(Photo Credit: Nick Yahl- Arch City Sports)
A rain delay lasting approximately an hour put a damper on the evening at World Wide Technology Park as Saint Louis FC pulled a 3-3 draw with Louisville FC in the teams second meeting of the year. Louisville came out victorious in the first game of the season 2-0.
Saint Louis took an early lead in the 20th minute when Jermie Lynch capitalized on a miscue by Louisville goalkeeper Scott Goodwin to take a 1-0 lead. The goal was Lynch’s third on the year and second straight game with a score.
A short time later Louisville answered back with a goal of its own as Matt Fondy knocked a loose ball into the net to tie the game up 1-1. The score stayed knotted at one heading into the break.
In the 60th minute Saint Louis regained the lead as Mike Ambersley created a beautiful strike that found its way past Goodwin to put the home team ahead 2-1.
With lightning in the area, officials called for a weather delay, which lasted for roughly an hour before the players took the field to resume action. Louisville swung momentum in its favor connecting on another unfortunate bounce in front of the Saint Louis net to bring the game all square 2-2.
Lynch noted afterwards the struggle to stay in form and in game mode with a long delay.
“It’s hard sitting in the changing room for 45 minutes and its tough to come back out. Both teams were making little mistakes you wouldn’t normally see,” Lynch said.
Those mistakes resulted in four goals between the two sides in a near 20-minute span. A moment after Louisville tied it up Ambersley was taken down in the box by Goodwin, which resulted in a penalty kick.
Bryan Gaul elected to take the free kick and connected giving Saint Louis the lead once more 3-2. Though by the time you looked down at your phone Louisville had brought it all square 3-3 with a nice set piece connection off the foot of Nate Polak.
The game concluded in a 3-3 draw.
Head coach Dale Schilly said after the game he was happy with the guys fight against a team that has given up so few goals.
“For us to score three goals against a team who hasn’t given up a goal in four or five matches says a lot about the way our guys played today,” Schilly said.
With two games left on their plate this is certainly a rivalry that is in its fruition. Both teams were handed its fair share of yellow cards as tempers flared throughout the second half following the delay.
Even though they had the lead three times and ended with a draw this Saint Louis squad has looked much improved over the past three or so games. The biggest issue right now lies in the defensive miscues and communication in the defensive zone. Two of the three Louisville goals could probably have been avoided had the communication been better.
Saint Louis is back in action on Wednesday at World Wide Technology Park when they face off against Minnesota United FC as the US Open Cup continues. Kick off is set for 7 p.m. CT and can also be live streamed online on Saint Louis FC’s YouTube page.
If Saint Louis were to come away victorious they would then head to Kansas City to take on Sporting KC in mid June.
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