Greenville Triumph SC defeated Orlando City B, 2-0, Friday night at Montverde Academy. 

Cameron Saul scored the game’s opening goal in the 41st minute to cap of a sequence of five Triumph passes made within Orlando’s penalty area. Jake Keegan found Saul with the final ball and the London native knocked it home. The goal was Saul’s first of the season.

Carlos Gomez put the game on ice in the 83rd minute, firing a shot into the roof of the net after a neat layoff from Dominic Boland that found him free just outside the six-yard box. The goal was Gomez’s first of the season.  

Takeaways: 

FIRST ROAD WIN: Greenville earned three points away from home for the first time this season with the 1-0 win over Orlando Friday night. With John Harkes’ side riding a four-game winless streak into the match, the timing of the Triumph’s first road win could not have been better. Greenville looked to have carried its attacking momentum from last week’s loss in Chattanooga into Friday’s match, scoring multiple goals in a game for just the third time this season. Four goals from three different scorers in back-to-back matches may be a sign that the Greenville attack is finally beginning to click at just the right time as the club is just three points back of fourth place Toronto FC II. 

NEW FACES ON THE SCORESHEET: Saul and Gomez’s goals mark just the second time a Greenville attacking player not named Jake Keegan scored a goal this season. Apart from Traivs Ward’s goal against Lansing Ignite FC on May 12, Keegan had been the only Triumph attacker to find the back of the net until Friday night. Harkes and Co. will be hoping Saul and Gomez can help shoulder some of the load that Keegan has been carrying by finding the back of the net with more regularity. Chris Bermudez was unlucky not to etch his name on the scoresheet against OCB as well, curling two left-footed shots off the far post. 

FALLING BEHIND: Orlando is now 0-6-0 when conceding first in a match. With the club sitting at the bottom of the League One standings coming into Friday’s match, the loss could see OCB fall further away from the rest of the pack depending on Saturday’s results. Friday’s loss is Orlando’s fourth straight. 

DEFENSIVE STABILITY: Greenville regained its defensive form Friday night after uncharacteristically shipping three goals to Steven Beattie and Chattanooga last Saturday. The Triumph defense didn’t allow a shot on target in the entire match, making for an easy day at the office for goalkeeper Dallas Jaye as he earned his fifth clean sheet of the season. Greenville has allowed the fewest shots and have conceded the second fewest goals this season in large part due to the play of Tyler Polak, Cole Seiler, and Kevin Politz.

Toronto FC II and Forward Madison FC played to a 1-1 draw Friday afternoon at BMO Training Complex. 

Jordan Perruzza opened the scoring for Toronto FC II just before halftime following a tidy exchange with Gideon Waja at the top of the penalty area. Waja found Perruzza’s run with a one-touch pass and Perruzza did well pick out the bottom corner with a left-footed half volley. The goal was Perruzza’s fourth of the season. 

Danny Tenorio pulled Madison level in the 81st minute to rescue a point for the visitors. Toronto goalkeeper Kevin Silva spilled a cross served in by Carter Manley and Tenorio was in the right place at the right time to nod it home and equalize. The goal was Tenorio’s first of the season. 

Takeaways:

EVEN STEVEN: Both teams should walk away from Friday’s match feeling that a point a piece was fair. Madison held a slight edge in possession and shots on goal, but neither side did enough to separate itself from the other. Luca Petrasso created most of what Toronto put together in the attacking third, finishing the match with four key passes; while Tenorio stood out for the Flamingos, getting off three shots on just eight touches after coming on as a substitute in the second half.

HOME TURF DEFENDED: The draw with Madison extends Toronto’s unbeaten start to the 2019 season at BMO Training Complex. TFC II is 3-0-2 at home this season, dropping points to Madison and league-leaders North Texas SC in its two draws. With Toronto’s home form what it is, the Flamingos should feel good about leaving Canada with a point. TFCII will head out on the road next Wednesday to play FC Tucson before returning home for six straight matches, where they’ll look to improve their already impressive home record. 

CALL IT A STREAK: In addition to taking a point back to Wisconsin, the Flamingos extended their longest unbeaten run of the season with the draw on Friday afternoon. Madison is unbeaten in three matches, picking up seven of a possible nine points during that run to put themselves back in the logjam in the middle of the table. However, if they’re going to contend for a playoff spot, the Flamingos will need to find a way to pick up more points on the road after ending the first half of the season with a 1-4-2 record away from Breese Stevens Field.