Men's First Team Advances To ISSA State Cup Final
- Gareth Mullins
- Jul 18
- 3 min read
The Men's First Team beat Schwaben AC on Thursday Night at Foster Turf Field 2-1, holding off Schwaben's offense to secure a spot in the ISSA State Cup Final. The Rooks’ win marks the first time Edgewater Castle FC has beaten Schwaben AC in competition in the club's history, losing previously to Schwaben in the first round of the 2021 ISSA State Cup 2-0.
GOALS:
Edgewater Castle FC: 8' Tagbe (A Turicos), 42' Reis
Schwaben AC: 6'
First Half
As soon as the match started, Schwaben put the pressure on the Rooks' defense. Producing multiple opportunities on goal in the opening minutes, Schwaben looked keen to score. Their offensive pressure would peak in the 6th minute, where a Schwaben forward crossed the ball left to another player, who then headed the ball into net.
Despite the initial hurdle, ECFC managed to gain momentum thanks to some key players on the pitch. Alan Alonso's ball control helped organize the Rooks' midfield, Lucas Sampson prevented Schwaben's wing play from producing meaningful results, and Quentin "Q" Benedetto's clearing headers kept forwards away from scoring. Bit by bit, the momentum slowly shifted into the Rooks' favor.
In the 20th minute, the Rooks' offense heated up thanks to some key substitutions on offense. Upon entering the game, Darrell Khris Turcios and Kevin Tagbe's presence was immediately felt, giving the Rooks multiple chances on goal. At 29', Turcios split Schwaben’s defense by chipping the ball to Tagbe, who then lobbed the ball over Schwaben's goalkeeper's head to produce a tie.
With the Rooks on the board and with their fans behind them, the Men's First Team continued to threaten Schwaben's back line to great effect. After dribbling through Schwaben's defenders at 42', Rui Reis sent the ball soaring to the right from outside of the box, giving the Rooks the advantage going into the second half.
Second Half
After bouncing back from initially trailing in the first, the Rooks continued to pile on the offensive press after halftime, producing multiple near goals in the first 15 minutes. Despite such, however, Schwaben were undeterred; continuing to attack themselves, Schwaben forced multiple corners to keep the Rooks on edge. Thankfully for the Rooks, goalkeeper Joey Galante provided clear communication within the box, giving the Rooks' defenders reassurance that he was up to the challenge.
Galante would show such in the 67th minute with a save to remember. Upon rushing up the right side of the field, Schwaben would draw a penalty from Rooks defender Tobias Wimmer. With the game on the line, Galante would read the penalty kick perfectly, shifting just left to block the potential goal and to keep the Rooks' lead alive. Edgewater Castle fans and players alike erupted in "Joey" chants, providing the players on the pitch the energy needed to close out the game.
Following Galante's save, Schwaben were still determined to advance in the ISSA State Cup. Maintaining possession, Schwaben would continue to shoot at the Rooks' goal, producing many near misses. However, thanks to Galante and the defensive wall built by Rooks defenders Wimmer, Ameer Abdullah and Rafael "Rafa" Santos, those attempts were fruitless.
Frustration quickly built up towards the end of the match on Schwaben's side, with multiple players receiving yellow cards and one of their midfielders getting sent off after two consecutive yellows. Keeping their cool and controlling the ball in the closing minutes, the Rooks sealed 2-1 victory in the dying embers.
With this victory, the Men's First Team have earned their third consecutive trip to the ISSA State Cup Final against FC Select. The final will be held at 3 PM at Techny Park in Northbrook, Illinois on Saturday July 26th. The Women’s First Team will also compete in the Women’s ISSA State Cup Final against DeKalb County United at 1 PM prior to the Men’s final. The Rooks are also set to defend their #1 position on the Midwest Premier League Heartland Division 2 table against RKC Third Coast II this Sunday at 7 PM at Hoyne Field.
