All 17 players turned out for the game with the starting 11 and six substitutes interchanging seamlessly throughout the match, coach Billy Alarcon said following the win.
"There wasn't a weak spot on the pitch and everyone fought for the entire 90 minutes," Alarcon said. "And we beat Hollywood United in our first game together ... I'm still smiling."
Practicing on a grass field seemed to help the newcomers, who played on an even keel with United for the first 20 minutes, despite some pre-game jitters. A solid defence commanded by sweeper Custis Smith killed most if not all United chances in the early stages, while the Apache FC midfield maintained a strong presence throughout the match with standout performances from Alex Martinez (named Apache MVP of the game), Guillermo Herrera, Matt McCallum and JC Salinaszelaya.
After creating several scoring opportunities, Apache FC opened their goal-scoring account in the final minute of the first half, with mid-fielder Mike Barthel angling a slick corner kick towards the far post and Herrera converting the ball with a well-placed header.
The second half saw continued success with mid-field substitute Ivan Miller coming on to score his first goal following a scramble in the United 18-yard box about 10 minutes in. United had exerted some early half pressure to tie the match, but were again foiled by stopper Ger McManus and timely tackles from a fiery Des Gallagher.
Striker Nick Midulla rounded out the scoring with about 15 minutes left to play, pouncing on a loose ball knocked on by Sammy Xaylidet to make it three, before United finally got on the board with their single tally ... a shot from inside the Apache box which powered by keeper Carlos Guerrero, who was strong between the posts for the entire match.
While the game got physical at times -- with the referee handing out yellow cards to both squads -- overall the match was clean. Apache FC saw the game through to final whistle on a strong note, maintaining a level of control in the midfield.
Apache next see action Tuesday, April 5 at the Griffith Park turf field against Dinamo Lokamotiv with a 7 PM kickoff. Come out and cheer the team on.
Thanks to the fans who attended the Hollywood United match including our own Dan Sapienza and David "Puma" Alarcon, Irmgard Rios, Tara Tortorello ... to name a few.
A great win indeed!! I am very proud of our squad and especially thankful to all our loyal supporters and some new ones who came out to cheer us on. Not a bad way to start this new venture by beating the defending champs. Could not have made it this far without the help and friendship of Rahoul Ghose and the support of B Moore, Custis, Sammy, Matty D, Mikey Lewis, JC and Mike Barthel. And we could not have been more fortunate to meet all our new recruits. We have a very deep squad, and we have all come to trust each other very quickly. That can only help us on the pitch.
ReplyDeleteGreat job and Apache FC can only get better from here.
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