A brace by the 2025 Great Lakes Conference MVP Amir Spratt (above), a 2nd half penalty finish by Diego Pinto, and outstanding goalkeeping by first-year keeper Nick Bertolini saw Ambassadors FC Ohio through to defeat defending conference champions Flower City Union 3:1 at the Rochester Community Sports Complex to open the 2026 NPSL campaign.
In a match that saw concentrated moments of waves of pressure against each side, it was Ambassadors that made the most of those moments and withstood the onslaughts going against them in what proved to be a physical 95 minutes on a breezy, overcast Rochester evening.
“It was most certainly a match of moments to be sure,” said 4th year Head Coach Ryan Dean, a 2025 finalist for national Coach of the Year in the NPSL. “We were brave and strong in the important moments and took advantage of those. It is a great start but it is a marathon season.”
The opening 45 minutes saw action and quality chances at both ends. Ambassadors won a majority of aerial duals and first balls, but also failed to control many of those duals as well. Flower City consistently played to wide spaces for service and chances, but Bertolini made two outstanding saves from distance as well as some unworldly point-blank reaction saves to keep AFC Ohio level going into the interval.
Ambassadors took advantage of a number of first half corners and long throw opportunities, but all of the chances inside the six were off target or over the frame. That commitment to sacrifice and win first balls also stymied Flower City on their corner chances in the half.
In the 45th minute, following a foul against AFC Ohio at the top of the box, Flower City keeper Koki Naito served the restart long into the AFC half but Nate Werthmuller won the first time header that landed at the feet of Matiki Mwibeleca. Matiki played in a rushing Spratt early into a one-on-one with a Flower City centerback. His strength and commitment allowed him to lift the ball past an onrushing Naito to give the visitors a 1:0 lead in the 1st minute of extra time to end the half.
“That was a typical opportunity that Amir makes into something special,” said Dean. “What a massive difference that made after all the sacrifice and suffering we had to endure in the first 45.”
After the interval, the same themes quickly emerged with waves of pressure going in each direction early. In the 51st minute, AFC Ohio centerback Max Brown played a visionary linebreaking pass into the feet of Spratt just inside the half. Spratt sprayed it out wide left to first year midfielder and Philipino U23 International Jax Pena who cut in across the box only to be denied by the Flower City defence. The deflected tackle came to feet of Werthmuller who hit it first time in an attempt on frame, only to have it deflected as it looped to Spratt. The forward took it off his chest and turned to shoot but was denied by a reaction save by Naito. The rebound was fortunate for Spratt as it settled directly to him for a one-touch finish into the bottom right corner putting AFC Ohio up 2:0.
For the next 15 minutes, Ambassadors stayed disciplined in their shape and consistently shut down most possessions and opportunities to play through and around by the Rochester side. Bertolini sent a restart in the 68th minute deep into the Flower City half that Matt Skladany settled and set back to wingback veteran Matt Aspinall. Aspinall found Pena slicing into the penalty area with a pass and Flower City centerback Ryan Fitzgerald clearly cleaned out his feet giving AFC Ohio a chance from the spot.
Captain and six-year veteran Omar Najjar handed the ball to Diego Pinto who rifled an open foot drive into the right side netting to put Ambassadors up into what seemed like an insurmountable lead in the 71st minute. Pinto, a 2nd year player, was playing his first match since breaking his foot against Flower City in week two of the 2025 season against the same side when they played in Canton a little less than a year ago.
It was that 3rd goal that should have put an exclamation point on the match for AFC Ohio that actually brought Flower City back from the dead. In the 78th minute, Flower City had a set piece service opportunity that AFC Ohio failed to clear cleanly that landed at the feet of Nick Rippe. His hit from just inside the box was deflected and jammed into the net by captain Matt Bamford. And, at that point, the match was back on as the home side tasted blood in the water and were inspired.
Yet Ambassadors held true to their DNA of solid organization, suffering for others in the difficult moments, and held on to ride out the match through all five added minutes. The victory saw AFC Ohio win for the first time in Rochester and defeat Flower City for the first time in three matches after falling 0:3 in the Great Lakes Conference final last summer.
Ambassadors will host their home opener against visiting Rochester NY FC at Dr. David & Winnie King Field on the campus of Malone University in Canton, Ohio next Saturday, May 16 at 5:00 p.m. EDT.
