CINCINNATI – Fort Wayne FC’s captain, Tiago Dias, scored a hugely important goal Saturday night to propel the club to a 1-0 victory over Kings Hammer FC Cincinnati.
The goal, from 15 yards out in the 82nd minute, came after a short pass from Rood Schnaider Beaubrun and slipped just inside the goalpost after Kings Hammer FC had thwarted a bevy of Fort Wayne FC scoring chances.
“This was a tough win today. They changed a little bit the way they play and we adapted good,” said Dias, who has scored in back-to-back matches for Fort Wayne FC (6-0-1), which remains atop the Valley Division heading into Wednesday’s 7 p.m. match at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium against second-place Lexington SC (5-0-2).
“We didn’t concede any goals and we got another clean sheet, and together we won. We fought until the last minute and that’s what we take from this.”
Upon burying his shot, Dias ran toward the stands to hug his family – father Pedro, mother Telma, and sister Inés – before helping Fort Wayne FC complete the victory.
“It was a good feeling,” Tiago Dias said. “My family came to visit and that one was for them. They’re in the (United) States today and it was something special.”
Fort Wayne FC goalkeeper Aurie Briscoe stopped three shots, including a close-range chance by Nick McHenry in the sixth minute that loomed large the remainder of the match. It was Briscoe’s fifth clean sheet of the season, including a victory over Sueño FC in a friendly, and he has 19 in his three-season USL League Two career for Fort Wayne FC.
Fort Wayne FC, which put five shots on the opposing net, won the Valley Division in 2023 and 2024. But only one team from the division will qualify for the 2025 postseason and Saturday’s victory was an important step for the club with five remaining league matches.
“It took us awhile to get going and we had to deal with a lot of long, aerial balls that they played in behind us. They were very effective at it, but I thought we did a very good job of holding them out,” said Fort Wayne FC coach Mike Avery, whose team defeated Kings Hammer FC Cincinnati 3-1 on May 31 at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium.
“It was a hard game, but we’re happy to get three points and get on the bus and get out of here.”
Wednesday’s match at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium will be Youth Soccer Night. Kids wearing their youth soccer jerseys get in free with a paid adult ticket (limit two kids per adult) and the first 1,000 fans will get a free Fort Wayne FC poster, presented by Más+.
Make sure to visit the Fort Wayne FC photo page for more from this match and other matches.
About Fort Wayne FC
Fort Wayne FC, founded in 2019, is currently a pre-professional club in USL League Two’s Valley Division in the Central Conference. The club won Valley Division championships in 2023 and 2024. Fort Wayne FC is moving to the professional ranks of USL League One in 2026 at a new state-of-the-art stadium. www.fortwaynefc.com
About United Soccer League
Founded in 1986, the United Soccer League (USL) is the largest and fastest-growing soccer organization in the United States, impacting more than 200 communities nationwide. The USL is the first and only organization to offer a comprehensive youth-to-professional pathway for both men and women under one ecosystem. This structure includes four men’s leagues: the newly announced, top-tier professional Division I league, the USL Championship (Division II), USL League One (Division III), and USL League Two (pre-professional). The women’s pathway includes the top-tier USL Super League (Division I), which debuted in 2024, and USL W League, the country’s leading pre-professional women’s league. The USL also oversees USL Academy, a progressive talent development platform, and USL Youth, a premier national youth platform.
