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ROYAL OAK — After being named co-champions in the Milk Cup tournament in 2019, when thunderstorms caused the cancellation of the championship game, Oakland County Football Club and the Flint City Bucks returned to the finals this year to settle the score.
Founded in 2017, the Milk Cup is a tournament sponsored by Milk Means More, which is a company that prides itself on providing knowledgeable information on dairy foods and farming.
Keith Larson, who leads Oakland County FC with nine goals, said the team was motivated to take home the trophy.
“The Milk Cup is something we could take home with us, and we took that to heart,” Larson said.
Larson set the tone for Oakland County FC, notching the first goal seven minutes into the first half and setting up Alex Dalou in the 45th minute to take an early 2-0 lead.
Oakland County FC’s offense was firing on all cylinders as Malvin Gblah snuck one past the keeper and extended Oakland County FC’s lead to 3-0.
“Our strength in the team is pretty much our forwards and midfielders,” Oakland County FC coach Vinnie Vasilevski said. “Our plan was going to have those guys stay high and gamble a little bit, and then get the ball to our forwards as quickly as possible.”
The Bucks would tally a late goal as the game came to a 3-1 close, and Oakland County FC would stand alone as the Milk Cup champions. Oakland County FC took home $5,000 in cash prizes with the win.
The win also showcased a new-look Oakland County FC that is 6-3-1 since starting the season 0-3 and being outscored 11-0 in its first three games. Oakland County FC has outscored opponents 26-20 during its 10-game stretch.
“We’re all just happy and having fun with each other,” Larson said. “At the beginning of the season it wasn’t really like that.”
Oakland County FC will host Kalamazoo Football Club for the final home game of the season at 7 p.m. July 15 at Royal Oak High School, 1500 Lexington Blvd., as the team looks to keep its playoff hopes alive. Tickets are available at oaklandcountyfc.com.
