhode Island Oceaneers as Mass United FC prevailed 3-2 on Saturday at Tucker Field.
Rincon, a Revolution Academy product, opened the scoring in the 38th minute when he latched onto a through ball and put it past Chris Moura, while Carlos Diniz widened the gap in the 65th minute.
The Oceaneers climbed back into it late with goals from Anthony Baumann and Brian Grisell in the 78th and 82nd minutes, but Rincon’s 86th minute effort decided it once and for all.
With the win, the Riders improved its record to 2-2-7 (13 points) while the Oceaneers dropped to 6-3-3 (21 points).
Rhode Island was the aggressor early, with Baumann using the right flank to whip a barrage of dangerous balls into the box. In the 28th minute, he found Grisell, who quickly put it down in the path of Andrew Sousa. The former Revolution midfielder gave it a go from 16 yards, but his bending shot was stopped by Malcolm Cheney.
Mass United used solid defense to deny their opponent of the opening goal, and employed quick movement to get on the board in the 38th minute. Rigberto Jimenez played a perfectly weighted through ball that split the Oceaneers defense and found Rincon, who went alone on Moura buried it with a simple finish.
The hosts fight back with a spirited set of advances in the early part of the second half, but the guests grabbed another not long after the hour mark. Diniz took it down the right, cut inside and chipped a ball over the reach of Moura and into the back of the net to make it a two-goal gap in the 65th minute.
Sousa attempted to kickstart a comeback not long after Diniz’s strike. He uncorked a couple of shots immediately after, and nearly cut the lead in half on a long-distance blast that barely cleared the bar.
Rhode Island finally broke through in the 78th minute when Luke Finkelstein sent a cross into the box for Baumann, who ducked under it and nodded it through. Finkelstein set up the second Oceaneers’ goal four minutes later on a corner kick that fell to Grisell, to redirected it into the back of the net to level it.
But any hopes of holding on for the comeback draw were erased shortly after Grisell’s goal. The Riders caught the Oceaneers’ backline too far up field, and countered quickly after Rincon raced at goal, escaped two defenders, and tucked his shot inside the far post in the 86th minute to give his squad the victory.
Mass United will return home to face the Philadelphia Fury on May 16 at Dilboy Stadium before meeting the Oceaneers, who have a bye week next week, on May 23 at Dilboy Stadium.
Related Posts
About Brian O'Connell
