Mid-Atlantic Round-Up

Lots going on in the Baltimore-DMV soccer world as we expand our coverage this week beyond just the Maryland Major Soccer League!

Bobcats join the pro ranks

On October 13, the Maryland Bobcats FC officially joined NISA and formally became a professional club. Their first game as a pro concern was this past Saturday playing a friendly away against Chattanooga FC at Finley Stadium. The game was also the first game and start for Morian Yvan, a 19-year-old center back.

A game of beginnings for the Bobcats, the match was an ending for CFC as Jose “Zeca” Ferraz played his last game as a professional player with the club. Zeca, a stalwart for Chattanooga for eight seasons, donned the captain’s armband in his retirement match.

The Bobcats’ head coach, Phil Nana, came out with a gameplan to keep possession, press on defense, and play uptempo. But, in the early stages of the match, CFC had the best of the possession which culminated in a near-goal in the 10th minute. A long ball to Darwin Lom into the Bobcats’ box caused keeper, Joel Isyaq, to come out to challenge for the ball. Lom attempted to chip the ball over the keeper but it rebounded off Isyaq. Zeca volleyed the rebound in mid-air sending a hard shot toward a seemingly open goal, but the ball was cleared off the line by a Bobcats defender, Richard Forka.

After that early scare, Maryland took control of the game in the first half holding possession by regularly stringing together impressive series of passes while on offense and making aggressive tackles while on defense. This kept Chattanooga FC from having much of the ball during the half. But, while the Bobcats held the ball well at midfield, they seemed content to send the ball into the attacking third with long balls or long through passes that had a low percentage chance of turning into scoring opportunities. And, the hard-tackling by the Bobcats players to regain possession ending in a number of Maryland yellow cards including one or two that could have easily been reds as the ref let things go that likely would have been called in a league match

This style of play by the Bobcats, while keeping CFC off the ball for most of the first half, only resulted in one shot on goal. But, the Maryland club made that one shot count. In the 19th minute, Ryan Marcano, sent a seemingly innocuous back pass to goalkeeper, Alec Redington. The pass pulled Redington out to the top of the box and, sensing an opportunity, Maryland forward, Kay Banjo, ran up to Redington causing the keeper to quickly adjust a pass. The ball skipped of Redington’s foot to the top of the arc which was met by an onrushing Alex Kao who sent in a hard 25-yard shot for a Bobcats’ goal.

Maryland continued its pressure possession game for the first half and the teams went to halftime with the Bobcats up 1-0. Chattanooga was the better of the teams in the second half having most of the control of the ball and coming up with a number of strong scoring opportunities. In the 69th minute, Ian McGrath put the ball in the back of the net after a rebound off the post, but he was called offside.

The pace really picked up in the final stages. In the 89th minute, Maryland almost went up 2-0 when Sammy Kahsai dribbled up the CFC end line towards the goal post. Kahsai attempted to pass back to a waiting Elton Joe but the ball deflected off a Chattanooga player which rolled along the face of the goal almost going in for a score.

Chattanooga FC and Zeca’s dream ending almost occurred. In the dying moments of stoppage time, Kyle Carr sent in a long ball off a freekick to the top of the Maryland box which took a deflection in the air towards the end line. McGrath sent a back pass back in the box where Zeca was waiting. The CFC vet connecting with a bicycle kick but the ball hit squarely off the crossbar. The ref called the game as the deflection off the woodwork went out of bounds.

Substitutes: CFC - 3 Wilfred Williams; 20 Christopher Marshall; 42 David Koloko

MDFC - 7 Idrissa Sesay; 17 Wesley Delcid; 8 Sammy Kahsai; 20 Dylan Ogletree; 42 Torres

Goals: MDFC - Alex Kao, 19’

Statistics: Shots - CFC 9, MDFC 4; Shots on goal - CFC 3, MDFC 2; Saves - CFC 1, MDFC 3; Corner kicks - CFC 8, MDFC 2; Offside - CFC 3, MDFC 1; Fouls - CFC 8, MDFC 17; Yellow cards - CFC 1, MDFC 5; Red cards - none

Match statistics credit to Jim Hicks (@ChattaGooner)

2020 DC Premier League Fall Cup

The DC Premier League is currently on hiatus due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As reported by D.C. Districtonia, a club located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of DC, the 2020 DCPL Fall Cup is due to be held this weekend behind closed doors at a venue in Wheaton, Maryland. The semifinals will be held on October 31 with DCFC meeting DC Cheddar and Districtonia facing Federal City Wanderers, the 2019 Spring and Fall DCPL champs. The final and third place match will be held on November 7.

Mason-Dixon Soccer League Fall 2020 Week 5

Sanctioned by the Maryland State Soccer Association, the Mason-Dixon Soccer League is the men’s adult amateur soccer league for clubs from the western Maryland region including northern West Virginia and southern Pennsylvania. The league has a long history, reaching back to 1931, and became affiliated with the MSSA in 1993.

Due to the ongoing issues surrounding COVID, the MDSL Fall season only comprises four clubs: Dale FC; Frederick Spires FC; ‘Merica FC; and West Virginia FC. The teams are playing a six-match home-and-away schedule with all games being played on Sunday mornings at Oakdale High School in Ijamsville just outside of Frederick, Maryland. At the conclusion of the season, the four clubs will play a semifinal on November 15 and final on November 22.

Here are the current standings through matches played on Sunday, October 25, and the schedule for the remainder of the season.

Major Maryland Soccer League Fall 2020 Week 7

Halfway through the 1st Division season and the top two clubs are cruising. On Sunday afternoon, October 25, Christos FC easily handled Maryland International FC 5-1 at Hammond High School in Columbia, Maryland. Later that evening, Steel Pulse FC eked out a 2-1 victory over Baltimore Kickers at Catonsville High School. Those wins kept the 1st Division leaders locked at 13 points but Christos pulled farther ahead on goal differential. Those two teams will be battling for the top spot this Sunday. The loss by MD Inter was their third in a row but are still clinging to the final playoff spot on goal differential.

MD Inter’s misfortune was Columbia FC’s benefit. The club blanked AFC DOBES 3-0 on Sunday at Hammond High School. A brace by Prosper Adangwa and a clean sheet by Johnny Paletar paced Columbia who lept over MD Inter for the number three playoff slot.

In the final 1st Division game of the week, All Star United edged out La Dolce Vita 2-1 on Sunday at Latrobe Park in Baltimore. The win put All Star in sixth place, one point out of the final 1st Division playoff spot, and La Dolce Vita in fifth place behind MD Inter on goal differential.

In the 2nd Baltimore Metro, Sure Sports FC kept up their unblemished record by easily beating Arundel County F.C. 6-0 at Hammond High School on Sunday. The win kept them at the top of the division, three points clear of IFK Maryland. IFK also blanked their opponent, Argyle FC, to a tune of four goals to none at Catonsville High School on Friday, October 23.

Argyle, though, managed to hold on to the third, and final, playoff spot by defeating their nearest rival, Annapolis United 2 F.C., 2-1 at Latrobe Park on Sunday. In the other 2nd Baltimore Metro match of the week, Meade United F.C. got their first win of the season beating Classic Crew F.C., 8-2, in a Wednesday, October 21, evening match at Troy Park in Elkridge, Maryland.

Dream Team FC stayed at the top of the 2nd Capital Beltway with a 4-1 victory over Motorik FC on Sunday at John Lewis High School in Springfield, Virginia. During the match a Motorik striker was injured when the Dream Team goalkeeper crashed into him while challenging for the ball. The goalie was penalized but not given a red card. And, per social media, Motorik’s head coach and owner were subsequently suspended by the league for the club’s upcoming Sunday match due to their actions vehemently disagreeing with the referee’s decision-making following that collision and during the match.

DMV Rangers kept within striking distance of Dream Team by defeating Colombia District FC 2-1 on Sunday at Greenbriar Park in Fairfax, Virginia. Annapolis United F.C. handled Maryland United FC 6-1 at Troy Park on Wednesday evening. The win kept the club in the fourth, and final playoff spot, and pulled them to within a point of MD United for third.

Limitless FC edged out NPC Futbol 2-1 at Greenbriar Park on Sunday with goals by Josue Barrera and Ivan Meza-Baez. That win kept Limitless two points behind AnnaU for the fourth playoff spot and just ahead of Motorik FC by goal differential. In the final 2nd Capital Beltway match of the week, Colombia F.C. defeated Frederick Spires FC 5-2 on Sunday at Hammond High School. The game between Fredericksburg City United and Rockville S.C. was postponed.

Here’s the schedule for week eight (subject to change):