The Riverhounds played a tough match against the Antigua Barracuda FC on Easter Sunday.
FIRST HALF
The Hounds resorted to the long ball a lot along the left side of the pitch at the beginning of the game.
2' Long throw from Seth with a good opportunity to score, but missed header.
3' Nunez with a great strike from above the penalty area, but the shot goes over the net.
6' Karanja Mack from Antingua flops outside the penalty area and curls up in the fetal position. Rumor has it he was going into labor.
Throughout the beginning of the half, the Hounds were controlling possession and making very crisp passes.
At 11', Antigua wakes up and starts coming hard at the Hounds.
Nunez and Lundberg chasing a lot of long balls, but to no avail.
21' Peter Beyers comes knocking on the Hounds' door, but the Hounds' backline breaks up the play.
23' Probably one of the worst calls ever in a USL PRO match. Rolko goes up to contest a header against Stefan Smith, Smith defies the laws of physics and is seemingly Force-pushed Star Wars style into the ground by Rolko. The ref buys it, and Antigua is awarded a PK.
25' Even though Hunter dives the wrong way, Beyers still sucks and misses the PK wide left.
28' Niko prevents an Antigua scoring opportunity by sliding in front of Beyers.
30' Another bogus call by the refs, Hunter is called for holding the ball for over six seconds. Generally, refs are supposed to give 1-2 grace seconds at the beginning of possession to allow the keeper to reorient himself and recover. The whistle was blown after about 7-8 seconds of holding the ball. Never seen that called so close before.
31' Quinton Griffith tees off on an indirect kick and drills it past the right side of the wall.
1-0 Antigua.
39' Orlando Mitchum tears apart the Hounds' D and rips a shot, but Hunter is there to shut the door.
43' Mitchum smokes Calvano in the middle of the field and dishes a pass to Stefan Smith. Smith catches Seth and a tired Calvano flat-flooted in the penalty area. Hunter had no chance.
2-0 Antigua.
SECOND HALF
45' The Hounds were unable to maintain possession in the middle of the field in the first half, so Kutney and C'deBaca come in for Leon and Lundberg.
46' Shin takes a quick shot, but it is wide right.
54' Seth gets a caution for being better than the defender he smoked.
55' Matt Aldred crosses from the right sideline to set up an Antigua goal, but it is called back because of offside.
58' Nunez barrels into the Antigua penalty area and gets a quality scoring opportunity, but Molvin James comes up huge.
60' Hounds generate more opportunities and get two corners, but cannot capitalize.
61' Niko challenges Molvin James in mid-air, James immediately drops to the ground, writhing in pain. Probably from menstrual cramps.
This definitely gave Antigua time to regroup from Hounds' pressure.
66' Hunter stymies Smith in front of the net.
69' Niko gets shaken up, and is replaced by Neil Shaffer.
Hounds begin buzzing in front of the Antigua net, getting a bunch of solid chances.
74' Beyers again has a solid chance in front of the Hounds' net, but finds the side of the net instead of the back of the net.
78' Mike Green in for Costanza.
81' Nunez skips past the Antigua backline and rips a shot which is deflected off of James.
Antigua gets a free kick at midfield, counterattacks, Beyers once again guts the Hounds' D and passes in front of the goal. Smith is there to bury it.
3-0 Antigua.
88' Nunez sets up Green, Green puts it in.
3-1 Antigua.
NOTES:
- The Hounds had absolutely no answer for the Antigua midfield in the first half. Very lackadaisical play by the Hounds' midfielders.
- Beyers and Smith from Antigua pretty much had their way with the Hounds' D all game.
- Once the Hounds got some fresh legs in the second half, they began to control possession. But too little, too late.
- Horrible, biased officiating probably put the Hounds in a hole from which they had a hard time recovering.
- No idea why Mike Green was not out at the beginning of the game. He had a solid showing in the first game against Antigua and seemed to work well with Costanza and Nunez.
There is NO way that there were 1200 people in attendance at that game.
Watch the recording of the game on @UNATION:
COME ON YOU HOUNDS!
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