Round Rock, Texas
The San Antonio Athenians faced UWS newcomers WilCoFC (Williamson County FC) at the Multipurpose Soccer Complex in Round Rock. Looking to bounce back after a rough week, the Athenians were determined to get three points against a competitive opponent.
The Athenians first real chance came in the 7th minute but was saved by WilCoFC’s Keeper Hannah Alexander. The match was fast paced end to end and both teams had opportunities to scored but remained scoreless at the Half.
The Athenians struck first in the second half. Brooke Hanson was brought down in the penalty box and Emma Durain converted the penalty to take the lead in the 54th minute. Just two minutes later WilCoFC struck back and leveled the match 1-1 on a goal from Zigi Ahortor. The match winner came in the 80th minute when Athenians Izzy Beletic found the back of the net. It was a very close match as the Athenians earn three points on the road over WilCoFC.
By the Numbers:
Shots on Goal: Athenians 9 – WilCoFC 12
Saves: Mia Wildeman, Athenians 12 – Hannah Alexander, WilCoFC 9
Fouls: Athenians 10 – WilCoFC 8
Corner Kicks: Athenians 6 – WilCoFC 0
Most Match Interviews:
#30 Izzy Beletic:
What was the key to bouncing back and getting the win today after a tough road trip?
1. The key was coming together as a team and not letting the past games define us. We just had to play our game and we did just that tonight.
Talk us through your goal and how you saw it play out:
2. I don’t know really how the play started but all I know is that the ball went through some girls and it just ended up bouncing in front of me, so I just volleyed it with my laces and it went in. It was a very exciting moment for me and the team.
What’s your message to the fans as the team comes home for four straight games, including the marquee game against Club América?
3. My message to fans is that we appreciate you all for believing in our team and program and just to keep supporting us because this keeps us going and fighting.
Coach Fabio Melo de Alcantara:
Over the last 3 road games your team has faced serious adversity, what does it say about your team that you were able to bounce back and close out the road trip with a win?
1. We have been working hard and focusing on the challenges we were facing. We know the league has a lot of quality and because many of the teams are so new, we never know what we are going to face. The only thing we know is that it will be tough competition. We have to respect that and keep working to overcome the challenge so we can get to the playoffs.
The next 4 games are all at home, how excited are you to be back in front of the fans? How much does being at home help what you’re trying to do as a team?
2. To play at home makes all the difference because we have all of our fans supporting us along this journey. The high quality facility (Soccer Central) we are building makes us comfortable and stronger as well. Being at home will allow us to recover from our games on the road so we can be ready to face the challenges ahead. Our team is only stronger when we are on our home turf.
All the scoring in today’s game came in the second half, how important were the substitutes in earning this victory?
3. We are fortunate that the level of everyone on the roster is so high, each player has something to bring to the game. I am happy as a coach to see the players are so eager to enter the game and raise the level. Our team is unified, so the subs are not considered secondary, but instead are an equally important part of the team.
Up Next:
Next match for San Antonio Athenians is on Tuesday June 8th at 7:30 PM versus WilCoFC at Soccer Central. The second leg of back to back matches between the two clubs, Athenians take the lead in the UWS Southwest Conference with Saturday’s win.
Soy San Antonio Fútbol 