The soccer Tigers used good ball movement and a little added intensity to return to the win column with a 4-1 victory over Springfield Central Tuesday night. Republic scored two goals in the first half and two goals in the second to build a 4-0 lead, before Central found the back of the net after the game was out of reach.
Coach David Ashby says his team didn’t play all that differently from the way they’ve played in recent games, even though the outcome was better on the scoreboard Tuesday.
“We’ve been playing our game. This was our game. We moved the ball around really well,” Ashby says. “I think there’s a little bit of a chip on our shoulder, which is sometimes a good thing. We used that energy tonight to focus on what we need to do.”
Republic scored first when Julio Quezada fed Tanner Peabody just three minutes into the game. Peabody took the pass off his chest, settled it, and drove it home for the opening goal.
Nearly 29 minutes later, Quezada picked up another assist–this one to Drew Flippin, who finished the play around the Central keeper, making the score 2-0.
In the 41st minute, Armando Hurtado fed Quezada, who scored his only goal of the night to make it 3-0. Republic rounded out the scoring when Dylan Brown went around his defender and fed the ball to Manny Elivo, who scored the fourth Tiger goal of the night.
“We moved the ball around really well. Our center mids were working hard,” says Ashby. “I moved a few people around. We went with a different formation in the back–something that they’re more comfortable with–and it paid off. I think the intensity level and the way we moved the ball around tonight really came through.”
Republic improves to 3-5. They host Marshfield Thursday.