Match Preview: MOBA, Nashville set for Round 2 in Peachtree City

Okay, let's just take a second and make something clear: nobody ever said Nashville would be a bad team. The first opportunity the city of Nashville had to see Nashville SC in action lied with their U23 squad, so it goes without question that they did everything they could to make a team that could compete and win matches right off the bat. Their first chance to show the PDL what they could do happened to be at home against Peachtree City, and in just one game they showed any doubters that they are not a team to be taken lightly.

The season opener (and the 2017 season in general) did not start the way Peachtree City had hoped, as Nashville put four past MOBA keeper Nick Nelson in the first half. MOBA did get on the score sheet in the second half, as Matthew Wooling scored his first goal in MOBA colors, but at that point, it was too little to late for Peachtree City. Following up that 6-1 loss with a 1-1 draw in Statesboro against Tormenta FC and a 2-0 home loss against Mississippi Brilla FC that ended with twenty men on the pitch as both teams received red cards, Peachtree City got out to a very slow start. Issues that plagued the yellow and black last season continued to be factors in league play, as MOBA have scored just two goals in three matches and have conceded nine, despite dominating the three game pre-season with fourteen goals to the opposition's three. The two week pause in PDL play for MOBA was more than needed, as head coach Volker Harms looks to evaluate the issues and find solutions that will lead to goals and victories. During the two week break, MOBA did see some light at the end of the tunnel, and that came during their inter-league friendly with Atlanta Silverbacks FC of the NPSL. The first half of the matchup was evenly split between the two sides, as both scored, leaving the score knotted up at one. The second half was a different story, however, as Peachtree City came out of the locker room on fire, dominating possession and getting a number of scoring opportunities while leaving the Silverbacks' strikers with nothing to do for the entire forty-five minutes. MOBA finally saw the breakthrough they needed, as defender Daniel Shaw, who had subbed on at the half for Chris Avery, scored two goals in less than a minute, and Peachtree City walked away with a 3-1 victory. MOBA will need to carry their momentum into Saturday's matchup if they hope to have any chance against streaking Nashville SC.

Coming into the season, Nashville had high hopes for their amateur squad to compete and make the playoffs, and thus far, it is working. Through four matches, Nashville SC are one of only nine perfect teams, and the only one in the South Atlantic Division. Beating the likes of Tormenta FC, SC United, and Tri-Cities Otters FC, Nashville are unquestionably one of the best teams in the league, and the best in the Eastern Conference. Scoring sixteen goals and conceding only four, Nashville find themselves doing things that are unprecedented for any team, especially for an expansion side. Of course, playing all four of their matches at home has surely played a factor in their success, as they have played in front of their passionate home fans the whole way. Despite that, Nashville are a very dangerous team who can turn the tables of a match in a split second, as MOBA will need to keep up the pace for the full ninety minutes if they wish to kill Goliath.

Keys to Victory

  • Pace: Nashville dominated possession and the flow of the match last time they took on Peachtree City, and this time, MOBA will need to keep possession of the ball and play going forward, not backward. Should they be able to play as they did against Atlanta, MOBA will see a number of 50/50 balls go their way, and scoring opportunities will be in abundance.
  • Step up and Lead: Peachtree City have been one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to scoring. Going forward, somebody will have to step up and take control of the offense, as at this point, everything looks disoriented and broken. Play each game with the same intensity you did in the pre-season and the goals will come.
Tickets for Saturday's matchup are available at MOBASoccer.com/tickets, and hopefully this time the weather will hold off. We encourage you to come out and support your hometown Peachtree City MOBA, as they will need all the support they can muster. Should you be unable to attend, a livestream of the match should be available at MOBASoccer.com/PTCLive prior to kickoff, as McIntosh graduate and University of Florida student Sam Ellis leads you through the action. Kickoff is set for 7:30 PM at MOBA Soccer Academy.

#MOBAProud
Photo Courtesy: Nashville SC

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MOBA Soccer Academy Becoming a Hub of PTC Sports

Image
In January 2015, it was announced that the German company MOBA Mobile Automation AG would be meeting with Peachtree City to discuss plans to build a new 50,000 square foot office building and soccer complex on Highway 74. A strange combination of projects, several months later, the project was approved, and construction began almost immediately. In a mere few months, it became arguably one of the best decisions the board has ever made. Fast forward to December 2016, the new MOBA Soccer Academy is nearing completion, and already the effect it was intended to have on Peachtree City sports is being felt. When the idea was proposed, Mr. Volker Harms said he hoped to provide Peachtree City and the surrounding area with an opportunity to unite out on the pitch, and that is just what happened. The facilities aren't even complete, but the fields are, and that's all we need. They may be soccer fields, but that doesn't mean only soccer has to be played on them. Elite Lacro
Read more

2016 MOBA Proud MOTY Award

Image
PDL Playoffs kicked off today, thus marking the transition between regular and post season. Now that MOBA's 2016 season is complete, it is finally safe to begin handing out recognition and awards for excellence in the sport, and there is no better prize than receiving the title of 2016 Man of the Year (the association football equivalent of MVP). The sport of football is based around two principles: Pride and Teamwork. However, teamwork does not mean that nobody deserves recognition for outstanding play. A team may work well together and share the ball, but there is always at least one player that truly stands out. And that player, more often than not, receives the Man of the Year award. And so, upon the conclusion of the 2016 Peachtree City MOBA season, the one-man panel here at MOBA Proud would like to recognize a player that met all the standards a MOTY should meet: Salomon Lorenzano. Lorenzano, a native of Peachtree City, started all 14 games for MOBA this year, accrui
Read more

Match Preview: Peachtree City Open Second Half of Season Against Memphis

Image
After such a promising start to the year that saw MOBA open 2-1-2 and reach the top of the table, back-to-back 2-0 away losses have sparked some fear that this season may degrade into a carbon copy of the previous two. As a result of the two losses and results across the division, South Georgia Tormenta FC and Mississippi Brilla FC are running away with the division, and if MOBA want to get themselves back into the race, it will require an immediate turn around and some immediate success. Thankfully, Peachtree City have back-to-back home fixtures against the perfect team. A common theme throughout Peachtree City's most recent loss to the Tri-Cities Otters was disorganization. All ten of the field players seemed to be on completely different pages, and it cost them dearly. While there is no official count, MOBA couldn't have completed more than maybe 60% of their passes, as time after time balls were getting played straight into the teeth of the defense. A part of the iss
Read more