Louisville City FC tied Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, 1-1, away Friday night and into early Saturday morning after giving up a heartbreaking late-game goal. The boys in purple will be a tad disappointed with the result, especially after swift combination play between Jonathan Gomez and second half sub Jorge Gonzalez set up Antoine Hoppenot for a 74th-minute tap-in that looked like a game winner.
But playing on the highest elevation pro pitch in the U.S. may have taken a toll when Switchbacks forward Michee Ngalina too easily wove in and out of City defenders to smash the equalizing shot past Chris Hubbard, who got fingers to it but couldn’t keep it out in the game’s dying minutes.
The draw — which kept LouCity unbeaten in eight of its last nine games — kept a five-point cushion over second-place Birmingham Legion FC in the USL Championship’s Central Division. The Legion do, however, play Saturday and now have a pair of games in hand over the table toppers.
“I was really, really proud of the group mentality and the fight that they showed,” head coach Danny Cruz said. “This was not an easy game. With altitude and a tough stadium to play in, I felt the guys responded well. Obviously frustrated that we conceded a goal so late. I said to the players to keep their heads up. We have a game on Wednesday. I feel like the players responded well to the altitude, to the difficult environment, to a delayed game”
Taking advantage of tiring legs
It’s no surprise that both goals were scored late as substitutes started creeping in the back door of defenses. Cruz brought Hoppenot into the game in the 56th minute, and he scored 18 minutes later, unmarked on the nice cross from Gomez.
But, on the flip side, LouCity conceded a preventable goal in the 87th minute too as the Colorado Springs attacker threaded through two defenders and smashed the ball past Hubbard.
It’s also no surprise that more fouls were conceded by both teams in the second half than the first as the high elevation level presumably made tackling properly a chore. Colorado Springs tallied six fouls in the first 45 minutes and nine in the second while Louisville racked up six in the first half and seven in the second. Both clubs were shown four yellow cards.
Pivotal wide play scrapes out a point
Gomez and Brian Ownby continue to remind of their importance with their prolific wing play output. Though the pair weren’t as productive as they have been in other games, they still accounted for half of City’s total crosses on the night with seven.
In the process, Gomez racked up his fifth assist this season — tied for third-most in the USL Championship — when he dished up Hoppenot’s goal with 16 minutes left to play. The young left back now has seven direct goal contributions this season with 18 potential regular season games left in which to appear.
Even though Ownby was subbed out in the 56th minute, he still accounted for almost half of LouCity’s entire shot count against the Switchbacks with six of 13. Ownby also tried more shots on target, two, than any player on the field.
A sharp Charpie
Although LouCity conceded late, defender Wes Charpie deserves credit for a rock-solid defensive performance. Starting at center back alongside of Sean Totsch, Charpie put up impressive numbers across the board starting with a game-high six clearances.
Charpie also gained possession 11 times and tallied four interceptions, pacing all players on the pitch on those categories. He also came up to try a shot on goal.
“I certainly felt they fought until the very end,” Cruz said about his team. “I’m unhappy about how we concede that goal. We will certainly learn from the game. I feel good about our depth. I feel good about our group. I know the players will be prepared [for Wednesday’s game, and their bodies will make sure that they are feeling good going into the game, and any rotation that we need to do, we’ll make sure that the guys that do play are ready to go.”
