Photo Courtesy of Annapolis Blues
Wednesday, May 15th, 7 p.m. ET | Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis
The Annapolis Blues defeated the Maryland Bobcats by a score of 3-1 in the Community Shield Match.
Summertime means soccer has returned in Naptown. With the aim of bringing together soccer fans from across the state, the Wednesday night’s Community Shield match proved to be a perfect test for the Blues ahead of its NPSL season opener on May 17th. The Annapolis Blues compete in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), while the MD Bobcats participate in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA). All proceeds from the match will be donated to several charities: Every Child 365, Walk the Walk Foundation, Anne Arundel County Food Bank, and Warrior Events.
The Blues wasted no time getting into action, controlling the game early on. In just the second minute, Ben Madore took the first shot of the match, pulling it just wide of the bottom left corner. Only three minutes later, Taku Takashi made a darting run from the left-hand side of the pitch. Takashi cut inside and released a shot that went just wide of the right lower corner.
In the 11th minute Blues’ forward Brady Geho thought he found a breakthrough. Finishing an easy opportunity from a ball played across right-hand side of the pitch, Geho was unfortunately called offside, keeping the match at a level 0-0. The first yellow card of the match was given to Madore in the 25th minute following a slide tackle on the Bobcat’s attacker. Just two minutes later, Gavin Shields of the Bobcats received a yellow card for a high footed tackle on Blues defender Alex Wroblewski.
Through the first half, the Blues maintained the line share of possession (65 percent) and finally found the breakthrough in the dying embers. Entering into the second minute of stoppage time, Loc San sprinted down the right side of the pitch and made his way towards the edge of the box. Sending a ball right across the face of goal, Jackson Ruckman connected with the pass and made no mistake by finishing off the cross from six yards out.
In the 62nd minute Alex Abril doubled the Blues’ lead. Coming out of possession in midfield, a bouncing pass was played up to midfielder Nathan Macek. Using his strength, Macek held the ball up, taking a touch off his chest. With his back facing goal, Macek flicked the ball over the Bobcats’ center back. Abril met the through ball in stride and calmly finished his opportunity by chipping the goalkeeper.
The Bobcats managed to pull one back in the 72nd minute as Filip Burnett found the back of the net. Dribbling inside the box, Burnett pulled off a fake shot and advanced towards the endline. Burnett fired off a shot from a tight angle and found the side netting of the back post. In the fourth minute of stoppage time Mikey Revell found a third goal to seal a 3-1 victory for the Blues. The Blues’ defense cleared the ball and Revel found himself all alone at midfield. Sprinting down the pitch, Revell had plenty of time to think about his one-on-one finish with the Bobcats’ goalkeeper. After entering the 18-yard box, Revell slotted his chance home between the legs of the goalkeeper.
Wednesday’s match marks the start of the second season in club history for the Blues. Looking to build off the success of last year, the Blues fans have already been showing their support with over 5,000 season tickets sold already and a total attendance of 6,243 at the Community Shield match. “Not only is it a meaningful preseason game to set the stage and prepare for a tough NPSL season,” said Michael Hitchcock, Blues owner and managing partner. “It’s also an opportunity for our community, our fans, to come together and celebrate soccer in Annapolis and do that to benefit great local charities and organizations.”
Head Coach Colin Herriot made several substitutions throughout the 90 minutes, using this match as a final preseason test before the 2024 NPSL season begins. The Blues will hit the road to open the regular season, facing off against Alexandria Rough Diamonds on May 17th, at 7 p.m. ET. This match will be followed up by a short stint on the road before returning to Naptown on June 1st for a home opener against DMV Elite FC. The match is scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
