Kevaughn Frater Opens the Scoring
Playing at the Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex in Tempe, the hosts, Phoenix Rising, fell behind through HVFC international player / sidelined Reggae Boy Kevaughn Frater’s early first-half strike.
This was before Jamaican Jason Johnson came off the bench to net a second-half brace. He arrived at half-time to transform the game with his two goals as came from behind to beat Frater’s Colorado Switchbacks 2-1 in the United Soccer League last weekend.
The victory for Rising was their first in five outings following a sequence of draws, but they remained in the bottom half of the Western Conference in ninth on 22 points. Switchbacks, meanwhile, lie sixth on 24 points.
Frater put Switchbacks ahead in the 12th minute when he latched onto a long ball out of the back, held off his defender, and sent a low volley from the top of the 18-yard box past goalkeeper Josh Cohen.
Jason Johnson Answers
The lead held until the 66th minute when Johnson got the first of his double. Victor Vasquez sent a searching ball into the box from the left which goalkeeper Moise Pouaty failed to collect, and Johnson pounced on the loose ball to stroke home from close range.
Johnson claimed his second six minutes from time when former Chelsea star Didier Drogba sent a looping corner into the box and he rose above the defence to nod in powerfully.
Brian Brown Earns His Team A Point
Several other Jamaicans also got on the scoresheet for their respective clubs. Twenty-four-year-old HVFC international player Brian Brown also proved to be a super sub at Thunderbird Stadium just outside of Vancouver. He came off the bench in the 62nd minute and scored 11 minutes later to earn Reno 1868 FC a share of the points in a 1-1 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps II.
Chevaughn Walsh Makes It A Tie
Chevaughn Walsh was also on target, scoring in the 24th minute for Pittsburg Riverhounds as they drew 1-1 away to Bethlehem Steel at Goodman Stadium.
Junior Flemmings Finds Net
And at MSU Soccer Park in New Jersey, Junior Flemmings came off the bench in the 61st minute to net for New York Red Bulls II in the 85th minutes as the hosts went down 2-3 to Charlotte Independence.
Source: The Jamaica Observer