Bolts Fall 3-0 to Western Mass Pioneers
The boys from Western Massachusetts continued their hot run of form, making easy work of the Boston Bolts on what was a forgettable night for the hosts.
After a difficult start to the season, it seemed as though things might be getting back on track for the Boston Bolts following their 2-1 victory over AC Connecticut this past weekend. But just three nights later, the team returned to losing ways, falling 3-0 to the visiting Western Mass Pioneers.
The Bolts had a difficult time settling into the game. Right from the opening kickoff, they were high-pressed by the Pioneers, who had a clear gameplan designed to put the Bolts under pressure and make them uncomfortable. The visitors began to dominate possession, comfortably stringing passes together across the entire pitch and slowly moving the ball up the field. This style of play forced the Bolts to sit back and absorb the pressure, which ultimately led to their downfall.
In the 22nd minute of play, Western Mass winger Mamadi Jiana picked up the ball in his own half. He dribbled past two Bolts players, made his way across the half, and played a beautifully struck through ball with the outside of his boot towards his striker. From there, Swedish born Oskar Kaufmann was in on goal, taking a touch around Bolts goalkeeper Nik Antic and placing the ball into an empty net to give his side a 1-0 lead. The goal was Kaufmann’s fourth of the season, solidifying his spot as the Pioneers’ leading goal scorer.
Not too long after, things got worse for the hosts when they struggled to defend a corner kick. The Pioneers’ Argentine center back, Juan Hermoso, rose high above the Bolts defenders and powerfully nodded the ball past Antic to make it 2-0. Hermoso’s display of aerial dominance took the life out of an already struggling Bolts side, who now had a tall task ahead of them in the second half.
The second half was slightly better from the Bolts. They showed a sense of urgency to get back into the game and at times, looked like they could score. Coach Robertson made two separate triple changes, bringing in much needed fresh legs that helped the Bolts keep their intensity up.
As time continued to tick away, the Bolts continued their push for a goal. Their best chance came from a combination between two substitutes, when Felipe De Andrade executed a backheel layoff for Filipe Bastos, who swung the ball with pace in towards the back post. Ben Kelly was in a great position to score, but he mis-hit the ball, allowing Western Mass goalkeeper Cameron Hall to recover and make the save. The sequence summed up the issue that the Bolts have had all season with capitalizing in the final third.
The Bolts had the wind taken out of their sails for the final time in the 78th minute, when Jiana used his electric pace to beat Antic to a through ball outside the box, taking a heavy touch into an empty net that sealed the deal for the Pioneers.
Following the conclusion of Tuesday night’s game, the two teams found themselves on complete opposite sides of the table.
On one hand, the Western Pioneers briefly bumped up to first place in the Northeast Division, although Vermont Green regained the top spot with a 4-1 victory over Albany Rush on Wednesday night. So far this season, the Pioneers have been nothing short of dominant, scoring 19 goals across their four matches for an average of just under five goals per game.
What's equally impressive is the fact that they have only conceded a single goal in those four games, a testament to the sheer quality of their defenders like Juan Hermoso and Luke Hanchar, who were dominant in the victory over the Bolts.
Meanwhile, the loss pushed the Bolts into an even deeper hole in the table. The team remains in 8th place with a goal differential of -5, only ahead of last place Boston City. After five games, the Bolts have managed only three goals, highlighting their struggles in the attacking phase of play.
There's no doubt that the team has some solid pieces who have shown potential, and even played a few moments of brilliant football through the five games thus far. The question now is whether or not the team can put these pieces together to get results.
Things won’t get any easier from here on out for the Bolts, as they prepare to travel north for a matchup with first-place Vermont Green this Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7:00 on June 7 at Virtue Field, where the Bolts will look to get back on track against Chris Taylor’s squad, who defeated the Bolts 2-0 back on May 21 at Gordon Field.