One goal was enough. Piotr Starzec scored in the 54th minute, Carson Cecil made the saves that kept the shutout intact, and Roots FC II beat Council Bluffs Captains FC 1-0 on Sunday at Waukee High School Stadium to open the USSL Midwest Conference season 2-0.
The match was scoreless through a tightly contested first half, with Jayson Kunkel in goal for the Roots. Kunkel came out at halftime, and Cecil took over in net for the second half.
The Roots broke through nine minutes after the restart. Ahmed Amer #44 set up the goal, and Starzec finished it for his second goal in as many matches, after scoring in the Roots’ 2-1 opener against Rangel City FC.
From there it was about holding the lead, and the Captains made that hard. A Captains shot hit the top of the post in the second half, and with less than 20 minutes left and the Roots still up 1-0, Cecil came up with a big save to keep the shutout alive. The Captains finished without a card on either side of the match sheet and dropped to 0-2 on the season.
The win came on a triple header day. Roots FC II played at 1:30 PM, a free Junior Roots Clinic with Rising Roots Initiative followed, and Capital City Roots FC beat Reapers FC 3-1 in UPSL play at 5:00 PM. Read the UPSL match report.
The Roots are 2-0 in conference play with two matches left, both on the road: Rangel City FC on Saturday, November 7 at 6:00 PM at CHI Sports Complex, and the final match on Saturday, November 14 at 3:00 PM at Council Bluffs Recreation Soccer Complex.
| Result | W | Roots FC II 1 | Council Bluffs Captains FC 0 |
| Competition | USSL Midwest Conference |
| Date | October 25, 2026 |
| Venue | Waukee High School Stadium | Home |
| Goals | Roots FC II: Piotr Starzec (54′) |
| Assists | Ahmed Amer (Starzec 54′) |
| Goalkeepers | Jayson Kunkel (first half), Carson Cecil (second half) | Clean sheet |
| Cards | None |
Roots Run Deep.
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