Ambassadors FC Ohio hit the road and turned a new leaf as they secured a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Niagara 1812 on a windy evening in Lewiston, New York. Coming off a draw against northeast Ohio rival Cleveland SC, this match was crucial to get three points and to establish higher expectations for their first NPSL season.
Despite a well-organized opponent in Niagara 1812, and hitting the crossbar four times in 90 minutes, AFC Ohio delivered a determined effort to come away with their second win of the season.
In the first five minutes of the match, it appeared as though Niagara 1812 was poised to possess in front of the compact Ambassadors FC Ohio and dictate the play. They maintained possession, created opportunities for extended passing sequences, and even had an early opportunity for a shot in just the first minute of the match, turning up the heat quickly. But, as soon as Ambassadors found their rhythm, they were quick to extinguish the flame that was Niagara 1812 in the opening minutes.
After a feeling-out process and probing the 1812 organization with balls over the backline, AFC adjusted to head coach Ryan Dean’s tactical match plan and began to hit their stride just before the tenth minute of the match, when the attack had several good looks on goal. While the offense was a bit relentless in the Niagara half, the defense held shape while being opportunistic in the counterattack.
“The consistency of our defending having that ‘bend, don’t break’ attitude helped us for sure,” said Dean.
During a sustained moment of possession in the 25th minute of the match, Randy Harris of Ambassadors FC Ohio unleashed a low shot across the face of the goal, forcing an urgent save from the Niagara keeper, who managed to to parry the take into the path of Amir Spratt, ready in just the right place at just the right time, as he met the keeper’s deflection and effortlessly slotted the ball into the back of the net. This goal seemed to be a confirmation for Ambassadors FC Ohio establishing a much-deserved lead.
As the match progressed, AFC remained staunch and organized, limiting 1812 in opportunities to possess and taking away the spaces in between the lines. AFC wing back Brendan French was a true threat to Niagara. Not only did he let nothing past him on the flanks, but he was also a formidable force on offense, showing off his speed and tactical vision as he made runs in all of the channels across the backline throughout the match.
Physicality was high throughout the match with fouls piling up on both sides, however, it was Niagara 1812 who drew the first caution. Following a foul in the box on Amir Spratt later in the half, Ambassadors FC Ohio’s central midfielder, Josh Lord, had the opportunity to further his team’s lead in the game, taking the penalty, however, the shot was saved with a low dive to the left by the keeper. Despite several more close attempts, one off the crossbar and one off the post, the first half concluded with Ambassadors leading 1-0, just like the prior two games.
The second half produced no goal from either team, but was far from uneventful. The fouls and anxiety continued to pile up throughout the half, resulting in the frustrated home team receiving two more yellow cards and the Niagara coaching staff getting one of their own. Despite Ambassadors FC Ohio’s captain Omar Najjar picking up the final yellow of the match in what appeared to be a clean tackle after the 90-minute mark in added time, the away team played a clean half.
Although the 90 minutes were up, the game was still very much alive. The five minutes of extra time included another AFC shot that hit the crossbar, a near-miss off a scuffle resulting in a point-blank save from the 1812 keeper that literally knocked him off his feet, and the final Niagara caution of the night. Ultimately, the game concluded with a final score of 1-0, adding three points to Ambassadors FC Ohio’s record.
“The squad was a bit stretched due to injury and other conflicts, so we made the best group available and they got the job done,” said AFC Head Coach Dean.
In a highly anticipated rematch, Ambassadors FC Ohio will face Cleveland SC for the second time in seven days on June 4th at 7:00 PM at George Finnie Stadium on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University.
