Real Potentional

May 14th, 2025

Northland, Kansas City

Starting XI:

Francisco, Andrew, Mohammed, Askia, Colin, Zawadi, Elder, Sam, Jhonny, Abdiriyad, Cole (c)

This past weekend (05/10/2025), Northland FC traveled to face Real Overland Park in one of the most anticipated matchups of the season. As the club owner, I’ve had this fixture circled since the schedule dropped — especially after last season’s results left a bitter taste.

"Last season, [both matches], Northland FC was without our goalkeeper Jeremy Skinner (now Antioch FC Owner). Austin stepped in and showed out, but his absence from the outfield held us back. We had to settle for draws in both games." – Coach Fernando on the Real OP rivalry

This time, we came in short-handed but ready. With only 12 players available, Josue was our sole substitute. Everyone else was locked in for the full 90. We had a proper keeper, a focused mindset, and no room for excuses.

Post match Photo 05/10/2025

The match started with strong intent, and we struck first with a well-worked goal in the opening half. But the game quickly turned into a mental and physical war. Real OP was gifted a penalty after a risky foot was left out in the box — a call that raised eyebrows. One of our defenders later said the Real OP attacker admitted, “Yeah, I dived.”

Still, we regrouped. At halftime, Cole was subbed out due to a lingering injury, bringing in Josue as our only fresh leg. Ten minutes later, Josue himself went down and had to be removed from the match, forcing us to finish with 10 men and no substitutions left.

That moment could have broken us — but instead, something clicked. The team locked in. We scored twice more, showing heart, discipline, and pure resilience. Our third goal came even while several players were still down — a surreal moment that summed up the chaos and determination of the night.

Then came the controversy. With things unraveling, the official mistakenly waved Cole back onto the pitch. Play continued until Real OP pointed out the error — Cole had already been subbed off. The ref corrected it by issuing Cole a yellow card, a decision our fans and staff saw as completely unjust. The mistake was on the official, not the player.

Despite everything — the injuries, the officiating, the physical toll — Northland walked away with a 3-1 win. A statement result. And more importantly, a reflection of what this team is made of.

“Though we made little to no mistakes tonight, that doesn’t mean we can’t get better. We can’t get caught in the euphoria of victory.”– Coach Fernando post match

Now the focus shifts to what might be the biggest challenge yet — undefeated Olathe United, who sit atop the table. With limited recovery time and momentum on our side, the squad knows the work is far from over.

Friday will show just how far we've come. Northland is ready.