Outdoor soccer: Lakeland United advances in UPSL Florida West playoffs
HAINES CITY — Backup goalkeeper Zac Coppin got his chance to come off the bench in Lakeland United's biggest game of the season and he didn't disappoint.
Coppin, a former Ridge Community High keeper and a Southeast London native, got his opportunity in the 53rd minute vs. Leg-AZ World FC — the top team in the United Premiere Soccer League's Florida West division — at the Feltrim Sports Complex in Haines City on Sunday.
The reason? Starting goalie Junior Souza received a red card after he came out of the box and made a last-man tackle.
Coppin took advantage of his opportunity helping Lakeland United, a first-year bridge program, hang on for a 2-0 Florida West semifinal playoff win with a five-save performance. Lakeland (4-2-4) will next play the St. Petersburg FC Aztecs (5-2-3) — a squad Lakeland United played to a 1-1 tie in the regular season — Saturday in St. Petersburg in the Florida West finals.
“It feels great to get this opportunity as they only come around so often,” Coppin said. “Having to make a couple of big saves in the game to keep our momentum doesn’t just bring your confidence up, it brings the whole team's confidence up, so yeah it was a great feeling.”
United, already brimming with confidence after beating the Florida Tropics in a first-round playoff game last week, got goals from captain and forward Alex Scarano, the leading goal scorer on the team,and midfielder Victor Cavalcante.
Both goals came in the first half — Scarano's late in the half on a penalty and Cavalcante's five minutes later.
“I’m really proud of the boys,” Lakeland United head coach Tauan Salgado said. “We try and work and implement the style of play that is very aggressive, very offensive. We try to keep possession. We try to play on their half. We try to play a combination of approximation, a combination play and penetration through the middle.
"We have this whole module of play that we designed as an academy, as a bridge program, not only for wins, but also to develop a mentality of courage of aggression of the goals and offensiveness and (to) be courageous and be proud to have the ball in play.”
With a win in the Florida West finals this weekend, Lakeland United can earn a bye before taking on the winner of the Florida Central and Florida South game in the Florida finals — a matchup featuring two of the final 16 teams in the UPSL nationals.
Here are three observations on Lakeland United's playoff victory.
Coppin makes huge saves
• Coppin earned some time in goal earlier in the year but in the most pivotal game of the season for Lakeland, Coppin, looking confident from the start, was constantly communicating with his teammates and organizing his center backs as if he had been the starting goalie all year long. At one point, he defended a ball coming from the right side on a crossing attempt from a Leg-AZ striker. And on the rebound, an opposing forward had a wide-open attempt, but Coppin was able extend his foot just in time to kick the ball out. On another play, he stopped a ball on two different attempts and then kicked the ball out of harm’s way. “I had to be very quick and calm," he said. "There was a lot of pressure riding on this game since it was win or go home.”
Lakeland adjusts to Leg-AZ
• Usually, Lakeland United plays an up-tempo style, but during this game the team adjusted to Leg-AZ’s style: a physical brand that isn’t too pretty. In a 5-4-1 defense, Lakeland was reactive and defensive to shut down Leg-AZ. “In the first 10 minutes, we could see that the game wasn’t for our style," Salgado said. "We had to abandon our script, which to some extent, it’s dangerous to go off script and do something that’s not us, but that’s what made me most proud,” Salgado said.
United's Tascheto comes to play
• Right-side center back Caio Tascheto last year played at the University of Northwestern Ohio — an NAIA program — but was cut a few weeks ago. Salgado said he was cut from the program because his style wasn’t conducive to that program. However, Salgado knew he could use his type of play, especially given how his skill set jumped out on tape. Tascheto came out confident and was a leader among the team's center backs. “He won every single challenge,” Salgado said. “He did everything. The guy was outstanding. Off the ball, he won every single challenge on the ground, in the air. (He) kept talking and kept leading the boys.”
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Outdoor soccer: Lakeland United advances in UPSL Florida West playoffs
