USL Game Report
Sunday, January 29, 2012
BRADENTON, Fla. – Yuri Moreira scored a hat trick as Team GT rallied for a 3-2 victory against Team Vision in their final scrimmage of the USL PRO Combine presented by Umbro at IMG Academies on Sunday morning.
After trailing 2-0 at the break, Moreira got his side on the board early in the second half, finishing from close range off a low cross. Stephen Roche had a chance to restore Vision’s two-goal lead, only to shoot over from a free kick from 25 yards out.
Moreira then equalized, again from close range. After GT’s initial attack down the left broke down, the side was able to switch the play to the right, and Moreira was again on hand to finish a low cross from just outside the six-yard box.
His hat trick, and what proved to be the game-winning goal, came with less than 10 minutes to go, with Dion Peters sending in a fine cross from the right that allowed Moreira to head home. After struggling at times in their opening two scrimmages of the weekend, the late flurry allowed GT’s players to finish on a positive note.
Vision had taken an early advantage as Travis Wall opened the scoring, while Josh Northey also went close, shooting into the side-netting, and Ryan Gracia shot just over the crossbar from 20 yards. Gracia and Aboucarim Ndaw also saw opportunities to extend the lead go awry, but Gracia was on hand just before the halftime break, finishing well into the left side of the net to add to his side’s lead.
Vision also came close to adding to their lead late in the first half, Kenny Sacramento having his shot aimed for the top-left corner of the goal tipped over the crossbar well by Billy Hale. But then the game turned as GT and Moreira found their form to take victory.