This feature might need to be renamed for Paco Craig given the LouCity defender’s performance last Saturday night in Pittsburgh. Los Morados won their first ever away playoff game on a cold night at Highmark Stadium 1-2 against the conference champs in extra time, and in dramatic fashion.
This was a game where I, personally, would have been okay with a loss. Given how up-and-down this season was, Pittsburgh’s contrasting consistency, the way Louisville City found their way into the fourth seed on the last day of the season, and how good the Hounds are at home, I would have been okay losing. I wouldn’t have liked it, of course, but I would have accepted it.
One of the defining characteristics of this team for the past several seasons, though, is that they aren’t okay with losing. They would not have accepted it. When Pittsburgh did their typical “shut it down” thing about twenty minutes after Thomas Vancayezeele’s corner header in the 11′, LouCity took the game over for the next 90.
Pittsburgh is fine absorbing pressure and defending, of course. You don’t need to look back far to see how resolute the Hounds, and the Rhinos before them, are when holding a lead. We watched Louisville City try and fail to break through their defense in 2015 like waves on a rocky shore to no avail. A singular moment of Brian Ownby brilliance was the only thing preventing a similar result in 2017 at Slugger.
Louisville City had just one shot on target during regular time. One. It was Luke Spencer’s goal in the 51′. It was one of the more perfect plays you’re ever going to see at any level, and it came on the back of what could have been a dagger just a moment before from Neco Brett the other way. Oscar Jimenez was great all night but that pass between two defenders in tight coverage on Luke was absolutely brilliant.
Pittsburgh took four more shots in the game after that, but only one on frame. When neither side could get the W during regulation, Louisville City decided to win the game in extra time. Three of City’s four shots on target came after the 90′ mark. The Hounds took two shots total and neither were on frame.
John Hackworth put out a sturdy lineup resemblant of recent weeks, the only real change being Luke Spencer at the #9 instead of Ownby. Luke was a warrior all game and definitely repaid the skipper’s decision to start him. City played a bit more 4-2-3-1 than 4-3-3 in style, while Pittsburgh’s 3-4-3 was really more of a 5-2-3 designed to hit on the counter and protect a lead. That, of course, is exactly what they did for 40 minutes until Luke’s equalizer. By that time, though, City had control of the game and the ball and Pittsburgh wasn’t able to regain enough of a foothold to make a difference.
Highmark Stadium is a narrow park, and City played even narrower to try and pierce through the Riverhounds’ defense. It was a gutsy, heady, tough and focused performance from Morados. It was exactly what they needed to do to get through one of the best teams in the East.
Let’s talk numbers. As I said, Pittsburgh was happy to play defense all game, and gave Louisville City 60.7% of the possession. They were nonetheless able to take 13 shots and six on frame, which required some fabulous efforts from Chris Hubbard and Paco Craig to keep their tally to one. City, for their part, took ten shots and and only four on target, three coming in extra time.
Morados attempted 837 passes, which I have to believe is a club record, and completed 75.7%, 65.5% in the Hounds half. That’s very good. Sean Totsch and Paco both did yeoman’s work keeping the Hounds attackers out of their box, which resulted in the Burgh sending in 26 crosses, only 15.4% of which connected.
John Hackworth did one of his best jobs since taking over last season with his subs. Not willing to play for penalties, he took off Napo Matsoso just before the hour mark and put on Brian Ownby for pace. While I wasn’t so sure about that sub, sacrificing midfield steel for offense and speed, it made sense. Why not just go for it? This is playoff soccer – it’s win or go home. Putting on Paolo is always a good idea, same with George Davis IV who created two scoring chances in his 30 minute stint and generally kept the right side of Pittsburgh’s lineup busy.
Napo did pretty well, to be fair, completing 80% of his 30 passes, though his giveaway in the 49′ nearly upended the game for Morados. Paco Craig was inarguably man of the match, completing 76% of his 134 passes, winning 13 of 18 duels, 9 of 13 in the air, to go with two tackles, four interceptions, and three clearances. Sean Totsch wasn’t as dominant numbers-wise but was a vacuum defensively, snuffing out chance after chance and doing great work keeping Neco Brett at bay.
Oscar was a close second to Paco, assisting on Spencer’s goal, completing 85% of his passes, winning five fouls and picking up three interceptions. Pat McMahon was his usual solid self and a Pittsburgh goat to boot, which gives him all the more esteem in my eyes. He had three successful crosses, to boot.
We didn’t hear a lot about Magnus in the match but he played efficiently, completing every pass he attempted in the Hounds half. None of the midfield three really did much offensively, but generally held their own. Antoine wasn’t as involved as I might have liked to see, and he had his hands full most of the night defensively. Niall McCabe played fabulous.
It really was a complete performance from City, and they deserved the win. This is a group to be proud of no matter the result, but this really was a heroic game from all of them.
Now it’s on to Indy and another edition of LIPAFC for the Eastern Conference Finals. Another chapter in the greatest rivalry in the history of the multiverse. I can’t think of anything that could be more fitting. VAMOS MORADOS!
