By Ryan Makuch
The AFC Ann Arbor men’s team finished the USL League Two season with a 3-0 home victory over Midwest United FC on Wednesday, July 13. The match would be the third victory in three meetings over the Grand Rapids-based side, with two of those victories coming at home.
The scoring started almost immediately as, in the fifth minute, Yushi Nagao struck first for the home team. The move started with an excellent ball from left to right, by Junior Nare out to Sean Kerrigan. Kerrigan and the Midwest keeper collided, and Nagao was there to pick up the pieces and make it 1-0.
The early goal allowed AFCAA to settle into a rhythm for the rest of the half, with another plethora of chances by The Mighty Oak on, or near, target. The best came in the 34th minute as a Curt Calov free kick from 20 yards out was punched into the match of Jonas Bickus, but the striker’s header was tame thanks to defensive pressure.
Junior Nare had an opportunity in the 48th minute go just over the bar, but other than that, until the 80th minute, things were relatively calm and quiet in the match. A warning shot was fired in the 79th minute with a great central ball coming from Calov to Bickus, but Bickus would not get a shot off.
Just a minute later, almost the exact same pass was on, and Calov made sure his ball to Kerrigan was a beauty. The laser of a pass sent Kerrigan through on goal perfectly, and all the Irishman had to do was round the keeper and passed the ball into the back of the net.
The Kerrigan goal made it 2-0 and seemed to seal the matchup, but Yushi Nagao added a third in the 90th minute, courtesy of a well-struck effort pinging off the crossbar and in. Nagao was fed by a cute ball from Calov, who logged his fifth assist of the season, putting him at the top of The Mighty Oak’s club leaderboard for most assists in a single season.
The scoreline stayed 3-0, and Nagao earned the Milk Means More Man of the Match Award for his brace, his fifth and sixth goals of the season. Nagao and Calov dominated the midfield, and Calov, in particular, put on a passing show for the ages, something that fans who have watched him this season have grown accustomed to.
AFC Ann Arbor’s USL League Two postseason hopes come down to Flint City Bucks vs. Midwest United on 7/16. The Mighty Oak needs a Midwest United victory to qualify for the postseason, a draw or loss for the Grand Rapids side gives the berth to Flint City.
About AFC Ann Arbor
Association Football Club Ann Arbor (AFC Ann Arbor) was founded in 2014 and competes in USL2 (men’s) and USLW (women’s) national amateur leagues. We are a community-based club, focused on equity, justice, and anti-racism. We consider all of our stakeholders, including supporters, players, staff, and ownership to be part of the #AFCAAFamily. Come On You Mighty Oak!