(Puerto Rico 3, Richmond 1)
1-0 min. 10 Petter Villegas (Puerto Rico)
1-1 min. 54 Robert Ssejjemba (Richmond, PK)
2-1 min. 58 Marco Vélez (Puerto Rico)
3-1 min. 80 Corey Woolfolk (Puerto Rico)
Bayamón, PR - The Puerto Rico Islanders came back to life in spectacular fashion; beating USL-1 leaders Richmond Kickers by a 3-1 score in a Friday Night match-up at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium, in front of 4,118 fans.
Puerto Rico dominated the first half of play against an uncharacteristically nervous Richmond side. Ten minutes into the game, Petter Villegas gave the Islanders the 1-0 lead on a thunderous shot from 35 yards out. The ball curved viciously on its trayectory and flew past Kicker goalie Ronnie Pascale into the right upper corner of the netting. It was almost a carbon copy of the goal Villegas scored against Vancouver last Wednesday.
Puerto Rico kept controlling the flow of play and had numerous chances to add to their lead. Chris Gores had a couple of good tries on goal, as did Corey Woolfolk, who in the 28th minute lost out on a one-on-one situation against Pascale.
Richmond looked surprisingly out of rythym in the first half. Only a handful of players like Mike Burke and Chris Fox showed signs of life while striker Matthew Delicate was a non-factor. The Kickers were lucky to only go down 1-0 at the half.
Richmond woke up at the start of the second half, getting closer to the goal defended by Dan Kennedy. In the 54th minute Robert Ssejjemba of Richmond was taken down in the box by Islander defender Alexis Rivera, and referee Jeff Gonterek called the penalty kick which Ssejjemba executed perfectly to tie up the score.
Puerto Rico's response was quick and lethal. Just four minutes after Richmond tied, the Islanders regained the lead when Marco Vélez, well positioned in front of the goal, headed the ball above Pascale and into the nets for the 2-1 lead.
In the 62nd minute Dan Kennedy came up with two huge saves for the Islanders on shots by Burke and Ssejjemba, and after that Puerto Rico did not get any further scares. These plays by Kennedy would prove crucial.
Corey Woolfolk sealed the deal for the Islanders in the 80th minute with a stellar goal. He received a pass from Villegas inside the box, controlled the ball, turned his back, and took off a beautiful acrobatic kick that Pascale could not stop. It was 3-1 and the Islanders would end up winning by that score. The losing streak is history now and new hope arises for this very skilled Islanders squad, who will next face the Virginia Beach Mariners this coming 1st of July.
