Emporia FC came up short in a high-scoring United Premier Soccer League matchup Wednesday at Emporia Middle School, falling to Fountain City Athletic 5-4 after a late comeback attempt.
Fountain City struck early when captain Alessandro Rubio scored in the fourth minute to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Emporia answered quickly as Kanata Takahashi found the equalizer in the 13th minute.
Patrick Alouidor put Emporia in front in the 24th minute, giving the home side a 2-1 advantage. Fountain City responded in the 33rd minute when Rubio netted his second goal of the match to tie the game before halftime.
FCA took control in the second half, scoring three consecutive goals to build a commanding lead.
The Black Lions mounted a late rally behind Takahashi, who converted a penalty kick in the 91st minute before completing his hat trick with another goal in the 92nd minute. Despite the late surge, Emporia could not complete the comeback.
Emporia moves to 3-3 and will host Ryogoku Soccer Academy on Saturday.
