SSFAC returned to league play with an impressive 5-0 victory over Shaheen on Sunday. South City entered the match with only 12 players available for action as some of the teams starters were out for various reasons. The most exciting reason belonged to Center Midfielder Blair Smith for the birth of his son Nicolas on Saturday. The team knew this was an important match as Shaheen was bearing down on them just one point behind in the standings. They came off the opening whistle a little shaky, but regrouped soon after and started to take control with their signature style of passes on the ground. In the 17th minute, Leandro Monteiro's corner kick found the head of Ever Alvarez who slotted it home for the initial goal of the match. SSF went up by 2-0 when pressure from Andrew Pantano on the wing forced an errant pass by the Shaheen defender right into the oncoming path of Antony Reyes who glided past the keeper and finished the opportunity. As the second half began, South City had now taken control with strong midfield play from Monteiro, Pantano, Ryan Wiegmann, Damian Hites & Dilian Donev. Donev broke free on one attempt and was taken down by the keeper in the area for a penalty kick. He left little doubt as he ripped a laser into the net for a 3-0 lead. SSF finished the scoring in the last ten minutes of the match with tallies from Pantano & Wiegmann, both finding the net with quality strikes. The defense was again terrific as Alvarez, Scott Ellis, Jim Burke, along with Pantano & Hites broke down every offensive thrust Shaheen attempted to mount. The defense blocked at least 6-8 shot attempts, and Goalkeeper Abner Ramos earned his 5th shutout of the year with another amazing performance. He came out numerous times to cut off any chances, and also made some point blank saves to preserve the shutout. Ian Preikschat had an outstanding game for the team as he opened the match in the midfield and also moved around on defense as changes were made throughout the game to keep everyone fresh. Ian made some outstanding passes, controlled the middle when needed, and also played his usual flawless defense. Andrew Elliott got his first minutes since recently joining the team, and created some scoring chances, as well as getting an assist. He delivered some perfectly weighted passes to teammates and was robbed of a goal when his chance was cleared off the line by a Shaheen defender. Antony Reyes not only continued his scoring ways, but controlled the tempo on top for SSF, letting his teammates know where to play the ball and setting them up for scoring chances. His ability to hold the ball and direct play led to fluid attack that got stronger as the game progressed. Donev was also strong in the middle as his speed and vision lead to very creative play as the team came forward in transition. South City returns to action next week with a key match against Santa Clara Rovers AC.
SSFAC returned to league play with an impressive 5-0 victory over Shaheen on Sunday. South City entered the match with only 12 players available for action as some of the teams starters were out for various reasons. The most exciting reason belonged to Center Midfielder Blair Smith for the birth of his son Nicolas on Saturday. The team knew this was an important match as Shaheen was bearing down on them just one point behind in the standings. They came off the opening whistle a little shaky, but regrouped soon after and started to take control with their signature style of passes on the ground. In the 17th minute, Leandro Monteiro's corner kick found the head of Ever Alvarez who slotted it home for the initial goal of the match. SSF went up by 2-0 when pressure from Andrew Pantano on the wing forced an errant pass by the Shaheen defender right into the oncoming path of Antony Reyes who glided past the keeper and finished the opportunity. As the second half began, South City had now taken control with strong midfield play from Monteiro, Pantano, Ryan Wiegmann, Damian Hites & Dilian Donev. Donev broke free on one attempt and was taken down by the keeper in the area for a penalty kick. He left little doubt as he ripped a laser into the net for a 3-0 lead. SSF finished the scoring in the last ten minutes of the match with tallies from Pantano & Wiegmann, both finding the net with quality strikes. The defense was again terrific as Alvarez, Scott Ellis, Jim Burke, along with Pantano & Hites broke down every offensive thrust Shaheen attempted to mount. The defense blocked at least 6-8 shot attempts, and Goalkeeper Abner Ramos earned his 5th shutout of the year with another amazing performance. He came out numerous times to cut off any chances, and also made some point blank saves to preserve the shutout. Ian Preikschat had an outstanding game for the team as he opened the match in the midfield and also moved around on defense as changes were made throughout the game to keep everyone fresh. Ian made some outstanding passes, controlled the middle when needed, and also played his usual flawless defense. Andrew Elliott got his first minutes since recently joining the team, and created some scoring chances, as well as getting an assist. He delivered some perfectly weighted passes to teammates and was robbed of a goal when his chance was cleared off the line by a Shaheen defender. Antony Reyes not only continued his scoring ways, but controlled the tempo on top for SSF, letting his teammates know where to play the ball and setting them up for scoring chances. His ability to hold the ball and direct play led to fluid attack that got stronger as the game progressed. Donev was also strong in the middle as his speed and vision lead to very creative play as the team came forward in transition. South City returns to action next week with a key match against Santa Clara Rovers AC.