“Every team in this league is good and a challenge,” said head coach Chris Miller before the opening home match against Southside FC on Saturday night. “We can’t look past anybody.” That focus seems to have resonated with the squad. The Boys in Blue jumped out to an early lead with a goal by Parker Rainwater in the 12th minute and never looked back.
The home team had a comfortable 3-0 lead by the end of the first half with additional goals by Robin Vandewalle in the 21st minute and Miguel Gonzalez in the 36th minute. It seemed that the visitors were caught off guard by the speed and the on-point passing skills of the home team. Southside tried to recover before the end of the half with some timely runs and solid defense. However, the home squad weathered the storm to keep hold of their three-point advantage.
The second half saw more of the same from the home squad. By the middle of the second half, AFC Columbia increased their lead to 7-0 with two goals by Jeremiah Johnson and a goal apiece from Cam Watts, and Drew Schliemann. With the steam full of confidence and the fighting spirit of Southside FC all but broken, additional goals by Leandro Ficone, Matthew Lewis, and Henry Munoz. By the end of the match, AFC Columbia routed Southside FC by the score of 10-0.
This win provides a huge boost to the squad as they head to Kansas City for a match against Union FC on Sunday, June 7th. We’ll see if the Boys in Blue can keep that same scoring mentality away from the home pitch.