After falling to South Georgia Tormenta FC on June 5th, in what can arguably be called an unseasonal monsoon, the Red Wolves have flexed their muscle through the midway point of the campaign and into the final stretch. An incredible thirteen game unbeaten run has seen the Red Wolves pick up two results against defending champions Greenville, 4 points from a possible 6 against Second Place Union Omaha, and a valiant away point in Toronto on Friday afternoon. The unbelievable streak has seen Obleda’s side fly into the top spot in USL League One, but the man in charge insists that there is work to be done to reach the club’s goals for the campaign.
When asked about what he can attribute the massive streak of results, manager Jimmy Obleda was sure to credit everyone on the roster saying, “I think if there is one thing to attribute, not just to the run but to the success of the team this year, it’s the ability for everyone to step in. Regardless of who we have, who’s injured who’s healthy, the depth of the group and the effort from everyone has been unmatched. Everyone that has come in has given a little bit extra for the guy that he’s come in for. I think the group has just been phenomenal in their commitment to each other and to the club and towards the goals we’ve set for each other this season.”
This commitment has been apparent from the onset of the 2021 campaign, with the Red Wolves not only getting superstar contributions from their starting XI, but also from the bench in pivotal pieces like Marky Hernandez and the squad’s leading goal scorer Juan Galindrez. From the goalkeeping position all the way to the attacking third, the Red Wolves have received consistent, high-level play across the pitch. Numerous team of the week nods, Galindrez winning a player of the month award, Tim Trilk winning a save of the week and so forth only further solidify the heights the side has reached this season.
Now, where other sides might feel complacency in what they have accomplished, Manager Obleda continues to push the message that the job is far from done. He prefaced his applause of the team’s commitment by saying, “In the big scheme of things there is still so much season to be played, and there’s so many games… we still have to get into the playoffs and there is still so many things for us to do, that we haven’t really absorbed what we have been able to do.”
A testament to the goals and the lofty heights the club has reached this campaign, it has been made apparent by players and staff alike that the job is far from over. With one of the best supporter bases in all American professional soccer, the Red Wolves now look towards securing home-field advantage in the USL League one playoffs at CHI Memorial Stadium, where the side remains unbeaten in what has become less of a fortress and more of an unconquerable den of horrors for opposing sides.
The next stop for the Red Wolves? Fort Lauderdale CF, who has seen a resurgence that has led them to third place in the USL League One standings. In the race for silverware, the Red Wolves are just getting started, but they have cemented themselves in the USL League One record books. Now, Obleda and his men look to carry that momentum through the end of the campaign.
