Decatur FC triumphs in first match, wins 5-0 against Atlanta Fire

Decatur FC’s kickoff party, filled with community support, ended with a triumphant 5-0 victory over the Atlanta Fire United.

Pre-match festivities began at 5pm at O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub, owned by team owner Gareth O’Sullivan, where they were introduced to members of the community who came to support them. Fans gathered for an hour until a march at 6:15 p.m. to the stadium, led by Atlanta United fans with drums coming to support the club for its first match.

“Women’s sports are extremely important, especially here in the South,” said Bruno Silva, a Decatur resident. “It sends the message that the South has something to say, so it’s really nice to be able to support that.”

“I’m originally from Decatur, so I’m very excited to have a team here,” said Decatur resident Terri Harrington. “Especially a women’s team!”

The community’s passion was evident in the fans’ march to the stadium and in the crowd of 1,803 who came to watch the team’s inaugural game. And the team made sure to bring that energy back into their game.

“I kept telling the players we were going to feed off our own energy,” Decatur FC coach Campbell Chapman said. “So we’re going to provide energy to the fan base and it will return the favor.”

From the start, Decatur FC proved they felt the energy of the crowd, pressing hard against the Fire. And despite an early defensive mistake in which Decatur goalkeeper Jaddah Foos was forced to make a big save, Decatur rewarded the crowd for their support with their first goal in club history just ten minutes later. the start of the match. A beautiful cross from Cameryn Maddox was tapped in by Breanna Barley, securing the first goal in franchise history and giving Decatur an early 1-0 lead.

Decatur did not rest on its laurels for long, however. A ball into the box by Micah Bryant was blocked by Becky Contreras just four minutes after their first goal. And while the Atlanta Fire protested for offsides, the goal stood and fans cheered as their team led 2-0 early in their first-ever match.

Contreras wasn’t finished yet. Shortly after her first goal, the Dacula, Georgia native ran down the left side and crossed it into the top right corner of the net for her second goal of the game, and Decatur FC’s lead was 3-0.

“I feel like at the beginning we were struggling in the first few minutes to get our act together,” Contreras said. “But once we all connected and played together, I felt like we dominated pretty much the whole game and it was really good to see a bunch of different people score goals.”

Decatur’s dominance continued in the second half despite substitutions both in goal and on the field to allow their depth players to join in the scoring frenzy. Goalkeeper Isabelle Lee made a save early in the half, and Decatur went for it, making several passes into the Fire box.

It paid off fifteen minutes into the half when Katherine Elliott sent a pass to Maysoon El-Shami, who dribbled and waited for the goalkeeper before scoring Decatur’s fourth goal of the game. The final nail in the coffin was a top corner shot from Sarah Greiner, who scored one after being unable to finish on several chances earlier in the match, and Decatur FC’s first match ended in a victory cinematic 5-0. Contreras was named player of the match

While Decatur’s offense thrived, their back line remained strong. Njeri Butts and Aniyah Collier were particularly notable, stopping several Fire runs and helping move the ball down the field. Decatur’s passing accuracy carried their success as they made repeated runs into the Atlanta box. And when Decatur’s defense faltered, their goaltenders held on for the shutout.

“When we play the top teams, we obviously have to be aware of that – no disrespect to the AFU – but we have to worry that our turnovers will lead to counter-attacks, and that’s where we were today today,” Chapman said. “We drifted apart a bit. But I think in the first game you want to win. We had a great crowd, a great home crowd and a lot to build on, but a lot of positives tonight.

And where else would the team go to celebrate a first win as big as where they started the night – at O’Sullivan’s.

“I can’t wait to celebrate afterwards,” Contreras said with a smile. “Our whole team is about to go to O’Sullivan.”

Decatur FC will play their next home match on June 7 against Georgia Impact.