Flippin’ great! Goals elate Cain
Wesley Cain scored his first goal of the season and then he flipped out.
The K-W United FC midfielder dove toward the Dayton Dutch Lions goal and got his head on a Liam Callahan cross to break a scoreless tie 30 minutes into Sunday’s 2-0 victory at University Stadium. Then he put on a show. Cain completed a series of back flips before finishing off with a gravity-defying aerial move.
“I did gymnastics when I was little,” he said. “I was pretty competitive until I was 13. Ever since then I’ve just been doing back flips when I score.”
Fans were still soaking in the high flying celebration when Cain delivered an encore performance 14 minutes later.
Again, he headed the ball past Dutch Lions keeper Michael Yantz and, again, he finished it off with a furious fit of flips.
“It feels like I’ve had a lot of shots the past couple of games so it feels great to put it in and get it started,” said Cain, who also has three helpers this season.
With the win — the team’s fourth straight — United leapfrogs the West Virginia Chaos to move into first place in the Premier Development League’s Great Lakes Division.
The late matinee match had the makings of a snoozefest early on.
Dayton parked five defenders on the back line in an attempt to grind out a draw against the higher scoring United side which made for some uneven soccer.
“They sat back deep in the first half and we had to be patient but also move the ball quickly and look for opportunities to get behind them,” said United coach Martin Painter. “We kept the ball low, moved them around and had some good play down both flanks.”
Keeper Dayne St. Clair wasn’t tested often but was sharp when he had to be as he picked up his third clean sheet of the season.
Cain’s two markers equal last season’s entire output and the former Vancouver Whitecaps FC prospect is hoping it’s the beginning of a breakout.
“Last year I started off slow,” he said. “This year, I think I’m finding my form.”
And while Cain’s acrobatic goal routine may make some skippers worry about a potential injury, Painter isn’t concerned.
“It’s a fantastic celebration,” said the bench boss, whose club improved to 4-1. “I trust him.”
The black and blue got a boost in the back end by welcoming veteran defender Mathieu Laurent into the mix while midfielders Jiro Barriga and Ismael Longo and forward Djimon Johnson also made their season debuts.
United is back in action Wednesday when it hosts Louisville’s Derby City Rovers at University Stadium at 7:30 p.m.