NEWTON, MA — It was a rainy and brisk Sunday afternoon as the U13 MLS Next squad took on Cedar Stars Academy. Kickoff was slated for 4:30pm, and once the referee blew the whistle, the fireworks began.
It was a back and forth matchup between two familiar foes to start the game, each team creating their own chances, moving up and down the field and teasing the opponents net minders with shot attempts at the top of their respective boxes, but through the first twenty minutes, neither team could find the breakthrough. Valeo’s goalkeeper Paul would make several key saves to keep the home side in the fight. However, soon after, a ball would be played through down the right flank sending a Cedar Stars forward in alone on a breakaway finding the back of the net to make it 1-0 Cedar Stars.
This would not deter Valeo’s ambitions as right away they would storm down the field creating multiple set pieces, corner kicks, free kicks, but none would get by the Cedar Stars goalkeeper. A few minutes before the end of the first half, an accidental giveaway would give Cedar Stars the ball just outside the box, putting a shot low past Valeo’s goalkeeper into the bottom lefthand corner making it 2-0.
Early on in the second half, Valeo would come out of the gate aggressively and would slot one past the Cedar Stars keeper off of a corner kick. They would continue to push throughout the second half, but one would be all they could muster, and that’s how the score would finish, 1-2.
Valeo’s U13 MLS Next squad returns to action next week October 29th when they take on NEFC on the road.