Recap by Adam Mendelevitz, for Next In Line
[Ed note: Apologies for the recap coming a few days late due to technical and logistical issues, but better late than never.]
Members of the Loudoun Stampede in San Antonio, cheering on the team.
The Box Score
Three Things We Learned
Tempers were too damned hot
In last year’s season opener vs Memphis 901, Landry Nanan Houssou tousled the hair of Laurent Kissiedou in the 63rd minute, who then retaliated by smacking Houssou’s shoulder with his backhand. After a beat, Houssou acted like he got struck in the face, drawing a red card and sending Memphis’ only goalscorer that game to the showers. Loudoun would go on to win 3-1.
This opening night, we saw the reverse of that, with newly-signed Loudoun attacker Cristiano Francois attempting to pull a Zinedine Zidane on a player who was a head taller than him. I don’t know what Mitchell Taintor said to him, but Taintor also took a beat before reacting like he got punched in the nose. Francois got sent off just 29 minutes into the match, handicapping Loudoun in a game against an already tough opponent. To compound the problem, Loudoun would acquire a total of 5 cards in this game.
Arguments about the justification behind the bookings aside, the moral of the story in both of these red cards is something that all pro players, especially veterans like Francois, should know: You can’t rise to the bait. The refs only see the retaliation, and they will send you off for it. You have to settle down, realize that refs will sometimes miss calls in your favor, and play through the insults.
Possession is 7/10 of the Law
In the preview, we predicted that SAFC would play a more possession-based game, and they certainly delivered on that prediction, with a 71-29% advantage in possession by the time the final whistle blew. This game could have been so much worse if Loudoun didn’t make several crucial tackles and blocks at the right times. Big, big props to Jacob Erlandson, Kwame Awuah, and Loudoun’s defense for holding firm and frustrating SAFC’s buildup before they could get shots on goal (except for the ones where they got through).
It ain’t how you start, it’s how you finish
Keeping that eye-popping possession stat (above) in mind, you might be surprised to hear that the total shot numbers were in Loudoun’s favor: 10 (5 on goal) for Loudoun vs. 8 (3 on goal) for SAFC. Loudoun didn’t have the ball much (especially after the red card), but when they did they tried to make it count. Zach Ryan continued to be a terror for the enemy to deal with, providing a quick response to Lucas Silva’s opening goal with one of his own.
And near the end of the game, as most of the Loudoun faithful were about to look for silver linings in their beer, Florian Valot sent a long-range blast at the goal that deflected off a defender’s foot and into the net to tie it up. Loudoun snatched a 2-2 draw from a game that most observers expected them to lose. It wasn’t pretty, and Francois will have to sit out the following match, but they will gladly take the point against a tough team on the road.
Man Of The Match
Florian Valot under that pile, somewhere, after scoring the final goal of the game.
Florian Valot. Come on, you read the above paragraph, didn’t you? He more than earned this honor with his last-minute heroics on top of his prowess at intercepting passes and winning duels against SAFC attackers throughout the night.
Coming Up Next
Loudoun plays their home opener at Segra Field against (sorta) newly-promoted club North Carolina FC, on March 16, at 4:00 PM EDT. Stay tuned to Next In Line for news and updates leading into this match.