On Sunday, Union Amaya put three goals past Olympiacos Ca reserves with a final score of 3-1 in SoCal Premier open division play.
Pregame
This matchup would be the first competitive encounter between both sides. In the 1st match week last weekend, Union Amaya got a 4-1 win against their academy side, while Olympiacos shared points with JACHESF 3-3.
Game Recap
Both teams were set to kick off on a breezy, sunny Sunday afternoon at the Ralph Lewis sports complex. Union Amaya (yellow) started with lob passes forward, and that game plan netted them the first game goal in the 9th minute. The forward receives the lob pass and takes the shot outside the box, which the keeper deflects, but another attacker taps in the blocked ball. They would continue with the game using counterattacks.
Olympiacos (in red) had more possession of the ball but failed to connect in the final 3rd. They also were good at playing the offside trap to suppress Amaya’s counterattacks.
However, both sides played at a low intensity, and both were back n forth on turnovers in the midfield, which was most of the first half. The next goal came for Amaya in the 36′, where they played a free kick from the halfway mark, which was a lob pass to the forward, winning the bouncing battle against the defender, then withdrew the goalkeeper and slotted it in.
With that 2-0 lead for the boys in yellow, they played more of a passing game and connected with teammates after the first half, while Olympiacos responded with a lone shot outside of the box in the 43′ that rattles the top crossbar, but the play ends in a clearance. The half ends 2-0 in favor of Union Amaya.
The second half saw UA trying for longer through passes, holding the ball longer, and doing touch passes. They were also physically bigger and stronger to turnover the ball with the standing tackles, but still a back-and-forth game.
The boys in red found it hard to get into position to get a clear chance at goal just like the first half but finally struck a goal back in the 53′. The forward receives a bouncing lob pass, beats the defender, gets a touch, and the ball goes under the keeper.
Olympiacos continued to find a way to level the match by capitalizing on plays from turnovers. Still, time was running out, and Union Amaya would find their final insurance goal late in the game. Before stoppage time, UA got a corner on the right side, and the player sent the ball towards the goal, which passed the keeper, and two Olympiacos defenders crashed on the goalline trying to clear the inward ball but head it in their own net.
That would be the game’s final play as the referee blows the final whistle.
Postgame
Union Amaya records their second win of the season and place in 2nd of the north division. Their next match is against 1st place in the south JACHESF, who had a 2-1 loss against Union Amaya academy. That match will be on April 2nd. Olympiacos Ca gets their first loss of the young season and is 3rd in the south. They will play the winless UA academy next Sunday as well.