Following a tough midweek result against Lionsbridge FC, the Annapolis Blues confidently bounced back with a 3-1 win over Virginia Marauders.
Annapolis started off strong, generating a promising chance just nine minutes into the match. Rich Monath, starting on the left wing, cut inside and drove towards the center of the pitch. He played a square pass to Jack Brown who dummied the ball, letting in run through his legs, catching the Marauders defense off guard, making its way across the pitch to the feet of Max Viera on the opposite side of the pitch, just inside the box. Viera took aim at the back post, but his shot was held comfortably Sillah Suwaneh as he made a low dive to his right.
Just minutes later, Dan Klink would open the scoring in his first start of the season. Taku Takahasi intercepted the ball in the midfield, using great defensive anticipation and drove towards goal before playing a ball to Klink. Receiving it with his back towards goal, he cleverly played a first-time dropped pass to Viera who took two touches before slipping the ball back to Klink, splitting the Marauder’s center backs. Klink, an incoming freshman at the University of North Carolina, took a first time shot that was placed low, in the bottom left corner, beating Suwaneh at the near post.
Brown received the first yellow card of the match after making a late challenge, clipping the back heel of Tongwa Aka in the 24th minute. However, Brown would be substituted of fin the 43rd minute due to an apparent injury and was replaced by striker Brady Geho.
After 45 minutes, the Blues maintained the lion’s share of possession with 58% and held the advantage in shots, seven to three.
In an unexpected turn of events, Marauders managed to pull one back in the 58th minute as the second half substitute Gavin Shiels drew Virginia level. Michael Medina started an attack down the right wing when his attempted cross was blocked by Kobe Koemany. Keeping things alive, Trevor Lue Chee Lip picked up the deflected cross and cut inside, playing a square ball to Shiels at the top of the box. The striker took a large touch, bouncing the ball into the box, setting himself up to hammer home a half-volleyed finish in the bottom left corner, leaving Emigdio Tormo Lopez with no chance.
Klink nearly had his second in the 65th minute but could not find the back of the net. Monath lifted in a cross from the right wing that Suwaneh attempted to punch away but found Klink wide open at the back post. The 2025 Gatorade Boys Player of the Year was caught off guard and couldn’t fully connect with the header at the back post, placing the ball just wide of the empty net. However, Geho would put the Blues ahead only two minutes later. Picking up the ball on the right wing, Rafael Machado turned inside and played a perfectly timed through ball, splitting the Marauders’ left back and left center back. Machado’s ball found Geho in stride as he confidently took on the first-time finish, slotting the ball in between the legs of Suwaneh to score his sixth goal of the season and regain the lead for Annapolis.
Nico Blake received a yellow card in the 80th minute following a midfield tackling on Geho, wrapping himself around the striker and pulling him down to kill the potential Blues’ attack.
Luke Dunne sealed the deal for the Blues in the 90th minute on a rebounded finish inside the box. Ricky Schissler drove down the right wing and made his way into the box before playing a pulled back pass to Geho. Geho’s attempted strike was miskicked and fell perfectly to the feet of Dunne on the edge of the six-yard box. The midfielder took one touch and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner, putting Annapolis up 3-1 in front of the 7,453 spectators.
With Sunday’s 3-1 win, Annapolis keep the playoff hopes alive as it looks to come away with another three points on the road, facing off against Northern Virginia FC on July 9, with kickoff slated for 7:30 pm.
