In a scrappy, hard-fought battle of a match, Ambassadors FC Ohio drew Cleveland SC 1-1on match day three. While CSC had the upper hand of seven years seniority in the NPSL, AFC came into the match higher in the table on goal difference. With the long-standing rivalry between the two Ohio-based teams, excitement was simmering below the surface as the two faced off, sure to make history tonight.
This match saw the debut of three AFC players, all of whom had a big impact on the result of the match: Ben Mihalek, Gavin Hill, and Max Brown. Mihalek was an excellent addition to Ambassadors FC Ohio’s team of lockdown defenders, playing very clean, giving up no fouls, and making his physical presence known and felt.
Barely two minutes into the match, AFC front runner Randy Harris maneuvered his way into a breakaway in the visiting 18-yard box where he was clipped from behind by a Cleveland SC player who was awarded the match’s first of five yellow cards. This young player is no stranger to the home team. Former AFC player Uleto Fuentes was known for his speed, skill, and technicality, making him a formidable opponent for his former team and someone to be aware of on the pitch.
The slippery conditions proved to be something both teams needed to adjust to, as opportunities and breakaways like that of AFC’s Harris in the fifth minute. With how quick the ball moved, the players needed to be just as fast if they were looking to make any threatening attack. By the he eighth minute, Ambassador FC Ohio had won several different set pieces but were unable to capitalize on any. With as many attempts at the goal as they had, it was clear that AFC’s intensity was there from the start.
The AFC Ohio counter attack was dangerous all night long as they sat in a compact block. In just the thirteenth minute of the match, Harris won the ball in a breakaway, where he ripped a close shot straight at the CSC keeper. Only seconds after, a deflection off of the keeper was picked up by AFC midfielder Aidan Eck, who tapped the ball home to beat the remaining Cleveland SC defenders, finishing the rebound and putting Ambassadors FC Ohio in the lead.
A good portion of the half dominated by the AFC counter. But despite several opportunities coming a fraction away from success, Ambassadors FC Ohio was unable to finish any attempts. The later stages of the first stanza saw some cracks in the AFC block and a bit of chippiness as both sides fatigued seeing Cleveland SC gain yet another yellow card.
Similar to Flower City Union last Saturday, Cleveland SC came out of the gates in the second half with a new fire, catching AFC on slips and simple mistakes. Despite this, Ambassadors FC Ohio did an excellent job of maintaining shape and structure. Eck was a truly dominant figure in the match for the all whites as a ball winner, covering ground in the middle of the park, and as an attacking threat on the ball and off the ball. Eck became a force to be reckoned with through the entirety of the match.
After going in for a tackle in the 59th minute, Omar Najjar took on the third yellow card of the match to stop a CSC offensive attack before it could snowball into something out of control. Five minutes later, Cleveland SC found an opening outside the area and drove a ball past the dive of Gavin Hill to even out the score at 1-1.
Offsides was a frequent refrain in the match for both sides.. Just past the halfway mark in the second half, Ambassadors FC Ohio strung together perfect split passes which resulted in another goal, however a player was offsides nullifying goal and kept the score at 1-1.
As the clock continued to run down, the scrappiness and fatigue of both teams picked up, showcasing the long-standing rivalry between the two teams who have competed only in friendlies prior to this evening. Similar to the first half, the second half consisted of countless fouls, and back and forth barbs between the teams. The frustrations of the away team became quite clear to all spectators in the final minutes of the match, as the Cleveland SC was assessed two cautions in the same stoppage directed at their staff and bench personnel.
The final two minutes of the match were spent mostly in the CSC half of the field with Ambassadors creating a number of half chances. Nevertheless, the match concluded as a 1-1 draw.
Ambassadors FC Ohio will now go on the road again this coming Saturday 5/31 to Lewiston, N.Y. to battle new NPSL foe Niagara 1812 at 7:00 p.m. on the campus of Niagara University in Lewiston, N.Y.
