KALAMAZOO FC 0, AFC ANN ARBOR 2

The home leg of the two-game match against AFC Ann Arbor ended in the same score line as the away leg: 0-2.  On Friday night, the KZFC home opener started with both teams seeing clear opportunities on goal.  First half goalkeeper Beau Prey made some acrobatic saves to keep the ball out the net, and a nice save by the Ann Arbor keeper kept out Nick Wysong’s point-blank range shot.

The half ended 0-0, but it wouldn’t stay that way. In the 60th minute, Ann Arbor whipped a cross in from the left that ricocheted off a KZFC defender and found the the back of the net for an own goal.

Things got hairier for Kalamazoo FC.  After a few substitutions, KZFC started to have trouble connecting and Ann Arbor gained control of the match. In the 74th minute, the ball crossed to AFC AA forward Dario Suarez on the left, who cut inside and then shot near-side for the goal.  Suarez had also scored from a free kick in the 0-2 loss in Ann Arbor.

KZFC switched to three at the back and tried to launch a desperate assault, but it was to no avail.  After a few minutes of injury time, the referee blew his whistle, keeping KZFC winless after two.