Greenville’s 1-0 victory moves club above playoff line as season nears midway point
Greenville, SC (July 1, 2023) – In a tense and tightly contested match, the Greenville Triumph emerged victorious with a 1-0 win over a Forward Madison side that lead the table at the start of the match week. The victory vaulted the Triumph from seventh to fifth place in the League One table, extending its win streak to three and its unbeaten streak to six.
Opportunities were scarce in the first half, but Greenville came closest to breaking the deadlock on multiple occasions. In the 17th minute, Lucas Coutinho’s pinpoint cross found Aaron Walker, whose shot was deflected over the crossbar. Coutinho himself had a chance to score around the half-hour mark, but Madison’s goalkeeper made a diving save to deny him.
However, Greenville’s breakthrough came in the 31st minute. A Madison defender was called for a handball in the box, resulting in a penalty for the Triumph. Aaron Walker stepped up to take the spot-kick, and although the goalkeeper got a hand on it, the ball found its way into the back of the net, giving Greenville a crucial 1-0 advantage.
With the lead in hand, the Triumph shifted to a more defensive approach in the second half, determined to maintain their lead. Greenville’s veteran back line stood strong against Madison’s attacks, repelling their advances with discipline and composure. As the match grew increasingly physical and heated, Greenville remained unfazed and held their ground.
In the dying moments of the game, Madison launched one final desperate attack in stoppage time. However, Jared Mazzola, Greenville’s goalkeeper, came up with a vital save to preserve the triumph and seal the victory for his team. This win carried extra significance as it came against a Madison side that had previously held the top spot in the league standings and were riding a four-game winning streak.
“Huge effort,” said head coach John Harkes. “There are going to be games where you really get tested and you get pushed and you get asked questions of yourselves, and the guys rose to the occasion. It wasn’t the prettiest game for us in terms of possession and movement off the ball, but we knew that they were coming in with four wins and a lot of confidence. Regardless of tired legs and things like that from midweek, they are a team that know how to compete. They have a great coaching staff and they came in and they fought but our guys rose up. Our back three tonight were absolutely fantastic.”
Greenville heads into a bye week before returning home on Saturday, July 15th against One Knoxville at 7:00 PM. Knoxville defeated the Triumph in Paladin Stadium 2-1 on May 20th. Tickets for the match are on sale now.
Quotes:
Tyler Polak, defender, on ending Madison’s win streak: “It’s a huge win. The win itself is big time, and getting the shut out – we haven’t had too many of this season – so getting one and keeping our unbeaten streak alive is huge. Now we just keep going with this and try to just focus on the next game.”
Jared Mazzola, goalkeeper, on the shutout and the defensive performance: “Everyone on the field, including those who subbed in, did their jobs so well tonight. We all worked together and it’s the cultivation of that effort that allows us to play our best. Defensively we were excellent, we did the work offensively scoring the goal, and that’s all you need sometimes so I couldn’t be happier.”
