South Jersey FC 0, Cannons FC 0

Here - finally - is the South Jersey FC vs. Cannons FC game recap courtesy of Adam Evans:

South Jersey FC 0, Cannons FC 0

The inaugural season champions vs. last season's champions.

SJFC's Lifetime Record vs. Cannons FC: 1-0-1

South Jersey FC had its toughest match yet this season last weekend, when they took on Cannons FC at Pennypack on the Delaware. Saturday marked the first time the two teams met since South Jersey defeated Cannons in a penalty kick shootout for the Casa League championship last Fall. South Jersey (3-0-2) stepped up the level of play from previous weeks (which was somewhere on the spectrum between “sloppy” and “abysmal”) to hold Cannons (2-0-3) scoreless for the duration of the match.

Despite a slight personnel shortage at the start, South Jersey managed to keep Cannons’ offense in check from whistle to whistle. Cannons’ usual reliance on striker Anthony Mitchell’s speedy breakaways was misplaced, as Carlos Clay kept a tight mark on him throughout the match. While Mitchell is typically dangerous on the attack, Clay’s physical style of play kept him away from the goal mouth and mostly on the ground, effectively hobbling the Cannons offense. Mitchell’s one viable attacking run was cut short when goalkeeper Eric Wirth rocketed from goal to tackle the ball away at the 18. Eric Danner, making a strong appearance at sweeper, broke up the Cannons’ other would-be plays with numerous mid-air wins and calm feeds into the midfield. The South Jersey midfield was slow to warm up, though, allowing Cannons to complete some short exchanges. Cannons midfielders Craig Spear and Chris Fahey orchestrated several possessions and managed quite a few on-target switches, but Jersey soon settled in started playing tougher in the middle. Jorge Montoy and Brandon Bonnette repeatedly broke up Cannons’ exchanges, mounting immediate counter-attacks, and Matt Acciani was an immovable target up top. Acciani consistently muscled the Cannons defense and, along with striker Breton Bonnette, made several promising charges at the net. As has been the case for most of the Spring season, however, Jersey failed to execute up front. Several crosses went unclaimed, and shots were generally off-target. As a result, the match ended in a scoreless tie, a faithful recreation of the teams’ initial meeting six months prior. There were many bright spots, however, perhaps indicating that South Jersey has shaken out the Winter cobwebs and is ready to rise to the challenge of defending a league championship.

Current CASA Standings and Scores

South Jersey FC next plays this Saturday, May 12th vs. The Steagles

SJFC's Scoring Leader: Brandon Bonnette (2)

All photos courtesy of Channing Johnson