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Gameday Report: August 17, Week 21

By USLLeagueOne.com Staff, 08/17/19, 9:30PM EDT

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North Texas comes out on top in pivotal weekend of League One action

South Georgia Tormenta FC (1) v FC Tucson (1)

Jordan Jones and Marco Micaletto traded penalties in a 1-1 draw between South Georgia Tormenta FC and FC Tucson Saturday night at Erk Russell Park. 

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Jones opened the scoring in the 78th minute from the penalty spot after earning a foul inside the box moments before. Jones calmly slotted the ball in to his left, beating goalkeeper Pablo Jara to score his fifth goal of the season. 

Tormenta earned its penalty late in stoppage time when an FC Tucson player pulled down Conner Antley as a corner kick was served into the box. Micaletto stepped up and found the bottom right corner of Carlos Meracino Valdez’s goal to equalize. The goal was Micaletto’s seventh of the season, four of which have come from the penalty spot. 

The match was a defensive struggle as the side managed just three shots on target, including the two penalties. The point keeps Tormenta in third place in the League One standings, while FC Tucson remains in seventh. 

Saturday’s match in Statesboro concludes a long road-stand for FC Tucson. Darren Sawatzky’s side will return home for the first of seven home matches to finish out the season next week looking close the six point gap between them and the playoffs. 

Tormenta has managed to hang on to its playoff place despite winning just once in its last eight matches. John Miglarese’s side will remain at home next week as they welcome Chattanooga Red Wolves SC for the second time in three weeks on Wednesday night in what is now a crucial match in the fight for a top four place. 

Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (0) v North Texas SC (2)

North Texas SC became the first visiting club to leave David Stanton Field with three points Saturday night, defeating Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, 2-0. Ronaldo Damus scored his league-leading tenth goal of the season, while Carlos Avilez earned his ninth clean sheet in goal. 

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Callum Montgomery opened the scoring for the visitors midway through the second half. The chance came after David Rodriguez’s out-swinging corner. The service fell to Ronaldo Damus near the penalty area. Damus struck a strong volley on frame forcing goalkeeper Alex Mangels to give up a rebound on the save. Montgomery was on the doorstep to knock in the rebound and give North Texas the lead ten minutes before halftime. 

North Texas controlled the match throughout, putting seven shots on frame to Chattanooga’s one and claiming 62% of possession. Ronaldo Damus sealed the three points for the visitors in the 87th minute nodding home Arturo Rodriguez’s set piece delivery for his league-leading tenth goal of the season.

Saturday’s win was the first in over a month for North Texas, snapping a four match winless streak and taking down the Red Wolves at home for the first time this season in the process. With the three points earned against Chattanooga, North Texas reclaims its spot at the top of the League One standings, holding a two point lead and three games in hand on Lansing Ignite FC. North Texas will have an opportunity to add to its lead at the top of the table when they travel to Lansing next Thursday. 

After suffering its first home defeat of the season, Chattanooga sits in fourth place thanks to a 0-0 draw between fifth place Greenville Triumph SC and sixth place Forward Madison FC in South Carolina on Saturday night. The Red Wolves are still very much in the playoff picture, but the road gets tougher from here as they’ll play away from home for the next four matches before returning home for their final three.

Greenville Triumph SC (0) v Forward MAdison FC (0)

Greenville Goalkeeper Dallas Jaye earned his league-leading tenth clean sheet as the Triumph and Forward Madison FC played to a 0-0 draw Saturday night at Legacy Early College. 

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Forward Madison appeared to have opened the scoring in the 18th minute after a JC Banks set piece found Wyatt Omsberg on the back post, but Omsberg’s strike into the roof of the net was waived off for offside. 

Aaron Walker nearly put the hosts in front in the 24th minute. Walker struck a stinging shot on the half volley that looked to be heading towards the top corner before goalkeeper Brian Sylvestre dove to his left to parry it away. 

Greenville had a goal of their own called back in the 51st minute. Paul Clowes struck a shot from 35 yards out that took a deflection and skipped past Sylvestre, but the assistant referee signaled for offside.  

Neither side could find the back of the net legally as they managed just four shots on frame between them throughout the 90 minutes. Jaye made three saves in the match to earn his league-leading tenth shutout in goal, while his counterpart Sylvestre was forced into action just once. 

The draw keeps Greenville in fifth place with 30 points and Madison in sixth place with 29 points, leaving both within striking distance of fourth place Chattanooga Red Wolves SC. The Triumph look better situated to make a run at the top four as its stands due to their game in hand on the Red Wolves. 

Greenville will travel back to Toronto FC II next Friday after beating the Reds 3-1 last weekend, while Madison will return home to host the Richmond Kickers for the second time in three weeks next Saturday. The Triumph and the Flamingos will meet again in Madison on August 28th.    

Richmond Kickers (2) v Toronto FC II (2)

Daniel Jackson’s brace wasn’t enough to make it four wins from four matches for the Richmond Kickers as Terique Mohammed’s 86th minute goal helped Toronto FC II steal a point at City Stadium. 

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Jackson got the Kickers off and running in the 5th minute, showing quick reactions to open his hips and redirect a fizzing ball served into the penalty area by Matt Bolduc on frame and past goalkeeper Caleb Patterson-Sewell. 

Jackson secured a brace and doubled Richmond’s lead in the 23rd minute. Joe Gallarado forced Toronto into a turnover at midfield and threaded a ball through for Jackson. The veteran striker skipped past a sliding tackle and drove towards goal before slipping a shot under Patterson-Sewell to put the hosts up 2-0.  

Jordan Perruzza pulled a goal back for the visitors just after halftime from a free kick 20 yards from goal. Perruzza struck a hard shot under the wall and past goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald to score his ninth goal of the season, which brings him within one of Ronaldo Damus for the league lead. 

TFC II scored a late equalizer from another dead ball situation to steal a point on the road. Matthew Srbely served a driven cross towards the top of the six yard box, leaving Mohammed with room to run on to the serve and nod it past Fitzgerald. The goal was Mohammed’s second of the season, while Srbely earned his fifth assist. 

The draw extends Richmond’s unbeaten run to four matches, but they’ll feel as though it was two points dropped at home after a strong start. The Kickers are in ninth place, nine points out of the playoffs with nine games to play. They’ll head back to Wisconsin for a second run-in with Forward Madison FC in three weeks next Saturday, while Toronto will play host to Greenville Triumph SC.


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