| Next Match | ||
| v | Academica |
| May 31st, 3:00 PM Southside Park | ||
| Previous Match | ||
| v | Aguias |
| W 3 - 0 | ||
 |
||
Short-handed Real Stuns Dixon Leon 2 - 0Real San Juan traveled to Dixon with just ten players and earned a crucial 2 - 0 victory to jump back into first place in the CCSL Premier Division. Second place Sporting's still has a game in hand because Sunday's game versus Aguias PSC was postponed . For a wide variety of reasons, Real was short players and the task of defeating a solid Dixon team who had already beaten Real earlier this season was somewhat daunting. Real had to draw from last season's short-handed wins in the regular season and in the CCSL Cup Championship versus Dixon for inspiration.Real opened the game in a 4-3-2 formation with the outside midfielders tucked in to force Dixon's offense wide. It was evident from the beginning of the game that Real had to be organized and opportunistic to be successful. Dixon found Real's low pressure defense difficult to crack during the first half. Real created several quality scoring opportunities with quick counter attacks. Real's first goal came in the sixteenth minute when an attempted pass through the Dixon defense was handled by a Dixon defender just outside the top of the Dixon penalty box. Anthony Chimienti placed the ball perfectly past the wall and into the left side of the goal. Shielded by the wall lined up in the middle of the box, the goalkeeper did not see the ball until it was too late. Real's second goal came in the thirtieth minute when Alvaro Delgado beat several defenders on the left side of the Dixon defense. After his skillful dribbling display, Delgado lofted a cross to Anthony Chimienti in the middle of the Dixon box. Chimienti hung in the air for what seemed like a long time and then headed the ball over the Dixon goalkeeper for his second goal. The first half ended with Real leading Dixon 2 - 0. The second half began much like the first. Real looked to stay organized and counter attack and Dixon looked to push some players forward to create chances and get the dangerous Pedro Lupercio more involved. Lupercio was able to create a couple dangerous scoring opportunities for Dixon, but the Real defense group defended well. The back four of Kenyon Hill, Marcos Mercado, Kyle Navarro, and Todd Simmons did an outstanding job of covering for each other and possessing the ball out of the back. Jorge Neves pushed forward out of the back and created Dixon's most dangerous chance only to have his shot miss wide. Real forwards Eliot Ricks-Chambers and Ryan Rhoads did an excellent job applying pressure to make the Dixon offense predictable. Midfielders Alvaro Delgado, Utodi Madu and Anthony Chimienti provided outstanding transition from defense to offense and solid support to the two forwards Ricks-Chambers and Rhoads. Up next for Real is second place Sporting Sunday, February 25, 4:00 PM at Southside Park. This is a big match for both teams and should be an excellent game. Sporting will be looking to avenge their 5 - 0 loss earlier this season. |
||
 |
||
