Gio's Lions SC Chicago picked up a comfortable 2–0 home victory over FC Milwaukee Torrent in NPSL action on Saturday, with Y. Lakhlifi opening the scoring in the 42nd minute and H. Lorenzo adding a second on the hour mark.
The first half was a scrappy affair before Lakhlifi broke the deadlock. The opening 40 minutes produced little in the way of goals but plenty of needle, with FC Milwaukee Torrent's S. Samame picking up a yellow card in the 40th minute. Two minutes later, Lakhlifi struck to give the hosts a 1–0 lead heading toward the break. The card count continued to climb before the whistle, with J. Le Comte booked in the 44th minute for Gio's Lions.
The second half followed a similar pattern. B. Kaup was cautioned in the 57th minute for the home side, but Gio's Lions extended their advantage three minutes later when Lorenzo made it 2–0. That goal effectively killed the contest. Lakhlifi, already the match's standout performer after his first-half strike, was shown a yellow card in the 68th minute. M. Ludwig picked up a late booking in stoppage time for Gio's Lions as things grew tetchy in the closing stages, but the hosts saw out the win without any real scares.
Five yellow cards across both teams underscored the physical nature of the fixture, though neither side had a player sent off.
The shutout victory gives Gio's Lions SC Chicago valuable momentum as they look to establish themselves in the NPSL standings this season.