SWOPE PARK RANGERS 3

LOUISVILLE CITY FC 2

5-6-19

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It wasn’t a tornado, but it was a cruel wind that blew in Kansas City along with electrical storms and intermittent showers during Louisville City’s Monday night visit to Children’s Mercy Park. Unfortunately the weather proved as distressing as the name of the venue.

It was the first win in seven tries for Swope Park Rangers who debuted new goalkeeper signing John Pulskamp who only turned 18 two weeks ago.

City, likewise, had a debutant in goal in the form of their own new signing Brian Holt, though this selection was forced due to the injury in warmups of regular shot stopper Ben Lundt.

This was a fully refurbished Swope Park unit from the side that two years back fell to Louisville in the USL Cup Final. The victors that night, over the course of this evening, fielded seven 2017 champion players.

City had their share of the play in the early going, harrying Rangers for the ball and establishing territorial control. But before they could turn their authority into anything substantial, the rain started falling and a lightning warning in minute 14 halted the game for an hour.

The only occasion of minor note in either area had been when Shaun Francis sent a long ball in to Lucky Mkosana who was bodied off the ball by a defender.

The first action after the resumption was when a Niall McCabe pass slit the defense and the moment it took Magnus Rasmussen to duck around Mo Abualnadi gave Pulskamp the time to race out and smother at the enthusiastic Dane’s feet.

After a quick wing free kick from Oscar Jimenez, full back Mark Segbers knocked over Abdou Thiam and City had a free kick 21 yards out. Oscar (perhaps a little too) gently clipped it over the wall but Pulskamp was able to get down and semi-convincingly beat it away.

The Purples (in white) were keeping things moving along nicely and Paco Craig wired a long ball out of defense right in front of Niall on the right side perpendicular. He met it first time, sending it in just ahead of a streaking Lucky, and the ball skidded through and to safety for SPR.

Paco’s scything 25th minute ball from halfway took a partial deflection. Abdou collected and turned into a seam between an off guard Segbers and Abdul Rwatubyaye, but as he cut to shake off the defenders and wound up to fire, Pulskamp came prancing out and spread himself to smother and kill the chance.

Seconds later Speedy Williams intercepted Camden Riley’s pass out of the back and played in Magnus Rasmussen who fired a 25 yard effort a few feet over the bar, and after 25 minutes Los Morados had been enjoying full reign.

At this point, however, Swope Park won a corner and all of a sudden the confidence flowed as they now flooded forward.

A lobbed clearance of Paco’s was intercepted short of halfway by left back Alex. The ball found its way through Jerome Mbekeli and Rassambek Akhmatov to skilled midfielder Felipe Hernandez. Sean Totsch elected not to close down and Hernandez crashed a strike in from 25 yards that cleared Brian Holt but boomed away off the crossbar.

The Morados had gone unpunished through a spell of less diligent work in midfield and uncertain clearing play, and in the 30th minute the inevitable happened.

City began to box themselves in playing short ball at the back until Holt received a passback and had time to tee the ball and hit it long. Instead, however, he committed a disastrous error by tapping his outlet ball directly up the middle to Hernandez who pounced on the gift, stepped forward and made no mistake as the hapless goalkeeper slipped over on the damp turf and could not recover his position.

1-0 down in the 30th, City had paid the price for softening up in midfield and failing to safely clear its lines. Soon after, Segbers picked the ball up deep and went on a swashbuckling run up the middle. With Sean caught deep he slipped it to his right to Will Little who lofted his effort well over the top, but the alarm bells should have been ringing by now for Hack’s crew.

Minutes later, Segbers was charging forward again and Akhmatov supplied him as Magnus casually dropped off. Segbers now had time to turn and slice a ball through for Akhmatov, darting in behind his marker Speedy, with Oscar pinching inside in coverage. The Purples’ tentative play was epitomized in Oscar hesitating on the tackl. Akhmatov did not need a second invitation as he slid in to nudge the ball past a helpless Brian Holt and into the net.

Within 4 minutes, City had been shocked twice by Paolo Nagamura’s fledgling Swope side.

The Rangers smelt blood and kept pressing forward, and Cameroonian wide man Mbekeli danced around Oscar in the area, but Taylor Peay was well stationed to turn his low cross away.

It had been a rough 15 minutes, but City found their footing again as Oscar shifted forward and whipped in a smart ball which Lucky was a shade short on sharpness to reach.

2 minutes later, Sean stepped up to intercept Alex’s outlet ball and Speedy picked it up and played left to Magnus. No. 7 has himself been stepping up to fill the scoring gap this season and he hit a fine goalbound drive that was deflected just wide of the goal by the sliding Rwatubyaye.

Oscar took the left wing corner and went to the near post as he often has this season. The ball dropped to Sean in a pocket but at point blank range he seemed surprised, awkwardly knocking his header wide, and burning a fantastic chance to pull one back before the break.

The half closed with Oscar picking up a loose ball in the area and driving harmlessly over the bar and Akhmatov picking up a persistent infringement yellow card.

In spite of coming on well at the end, the first half for City had produced plenty of questions from tentative and hesitant play. But John Hackworth would not hesitate, withdrawing the unlucky Taylor Peay and inserting Luke Spencer into the central striking role, principally occupied by Niall in the first half, the electric No. 11 dropping into his more familiar midfield domicile.

Swope Park began the second half on a positive note and Mbekeli again beat Oscar, this time forcing a clearance by Sean.

But Los Morados quickly found their purpose and attempting to retrieve a cleared ball Niall was fouled at the top of the Swope semi-circle.

Magnus now took over the mantle from Oscar, and to great benefit as he struck his free kick through a poorly formed defensive wall that had allowed Niall to infiltrate, and the ball flew beyond the reach of Pulskamp and in.

Rangers 2, City 1.

At the Louisville end, Sean, now slotted back in Taylor’s vacant position was casual allowing a Segbers clearance all the way from his own corner to reach Mbekeli, then missed on the tackle and was fortunate to see the winger fire safely over Brian Holt’s bar.

But this was only a one-off foray as The Purples took charge of all departments, while The Rangers sank back to preserve their lead.

In the 53rd, Sean sprayed wide for Oscar to head inside to Niall who sent a superb ball over the top, however a sliding Magnus with a pretty good look was unable to turn it in on goal.

City relentlessly maintained their pressure and Niall received and chipped fabulously over the top again, this time into the path of Luke, through in-between Rwatubyaye and Mo Abdualnadi in the middle of the Swope Park defense. The occasional super sub was not able to break clear as the twin center backs recovered and closed in and it appeared Luke had been shut down. However, in a moment of sheer enterprise he back-heeled into the space behind where Abdou appeared poised to convert, but in the split second he took to react Pulskamp was across like Kansas City lightning to dive again at his feet and save for the corner.

It was both the theme of the night for Abdou and yet another example of what a great discovery is the young ‘keeper from Bakersfield, Ca.

Abdou’s cross from deep eluded the center backs and found its way to Lucky but he popped it over the top when he might have had time to do better.

Before long though, Los Morados would make the breakthrough their dominance deserved.

In the 58th, a free kick out of defense to Speedy was relayed to Niall who fed Lucky, overlapping on the right, and No. 77 delivered a dangerous cross that Rwatubyaye had to slide to cut out. However, the ball squeezed behind him and right there was Luke. Pulskamp flew out and got a hand on No. 9’s point blank attempt but his followup cannoned off Segbers and into the net, and City had climbed out of the pit – and with still a lot of time to pursue all 3 points.

The visitors surged forward again as Shaun Francis sent a searching crossed into the Swope box. Abdou was put off by Magnus’ reach for the ball and it skipped up off his chest and toward the near upright. Rwatubyaye and Pulskamp made a hash of their attempt to clear and Magnus pounced and sent it back in for Abdou, but again the ball arrived too fast for him and his off balance volley rolled into the arms of a grateful (and prone) Pulskamp.

It was completely one way traffic now as the visitors were spraying the ball around the home team’s half at will, and in the 67th play worked through midfield from Niall to Speedy and out to Oscar on right wing. His incisive cross fell perfectly for Lucky but No. 77 got no purchase on his header from 12 yards and it dribbled well wide of the far post.

Shortly after, Speedy’s rousing tackle broke up a Rangers movement and Magnus picked up the ball and charged up the middle, evading substitute Sean Karani and Akhmatov before firing in a 25 yarder but Pulskamp was in position to get down and soak it up.

Minute 71 and Niall took a foul charge in the back from Hernandez. After several fouls niggly fouls on him over the course of the game he was none too impressed and took some time to be calmed down.

From his own half, Shaun Francis pumped a ball up the middle which Alex failed to deal with and Lucky dispossessed him but had his shot deflected behind by Abualnadi.

Oscar’s right wing corner now landed at Lucky’s feet at the far post, Karani being well placed to interfere and prevent him from bundling it in.

All Abdou’s toil had earned little reward and he was now exchanged for George Davis IV, along with Luke making his second substituting appearance since his injury 30 days prior.

In the 79th, Shaun, on a rare mistake, lost the ball to Karani who played a give-and-go with Hernandez and hit a narrow cross with substitute striker Harris steaming in to meet it, but Paco slid desperately to cut it out and probably save his team a go ahead goal against. The ball clearly struck his supporting arm but at Children’s Mercy Park the Londoner received his own blessing from the referee.

This proved only an interlude as City resumed the pursuit of their own winner and in the 80th, Niall intercepted a loose pass in midfield and through Lucky and Magnus received again, now out on the right wing. No. 11 held on just long enough for Magnus to make his way into the area and delivered another precise ball to the determined Dane’s head which he directed with force but wide of the upright.

Oscar got forward and supplied Niall, again on the wing, and yet another delicious service fell at the 6 between Luke and Magnus, but the ball managed to elude them both.

Los Morados were rampant and strong work between Speedy and Lucky allowed Oscar another cross from wide which Lucky met ahead of Pulskamp at the near post, however his flick-on slid across the face of the goal.

Before the hosts could catch a breath, Luke got onto a loose ball playing a headed give-and-go with Magnus that put him in behind the defense with only Pulskamp to beat. But with all the spoils on his normally trusty right boot, Luke pulled the ball wide of both the ‘keeper and his right post – a frustrating miss that would soon prove fateful.

And the evening for The Purples would begin to turn pear-shaped as, in the 88th minute, Niall misjudged as he advanced to check Alex breaking out of defense with the ball. The Brazilian skipped by him and set off up the middle with the Irishman in hot pursuit. As he reached the halfway line, still in full flight, the Louisville utility man lunged from behind, deliberately cutting him down and leaving the referee no option but to issue him his marching orders.

It was a frustrated and petulant decision by the Dubliner which cost his team the chance of a win and will keep him out of the next league game.

Even worse, it directly contributed to the twist in the tale/tail what would arrive at the resumption.

In the heat of the moment, no City player challenged the fact that Alex had placed the ball at a 10 yard advantage for the restart, and this became another crucial factor in the final outcome as he lofted his free kick toward Rwabtubyaye, 14 yards out from goal.

Brian Holt started to come, failing to anticipate the center back who leapt high above Oscar and flicked over the head of the now frozen keeper and into his net for a thrilling game winner for the Missourians.

On dead ball situations, the center of their area has been a constant problem for the Purple defense this season, with the central defenders getting routinely bypassed and questions will need to be asked for leaving Oscar in the hot seat on such a critical play while Luke was in close attendance.

Brian did have time for one good save in stoppage time, getting down sharply at his right post to keep out a Riley drive, but it was too little, too late and City never threatened again as Nagamura’s resilient youngsters got to the final whistle and celebrated their first win (1-2-4) back in the Eastern Conference.

Los Morados (4-1-4), meanwhile, were left to scratch their heads at the confounding manner in which events had unfolded.

Back to the drawing board then for Messrs Hack, Cruz and Sanchez, and back to injury watch on Messrs Lundt, DelPiccolo, Ownby and Jane.

Niall McCabe will of course be in his civvies for the all-important Saturday night matchup against highflying St Louis FC.

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@LouCityKiwi’s PLAYER RATINGS OUT OF 10:

Brian Holt: 3

Highly unfortunate night for the brand new signing. Not ideally thrown in as a last minute deputy due to Ben’s injury – and looking like it. His two critical errors presented Rangers their game opening and closing goals. Will be rearing for an opportunity at redemption in next Wednesday’s US Open Cup tie.

Sean Francis: 7

Got in some rare, useful crosses, and defending for the most part up to scratch. As stand-in captain, will be up to him to lift the team going forward.

Paco Craig: 7

Came up with his usual share of big tackles and intercepts to break up opposition attacks and enterprising in starting a few of his own with reasonable success, though organizational questions cropped up again in the defensive end at times.

Taylor Peay: 7

Got a steady 45 minutes in before being sacrificed in a tactical switch at the half.

Oscar Jimenez: 5 1/2

As will often occur in a loss, a contributor when going forward with some dangerous deliveries into the area, however exposed on the turn on defense and his hesitation to execute a vital tackle on the 2nd SPR goal was his moment of truth. Also needed to offer more resistance on the game winner.

Sean Totsch: 7

Still the best option filling in for PDP and helpful as a utility as tactical change. Did miss the gift headed opportunity at the end of the 1st half.

Speedy Williams: 7

Another mostly excellent outing on the ball, however tarnished by being a factor in both first half goals: appearing to give his goalkeeper a faulty instruction on the 1st and then turning off and losing his mark, the scorer, on the 2nd.

Niall McCabe: 7

Quite a game for the dangerous Dubliner. Shoehorned into his occasional false 9 role in the 1st before reverting back into midfield for the 2nd half. Won the foul and decoyed on the free kick for Magnus’ goal, and delivered a succession of key passes that weren’t converted.

However, wasted even more time than usual in altercations with the head official and eventually got himself sent off for an ignominious (not to mention frustrated) foul tackle from behind – in the middle of the field.

Abdou Mbacke Thiam: 5

Just not the rookie’s night. Again did well getting into scoring positions but unable to convert with the opposition defense stretched out on several occasions and generally not the force he’s shown he can be. Should have been an important asset at the close of a tight game but instead subbed out in favor of fresh legs.

Lucky Mkosana: 5 1/2

Showed up regularly in the Swope penalty area and assisted on Luke’s goal but squandered aerial chances (decidedly not his forté) by either not effectively meeting the ball or not meeting it at all, and didn’t make the most of chances on the deck which needs to be his forté.

Luke Spencer: 7

Halftime sub and looked much more like himself, back in his traditional target man role. Bundled in the timely equalizer but then missed probably the best chance of the match when put clear with only the goalkeeper to beat. Also must take a chunk of blame on the winning goal, scored by his mark.

George Davis IV: 6

Got on for 20 minutes playing time but not able to get into the game much when the team really needed a boost at the end.

“LOS MORADOS NO. 1 ⭐️ OF THE GAME”

⭐️⭐️⭐️Magnus Rasmussen⭐️⭐️⭐️: 7 1/2

Brightest bulb in the Louisville midfield. Needs to be firmer on the defensive side of the ball and bore some fault in the 2nd Swope goal but showed an appetite to get into threatening attacking areas and silky touches at times in the middle of the park. His (and City’s) highlight of the match, of course, scoring again on his splendid 2nd half free kick.

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