Three Teams Stumble - 4/23 Game Recaps

Kickers Reserves battle Stal Mielec Reserves at Bushwick Inlet Park

First Team

The first team suffered a disappointing 1-0 loss to Stal Mielec at Bushwick Inlet Park on Sunday afternoon. Despite dominating the entire game, the Kickers lacked the last pass to get many clear chances on goal. On the chances they did create, they absolutely could not find the net, seeing rebounds and loose balls in the box get sent wide or over the goal. All it took was one opposing attacker to slip behind the defense and roll a ball into the net, allowing the Poles to kill off the rest of the game playing defense.

Second Team

The ever-shining beacon of light that is the Manhattan Kickers Reserve team triumphed in a battle of wits and strength against Stal Mielec, scoring two goals to none against a team that has historically given them trouble. This time 14 players showed up, and the Kickers Reserves peppered the Stal goal with shots. The breakthrough came from a great through ball to the newly refurbished Almir Hot, which he duly finished. The second came off of a great diagonal ball to Dennis, who beat his marker before being taken down rugby-style to win a penalty. Almir Hot made it three goals in two games from the spot, sending the keeper the wrong way to boot. It could have been so much more, with at least five clear-cut chances and some suspect offsides calls, but the Kickers settled comfortably with the 2-0 win.

Over-30 Premier

Kickers Premier drew in a disappointing 0-0 affair against the Celtic Legends. Nick Bill missed a wide open net in the 25th minute (the Kickers best chance of the day). Mike FitzGerald made several heroic saves, including a one-on-one late in the match to preserve the clean sheet.

Over-30 Legends

Kickers Legends capitulated and lost its top of table position by losing 5-2, despite being clearly the better team and dominating the game. The Kickers may have made the mistake of playing a high line against a weak team, giving up three goals from offside plays that were not called, and two more on free kicks. Overall, a bad day, though Gilad Bloom and DJ Stewart bagged the consolation goals. 

W, W, W, W - 4/2 Game Recaps

Bryan Baracaldo watches on as the Manhattan Kickers first team looks to find the first goal of the game.

First Team

The first team jumped out to a 2-0 start to the Spring season with a 4-0 win over Beyond FC on a sunny afternoon in Secaucus, NJ. The Kickers were held scoreless in the first half, failing to score on plenty of opportunities in front of goal while the defense kept the opposition mostly at bay. In the second half, it was another Spring season signing Mo Aitbelkacem who finally poked home the first goal of the game to put the Kickers on the board. Brian Morris slotted home a breakaway, Albi finished off a Chris Hall pass across the face of the goal and Remy drew a penalty that Bryan Baracaldo netted to round out the Kickers scoring.

Reserves

The Reserves remained undefeated in the Spring season, winning their Sunday game 5-0. Reserves opened the scoring quickly in the first half with David Kanmi following up a strike from Dennis Kachintsev that ricocheted off the bar with a diving header. The second goal came from a Gio Lomonaco shot which again rattled the woodwork and to his waiting feet. The third goal was another from Gio about 60 minutes in off of a header through ball by Dennis, which Gio finished with aplomb. Daveed then scored another rebound off of a Gio shot. Finally, Dennis scored off of an Eric Krakauer cross to send Beyond FC home while keeping a clean sheet.

Over-30 Premier

David Reischfeld got the Kickers off to a quick start with brilliant strike in the 2nd minute of the game. Khouri Mullings (MVP) had 4 goals and an assist. Nick Bill was back in action and scored two goals for himself—Oscar Villada and Jordan Caylor had the assists. Tim Peterson made his first appearance for the Kickers Over-30 Premier and played strong in the defense. All around, it was a dominant Team performance.  

Over-30 Legends

Kicker Legends trundled back to the top of the table with a lackadaisical 9-3 win over Doxa Legends. Scorers were Joe (3), DJ (2), Jeff, Gilad, Dylan, and Scotti. 

Off-Season Signings Give Kickers Life - 3/26 Game Recaps

First Team

The Kickers first team avenged their only loss of the Fall season by beating Central Park Rangers 3-2 on Saturday night on Randall's Island. The Kickers started slow, failing to maintain possession, looking nervy on the ball and especially in front of goal. Down 1-0 at half, they switched to a 3-5-2 formation, which provided more options going forward. Off-season signing Remi wasted no time in his debut to get on the scoresheet after coming on as a substitute, tying the game 1-1. The Kickers would concede again on a thundering header from a cross after the Kickers failed to get the ball out of their own box. Another off-season signing Chris Hall poked home a scrappy goal to tie the game 2-2, and Remi added his second goal of the game in the 88th minute—beating the left back down the flank—to steal the three points for the visitors.

Reserves

The Kickers Reserves "lost" 1-1 on Saturday in their first game of the season, one that left a bitter taste in everyones mouth. The Kickers got off to an encouraging start, maintaining the bulk of possession and creating dangerous chances while limiting pressure on the defensive side. Their pressure paid off with a well worked goal involving Dennis K making a penetrating run through the opponents box only to slyly slide the ball across goal to Aussie-man Danny who slotted the ball into the open net. The Kickers finished off the rest of the half strongly, building on their dominance of possession, and doing a good job of opening the field by switching the field well to their wingers who were causing plenty of havoc. Unfortunately, it was a tale of two halves, as the Kickers came out a bit less organized and lacking in concentration in the second half. Given it was the first game of the season, perhaps fatigue took hold, because the team's movement was slower, their passing less sharp, and they began inviting more and more pressure as the game went on. This pressure led to two great breakaways, though both collapsed due to poor finishing. The Kickers were finally made to pay when a failed clearance (and un-called handball) allowed a volley from the top of the box to strike the goal post, ricocheting back to and off of GK Mike's ass, and back into the goal. After that, both teams had some chances but when the whistle blew, the Kickers walked off dejected and frustrated, despite it being Saturday night. They look to rebound next week against FC Beyond.

Top Of The League - 12/11/2016 Game Recaps

First Team

The first team beat down on NY Ukrainians 6-2 on their home turf in McCarren Park on Sunday, adding 3 points to their league-leading total. The Kickers held possession for the first 15 minutes and found plenty of space in and around the opposing defense. In the first half alone, Oliver found Brian Morris three times in front of goal to give the Kickers a 3-0 lead at halftime. In the second half, the Kickers conceded a tough goal on a corner when Bernie Sheary was shoved from behind and unable to control the cross with his hands. The Kickers would get two more goals back before conceding a rather nice goal from another corner kick to make the score 5-2. In the last minute of the game, Vlad took off down the left flank, beating a defender before getting chopped down in the box. Albi converted the penalty as the final whistle blew and the game finished 6-2.

Second Team

The 2nd team fell 1-0 to NY Ukrainians in an ugly, but hard fought game. The Kickers started the game asleep and were punished when the Ukrainians ran through our defense and struck home a volley in the first 5 minutes. From there, the Kickers sparked to life and began playing their game, moving the ball around decently and piling pressure onto their opponents for the rest of the half. The second half was an uglier affair from both teams, each giving away possession frequently. The Kickers played more and more direct as time ran out, but weren't able to catch the lucky bounce or defender error they were looking for, and ended the game off a failed header from a corner kick. 

Over-30 Premier

In the 25th minute of the match, Russ Osur's free kick went through Andres Garcia to (MVP) Stu Kaiser for a nifty finish. Khouri Mulling could have put the game out of reach with his chip of the Celtic Keeper in the 30th minute but the shot hit the cross bar and careened away, leaving the score 1-nil at half-time. 

In the second half, the Kickers played with 10 men when Russ Osur went down with hamstring injury. With no subs and missing a few key players, the Kickers battled on and still maintained the better run of play. As the game wore on, things were slowly beginning to unravel requiring GK Mike Fitzgerald to make a few saves to maintain the lead, until a bad turnover lead to a Celtic counter find an equalizer in the 80th minute. The Kickers continued press but a player short and time running out, the Celtic Bhoys would hang on for the draw.

11/20/2016 Game Recaps

First Team

The Kickers first team suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of Central Park Rangers Red by a score of 2-1 at East River Park. Fighting swirling winds most of the day, both teams would fail to find the back of the net in the first half with the Kickers failing to convert 5-6 clear goal-scoring opportunities. In the second half, the Kickers would strike first when Bryan Baracaldo sent a nice ball down the wing into the space ahead of Brian Morris, who found space inside the box and slid a shot home past the CPR goalie. A few minutes later, CPR would get a goal back on a long cross that bounced around in the box before getting tapped in on the back post. CPR would spend the majority of the game clearing balls away from their defensive zone with no real intent to possess the ball—yet one nice cross and finish in their attacking third was all they needed to take the lead and with it, all three points.

Second Team

The Kickers Reserves got back to their winning ways with a 2-1 victory over CPR Red Reserves. After falling behind early, the Kickers fired back with style and intensity. A lovely volley from Danny Challita was assisted by a returning Rodney Laveau after some beautiful interplay, followed by a really scruffy second for Danny to secure the win.

Over-30 Premier

Kickers Over-30 Premier took care of F.C. Partizani on a cold bitter and snowy evening at Randall's Island. Joe Steffa, playing for the Kickers Premier for the fist time all season, made an impact early and often earning the MVP for the match with two goals and tenacious defense all over the pitch. Khouri Mullings (Honorable Mention) had two goals and two assists, Ardian Hasko, Oscar Villda, and Alex Vargas added a goal each to deliver the Kickers the 7-3 victory.

Over-30 Legends

Kickers Legends travelled away to Barnstonworth Old Boys at McCarren park with a half-crippled squad and managed a 2-0 win on goals from an injured Scott Conti (scoring in the first half on a twisted ankle). Gilad Bloom added a thundering strike from the left flank late in the game despite suffering from some bruised ribs.

Kickers Sneak Away - 11/6 Game Recaps

First Team

The Kickers first team leaped out to a six point lead in the division with a 1-0 win against 2nd place Hoboken FC. Despite giving up possession for the majority of the game, the Kickers kept their shape and defended well as a team, preventing Hoboken from creating any real opportunity on goal. Close to halftime, a long-range shot was deflected on its way toward goal, but GK Bernie Sheary managed to get both hands on the ball while diving the other way, knocking it away from danger. Once again, the Kickers would rely on the heroics of Brian Morris to create their best chance on goal. Brian skinned a defender along the goal line and whipped a pass toward the penalty spot, where Vlad was waiting and confidently smashed home the only goal of the game.

Second Team

The Kickers Reserves started the game brightly, with the first chance of the game coming off a Danny "Cha" header that was pushed just wide by the keeper. The Kickers maintained the pressure for much of the first half, with some of the best soccer they've played all year. Against the run of play however, one of Hoboken's attackers found room to run across the top of the box and fire a low shot beyond the hands of GK Ulrich. Credit to the Kickers, as they responded with another period of strong play after the goal. However, a lack of actual shots on target seemed to be the theme, with little end-product coming after the Kicker's good build up play. Into the second half, the Kickers played a bit more direct in search of an equalizer. Unfortunately, the directness of they're play and unluckiness not to find the net took a toll on the Kickers, and they were caught out on a breakaway with 10 minutes left. At that point, the second goal seemed to deflate the squad, and they allowed another soft goal off a set piece. Coach Kachinstev encouraged his squad to focus on the positives from the teams performance for when they return to action in two weeks.

Over-30 Premier

It was another new member of the squad, Mark Bau, that made a significant contribution for the Kickers Over-30 Premier. In the 65th minute, Mark dribbled the ball into attacking third of the pitch and found Khouri Mullings on the left side of the penalty area. Khouri placed the nice finish under the keeper to give the Kickers all they would need to secure three points. If not for the acrobatics of the Hoboken goalkeeper, the Kickers would have won this match by three or four, hitting three posts and pressuring the opposition all day.  On the other end, the defense of Colin O'Banion, Russ Our, David Reischfeld, and Brad Lupton (along with Alex), held the opposition off the score sheet.

Over-30 Legends

CPR Legends scored first against the Kickers Legends, but DJ Stewart would pull one back through a nice give and go with Joe Whitman. Later in the game, Joe then took a beauty of a shot himself to put the Kickers up 2-1. They held that lead until the 85th minute when a defensive lapse resulted in the tying goal for CPR, and the Kickers Legends slipped into second place in the table.

10/30 Halloween Weekend Game Recaps

First Team

The first team survived a shaky and slow first half to take down Beyond FC 3-0 at Grand Street. In the only way they know how, the Kickers lacked an edge and energy for much of the game, but stood tall on defense all day. Finally, in the middle of the second half, Brian Morris would cut around the goalkeeper and slide in a tough angle shot for the 1-0 lead. Minutes later, after hitting the post on a corner, newcomer Vlad turned on a dime and lashed a shot across goal into the far corner to make it 2-0. With comfortable possession, the Kickers found one last goal when Tim, perhaps scaring defenders with traces of Halloween makeup from the night before, bouldered through the defense and tapped the ball into the open net to finish off the young, excitable opposition 3-0.

Second Team

The second team suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat, coming from 89th minute theatrics leading to a questionable penalty kick. The Reserves were not at their best, and could have won the game with the numerous chances they created for themselves, but some wayward shooting and final balls meant only one goal was scored, by Matt Capozzi.

Over-30 Premier

The Kickers Over-30 Premier team was rained out at Pier 40.

Over-30 Legends

The Kickers Legends continued their winning streak with their seventh win in seven games against fellow contenders SC Gjoa yesterday. The highlight of the 3-1 win were Joe Whitman's bicycle kick goal from the top of the box in the first minute that left SC Gjoa in shock, as some of them were still stretching. Gilad Bloom scored from the edge of box to put the Kickers up 2-0 in the second minute, then again in the middle of the second half for an insurance goal on a header on a perfect corner from Fred. Paul Cowler, Jesse Vozick, Mike Schall and Dave Dupuy were excellent in the back which, along with Raj's very safe hands, limited the highest scoring SC Gjoa offense to a single goal.

10/23/2016 Game Recaps

First Team

The first team came back from a 1-0 first half deficit to beat Stal Mielic 2-1 and move into first place in the CSL second division. Stal Mielic took advantage of a defensive lapse and went up 1-0, but it was the Kickers who would create all the scoring chances for the remainder of the game. Lucas Shanks tied the game at 1-1 by sliding home a corner kick from Bryan Baracaldo that dropped onto the six yard line. A few minutes later Brian Morris crept down the left flank and slashed home the game winner. For the remainder of the match, the Kickers dominated possession, frustrating Stal Mielic more than the 2-1 final score might indicate.

Second Team

Despite playing with nine men for the majority of the game, the reserves showed up well and showed true Kicker spirit, taking the lead off of a set piece taken by Dennis and knocked in by David Anderson. Unfortunately, the numerical advantage would show as the Kickers' energy wore out toward the end of the first half, with Stal Mielec scoring twice off of corner kicks. Despite tarnishing their perfect record, the Kickers reserves conceded no goals from open play, an impressive feat considering the short roster.

Over-30 Premier

Despite going down 1-nil inside of 10 minutes due to a questionable hand-ball in the penalty area, the Kickers O-30 Premier enjoyed more of the ball for the majority of the game and deserved a point in this match. With the Kickers pushing forward in the 2nd half seeking an equalizer, the Rocks would settle for the counter attack and did so successfully on two occasions, while GK Mike FitzGerald and the defense kept them off the board on several other goal scoring opportunities.

The game started to turn in the 75th minute with the Kickers down 3-nil. Khouri Mullings would slot the free kick under the wall giving the Kickers some life. Matt Cacciotti would add another on a free-kick of his own 5 minutes later, dipping a ball over the wall. The score was 3-2 with the Kickers on the front foot and 10 minutes to play.

Then things got very strange as the official collapsed in the middle of the park, grabbing his chest with an apparent heart attack. An ambulance was called, the referee was escorted from the field and the game was suspended.

Over-30 Legends

Kickers O-30 Legends continued its perfect season with its sixth win in six games against Doxa FC Legends, racking up 6 goals though conceding one due to a bit of complacently. Joe Whitman had a hat-trick, while Scott, Christian and Jesse Vozick contributed one goal each.

Another Perfect Weekend - 10/9/2016 Game Recaps

First Team

Despite having the wind at their back for the first half, the Kickers first team got off to a slow start before creating several chances right before halftime through Hayden, Louis and Brian. The Kickers got the scoring started when Thinnus poked a loose ball home from five yards out. Going into the stiff wind in the second half, the Kickers expected to do a lot of defending for the remainder of the game. With just 15 minutes left in the game, a misplayed header was gathered by an opposing attacker who would rifle a shot off the post and in to tie the game at 1-1. Luckily, the Kickers would push forward and earn a corner, which Mike Morozuk sent in to be volleyed home by Hayden, giving the lead back to the Kickers. With a bit of breathing room, the Kickers found a way to get a final goal when Gio slipped a ball between two defenders to Hayden, who found his brother Brian in the middle of the box where he passed the ball into the corner of the net and capped off a 3-1 win against CIFC in tough conditions.

Second Team

The Kickers reserves beat an under-manned CIFC 4-0. DJ, Seamus, Danny and Mike Kahn scored the goals. The Kickers reserves played with confidence throughout much of the game, moving the ball well and continuing to come together as a unit.

Over-30 Premier

Kickers Premier defeated Megas Alexandros 1-nil. The game could have been won by a greater margin had the Kickers not started the game with nine men. Antonio, Jared and Eric stepped up for the squad and Stu would arrive just before halftime to reinforce the roster. With 11 players, the Kickers took control of the match. Khouri Mullings drew a penalty in the 70th minute and Adrian Hasko converted to give the Kickers the lead. The defense and goalkeeper Mike Fitzgerald were tested on a few late strikes from Megas but the team held on for the much-needed victory.

Over-30 Legends

Legends continued their winning streak with a 4-0 defeat of under-manned SC Eintracht O-30s. Goals came from Gilad, DJ, Scotti, and an Eintracht own goal. However, the game abruptly came to an end at 55th minute when the second game ball was kicked into the East Hudson, and there were no other balls available.

1st Team and Reserves Roll, Over-30s Split - 10/2/16 Game Recaps

First Team

The Kickers first team was missing eight players this weekend, but a few reserve players stepped up alongside a few players playing out of position and the makeshift squad took care of a pesky FC Japan team by a score of 4-1. Despite conceding possession most of the game, the Kickers countered well with penetrating passes behind the FC Japan defense. Tommy got on the end of a Brian Morris cross to open the scoring before Brian netted two of his own, and Albi swung in a near post free kick to make it 4-0. The Kickers would give up a sloppy late goal, but emerged with three points.

Reserves

The Kickers Reserves similarly struggled to break down the FC Japan reserves' defense, but maintained possession for much of the game. It wasn't until the 88th minute when a ball played across the six-yard box was netted by a sliding Michael Kahn. The Kickers Reserves snuck out with a 1-0 win, but a win nonetheless.

Over-30 Premier

The Kickers Over-30 Premier suffered a tough loss versus a very determined Hoboken FC squad. Despite being the side with more quality and having more of the ball for most of the match, it was the Kickers own turnovers and misgivings that allowed Hoboken to steal the match.

GK Mike FitzGerald was tested early and often. Hoboken would break through on a deflection in the 25th minute, but would be canceled out in the 30th minute by a one-touch combination between Ardian Hasko, Khouri Mullings and Matt Cacciotti to put the Kickers on the board and even the score. A minute later, Ardian Hasko took the ball into the penalty area and was mugged by the Hoboken defender, but was not given a penalty. This would come back to haunt the Kickers.

Early in the second half, Matt Cacciotti pounced on the ball in the penalty area to give the Kickers the go-ahead goal. But in the 65th minute, Hoboken was awarded a questionable penalty that could have gone either way. After converting the PK, the score was all even. The Kickers nearly took back the lead on a free kick that looked destined for the upper corner, but was denied by the Hoboken goalkeeper. In the 80th minute, Hoboken would find a way by two Kickers defenders along the end line and slice a shot into the upper corner. The Kickers would spend the rest of the game pressing but couldn't find the equalizer.

Over-30 Legends

The Kickers Over-30 Legends won 2-0 against basement dwellers Manhattan Celtic Masters, going ahead in the 2nd minute on a goal from Jesse Vozick, and then Gilad Bloom scoring in the 10th minute which all but put the game to bed. Later in the game, a bit of laziness would prevent the Kickers from adding to the all-important goal differential. MVP goes to Jesse Vozick, and an honorable mentions for fellow hardworking center mid Randall Stekee and GK Raj Ganesha for maintaining this season's shutout record. 

MKFC Wins 3 of 3 On The Weekend - 9/25/2016 Game Recaps

First Team

The Kickers first team took care of previously unbeaten FC Itihad 5-0 on Randall's Island late Sunday night. The Kickers started on their heels, but managed to control the game in the attacking third for the remainder of the game, creating plenty of chances before Kyle Grato scored a thundering header off of a cross from Albi Rexha to get the Kickers on the board. A few minutes later, center back Mike Morozuk dropped a ball over the top, which Brian Morris collected over his shoulder and slotted home for the 2-0 lead. After halftime, FC Itihad gave about 10 more minutes of real effort before throwing in the towel. The Kickers finished three more chances—two great strikes by Albi Rexha from the left side and a breakaway by Jamie Reilly to put the rather anticlimactic game to bed.

Second Team

A strong early performance lead to a 5-0 victory for the Kickers second team against FC Itihad reserves. Tim Garton took advantage of some good interplay before a handball resulted in a penalty, which Tim confidently converted. The best goal of the match came a few minutes later with a beautiful diving header by David Anderson, before the seconds took the foot off the pedal for the remaining hour. Still, the Kickers second team managed to score two more goals, one from a cross that bounced in (Jared), and one from Blake calmly finishing a ball laid back just inside the 18-yard line, curling it into the top corner.

Over-30 Legends

The Kickers Over-30 Legends dominated its game against Barnstonworth Rovers Veterans, controlling the game for the most part and creating several chances, but only managed to successfully complete one of them in the first half—a thunderous shot from Joe Whitman. Leading 1-0 in the second half, the Legends were only able to play for 10 minutes before getting kicked off the field by the park warden. Despite getting the "win," the Kickers Legends may have to remainder of the game, or the game in its entirety, at a later date.

Over-30 Premier

Kickers Over-30 Premier had their game canceled due to a permit mixup.

9/18/2016 Game Recaps

First and Second Team

The MKFC second team filled in for the first team in the Cup of Champions at Verrazano Sports Complex in Brooklyn. Danny Challita scored the opening goal against Polit, and the Kickers held the lead until there was about 10 minutes left in the game.  The Kickers would drop both games, but held their own against the first teams of two State Cup Champions.

Over-30 Premier

MKFC Over-30 Premier took down FC Partizani 8-1, in a game that wasn't really a question from the start, with the Kickers scoring early and often. Ardian Hasko put in an MVP performance with three goals and three assists. Nick Bill scored two goals—Andy Stern, Andres Garcia and Erik Krakauer each also scored one. There could have been more goals, but the Kickers failed to convert several open shots late in the game. The defense anchored by Colin O'Banion, Russ Osur and Mark Supple kept the opposition at bay most of the game.

Over-30 Legends

The Kickers Over-30 Legends won 5-2 against the feisty Shamrocks. Gilad Bloom scored one goal, Joe Whitman scored two goals (though one deflection may have been more of an own goal from a cross) and David James claimed two goals for himself (similarly, one was also more of an own goal). Unfortunately, big Mike Schall was shown a red card, reacting to one of the more foul-mouthed Shamrocks.

9/11/16 Game Recaps

The newly-formed MKFC O-30 Legends.

First Team

The Kickers first team played well in their season opener vs. NY Ukraine, despite missing a few regular starters. The Kickers fell behind 1-0 on a counter attack resulting from an attacking corner, but Bryan Baracaldo came through and evened the game at 1-1. Despite creating 4-5 more solid chances, the Kickers couldn't capitalize and the settled for a point and a 1-1 draw.

Second Team

The Kickers second team won 2-1, playing well in patches, and survived a couple close chances from the opposing NY Ukraine second team—including one ball that fell off the crossbar and falling suspiciously close to the goal line. Rodney Laveau scored on a header and provided an assist to newcomer Tim on his first goal for the club in his debut.

Over-30 Premier

The Over-30 Premier team dominated the run of play in the first 30 minutes against Celtic, moving the ball well and creating the majority of the scoring opportunities. In the 30th minute, Celtic was fortunate to get on the end of a bouncing ball in the box and lace a shot into the top corner to take the lead. In the second half, and with the wind at their back, the match was more evenly played, testing both teams' keepers. After a foul just outside the penalty area, Celtic found the net once again on an own-goal deflection. Down 2-nil, the Kickers pressed with Stu Kaiser drawing a free kick outside the Celtic penalty area. Khouri Mullings stepped up and rocket the free kick into the corner to bring the score to 2-1. Both sides created more scoring opportunities, but neither could find the net, and the game ended in a tough 2-1 loss for the O-30 Premier despite being the better team most of the match.

MKFC O-30 Premier and Celtic observe a moment of silence on September, 11th at Pier 40.

Over-30 Legends

The newly-constituted O-30 Legends started off well with a 7-0 win over Hoboken Legends. The combination of two of Cosmopolitan League's most prolific strikers —Gilad Bloom and Joe Whitman—proved lethal. Gilad opened scoring then laid off assists for Scotti and Jesse, before Joe went on a hat-tricking rampage. At the end of the match, Dave Dupuy ventured forward to cap the 9/11 memorial morning with a cracker to the top right corner.

STATE CUP CHAMPIONS

The Manhattan Kickers First Team capped off the season with a 2-1 win in the 2016 ENYSSA Flamhaft State Cup over Doxa FC, also of the Cosmopolitan Soccer League 2nd division. Brian Morris provided both goals for the Kickers as they strolled to victory over a high-energy Doxa FC squad they had failed to beat in their two fixtures during the regular season. The team was honored at the following NYCFC game at Yankee Stadium for the achievement. See more below.

4/24/2016 Game Recaps

First Team

The first team lost 2-1 to first place Zum Schneider on a sunny afternoon on Randall's Island. Despite going up 1-0 on a beautiful one-time finish by newcomer Jamie, and despite creating far more scoring chances, the Kickers would be foiled by an offsides goal and a fluke looping volley from 40 yards. The loss takes the Kickers out of contention for promotion.

Second Team

TBD

O-30/O-30 Premier

The Kickers Over-30s went up 1-0 in the 20th minute on a nice link up play down the right flank for the header goal. In the 30th minute veteran Sir Richard Webb smashed home the equalizer for Kickers Premier.  In the second half, Kickers Premier would continue to pepper the goal, but Raj (MVP) was up to the task making several saves to keep score a draw in the Kickers Derby.

4/16/2016 Game Recaps

First Team

The Kickers first team beat CPR Reds 6-4 at Randall's Island on Saturday night to earn three points back in league play. Hayden Morris scored the opening goal on a breakaway, PJ Taghani netted a penalty kick, Mike Morozuk scored on a free kick, and Brian Morris scored a hat trick—having terrorized the back line of an organized, but lackluster opponent for 90 minutes. The Kickers held 5-1 and 6-2 leads, but CPR Reds would score two goals in the final few minutes to keep the respectable scoreline.

Second Team

It was a gritty game for a light Kicker reserve squad as they battled to a 1-1 draw against CPR. After going a goal and a man down due to a heated exchange that lead to a red card, the Kickers dug in defensively and got a goal back thanks to a free kick from Jared. CPR controlled much of the possession in the second half thanks to the man advantage but the defense of the Kickers stood firm and repelled attacks, but it wasn't always pretty with a few clearances off the goal line. The Kickers did have chances on the counter but ultimately picked up a solid point that seemed unlikely after the early red card.

11/22/2015 Game Recaps

First Team

The Kickers first team struggled to score early, but put a few goals away in the second half to beat Beyond FC 4-1. Brian Morris got the scoring started to put the Kickers in the lead, and Lorenz Seebacher added a second immediately after. The Kickers would give up a clumsy free kick goal, but came right back with goals from Greyson Carlson and Bryan Baracaldo to put the game out of reach.

O-30 Premier

The Kickers O-30 Premier played today missing 10 players and most of them were defenders, so they played with some players playing out of their element. Most notable, Andres Garcia (a new daddy who brought his boy to the game today- thanks to Padilla's girlfriend who was there to babysit). The match started in 2nd gear and stayed there for most of the first half. The O-30 Premier allowed Amsterdam to play with the ball and create opportunities. But the defense held and in the 20th minute substitute David Ferriollo found Khouri Mullings for the go-ahead goal. The Kickers would hit the cross-bar and force the United keeper into making two finger-tip saves to make it match at half-time.

In the second half, the Kickers looked a little better possessing through the midfield with Greg Smalling pairing up with Richard Webb, but United would hang around and had their fair share of opportunities. In the 60th minute, Gilad Bloom found Khouri (MVP) for his second goal of the match. The Kickers looked in control, that is until the 80th minute when lazy marking in the left midfield allowed the United player to cross the ball to the back-post where the Kickers defense were caught on the back-foot and with a nice one-time strike into the upper-90 Amsterdam United made a game of it.

The last 10 minutes were a frantic back-&-forth affair (United would knock one off the cross-bar).  With the final free-kick from United coming into the penalty area in the 91st minute, but Stu Kaiser was right there to head it away, and that's the way the game ended.

11/8/2015 Game Recaps

First Team

The first team took care of NYPD 4-1 on Sunday afternoon at Grand Street. Brian Morris put the Kickers up 1-0 on a shot that bounced back off the post. NYPD would equalize 1-1, but the Kickers maintained possession of the ball and created too many scoring chances not to win this one handily. Bryan Baracaldo put the Kickers up 2-1 on a no-angle shot from the end line, Brian Morris added and second goal and Alex Torres finished off the final goal to put the game out of reach.

Second Team

Tough day for the Manhattan Kickers reserve team as they fell 4-1 to NYPD. Outplayed in the opening 15 minutes, the Kickers quickly fell behind 2-0 before giving up another before the half. Periods of possession yielded little going forward for the Kickers as turnovers led to fast breaks for the NYPD who were quick and decisive in possession. The game proved a teaching lesson as to what it takes for the young Kicker team to compete at the top of the table. The Kickers Reserves now focus their attention to the round of 16 of the state cup.

O-30 Premier

After a slow start, the Kickers O-30 Premier focused on the task at hand and produced the 4-nil victory over Hoboken F.C. 

The 25th minute substitution of Alex Petrovic delivered immediate dividends. Alex took the ball down the right side and went straight at the defense, then beat the GK low to the far post. The Kickers had several more opportunities, that did not lead to much, Hoboken lacked any real threats expect for a few dead-ball opportunities and corners.  The Kickers would make it 2-nil just before half-time, when Khouri Mullings sliced up the defense and slotted one near post to beat the Keeper.

In the second half, the Kickers looked to play possession in the tight quarters of the otherwise smallish (Sinatra) pitch. Hoboken was able to jump on a few loose balls in the midfield but lacked the quality to create any real threat.  In the 60th minute, Alex Petrovic (honorable mention) found Khouri Mullings (MVP) for the easy slot into the back of the net. Ten minutes later, Russ Osur found Stu Kaiser for the header on the 6 yard line to get the defense into the scoring action.

This victory moved the Kickers Premier up the division into 3rd or 4th place depending on how other matches finish today.

O-30s

Another frustrating tie for the O-30s. We went toe-to-toe with Celtic Legends which had their full squad back, and went ahead via a Cowler penalty around the 10th minute. Celtic would equalize through a header by their difficult to challenge man-mountain of a striker, but Ibrahim would put Kickers ahead again powering straight down the middle on a loose ball. And Randy would put us up 3-1, scoring off a rebound in the box. But the Celtic's dangerous crosses remained a threat and they would equalize just before the second half. It was end to end stuff the entire second half, but Celtic equalized again through a deflected cross. Both teams had chances to win it but it ended in a 3-3 tie. A far improvement over last season's 5-3 loss, but this should have been 3 points instead of 1. We remain in the top half of the table, just within striking range of top 4.

11/1/2015 Game Recaps

First Team

The first team lost 2-1 to CD Iberia on Randall's Island. The first team created more opportunities but failed to convert early and often enough, and let CD Iberia sneak away with a win on two scrappy breakaway opportunities. The lone goal was scored by Nick Bill, who took a pass from Brian Morris and calmly slotted a shot home into the far corner.

Second Team

Halloween may have been Saturday, but Manhattan Kickers 2nd team attendance was ghastly on Sunday. Lining up with only 10 men from the start, the 2nd team put in an inspired performance all around that yielded a 1-1 score line at the half with the Kickers clearly creating the better chances. Rodney and Denis wreaked havoc on the wings consistently putting the Iberia backline and goalkeeper under pressure. A devastating injury to Gio in the 70th minute clearly swung momentum Iberia's way, as for the final 20 minutes the Kickers were 2 men down. An Iberia goal shortly after the injury and another goal late on as the Kickers were pressing for an equalizer led to an unfortunate 3-1 defeat for the 2nds.

O-30s

Kickers O-30s averted disaster with only 9 players at sign up when Scott and Paul biked up like the calvary just in time for kick-off. Paul opened scoring in 15th minutes, but the classic celebratory lapsing resulted in an immediate equalizer by Nieuw Amsterdam from the restart. Fortunately, Ibrahim gave Kickers the lead again, powering through route one for his second club goal. Then it became the Cowler show as he scored 3 more, before Ibrahim added one, and Scott ended the game with the seventh for a 7-1 win. 

O-30 Premier

The O-30 Premiere offense got on the board big time and the defense did not allow a goal on Sunday.

Russ Osur made an impact early in his first match back with a cross into the penalty area which David Ferriollo pushed onto Gilad Bloom on the back post for the opening score. In the 30th minute Joe Whitman collected a deflection in the penalty area for the second goal. Joe streaked down the left side and hit the cross to his opposite Stu Kaiser for the easy tap-in. Khouri Mullings, not to be left off the score board in the first-half, added to the scoring just before the whistle with a strong solo effort.

The Kickers kept the pressure up and in the 65th minute, Khouri found Gilad, who fond Joe, who found Gilad, who found Khouri for the easy score in a sublime criss-cross scoring opportunity. The final goal went to David Ferriollo with a fine strike to end the 6-0 run.  Oleg was strong between the pipes with 5 saves, but none more important than a nice parry-away on a low shot in the 80th minute. The Kickers could have had more, including a missed a PK in the 70th minute, but the MVP goes to the Defense for holding the opposition off the score board. 

10/18/2015 Game Recaps

First Team

The first team played a scrappy Cabo Verde team on a scrappy grass/dirt field up in Yonkers in the first round of the State Cup. The firsts trailed 2-0 in the middle of the second half when Lucas Shanks scored a corner kick header and again on a free kick to tie the game. Cabo Verde went ahead for a second time on an unfortunate corner kick a few minutes later, but the Kickers found yet another equalizer from the left foot of Hayden Morris just before final time. The game went directly to PKs, where the Kickers buried all five, and GK Bernie Sheary managed to save one for the 5-4 win.

Second Team

The seconds punished a 9-man Polonia side 6-1, continuing to build momentum following two consecutive league victories. The Kicker reserve team took control early through a magnificent chip finish from the top of the box by in-form goal scorer Rodney Laveau. Seamus Kelly also added to his scorching goal scoring form by netting 4 goals to match his tally from last week. In the end it was a comfortable victory for the reserves who go into next weekends league game with a chance to move into a top 5 league position.

Kickers Premier

The Kickers Premier fully dominated the L.I. Gaels, running away with the 3-nil victory.  In spite of missing a few starters the Kickers Premier dominated the midfield play and in the 2nd minute, Oscar Villada found Khouri Mullings at the top of the 18, Khouri turned and found the corner for 1-0 lead. The Kickers had a scare late in the half, when our GK went walk-about and Colin O'Banion had to clear one off the line. In the second half, Andres Padilla's corner found Khouri on the back post for the easy finish (60th minute). Andres Padilla finished the scoring in the 70th minute with a 2nd & 3rd effort to cap the scoring on a scrappy play. Ulrich came way off his line to snuff out a late 1-on-1 to preserve the clean sheet.

Kickers O-30

The Kickers O-30 fell behind 0-2 to Istria in the first 15 minutes as some players could not adapt to the shock of playing on real grass. In the second half however, having re-acquainted themselves with nature, they hit 3 passed Istria to win 3-2. Goals from Yadh Yaich, Dead-Eye Dylan, and a winning header from Paul Cowler.