Segra Field | Leesburg, Va. — July 3, 2026
The Sporting JAX men’s team took on Loudoun United FC Friday night away from home, rallying to net a stoppage-time equalizer in a match that ended tied, 2-2.
A Strong Start, Sadlier Scores
Friday’s match began with temperatures in the 90s, a challenge that some of the squad’s players have never faced before. Much like the Virginia night, Sporting JAX brought the heat early on. The attack displayed aggression, while the defense held steady and made timely stops in their end. This balance allowed Sporting JAX, despite being the visitors, to set the tone and grab the first goal of the evening.
“We’re always looking for that balance; it’s dependent on the opposition that you’re playing,” Sporting JAX Head Coach Liam Fox said. “I thought for the first half tonight we passed the ball really well. I thought we were organized, limited [Loudoun] to very few chances and scored a really good goal.”
The magic moment came in the 46th minute when Kieran Sadlier, the team’s leading scorer, made the most of a well-placed flick by Emil Jääskeläinen and fired it past the keeper to give his squad the lead going into half time. Sadlier’s seventh goal of the season was the product of hard work, a calculated decision and chemistry that’s been building throughout the team’s inaugural campaign in the USL Championship.
“We know we can win a lot of headers and flick-ons,” Sadlier said. “It’s hard, you can’t run in behind every time…but I picked the right moment and it worked.”
Emil’s Equalizer
Late in the match, Sporting JAX found itself trailing, 2-1. Jääskeläinen’s contributions weren’t over, though. A ball was sent high to the wing in the 93rd minute for Edgardo Rito, who then produced a precise cross into the box, where Jääskeläinen was ready to capitalize. A shot rang off, making contact with the crossbar on its way to the back of the net.
A beautiful goal indeed, it was its timing that stands out. Loudoun’s lead appeared late, but Sporting JAX took what time was left, made the most of it and ultimately rallied to come away with a point.
“We’ve got a few games where we’ve been down and come back, so we know we’ve got goals in us, we’ve got a lot of good players,” Jääskeläinen said. “We went for it at the end and luckily got a goal.”
Fox echoed this, crediting his team’s ability to bounce back when faced with adversity.
“I think they’ve shown a number of times this year that they always go right to the end,” Fox added. “One thing I need to give credit to the players for is the resilience to keep turning up, to keep listening. They’re absolutely trying their very best.”
Looking Ahead
Sporting JAX’s next tilt will come at Hodges Stadium when they face Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Wednesday, July 15 at 7:30 p.m. This will be a chance to face a team that they’ve seen earlier this season, utilizing what they learned from March’s meeting and throughout the season.
“We’ll just keep working every single day,” Fox said. “There’s no magic wand to make things better overnight. I believe and I’ve been brought up [being taught] that the harder you work, the luckier you get and that’s exactly what we are going to do.”
