Miami, June 25, 2022
Miami Dutch Lions FC played host to Central Florida Panthers on Saturday in the second contest between the two clubs this season. MDL FC came into the night with a 1-5-1 record after falling to Miami United in their previous contest. As for Central Florida, they came into the match as one of the top three teams in NPSL Sunshine Conference, with eyes on clinching a postseason berth. The Lions ended up losing the game 5-0 putting them out of reach for a play off spot.
The first few minutes were handled with ease by the visitor's as they marched down the pitch, showing the confidence they gained from their 1-0 win in the first game between the clubs. The goal in that first game came by way of Steele Norton who netted the lone goal in the contest in the 6'. History repeated itself with Norton looking up at the clock in the 6', he found a pass from a teammate looked for a strike on goal. The Dutch Lions defense locked Norton down however, as he was forced to rip an off-balance shot towards goal. The ball deflected ever so slightly, creating a spinning arch that got over the leaping goalkeeper, Rick Hofkamp. The 1-0 lead did not deflate Miami Dutch Lions FC, as they put together ten minutes of sustained pressure but could not score. From there, the Panthers leading scorer Kevin Kelly, capitalized on a sliding effort through the box to double the lead before the halftime break. For Kelly, he found the net for the fifth time on the season, putting him amongst the leaders in the NPSL Sunshine Conference.
The second half was one to forget, instead of coming back in the game it was CFP that scored three goals. With several key guys out of the lineup, the Lions lacked some depth. The game ended with the Panthers winning 5-0 and clinching a spot in the 2022 playoffs.
Head Coach Robert Stoutenburg discussed the mindset that his team needs to have in the last few games of the season: "It was a tough result for the boys today. We did not play well. We will work in training to correct a number of things this week in anticipation for the remaining games on the schedule. I have seen the team grow but we could not transfer that into today's game but we need to keep our heads up as we head to Naples for our next game on Saturday.”