Florida Roots Soccer Team Looking to Find Their Way into the Win Column

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - The Florida Roots still looking for its first win this summer as it plays as part of the National Premier Soccer League. The team made up of mostly collegiate players, and a few international players hoping to get noticed by pro leagues, struggling out of the gate in May. The Roots in fact winless after its first four matches against Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Pensacola and New Orleans.

Tomorrow night they host New Orleans, after a 2-0 defeat to the Jesters two Saturdays ago. Roots coach Rich Kinniburgh feeling like that latter match showing some progress for the team.

“We have to focus on the improvement opportunity. And the improvement that we saw. And I certainly felt that even though we did take the defeat in New Orleans, that we were a better team. They showed me a level of heart and spirit and togetherness that I hadn’t really seen up to this point. We changed a lot of players this summer, this season, we changed a lot of players, so it’s gonna take a little bit of time”, said Kinniburgh.

The team getting two weeks between that last loss and tomorrow night’s home match, their third of the season. The coach hoping some improvement the guys showed in that loss in New Orleans, along with two weeks of just practice, will lead to a different outcome Saturday.

“It’s not a long season, time’s against us at every turn. So this two week period was always a special opportunity to work with the group”, Kinniburgh said, “Because we still have players arriving, even as each game as come through, new players have come with the different college cycles, different overseas opportunities. So it’s taken some time. Are we fully there, probably not, but I think it’s time to take that level of improvement. The boys have to deliver, they really do.”

Arnold alums Liam Kearns, Ben Lebdaoui and Braden Masker a part of the Roots this summer. The match with the Jesters tomorrow night at Tommy Oliver stadium set for 7 o’clock.

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