When I first started writing these recap posts, I wanted them to be a more clinical, stats-and-tactics oriented breakdown of the weekend’s game. I’d sprinkle in some narrative every so often for context, but I wasn’t trying to tell a story about sequences or emotions, I was trying to see what the statistics, such as they are, told me about the outcome of the game.
This game is obviously a bit different. Yes, Louisville City won their Nth game in a row, kept yet another clean sheet, Cam Lancaster got on the board for the seventh straight game, and Morados find their way into the Eastern Conference Final for the sixth straight year. But that would gloss over a game that really was a lot closer than the score line indicates. If not for Ben Lundt’s epic heroics, we’d all be quite a bit sadder, make no mistake.
Both teams sent out their expected lineups. John Hackworth stuck with the 4-3-3, but from the off it was a much more open contest than purple fans might have wanted. St. Louis knocked early and often, forcing what was probably the play of the game in the 12th minute. After Sean Totsch brought down Tyler Blackwood juuuuuust inside the penalty area to stop transition attack, Wal Fall’s penalty kick was kind of flubbed and Ben Lundt made a diving save to his left to keep things level at zero. Antoine Hoppenot would connect with Cam Lancaster about six minutes later to put City ahead for the match, a really nice chested settle and right footed volley from the Englishman who somehow managed to shake his marker at the back post.
You wouldn’t be surprised to learn, however, that it was St. Louis that outshot Louisville City 17-11, putting ten of those on frame, and forcing City’s 6’6″ loanee goalkeeper to do more work in 90 minutes than he’d done almost all season before. There were punches, tipped saves over the bar, double-saves, you name it. St. Louis did not choose wisely when they named the Berliner as their destroyer.
STL, as they have all season, brought a ton of intensity. They were a team playing like their lives depended on it. Fortunately, Louisville City was able to match that intensity for the most part. Each team earned three yellow cards for their effort. St. Louis actually created more chances and more “big” chances than LouCity did. Fortunately, Morados were able to convert their limited opportunities into goals. Sadly for them, St. Louis wasn’t.
It wasn’t a pretty game. Playoff games often aren’t. Tobi Adewole got credit for City’s second goal, though the way it was scored, with a fight for position against substitute Luke Spencer, was really indicative of how the entire match went: two guys fighting like hell to win, and City doing just enough to come out ahead.
One interesting thing to note: I’d thought early on that this was a game that would be won or lost in midfield. The middle of the field was a war zone for most of the night, and no one on either team really sparkled that much there. City was smart to realize that its advantage really lay on the wings, and Oscar and Hoppenot used that to pretty good effect in the first half. However, in an effort to disrupt St. Louis’s midfield, which was really clogging things up, Hackworth went back to the 3-5-2 we saw earlier in the season near the hour mark. Wes Charpie subbed on for Pat McMahon and folded into a back three, while Oscar pushed up and Napo came on for Ownby to try and keep win the ball more on the right side, where Russell Cicerone and Paris Gee had been keeping things quiet previously. It was an interesting wrinkle that seemed pretty successful.
Moving on: Tampa Bay is up next, the first “new” team City’s played in what seems like forever. The Rowdies are always a tough but fun opponent to play. Hats off to Saint Louis for a great six years, and a tough but well-fought ending. We’ll truly miss them and everything they brought to the league. Vaya con dios.
