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OKC’s Gonzalez No. 1 on SC Top 10

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 04/12/17, 8:21AM EDT

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First goal for Energy FC earns top billing in Tuesday’s countdown


Photo courtesy Steven Christy / OKC Energy FC

Miguel Gonzalez was responsible for a pair of memorable finishes during his two seasons with Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC against OKC Energy FC.

Neither, however, could quite compare to his first goal for Energy FC, which took the No. 1 berth on the ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 on Tuesday night.

Gonzalez’s first goal for Energy FC earned OKC its first win of the season, a 1-0 victory against the previously perfect Sacramento Republic FC at Taft Stadium in the USL Game of the Week on ESPN3.

“When you see a chance like that, it’s just an instinct and you hit it,” said Gonzalez. “Fortunately it went in the goal. And you know, happy that that happened. And even happier that we got the three points here at home for the fans. We needed this going into the break right now.”

Gonzalez hadn’t found much success in his first three games for Energy FC since his offseason move from Colorado Springs, but in the 30th minute on  Tuesday night that all changed. A long flip-throw-in by defender Michael Harris down the right touchline was redirected by a header inside the penalty area. Gonzalez was perfectly placed to fire home a bicycle kick that gave his side a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

With Energy FC looking for a jolt after its slowest start to a season in its history, Head Coach Jimmy Nielsen was delighted.

“When you have Harris on the field you gotta take advantage of that flow. He’s a big threat,” said Nielsen. “He gave us goals before and today it was a great flick. Heck of a bicycle kick for Miguel. I told him he owed me one or two as well, but I think with that goal we’re even now.”

Energy FC now enters almost two weeks off before it visits Rio Grande Valley FC on Saturday, April 29 at H-E-B Park. Thanks to Gonzalez’s standout strike, it will go into its next contest with a major boost of confidence for the season ahead.

“We’ve worked hard for this,” said Gonzalez. “The preseason and even the offseason we come ready for this. You know, a new team I want to start doing good things here. We had a rough little start there at the beginning, but now we got these three points and we stay hungry for more.” 

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