El Farolito Forward Erik Arias Shines as Man of the Match
By Sean Maslin/NPSL.com
Two days after winning the 2024 NPSL Championship, Man of the Match Erik Arias is still trying to process everything.
On Saturday, Arias scored the game-winning goal for El Farolito in their 2-1 marathon win over hosts FC Motown.
“It is such a great feeling right now,” he said. “I am still mesmerized by the fact that we won it.”
As for claiming Man of the Match honors, Arias credits his teammates for putting him in the position to earn the game-winner in the 68th minute.
“Winning the honor feels great,” he said. “But I have to give a huge thanks to my teammates for help putting me in that situation and giving me the chance to succeed.”
After battling to a 0-0 draw in the first half, El Farolito took the lead with Jhohann Yabur burying his penalty kick chance in the 53rd minute. Motown responded with a goal of their own with Christopher Bermudez tying things up two minutes later. But El Farolito would not be denied with Arias collected his own rebound and hammering his shot into the back of the net.
It was not an easy path for Arias and El Farolito to the title. After traveling across the country and facing a Motown side with the crowd advantage at nearby Drew University, the game was delayed for more than two hours due to lightning, pushing kickoff late into the evening.
But El Farolito maintained their sharpness and held their own throughout the first half against the hometown side.
“We were told that there could be delays [prior to kickoff],” Arias said. “Coach [Santiago Lopez] told us that we had to be prepared for that mentally and that would probably be the hardest part of the match. So, we just tried to stay focused on the game and be ready to execute once it was started.”
Saturday’s championship victory caps an impressive run for the California-based team which also won the NPSL’s Golden Gate Conference and made it to the third round of the U.S. Open Cup.
For Arias, the bond that the players have with one another has helped them grow and develop, both on and off of the pitch.
“We worked really hard throughout the whole season, and I think what makes our group special is the bond that we created outside of the outside of soccer,” he said. “We don’t just think of ourselves as friends on the field, but as a family. There is just a special bond throughout all of the players.”
That bond for Arias also includes his brother Jaime who is also a starter with El Farolito.
“It’s always a special moment to be playing with my brother,” he said. “Especially at a high level you don’t always about brothers playing on the same team and starting on a champion. So, this is a special for me and for my family.”
Photo Credit: Mike Langish/NPSL.com
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