Liberty’s Early Lead Slips Away in Home Defeat
Greenville, SC (May 17, 2024) – The Greenville Liberty Soccer Club fell to Birmingham Legion 3-1 on Friday night at Paladin Stadium in the club’s second match of the 2024 season. A first-half goal scored by Nya Baccelli proved to be Greenville’s only score on the night despite ample opportunities.
The Greenville Liberty dominated the early stages of the match, commanding possession and pressing the attack for the first ten minutes. However, around the 15-minute mark, momentum shifted dramatically as the Liberty began to struggle with transitioning between offense and defense. Birmingham took advantage of this lapse and launched several counterattacks. Their persistence paid off in the 37th minute when they scored with a precise shot to the upper 90, putting them ahead 1-0. The Liberty quickly responded a minute later when Julie Mackin delivered a cross to Nya Baccelli, who smashed it into the net to level the score at 1-1. Just before halftime, Nicoletta Aunci came close to giving the Liberty the lead but saw her effort rebound off the post to keep the match deadlocked.
The second half began with more drama as the ball hit Giulia Rodrigues’ hand in the Liberty box, resulting in a penalty kick that Birmingham converted, reclaiming their lead at 2-1. Baccelli almost equalized again for the Liberty in the 67th minute, cutting back at the endline and unleashing a powerful shot that struck the crossbar and went out of bounds. Birmingham further extended their lead in the 72nd minute with a well-placed shot to the far side netting, making it 3-1. Despite making several substitutions to cope with the mounting pressure, the Liberty struggled to regain control and failed to find the net again. Greenville finished the night with the 3-1 loss, evening its record at 1-1-0 on the season.
The team’s next match will be in Tennessee versus the Chattanooga Red Wolves on Sunday. Tickets for the Liberty’s next home match on May 31st are on sale now.
