- April 22, 2024
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Despite a sloppy start, the Flagler Palm Coast boys soccer team rallied to score five unanswered goals Tuesday night to knock off DeLand, 5-0, in the District 2-5A semifinals.
FPC (14-2-2) advances to the District 2-5A finals Friday night at home against the winner of the other semifinal between University and Spruce Creek.
The Bulldogs scored five minutes into the game after Johnny Osorio tapped the ball into the back of the net after a scramble in front of DeLand’s goal.
DeLand responded about 12 minutes later when a striker got in on a breakaway and slotted the ball past FPC keeper Austin Davis.
That would be the end of DeLand’s scoring, though.
FPC scored three goals in the final 15 minutes of the first half, beginning with a one-two combination between Osorio and Drew Jones. Jones then fired a shot into the far side netting to give FPC a 2-1 lead.
Jones bagged his second goal of the night after midfielder Nate Monsanto lifted a cheeky ball into the box. Jones did the rest, and FPC led 3-1 with about four minutes to go in the first half.
With just seconds remaining in the first half, Osorio sent a deadly free kick into the box, and Stanley Joseph rose above the defenders and flicked the ball past the DeLand keeper.
Despite a 4-1 halftime lead, FPC coach Noah Braun wasn’t happy with his team’s play through the first 40 minutes.
“Ultimately, we’re a better team than they are,” Braun said of DeLand. “These kinds of games (are hard) because there is pressure because of playoffs; there are emotions.”
Braun said he saw too much individual play in the first half rather than the team playing possession and knocking the ball around.
“I think after our first goal, we took our foot off the gas, and we didn’t play like we should have played,” he said.
During the halftime talk, Braun told his team that if they played the second 40 minutes like they did in the first, they deserved to lose.
The talk apparently worked.
The Bulldogs dominated the possession in the second half.
Senior Nick Monsanto added to the lead when he redirected a cross off a corner kick and into the back of the net. It was his first varsity goal in three years, and it gave the Bulldogs a 5-1 lead.
Robbie Ferguson scored FPC’s final goal with about five seconds to go in the game.
Spruce Creek beat FPC, 1-0, in last year’s district championship game, which was held at Spruce Creek. But this year, FPC gets home field advantage. The Bulldogs are a perfect 8-0 this season.
After the game, Braun praised Joseph’s play.
“Stanley had a fantastic game,” Braun said. “I asked him to play in that (midfield) role and he did a very good job. He played simple, quick. He was a playmaker from that position.”
FPC will play either Spruce Creek or University in the district championship 7 p.m. Friday, at FPC.
Last season, FPC lost to Spruce Creek, 1-0, in the district championship on the road. This season, FPC gets to host. Braun hopes to get revenge if they play Creek.
“It should be fun,” he said. “The biggest thing is can we come out and play at a high level.”
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