street footie Football Club went into the fourth round of play of the Maryland SoccerPlex Men’s Open, top of the league, and faced off against third-place Barnfield. Both teams geared up to battle it out under the lights on a rainy night as it was essential to secure the three points to keep them in contention for the title race.
With the heavens opening up on the match, a thinned crowd would be in attendance for an event filled with promise, the perfect atmosphere for defensive errors and attacking football. street footie began on the front foot, managing to create several chances within the match’s opening minutes. Their inability to capitalize early on foreshadowed a to-read story.
Following an exchange of attacks, Barnfield came up on top by being the first to put points on the scoreboard. Not long after, street footie roared back, stringing along a series of attacks that Barnfield cut out with a foul on the edge of their box. Alfred confidently curled the ball over the wall beyond the keeper’s reach to put street footie back on level terms. Both teams continued to play the game with attacking intent but could only afford to head into the break with the score standing one to one. Â
Player of the Week
Christian Rostran picked up the man of the match award in street footie’s 3-2 defeat to Banfield. On a cold, rainy, and disappointing evening, Rostran shone brightly in goal, coming up with huge saves to keep us in contention.
street footie opened up the second half in sublime fashion, working the ball wonderfully on the right side of the field before Alfred found himself at the end of a Ramirez cross. The home side fired back in quick succession, with Shifman putting two back on the board to regain the lead.
The game would take a turn as minutes died down on the clock, and scenes of gamesmanship overwhelmed the home side’s strategy. Barnfield refrained from searching for another goal as they opted to clear the ball beyond the field’s bounds. In addition, a collision in the middle of the field would see Barnflids forward lay on the ground for several minutes. Furthermore, a lack of action from the referee ignited pandemonium.Â
The game’s intensity escalated following the restart, with street footie pilling down the pressure on the home side. The team’s most significant moment to recover the deficit came in the match’s final seconds when they had four offensive players in the box only to send it wide. A taste of defeat for street footie in a game that was indeed a spectacle for the fans.Â
