Although it took forty minutes to get on the board, the Blues quickly piled it on, scoring 5 goals in 18 minutes of game time as they cruised to a 5-0 victory over Tobacco Road FC at Durham County Memorial Stadium.
Joaquin Brizuela got things started for the Blues in the 40th minute when his close-range shot beat Tobacco Road’s keeper Sean Ellis and tucked into the lower left corner for a 1-0 Asheville lead. Brizuela tacked on another five minutes later for a brace, giving the Blues a 2-0 lead at halftime.
The break did not seem to cool off the Men in Blue however, as Franco Ocana poked a ball past Ellis from inside the six just two minutes after the restart to extend the lead to three.
They did not stop there, as nine minutes later Dante Huckaby stuck a free kick from about 35 yards out into the upper corner for a 4-0 Asheville lead.
The onslaught was capped off only a minute later, when Ocana forced a turnover from the Tobacco Road backline and curled a beautiful strike into the upper corner for a commanding 5-0 Blues lead.
Tobacco Road did show some pushback, forcing a brilliant save out of Thomas Viscuso in the 65th minute and then stinging the post in the 78th. However, the Blues kept the clean sheet and walked away with a 5-0 win.
Mitch Picksley provided 3 assists on the Blues’ 5 goals tonight, and wreaked havoc on the Tobacco Road backline all night long.
Joaquin Brizuela was named the Wicked Pie Player of the Match for his efforts on the night, which included two goals.
The Men in Blue face Salem City FC on the road next on June 23rd, before returning home on Friday, June 26th to take on the Charlotte Eagles at 7:00 PM. The Women in Blue are home for Pride Night on June 20th, when they face off against the Chattanooga Red Wolves at 7:00 PM. You can buy your tickets here.
