Wait, how many goals? Detroit forward nets record vs. Sporting Jax men
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Detroit's Smith ties league mark: Detroit City forward Darren Smith tied the USL Championship single-game record with five goals, continuing the woes of Sporting Club Jacksonville men's soccer in a 6-2 rout on June 13 at the University of North Florida's Hodges Stadium.
Anatomy of a record: Smith scored in the 13th minute, putting away a rebound spilled by Sporting Jax goalkeeper Christian Olivares; the 26th minute, rounding Olivares and finishing into an empty net; first-half stoppage time, a leaping volley off a cross from the left; the 57th minute, finishing a break off a Jacksonville turnover in midfield; and the 81st minute, punishing a turnover on Sporting Jax's left flank.
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Previous mark: Only Mauricio Salles of VSI Tampa Bay (not the same as the present-day Tampa Bay Rowdies) had previously scored five times in a game in the league, achieving his feat against Antigua Barracuda on June 8, 2013. However, Salles achieved his five goals when the league held third-division status, not second-division as at present.
Quick free kicks: Sporting Jax (0-10-3) is now winless in 15 games against opponents in the second flight of American soccer, counting two USL Cup losses, and the club's minus-19 goal differential is also worst in the league. … Emil Jaaskelainen gave Sporting Jax a short-lived first-half lead with his ninth-minute header off a Rafferty Pedder corner kick, and Jaaskelainen also assisted Kieran Sadlier for a second-half blast from the edge of the penalty area. … Kobe Hernandez-Foster added a stoppage-time free kick for Detroit City (6-4-3), which jumped to second place in the Eastern Conference with the victory. … Smith now leads the league with 11 goals, six of them against Sporting Jax. ... Thunderstorms delayed kickoff until 9:10 p.m.
Up next: Sporting Jax remains at home for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, June 20, facing the Charleston Battery.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Darren Smith scores USL-record five goals in Detroit City-Sporting Jax