Recap: Knoxville Force 5, FC Carolina United 0

The game started pretty even at first with both teams trying to play their way into the game. Knoxville had a few early chances with Cameron Schneider creating most of them for his teammates, which were either wasted or cleared by United keeper Sergio Lemus. United recorded their first meaningful chance on 12 minutes with a shot on goal from Jonathan Strilka. But within a minute Knoxville were 1-0 up with a goal from Chris Inman, ably assisted by Schnieder. In the 18th minute United had another chance, unfortunately missed by Strilka, after good work from Darragh Rainsford. on 20 minutes United had another chance with a great shot from rainsford, but it too was saved by the Knoxville keeper.

The game was end-to-end with both teams pushing for the next goal. United had a few good chances wasted or well saved by the Knoxville keeper. Knoxsville were also pushing hard to double their lead, with the United back four and keeper performing heroics to keep the score at 1-0. In the 40th minute Ashley Kelynack finished with a great curling ball, in off the post to put Knoxville up 2-0 at halftime.

United came out for the second half with a renewed sense of optimism and started to push hard for a goal, with a reshuffle of playing positions, which now saw Rainsford up front. In the 51st minute Rainsford was away and bearing down on goal, when an offside was called.

United’s Nate Joseph gave away a free kick in the 53rd minute, just 25 yards from goal. Knoxville’s Joe Taylor stepped up and neatly finished behind the United keeper, giving a 3-0 advantage to Knoxville. United were now trying to go up a gear and get back into the game. But with Knoxville making six second half substitutions, United were under a lot of pressure with all these fresh legs on the pitch for the Force.

Rainsford was unlucky with a free kick, narrowly going over the bar in the 63rd minute, when United had unluckily given away Knoxsville’s fourth goal, after a great save from Lemus was parried into the path of a Force player, who tucked the ball into the bottom right corner. United never gave up and battled all the way to the end, unfortunately conceding one more goal in the 80th minute.