USL Super-20 Round-up
Friday, July 22, 2011
By NICHOLAS MURRAY
BRANDON, Fla. – Lower Merion SC got a pair of goals from Stephen Baker as they took their second win in as many games with a 4-0 victory against the Northern Virginia Royals to put them top of Group A at the USL Super-20 Finals at JC Handley Field on Friday night.
After a balanced first 15 minute, Lower Merion began to take control, attacking down the flanks with Julien Aoyama and Zoncher Dennis. Their pressure told shortly before halftime when after winning a free kick on the right, Baker’s cross was flicked into the back of the net.
“We feel good about the way we’ve been playing,” Baker said. “We definitely like where we’re at.”
Baker then scored twice in the first five minutes of the second half to put the game away, first putting in a low cross before firing home from the top of the penalty area as Northern Virginia’s defense suffered a pair of serious lapses. Baker could have had his hat trick but was denied by a great save from Royals goalkeeper who tipped his driven free kick onto the left post.
“We knew at halftime that we were the better team,” Baker said. “We wanted to come out as hard as we could to start the second half and good things happened.”
Northern Virginia’s chances were few and far between, the best coming with about 10 minutes to go when Ryan Henry’s shot from 15 yards was deflected just wide of the post. Lower Merion’s Dylan Bowman added his side’s fourth shortly after slicing through a pair of defenders and firing low into the left corner of the net.
Lower Merion will face Beachside SC in its final group game on Saturday morning knowing just a draw will be enough to take it into the semifinals.
TORONTO LYNX 4, BEACHSIDE SC 1: Toronto got a pair of goals by Justin Gordon to keep its semifinal hopes alive with a convincing victory against Beachside. Ryan McLeod and Brandon Wellington also found the back of the net for the Lynx, who now side second ahead of their final group game with Northern Virginia on Saturday.
GROUP C
REVOLUTION FC 7, TSF ACADEMY 1: A remarkably fast start propelled Revolution FC to the top of the Group C as Bobby Jhutty added a hat trick to his goal in his side’s opener. Revolution was up 4-0 at the break, with Ryan Dhillon scoring a pair of goals while Simrin Rattanpal and Lucas Sweda also found the back of the net.
TRIANGLE FC 1, READING UNITED 0: A second-half goal by Michael Wisniewski, assisted by Blake McCauley, kept Triangle in with a chance of a place in the semifinals while eliminating Reading’s opportunity to bounce back from its opening draw. A win in its final game against Revolution would likely send Triangle through as group winner.