Huntsville, AL (Aug. 19, 2023)– Huntsville City Football Club extended its home unbeaten streak to three games with a 5-2 win against Philadelphia Union II at the Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium. The win moves Huntsville back above the playoff line into seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Azaad Liadi recorded the club’s first ever hat trick in the win.
The visitors got on the board first through Christopher Olney in the 13th minute. Huntsville would go a man up when Hugo Le Guennec was sent off for a late challenge on Azaad Liadi in the 25th minute.
In the 35th minute, Josh Drack’s pass found Azaad Liadi, who weaved his way past a defender before firing the ball into the net for the equalizer and his team-leading ninth goal of the season. Watch Liadi’s goal here.
Huntsville took the lead just before halftime from the spot, when Kemy Amiche scored a penalty following a foul on Liadi in the box in the 42nd minute. The goal was Amiche’s eighth of the season. Watch it here.
Philadelphia leveled things back up in the second half through Neil Pierre in the 48th minute, but Huntsville grabbed the lead again in the 65th minute when Liadi struck a ball from Joey Skinner right into the top right corner of the net for his 10th goal of the season. Watch Liadi’s second goal here.
Liadi completed the first hat trick in Huntsville City FC history in the 73rd minute after scoring outside the box after a deflected pass from Nebiyou Perry. Watch Liadi’s third goal here.
Huntsville put the exclamation point on the night when Ollie Wright’s cross was fired into the back of the net by a Skinner bicycle kick. It’s Skinner’s second goal of the season. Watch it here.
After the match, Head Coach Jack Collison and Azaad Liadi spoke about the team’s performance, the momentum change when the team went up a man, Liadi’s hat trick, and Christopher Pearson’s Huntsville City FC debut.
Huntsville City FC will be back home next weekend against Inter Miami II at 6 p.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 27 at the Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium. Tickets for the match can be purchased here.
Notes:
- Huntsville City
- extended its home unbeaten streak to three
- has scored in 18 of 23 matches this season
- has scored in five straight matches at the Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium
- scored at least five goals for the second time this season
- Kemy Amiche scored his eighth goal of the season
- Josh Drack recorded his second assist of the season
- Azaad Liadi
- recorded the first hat trick in club history
- scored his team-leading ninth, tenth, and eleventh goals of the season
- is the first HCFC player with double digit goals this season
- Christopher Pearson made his Huntsville City FC debut
- Joey Skinner
- served as captain for the fourth time this season
- scored his second goal of the season
- recorded his third assist of the season
- Ollie Wright recorded his sixth assist of the season; tied for the team lead with Kemy Amiche
Box Score:
Huntsville City FC (9W-9L-5D, 3SOW, 35 pts.) vs. Philadelphia Union II (9W-10L-4D, 2SOW, 33 pts.)
Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium | Huntsville, Ala.
Final Score:
HCFC: 5
PHI II: 2
Scoring Summary:
PHI II: Christopher Olney (A: David Vazquez) 13’
HCFC: Azaad Liadi (A: Josh Drack) 35’
HCFC: Kemy Amiche 42’
PHI II: Neil Pierre (A: Sal Olivas) 48’
HCFC: Azaad Liadi (A: Joey Skinner) 64’
HCFC: Azaad Liadi (A: Nebiyou Perry) 73’
HCFC: Joey Skinner (A: Ollie Wright) 89’
Discipline:
PHI II: Hugo Le Guennec (ejection) 25’
PHI II: Andrew Rick (caution) 41’
HCFC: Josh Drack (caution) 46’
HCFC: Sean Suber (caution) 49’
PHI II: Sal Olivas (caution) 49’
PHI II: Anthony Sorensen (caution) 75’
Lineups:
HCFC Starters: John Berner, Joey Skinner (C), Fernando Ciceron, Sean Suber, Chris N’sa (Perrin Barnes 57’), Joey DeZart, Josh Drack (Ollie Wright 65’), Isaiah Jones (Christopher Pearson 65’), Kemy Amiche, Azaad Liadi (Shaun Joash 81’), Adem Sipić (Nebiyou Perry 57’)
Substitutes: Jacob Grekowicz, Ahmed Longmire, Cyrus Rad, Eli Wachs
PHI II Starters: Andrew Rick, Juan Castillo (Anthony Sorensen 71’), Hugo Le Guennec, Neil Pierre, Francis Westfield, Christopher Olney, Carlos Rojas Torres, David Vazquez (Daniel Krueger 85’), Kyle Tucker (Nelson Pierre 71’), Stefan Stojanovich (Alex Perez 46’), Edward Davis (Sal Olivas 39’)
Substitutes: Gavin Atkinson, Nathan Nkanji, Gavin Wetzel, Boubacar Diallo
Attendance: 4,590
