Fort Lauderdale CF played its third road game of the 2020 USL League One season; the team fell to a 1-0 loss in a close game in its second matchup of the campaign against Greenville Triumph SC. The match at Legacy Early College Field in Greenville, N.C., kicked off at 7 p.m. ET and was aired live on ESPN+.
Fort Lauderdale CF made three changes to the starting lineup from the previous game, stepping onto the field with defender Modesto Mendez in place of Ethan Hardin, Academy graduate Francisco Raggio in place of Blaine Ferri in midfield and winger Andres Cardenas taking the place of Felipe Valencia.
The hosts started the match creating pressure on the offensive end, with two-time USL League One Save of the Week winner Dylan Castanheira being called into action in the fifth minute of play; the Fort Lauderdale keeper comfortably saved a right-footed shot taken by attacker Alex Morell just inside the box.
Fort Lauderdale CF created its first dangerous opportunity in attack in the 20th minute of the match; when the team recovered possession near the halfway line before midfielder Eduardo Sosa advanced with the ball and unleashed a long-range right-footed shot that went just over the bar.
The visitors once again tested the opposition’s defense in the 34th minute of action, when Cardenas laid the ball off to Sosa on the edge of the box, who then delivered a pass to free up striker Ricky Lopez-Espin on the right side of the box. Lopez-Espin’s grounded, right-footed strike was just inches wide of the left post. It was a tight first half and the game went into the break with a 0-0 stalemate on the scoreboard.
Both teams created a handful of opportunities in the early stages of the second 45 minutes, with Castanheira stopping a long-range free-kick from Greenville in the 50th minute before Raggio’s right-footed shot from outside the box flew just over the opponent’s goal in the 52nd minute.
Fort Lauderdale CF then brought on three players to give the team a new look on the pitch; midfielder Ferri replaced Academy graduate Raggio in the 53rd minute and minutes later the team made a double substitution, with versatile defender Christian Lue Young coming on for Brian Rosales and 15-year-old winger Valencia taking the place of Cardenas in the 63rd minute.
However, In the 67th minute, Greenville took a 1-0 lead after a corner kick when a curled right-footed shot by midfielder Noah Pilato taken just inside the right end of the box found the back of the net.
The visiting side made one more substitution, with center back Hardin coming on for Modesto Mendez in the 73rd minute. Both sides continued applying pressure in attack and created several dangerous opportunities throughout the final stages of the game, but Fort Lauderdale ran out of time to find the equalizing goal, resulting in Greenville winning the match 1-0.
Fort Lauderdale CF returns home to take on Chattanooga Red Wolves SC at Inter Miami CF Stadium in the team’s next USL League One game on Saturday, September 5.
