I’ve spent my life on courts, fields, and diamonds. I haven’t spent anytime on a pitch. Novice would be a drastic understatement. Yet there I sat, at the north goal at WWT soccer park in Fenton, MO covering my first soccer match…not game, match.
This was more than I expected. The crowd was loud, the fan band St. Louligans were in full dress, full effect, making an entrance worthy of any football club across the pond. A perfect St. Louis spring, just a bit of wind, a little more sun, and a perfect 55 degrees. The trees surrounding the valley in which the pitch was constructed are still bare of leaves, waiting for what could be another fool’s spring to come and go before erupting to paint the landscape a bright green.
The first half
The first 45 minutes was back and forth and back again. In the 22nd minute the man from Bridgeton, Sam Fink, found the back of the net off of a surgical pass from Britain’s own Lewis Hilton. A beauty of a goal, and the crowd erupted sending cheers echoing off the surround hills. STL went to break up 1-0.
The most impressive part of the half was the crowd. They were non-stop. Cheer after cheer, chant after chant, and ref bashing after ref bashing. Which comforts me and holds true the long tradition of, no matter the sport, the level, the nationality, or the time of day…everyone hates the refs.
Photo Credit: Gavin Ashton
The last 45…ish???
I don’t understand stoppage time…I never will. Just stop the clock when the ref blows his whistle. Basketball figured it out…and well pretty much every other sport with a clock. Us stupid Americans I suppose…
But, I digress. The second half was intense. STLFC was dominating play. But…then…in the 74th minute they were called for a handball in the Tampa Bay box. Which (thanks to our photographer Gavin Ashton explaining yet another rule to me) meant that Tampa was awarded a penally kick. It found the deepest part of the net and it was all tied at 1.
Photo Credit: Gavin Ashton
Stoppage time insanity
Thanks to the amazing access granted to us by STLFC we were up against the boards on the STL end. In stoppage STL had three amazing chances. Thanks to near deadly corner kicks from Hilton they were on the precipice of victory. But alas, it was not to be.
Photo Credit: Gavin Ashton
Then, the final play of the game. From right corner Hilton had one last chance. He struck a surgical corner to the far post…header…on net…and a brilliant save by the Tampa Bay goalie….
The final whistle blew. 1-1. Game over…
In all it was an amazing day. The announced attendance of 4,004 was engaged and boisterous the entire 90 minutes. If this is the kind of intensity STL soccer fans bring to a club game on a chilly Saturday, I cannot imagine what they would bring to a MLS game under the bright lights of downtown.
So until the next kick on the pitch…long live #MLS4THELOU
Follow Sauls on Twitter @Will_ArchCity
