Despite missing several regulars Saturday night at the Santa Monica Airport, the ACFC over-30s squad took down Valhalla FC 3-2 with a combination of hard work and strong team play.
The squad seemed to like playing on the full size field again and made use of the extra space to play more of a passing game against the LA Premier League's second-place side. Backed by a strong defence, led by sweeper Miguel Lopez and stopper Peter Wasek, ACFC battled back and forth in the first half creating several chances. Keeper Ian Benyo was strong between the posts, took ownership of his box and distributed the ball well on the counterattack. Bryan Moore, on the right side fed several plays through the midfield after taking the ball off Valhalla strikers.
The midfield was well served by Brandon Cole and Greg Medzger, while Freddie DeLeon again created havoc for the Valhalla defenders with his speed.
The half time whistle saw the teams tied at 0-0. But ACFC's calm demeanor took a turn for the worse as the whistle for the start of the second half sounded, when Benyo turned his ankle as he entered the field in a fluke accident. About 10 minutes in, Benyo had to be replaced by central defender Wasek in goal, while Medzger slotted into the stopping role. Valhalla immediately pushed forward to test the new netminder and earned the first goal of the game off a cross from outside the box 15 minutes in. Wasek managed to get his fingertips to the ball and pushed it onto the post, but it deflected in.
Ironically instead of taking the goal to heart, ACFC went on a tear, racking up three straight goals in just over three minutes courtesy of Brad Miller and a brace from Jacob Tudela on 67, 68 and 70 minutes.
FC Valhalla managed to get one goal back about five minutes later on a three-man rush. But ACFC held on for the win, their second this season since joining the LAPL. Wasek, who was forced to make several saves in the dying minutes, was named MVP of the match by coach Billy Alarcon, and assistant coach Kirby Adams, who is currently recovering from an on-field injury.
The team's record now sits at two wins, two ties and a loss with four games remaining in the regular season. All previous game scores were inherited from the team ACFC replaced.
The squad next sees action Saturday, June 26 against FK Dinamo at Crossroads with a 7:30 PM kickoff.
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