Matchweek 8 Review: FFA Dominate in Midwest, Gloom Stun Flagship in Southwest

Matchweek 8 Review: FFA Dominate in Midwest, Gloom Stun Flagship in Southwest

Matchweek 8 delivered a blend of dominance and disruption across the National Futsal Premier League.

In the Midwest, Futsal Factory Academy continued their relentless march with a staggering 19-goal performance. Meanwhile, the Southwest Division provided the weekend’s drama, as reigning champions BRUSA handled business against Los Yunaites and Santa Fe Gloom secured a statement home victory over New Mexico Flagship in what could prove to be a pivotal result in the division race.

With momentum building across both conferences, the table is beginning to take clearer shape.

Santa Fe Gloom 6–4 New Mexico Flagship

Southwest Division | Matchweek 8

If there was a defining performance of Matchweek 8, it came in Santa Fe.

In a fast-paced, back-and-forth contest filled with quality goals and momentum swings, Santa Fe Gloom earned a statement 6–4 victory over New Mexico Flagship — fueled by a standout performance from goalkeeper David Renteria.

Given a late start over Jorge Morales, Renteria justified the decision with a series of crucial saves throughout both halves, repeatedly denying Flagship during key stretches and stabilizing SFG when momentum threatened to swing.

Flagship struck first just three minutes in. Axel Esparza fired a ball toward the back post, where Luis Gonzalez arrived to finish for his 11th goal of the season. Early control appeared to favor NMFS, but the Gloom responded quickly.

In the 10th minute, a defensive mistake from Flagship allowed Julian Bustamante to square the ball to captain Pedro Torres, who smashed home from close range to level the match. A minute later, the script flipped entirely. Renteria — playing aggressively high off his line — calmly evaded pressure and launched an attack, finding Torres wide. His pinpoint delivery across goal was met by Bryan Rivas for a 2–1 lead.

The game refused to settle.

Two minutes later, NMFS captain Luis Loera rifled a tight-angle finish into the bottom corner after Christopher Santos sparked a counterattack. 2–2.

Then came one of the best sequences of the afternoon.

With four minutes left in the half, Andres Monge won a tackle in midfield, danced past Loera, and backheeled into the path of Torres. The captain’s defense-splitting pass found Presci Ruiz in stride, and rather than shoot, Ruiz laid it off first-time to the trailing Monge. Under heavy pressure from Juan Ruiz in goal and a sliding Jesus Guillen, Monge still managed to finish cleanly. A superb team goal.

Just before halftime, Bustamante converted from the 10-meter spot to give Santa Fe a 4–2 lead.

Flagship came out determined in the second half, but it was Renteria again influencing proceedings — this time offensively. His long distribution over the defense was brought down brilliantly by Maximo Brito, who controlled, rounded the goalkeeper in three touches, and slotted home for a commanding 5–2 advantage.

Still, NMFS would not fade.

Jesus Guillen smashed a rebound into the top corner two minutes later, and with just under eight minutes to play, a chaotic sequence swung the match again. After Santa Fe struck the post at one end, the rebound fell to Luis Loera at midfield. His cushioned pass released Christopher Santos, who finished calmly under Renteria to cut the deficit to 5–4.

Instead of restoring a three-goal cushion, Santa Fe suddenly found themselves defending a one-goal lead.

The decisive moment came with roughly five minutes remaining. A scramble in front of the Flagship goal created confusion, and Presci Ruiz’s disguised pass found Jose Gonzalez slipping free of his marker. Gonzalez made no mistake, finishing cleanly to reestablish breathing room at 6–4.

Renteria closed the match with more key saves in the final minutes, preserving a massive home victory.

For Santa Fe Gloom, it was not just three points — it was a statement in the Southwest Division race.

Elsewhere in the Southwest Division, reigning champions BRUSA continued their strong run with a composed road victory over Los Yunaites.

Los Yunaites 3–6 BRUSA

Southwest Division | Matchweek 8

BRUSA continued their strong run in the Southwest Division with a composed 6–3 victory over Los Yunaites, though the scoreline did not fully reflect how competitive stretches of the match were.

The visitors struck first just four minutes in. Eduardo Medina — enjoying an outstanding campaign — combined sharply with Yan Brandao on a give-and-go before smashing a finish to the far post for the early advantage.

Los Yunaites responded well. A cleverly rehearsed corner routine saw the ball worked all the way back to goalkeeper Jean Caro, whose driven pass into Jaime Martinez allowed the forward to flick a clever finish over Jared Wilson to level the score at 1–1.

BRUSA regained control midway through the half. Christian Lima’s aggressive movement down the wing opened space for Medina, who quickly switched play to Brandao on the opposite side. Brandao’s composed strike into the bottom corner restored the lead at 2–1.

Five minutes later, the defending champions extended it. A sharp defense-splitting pass from Lima caught the Yunaites back line flat-footed. Brandao found Brian Vargas at the back post for a simple tap-in to make it 3–1.

But Los Yunaites refused to fade. A rare mistake in BRUSA’s buildup allowed Aaron Avilez to force a save from Wilson, and Alexander Romero was quickest to react to the rebound, finishing from close range to cut the deficit to 3–2 heading into halftime.

In the second half, BRUSA managed the match with professionalism.

Sustained pressure eventually paid off with nine minutes remaining, particularly after Los Yunaites were reduced to ten players following a red card to Jose Cisneros. Lima again found Brandao, whose effort deflected over Caro to restore the two-goal cushion.

With four minutes remaining, Diego Vargas effectively sealed the result from the 10-meter spot. His penalty was struck perfectly into the top right side netting — unsavable and emphatic.

Jaime Martinez gave the home crowd hope with 1:30 remaining, smashing a stunning strike off the top right post and in to make it 5–3, but any chance of a frantic finish was extinguished moments later.

Brandao completed his fourth goal of the night after being found once again by Medina, driving a decisive finish into the top left corner to cap a clinical performance.

For BRUSA, it was another controlled display. For Los Yunaites, there were signs of quality — particularly from Martinez — but lapses at key moments proved costly.

Elsewhere in the Southwest Division, reigning champions BRUSA continued their strong run with a composed road victory over Los Yunaites.

Capital Futsal 3–19 Futsal Factory Academy

Midwest Division | Matchweek 8

There was little doubt about the result in this Midwest clash — only the margin.

Despite a late pregame adjustment that saw captain and goalkeeper Robert Franzese-Damron ruled out through illness, Futsal Factory Academy showed no signs of disruption. Matthew Pletcher stepped into goal for his first start of the season, and the league leaders immediately imposed themselves in a ruthless 19–3 demolition of Capital Futsal.

FFA needed just 20 seconds to open the scoring. A well-worked corner routine saw Khal Suleiman involved twice before sliding the ball across goal for Ben Pritchard to sneak in at the back post. From there, it became a masterclass in movement, combination play, and relentless defensive pressure.

Capital mistakes in buildup were punished repeatedly. Thomas Dono, Drew Ducker, Philip Leucht, and Andrew Schwartz were at the heart of everything as FFA built an overwhelming advantage. By the time Capital found the net with eight minutes left in the first half — Samy Omar forcing one through traffic — FFA were already firmly in control. It was 10–1 at halftime.

Capital briefly steadied early in the second half. Lincoln Martinez struck seven minutes in to make it 10–2, but any hint of momentum lasted less than a minute as FFA restored their nine-goal cushion immediately and continued to press. Martinez would add a second later in the half, yet FFA closed the match with four more goals in the final minutes to complete the emphatic 19–3 scoreline.

The numbers underline just how dominant — and how connected — FFA were.

Of the 19 goals scored, two were own goals forced under pressure, meaning 17 were directly created by FFA. Fourteen of those 17 goals were assisted — a staggering reflection of the quality of their passing, movement, and decision-making in the final third.

The stat leaders tell the same story:

• Thomas Dono: 4 goals, 3 assists

• Ben Pritchard: 3 goals, 3 assists

• Andrew Schwartz: 3 goals, 2 assists

• Philip Leucht: 3 goals, 2 assists

Across the board, it was unselfish, efficient, and clinical.

As the season continues to unfold, one thing remains consistent in the Midwest: Futsal Factory Academy aren’t just winning — they’re setting the pace.

With Matchweek 8 complete, the divisional races continue to take shape. Futsal Factory Academy remain the benchmark in the Midwest, while the Southwest tightens with Santa Fe’s statement victory and BRUSA’s continued form. As the season moves deeper into its second half, every result grows in significance.

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