Brooklyn FC goalkeeper Alexa Goldberg showed poise and promise in her professional debut on Saturday, May 24, at Maimonides Park in Coney Island, holding top-tanked Carolina Ascent scoreless. Photo: Michael F. McLaughlin
By NICHOLAS GORDON
In what has been a tale of two seasons, the Brooklyn Football Club (10-9-9) earned a 0-0 draw against top-ranked Carolina Ascent FC (13-5-9) in a match that was a tale of two halves, on Saturday, May 24, at Maimonides Park in Coney Island. Approximately 1,500 fans were in attendance.
After weathering the storm of Carolina’s high-pressure first half, Brooklyn dominated the second half, racking up thirteen corner kicks and creating a flurry of goal-scoring chances. Though they were unable to convert a goal for their efforts, Brooklyn’s second half performance evinced the kind of talent and grit that had them as league leaders for the first half of the season.
Brooklyn defender Leah Scarpelli said that coming into the match the team’s confidence was as high as it’s ever been. “Yes, Carolina is on top of the table numbers-wise, but we know we’re just as good as them at every position,” Scarpelli said in the post-match press conference. “We didn’t get the result that we wanted, but I think we showed up today, and we were the better team today.”
Despite Carolina’s overall edge in possession of the ball, Brooklyn created the best scoring opportunities. In the 36th minute, defender Kelsey Hill headed a strong shot on goal from a cross on a free kick by midfielder Jessica Garziano. Carolina’s keeper Samantha Murphy made a diving stop on the goal line to keep the match scoreless.
Two minutes later, on a heads up play in a quick transition, Brooklyn midfielder Samantha Kroeger launched a shot from forty yards out that sailed over the deep-playing Murphy’s head but just missed the mark, landing on the top netting.
At the start of the second half, Brooklyn forward Mackenzie Pluck cracked a shot from thirty yards out that bounced off the crossbar, setting the tone for the mostly one-sided Brooklyn attack that would last for the duration of the match.
Brooklyn forward Mackenzie George was ubiquitous in that attack, giving Carolina’s defenders fits with her quickness as she zipped around the box on the hunt for a goal that proved elusive. George finished the season with four goals and five assists, among the league leaders.
Brooklyn goalkeeper Alexa Goldberg made her professional debut with a performance marked by poise and promise. Throughout the hectic first half, Goldberg deftly handled numerous backpasses in traffic, smoothly distributing balls to her backline as they recentered with possession.
“Those exact scenarios are what I think of myself as a specialist in,” Goldberg said. “I love being able to get a ball at my feet and find an open player. It’s something I work on a lot. Fortunately, I have the personnel on this team to help me make those plays.”
Brooklyn forward Mackenzie George was ubiquitous in the second half attack.
Photo: Michael F. McLaughlin
Currently sitting in sixth place in a league of eight teams, with their playoff hopes dashed, Brooklyn FC has had an up-and-down season on par with the Coney Island roller coasters whirling around just beyond their home field.
Before the season started last September, the team learned that due to turf issues on their pitch at Maimonides Park, they would instead be playing their home matches at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium in Upper Manhattan for the remainder of the calendar year. Despite this last-minute shift, Brooklyn FC delivered a terrific first half of the season, finishing in first place with a comfortable six-point lead on the table.
Returning to their home pitch in Coney Island after the lengthy winter break, Brooklyn FC – the borough’s first professional women’s soccer club – appeared poised to continue their stellar play with the support of their Brooklyn fan base.
The whys and the wherefores for what happened next are anyone’s guess: Brooklyn went winless in its next eleven matches, slipping through the league standings, and “parting ways” with their head coach Jessica Silva along the way. Suddenly, goals were hard to come by, while many were conceded.
But if it’s been a mercurial ride for Brooklyn FC in the USL Super League’s inaugural season, resilience and togetherness have been the squad’s calling card throughout.
“I wouldn’t say it’s been one thing specifically, it’s just the name of the game sometimes,” Scarpelli said, reflecting on their less successful second half of the season. “Seasons can go one way, and then go another way a few games later. But I think what’s most important is that no matter the score of the game at the end, we stick together. Just knowing that as a team, win, lose, or draw, we are one.”
Heading into the offseason, another important thing for Brooklyn will be finding their new head coach. The club’s sporting director, Kevin Tenjo, has been filling in that role since Silva’s departure.
“We’re looking for a coach that represents Brooklyn FC in the best way possible,” Tenjo said. “We’re looking for a coach that feeds our identity, our philosophy, and our culture.”
It’s a community-first team philosophy that includes the tagline, “Grow the game, uplift Brooklyn, and inspire a brighter future through soccer excellence.”
Goldberg believes that with the team’s culture and foundation in place, Brooklyn will come out strong at the start of next season.
“I think this season the team laid the groundwork for the culture of the club and what it means to be part of a startup,” Goldberg said. “All the girls fought tirelessly for each other this year, and going forward that’s going to be the standard.”
Brooklyn FC’s starting eleven at their home field, Maimonides Park in Coney Island, before their match against Carolina Ascent FC on May 24. The team is holding a jersey to honor their equipment manager, Frank, who has been struggling with health issues recently.
Back row (left to right): Leah Scarpelli, Jessica Garziano, Alexa Goldberg, Allison Pantuso, Kelsey Hill, Caroline Kelly; Front row (left to right): Mackenzie George, Hope Breslin, Sam Kroeger, Mackenzie Pluck, Ginger Fontenot
Photo: Michael F. McLaughlin
