Volt League Week 2 Recap
(image via Volt League)
Match week 2 in Volt League gave us a lot of good soccer, dream debuts, and plenty of goals. Let’s a take a peek at the five matches played.
Houstonians FC 2-7 AC Juniors
The defending champs, AC Juniors, kicked off the Sunday with a goal filled welcome to newcomers Houstonians FC. Eduardo Rodriguez started off the count with a rocket in the 9th minute to give the reigning champs an early lead. A great goal followed in the 11th minute. Shortly after AC Juniors grabbed back-to-back goals in the 19th minute from Fernando Montoya after a goal kick and a great individual run from Carlos Sevilla. Sevilla would get a goal of his own in the 20th minute to extend the lead.
The second half brought us more goals, this time from both squads. The champs would get a 5th and 2nd for Montoya from a great counter in the 63rd minute. Houstonians FC would get one back in the 66th, coming of the foot of Kevin Rodriguez. Only a minute later, in the 67th, a contender for goal of the week from Nelson Hernandez gave a little bit of hope to the newcomers and made the game 5-2 with a little over 20 minutes to play. The champs would put any doubts to bed in the 76th minute as they would capitalize from a great counter and shot found the back of the net and put the 6th goal for ACJ on the board. As the game came to an end, Sevilla got his second of the day and 7th for a terrific win for the champs to keep them undefeated this season.
MAFC 6-2 Ghosttown Saints FC
In the second game of the day, we saw another one of the new clubs to join Volt League this season, MAFC. Not only would they make their debut, but they put in a great showing against one of the teams that made it all the way to final in Season 4, Ghosttown Saints FC.
MAFC would hit first in minute 18, where forward Kevin Garcia received the ball from a cross, and with one touch found the back of the net. After being denied by the goalkeeper once, Velasquez attacked the goal once more and got a shot off with his left foot to find a corner between the goalkeeper’s hand and the post to make the game 2-0 for MAFC in the 29th minute. Right before the end of the half, number 7 for MAFC would attack the right line all the way to the touch line and let off a low cross for Cunemo who was arrived at the top of the box and with a great touch scored to put MAFC up 3-0 at half time.
After a rebound, Velasquez found the ball in the middle of the box and put a shot on goal in the 58th minute making it difficult for the goalkeeper to get a touch on it. Velasquez got his second of the afternoon and MAFC were on top 4-0. Heading into the 72nd minute of play, the Saints got an opportunity to get back in the game from the penalty spot. Sammy Ekp cashed in the penalty kick for a goal. Ekp would get another only a few minutes later, in the 79th, shrinking the difference to two goals going into the last 10 minutes. The 84th minute brought the last goal for the Lions and their debut victory of 6-2 was cemented in Volt League history.
Houston Rovers FC 7-0 International SC
The third match of the day was a very one-sided match, when Houston Rovers took on International SC, who were also was playing their first game of the season. The Wolves, coming off a devastating defeat against FC Nightwatch, were looking to turn things around, and boy did they turn things around. Putting seven goals on the board put them back in a fighting spot in the table when it comes down to having a decent goal differential just in case things get crazy during the season. An interesting fact from this match is that all the goals came in the second half of play. The first goal came in the 51st minute when Molina beat the goalkeeper off a cross from. The second goal came from a penalty that Rey buried on the right side, putting Rovers up 2-0 in the 64th minute, and leaving Inter with 10 men as their goalkeeper got a red card on the play. This would be the beginning of the goal fest for Rovers, who would score 5 goals in the next 22 minutes. Martinez made it 3-0 in the 70th. Molina got his second and made it 4-0 in the 73rd. The fifth goal came from the foot of Rey in the 74th. The sixth of the match came in the 88th and the seventh and final goal found the net in the 90th. Rovers got back on track and got some get some goals. Inter SC will look to next week to get a full squad going and hopefully have a better day.
Green Flag FC 1-3 FC Night Watch
One of the better match ups of the day came in the second to last match between a Green Flag FC who has beaten FC Seinfeld 4-1 the previous week and a FC Night Watch who had an easy win over Houston Rovers 8-1. FC Night Watch struck first in the second minute of play when Diaz got a nice through ball to score the first goal of the match. Green Flag were able to tie the match up in the 22nd minute with another goal that will also be competing for goal of the week. Edward Diaz got the ball right outside the box after a rebound from a cross and placed the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net. Unfortunately for Green Flag FC, they suffered 3 injuries in the match. Gomez took a knock to his knee, Makoni had a hit to his thigh and Omar Elsayed, the great forward for Green Flag, had to leave the field in an ambulance due to a head injury. Green Flag were forced play the entirety of the second half with 9 men.
The Blue Owls got a chance form the spot that Isaiah Figueroa turned into a goal in the 62nd minute of play. The guys in green tried to push for an equalizer even with a few men down. Unfortunately for them, Night Watch got another opportunity in the 81st minute when Lopez was at the right place at the right time and scored the third for the Blue Owls to seal the victory for them. FC Night Watch remain undefeated and top of the table after two weeks and will look to continue the streak as they face Frankfurt next week.
Frankfurt 3-2 FC Seinfeld
The last match of the night was one of those matches that you are glad there’s video footage of it because it just sounds unbelievable. Three goals in the last three minutes amounted in a double comeback, with one from each team.
The Goats were caught flat footed in the 21st minute when Edvin Funes made a nice run between the center backs for a one on one with the goalkeeper and was able to get ball behind the goalkeeper and into the net to put Frankfurt ahead. The tying goal for Seinfeld would came in the 64th minute when a ball came in from a cross and the captain Jared Van Welij got to the ball at the back post and was able to connect with it to beat the goalkeeper of Frankfurt and level things up.
After a well fought second half in which both teams had some dangerous moments, FC Seinfeld would find their second of the night via the right foot of Memba. Hed had played a good game to this point and the goal was the cherry on top for him. Memba’s goal came in the 89th minute of play and everyone thought that the game would end like that, and FC Seinfeld would be going home with the three points. However, Pablo Guzman from Frankfurt had other plans. Seconds after restarting play, Guzman got the ball right outside the box and ran through two blue players to get off a low shot in at the near post. The score was 2-2 and NOW you would have thought that the game was over, and the points would be split. But once again, Guzman had other plans for the night. After a nice run through midfield left a couple of men behind, he opened up the ball to one of his teammates who took a shot that was blocked by the goalkeeper. After a series of rebounds inside the box, the ball landed back at his feet and with a point blank shot he would grab the victory and the three points for Frankfurt in their first match this Season 5 of VOLT League.
It was a Sunday full of goals and twist and turns. We can’t wait to see what next week will bring. Don’t forget to check out all the action for Match Week 3 on the league’s YouTube channel.
