Matchweek 6 is in the books, and we no longer have any undefeated NISA clubs, thanks to Georgia FC’s dominating win over the Stars. The Bobcats bounced back with a big win in Orlando, and the LA Force is on a roll with three straight wins. Let’s recap all the matches from matchweek 6 in the NISA league.
Capo FC 1 LA Force 2
We had a midweek Wednesday late-night matchup at JSerra Stadium as the LA Force edged past Capo FC 2-1 to get their second straight win. It was a very tight game throughout the first half, but as we got close to halftime, we finally saw some goals in this match. Tristian Weber scored with this excellent golazo to beat Force goalkeeper Seth Torman on the far post and put Capo FC in front. However, minutes later, Michael Salazar gets the equalizer to score his first goal for LA, and both sides go into the half-tied at one. Both sides kept it close in the second half, but in the 82nd minute, Salazar found a way to slot this shot past Capo FC goalkeeper Nathan King and into the back of the net to score his second goal of the match and put the Force up 2-1. That would be the final score as the Force got back-to-back wins and avenged their 2-0 loss to Capo FC at Veterans Memorial Stadium on April 27. Capo FC’s next match will be at home on Friday, May 17, as they face Irvine Zeta FC.
Georgia FC 4 Michigan Stars FC 1
Georgia FC handed the Michigan Stars FC their first loss of the 2024 NISA season with an impressive performance with a 4-1 win in the first professional soccer match played at Dalton Stadium in Dalton, Georgia. The Stars had some chances early on in the match but couldn’t take advantage. Georgia FC scored their first goal in this match from a corner kick as Patrick Okonkwo buried a header into the back of the net to give GAFC a 1-0 lead. Two minutes later, Georgia FC would add another one with some great build-up from Lamin Jawneh to Ian Cerro to Kevin Herrera, who spun and blasted it past Stars goalkeeper Tatenda Mkuruva and into the back of the net to extend GAFC’s lead by two. In the second half, in the 75th minute, Geovanni Rios sets up Okonkwo, slots it past Mkuruva, and it’s 3-0 Georgia FC, and that’s Okonkwo’s second of the day. The Stars would finally get one into the back of the net as Sacko Konate rips his shot to put Michigan on the board in the 89th minute. Victor Valencia would add one more for Georgia FC in stoppage time to go up 4-1, which would be your final score. It is surprising to some, considering how well the Stars have played so far, but struggled in their first road match of the season to establish any rhythm in the attack. Georgia FC looks like a team that is slowly building that team chemistry; it made Michigan uncomfortable by taking it to them early in the match, found a way to shut down Leon Maric and Niels Lellouch and avenge their 2-0 loss to the Stars at Romeo Stadium last month. The Stars must put this loss behind them and get ready to host Club de Lyon FC, which also lost over the weekend, on Saturday. Georgia FC will be on the road for a midweek matchup tomorrow in round 2 of the Georgia Derby to take on Savannah Clovers FC.
Club de Lyon FC 1 Maryland Bobcats FC 4
The Beast of the East is back as the Maryland Bobcats FC dominated Club de Lyon FC on the road at Showalter Field and bounced back after losing the previous week with a 4-1 win. It was also the head coaching debut for Juan Manuel “Burrito” Martinez for Club de Lyon FC, who also started in this match. Darwin Espinal scored twice in this match, one a penalty and another in the second half. In the 14th minute, Espinal put the Bobcats in front with his penalty conversion, getting past Club de Lyon goalkeeper Alvaro Rezzano for a 1-0 lead. Later in the first half, Mutaya Mwape rips a shot on goal, but Rezzano makes a save. Elijah Amo capitalized on the rebound and slotted it in to give Maryland a 2-0 advantage. That was also Amo’s second goal of the season. In the second half, Amo sets up Espinal and buried his second goal of the match to give the Bobcats a commanding 3-0 lead. The Bobcats weren’t done yet as Rezzano felt the pressure and turned it over to the captain, Josselin Possian, and he quickly put this into the empty net to extend their lead by four goals. Club de Lyon FC finally got on the board with a penalty kick in stoppage time. The coach, Juan Burrito Martinez, slots this shot towards the corner and in for CDL, but this match was already over as the Bobcats take it 4-1 over Club de Lyon on the road to claim three points. Club de Lyon FC have only won once in their previous five league matches and will need to turn their season around quickly with a trip to Michigan this Saturday to take on the Stars. Next up for the Bobcats is a friendly tomorrow with a Community Shield matchup against NPSL side Annapolis Blues at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial stadium. Maryland will have their home opener at the Plex this Saturday against the Savannah Clovers FC.
Arizona Monsoon FC 1 LA Force 3
It was the first home match for Arizona Monsoon FC at Willow Canyon Stadium, but the result didn’t go how they wanted it to. The LA Force cruised to a 3-1 win to secure its third consecutive win. Michael Salazar keeps his goal-scoring streak alive as he slots home the match’s opening goal to give LA the lead in the first half. In the second half, Daisuke Otsuka would find the equalizer for Arizona as he crushed it past Force goalkeeper Seth Torman to tie the match at one in the 66th minute. Three minutes later, LA capitalized on its free-kick opportunity to retake the lead as Bryan Ortega buried the rebound into the back of the net to put the Force up 2-1. Chila would add the insurance goal from a free kick as he launched this ball towards the top corner on the far post past Arizona goalkeeper Brandon Barnes to extend LA’s lead by two. The Force takes this one 3-1 over Arizona Monsoon FC and wins their second straight road match. Arizona Monsoon FC are on a four-match winless streak and will have to wait a few weeks until their next home match on June 2 to face Irvine Zeta FC. The LA Force has won three in a row but will have to wait a while to play their next match on June 5 in a rematch against Arizona Monsoon FC at Long Beach City College Soccer Field.
That concludes my NISA Matchweek 6 recap. Stay tuned for my NISA Matchweek 7 preview tomorrow and a new podcast episode later this week.
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