Category: Game Recap

Ogbonna Nets Second Hat Trick In 4-1 Win Over Real United FC

Chisom Ogbonna scored three as AFC Mobile dominated Moss Point, Mississippi’s Real United FC in a 4-1 win on Saturday. A crowd of just over 900 witnessed Ogbonna net his second hat trick in as many games for the Azaleas. 

“Anytime you can have someone score like that, it really takes the pressure off of you. He just moves off the ball really well, gets into good spaces and when he gets in front of goal he’s a really good finisher,” AFC Mobile manager Nate Nicholas said.

Mobile dominated possession in the early minutes of the game, but was unable to present a real challenge to Real United’s veteran keeper Todd Langlinaus. However, the home team attack of Ogbonna, Clairy Kengeye, Abdal Almutairi and Erik Aispuro controlled possession and kept the ball in their attacking third for much of the match.

Real United was called for a handball in the box in the 33rd minute. Ogbonna stepped up and slotted home the penalty, but it was called back by the referee, who signaled encroachment into the penalty box by an AFC Mobile player. Ogbonna coolly slotted the second attempt home as well, giving the home team a 1-0 lead.

The Nigerian national doubled his tally two minutes into first-half stoppage time. Ogbonna played the ball to Tomas Lopez who threaded the ball between two Riverhawk defenders to the feet of Greg Hosford. Hosford was knocked down by Real United’s TJ Gines, but Ogbonna followed the ball into the box and scored the goal that gave the Azaleas a 2-0 lead at the half. 

Ogbonna completed his hat trick soon after the start of the second half. Jackson Barber won the ball on a crushing tackle to a Riverhawks player then played the ball down the wing to KC Espoir. Espoir placed a cross across the box to Ogbonna who played the ball off his chest to the ground and fired it into the top left corner of the net. 

“We’ve kept working hard since the last game; we’ve been working hard in training and this season is going to be much better then last season,” said Ogbonna . 

Bradford Clark pulled a goal back for Real United after sneaking between the Mobile center backs and getting on the end of a great ball played from just outside the box to make the score 3-1, the lone goal for the visitors.

Tempers flared late in the match as Real United FC stared down the barrel of its third consecutive defeat. After losing the ball in the 80th minute, Mobile’s Greg Hosford went in with a strong tackle on Moss Point’s Thomas Keen. Keen confronted a still-grounded Hosford until Mobile’s Martin Fiemawhle rushed in and shoved him away. Fiemawhle, Hosford and Keen were separated by other players and the match officials. Hosford was given a yellow card for the original challenge. No caution was issued to Keen, who had received an earlier yellow card for unsporting behavior.

The Azaleas scored their fourth and final goal in the 91st minute after Sherman Winchester jumped in front of a free kick to win the ball, breezed through the defense, and slid the ball past the keeper into the far left corner.

AFC Mobile will return to The Lip next weekend to face GCPL newcomers Gulf Coast Rangers FC from Foley, Alabama, in the first ever GCPL Battle of Mobile Bay.  Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 9th at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex located at 3610 Michael Boulevard in Mobile. Tickets are $5 and children 12 and under are admitted free. Next Saturday’s game will also be Military Appreciation Night.  All veterans and active duty military personnel will be admitted free of charge. 

AFC Mobile Gets First Win of GCPL Season Against Cajun SC

Chisom Ogbonna netted the first hat trick in AFC Mobile history to lead the Azaleas to a 3-1 win over Cajun Soccer Club of Lafayette, Louisiana.

“We knew after losing our first home game we had to pick up some points somewhere, so this was a big win for us to pick up those three points we lost at home,” AFC Mobile head coach Nate Nicholas said. “Hopefully from here on out we’ll keep on accumulating points because we want to be in one of those playoff spots.”

The Azaleas opened the game with an early chance from Erik Aispuro. Ogbonna played the ball to Aispuro on the right wing, but his shot sailed over the crossbar. The pair would link up for the game’s first goal. Aispuro played the ball into Ogbonna who scored his first goal of the night from close range.

Ten minutes later, Ogbonna doubled his tally. After winning a crushing tackle in the midfield, Iba Ndaw boomed down the left flank and played the ball across the face off goal that was cooley slotted home by the leading goal scorer in club history.

Mobile’s 2-0 lead would not last for long. In the 28th minute, center-back Guillermo Lumbreras, Jr. brought down a Cajun player just outside of the penalty box. Lumbreras was shown a yellow card, the first of six for the Azaleas on the night. A minute later a Cajun free kick ricocheted off the crossbar. Mobile was unable to clear the lose ball and Cajun’s Berkley Laviere put the ball in the back of the net for the home team, bringing the score to 2-1.

Despite conseding that lone goal, Nicholas said the Azaleas did a much better job of defending this week after letting in four goals against Pensacola FC last weekend in Mobile.

“We still need to work on it. I don’t know if it’s necessarily a defensive problem, it’s kind of a team defending thing we need to work on. Tracking runners from the midfield and other places a little bit quicker,” Nicholas said. “But we did give up a few chances…and tonight we’re lucky that Cajun didn’t finish all the chances they had, but neither did we.”

Late in the first half Lumbreras took a hard knock and was replaced by Duck Vu, who made his AFC Mobile debut. Last season Vu was an Honorable Mention All-Conference player for Biloxi City FC (now rebranded as Port City FC).

Both teams would have one more solid chance before the end of the first half. A shot from Iba Ndaw was parried out for an AFC Mobile corner, but the ball was easily handled by Cajun.

In stoppage time, KC Espoir was shown yellow outside the box. Cajun’s rocket of a free kick rattled off the crossbar and was cleared by Iba Ndaw.

Ogbonna nearly completed his hat trick early in the second half, but his shot went just wide of the net.

Chisom Ogbonna goes up for the ball in AFC Mobile’s 3-1 win over Cajun Soccer Club on Saturday May 19, 2018.

Cajun almost equalized in the 64th minute when a nice ball found its way through the Mobile backline and was collected by keeper Barou Ndaw. Saturday’s match marked the first time that brothers Barou and Iba Ndaw shared the pitch in an AFC Mobile match.

Ogbonna did complete his hat trick in the 84th minute to kill off the game. Ogbonna finished a great ball from another player making his AFC Mobile debut, Donte Oliver. Oliver was an All-Eastern Conference player for Biloxi City FC last season.

AFC Mobile will travel to Gulfport, Mississippi, to take on Port City FC in the first leg of the “Forgotten Coast Cup.” Kickoff is May 26th at 7 p.m. at Herbert Wilson Stadium. The Azaleas will once again be reserving a bus for supporters wishing to make the trip. Don’t miss the match that Non League America calls “The Realest Rivalry in American Soccer.” For more details on how you can ride the fan bus, visit www.afcmobile.net.

AFC Mobile will return to The Lip in two weeks to take on GCPL newcomers Real United FC Riverhawks. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 2 at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex located at 3610 Michael Boulevard in Mobile. Tickets are only $5 and children 12 and under are admitted free.

AFC Mobile’s preseason ends with 2-1 nail-biter loss to NPSL’s New Orleans Jesters

AFC Mobile was denied a historic upset after giving up a late goal to the New Orleans Jesters on Saturday night in Mobile. The Jesters came back from down a goal to beat the Azaleas 2-1 in front of over 650 fans in the final preseason game before beginning the 2018 Gulf Coast Premier League campaign.

The Jesters came to Mobile in preparation for their 2018 National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) season and their US Open Cup match this week. Last season the Jesters went unbeaten in the NPSL’s Southeastern Conference. The game was the first time the Azaleas welcomed NPSL opposition to Mobile

“They are a level above us, but I thought we showed pretty well. We’re still bringing in a couple players that have trained with us once or twice.” said AFC Mobile head coach Nate Nicholas. “I was very happy with what I saw. Obviously we would have loved the tie or the win, but I couldn’t ask for more from the guys. They gave everything on the field.”

The Jesters asserted their dominance early in the match with a few chances early on. In the 9th minute, Jesters forward Mason Walsh beat the Azalea defense, but his shot was saved by keeper Elijah Gibson. It would be the first of six saves in the first half for Gibson.

Despite ceding most of possession to New Orleans during the opening minutes of the match, the home team found the back of the net first after a Jesters own goal. Mobile’s Matt Merrill played a long ball from midfield to forward Iba Ndaw. The ball did not find Ndaw’s feet because it was deflected by a Jesters defender, but it continued travelling toward the Jesters’ goal. New Orleans keeper Chad Collins backtracked and made a sliding attempt to clear the ball away, but it rolled over the goal line before he could do so, and AFC Mobile took a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute.

After falling behind, the Jesters continued to attack the Mobile goal. In the 27th minute, a long range effort from the Jesters was punched out of bounds by Gibson leading to a corner kick. The Jesters sent the corner in and Gibson saved another Jesters shot. After a scramble in front of the goal, the ball was cleared off the goal line by defender Sherman Winchester. Winchester had one of the brightest performances for the Azaleas in a night full of stellar play.

The Jesters continued to push for an equalizer for the remainder of the first half. Ollie Roberts nearly equalized in the 34th minute, and the Jesters almost pulled one back during first half stoppage time. Despite the pressure from New Orleans, an incredible performance from Gibson in goal and rock solid defending from the Mobile backline of Winchester, Brantton Greene, Markos Mallis, and Spring Hill College’s Pablo Sanjuán Delgado was enough to maintain the one-goal lead heading into the half.

“I feel we did well. It was a hard game…starting with this team (the Jesters) is good for us. We did a lot of good things,” said Delgado after his debut game for AFC Mobile.

At the start of the second half, Nicholas replaced Gibson with keeper Barou Ndaw. Despite giving up two goals in the second half, Ndaw’s performance in goal rivaled Gibson’s first half performance as he finished with seven saves on the night.

The Jesters had a few chances in the first fifteen minutes of the second half before Igor Siscov collected a lose ball in the box to level the score.

Mobile’s best chance to regain the lead happened in the 75th minute after Chisom Ogbonna found his way behind the New Orleans defense, but the ball was collected by the Jesters’ keeper. The keeper punted the ball into midfield to the feet of Mobile’s David Valverde who fired for goal from 30 yards out, but his shot was saved. Valverde, a Davidson High School alumnus, former UAB Blazer, and former Birmingham Hammer, had an excellent game in the midfield in his debut for his hometown team.

“It’s really good to come back home and play with some players I used to play with. The atmosphere is great. I knew from the start there was gonna be a lot of people here, and I was very excited to come and play here,” Valverde said.

The Jesters took the lead in the 86th minute after a great save from Barou Ndaw fell to the center of the box and was fired in by Luke LaVanway. Mobile attempted to tie in the dying minutes of the game, but could not find the equalizer.

AFC Mobile will return to The Lip next week to take on Pensacola FC (formerly the Gulf Coast Texans) to open the 2018 GCPL season. Kickoff is Saturday, May 12th at 7:00 p.m. at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex located at 3610 Michael Boulevard in Mobile. Tickets are only $5 and kids 12 and under are admitted free. Saturday’s game is also Teacher Appreciation Night at The Lip, and all teachers will be admitted free of charge. AFC Mobile is also proud to welcome Mobile County Commissioner Connie Hudson to perform the ceremonial pregame coin flip. Come show your appreciation for Commissioner Hudson for her tireless advocacy for the soccer community in Mobile and for making the Mobile County Soccer Complex project a reality.

AFC Mobile – Man of the Match vs Northshore United FC (4/28)

AFC Mobile struck twice in the first half in order to hold off Northshore United for their first win at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex. On a night with several notable debuts for Mobile, here are the nominees for the Man of the Match.

22 – Ibrahima Ndaw – FWD

Ibrahima Ndaw (photo courtesy of Michael Shartava)

You only get one chance to make a first impression, and what an impression Iba Ndaw made for the home fans in Mobile. Ndaw combined well throughout the game with Chisom Ogbonna before a brilliant free kick gave him his first goal in Mobile colors in the 17th minute. He struck for the game-winning goal in the 28th minute with his left foot. It was a spectacular debut for the 6’5” Spring Hill College alumnus.

16 – Markos Mallis – DF

Markos Mallis (photo courtesy of Michael Shartava)

Shifting from left back to centerback, Mallis found himself involved less in the attack than he had been last year, but defensively he was strong dealing with a quick NUFC attack.

11 – Martin Fiemawhle – MF

Martin Fiemawhle (photo courtesy of Michael Shartava)

Fiemawhle’s contributions cannot be measured on the stats sheet. While he did have a fantastic set piece in the second half, the calmness that he brought to the pitch was immeasurable. The team just looked better in both the attack and defense when he set foot on the field.

9 – Erik Aispuro Vidaña –  MF

Erik Aispuro Vindaña (photo courtesy of Seth Laubinger)

Speaking of debut performances, the Robertsdale High School product proved to be crafty on the right side of the midfield. Combining well with Ogbonna and Sherman Winchester in the attack, Aispuro truly made his mark.

Who is your Man of the Match? Vote in the poll below or write your own nominee in the comment section.

AFC Mobile’s last preseason friendly at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex is on Saturday, May 5th against the National Premier Soccer League’s New Orleans Jesters. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. All tickets are only $5.00 and, as always, kids 12 and under are admitted with no charge. Stay tuned to our Facebook page for more information.

New addition shines in first home win against Northshore United

 

Smiles and good times were in abundance at Archbishop Lipscomb Stadium as AFC Mobile opened up its 2018 defense of The Lip with a 2-1 defeat of Covington, Louisiana’s Northshore United FC in preseason friendly action.

Coach Nate Nicholas fielded a slightly depleted side as several anticipated starters are not scheduled to see action until next week’s visit by the NPSL South Region Conference’s New Orleans Jesters in the final match before the start of the 2018 GCPL season.

The opening minutes of the match had the roughly even, tentative start that one would expect of two sides still working on their chemistry, but it did not take long for AFC Mobile Forward Iba Ndaw to find a breaking Chisom Ogbonna in the fourth minute for the first of what would be many combinations and close scoring opportunities.

By the tenth minute, the Azaleas started to gain confidence and momentum in their possession, culminating in an insightful pass from Martin Fiemawhle to a breaking Ogbonna, who teamed with Ndaw to work through the Northshore defense before being taken down 24 yards from goal. On the ensuing free kick, Iba Ndaw uncorked a blistering, curling shot that evaded the outstretched arms of the keeper and smacked into the back of the net to give Mobile a 16th minute 1-0 lead.

Ndaw would be rewarded again when Matt Merrill lofted a 40 yard cross-field pass to a streaking Brantton Greene, whose squaring pass found Ndaw at the top of the penalty area. Ndaw circled to create space and fizzed a low shot with his weaker foot, which bounced off the far post and across the line to give the Senegalese native his second goal of the match.

After securing the lead, Coach Nicholas took advantage of the unlimited substitutions agreed upon for the friendly match to experiment with different options and player combinations. Northshore continued to work on shutting down AFC Mobile’s attack and began to test the depth of their defense with increasingly consistent possession that persisted until halftime.

The second half saw a determined Northshore side continue to mount pressure, which was rewarded in the 47th minute when United standout Salim Yillah slipped free of his marking and headed home a corner kick to cut the margin in half. Northshore continued to apply pressure to get an equalizer against a Mobile side that was focusing on defending their lead. The Azaleas’ line held strong until the 61st minute, when a cutting through ball led to a Northshore attacker alone against the keeper. The shot was well taken and was headed toward the top corner of the net, but an acrobatic effort from Mobile keeper Elijah Gibson deflected the ball to preserve AFC Mobile’s lead. AFC Mobile held on to win its first home match 2-1 in front of an ecstatic preseason crowd of 765.

AFC Mobile’s next match is against the New Orleans Jesters on Saturday, May 5th at 7:00 pm at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex located at 3610 Michael Boulevard in Mobile. Tickets are only $5 and kids 12 and under get in free. You will be able to finish off your Cinco de Mayo properly with the El Milagro Taqueria Y Pupuseria food truck serving tacos inside the stadium! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat!

 

AFC Mobile falls to NPSL’s Atlanta Silverbacks in preseason

ATLANTA–AFC Mobile dropped a 6-0 decision to the Atlanta Silverbacks of the National Premier Soccer League in its first game-action of the year on Saturday night.

“When you start your preseason off with a level above what you are, and without your full complement, it shows the difference in the level and something for our boys to aspire to,” coach Nate Nicholas said. “[Atlanta Silverbacks FC] has been around for a long time, and this is our second year. Even though the scoreline’s not great, it served its purpose. We wanted to learn about ourselves, and we learned about ourselves, and we learned some things we need to work on.”

The Silverbacks took an early lead when a free kick taken while the referee reached for his pocket beat goalkeeper Elijah Gibson. The host team’s speed and physicality overwhelmed a Mobile squad missing several of its starters, and it wasn’t long before the Azaleas fell behind 3-0, courtesy of a chipped goal down the left wing and long-range effort from the right. A curled free kick just before half-time sent Atlanta into the interval with a 4-0 advantage.

“They were speedy all over the field,” Nicholas said. “They beat us early on with that, and exploited some of our weaknesses. We gave up three early goals, but after that we started to grow into the game and find our own. But that’s what good teams do. They find a weakness and they exploit it, and it took us a while to adjust to it.”

An experimental second half saw Mobile concede twice more on the break. The best chances for the visitors came from set pieces and some well-worked play by AFC Mobile debutant and former Savannah Clovers midfielder Tomas Lopez.

“I hadn’t seen him in a game situation, and I think he showed that he can raise his level and contend well with their quality,” Nicholas said. “I also though [right back] Brantton Greene had a great game for us. He’s young but he’s a player that will be great now and in the future.”

AFC Mobile will host Northshore United on April 28 at 7 p.m. at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex in another friendly, its first against the GCPL newcomers.

“We’re probably not going to play a team in our league that’s better than they are. We learned that we can play and hold our own, but that there’s a lot to work on. It’s important to be at training and working hard and working on those things while we have the time to do it. We’ve got to get in shape and get our first touches down. We’ve had one training session with some of these guys, so we’ll improve.”

AFC Mobile is Mobile’s minor league soccer team. It plays its home matches at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex in Mobile. Tickets are $5 for each match, and children 12 and younger are admitted free. Season tickets are available online at afcmobile.net/shop.

AFC Mobile claims first ever win with dominant performance over Biloxi

GULFPORT–Powered by a first-half brace from Austin Hilyer and a goal apiece from Matt Merrill and Chisom Ogbonna, AFC Mobile beat Biloxi City FC 4-2 on Saturday for the first ever win in the club’s history.

“To get that monkey off the back, for me, for coach Ruben, for the team, for the fans, it’s an amazing feeling,” AFC Mobile head coach Nate Nicholas said. “I knew we had it in us. Tonight, we played them off the park. We were the better team from start to finish.”

Biloxi opened the scoring in the 15th minute when the home team bundled in a corner that bounced across the end line over right back Sherman Winchester’s attempted clearance. Ten minutes later, Hilyer drew a yellow card while stopping a Biloxi counter.

Five minutes after that, a Markos Mallis corner skipped through the box to Hilyer’s waiting foot at the back post for the equalizer.

In the 35th minute, Hilyer headed home off another corner to give the team from Mobile a lead it would never relinquish.

“I was just in the right place at the right time,” Hilyer said. “He placed that cross perfectly, and I was right there. Perfect timing, I guess.”

Mobile dominated the second half from the first whistle, earning its third goal when midfielder Matt Merrill blasted a shot from outside the box past the Biloxi keeper.

Chisom Ogbonna had a chance to finish the match in the 62nd minute when he was brought down in the box to earn a penalty, but the forward’s resulting kick was saved. He didn’t make the same mistake twice. Ogbonna was again brought down in the 69th minute, and blasted the penalty off the underside of the crossbar and into the goal.

“He is a true professional,” Nicholas said of the club’s leading goalscorer. “He comes, he works hard, he is a leader. Even without the armband, he’s been a leader on the team, not just by scoring goals but showing when to calm down and when to go. When you have a player of that level on your team who you don’t have to coach, who’s another coach on the field, you love it. He’s been amazing.”

The home team got one back in the 75th minute, but it was scant consolation as Mobile’s win ended Biloxi’s bid for the Gulf Coast Premier League playoffs and avenged a 2-1 loss in Mobile, giving the Azaleas the 5-4 series win on aggregate.

After the first win in club history, the traveling fans – a bus-full and then some… more than 100 – took to the pitch to greet their club.

“When your fans outnumber, or are at least 10 times louder, than the home fans, and it feels like you’re at a home game, you’ve got nothing but love for that,” Nicholas said. “I almost lost my voice in the first half, and I know they were going crazy. It buoyed us all season to know they had our backs.”

“They’re amazing,” Hilyer said of the Causeway Rebellion Supporters Group. “We were on the field and the other team was telling us ‘y’all’s fans are crazy.’ That pushed us the entire match, and we couldn’t be more pleased with them.”

AFC Mobile ended its inaugural season with six points, one win, three draws and six losses, and the top six attendance records in the league, including Biloxi’s record attendance of more than 400 set Saturday night, the highest in a GCPL match not hosted by AFC Mobile.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these guys,” Nicholas said of his squad. “Every one of them came out and worked hard, and this is just reward for a whole season.

The Causeway Rebellion cheers on the team.

AFC Mobile Breaks 1,000 in Attendance, Falls 2-1 to CD Motagua of NOLA

AFC Mobile once again broke the Gulf Coast Premier League attendance record as 1,040 fans were on hand at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex to see the home team fall 2-1 to CD Motagua of New Orleans.

“That’s an amazing feat. We never even imagined to have a hundred… to get a thousand today, that says a lot about what the team is to the city and what we bring to the table. We can only improve from here,” said AFC Mobile co-captain Martin Fiemawhle.

AFC Mobile nearly opened the scoring six minutes into the match when Chisom Ogbonna broke away on a counter attack and was brought down by a Motagua defender.

Mobile’s best early chance came in the 14th minute when Ogbonna danced his way down the lefthand side of the box, bringing Motagua’s goalkeeper to his knees. Before reaching the touchline, he sent the ball back to Clairy Kengeye in the center of the box. Kengeye took a shot at an open goal, but it was deflected by Motagua defender Anthony Pieters.

Motagua’s Reese Wilson took a shot in the 27th minute that was easily collected by goalkeeper Barou Ndaw, who made his first start of the season for AFC Mobile.

The away team was awarded a free kick just outside the box in the 30th. Motagua sent the ball into the box and, after a late run and a little scramble in front of the goal, Pieters shot bounced its way into the net, but the apparent goal was called back for offside. After the no-goal, Motagua’s Steven Morris was promptly shown a straight red card for dissent.

Mayor Sandy Stimpson was on hand to perform the pregame coin toss. (Photo: Seth Laubinger)

AFC Mobile tried to capitalize quickly on the one-man advantage. Ogbonna fired in a shot from the left side of the box that was saved by the Motagua keeper.

Despite being down a man, Motagua took the lead in the 42nd minute when Wilson scored a screamer from the righthand side.

“What’s crazy is we always have a few chances to score, to get on the board and, whether it’s a post or a bad hit or a good save, we don’t quite connect on that and then we give up one chance and we’re down,” said AFC Mobile head coach Nate Nicholas. “It makes it real difficult when the other team’s strike rate is one-for-one and ours is zero-for-five.”  

Ogbonna got another chance to equalize before halftime. Forward Brian Singler laid the ball off for him at the top of the box, but his shot was easily saved.

Motagua took a 2-0 lead in the 70th minute after Brandon Chagnard finished a shot from the middle of the box. Four minutes later, Mobile cut the lead in half after Ogbonna got on the end of a give away from a Motagua defender. Ogbonna fired home a close range shot from a tight angle, sending the crowd of over 1,000 into a frenzy.

Mobile nearly leveled the game after a bit of fancy footwork from Kengeye, but his first effort was saved and a rebound were both saved.

Mobile’s last chance to equalize came in the 94th minute when goalkeeper Ndaw sent a free kick into the box that nobody could capitalize on. The whistle blew, and the game finished 2-1 in favor of CD Motagua New Orleans.

AFC Mobile will travel to Biloxi next week to take on Biloxi City FC in the final match of the 2017 Gulf Coast Premier League season. The club is organizing a bus trip for fans. Tickets are $30 which includes a spot on the bus and a ticket to the match. Spaces are limited, so buy your ticket today!  

AFC Mobile Overcomes Two-Goal Deficit To Draw Louisiana Fire

MOBILE, AL – In a reversal of what transpired at the second match of the season, AFC Mobile came back from a two goal deficit to draw 2-2 with the Louisiana Fire Saturday night at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex in Mobile. Earlier this season, AFC Mobile fell to the Fire 2-1 after two heartbreaking, last-gasp goals by the team from Kenner.  But it was AFC Mobile, led by Forward Chisom Ogbonna, who spoiled the Fire’s night this time around in front of yet another Gulf Coast Premier League record-breaking crowd of 951. 

“It’s always nice to be on the better end, but I would’ve liked that to be the winning goal instead of the tying goal, but this is a season where we’re learning… and I’ll tell you what, I couldn’t be more proud of the guys, just fighting through, fighting hard,” AFC Mobile head coach Nate Nicholas said. “It’s easy to get down and to quit, but these guys keep coming out every week and working hard and nobody in the league can says they’re getting an easy game from us. When they come they know they’re gonna get a tough game.”

The Fire nearly found the back of the net seven minutes into the game when Danni Eyo beat the Mobile defense and fired a shot into the side netting. Ten minutes later, the Fire’s Dante Oliver sent another a shot into the side netting.

AFC Mobile nearly took the lead in the 22nd minute after Greg Hosford crossed in a beautiful ball to Chisom Ogbonna, but Ogbonna’s header ricocheted off the left post. Minutes later, Clairy Kengeye sent a cross across the face of the goal, but no one was there to receive it.

In the 31st minute, Ogbonna had another chance to give Mobile the lead, but his header went just wide. Mere seconds later, the Fire’s Oliver took a shot that bounced off the bottom left post right back to himself, then slotted it into the net to give the Fire a 1-0 lead.

The Fire nearly doubled their lead two minutes into the second half. AFC Mobile goalkeeper Brent Grube came off his line, but the Fire’s Donte Oliver chipped a shot passed him, which was cleared off the line by Mobile’s Pat O’Neal.

The Azaleas nearly equalized on a Batevya Mediateur corner in the 50th minute. A mass of bodies scrambled in front of the Fire goal, and Mobile’s Guillermo Lumbreras, Jr. got on the end of it, but his shot went just over the crossbar.

Mobile had another chance to get on the board in the 54th minute. Chris Rumsey kept the ball from rolling over the touchline on the west side of the pitch and played the ball to Kengeye, whose first shot was saved by Fire keeper Pepe Serrano. The ball bounced back in front of Kengeye, whose second attempt crossed the face of the goal and went wide.

Ogbonna had another chance to bring Mobile level, but his long range shot went just wide.

In the 58th minute, the Fire’s Oliver was brought down in the box.  He slotted home the penalty himself, giving the Fire a 2-0 advantage.

Mobile got a chance to equalize after Ogbonna was brought down in the box and awarded a penalty. Ogbonna coolly finished the penalty to cut the Fire lead in half, 2-1, in the 67th minute.

Mobile nearly equalized in the 76th minute after Hosford played the ball to Kengeye on the left attacking side, but Kengye’s shot deflected wide off a Fire player.

Minutes later, despite calls for offside from the crowd, Oliver got in behind the Mobile defense and nearly regained the Fire’s two-goal lead, but he was unable to convert.

In the 87th minute, AFC Mobile’s Sherman Winchester headed a ball off the crossbar. Two minutes later, Winchester played a nice ball to Ogbonna who chipped the ball over the Fire defense, but he couldn’t get a shot off.

In the first minute of stoppage time, Ogbonna headed in a goal off an AFC Mobile free kick, leveling the game 2-2. That goal was Ogbonna’s sixth of the season.

“I never give up. As a team we keep fighting to the whistle. We never give up. We keep fighting.” Ogbonna said.

AFC Mobile will be back at home next weekend to take on the current Gulf Coast Premier League Eastern Conference leaders, Gaffa FC of Jackson, Mississippi. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, July, 1st. We will be honoring Mobile’s soccer history by throwing back to the 1990s when the Mobile Revelers ruled the pitch! Keep an eye on our Facebook page for more details! All tickets are just $5, and kids ages 12 and under are admitted for free. 

 

AFC Mobile earns a 2-2 draw against Pensacola’s Gulf Coast Texans

PENSACOLA, FLORDIA – AFC Mobile pulled off a stunning 2-2 draw against the Gulf Coast Texans of Pensacola. Heading into the match, the Texans were atop the Gulf Coast Premier League Eastern Conference table.

“Any time you come into one of the top of the table teams and come away with a point on your away game, I mean, it’s huge, especially the way things have kind of ended,” said AFC Mobile head coach Nate Nicholas.

AFC Mobile dominated the match early on, creating more chances and holding more possession than Pensacola. In the 15th minute, Clairy Kengeye chipped the ball over a compact Texan back-line to Chisom Ogbonna, whose shot was saved by Texan goalkeeper Rudy Seelmann. Five minutes later, AFC Mobile’s Jackson Barber juked the Texans’ left back and sent a low cross in front of the goal to Martin Fiemawhle, whose shot hit the crossbar.

In the 24th minute, the tide turned as Dillon Gallet, the Gulf Coast Texans’ leading scorer and GCPL Golden Boot leader, found himself pushed nearly to the end-line on a counter attack before bending the ball into the goal from an incredibly difficult angle, giving the Texans a 1-0 lead. Gallet’s goal completely altered the momentum of the game through the remainder of the first half.

When the second half began, the Texans came out firing on all cylinders. AFC Mobile keeper Elijah Gibson made three spectacular one-on-one saves. Then, in the 53rd minute, AFC Mobile’s Markos Mallis sent a cross into the penalty area that Ogbonna converted off a header to bring the score to 1-1.

Just minutes later, Gallet struck once more, heading the ball over Gibson off a long throw in to give the Texans a 2-1 lead, putting Mobile again on their heels in the 57th minute. From there, the game became bogged down in the midfield before resuming late with back-and-forth action. Both Mobile’s Gibson and Pensacola’s Seelmann came up with several saves to smother out promising attacks from both sides.

With time winding down, AFC Mobile earned a free kick on the edge of the penalty area in the 69th minute. Fiemawhle stepped up to take the kick and put it on frame. Greg Hosford attempted a bicycle kick on the rebound, which was blocked by a Texan defender. Off the second rebound, however, Hosford connected with a gutsy scissor kick, this time scoring the tying goal in the 70th minute.

From there, the game continued at a breakneck pace. In the 85th minute, Kengeye took a shot from 40 yards out which could have given Mobile the lead, but it passed just wide of the upper 90. Then Gibson made yet another acrobatic one-on-one save in the 87th.

“We were able to kind of see the game out…come back from being down a goal twice, score goals. I couldn’t be more proud of the guys,” Nicholas said. “Obviously we want the win, we had the chances to win. We are playing an attacking brand of soccer and it should be fun for the fans to watch. So happy with all the fans at the last home game, but we have three [home games] in a row and we are going to need them.”

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AFC Mobile will host a three-game home-stand, the first of which will be against the Louisiana Fire at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex on Saturday, June 24th. Kickoff will be at 7:00 p.m. Join us as we honor the educators of our community with our first ever Teacher Appreciation Night!  All school employees with ID will be admitted to the match against the Louisiana Fire free of charge. As always, kids aged 12-and-under get in free and all other tickets are just $5.