STL CITY Extends Unbeaten Streak to Five Games With Draw on the Road at Houston
Despite being the better side throughout the game, STL CITY U17s had to settle for a point as they were held to a draw by a resilient Houston Dynamo team. The match got off to a great start with both teams exchanging key attacking blows, much to the delight of the fans in attendance.
As the game developed, STL CITY found their rhythm and had a lot of success when they isolated Houston’s outside backs, especially on the right side. Following a lovely string of passes on the right side of the midfield, Miguel Perez slipped a beautiful pass behind the defense finding Anthony Faupel who smashed his shot in to give STL CITY the lead. After the goal, the boys maintained their intensity and almost doubled their lead in the 14th minute, but the Houston goalkeeper made a brilliant save to keep his team in the game.
STL CITY looked to be in complete control until the 24th minute when the Houston Dynamo equalized, against the run of play, after capitalizing on a defensive error. The boys did well to not let the goal dampen their spirits as just three minutes later, Nathan Ferguson pounced on a back pass from the Houston defender before powering a shot past the goalkeeper, sending STL CITY into the break with a 2-1 lead.
STL CITY wasted no time reasserting their dominance when the second half began, either through a succession of forward passes or half chances created by the club’s midfielders finding space between the lines. Despite their dominance, Houston Dynamo leveled the scoreline in the 48th minute after latching on to a misplaced pass from a STL CITY defender.
The boys kept knocking on the door, but just couldn’t find the touch for that final pass or finish to separate themselves. In the 82nd minute, the flow of the game flipped after the referee sent an STL CITY player off following a tackle in midfield. After the incident, Houston controlled possession and were a constant threat as they looked to take advantage of the extra man. They pushed numbers forward in search of the go-ahead goal but good defensive discipline by STL CITY ensured they walked away with a point from the match.
“Both teams battled today,” explained Lutz Pfannenstiel, St. Louis CITY Sporting Director. “I thought we did well to take our chances, but we have to be more assertive on the defensive end and make it difficult for our opponents to score goals. In the grand scheme of things, the boys did a really good job and I think we earned a massive point today.”
MATCHDAY NOTES – STARTING XI
U17
Harrison Engel, Joshua Maher, Mikey Lay, Max Vuong, Oscar Solis, Miguel Perez, Anthony Faupel, Fritz Volmar, Braydon Sellers, Nathan Ferguson, Cal L’Hommedieu
To learn more about the academy, find player bios and rosters here. Stay up to date on all things St. Louis CITY SC by downloading the official team app and following the club on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
