Augusta Soccer Team’s inaugural season ends after first-round playoff loss

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Less than six months after becoming the city’s first professional soccer team, the Augusta Soccer Team made it to the first round of the United Premier Soccer League playoffs.

A monumental achievement that unfortunately didn’t have as good of an ending as head coach Merquiades McLellan’s team had hoped for.

“The first season, I’m not too upset,” said McLellan. “I’m pretty happy with the fact that they’ve done as good as they have.”

The Panthers faced off against Georgia Impact, with a chance for Augusta to get promoted to a better league if they conquered their way through the playoffs.

As soccer can go sometimes, the game was rather uneventful for the better part of 80-minutes.

Impact was on Augusta’s heels nearly the entire second half, and kept pressing the attack until they finally broke through.

With less than three-minutes left to play, Impact took a deflection off Augusta’s crossbar, and knocked in what would be the only goal scored during the game.

Augusta’s season comes to a crushing end right here at home.

“I think they did a good job,” said McLellan. “For me, it’s just how we respond, and I told them if we don’t get promoted next season, we have a really good chance, no matter what next season.”

The team, which McLellan describes as ‘developmental’, allows players both experienced and inexperienced to have the chance to work towards professional contracts, or even college scholarships.

Although the season just ended, coach says the team will be back at practice this coming Monday.

Ready to sharpen their skills and develop new players in order to chase a title and a promotion next year.

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