The Flint City Bucks and Chicago FC United completed their four game regular season schedule on Thursday night in front of a large and energized crowd at Kettering University’s Atwood Stadium. The outcome was similar to the two team’s first meeting back in May. The Bucks defeated FC United 2-1 and took the season series three games to one. FCB added another win over the Great Lakes rival in the Hank Steinbrecher Cup championship match as well.
The Bucks and United both started young squads for this match, as both clubs are dealing with the challenges of a long summer season, player injuries and MLS training camp visits for first team players. The first half was a bit tentative for two teams that know each other so well. Neither team wanted to make the first mistake. While most of the first half was played in the middle third of the pitch, the Bucks did manage a few dangerous opportunities in the opening twenty minutes before they finally opened the scoring.
Alec Philippe (Milwaukee, WI/ Wright State University) sent in a picture-perfect cross from forty yards out that landed on the head of Bucks local midfielder Spencer Nolff (Grand Blanc, MI/ Oakland University), who calmly headed the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.
In the 35th minute, Bucks speedy forward Leroy Enzugusi (Des Moines, IA/ Drake University) took a long ball over the shoulder and headed in on goal alone with Chicago keeper Freddy Lorenzen. Enzugusi beat the keeper to the ball and all Lorenzen could do was try to knock the ball away, but only made heavy contact with Leroy. For his efforts, he was issued a yellow card and the Bucks were awarded a penalty kick. Louis Sala (West Bloomfield, MI/ NIU) calmly stepped up and finished the job and the Bucks were up 2-0.
Chicago got one chance late in the first half when the Bucks turned the ball over deep in their own zone and forward Jonathan Robinson put one past keeper Gustavo Vasconcelos (Brazil/ Marshall) to half the lead right before the half time whistle.
The second half was mostly Bucks possession and the home side did outshoot the visitors 10-5 but could not get a third goal on the night. Associate head coach Andy Wagstaff was pleased with the 2-1 final and looks forward to Sunday’s huge match at Cincinnati. “It is always important to get three points in this league, especially against Chicago. We didn’t want anyone focusing on any of the past games we played them this year or anyone thinking about Sunday’s match at Cincinnati. We did a pretty good job of keeping the job at hand right in front of us Thursday. Sunday will be a great challenge for our squad, and we know what is at stake. A win in Cincinnati gives us the season series against that squad and that goes a long way if tie breakers ever enter into the equation. We have matched up with them evenly over the first two games we have played, and I don’t expect anything different on Sunday.”
The Bucks opened the regular season with a 1-1 tie at Cincinnati and then won a last-minute thriller 3-2 at Atwood back in May. Kick off for Sunday is scheduled for 7:00 PM and the Cincinnati Dutch Lions stream their home games on their YouTube channel.
Chicago sits atop of the Great Lakes division with an overall USL League Two record of 7-4, while the Bucks are 6-2-2 for the fourteen-game regular season. In the playoff standings, Chicago’s record of 6-3-0 (18 points) is just out of reach of both the Bucks and Cincinnati Dutch Lions who are both playing for the final playoff spot with identical records of 4-2-2 (14 points). All this sets up for a huge final match between the Bucks and Dutch Lions on Sunday night at Northern Kentucky University, where the winner of that match will have a distinct advantage with only three games left to play.
BUCKS TRAVEL TO CLAWSON TO PLAY MILK CUP FINAL
The Michigan Men’s Milk Cup final will be played on Tuesday evening, July 2 with the Bucks traveling to play Oakland County FC at Clawson Stadium in Clawson, MI. Kick off for the Milk Cup final will be 7:30 PM. For ticket information please follow the Bucks on Twitter @FlintCityBucks and we will update Milk Cup Championship details as it comes available.
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