There are a lot of details you can get into when describing how the Flint City Bucks have had success this season, but at the simplest level you can boil it down to two things: unselfishness and balance. Tonight, in a 4-0 win over Peoria FC to clinch the Central Conference championship for the 11th time in franchise history, it was Remi Agunbiade’s turn to lead the charge.
Agunbiade put the Bucks on the board first, 11 minutes into the match, when he deflected the ball off of a Peoria defender into the net. The own-goal was credited to him. Then, just minutes into the second half, Agunbiade scored again on a setup by Jack Roman to put the Bucks up 2-0.
“It’s amazing playing with this group,” Agunbiade said. “You know, we are all just wanting the best for every single one of us. If it’s me scoring, Will (Smith), Ollie (Moller-Jensen), the goalkeeper, it doesn’t even matter as long as we get that win, that’s the ultimate result and that’s the ultimate goal. Honestly, I think overall the team’s performance tonight, having guys who feed me the ball, that’s one thing that you always want as a striker, and just the connection that we have, it was easy for me to get in those right places for them to give me the ball tonight.”
The Bucks added two more goals in the second half, with Callum Shillington scoring on a setup by Wes Carnevale and then Jordy Lopez on a pass by Jack Endacott late in the match to provide the final margin of victory. A strong effort by the midfield and defense and a continued run of strong goalkeeping from Steve Clark helped the Bucks put the game away early.
Clark made a diving deflection of a Peoria scoring chance early in the first half and flew in to catch another second half shot to keep the shutout intact. Clark only rejoined the Bucks for their playoff push, but he has now registered clean sheets in two of his three games. His only goal allowed came late in a win over Steel City FC last week. Beyond his production in the field, Clark’s impressive professional career and leadership have been assets for the team.
“Steve’s been a fantastic addition,” said Flint City coach Paul Doroh. “He hasn’t had a lot to do, which has been a good thing, but it’s because he’s doing the work before we have to face shots. He’s organizing really well, giving a lot of information to his back line. And, just that veteran presence and the calmness and the surety of seeing these things before has added a lot to the program. When we need him, we call on him, and he gets it right.”
The Bucks now move on to the national semifinals against Ventura County Fusion at 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 26, at Atwood Stadium. Ventura defeated Ballard FC 2-1 at Atwood prior to the Bucks game to advance. The winner of that match will play for the USL League 2 national championship on August 1.
Doroh said that, during this playoff run, the team’s unselfishness and togetherness have consistently stood out.
“We talk about it in the locker room, we talk about it on the training pitch, and how they’ve come together … it’s a special group for sure, and that shows on the field,” Doroh said, also crediting his coaching staff for helping the team prepare on the fly for new opponents during a rapid fire playoff schedule. “My staff, Mali (Walton) and Nick (Deren), they’re fantastic. They’re two of my best friends in the world, too, so that helps. But they’re really knowledgeable coaches, and we just give the players ideas then they perform. So we let them know what they’re gonna be up against, and maybe some weaknesses that we can exploit. And then the players do the job, and you can see when we get it right, we get it right.”
Another advantage for the team was playing in front of a raucous home crowd of approximately 3,000 fans. Agunbiade said that support has meant a lot to the team in this win and throughout the season.
“It’s amazing to have plenty of people coming out to the game supporting us,” he said. “It’s just that sense of family here. It’s great to be a part of the Bucks and it’s great to be in the city of Flint.”
The team is hoping for another strong showing on Sunday against Ventura County. Tickets are on sale online and kids 12 and younger are free. Doroh was impressed with Ventura County’s performance against Ballard, the team that knocked Flint out of the playoffs last season, and knows it will take a strong effort to get past them.
“Ventura’s a good side,” Doroh said. “They found a way to win against Ballard, and Ballard had them pinned down for a while. They defend really well, they defend as a unit, and they’ve got some dangerous attacking players up front. They break out quite quickly. They press really well from the front. So we’re gonna have to be a little pragmatic in our build, and take advantage of our chances that we create in front of goal.”
Agunbiade noted that a strength of the team has been an ability to adapt to different styles throughout the season, which he hopes is beneficial on Sunday.
“I think we just gotta keep playing how we’ve been playing,” he said. “Every match, we adapt, we play how we’re taught to play, and how we’re going throughout the week is just having this mindset that we’re a top team and just we’re gonna keep on going and play our style of soccer.”
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