ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — It was a great weekend at Greenwood Field for Asheville City Soccer Club, as the women’s and men’s teams delivered dominant home victories in front of passionate crowds.
The Asheville City SC Women notched their first home win of the season — a 2-0 victory over Birmingham Legion WFC on Saturday night. Caitlin Conroy sparked the offense in the 10th minute with a driving run down the right flank, squaring a perfect ball to Emma Sheehan, who slotted it home to open her scoring account with the Blues.
Despite multiple opportunities to double their lead in the first half, including a curling effort from Yuliia Khrystiuk that narrowly missed, Asheville found their insurance goal just six minutes after the restart. Crisp buildup play found Phoebe Hollin on the right, who delivered a pinpoint cross to an unmarked Gry Boe Thrysoe for a clinical header at the back post.
Asheville piled on pressure throughout the second half, with chances from Sarah Jacobs, Lu Flores, Lucie Bertrand and Conroy, but the Blues ultimately saw out the clean sheet with strong defensive organization. Thrysoe was named Noble Cider Player of the Match for her all-around performance and decisive goal.
The women return to Greenwood Field on Wednesday, May 28, as One Knoxville comes to town looking for payback after Asheville’s season-opening road win.
Also on Saturday, the Asheville City SC Men opened their USL League Two campaign with a record-breaking 10-0 demolition of expansion side Apotheos FC, showcasing clinical finishing and defensive discipline in one of the club’s most dominant performances ever.
Simon Carlson set the tone early with a brace inside the first nine minutes, capitalizing on defensive miscues and link-up play with Joao Silva. The Blues missed a chance to go up 3-0 in the 38th minute when Carlson sent a penalty attempt over the bar, but they headed into halftime comfortably ahead after a smooth finish from Michael Rempel off a Tony Kim assist.
The second half saw an offensive explosion: Issah Haruna, Agustin Resch, Tony Kim, Pietro Fontana, Daniel Samways (2) and Edouard Nys all found the back of the net. The onslaught culminated in Samways’ second goal in the 89th minute, pushing Asheville into double digits and setting a club record for goals in a single match, surpassing the previous mark of nine.
Goalkeeper Jonny Mennell ensured the clean sheet stayed intact with a spectacular diving save in the 81st minute. Dylan Kropp earned Noble Cider Player of the Match honors for his performance in midfield.
The men next hit the road to face East Atlanta FC on Sunday, June 1, before returning home on Wednesday, June 4, to host Southern Soccer Academy.
Tickets for all upcoming home matches are available now.