Kamden’s goal creates special night despite 4-0 Triumph loss
Greenville, SC (March 29, 2025)- The Greenville Triumph Soccer Club found a bright spot despite a 4-0 home loss to Spokane on Saturday night, as seven-year-old Kamden fulfilled his dream of becoming a professional soccer player through the Triumph and Make-A-Wish South Carolina.
The night began with the culmination of a dream months in the making, with seven-year-old Kamden fulfilling his wish to become a professional soccer player. In partnership with Make-A-Wish South Carolina, Kamden led the Triumph onto the field in front of the largest crowd of the season before taking his position at the top of the team’s formation. After the opening whistle, Kamden dribbled through Spokane defenders before taking a shot at goal.
Though Kamden’s initial shot was stopped, he received the ball again at the top of the box, collecting the pass and slotting the ball past Spokane’s goalkeeper and into the net for his first professional goal. Kamden emulated his soccer idol, Christiano Ronaldo, with a signature celebration before celebrating in front of his family and the large contingent of Triumph supporters. He then jogged off the field to a chorus of applause, subbing out to watch the rest of the match on the bench with his Triumph teammates.
As the match resumed, Greenville looked to carry Kamden’s energy into their play, but they faced a challenging night against the 2024 League One runners-up, Spokane. Despite an early chance that narrowly missed, the visitors struck first in the 12th minute and doubled their lead shortly after, sending Greenville into halftime of its third match of the season trailing 2-0.
In the 64th minute, goalkeeper Gunther Rankenburg gave Triumph fans a spark of hope with a penalty save, but Spokane’s relentless attack proved too much. A third goal in the 74th minute and a defensive lapse in the 82nd allowed Spokane to seal a dominant 4-0 victory. The Triumph will look to regroup and bounce back in their next outing. After the match, attention turned back to the shining star of the evening, as Kamden was awarded Man Of The Match for his stellar performance.
“Things like Kamden’s Wish are what this club is all about,” said head coach Rick Wright. “We’re about to community and this was so special. Seeing the grin on his face as he led the team out – what a great moment for him, the club and everyone involved.”
The Triumph will look to regroup and bounce back in their next home match on Wednesday, April 2nd, when they face fellow League One opponents One Knoxville in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup. Later in the week, Greenville resumes regular season play at home against Charlotte Independence. Tickets are on sale now.
Tyler Polak, defender
On the 4-0 loss: “I thought they did a good job defensively kind of packing it in a bit but being smart with the chances they took. They were strong on the counter and took chances, and we unfortunately did not. That bit us a bit, so we’ve got to look at things quickly and turn around to focus on Wednesday.”
On Kamden’s Wish: It was so fun to see the smile on his face scoring the goal and then the crowd going wild when he did the Ronaldo celebration. You take that joy moving forward, knowing that not everyone’s the same as the same possibilities and opportunities, so it puts a smile on your face and also gives you perspective to always try to enjoy the moments moving forward.”
