Coutinho scores first for Greenville, but late goal from Tucson levels match
Tucson, AZ (July 3, 2022) – The Greenville Triumph SC gained a point on the road at Kino North Stadium against FC Tucson, ending a grueling match in a 1-1 draw on Saturday night. Greenville was in line for a victory before a late equalizer evened the match for Tucson. The draw capped a two-match week for the Triumph and extended the team’s unbeaten run to four matches.
A rare west coast match had Greenville kicking off at 10 PM EST Sunday night in the Arizona desert after also playing the club’s first midweek league match of the season on Wednesday. Tucson brought high-energy and high-pressure in the first minutes of the match, despite also entering Saturday off a short turnaround. Although Tucson maintained 60% of possession during the first half, Greenville was more offensively concise. Greenville leading scorer, Jacob Labovitz had three opportunities early but was unable to capitalize. Finally, in the 43rd minute, the Triumph’s Lucas Coutinho snuck a shot into the far netting, earning Greenville the 1-0 lead just before the halfway mark.
In the second half, Tucson’s possession and Greenville’s opportunities mirrored that of the first frame. As the minutes wore on, though, Greenville began to struggle for control in the midfield, forcing them to hold a defensive position for the majority of the second half. Despite exceptional play from Triumph keeper Paul Christensen, the pressure proved too much in the closing moments. In the 83rd minute, Tucson was able to cross a ball past the Greenville defense and convert a short shot to even the match at one. Greenville was able to rally the defense after the goal, holding the line to keep the match level and earn a road point to build on the club’s lead atop the League One standings.
The Greenville Triumph SC returns to Triumph Stadium this Saturday, July 9th at 7:00 pm for their final 2022 regular season meeting with Fuego FC.
