That’s a draw that felt like a loss. City dropped what should have been a run-of-the-mill three points and snatched a draw from the jaws of victory on Saturday night. After giving up a goal to Lucky Mkosana in the first twenty seconds of the game, Morados responded brightly with a pair of quick goals of their own before the game was fifteen minutes old. Kyle Smith added what might have been thought to be an insurance goal during extra time of the first half to put City up 3-1. It was very easy to feel like the job was done going into half time.

Unfortunately, the game is 90 minutes, not 45+1, and Penn dominated the second period. Mkosana got a brace in the 63′, and substitute Baffoe Prince got the equalizer with about 15 minutes to play. City never really looked like they were going to get another goal after that, and everyone went home disappointed.

As if to illustrate the point, Louisville City had just one shot in the entire second half, a hopeful rip from Magnus Rasmussen from about 30 yards away that was wide of the far post. That was it. Pennislanders, on the other hand, had NINE shots, FIVE on target. Four of those shots were taken from about eight yards from goal. That’s bad. City might count themselves lucky that they didn’t lose, much less draw after that second half performance.

Some more numbers of note:

• Penn had seven corners to City’s two
• City won the possession battle, and Penn didn’t seem to care
• City was called offside six times, most of those being Ilija Ilic
• Only one Penn’s goals was generated from wide areas, but they crossed the ball in 30 times. That seems excessive.
• Penn had 17 shots on the game, which is wayyyyy too man, and had six on target. I can’t remember the last time Morados gave up so many shots.
• I moved ends of the field for the second half, partly because my kids wanted to go to the playground, and partly because I expected to see City on the Witherspoon side of the field quite a bit. I was sorely disappointed. City had just one touch in the Penn 18 yard box the entire second period, and it was juuuuust inside it, not close to goal.
• I haven’t re-watched the game yet, and I probably won’t, but I don’t feel like City defended from the front the way I’m used to seeing in the second half. That may be a product of personnel, or something else.

That was an opportunity missed. Let’s not do that again. On to Nashville on Wednesday.