NPSL Round Up: Week 4

Milwaukee Torrent blow out Panathinaikos, Med City FC win and Duluth keep pace, Sioux Falls Thunder lose their first game.

Wednesday:

Med City FC 3 vs 1 Minneapolis City SC

Minneapolis took a tenth minute lead through Loïc Mesanvi but the home side rallied to take a half-time lead, courtesy of a Crow own goal and a goal from Scott Neil. A header from a corner by Dion Dozzell made it 3–1 in the 80th minute and that was how it finished.

Minnesota TwinStars FC 2 vs 1 Joy Athletic Club

The TwinStars went ahead in this Twin Cities derby with a goal from Sadra Golzarian in the 54th minute but they were pegged back by Joy’s Diego Paulin in the 66th minute. The winner came in the 89th minute through Mark Boquin, a veteran of such local rivalries — having previously played for both VSLT and Minneapolis City.

Friday:

FC Columbus 0 vs Carpathia FC 3

Carpathia presumably wanted a measure of revenge for losing the reverse fixture 6–3. They took the chance to go ahead from the spot through Owen Smith after a Columbus defender ended a quick counter with authority in the 12th minute, in driving rain. Columbus grew into the first half but could not break through.

Veteran Dave Edwardson doubled the Carpathian lead in the 59th minute but almost immediately Columbus were offered their own PK. However, the kick was saved comfortably to his left. Up the other end and a long free kick was driven in towards goal, only for the Carpathian goalkeeper to save it at full extension. Columbus had another chance in the 67th minute but it went across the face of the goal. Carpathia finally finished the game in the 85th minute with a counter down the left wing, finished off by Luke Morrell.

Minneapolis City SC 1 vs 2 Dakota Fusion FC

Fusion hit the crossbar in the opening minutes, shooting from midfield but it was the neat, closer range passing of City which opened the scoring, with Cole Schwartz finishing off a pass from Loïc Mesanvi in the 25th minute. Fusion had a second chance to score, as a center back ran forward but was stopped by the Minneapolis defense and it was 1–0 at half time.

Fusion equalized in the 52nd minute through Tre Bonaparte. The home side had an opportunity to go ahead in the 66th minute as Mesanvi was brought down in the box, but Abbai Habte blasted the penalty over the bar. Three minutes later, another long distance shot was aimed at the Minneapolis goalkeeper, Kaelen Matascastillo, by Kazuma Ishizuka, and this time he was beaten for the decisive goal. This victory is the first time Fusion have beaten the Crows since May 26th, 2017, the first time the clubs ever met.

Saturday:

FC Milwaukee Torrent 7 vs 0 Panathinaikos Chicago

As the game settled down, Torrent dominated possession and a shot was saved over the bar. From their fourth corner by Michael Carreon Jr in the 15th minute, Alex Fillian headed home. The lead was doubled as Salvador Nunez capitalized on a bouncing ball and nicked the ball off a defender to slot home. Alex Fillian made it three in the 24th minute after another ball was taken off the PAO defense and laid across the area by Nunez. Pressure was applied by Panathinaikos but they did not break through before half time.

Torrent made it four just after half time, when Nunez passed it through the center and found James Weber. It was 5–0 in the 52nd minute as a ball down the right was met and chipped over the goalkeeper from the corner of the box by Nunez. Nico Williams had a solid chance for PAO in the 67th minute, but blasted the ball over the goal. The sixth goal was a PK in the 78th minute by Carreon Jr, following a clear foul in the area. Cai Pritchard added a 7th goal in his home debut in the 86th minute, capitalizing on another ball through the center from midfield by Benjamin Nicholson.

Duluth FC 3 vs 0 LC Aris FC

This game was forfeited due to transportation issues for the visitors. Therefore Duluth are awarded a 3–0 win.

Med City FC 1 vs 0 Minnesota TwinStars FC

Med City went ahead on a long cross from the left by Lucas Hart, headed in by Andres Garcia after a corner in the 11th minute but despite dominating possession, they could not tally another goal before half time and in the end they were holding on a bit against a rallying TwinStars club.

Sioux Falls Thunder FC 2 vs 3 Joy Athletic Club

Joy went ahead in the 23rd minute after a counter attack down the right wing culminated in a ball into the middle of the box where Philip Caputo slotted it home.

The second goal came just after half time, when a quickly taken throw was harnessed by Joy and they threaded the needle between defenders for Caputo to drive the ball into the opposite corner. Six minutes later, the home team were on the board when the Joy Athletic keeper conceded a PK, convincingly converted by Tyler Limmer, sending the keeper the wrong way. Joy had their two goal margin re-established in the 68th minute when Denilson Ramos twisted and turned a defender in the box before lashing a shot across the keeper into the side netting on the other side. A long ball up field in the 88th minute gave Limmer his second goal of the game but it would prove to be too little, too late for the Thunder — who lose their first game of the season.

Upcoming schedule (home teams in bold ):

Today:

Panathinaikos Chicago vs Muskegon Risers

Thursday:

Carpathia FC vs Muskegon Risers

Saturday:

FC Columbus vs Panathinaikos Chicago

FC Milwaukee Torrent vs FC Carpathia

Minneapolis City SC vs Duluth FC

Dakota Fusion FC vs Joy Athletic Club

LC Aris FC vs Minnesota TwinStars

Sioux Falls Thunder FC vs Med City FC