Lyam MacKinnon’s strike before halftime helps Triumph to third straight draw
Greenville, SC (June 10, 2023) – The Greenville Triumph Soccer Club rallied from another early goal conceded, scoring just before the half to earn a 1-1 draw against rival Union Omaha on Saturday at Paladin Stadium. The draw was Greenville’s third straight and second against Omaha in the last three matches. Lyam MacKinnon tallied the lone score for the Triumph with the second goal of his rookie season.
The two sides engaged in a back-and-forth battle from the opening whistle, with most of the action happening in the midfield. While the teams combined for just five total shots in the first half, each team capitalized on the opportunities they were given. Omaha opened the scoring in the 8th minute when a shot by Joseph Britos ricocheted off Jared Mazzola in the direction of Noe Meza, who scored from close range. The Owls’ lead would not survive the half, though, as Greenville found their equalizer through Lyam MacKinnon’s second goal of the season. An inswinging free kick from Tyler Polak eventually found the foot of Leo Castro, whose strike was blocked before an opportunistic MacKinnon tucked in the rebound.
The match increased in tempo and physicality in the second half as Greenville and Omaha searched for a go-ahead goal. The visitors came close to retaking the lead in the 72nd minute when Steevan Dos Santos unleashed a shot from inside the penalty area, but a diving Jared Mazzola kept the match tied. Just four minutes later, the Triumph had an opportunity of their own on the other end of the pitch, only for Rashid Nuhu to parry Evan Lee’s effort over the crossbar.
Greenville created one last chance in the dying stages of the match when Noah Pilato took aim from long range, and Nuhu again came to Omaha’s rescue to seal the draw. Aaron Walker’s return after a four-match absence was a positive sign for the team as they collected the draw. With his substitution in the 85th minute, the veteran defender made his first appearance since Greenville’s May 3rd match versus the Charlotte Independence.
“We’ve got to be a little bit more thoughtful in our approach there,” said head coach John Harkes. “I’m really happy the way that we competed afterwards and came back. You draw a lot of positives from that, but again, we should not be opening the door like this for teams coming into our ground. We’ve got to be better at home. We’re finding solutions and we’re looking at it and asking where is it coming from? It’s just down to execution. Look, we keep going. Are we losing games? No. Are we frustrated? Absolutely we are, without a doubt.”
Following this match, Greenville will head west for a matchup against Central Valley Fuego FC in Fresno, California, next Saturday. The Triumph will return to Paladin Stadium after a short turnaround to face the Chattanooga Red Wolves on Wednesday, June 21st. Tickets for that match are available now!
Evan Lee, defender, on his standout performance playing out of position in the midfield: “I tried to keep the mindset to just have fun. It’s been a tough year for us so far and I just tried to approach the match with a new opportunity to rise to the occasion, and I honestly I think today was probably the best match I’ve had all year so I’m really proud of myself for that. The boys fought hard, but we have to come out stronger and start the game better. Once we grow into the game we’re a very good team and once we stop shooting ourselves in the foot at the beginning of matches, we’re going be a problem.”
Lyam MacKinnon, forward, on his rebound goal: “We’ve got to make sure we work well in practice the day before a match when we’re working on set pieces and balls in the box. It’s about making sure you know where you need go before the game. A lot of stuff happens in the box and you’ve just got to make sure you follow the ball and try to stand your ground. Then if you get a chance, you have to stay calm and get a touch on the ball, make contact and put one away. We were able to stay alert tonight and it paid off for us.”
