Western Nevada FC Coyotes remain in first place

The Western Nevada FC Coyotes entered this weekend knowing they had two league matches on back-to-back days. WNFC headed on the road Saturday to play JASA RWC where they earned one point with a 4-4 draw.

The team then arrived back home Sunday morning at 3 a.m. to then face another league opponent that evening. The Coyotes earned a 10-0 win against East Bay FC Tecos Fire. The win showed a lot of grit and character that the team has to put on a strong display after playing a road game 24 hours prior.

WNFC of Carson City was able to play a near perfect first half Saturday evening. The team was able to jump on JASA RWC very early with Anthony Chinchilla finding the net in the 5th minute of play and Daniel Baumgartner adding another in the 8th minute.

The new signee Anibal Echeverria was able to have an impact where he found the net in the 29th minute. WNFC was playing fast and furious football up to this point flying around to pressure every ball making it difficult for JASA to settle into the game.

JASA broke through right before the halftime whistle to keep them in the game at 3-1. Anthony Chinchilla was able to add a second to his name after hitting a rocket of a shot he hit into the upper corner of the net giving the Coyotes the 3-1 advantage in the 57th minute.

The Coyotes were in total control, but JASA RWC never gave up. They were able to score three goals in the final 30 minutes of play to end the game as a 4-4 draw.

After playing less than 24 hours earlier, the Coyotes came out Sunday to make a statement against EBFC Tecos Fire after their upsetting let down late in the match Saturday. WNFC won the match 10-0 seeing six different players finding their names in the score sheet.

Azamat Ismagulov opened the scoring in the game. From that point forward the Coyotes did not look back. There were four players who each had two goals. These players included Azamat Ismagulov, Daniel Baumgartner, Nick Tunic, and Lewis Gillings.

The other 2 goals in the match came from Nico Ramirez and Anibal Echeverria. The match displayed the depth that Western Nevada FC has with many different players stepping up to put on a good performance at home Sunday evening.

GM and Head Coach, Ian Hill, was proud of his team’s character that they showed over the challenging weekend.

“I thought we persevered well through a challenging weekend of two games in 18 hours," he said. "The first game against a quality opponent in JASA, we had a strong lead of 4-1. Unfortunately, we didn't hold that lead and that's something we're going to have to grow and learn from. We got away with a result of one point on the road which were upset about but one point is better than none. The second game we had an opportunity to play some Reserve players give them a chance to be seen, score some goals, and were able to get out with no injuries.”

Anthony Chinchilla who led the way on Saturday with two goals commented about the team’s performance.

“We started off really well. Picking apart their defense, a lot of chances in the first half. Ball comes to Mike, sends it to Anibal and he slides it to me and I put it away. Danny B gets one of his own from a good ball from Tunic! Perfect back post run. Anibal worked some magic and took 3 men and slotted it past the keeper. We’re in total control," he said. "They get a free kick around the box and cross it in and easy header for a goal. We come out flat in the second half. To be honest, I started very complacent and most of lads did. We won a free kick and Kieran player it quick to me, I cut in and bam far post of the keep to make it 4-1.

"They kept coming! We were very poor on our defensive part and let 3 goals come from set pieces. We need to improve on that because that isn’t quality by us. Overall good result but gutted by it. It felt like a loss to me personally but now we learn from it and get better.”

Kieran Toland, since joining the team a few weeks back has made an instant impact in every game he has been a part of with his strong technical abilities and work rate. Toland said this about the match Saturday against JASA, “First half we were great.We were doing all the things that we had worked on. Tracking back, playing 1 to 2 touch, transitioning quickly, finding the penetrating pass. It was one of the best first half performances I had seen from us since I got here, and could have easily been 7 to 8 goals if we were clinical in front of goal.

"The second half we didn't do any of this. We were slow, hanging on to the ball too much, losing our shape and not tracking. All the goals we conceded were preventable and we will learn from our mistakes. We will learn to deal with the pressure of being that team that everyone wants to beat and we will make sure that we never lose a 3 goal lead again!”

The Coyotes most recent signee. Anibal Echeverria, spoke with us after the match Saturday. Here is what the Echeverria had to say, “The team started well put in a few goals early but We should’ve put them away after that. We let off the gas in the second half. Credit to the other team for fighting till the last minute.”

After the match Sunday, we were able to catch up with a few of the guys to talk about the 3 points that were earned. Azamat Ismagulov who opened the scoring for the Coyotes said this, “I’m so lucky to be part of a team who help to make me better every day. I want to dedicate my goals to my team and coaches who believed me every practice. Everyone were good and everyone deserved to score. It was a big week, because we had 2 games in 2 days, but we are still undefeated. The work doesn’t stop and we have to be prepared to the next games. Also I’m happy for Nico, it was his last game for us and he could score.”

David Booth, the Australian Goalkeeper, has been a clean sheet machine this season. Booth said this, “We really came out on Sunday with a point to prove after only getting a point on the road the day before against JASA. This game was an opportunity for some players who may not have had the opportunity to gain large amounts of minutes in games this far into the season and it was a game that allowed our team to try new things and tactics and try players in new positions. I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge Nico Ramirez who will be leaving us on Wednesday to return home to Columbia.

"Nico was exceptional in the match scoring a goal and providing an assist. His work rate and effort paired with his blistering speed did damage to our opponents. Azamat Ismagulov also deserves a mention, he is another young player with huge talent and he got his opportunity on Sunday and took it with both hands scoring two quality finishes. Personally, I was very happy with the mindset of the team and to bounce back the next day and do our jobs right was a testament to our mentality and willingness to win and maintain our unbeaten record in the league.”

Nico Ramirez was fantastic Sunday in his final game for the Coyotes. The Coyotes organization wishes him all the best as he returns home to Colombia this week. Ramirez had this to say after his final match: “It was an exciting game for me, the first time that I was a starting player and also my last match with the team. I wanted to score but it was hard. Thanks God I scored one goal and helped my teammates with assists.

"Also, I enjoyed the match because we were passing a lot and no one was playing for themselves, everyone was playing for the team. I liked to played with Azamat. I’m really sorry with the problem that the other team had. I hope that we have a game with them again in the future and their squad is complete. I want to say thank you to all my teammates and the coaches, also to the fans that we have. Thank you for everything. I will never forget this family!”

Western Nevada FC Coyotes currently sits atop of the Wild West Conference with 19 points in 7 matches played. The Coyotes are now ranked 1st in the Nation among all UPSL teams.

This coming weekend WNFC Coyotes are set to face Dynamos FC. This match was originally scheduled to be a home match, but has been changed to a road contest and will be played in Hayward, Calif.
Go here for the team website and follow the social media platforms for updates.