Med City FC welcomed LA Aris FC to Rochester Regional Stadium on Wednesday night, looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the season. And despite a history of success against Aris, the Mayhem knew that they couldn’t take the game for granted. They were right to think that way, as Aris made the game anything but easy for Med City FC.
In fact, it was LC Aris FC that got on the scoreboard first, as forward Qian Grosvenor scored against the run of play in the 15th minute. That lead would not last long, as just seven minutes later midfielder Lucas Hart shot on goal and it was only parried by Aris goalkeeper Mitchell Dryden. Mazeed Aro-Lambo’s follow-up found the back of the net, however, and his fourth goal in four games tied the score at 1-1.
Despite having a bit of an advantage in terms of possession, the game remained relatively even throughout the remainder of the first half. Things would take a definite turn in the Mayhem’s favor right at the end of the first half, as Aris forward Damien Baltide was shown a straight red in the 45th minute for violent conduct as he lost his composure and kicked one Med City FC player before throwing a punch at another. Med City FC’s Hart picked up a yellow card in the melee.
The Mayhem quickly took advantage of their man advantage, as forward Tyler Oliver drove down the left side of the field and passed a ball to Man of the Match Aro-Lambo, who dropped it for midfielder Kolton Prater to sweep home and give the home team a 2-1 lead. Med City FC controlled much of the possession throughout the second half and scored a third goal in the 62nd minute. Substitute Josh Balsiger drove down the left side and crossed the ball to Toby Millward, who used some fancy footwork to get by a defender and send the ball past Dryden for a 3-1 lead.
The Mayhem made several more substitutions, as they looked to get players some rest and turn their focus to a big showdown with Minneapolis City SC next Saturday evening, while also getting valuable minutes for their players on the bench. Good game management by Med City FC kept Aris at bay and sealed the 3-1 final score.
The win takes Med City FC to 4-0 on the season. The loss dropped LC Aris FC to 0-3-1. Both teams will play again this weekend, as the Mayhem travels to Minneapolis to face the undefeated Crows of Minneapolis City while Aris travels to North Dakota to take on the Dakota Fusion.
