Greenville unable to complete season sweep of Wake FC after allowing four
Greenville, S.C. (May 30, 2023) – The Greenville Liberty fell to 2-3-0 after allowing four goals to Wake FC on Tuesday night. A gritty Greenville fought its way back to a tie in the second half but had too many defensive lapses late to allow the visitors to take the victory. On the offensive side, Autumn Cayelli, Molly Dwyer, Christian Brathwaite and Emma Wennar made contributions to the club’s two goals.
The Greenville Liberty came off its longest break since the season opener on May 12th Tuesday night versus Wake FC. The match began with tough tackles and athletic plays, with Greenville putting chances on goal. Returning USL W League Young Player of the Year and 2022 First-Team midfielder, Christian Brathwaite cut through the Wake back line, but was stopped short after she was fouled in the box in the 20th minute. The seasoned pro, Molly Dwyer, lined up for the penalty kick and sunk the shot to give the Liberty the lead. Just five minutes later, though, Wake combined down the Greenville right flank and Tori Dellaperuta hit the net with a one-touch shot to even the score. They followed it up just minutes later with a second, as an unmarked player in the 18-yard box was gifted a wide-open shot at the Greenville net and gave Wake the lead before the break.
Seconds into the second half, Greenville streaked up the right touchline and Clemson forward, Emma Wennar crossed a ball to an open Autumn Cayelli, who punched it in with ease to level the match. In the 60th minute, though, the Liberty struggled to clear the ball out of its defensive third and Wake collected a stray ball outside the 18 and sailed a shot into the upper corner of the net. Wake held the 3-2 lead late, and as the Liberty pushed everyone forward to the opposing net, they left their own exposed. A misplayed ball in stoppage time by the Liberty defense led to a fourth and final goal for Wake, concluding the match 4-2.
“You’ve got too many quality players in the league, that you know give them a little bit of time and they’ll punish you for it,” said Head Coach Julie Carlson. “I think these were some lessons that we learned hard today and I mean we beat them at their place 3-2 so they’re going to come out here and be better prepared to play us. We threw some new personalities into the mix today with some players who haven’t even played full games yet and it’s kind of a testament to them to even be in the fight until right at the end.”
Liberty SC will look to rebound on a short turnaround, welcoming the division-leading NC Courage U23 squad into town on Friday for a 7:00 PM kick. Tickets are on sale now.