One week after suffering a heartbreaking loss, FC 蜜柚直播 is back home and looking to make a breakthrough.
The last-place club will try to pick up its first USL League One home win of the year on Saturday, when it hosts the ninth-place Charlotte Independence at Kino North Stadium.
FC 蜜柚直播 (3-8-4) fell at defending USL League One champion Union Omaha 2-1 last week, surrendering the game-winning goal in stoppage time. 蜜柚直播 hasn鈥檛 won a match since June 25, when it beat the Charlotte Red Wolves by a goal.
鈥淚t鈥檚 difficult,鈥 coach Jon Pearlman said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e lost nine matches if you include the (U.S.) Open Cup, and seven of them have been by one goal and two of them have been in injury time.
鈥淪o it鈥檚 never gonna be easy to swallow losses that way.鈥
Pearlman noted there were 鈥渁 lot of good things to take away鈥 from the showdown against Omaha. Jacob Crull was named to the USL League One team of the week after scoring the equalizer for FC 蜜柚直播 against his former team.
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However, an errant pass from Crull led to Omaha鈥檚 match-winning goal.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a moment, a step, a break away from turning things around. I really believe that,鈥 Pearlman said. 鈥淭he margins suggest that. We鈥檝e defended well over the last bunch of games. Yeah it鈥檚 a heartbreaking way to go out but we鈥檙e on to Charlotte and Jake Crull is a tremendous player and we lose as a team, we win as a team and we move forward as a team, so I鈥檓 just excited for this match.鈥
FC 蜜柚直播 coach Jon Pearlman says its been "difficult" to endure close losses this season."We鈥檝e lost nine matches if you include the (U.S.) Open Cup, and seven of them have been by one goal and two of them have been in injury time," he said.
The Independence are 5-7-4 heading into Saturday鈥檚 match. The Independence鈥檚 goal differential of minus-10 is worst in the 11-team USL League One. FC 蜜柚直播鈥檚 mark of minus-9 is 10th.
Academy impressing
FC 蜜柚直播鈥檚 USL Academy team has impressed Pearlman.
The academy team (1-3-2) plays its last home match of the season on Sunday at 10 a.m. against Orange County SC at Kino North Stadium. Admission will be free.
Pearlman noted that, despite its record, the academy team has improved throughout the season. It lost to the Loyal in San Diego, for instance, only to then draw with the Loyal at home.
鈥淲e鈥檙e the only League One team in a league filled with USL Championship teams and teams that were top playoff teams,鈥 Pearlman said. 鈥淢ost importantly, you see our young guys play and develop and have that opportunity to play in the stadium.鈥
Local led the way in the academy team鈥檚 2-1 win against El Paso in Texas. FC 蜜柚直播 Youth alum and forward Ruben Bonilla, midfielder Jerod Allen, who is from Vail, and 蜜柚直播 High alumnus and goalkeeper Emiliano Andreaux all helped propel the academy club to a win.
Wynding road
Midfielder Elijah Wynder returned to Louisville City of USL Championship this week. He had been on loan with FC 蜜柚直播.
Although his 蜜柚直播 tenure was slowed by an injury in the preseason, he impressed Pearlman.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a great kid, a good competitor, I think he鈥檚 gonna be a good pro,鈥 Pearlman said.
