Late stoppage-time goal sinks Flower City Union, 2-1
July 2, 2024 - Eastern Basketball Development League () News Release
ROCHESTER, NY - Mason Smith scored seven minutes into stoppage time to lift Michigan Rangers FC to a 2-1 victory over Flower City Union in a National Premier Soccer League game at the Rochester Community Sports Complex on Tuesday night.
Despite the loss, Flower City (4-4-1, 13 points) still can reach the playoffs by defeating Cleveland SC (5-=3-1, 16) in its final regular season game, in a Great Lakes Conference encounter, at home on Saturday, July 6 at 6 p.m. Michigan (5-2-2, 17) clinched a postseason berth in its first season in the league. The top four teams in the conference will qualify for the playoffs.
It was the second consecutive time in three days in which Flower City Union conceded a goal in injury time as it was forced to settle for a 2-2 home draw with Erie Commodores FC on Sunday, June 30.
The hosts drew first blood in the 33rd minute when team-leading goal-scorer Rodrigo Almeida scored. Dylan Rice chipped the ball to Almeida on the right side and Almeida slotted the ball home past goalkeeper Beau Hudd.
After making two spectacular saves to keep the visitors off the scoreboard in the 51st minute, goalkeeper Kodai Tsuzuki could not stop Nic Baigrie from equalizing two minutes later for a 1-1 deadlock.
That set up Smith's late-match heroics as he buried a right-wing feed from 12 yards into the lower left corner for the decisive score and three points.
Assistant coach Marcelo Moreira directed Flower City Union because head coach Jordan Sullivan was suspended for accruing a red card after the tie with Erie on Sunday. Defender Alex Vega and forward Tamas Nagy also were suspended.
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