Super-20 League Feature
Friday, July 20, 2012
BRADENTON, Fla. – Abby Phillips secured a vital point for Colorado Rapids with a 78th-minute tying goal, her second of the game, in a 3-3 draw with Force Football Club Friday morning at the 2012 Super-20 North American Finals at IMG Academy.
Following yesterday’s draw with Triangle FC, Force came out strong against the only team in Group A with a win. Nicole Greenhalgh cut around the Rapids right back in the first minute and sent a ball into the box, but Taylor Niewoit’s shot was blocked.
Marisa Kozikowski made a brilliant run from the left back position in the eighth minute and sent Greenhalgh in behind the Colorado defense. The winger’s cross was cleared and Colorado pushed up the field on a counter attack. Colorado won a corner and gave Force a taste of its own medicine. The Midwest club scored eight minutes into yesterday’s game, then conceded after 10 minutes in Friday’s.
The service from the corner caused havoc in the Force box and the ball bounced off of the post before it fell to Phillips, who managed to push it over the line for the opener.
The Rapids had a shot saved from more than 30 yards out minutes later, but it was Force that pressured hardest for the remaining half hour in the half.
Force had a corner of its own in the 23rd minute. The ball was cleared away yet again by Colorado but it came straight to Kozikowski in the middle of the field. She hit the ball first-time and surprised the Rapids ‘keeper, who was happy to see it go just over the bar.
As they battled back, the Force girls could feel something coming. In the 36th minute, some great passing from the team in baby blue sent Julianne Boyle down the left side of the penalty area. She was taken down with a sliding tackle from a Colorado defender and a penalty kick was awarded by the referee. Boyle stepped up to the spot at sent the goalkeeper the wrong way for the tying goal. The half ended 1-1 with both teams needing something from the contest.
Just four minutes into the second half, Boyle proved instrumental again. The midfielder played a ball through the visitors’ back line for Angela Vultaggio to run at the goalkeeper one-v-one. The ‘keeper came out to try and get the ball before Force’s regular season leading-scorer could get off a shot, but Vultaggio placed the ball underneath her for a Force lead.
The teams each had spells of possession in the midfield throughout the half. In the 64th minute, Anna Evans found the ball at her feet after her teammate’s blocked shot and finished the chance for another equalizer.
Force pressured hard again after conceding and had a few chances. In the 76th minute, Greenhalgh found herself in an open position down the left side of the attacking third. A teammate found her with a pass and she took off down the line. She sent a cross into the box which found Martha Stevens, who chested the ball past the goalkeeper for the 3-2 lead.
Coach Cliff Brandmier knew his side needed to keep the lead and told the girls to have five minutes of pure concentration at the back. Unfortunately, after only two minutes, Force gave up a free kick 35 yards away from the goal. The shot from the free kick was blocked by the wall, but was deflected to Colorado’s Phillips, who scored the tying goal.
With a few injuries in the second half, the officials added five minutes to the end of the game. Colorado defended well on Force’s opportunities for goal kicks and managed to have the last chance of the game. The score held at 3-3, though, leaving Colorado with four points after two games and Force with two.
“We went down one-nil and battled back,” Brandmier said. “It was a good game. They’re very good, very physical, very strong. It was enjoyable playing against them because of their quality.
“It is what it is. We’re okay with the draw and we’re still in it.”
Triangle FC 4, Reading United AC 2
Triangle FC, which drew with Force yesterday, defeated Reading United AC 4-2 in the other Group A clash on Friday. Reading took an early lead, but conceded three consecutive goals before the end of the half, including an Ashley Clark corner from almost 40 yards. Reading got a late goal to pull within two, hurting Triangle’s goal differential in case of a necessary tiebreaker scenario.
Reading United, with the loss, cannot advance from Group A. Colorado and Triangle each have four points, while Force has two. The group-toppers face each other tomorrow with Force needing help from that game and a win against Reading United to make it to the championship game.