After 10 first-half shots failed to result in any scores, the Atlanta Concorde Fire scored two goals in the second half against a weary Columbus Red Star defense, and went on to a 2-0 win Saturday at the Woodruff Farms Soccer Complex.

The Concorde Fire capitalized in the 43rd and 50th minutes by spacing out the Red Star defense, allowing them to take minimally contested shots.

Red Star Academy Director Colin Barnes, who temporarily filled in as the head coach for the under-10 team, attributed the defensive breakdowns to fatigue. “It happens in fierce battles when you do OK in the first half and then break down in the second half.”

Although the first goal allowed momentum to swing the Concorde Fire’s way, it gained more momentum after Red Star suffered a couple of bad breaks that kept them from getting back into the game.

Only a minute after the first Concorde Fire goal, Red Star responded with a fast break that resulted in a questionable non-call for a push, which could have given Red Star a penalty kick. Moments later, Fort Benning’s John Phillips hit another fast break and scooted a shot past the Concorde Fire keeper as he ran out of the penalty box to hunt down the ball. The shot missed the empty net off the left side by inches.

“That’s a two-goal swing and that definitely would have been a game changer,” Barnes said.

“J.P. was a tireless worker. Ball winning, working forward, working backward, it seemed he covered the entire field.”

The Concorde Fire put the game away with the second goal, which occurred with 10 minutes left in regulation. Fort Benning’s Hudson Zeisman, a forward for Red Star, also had some fast-break opportunities, which were quickly thwarted by the hustle of Concorde Fire.

“He was a threat to score every time,” Barnes said. “He always had the potential to break the game open with a goal. They stopped a very good player from scoring.”

Barnes said the Concorde Fire had the upper hand throughout the game due to its speed and physicality. “They were a little bit more hungry and they took their chances,” he said.

The Concorde Fire appeared to win the majority of 50-50 balls going in the direction of its own goal and quickly mount a counterattack to spread out the Red Star defense.

“They’ve got to get better and tighter,” Barnes said about the Red Star defense. “They’ve got to learn the game faster.”