Greenville, SC – An electric atmosphere at Legacy Early College Stadium was not enough to push a weary Greenville, as a gritty Orlando City squad knocked down playoff-bound Greenville Triumph SC 1-0.
Legacy Early College Stadium was packed full for the last home match of the regular season. Surrounded by cheering families, John Harkes bobble heads and a rowdy Reedy River Riot, the tired legs of a Greenville squad playing their third match in seven days were evident. With the first half starting on a slow foot, the club struggled to get momentum to swing its’ direction with hardly any quality chances during the first 45 minutes.
In the 53′ minute, Orlando City player William Bagrou met a Sergio Costabile free-kick from the left flank to tally Orlando’s lone goal of the night. With a new burst of energy, Greenville rallied hard throughout the remainder of the second half, sending fans to their feet and providing one of the most exciting attacking matches played this season. Through questionable calls and opportunities missed by inches left and right, Greenville Triumph SC fans made their presence known, feeding energy to the jet-lagged home team.
Despite the amount of chances, Greenville failed to convert and the score would hold at 1-0 in favor of an Orlando city team that earned their first win in ten matches.
“It was a great atmosphere tonight and our guys fought very hard despite a challenging week of travel,” said head coach John Harkes. “We have to learn from tonight, but we know we still have everything to play for and we’re looking forward to the challenge of heading to Statesboro and on to the playoffs.”
With a playoff spot clinched, Greenville still holds the potential to host a first-round playoff match. The team must win its last match of the season and have some help from Forward Madison in beating Lansing Ignite FC next week.
Greenville will travel to Statesboro, Georgia to face South Georgia Tormenta on October 5th at 8pm. The match can be viewed on ESPN+.
STATS
Shots (on goal):
Greenville – 19 (4)
Orlando – 12 (4)
Possession:
Greenville: 57%
Orlando: 43%
Corners:
Greenville – 9
Orlando – 5
Scoring Summary:
Greenville: N/A
Orlando: W. Bagrou – 53′
Misconduct Summary:
Greenville: P. Clowes (caution) – 37′, C. Saul (caution) – 75′
Orlando: T. Humme (caution) – 48′, B. John (caution) – 55′, T. Mbuyu (caution) – 68′, W. Bagrou (caution) – 79′
Ejection Summary:
S. Costabile (ejection) – 93′
