Project 51O continued their undefeated UPSL campaign Wednesday night with a comfortable 3-1 win over Davis Legacy. After clinching a playoff berth with a victory over Acoreano Sport in Modesto on Sunday, 51O faced a quick turnaround against their NorCal rivals, a fixture that was certainly marked by gaffer Mikey Hannon as a potential banana peel on short rest.
It was Davis who struck first, with a towering header off a corner 13 minutes into the match. Despite the setback, 51O’s response was instantaneous, piling pressure onto the home side’s defense to great effect, yielding an equalizer just two minutes later.
After a classic back to front team move, Luis Saldaña followed up on a rasping drive, delicately dinking the ball over the helpless Davis goalkeeper, and tapping home for the easiest goal he’ll score all season, providing Project with a rapid-fire equalizer.
Just one minute later, Tomas Caminos would give 51O the lead after yet another incredible display of possession football. Receiving the ball on the edge of the box after a dizzying array of passes, Caminos split two Davis defenders with a right-footed fake shot, before rifling a low, left-footed drive into the far right corner of the net, providing the Team from The Town with a lead they would not relinquish.
After the half-time break, the metronomic Randol Villa added an insurance goal, breaking forward from his pivot position in midfield. Following a lightning counter-attacking move, Saldaña committed a Davis defender on the dribble before dishing to Villa, who made no mistake with his finish, squeezing a near post strike past the onrushing goalkeeper in the 59th minute.
51O would see out the remaining 30 minutes with relative ease, keeping the ball moving and causing the elder home side to chase shadows all over the pitch.
With the win, Project 51O consolidated its lead on the top of UPSL’s NorCal division, ahead of a closed-doors tilt against Elk Grove Blues this Sunday at the Oakland Roots Training Facility.
