Soul Roll in 3-1 Road Win over Mass United FC
October 19, 2014 - International Basketball League (IBL)
Jersey G-Force News Release
Salem, Mass. - The Ironbound Soul Soccer Club (3-1-2, 11 points) traveled to Massachusetts for the second consecutive week on Saturday, defeating host Mass United FC (0-3-4, 4 points) by a tally of 3-1 at Bertram Field. Leading the attack for the Soul was forward #7 Christiano Francois, who netted a pair of goals on the evening.
"It was a solid all-around performance for us," stated Soul assistant coach Jason Manso, who manned the sidelines with head coach Joe Manso remaining in New Jersey due to illness. "This is a huge win for the team. We traveled four hours each way last week and played a really tough game, coming very close to pulling out a result. To bounce back after taking an even longer ride this week and be able to respond the way we did says something about the resilience of this team. However, we still have not peaked yet, and there are definitely some positive things to come in the next few games. We had a big win today, and now we get to play at home next weekend with a lot of confidence."
The Soul came out aggressively in the opening half of this match, setting into motion the groundwork that would prove to be very beneficial in the second half of play.
After settling down a bit and showcasing good patience to begin the second half, the Soul struck very quickly to break the deadlock. In the 50th minute, Francois made a well-timed run after midfielder #21 Sebastian Orozco acquired possession at the top of the key. Seeing the play develop, Orozco delivered a hard roller that spilt two Mass United defenders and arrived at the feet of a streaking Francois, who quickly beat one last defender before slotting the ball home.
The Soul extended its advantage to 2-0 in the 57th minute, with Francois again doing the honors on the back side of the goal. The scoring series started when the Soul gained possession after attacking on the counter and then proceeded to knock the ball around the offensive end before defender #18 Alex Christian, Jr. found Francois about two yards off the opposing frame. Once he received distribution, Francois quickly struck the ball into the back of the net for his second notch of the evening.
Mass United was able to make things interesting in the 68th minute after forward Denivaldo DaSilva was taken down in the Soul penalty area on a 50/50 challenge. The hosts were awarded a penalty kick for the infraction, and Lassana Sanha was able to convert on the ensuing attempt to make it a 2-1 match.
In pursuit of the equalizer, Mass United elected to send another attacker forward, and the Soul countered by running its offense from the outside to stretch the back line of the opposition. The strategy soon paid dividends, with the visiting side registering a third goal in the 84th minute that put the game out of reach. After a ball was played across the offensive set of the Soul to the feet of midfielder #15 Alfred Santhonax, the crafty 19-year-old pulled back on a shot that froze the defense. He then re-collected before firing a hard strike in the opposite direction that hung the final 3-1 result.
After three consecutive road contests, the Ironbound Soul (2-1-2, 8 points) will now return home to Williams Field in Elizabeth (team will be moving to the Ironbound Stadium Complex next year upon completion of renovation projects) next Saturday, October 25th, hosting the Rhode Island Oceaneers. Kickoff for that match is slated for 7:00 p.m.
International Basketball League Stories from October 19, 2014
- Soul Roll in 3-1 Road Win over Mass United FC - Jersey G-Force
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