Weekend Wrap Up: Lexington SC Comes up Just Short in Defensive Battle at Madison

July 22, 2024 – United Soccer League One (USL1)
Lexington Sporting Club News Release

Lexington Sporting Club suffered a 1-0 defeat in a defensive battle at Forward Madison FC in USL Jägermeister Cup action at Breese Stevens Field on Saturday. The result marked just the second defeat in USL Jägermeister Cup play for the Greens this season.

“The cup is something that we want to keep in our hands, we need to keep trying to find the ways to win and defend the cup,” captain Jorge Corrales said. “(Winning the cup) would be history for us (the players) and the club. We have to keep focusing on our work and never giving up.”

Entering the competition after a stinging home loss versus Tormenta FC by way of a second-half comeback, Lexington was looking for revenge against a Mingo squad that earned a lopsided USL League One victory at the start of June.

With revenge on the mind and Madison looking to keep itself in the race for the Central Division, it’s little surprise the match, early one, was a complete stalemate.

Shot after shot, save after save, neither advancing army could penetrate the back wall and keeper of the other, with the two entering the halftime break tied up 0-0 with both sitting below 1.0 in expected goals.

The second half started much of the same, with the Greens bringing the intensity straight away after the break in action and substitutes began to replace fatigued legs as early as the 63rd minute.

While the visitors would finish the second half with a higher expected goal number, in another cruel twisting of the arm from the sport, it would be Madison who would land the only blow of the contest, scoring in the 77th minute courtesy of a freshly subbed Wolfgang Prentice.

Lexington SC fought hard for an equalizer, subbing in attacking minded stars like Alexis Cerritos and a returning Cameron Lancaster, but it would be for not as, despite strong attempts, the back line of the Mingos would hold firm.

After seven minutes of stoppage time, the full-time whistle brought armistice and heartbreak for the visiting Boys in Green.

“It was a tough game against a good opponent,” Lancaster said. “We fought hard and just came up short, but there were positives to take from the game in terms of improvements defensively and management of the game. Overall the performance was good, but we need to turn these performances into results.”

Madison controlled the possession in the match, holding onto the ball 53.7% of the time while also winning in expected goals with a…