Not the start we hoped for but the ending was sweet.

In a highly-competitive Southeast Division, The Villages SC posted an impressive 8-4-2 record, but left us in fourth place. The team started out slowly, dropping their first three matches before finding their form and only losing one in their last 11 matches. The team won five of their six June matches before going unbeaten in July to close out the season on an 8-1-2 run. The offensive production was well-spread for The Villages, but Willian Hopfner stood out, knocking in 10 goals and three assists. Alcides Thomas, Carlos Araujo, and Matthieu Le Roux also contributed over six goals each, as they helped lead the team to a division-high 46 goals. Defensively, the team was strong as well, with Igor Luczensky and Timothy McGlynn allowing a very strong 1.86 GAA.

The team handed SIMA Aguilas one of their two losses on the year in the final match, a 2-1. “Not in my home field” the players said, as they prepared for the final game of the season against the season’s winner. Yes, we realized we could not take our title back but we put some salt on their celebration as they ended the season with a loss.