The Box Score

Turns out my pregame prediction was right: the game ended in a 3-1 score with a team getting punched in the face by their opponents at first, then rallying back to score three straight. Unfortunately, the soccer gods decided to switch the team names around.

Three Things we Learned

Feeling Bad and Bouchy

With Kalil ElMedkhar and Florian Valot as late scratches due to injury, Abdellatif Aboukoura got the chance to start, and he made the most of it, scoring the first goal and earning a nomination for Goal of the Week. He brings a jolt of energy to Loudoun’s attack whenever he touches the ball, similar to Teddy KDP and Jackson Hopkins in previous seasons. As long as he stays healthy [knock on wood] his stock will only continue to rise with this team.

Adapt or Perish

Once again Loudoun’s opponent made an adjustment to make up for their own shortcomings in the early game. And once again, Loudoun failed to adapt until it was too late. I said it in my preview that Birmingham didn’t have a true 9, and I couldn’t see where their goals would come from. Soehn decided to make up for that by pushing 4 attacking mids and wingers to the front and overloading the Loudoun defense. Pasher, Martinez, Kassim, and Preston started running around the box, creating havoc, and found gaps in Loudoun’s high press later in the game that led to goals for their side.

Moral Victories (and $5 will get you a burger)

I’m a long-suffering fan of DC-area pro sports teams, I’m used to Moral Victories instead of real ones. It still stings though that Loudoun was on the right side of the possession battle (61-39%), with more accurate passes (84-77%), and fewer shots off target (2-6, after accounting for blocked shots), and still lost in the final stat that really matters (Goals Scored). Having said that, we did get to see the Loudoun debuts of Riley Bidois on the attack, DCU Academy product Justin Melly at RB, and the reappearance of Keegan Tingey. Small sample sizes, but potentially a good sign for the future.

Man of the Match

As I said in my last recap, it’s harder to figure out who gets the honors when your team is on the losing side. I’m giving the nod to Bouchy Aboukoura for his amazing goal. Honorable mention to Tommy McCabe, who got the assist on said goal, and did a good job trying to create more chances for his team, even if they didn’t all result in points on the score sheet.

Up Next: Loudoun comes back home to Segra Field to play the three matches in a week in Virginia, starting with Memphis 901 on April 13, at 4PM. Four days later, on the 17th at 7PM, Loudoun drives down I-95 a bit to City Stadium in Richmond, taking on the Kickers in the third round of the US Open Cup. Following that match, the team will return to Segra on the 20th, at 4PM, to take on the current Top 3 USLC team, Louisville City. Loudoun’s stamina and depth will be tested this following week, hopefully they can prove they are up to the challenge.