West Carrollton, Ohio - Colorado Rapids Reserves captured their first league win of the season, with a 2-1 victory at Dayton Dutch Lions in Ohio on Saturday night, but they needed a stoppage time own goal to shrug off a determined home side, which had played much of the match with ten men.
With the Dutch Lions on course to extend their unbeaten run under new coach Matt Weston to four games, defender Ben Sweat - on loan from Columbus Crew - somehow swept the ball beyond his own keeper, Matt Williams, when under no pressure.
It was a cruel way for the match to be settled, especially as the USL PRO team had fought so valiantly with just ten men. They had their captain, Brock Grainger, sent off in the 29th minute for a clumsy challenge from behind on Kamani Hill.
At that stage they were already trailing, after Carlos Alvarez smartly struck home from the left-hand side of the area following a cross-field ball from Hill. Within two minutes of going a goal down, the home side went a man down when Grainger was shown a straight red by referee Donovan J. Noocha.
Despite the man advantage, the Rapids were on the back foot for the early exchanges of the second half, and conceded on the hour mark. Gale Agbossoumonde dragged down Cameron Vickers in the penalty area, as he was about to shoot from close range. Karamba Janneh stepped up and, although substitute keeper John Berner got a hand to the initial spot kick, Janneh followed up to level matters.
The hot and humid conditions appeared to sap the momentum of both sides as the contest entered the dying seconds, but with the match heading for a draw, Sweat stroked the ball past his helpless keeper, and handed the Rapids their first victory in five league games.
Rapids Reserves are next in action on Sunday, September 28, when they tackle FC Dallas Reserves in a rearranged fixture. Kick-off for this match is set for 10 a.m. MT on Field 20 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
BOX SCORE
Dayton Dutch Lions 1-2 Colorado Rapids Reserves
August 23, 2014 - DOC Stadium, West Carrollton, Ohio
Scoring Summary:
COL - Carlos Alvarez (Kamani Hill), 27'
DDL - Karamba Janneh (unassisted), 60'
COL - Ben Sweat (own goal), 90+ (92')
Dayton Dutch Lions: Matt Williams; Taylor Bowlin, Matt Weit, Shintaro Harada, Brock Grainger, Sebastien Thuriere (Joel DeLass, 87'), David Clemens (Eric Kissinger, 77'), Christian Camacho, Cameron Vickers, Karamba Janneh (Keith Detelj, 78'), Ben Sweat.
Colorado Rapids: Joe Nasco (John Berner, 46'); Quentin Pearson, Gale Agbossoumonde, Grant Van De Casteele, Thomas Piermayr, Davy Armstrong (Victor Rolph, 87'), Sam Raben, Carlos Alvarez, John Neeskens, Kamani Hill, Charles Eloundou (Nathan Braaten, 90').
Sub (not used): Chris Reichman
* - Rapids Development Academy players.
Disciplinary Summary:
DDL - Shintaro Harada (caution), 20'
COL - Thomas Piermayr (caution), 24'
DDL - Brock Grainger (sent off), 29'
DDL - David Clemens (caution), 36'
COL - Gale Agbossoumonde (caution), 59'
Match officials
Referee: Donovan J. Noocha
AR1: Eric Tattersall
AR2: Ryan Raiff
4th Official: Matthew Fotia
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
