Utica City FC Falls to Baltimore Blast in Nail-Biting 6-5 Match

Utica, NY - Utica City FC faced off against the Baltimore Blast in a thrilling, back-and-forth matchup at the Adirondack Bank Center, ultimately falling short in a 6-5 loss. The energy in the arena was electric, fueled by an enthusiastic crowd that witnessed one of the most competitive games of the season.

Baltimore opened the scoring early at 1:33 when Oumar Sylla, assisted by Chad Poarch, found the back of the net with a clean finish to make it 1-0. Utica City responded at 5:46, as Nelson Santana sent a precision pass downfield to Vinicius Dantas on the left side. With a defender on his back, Dantas executed a quick turn and fired a low shot into the right corner to level the game at 1-1. The first quarter ended tied at 1-1.

The second quarter saw fewer scoring opportunities, but Baltimore capitalized at 3:13. Juan Pereira scored unassisted, slotting a powerful shot to put the Blast ahead 2-1. Utica battled hard for an equalizer, but Baltimore’s defense held strong, maintaining their lead into halftime. The second quarter concluded with the Blast leading 2-1.

Utica City came out of the break with determination. At 2:03 in the third quarter, Issak Somow delivered a perfect pass off the right side of the goal to Sergio Pinal, who slammed a one-timer into the top middle of the net to tie the game 2-2. Baltimore regained the lead at 9:48 when Victor Parreiras, assisted by Jairo Guevara, made it 3-2 for the Blast. The third quarter wrapped up with Baltimore holding a slim 3-2 advantage.

The fourth quarter was an offensive showcase. At 1:57, Pinal intercepted the ball near midfield, sprinted up the right side, and fired a low shot under the goalie to tie the game at 3-3. Baltimore responded at 4:55 with Jairo Guevara scoring off a feed from Jesus Pacheco, regaining the lead at 4-3. The Blast extended their lead to 5-3 at 8:24 when Wellington Bramusse, assisted by Jamie Thomas, scored from the left side.

Utica refused to back down, responding just 32 seconds later when Ronaldinho Diniz’s clever wall pass found Emmanuel Belliard in front of the net. Belliard shot low and central, cutting the deficit to 5-4. With time ticking down, Utica pulled their goalkeeper for an extra attacker. At 12:37, Nilton de Andrade set up Sergio Pinal in the middle of the box. Pinal displayed brilliant footwork to maneuver around the goalie and score, tying the game at 5-5. Despite Utica's heroic efforts, Baltimore secured the victory in the dying minutes with a late strike, sealing the 6-5 win.

Although Utica City FC fell short, the team showcased resilience and creativity, with Sergio Pinal delivering a standout three-goal performance. Utica returns home on January 12^th at 3pm after another road tilt with Baltimore.