Olympia Gets Revenge as Midlakes’ Road Woes Continue
FC Olympia 3, Midlakes United 1
Midlakes is still searching for its first point away from Bellevue College. A 3-1 loss at FC Olympia on Saturday brought the team to 0-5 on the road this season, and it gave Olympia a measure of revenge for the 3-0 defeat Midlakes handed them in the season-opening fixture back in May.
For a while, the visitors looked like they might break the drought. During the first half hour of play, possession favored Olympia. But things opened up considerably toward the end of the first half. In the 43rd minute, a sharp series of passes ended with midfielder Dan McKay feeding the ball to forward Riley Cotton near the edge of the box. Cotton slipped through the back line, got one-on-one with the Olympia keeper, and finished to the far post. Midlakes took the lead into the break.
But the advantage did not survive the second half. Dash Stein leveled the match in the 63rd minute, collecting a heel pass and maneuvering into open space after a Midlakes turnover. Michael Divano put Olympia ahead from the penalty spot in the 84th minute. Then he added an insurance goal in stoppage time, getting on the end of a long throw-in and dribbling through multiple defenders. Divano finished the night with seven total shots on top of the two goals.
Olympia piled up 24 attempts on goal to Midlakes’ 12, though Midlakes was much more frequently on target.
Reise Corpuz, playing midfield, took Player of the Match honors for his hustle, pace, and work creating chances. His best moment came in the 73rd minute, when he capped a well-worked passing play with a perfect cross to a wide-open Trey Mitchell. Mitchell got a shot off from inside the box but could not steer it on target.
McKay played all 90 minutes and commanded the midfield. And Arjun Venkat turned in a strong shift on the right of the defense, where much of Olympia’s attack flowed.
Midlakes returns to Bellevue College still unbeaten at home this year, but the calendar offers little relief. The next three matches on the hill bring Snohomish United, Ballard FC, and Bangers FC, the three teams on top of the division.
photos by Ruben Becerril-Geiger
