Tag: louisiana fire

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. 

 

Know Your Enemy: The Louisiana Fire

AFC Mobile will take on the Louisiana Fire at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex this Saturday, June 24th at 7:00 p.m. This will be the second meeting between the two clubs this season. Two goals in the final minutes of the first match saw the Fire snatch three points from AFC Mobile on May 20th at Lions Field in Kenner, Louisiana.

The Fire are sitting on six points in the league table, which puts them at 5th place in the Gulf Coast Premier League Eastern Conference. The Fire opened the season with a 3-2 loss to Gaffa FC, then notched their first win of the season against AFC Mobile in the second week of the season. The Fire grabbed three more points the following weekend with a 1-0 win against Biloxi City FC.

Two late goals saw AFC Mobile come up just short against the Louisiana Fire on 5/20. (Photo – John Clark)

Heading into this weekend’s contest, the Fire are on a three-game losing streak. After a thrilling 4-3 loss to the Gulf Coast Texans, a 4-2 loss to CD Motagua of New Orleans, and another 3-2 loss to Gaffa FC, the Fire are coming into Mobile hungry for another win.

AFC Mobile is coming off a tightly contested 2-2 draw with the Gulf Coast Texans. The Azaleas will be looking to avenge their 2-1 loss to the Fire early in the season and get the club’s first ever win.

This Saturday’s game is also Teacher Appreciation Night! All school employees with a valid school ID will be admitted free of charge. As always, kids 12 and under are admitted free. General admission tickets are only $5. Kickoff against the Louisiana Fire will be Saturday, June 24th at 7:00 p.m. at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex off Michael Boulevard near Airport and I-65. Come support your local grassroots soccer team and join us in honoring our educators!

AFC Mobile Loses 2-1 to Louisiana Fire

AFC Mobile gave up a one goal lead late in the game after the Louisiana Fire’s Dante Oliver scored two goals in the final minutes to seal a comeback victory.

“We just didn’t have enough moxie to see it through. Gave up two questionable goals, might have been offsides, but regardless we’ve got to to do a little bit better job defending those,” AFC Mobile coach Nate Nicholas said. “I think from the top by me as a coach to the players we’ve gotta find a better way to finish it out and come out with a victory. But the boys fought hard, it was a well fought game for us, we just didn’t capitalize on the chances we were given.”

Mobile started the match strong. In the opening minutes of the match, Matt Merrill sent a free kick over the crossbar. Minutes later, Chisom Ogbonna cut in from the left hand side of the pitch to test the Fire keeper, Pepe Serrano.

Nine minutes into a frantic first half, AFC Mobile goalkeeper Brent Grube saved a penalty from the Fire’s Igor Siscov to keep the score level.

Minutes after, Ogbonna was taken down in the box, but neither a yellow card nor a penalty was awarded.

Ogbonna left the field, but returned shortly thereafter. In the 26th minute, Ogbanna gave Mobile its best chance of the match when he bicycle-kicked a shot from the middle of the box that sailed just wide of the far post.

The game was deadlocked at zero to start the second half. Mobile was tested early when a shot from the Fire bounced out of Grube’s hands. The ball fell to a Fire player whose shot at the open goal was cleared off the line by newcomer Dawson Jellenc.

“Dawson played centerback the whole 90 minutes, and we needed him out there—especially with Memo [Lumbreras] taking a knock there at the end of the game.” Nicholas said. “Overall he did pretty well, but you could also see he’s a young kid who’s still learning some stuff. But for a debut with a semi-pro team, being with the guys for only two practices, I thought he played really, really well.”

In the 67th minute,  Ogbonna played a ball across the face of the goal to Amos Ndikumana, whose shot went just over the crossbar.

Minutes later, Sherman Winchester headed the ball to Moses Muhubao, who slotted it home to break the deadlock and give AFC Mobile the lead. The go-ahead goal was Muhubao’s second of the season.

In the 77th minute, AFC Mobile nearly doubled its lead when Batevya Mediateur found Ogbonna on the right hand side, but he couldn’t convert.

The Fire’s Dante Oliver managed to get past the Mobile back line in the 89th minute to equalize. Minutes later in stoppage time, Oliver scored the game winner for the Fire, in spite of impassioned cries from the crowd that he was offside.

The loss gives AFC Mobile an 0-0-2 record on the season. The Fire move to 1-0-1 after falling to Jackson, Mississippi’s Gaffa FC last week. Next Saturday, AFC Mobile will head to Jackson to take on Gaffa FC, who beat the reigning GCPL champions, CD Motagua of New Orleans, 4-2 on Saturday night.

AFC Mobile will play its next home game on June 10th at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex against Biloxi City FC. Tickets are only $5.00, and kids 12 and under will be admitted free of charge. RSVP today and invite your friends!  Be sure to follow AFC Mobile on all your favorite social media platforms: Facebook: AFC Mobile; Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat: @AFCMobile.