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FC Steel Overwhelms Continental in State Cup Opener

In their first State Cup appearance ever the FC Steel ’06 Boys’ soccer team, which is headquartered in Saucon Valley, rolled into Downingtown’s United Sports Training Center Complex to take on powerhouse program Continental FC in a primetime showdown under the lights.

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Steel celebrates as the referee credits Logan Thrash for FC Steel’s third unanswered goal.

In their first State Cup appearance ever the FC Steel ’06 Boys’ soccer team, which is headquartered in Saucon Valley, rolled into Downingtown’s United Sports Training Center Complex to take on powerhouse program Continental FC in a primetime showdown under the lights.  On the surface it looked to be a match that heavily favored long-established Continental FC but upstart Steel quickly stole the show!

Playing with a whole lot of energy and jump in their step, FC Steel swarmed from the start, pressuring the ball and smothering Continental’s offense.  As if the field was tilted in Steel’s favor, Continental could not generate much of an offensive threat.  Steel’s tenacious efforts paid off about nine minutes in when Elijah Daly, from Emmaus, cleaned up a loose ball that deflected away from Continental’s keeper and buried it into the back of the net.

Kutztown’s Quinn Erb and his FC Steel teammates had Continental backed up deep most of the night.

Not letting up, Steel continued to dominate the contest with ball control and precision passing.  About twenty minutes into the thirty-minute half, FC Steel struck again.  Flashing some fancy footwork and ball skills, Northampton’s Sebastian Mello cut to the middle of the field and at the top of the box sent a laser that caught the bottom of the crossbar and ricocheted into the goal to put Steel up 2-0.  Mello’s score held as the teams took the halftime break.

Logan Thrash (29) and his FC Steel teammates seemed to believe possession being 9/10’s of the law applies to soccer as well.

Any concerns that Steel would be content to just glide their way through the 2nd Half were quickly dismissed about four minutes in when Parkland’s Logan Thrash one-timed a cross through the box to beat the goalie for another “Orange-Crush” score.

Three minutes later Dahlin Allport from Emmaus, beat Continental’s outside back and was fouled from behind just inside the corner of the box.  FC Steel was awarded a penalty kick and made the best of it when Parkland’s Richard Castillo powered it past the Continental keeper.  Steel took a commanding 4-0 lead.

Richard Castillo attacking deep into Continental territory.

Continental did get on the scoreboard with twenty minutes left to play after a foul just outside the box.  A well-placed, direct kick found its way under the crossbar and made it 4-1. However, a few minutes later Castillo answered with another blast that beat the keeper from the corner of the box.  With nine minutes remaining and showing no signs of slowing down, Steel increased their lead to 5-1.

Saucon Valley’s Tanner Riefenstahl (19) processing his options.

As the Continental hometown crowd were packing their bags with about five minutes remaining, Saucon Valley’s Tanner Riefenstahl made a nifty run from his outside-back position.  Riefenstahl penetrated deep and pulled the trigger.  Although it appeared as Northampton’s Chase Nederostek redirected the shot, the referee credited Riefenstahl with the goal saying it glanced off a Continental defender.  Nonetheless, it was a 6-1 lead for FC Steel.

As time was about to expire, Steel’s Castillo converted a Sebastian Mello corner-kick for another goal.  But, even though the final whistle clearly followed the goal, the official score was recorded as a 6-1 victory for FC Steel.

Steel pressured the Continental defense all night long.

UP NEXT:  FC Steel will hit the practice fields at Penn State Lehigh Valley and Cedar Crest College in preparation for more State Cup pool-play action.  Steel will take on the Towamencin Swarm April, 14th.  If Steel can defeat the Swarm and West-Mont United, they will win their pool and advance to the State Cup quarterfinals.

Good luck Steel, the Source is with you!

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About the author

Keith Riefenstahl

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