After nearly a three-hour lightning delay Boca Raton FC was able to defeat Uruguay Kendall FC 2-1 in the American Premier Soccer League Championship to earn the club’s second consecutive title.
“It was a hard-fought game,” said head coach Pedro Yunes. “Uruguay Kendall played a very strong and aggressive game, but in the end the better team won.”
After only 15 minutes of play, both teams were forced to leave the field as the referees called for a lighting delay, which lasted 30 minutes.
At the resume of the game, both clubs continued to grind out and look for the elusive first goal to break the deadlock.
Boca Raton got on the board in the 33rd minute after Xavier Silva scored his 11th goal of the season, adding to his APSL goal lead, after Jason Fitzgerald’s cross found his head and sent it between the keeper and the crossbar to give Boca the 1-0 lead.
Uruguay Kendall came back minutes later with Mauro Grignola who battled his way through the stingy Boca Raton defense and earned a penalty kick in which Jona Andrade easily converted to lock the finals at one apiece.
Both Boca Raton and Uruguay Kendall looked for the breakthrough throughout the rest of the match, but it looks as if the APSL Finals was heading to extra time but once again it was Fitzgerald’s perfectly-placed cross in the box that found a wide open Giovanni DiMauro who headed the ball into the back of the net in the 83rd minute and propelled Boca Raton to their second straight APSL Championship and third straight trophy in team history.
“Hats off to Uruguay Kendall,” said team captain, Lewis Thompson. “They have a strong team and were very strong, physical, and passionate.”
Boca Raton began the 2016 APSL Season with a 5-3 defeat to South Florida FC on May 15th, snapping a year-long unbeaten streak. However, Boca Raton fought back in the second game of the season and was able to defeat Miami Storm 3-1 to begin another unbeaten streak which has now reached nine games.
Key additions of players such a Luizão and Amoroso was monumental to the club as these players helped the younger players in practice and passed down their extensive knowledge of the game to the younger generation.
“We had a great group of guys this year,” says president Douglas Heizer. “There were setbacks in the start of the season, but we stuck together and in the end of the season we have not only become back to back champions but more importantly we became a close family.”
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