Greenville’s 1-0 victory runs unbeaten streak to seven
Greenville, SC (July 15, 2023) – The Greenville Triumph Soccer Club persevered two weather delays and a scrappy One Knoxville side to earn a 1-0 victory and run GTSC’s win streak to four matches on Saturday night at Paladin Stadium. Leo Castro scored the lone goal in the match as Greenville earned a second consecutive shutout.
After a 75-minute delay due to thunderstorms, match kicked off against One Knox with an intense first 15 minutes, as both teams fought back and forth to gain control of the game. In the 20th minute, Triumph forward Leo Castro, narrowly missed a header off a well-executed corner kick. The Triumph began to dominate the field, pushing the game towards the side of One Knox, but their near misses prevented them from breaking the deadlock. Greenville’s goalkeeper, Jared Mazzola, showcased his skills with an impressive save after One Knox managed to combine passes within the box.
The Triumph’s determination paid off in the 38th minute when Alan Gavilanes dribbled down to the end line, delivering a precise cross into the 6-yard box. Leo Castro rose above the defenders, scoring the first goal of the game with a header. Just as the match seemed to be unfolding in Greenville’s favor as the clubs hit the halftime break, lightning halted the proceedings, leading to a one-hour delay that followed a 45-minute delay prior to kickoff.
When play resumed in the 49th minute, Jared Mazzola once again demonstrated his shot-stopping abilities, making a crucial save as Knoxville attempted to launch a dangerous cross into the box. The intensity remained high, with Devin Boyce of Greenville coming close to extending their lead in the 53rd minute, but his free-kick outside the 18-yard box took an unfortunate bounce over the goal.
The second half continued with a series of back-and-forth fouls, as both teams fought to gain an advantage. Though the offenses fought hard, both defenses stayed strong. Neither team could break through and add one to the scoreboard, as a quintet of Triumph substitutions kept the club’s defense strong in the final minutes to preserve the 1-0 victory.
“Great to get another clean sheet tonight,” said head coach John Harkes. “We’ve talked about this as a club – how do we start building that resilience to not concede any goals – and we did it last week and the week before. These clean sheets are helping us to build off of a strong defensive foundation. Unbelievable tonight, the effort from the boys. Knoxville is a tough team that’s going to fight for everything they always do, their coach pushes them and they’re well-organized. It was a great goal by Leo, and excellent ball by Gavilanes to get a brilliant assist.”
Greenville will look to continue its unbeaten streak as it heads into a challenging two-match week, hitting the road to face the Charlotte Independence on Wednesday before traveling to Statesboro for the final leg of the 2023 Peach Derby on Saturday. GTSC returns to the Upstate on Saturday, August 5th, to host Charlotte on Star Wars Night.
The Triumph travels to the Charlotte to face off with the Independence on Wednesday, July 19th. The last time these teams met, Greenville topped the then-league-leaders 3-1.
