Florida Roots FC Defeats Tallahassee SC 4-2 in Home Opener
By Florida Roots FC
Florida Roots FC began their 2022 season with a home opener against Tallahassee SC. The Roots’ second year comes with high expectations, and the Roots did not disappoint.
Kickoff began with a slow start for both Florida Roots FC and Tallahassee SC until the ninth minute when the Roots brought the pressure to their opponent with a missed goal. This momentum led to a penalty kick for the Roots FC. The goal, scored by Richard Bushmeister, brought the score to 1-0.
Tallahassee SC tried to come back from this deficit but were unable to complete this task as the Roots FC came back in the 21st minute and brought the score to 2-0. Jake McKettrick was able to break out in front of the Tallahassee defense and send the ball from the top of the goalie box into the net.
The attack didn’t end there as the Roots found extra strength as the minutes dwindled down in the first half. With the full force of the Roots offense behind him, Christopher McKenna scored the third goal while Tallahassee was still left at zero.
When speaking of their 3-0 first half, Coach Richard Kinniburgh felt that his squad still had greater potential and wanted to remind his players of their situation last year.
“They went 3-nil up against us, and we came back 3-3,” Kinniburgh said. “I reminded the guys of that.”
Tallahassee SC came out with fervor in the second half. The tension between the players rose, which led to communication errors on their offensive side. The Roots were able to take advantage of this until Tallahassee broke their slump with a goal scored in the 67th minute.
The offensive side of the Roots took over. Rallying for the win, the Roots scored again. McKettrick brought the energy and the fourth goal that the Florida Roots were desperately needing. His goal had the ball hit squarely in the back of the net over the goalkeeper’s head. Roots fans cheered as they felt a win drawing near.
Tallahassee made a last-ditch effort for the win as they scored their second goal at the 82nd minute. However, when the final whistle blew, it was the Florida Roots FC on top 4-2.
Kinniburgh spoke of their first win highly.
“It is hard not to be positive…but we need to be sensible,” Kinniburgh added.
The Roots brought a strong fight and drive to both their season and home opener. The Roots find themselves undefeated at 1-0, while Tallahassee SC begin their season at 0-1. Florida Roots FC hit the pitch again this Wednesday, May 11th at the Panama City Sports Complex. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm CT.
Please visit www.floridarootsfc.com for tickets and information on the Florida Roots’ 2022 season. Please follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for all upcoming news and developments on Florida Roots FC.
Photo Credit: Florida Roots FC
