NORTH COUNTY BATTALION SCORES THREE SECOND HALF GOALS TO BEAT CORINTHIANS USA 3-2

The Battalion picked up an important three points after defeating Corinthians USA 3-2 in what was a tale of two halves. In the first half the Battalion came out sluggish, gave up two goals, and dug themselves a huge hole. They turned it around in the second half by upping their intensity and setting up an exciting victory.

The Battalion fell behind early in the first half after Corinthians USA scored two goals in the first fifteen minutes. Matheus Cunha scored both of the goals for the away team to put Corinthians USA up 2-0.

Cunha started the scoring by netting a goal on a shot from just inside the right side of the box in the sixth minute. Corinthians controlled the ball for down the right sideline and found Cunha, at the top of the box, who took a shot that got past a diving James Stroud.

Cunha was at it again in the 13th minute when he took a through ball in for a breakaway. Stroud came out to cut down the angle, but Cunha was able to push the ball into the goal.

Down 2-0 to start the second half, the Battalion amped up the pressure. Playing from behind forced the Battalion to make adjustments and adopt a more up-tempo, offensive style. The change of play led to a myriad of chances for the Battalion and a breakthrough seemed fairly certain.

In the 58th minute, the Battalion got on the scoreboard with their first goal. Blake Milton took the ball down the left side and got past what seemed to be the entire Corinthians defense and beat the keeper with a low shot to bring the score to 2-1.

Esteban Reyes tied the game at two when he outhustled the Corinthians goalie for the ball and the goal. The play started when Eric Lopez sent a ball through the air to Reyes who beat the goalkeeper to the ball and pushed it in for the equalizer in the 68th minute.

With eight minutes left to play the Battalion completed the comeback when Lopez got the ball on the left side of the field and beat defender in the box and blasted the shot past the keeper. This put the Battalion up 3-2, which would end up being the final score.

Lopez was named the Man of the Match after tallying a goal and an assist.

Next week the Battalion head to Pacific Beach for their second matchup with the league-leading Albion SC Pros.