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Real Leave It Late to Defeat FC IrelandThree-time CCSL Champions Real San Juan defeated the Orangevale side FC Ireland 3-2 on Sunday to keep their position atop the Premier Division. Second-place Academica kept the pressure on RSJ with an earlier win against Buenos Aires.Real suited up twelve bodies for the game, which was always going to be difficult given that it was an away game. The champs fielded a solid 11 with Conor McNulty in goal, a back four of Tim Bystrowski, Brent Hamilton, Marcos Mercado and Kenyon Hill. In midfield, Utodi Madu and Alexis Maurtua operated on the flanks with Dominic Jakubek and Eliot Ricks-Chambers in midfield, supporting Jimmy Frazelle and Pat Nelle. The Ireland side Real faced was a slightly different team that RSJ defeated 2-1 in the early part of the season. Suspensions and injuries meant the Ireland squad had a slightly different face. Nonetheless, Real had little problem creating chances from the start with several opportunities falling to Nelle and Madu on the right flank. Real scored first when a corner kick was cleared in the direction of Maurtua who held the ball, then passed to Hill, whose pass found Nelle in the corner of the box. Nelle did a pirouette and slotted the ball past the Ireland ‘keeper Tommy Smith at his near post for the 1-0 lead. For the remainder of the half, RSJ made more chances, but took none of them. It remained 1-0 at the half. RSJ had by now introduced their young winger Chris Gaschen who provided energy and aggressiveness and it was his hard work that earned RSJ a penalty midway through the 2nd half. Gaschen struck his PK with pace, but was saved nicely by Smith; Ireland remained alive. The Orangevale side started to become more dangerous and started to be more direct in their attack. Fortunately, RSJ stemmed their momentum and went ahead when Gaschen slotted home a cross to give the away team a 2-0 lead. Similar to the first meeting between the two teams, Ireland then proceeded to score to make it interesting. The first goal came when a clearance by Hill deflected off the face of Ireland striker Paul Reynoso who made no mistake, putting the score at 2-1. It was seemed like only seconds, Ireland knotted the score at 2-2 when a cross from the left flank eluded all the Real defenders and was tucked away by Mike Ruddy at the far post…2-2. At this point, the three points looked lost for Real, but just minutes later, Nelle put the league leaders ahead for good after nice work from Gaschen, Frazelle and Ricks-Chambers. Two games remain for Real San Juan; against rivals Aguias PSC and Dixon Leon to decide the league champion. Starting Lineup (4-4-2): McNulty – Bystrowski, Hamilton, Mercado, Hill – Madu, Jakubek, Ricks-Chambers, Maurtua – Nelle, Frazelle Substitutions: Gaschen Man of the Match: Chris Gaschen |
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