RCU at CFC, CFC Fall In US Open Cup, My New Favorite Writers

RCU Try To Be First To Win At CFC Since 09

Rocket City United have had a strange season so far.  Undefeated on the road and winless at home (2-3), RCU will try to keep that undefeated part going this Saturday at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga.  RCU will have to overcome inconsistent play if they want to be the first team in years to come out of Finley with three points.  The team has looked disjointed at times, perhaps due to the revolving lineups as players have joined the squad late.  I spoke to RCU veteran Brian Hadley who is the ranking player on the roster, having been with the team since 2008.  He's optimistic that the team will come together soon.

Longtime RCU player Brian Hadley   

CFC Can't Hold On To Lead, Fall in OT

Chattanooga FC may be a little tired for this weekend's match with RCU after they bused around 24 hours to and from Pittsburgh and played 120 minutes before falling 3:2 in the US Open Cup match on Tuesday.  CFC held a 2:0 lead with about 30 minutes left to play, but gave up two goals late and one in overtime to lose 3:2 to the USL Pro's Riverhounds.  Only one of the four NPSL teams in the tournament survived the first round as the Madison 56ers beat USASA team AAC Eagles 4:0.  


Writers Rip US team, Becomes My Hero

We all know the US team has played terribly in the past two weeks.  This AP writer gives it to us straight saying Clint Dempsey failed to finish a chance "a third grader should make".  NICE! She's not the only one criticizing the US team.  This writer compares coach Bob Bradley to George Lucas, and if you've seen Episodes 1-3, you know that's not a compliment.

CFC at Pittsburgh in US Open Cup, Hassli Golazo!, Alaska Airline Commercial

CFC travel to Pittsburgh Riverhounds in Round 1 of US Open Cup

The NPSL Southeast Region's representative in the US Open Cup, Chattanooga FC will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the USL-Pro (3rd division) Riverhounds on Tuesday night.  We spoke with CFC's coach Brian Crossman about the rigors of the Open Cup match midweek between two NPSL matches against Rocket City United.

CFC Coach Brian Crossman on the US Open Cup Match vs Pittsburg

Golazo-azo-azo-azooooooooo!

Vancouver's Eric Hassli is perhaps more famous for his tendency to attract red cards, but it's that chip on his shoulder that led him to attempt and score with this strike.  Un-real!

Portland Coach Stars in Alaska Airline Commercial

This commercial staring the Portland Timber's Scottish Coach John Spencer tickles me.  Enjoy!

RCU Recap; CFC Into US Open Cup, Will Face Pittsburg Riverhounds; Worst Miss Ever?

RCU Back From Open Cup, Focus on League 

After a weekend testing their mettle in Open Cup qualifying, Rocket City United turns its focus back to league play where they sit in third place with 7 points after 4 matches.  Their opponents this Saturday will be the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves who currently trail RCU by one point, despite playing an extra match.  Gates open 6:30 PM and kick off is 7:30.  Members of the YMCA get in for half off!


RCU will host a meet the team event at the Little Gym in Providence and Jones Valley on Friday at 4-6PM. 

CFC Qualifies for US Open Cup

Chattanooga FC qualified for the US Open Cup by beating the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves 1:0 in the finals of the NPSL Southeast Region qualifying tournament.  CFC will now travel to Pittsburgh to face the USL Pro's Riverhounds (who I saw play last month in Charleston) in the opening round of the US Open Cup on June 14th.  If CFC should pull off the upset, they would take on the winner of the Dayton Dutch Lions vs Richmond Kickers match in the 2nd round. 


Worst Miss Ever?!

Holy moly!  I've seen (and had) bad misses before.  But this miss is so bad!!!

RCU Falls To Chattanooga FC In USOC Qualifying

Saturday was not a good day for teams wearing red and black.  While Rocket City United weren't dominated in quite the same way their more famous United team were, both went down to superior sides.   CFC's star forward, Chris Ochieng, created one goal and finished the other.  And it could have been much worse as Tyler Early had a terrific match keeping CFC off the board for the first two thirds of the match.

RCU failed to generate much in the way of possession and attacking penetration and were punished by a 2:0 defeat and elimination from NPSL Southeast Region's US Open Cup Qualifying Tournament.  CFC will meet the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves in the Finals Sunday night.   ASR defeated Jacksonville United 3:1 on two very late goals.

RCU Blows Out FC Tulsa In USOC Opener

Rocket City United couldn't stop scoring Friday night in Chattanooga as they crushed FC Tulsa 7:1 in the NPSL Southeast Region's US Open Cup Qualifying Tournament opener. The win sets up Saturday night's 8 PM (7 PM Central) match with host Chattanooga FC in the tournament semifinals.  I'll be tweeting updates of the match.  Follow me @ryanogol. 

RCU forward Kenniel Hyde opened the scoring early with a classy slotted finish, and he wouldn't stop there.  After pouncing on a bobbled ball from the Tulsa goalkeeper, he finished into the open net to make it 2:0.  Minutes later FC Tulsa briefly made it interesting by scoring against the run of play on a counterattack.  However, RCU deliverd the knockout blow within seconds of the ensuing kickoff and it was Hyde who completed his first half hat trick.

USOC Qualifying: RCU v FC Tulsa

The second half was a glorified training session as RCU ran out several subs.  The substitutes would not take the foot off the gas, however.  Andrew Nkurunungi came off the bench to score a break away goal in the 59th minute.  Hyde then scored his fourth goal of the night and was immediately subbed off.  Shortly thereafter, Hyde's replacement Marco Nunez was hauled down by a Tulsa defender who was sent off for the action.  Nunez converted the spot kick himself.  The carnage wasn't over as center back Joseph Omondi got into the action with a long distance bomb to make it 7:1 shortly before the final whistle.  When it was all tallied up, RCU had set team records for goals scored and largest margin of victory.

In the night's other match, Jacksonville United defeated the Knoxville Force 1:0 to set up Saturday night's early match against the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves.

HUGE SOCCER WEEKEND!!! US OPEN Cup and Champions League

This weekend will be a huge weekend for soccer in the Tennessee Valley.  There are two high quality US Open Cup Qualifying tournaments within a two hour drive from Huntsville and a dream match up in the Champions League Final on TV.


US Open Cup Weekend in NPSL SE Region

The NPSL Southeast Region season will take a break for the week to focus on determining a qualifier for the US Open Cup tournament.  The NPSL has been given four automatic spots in the nearly one hundred year old knockout tournament.  Previously, each NPSL club had to qualify out of its USASA region to gain entry to the tournament (see next section).  Each NPSL region has been given free reign to decide how to determine its qualifier with the Southeast Region electing to hold a mini-tournament over the Memorial Day weekend at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga.  Here's the schedule of games.

All times Eastern
Friday, 5:30 PM Knoxville Force v Jacksonville United
Friday, 8:00PM Rocket City United v FC Tulsa
Saturday, 5:30 PM Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves v Winner Friday 5:30 PM Game
Saturday, 8:00 PM Chattanooga FC v Winner Friday 8:00 PM Game
Sunday, 7:00 PM Winner Saturday 5:30 PM Game v Winner Saturday 8:00 PM Game

Tickets are available for $5 per game or $15 for all 5 games.  At this price, it's well worth the short drive up to Chattanooga.


USASA Region III US Open Cup Qualyfying in Tuscaloosa

Of course, if you wanted to drive in the other direction, you could catch some pretty good soccer in Tuscaloosa this weekend, too.  The US Amateur Soccer Association Region III will be holding its tournament over Memorial Day weekend, too.  Eight teams from six states (but none from Alabama) will compete for two slots in the US Open Cup.  The schedule will be published on Thursday night from a blind draw in Tuscaloosa.   Until the NPSL was granted the 4 automatic berths this year, the Region III tournament was the route teams like RCU would take to attempt to qualify.


Champions League Final on FOX!!!

Oh! BTW, there's a little soccer match on TV, too.  Manchester United doesn't often find themselves the underdog, but that's what they are in this match against Barcelona.  The game will be shown on FOX54.  That's right!  For the second year in the row, the UEFA Champions League will be shown over the air on FOX in America.  The broadcast starts a 1PM with the kickoff at 1:45PM.  If I hear of any watch parties, I'll let you all know.

NPSL US Open Cup Schedule, Work for RCU, Are Players Also Fans

NPSL SE Region US Open Cup Qualifying Schedule Released

Rocket City United and the rest of the NPSL Southeast Region will play a mini-knockout tournament in Chattanooga over the Memorial Day weekend (May 27-29th) to determine a representative from the region for the 2011 US Open Cup.  Two days of double header matches on Friday and Saturday will determine the finalists for the Sunday match.  RCU will open play Friday at 8PM EDT and if they win, they'll take on Chattanooga FC who received a bye through the first round.  The final will be Sunday, May 29th at 7PM EDT.  All games will be played in Chattnooga FC's home ground, Finley Stadium.   


RCU Wants You

Rocket City United is has some openings they are looking to fill.  If you are interested in hosting a weekly podcast, tracking team stats, or serving as a video analyst, contact RCU's director Jan Henner.  The team is also looking for game day volunteers to work the home matches. 


Are Players Also Fans? Not Really

Ryan Knapp on Soccer Player and/or Fans?

Former NPSL PR Director Ryan Knapp has written a great blog post about the disparity between being a soccer player in the USA and being a soccer fan.  Ryan's come to find that being a soccer player does not guarantee that you will be a fan of the game.  His former life as a promoter of the game has exposed him to the frustrating fact that a large majority of the US soccer community does not regularly support their local club.  I've personally experienced this phenomenon many times.  I'd try to discuss the big game on TV or at the local stadium with my teammates and would be met with blank stares and questions like "Oh, are they playing again?"

RCU Preseason, Soccerfest Announced, No Alabama US Open Cup Teams, and

RCU Go on the Road to Play Preseason Friendlies

Rocket City United will take to the road this weekend when they play the University of Montevallo on Saturday and Christian Brothers University on Sunday.  RCU is continuing to assemble and evaluate playing talent and will use these two matches to that aim.  

UPDATE:  The Christian Brothers match on Sunday has been replaced with a match against Belmont University.  The match will take place in Pulaski at the Martin Methodist East Campus Soccer field. 

RCU Announces Season Kick-off Festival

RCU has announced that it will host a season opening Soocerfest at the Hogan Family YMCA in Madison on May 5th.  Two days later RCU will open the 2011 NPSL season in Knoxville against the new Knoxville Force.  There will be a player meet and greet and other fun for the family.


Despite Hosting Qualifying Tournament, Alabama Will Have No US Open Cup Teams Playing

The 2011 USASA Region III US Open Cup tournament qualifying tournament will be held in Tuscaloosa and despite the opportunity to compete on home soil, no Alabama clubs will be participating.  Instead teams from Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas will compete for a spot in the nationwide tournament.  Last year, RCU and Pumas of Birmingham took part.  However, the NPSL has been granted automatic berths into the US Open Cup and RCU will travel up to Chattanooga over the Memorial Day weekend in an attempt to gain one of those spots.


New Soccer Channel in the Works?

According to the Wall Street Journal, Univision is planning on launching a sports channel that will focus on soccer.  The new US Spanish language station will be called Univision Deportes likely cover Mexican League matches and other Latin American competitions.  That's more good news for soccer heads like us.

More MLS in Chattanooga News and US Open Cup Qualifying

MLS Teams Playing in Chattanooga on Sunday Afternoon

Sunday's friendly between the New England Revolution and the Columbus Crew is almost upon us.  I'll be heading up the road to cover the game at Findley Stadium at 4PM ET, and you should really consider the short drive to catch the pros up close.  Tickets sales for the game are strong with over 1,000 already sold.  CFC has been busy promoting the game in all forms of media.  Here's a video interview with some of the CFC board members about the game.


NPSL Southeast Region US Open Cup Qualification Format Revealed?

There's been no official word about the qualification process to be used by the league, but during the interview with WDEF, CFC board member Tim Kelly mentioned that a round robin US Open Cup tournament would be held on May 28th. 
This falls in line with the announcement from RCU president Andy Zorovich about the 2011 RCU schedule.  Zorovich said, "Our league this year won slots into the US Open Cup. So, we will be playing in Chattanooga on Memorial Day weekend for the US Open Cup Qualification Round.  It will be just the teams in our conference."

A round robin qualification process would make the Memorial Day weekend action packed.  The process would have the five teams facing each of the other teams once, for a grand total of ten games in the space of three days.  Wow, the spectators will love all the action, but that's a grueling endeavor for the players!  One things for certain, the team with the best depth with have the advantage. 

Cleary Named New RCU Head Coach

As the Perfectly Weighted Through Blog speculated a few months ago, Rocket City United announced this morning that Martin Methodist Women's Coach Gerry Cleary will take the reigns for the 2011 season.

New RCU Coach Gerry Cleary from Ryan Harbaugh on Vimeo.
Cleary spoke about building a foundation for Rocket City United and bringing consistency to the coaching staff.  After three different coaches in four seasons, consistency is certainly something that could help RCU.  Notice that RCU's most successful season when they won the 2009 Southeast Regional Championship came in the second season under Greg Petersen.

2011 Schedule

RCU also announced its 2011 season schedule.  The regular season is in the familiar home and away format to determine the Southeast Region Champion.  All RCU home matches will be held at 7:30 PM at the Madison City Schools Stadium.

• May 7 @Knoxville
• May 14 home vs. Knoxville
• May 28-30 NPSL US Open Cup Qualifying in Chattanooga
• June 4 home vs. Atlanta
• June 11 home vs. Chattanooga
• June 18 @ Chattanooga
• June 25 @ Georgia
• July 2 @ Atlanta
• July 16 home vs. Georgia
• July 28-30 NPSL Final Four + All-Star Game

The NPSL will have 4 automatic qualifiers into the US Open Cup this year and the Southeast Region's qualification tournament will be hosted by Chattanooga on Memorial Day weekend.  The format of the tournament will be announced in a few weeks.

RCU will host an exhibition match against an opponent to be named later on July 9th.
 
Other RCU News

RCU announced a partnership with the YMCA to help with the soccer program at the Y by holding coaching clinics and other special appearances by RCU players and staff.

I was finally able to get with RCU Director of Operations Jan Henner about how he came to RCU and the partnership with the Y.

RCU Director of Operations Jan Henner from Ryan Harbaugh on Vimeo.

RCU season tickets are on sale now for $50.  If you buy now, you'll get a great deal, because for a short time only, it's buy one, get one free!  With you're season ticket, you'll receive tickets to each home game, tickets to each NPSL Championship Weekend game, and free food and drink at every home game.  The first 50 to take advantage of the deal will also get a free parking pass.  That's the best deal I've ever seen for a season ticket package.

NPSL Gains Automatic Berths In US Open Cup

US Soccer has released its schedule for the 2011 US Open Cup, and for the first time, the NPSL has gained four automatic qualification slots.  The qualification process for the NPSL slots has not been finalized and will be released in a few weeks.
  
The US Open Cup is single elimination tournament similar to the FA Cup in which teams from all level of the game in America compete.  In the past, the NPSL teams would participate in the US Amateur Soccer Associations (USASA) regional qualification process.  Atlanta FC (now the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves) qualified through this process in 2008 and was knocked out of the tournament the fully professional Charleston Battery.

RCU has participated in the tournament each of the past three years, but has failed to qualify for the US Open Cup.  The addition of 4 automatic berths may benefit NPSL teams.  The late spring timing of the USASA's qualification often punished NPSL teams who were largely composed of college players who had not been released from their school commitments and could not participate.

RCU Comes Up Short At US Open Qualifying

Rocket City United failed to qualify for the US Open Cup this past weekend in Tuscaloosa going 0-1-2 in group play. The weekend tournament began on Saturday morning after weather canceled play on Friday night.
In the Group A opener on Saturday morning, RCU fell to NPSL arch-rival Pumas 1:0 despite the unexpected clearance of at least one of the players expected to miss the tournament due to paperwork issues. In the second match Saturday night, RCU held the returning tournament champions, Lynch's FC, to a 1:1 draw but suffered a blow when goal scorer, Derek Pirtle had to be helped off the field with an injury. Sunday afternoon saw RCU fall to eventual group winner Legend's FC by the familiar scoreline of 1:0.

RCU's defensive corps has been solid up to date, but the lack of a consistent scoring threat appears to dog the club. RCU will try to rest their weary legs and return to NPSL league play on Saturday, June 5th when they host Atlanta FC at the Madison City Schools Stadium at 7:30 PM.

In Group B, fellow NPSL southeast region teams FC Tulsa and Atlanta FC also came up short, as CASL Elite grabbed the spot in the US Open Cup.

Meanwhile, Chattanooga FC upset FC Atlas of Guadalajara's U-23 team in front a huge crowd of 6,317 spectators at Finley Stadium. Check out my NPSL post.

RCU's US Open Cup Qualifying Rescheduled, Reformated

The US Amateur Soccer Association's Region III US Open Cup qualifying tournament matches scheduled for Friday night were canceled due to prolonged lightning strikes in the Tuscaloosa area. In addition to the weather rescheduling, the Brazilian Soccer Academy team failed to show up and was disqualified. The tournament format has been adjusted from 3 groups of 3 teams to 2 groups of 4. The two group winner's will qualify for the US Open Cup knockout rounds.
Rocket City United will now be in Group A where they will face Pumas tomorrow at 11AM and Lynch's FC at 8PM. On Sunday, RCU will play Legends FC at 3PM.

RCU Find Out Thier US Open Cup Opponents

Rocket City United found out tonight who they will face in the group stage of the United States Amateur Soccer Association's Region III US Open Cup qualifying tournament.

Rocket City United will play CASL Elite and Brazil Soccer Academy in group play over the next two days at the University of Alabama Student Recreation Center. RCU will take on CASL Elite from North Carolina tomorrow at 5:30 PM . On Saturday morning, in the second game of group play, RCU will play Brazil Soccer Academy from Florida at 11 AM. With up to four games in as many days, RCU will have to dip deep into its player pool to keep legs fresh despite being without 4 expected starters.

The group winners from the three tournament groups and the top second place team will face each other in the semifinals. The finalists of the tournament qualify for the US Open Cup, while the winner of the tournament also qualifies for the USASA's National Cup to be hosted by the United German Hungarians in the Philadelphia, PA suburb of Oakford.

Should the team qualify for the US Open Cup, RCU has entered a bid to host the first round match to be held on June 15/16, likely versus a professional side in the USL or the NASL. That game would be included as part of the season ticket package which are still available at rocketcityunited.com.

RCU Shorthanded Going Into US Open Cup Qualifying

A shorthanded Rocket City United team will be looking to qualify for the US Open Cup for the first time in club history. Going into this weekend's United States Amateur Soccer Association Region III qualifying tournament in Tuscaloosa, RCU is still awaiting an paperwork to clear for four expected starters in the attacking half of the field.

Central attacking midfielder Alex Munro (South Africa), defensive midfielder Jacob Letsholo (Botswana), forward Andrew Nkurunungi (Uganda), and winger Calvin Mbatha (South Africa) are all awaiting international transfer clearances from their native soccer federations. The players are expected to cleared to play prior to the June 5th league match versus Atlanta FC, but RCU will have to play this weekend's matches with a shortened player roster.

After the withdrawal of South Texas club Justice from the US Open Cup qualifying tournament, RCU and the other teams in Region III will be grouped into 3 groups of 3. The three group winners and the top 2nd place team will move on to the semifinals where the winners will qualify for the US Open Cup knockout stages.

RCU hopes to be one of the teams to qualify out of Region III where they could be matched up against fully professional sides from USL, NASL and MLS. That kind of exposure is a great opportunity for players at the NPSL level looking to rise into the ranks of the professional game.

USASA Region III National Cup/US Open Cup Teams

The Perfectly Weighted Through Blog has learned the identity of the teams that will join Rocket City United in the United States Amateur Soccer Association's Region III National Cup/US Open Cup Qualifying tournament.
The USASA Region III stretches across the Southeast United States from Oklahoma and Texas east to the Atlantic Ocean.

The participating Region III teams are:

Aria SC New Stars - South Texas
Atlanta FC - Georgia (NPSL)
Brazil Soccer Academy - Florida
FC Tulsa - Oklahoma (NPSL)
Justice - South Texas
Legends FC - North Texas
Lynch's FC Irish Pub - Florida
NC United - North Carolina
Pumas USA - Alabama (NPSL)
Rocket City United - Alabama (NPSL)

The tournament will be hosted by the Tuscaloosa Sports Foundation and held at the University of Alabama Student Recreation Center over the Memorial Day Weekend. The ten participating teams will likely be placed into two pools of five to play in the group stage. The winner's of these groups will qualify for the knockout stages of the US Open Cup where they will be paired with teams from the professional divisions of US Soccer including MLS, USL, and NASL teams.

RCU Preseason and US Open Cup

Rocket City United will begin the 2010 preseason this weekend when RCU will hold a series of training sessions in conjunction with its RCU Spring Break Soccer Camp. RCU will start with this week's training sessions on Saturday followed by work outs on March 16-18 where they will begin to construct the team they hope will bring another championship home. Early April will see the team play local NAIA power Martin Methodist College in a friendly the week of April 8-15.

Armstrong Discusses RCU reserve squad from Ryan Harbaugh on Vimeo.

Mid to late April will see regular training sessions begin leading up to RCU's first public exhibition match against an opponent to be named later that will coincide with a youth tournament hosted by Valley Futbol Club on April 24th. The first team roster and reserve squads will become clearer as RCU Head Coach Desmond Armstrong will be joined by RCU Assistant Coach Michael Lee. Lee, who has been traveling abroad visiting several clubs in Britain to study training methodologies, will be joining the team May 1st.

Armstrong discusses NPSL Final Four and Assistant Coach from Ryan Harbaugh on Vimeo.

By early May, the team who will battle to repeat as Southeast Region Champion and a berth 2010 NPSL Final Four should be close to being finalized as collegiate players come to town after finishing their spring semester studies. Expect RCU to schedule a few friendlies during May leading up to their opening NPSL regular season match at home against Birmingham Pumas on May 22.

RCU's US Open Cup Preparations from Ryan Harbaugh on Vimeo.

Memorial Day weekend will bring a major challenge as RCU will travel down to Tuscaloosa, AL to compete in the Region III Championships of the US Amateur Soccer Association. Region III consists of the southeast quadrant of the US, and RCU will likely have to play multiple games over a period of 4 days. A strong performance by RCU may see them qualify for the 2010 US Open Cup knock-out stages where they could take on fully professional teams from the MLS, NASL, or USL.

There Can Be Only One: US Open Cup Final

Remember back in late May, when Rocket City United traveled down to Jacksonville, FL, where the air was so thick you could taste it, to take part in the Region III play-in for the US Open Cup? Well, tonight the final two teams standing in that same tournament meet to determine who will hoist the Dewar's Cup, the oldest trophy in US team sports, in the final of the 2009 US Open Cup.
FSC will be showing the match between the defending US Open Cup Champions, DC United, and the upstart MLS expansion squad, Seattle Sounders FC, at 6:30 PM.

NPSL Proposes Direct Qualification To US Open Cup

The NPSL has approached the organizers of the oldest and one of the most prestigious club competitions in the USA, the US Open Cup, in order to gain berths directly into the knockout portions of the tournament. The US Open Cup is open to all professional and amateur clubs in the US Soccer Federation and often features "David vs. Goliath" type matchups between the nation's top professional clubs and thier amateur brethren. The NPSL teams must currently qualify through the United States Amateur Soccer Association's (USASA) qualifying process.

Rocket City United failed to qualify for this year's tournament, after finishing second in the group stages of the USASA's US Open Cup Region III qualifying tournament. The group's winner Atlanta FC went on to fall to USL 1 side Charleston Battery in the first round of the knockout stages.


If approved, the NPSL, the nationwide amateur league which is considered the 4th division of the US soccer pyramid, would use regular season matches as qualifiers for the US Open Cup. A similar qualification is also used in the PDL, the other nationwide 4th division league. The NPSL has asked for four berths and it is assumed that one team from each of the league's four regions would occupy the slot.

What is not certain at this time is if the proposal will affect the number of berths allotted to the USASA and/or the PDL? Presently, eight teams qualify from both the USASA and the PDL.

I'll let you know more, as the situation develops.

RCU Held To A Draw By Lynch's FC

Rocket City United remained unbeaten at home with a 2:2 draw against Lynch's FC of Jacksonville, Fl on Saturday night. LFC got out to a quick start when a third minute corner kick was nodded past RCU Goalkeeper Tyler Early by Jacobi Goodfellow.

RCU responded well and in the 12th minute, Paul Turner, who was making his first start for RCU, beat several defenders prior to slotting a nice pass into Freddy Okello who made no mistake for an equalizing goal. Six minutes later, Turner again took the role of provider with a nice ball into Rafa Barbosa who beat the keeper but had his shot turned off the line by a trailing defender. That clearance only went as far as Barbosa, however. After regaining possession, Barbosa cut the ball back to gain a more advantageous angle at goal and made no mistake with his second bite of the cherry giving RCU the 2:1 lead. RCU debutante Michal Mravec, who made his first appearance of the year for RCU after a serious knee injury, showed well in the central midfield with a calming presence on the ball and good vision. Brimming with confidence, RCU carried most of the play remaining in the first half, but could not add to their tally.

A full scale change in RCU personnel after the break and a concerted change in tactics from LFC led to more disjointed play in the second half. LFC head coach and Alabama A&M alum, Moses Williams, used liberal substitutions to break up RCUs rythm and led to poor RCU ball possesion through the midfield. In the 83rd minute, with RCU looking to close out the game, an RCU giveaway led to a LFC goal. Akil Veferitas's nicely slotted shot to the far post gave no chance to second half addition Jeffrey Preston in the RCU goal. The remaining 7 minutes saw both teams striving for the winner, but the match ended even at 2 goals a piece.

RCU will play their NPSL Southeast Division finale on Saturday night at John Hunt Park at 7:30PM against Saturn FC of Atlanta.