On the balmy evening of May 28th in Birmingham, Alabama the Georgia Revolution FC (Revs) outlasted their opponent and a large crowd of supporters to win the Inaugural I-20 Cup against cross border National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) rivals the Birmingham Hammers.

Entering the game with a 2-0 lead after defeating the Hammers in Conyers earlier this month with goals by Carlos Mendoza and Nick Wells, the Revs players were confident they would bring home the hardware. With five starters unavailable for the game, including marques signing Marcelle Francois, the team knew it would be challenging but also gave a chance for new players to step in and prove they deserve playing time. That’s exactly what the team did.

The game started as expected with the Hammers coming out aggressively looking to even the goal total. Within the first five minutes the Birmingham offense put a shot on goal but the Revs cleared the ball off the line. Cheered on by a crowd of over well over 1,000 fans, the Hammers continued to dominate possession and push the ball down the field. Strong performances by the Revs goalkeeper Josh Swift and defenders Ibrahim Faye and Adam McCabe continued to frustrate the Hammers efforts and the half ended with the score 0-0.

As the second half began the home team persistently pushed for goals but the Revs were settled into the game and began to take control. Dominating possession and chances in the second half, the Revs were not going to be beat on this night. The game ended in a 0-0 tie and after winning at home, our men raised the I-20 Cup as the 2016 Champions.

Revs lineup.

Starters:  GK Josh Swift, LB Jon Guy, CB Ibrahim Faye, CB Marc Sinclair, RB Adam McCabe, LM Nick Wells, CDM Sam Mountstephens, CDM Gil Perez, RM Scott Redding, CAM Sajaad Delane, CF Carlos Mendoza.  Subs: GK Sebastian Jones, CB Kofi Yankey, CB Ben Gradert, CB Devon Patterson, CDM Austin Johnson, CAM Jarrel Smalls, and CF Daniel Okonkwo.

The Revs’ next home game is Thursday, June 2nd, 7 p.m. at the RYSA Soccer Complex. They return to the NPSL South Atlantic Conference to play against last year’s Champion Myrtle Beach Mutiny.