First, let’s address the players’ seven minute protest to start the match. I, personally, am proud that the players united to bring attention to issues surrounding racism and unequal treatment of Black people in America, especially in light of another inflammatory week starting with the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, WI. I’m proud that our club supports the players in this kind, and other means, of expression. I look forward to a day when these problems and wounds heal, but if anything the players are doing to bring attention to any of this results in change for the better, it will have been more than worth it.
Now to the game.
St. Louis surprisingly put Louisville City on their heels for stretches of this match. Yes, City nearly got on the board early, but possession and chances weighed heavily the other way for the opening half. Sean Totsch’s goal was against the run of play off a broken set piece. And Speedy probably should have doubled the lead not long afterwards.
However, St. Louis was otherwise largely in control of the play in this game. One has to wonder whether that was a product of this being City’s first road game of the entire year, some tired-ish legs from Wednesday’s tilt against Indy XI, the game plan itself, or a combination of all those things. I doubt City intended to try and weather an onslaught all game, honestly, but who knows.
To LouCity’s credit, the shots they did get were decent. Five on target out of nine total is good. Chances were not in terribly short supply. And a draw is not a bad result, necessarily. That said, this game was an opportunity to go first in the group and create some separation from the playoff line. City didn’t gain or lose any ground, but the remaining fixtures in the schedule don’t leave a ton of room for error going forward.
There’s not much else to say about this game. A point isn’t bad, but we’d hoped for more. Let’s regroup and get ready for the third installment of LIPAFC in Indy this weekend.
