AMSG was in town Friday night to take on Redlands FC at Dodge Stadium. Redlands came into the match seeking their third straight win after a 0-1-1 start to the season. Meanwhile, AMSG was looking to get on the board in the Southwest Division table after an 0-3 record to begin the summer.
The first half of the match did not reflect what the expectations on paper were. AMSG played the game at their own pace, slowing things down. They even were able to find the first goal of the game in the 18th minute when a long ball played down the wing found Gage Lyons, who beat Redlands goalkeeper Keegan O’Brien by tucking a shot in past the near post.
Over the next 25 minutes, Redlands did find some attacking prowess, but AMSG was content with sitting back and making Redlands have to be patient. The approach worked for the remainder of the half, and Redlands for the second straight game went into the locker room at halftime down.
The second half was, once again for Redlands, a complete flipping of the script from the first half. They got things firing quickly, as in the 53rd minute an initial blocked shot fell to the foot of Chicha Garcia, who sent it into the back of the net to even the game at 1-1.
Redlands kept rolling, and twelve minutes later team scoring leader Jose de la Torre found another goal. This gave Redlands the lead, and they were all of a sudden just 25 minutes away from victory.
Wisely, Redlands did not get ultra-conservative as the half went on. They continued to keep the offense flowing, and fired a couple of shots on net that were saved. They also had a point blank chance sail over the bar. AMSG made a couple pushes themselves, but nothing that would result in a goal. The final whistle blew after a couple minutes of stoppage time, and Redlands had secured a 2-1 victory.
The win improves Redlands to 3-1-1, good for first in the Southwest Division on total points and top three in points per game. They will have another huge opportunity to move up the table on Wednesday, as they take on the first place Ventura County Fusion on the road. That game will kickoff at 7 PM on Sports Engine for those wishing to view via livestream.
Caden Henderson has been a journalist since he was five. He has interviewed athletes like Mike Trout. Caden is pursuing a degree at the University of Redlands. He is also the voice of Redlands FC.
