PDL Game Report
Sunday, May 18, 2014
EUGENE, Ore. -- Lane United FC earned a 1-1 draw with the Washington Crossfire at the Willamalane Center on Sunday afternoon in a game that, while not especially ill-tempered, saw the home team finish with only nine players on the pitch and the striker Khiry Shelton pulling emergency duty at center back.
The Crossfire’s Matthew Poplawski opened the scoring after only five minutes, but Washington could never add a second goal and, already down to 10 men after the dismissal of Brenden Anderson for two yellow cards, Lane United got their equalizer in the 60th minute from the penalty spot after Baldo Ribes was fouled.
The match started with the Crossfire immediately applying pressure into the Lane United defensive third. A long throw-in launched in the vicinity of the penalty spot ended up with Poplawsky prodding a low shot that the Lane United goalkeeper Matt Bersano barely saved, but Poplawsky followed up his own rebound and tapped into an empty net.
For the next five minutes, the Crossfire kept pressing and created what no one knew at the time would be their best chance of the rest of the game, when Anderson had to race back and clear a trickling shot from Poplawski off the line. After that point, Lane United’s midfielders and forwards started to feel the game out and maintain possession, as they sprang several attacks that just lacked a final ball.
Shelton and Conner Bevans both had strong low shots on their preferred right foot that forced saves out of the Washington goalkeeper Tyler Visten. The Crossfire defenders must have been concerned at the amount of space behind the midfield that Lane United’s forwards, plus Mikhail Doholis, the most attack-minded midfielder, had to run at them.
The game could have changed — but in reality, barely did — when Anderson was sent off in the 40th minute for his second yellow card after he brought down Poplawski who was racing in behind the back line. United coach John Galas reshuffled his defense, took off the forward Chico Sastre and replaced him with a fullback, Tyler Stelter, and the status quo was effectively upheld. United still had space to attack, and Martin Lukaschik hit the post on a half-volley 30 seconds before halftime.
Ten minutes into the second half, Lukaschik was subbed out and on came Baldo Ribes; five minutes later, he won a penalty by shifting the ball past Andy Thoma, who swung out his boot and clipped the Valencian’s ankle. Shelton stroked the ball low into the right corner and the score was tied.
Chances came and went for both teams after that point, and it seemed likely that more goals were coming. Galas dropped Shelton back into the midfield and introduced Rolando Velazquez as a lone striker, and the former Timbers Academy standout created several chances almost completely on his own.
United would be reduced to nine men with two minutes to play when Julio Alarcon was sent off after retaliating to a strong challenge in United's end. He was then shoved to the ground by Poplawski, who escaped with only a yellow. It was a sour end to a match that had been full of open, attacking play throughout and seemed to deserve more goals than the 1-1 scoreline suggests.