Confessions of a Soccer Nobody: When Opportunity Knocks
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Soccer is often a fickle game; a moment of brilliance can determine the outcome of a match while an advantage in possession might not yield a win. In a sport where contests are often decided by one play, mistakes become magnified and goals revered. It becomes crucial for teams to seize their opportunities because they are often few and far between. During the past week, two squads—the Harrisburg City Islanders and the U.S. national team—were presented with a shot at glory but fared differently when opportunity came knocking.
Last night, the City Islanders hosted the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer in the U.S. Open Cup third round. This match was a tremendous opportunity because of several reasons. First, for a USL-2 club like Harrisburg, chances to play MLS teams are rare. Even rarer is the opportunity to play them in a competitive tournament at home. Second, having a MLS team come to the Skyline Sports Complex meant that many casual fans might attend the match to support their local team. Third, aspiring players had a shot of impressing a higher-level club, after all, Tiyi Shipalane turned a strong performance in last year’s Open Cup into a MLS contract with D.C. United. Finally, the City Islanders could put a poor league campaign behind them and continue their fairy tale run through the tournament. Winning is always the goal, and the Open Cup offers $100,000 to the winning franchise; but a $10,000 reward is also offered to the team who advances the furthest from their respective league. Incentives? The City Islanders had plenty.
Harrisburg’s opponent, the New York Red Bulls, viewed the match somewhat differently. As the favored team playing a minor league club, the Red Bulls fielded mostly reserves, giving younger players a chance to prove themselves while assuming their quality surpassed that of their foes. The plucky underdogs from Harrisburg proved that mindset terribly wrong, seizing the match and netting a dramatic 1-0 overtime victory. The City Islanders generated numerous chances and carried much of the possession. When the "Baby Bulls" threatened, defenders from Harrisburg threw their bodies at the ball to deflect shots or goalkeeper Danny Cepero parried them away. As their confidence grew, the City Islanders played like a team on a mission rather than a squad at the basement of the USL-2 standings. Dangerous throughout, Harrisburg struck late in extra time, with Dominic Oppong (left) tallying the game-winning goal. Opportunity came calling, and the City Islanders answered.
A continent away, the U.S. national team was presented with a different opportunity. Having won their group with a dramatic stoppage time goal, the Americans found themselves playing unfancied Ghana for a quarterfinal berth. A win would have the Yanks playing Uruguay or South Korea, nations ranked below the United States according to the FIFA rankings. A run to the semifinals of the World Cup was within reach, an incredible possibility for a nation that struggles to embrace the sport. The Americans had been cheered on by a massive band of traveling supporters in South Africa, while legions of fans increased back home in the States. The team had a shot at immortality, and the stars seemed to be aligning to make that dream a reality.
As they have done time and again, the United States fell behind early. And as they also have done time and again, the American battled back. Seemingly better with their backs against the wall, a winning goal seemed inevitable. Landon Donovan scored on a penalty kick to tie the match, and Ghana did not appear too threatening. But that final strike never came, and Ghana seized their opportunity, scoring early in extra time. They were trying to become just the third African nation to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals, carrying the banner of a continent whose teams had been eliminated. Ghana capitalized on their chances, while the Americans were left asking: "what if?" Perhaps more painful than losing is the knowledge that more success loomed on horizon. A quarterfinal match against a lesser opponent awaited. Massive television ratings and media exposure would follow. New fans and opportunities lied ahead, but that call went unanswered. A World Cup teemed with anticipation and the United States basked in the glory of their performance in the group stage. But as quickly as that success came, it was lost. Opportunities come and go, and American soccer is left to rue a huge one that got away.
Truth be told, opportunities are created. What separated the City Islanders from the U.S. national team is the manner in which they created, and capitalized on, their chances. Harrisburg refused to sit back and play defensively against the Red Bulls. Instead, they attacked, stringing together possession and generating chances. Several just missed, such as Vince Petrasso’s shot off the goalpost, but they moved forward. At times in the World Cup, the United State followed suit. They occasionally dominated opponents, peppering Slovenia and Algeria with shots, but too many of these opportunities were wasted. American forwards scored no goals during the World Cup. That’s right, zero. Jozy Altidore (right), Robbie Findley, and Edson Buddle failed to produce offensively, while midfielders Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and Michael Bradley accounted for all of America’s goals. No team can expect sustained success without production from their forwards, and their failure to finish ultimately cost the U.S. In addition, the City Islanders were able to pull together defensively in a way the Yanks were not. Cepero, Dustin Bixler, and the rest of the Harrisburg defense played with urgency in the back, whereas lapses and miscommunication created too many goals for America’s opposition. Denying opportunities is equally important as creating them, and as a result, the City Islanders’ dream continues while the United States now waits four years to resume theirs.
Throw-Ins
Soccer is often a fickle game; a moment of brilliance can determine the outcome of a match while an advantage in possession might not yield a win. In a sport where contests are often decided by one play, mistakes become magnified and goals revered. It becomes crucial for teams to seize their opportunities because they are often few and far between. During the past week, two squads—the Harrisburg City Islanders and the U.S. national team—were presented with a shot at glory but fared differently when opportunity came knocking.
Last night, the City Islanders hosted the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer in the U.S. Open Cup third round. This match was a tremendous opportunity because of several reasons. First, for a USL-2 club like Harrisburg, chances to play MLS teams are rare. Even rarer is the opportunity to play them in a competitive tournament at home. Second, having a MLS team come to the Skyline Sports Complex meant that many casual fans might attend the match to support their local team. Third, aspiring players had a shot of impressing a higher-level club, after all, Tiyi Shipalane turned a strong performance in last year’s Open Cup into a MLS contract with D.C. United. Finally, the City Islanders could put a poor league campaign behind them and continue their fairy tale run through the tournament. Winning is always the goal, and the Open Cup offers $100,000 to the winning franchise; but a $10,000 reward is also offered to the team who advances the furthest from their respective league. Incentives? The City Islanders had plenty.
Harrisburg’s opponent, the New York Red Bulls, viewed the match somewhat differently. As the favored team playing a minor league club, the Red Bulls fielded mostly reserves, giving younger players a chance to prove themselves while assuming their quality surpassed that of their foes. The plucky underdogs from Harrisburg proved that mindset terribly wrong, seizing the match and netting a dramatic 1-0 overtime victory. The City Islanders generated numerous chances and carried much of the possession. When the "Baby Bulls" threatened, defenders from Harrisburg threw their bodies at the ball to deflect shots or goalkeeper Danny Cepero parried them away. As their confidence grew, the City Islanders played like a team on a mission rather than a squad at the basement of the USL-2 standings. Dangerous throughout, Harrisburg struck late in extra time, with Dominic Oppong (left) tallying the game-winning goal. Opportunity came calling, and the City Islanders answered.A continent away, the U.S. national team was presented with a different opportunity. Having won their group with a dramatic stoppage time goal, the Americans found themselves playing unfancied Ghana for a quarterfinal berth. A win would have the Yanks playing Uruguay or South Korea, nations ranked below the United States according to the FIFA rankings. A run to the semifinals of the World Cup was within reach, an incredible possibility for a nation that struggles to embrace the sport. The Americans had been cheered on by a massive band of traveling supporters in South Africa, while legions of fans increased back home in the States. The team had a shot at immortality, and the stars seemed to be aligning to make that dream a reality.
As they have done time and again, the United States fell behind early. And as they also have done time and again, the American battled back. Seemingly better with their backs against the wall, a winning goal seemed inevitable. Landon Donovan scored on a penalty kick to tie the match, and Ghana did not appear too threatening. But that final strike never came, and Ghana seized their opportunity, scoring early in extra time. They were trying to become just the third African nation to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals, carrying the banner of a continent whose teams had been eliminated. Ghana capitalized on their chances, while the Americans were left asking: "what if?" Perhaps more painful than losing is the knowledge that more success loomed on horizon. A quarterfinal match against a lesser opponent awaited. Massive television ratings and media exposure would follow. New fans and opportunities lied ahead, but that call went unanswered. A World Cup teemed with anticipation and the United States basked in the glory of their performance in the group stage. But as quickly as that success came, it was lost. Opportunities come and go, and American soccer is left to rue a huge one that got away.
Truth be told, opportunities are created. What separated the City Islanders from the U.S. national team is the manner in which they created, and capitalized on, their chances. Harrisburg refused to sit back and play defensively against the Red Bulls. Instead, they attacked, stringing together possession and generating chances. Several just missed, such as Vince Petrasso’s shot off the goalpost, but they moved forward. At times in the World Cup, the United State followed suit. They occasionally dominated opponents, peppering Slovenia and Algeria with shots, but too many of these opportunities were wasted. American forwards scored no goals during the World Cup. That’s right, zero. Jozy Altidore (right), Robbie Findley, and Edson Buddle failed to produce offensively, while midfielders Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and Michael Bradley accounted for all of America’s goals. No team can expect sustained success without production from their forwards, and their failure to finish ultimately cost the U.S. In addition, the City Islanders were able to pull together defensively in a way the Yanks were not. Cepero, Dustin Bixler, and the rest of the Harrisburg defense played with urgency in the back, whereas lapses and miscommunication created too many goals for America’s opposition. Denying opportunities is equally important as creating them, and as a result, the City Islanders’ dream continues while the United States now waits four years to resume theirs.
Throw-Ins
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For their U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal, the City Islanders will face the winner of the D.C. United (MLS) vs. Richmond Kickers (USL-2) match which will be contested tonight. Harrisburg will play their opponent on the road next Tuesday or Wednesday, marking their first away match of the tournament. The team previously defeated the Brooklyn Italians (4-2), Long Island Rough Riders (1-0), and New York Red Bulls (1-0) at the Skyline Sports Complex.
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Harrisburg (1-6-4, 7 points) returns to league play on Saturday when they host the third-place Charlotte Eagles (4-5-3, 15 points).
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Reading United tied the Ocean City Nor’easters 2-2 on Saturday. With the tie, Reading (7-1-2, 23 points) falls to second place in the PDL Mid-Atlantic Division, however they have played one fewer match than the Ironbound Express (8-2-1, 25 points). Reading hosts the Bermuda Hogges on a July 4th tilt at Exeter High School.
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Posted by Soccer Nobody at 6/30/2010 4:00 PM 
Categories: Confessions of a Soccer Nobody
Tags: Reading United Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup World Cup Ghana New York Red Bulls Harrisburg City Islanders USMNT
Categories: Confessions of a Soccer Nobody
Tags: Reading United Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup World Cup Ghana New York Red Bulls Harrisburg City Islanders USMNT
Another solid post by Soccer Nobody...
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Fielding many of their starters, DC United defeated the Richmond Kickers 2-0 tonight, setting up a quarterfinal clash between the City Islanders and DC United at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown on July 21 at 7:30 pm. The date and venue changed since the initial pairings were announced, an unfortunate situation because the Open Cup will now conflict with the Manchester United vs. Philadelphia Union match at Lincoln Financial Field.
P.S. Thanks for the kind words, Bearcat!
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