Greenville, SC – The Greenville Triumph Soccer Club fought back from multiple deficits to earn a 3-3 draw against FC Tucson on Sunday night, running their unbeaten streak to three matches. The win kept Greenville at third in the league standings with 31 points.
The back-and-forth match saw six total goals, with Greenville conceding the first to Tucson’s Charlie Dennis in just the sixth minute of action. Though early goals were a hallmark of Greenville’s summer slump, the reborn Triumph offense was up to the challenge. A hard foul on Max Hemmings in the 17th led to a penalty kick for GTSC, which co-captain Aaron Walker deftly finished to level the match at one. Later in the first half, Walker scored his second of the night on an assist from Andrew Booth. In the closing seconds of the first half, Tucson repaid the penalty favor, converting a PK of their own to level the match at two going in to halftime.
The action didn’t let up in the second half, with Tucson scoring in the 61st minute to move ahead 3-2. Shorthanded on attackers after JJ Donnelly’s season-ending injury and Don Smart’s red card match suspension, Greenville made a double substitution to bring on Jesus Ibarra and Nico Brown to refresh an offense that was beginning to tire. Coach Harkes’ move paid dividends in the 78th minute, as Jesus Ibarra’s speed and Nico Brown’s awareness led to a match-tying goal for Brown, his first in a Triumph uniform. Four minutes of stoppage time proved unfruitful for both clubs, as the sides settled for the draw and a point apiece.
The Greenville Triumph Soccer Club heads to Wisconsin next weekend to face Forward Madison on Saturday, September 25th at 8:00 PM EST. They return to the Upstate on Friday, October 1 to face Fort Lauderdale CF at 7:00 PM.
