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Steel City FC see off Akron City to secure second straight Great Lakes title

Photo courtesy Colton Coreschi / Pittsburgh Soccer Now

FINAL: Steel City FC 2-0 Akron City FC

Steel City repeat as Great Lakes Conference champions in front of loud Founders Field crowd

It was as gorgeous a night as could’ve been asked for, and the soccer for Steel City FC met the occasion as the club rose to even greater heights with a second-consecutive Great Lakes Conference title, and continued pursuit of a second-consecutive U.S. Open Cup berth, with a 2-0 win over Akron City FC.

Despite the general flow of the first half, it was Akron City that would provide the first attacking opportunity of the night. A clever through-ball parted the Steel City back four and left Akron’s striker alone on goal. Fortunately for the hosts, Garret Watson was up to the task in goal, brilliantly coming off his line to close down the angle and make a quick-twitch save.

The action would immediately shift direction for our first goal of the evening less than 60 seconds later. A quick-fire counter saw Steel City advance up the left wing, leading to a whipped cross from the left byline across the six-yard box. Nathan Prex was there and able to stab his foot at the rocketed cross and redirect it past everyone into the back of the net to give Steel City the 1-0 lead.

Steel City continued to largely dominate play in Akron’s half, earning numerous corners and opportune crosses, but found themselves unable to double their tally. While Akron was pressed back into their defensive shape for most of the half, they also found some fortune with longer distribution creating a few corners of their own.

The biggest chance of the first half for the visitors came after a rare defensive lapse from the Steel City back line. Some confused interplay led to a turnover and a very risky two-on-one situation in Akron’s favor. A great job of cutting off the passing lanes forced a longer range shot, however, which ultimately went wide of goal for the visitors.

After another Steel City corner found a head that barely flicked the ball beyond the far post, Steel City earned the first yellow of the night for repeated infringements – prompting a strong reaction from the crowd on a relatively run-of-the-mill foul and with several yellow-card cries towards Akron earlier in the half.

Ultimately, the whistle would blow with the score remaining at 1-0 and both teams would head to the locker rooms to cool off on a blazingly hot evening.

The second half picked up right where the first left off, with Steel City generating a chance instantly off the second half kickoff. The ball comes in from the right wing off the restart and results in a very close-range effort on target, parried away and out for a corner.

Each side would make a series of subs around the hour mark, replacing exhausted legs tired from the summer heat – including Steel City bringing on ever-dangerous goal-scorer Eben McIntyre for first-half goal-scorer Prex. Shortly afterwards, Akron would get a brilliant chance handed to them on a platter – as a mishit Steel City clearance fell to their own penalty spot. The effort from the off-balance Akron attacker went just wide of goal, as he wasn’t expecting a chance at all.

The hosts would make them pay for their missed chances just minutes later. Fresh substitutes gave Steel City legs moving forward, and those legs led to a quickfire attack up the left wing. The ensuing cross floated brilliantly to the back post and found the head of the aforementioned McIntyre, who headed it bar-down to double the Steel City lead, 2-0.

As the Steel City defense locked up to protect their lead, the hosts never stopped seeking a third. Several long clearances and counters provided numerous chances for a third goal, which wasn’t forthcoming. The frantic final minutes of the Akron City attack pressured the Steel City back line, who more than met the challenge and didn’t make a misstep as they saw out their win.

As the final whistle blew, the hundreds in attendance exploded in celebration as the club celebrated back-to-back Great Lakes Conference titles and progressed to the national NPSL playoffs. In the midst of an electric atmosphere, many of the players who earned and featured in the club’s title run last year and first U.S. Open Cup appearance, as well as several newcomers to the squad, took another step towards a repeat appearance in that vaunted competition.

They’ll now await their matchups in the NPSL Regional stages.

Match Events

Steel City FC Lineup:

Akron City FC Lineup: 

Key moments: 

0′ – The players take to the field. Steel City in home blues, Akron City in road whites. A gorgeous Saturday evening for soccer, and we are off!

6′ – A massive save in goal by Garret Watson, as Akron City were played through with a brilliant ball, but the Steel City keeper comes up huge.

7′ – GOAL, Steel City FC! A rapid fire counter-attack leads to a whipped cross into the six which is turned in, at first glance, by Nathan Prex! The hosts lead 1-0!

15′ – Despite conceding some decent possession to Akron, all opportunities are going towards Steel City – several corners earned ultimately not leading to a second goal, but the pressure is mounting.

23′ – Another shot on-target, this one from Nick Graeca on the left wing, easy save for the Akron keeper, but pressure growing.

30′ – Several chances each direction before the water break. Steel City largely pressuring from the left wing, including a near second goal on a tipped shot. Akron City with one big chance after a defensive lapse led to a 2 vs. 1 opportunity, but the shot was placed wide.

39′ – Another corner for the hosts after an extended period of pressure. Taken to the near post and headed towards the far, just minimally wide and we remain at 1-0.

41′ – A yellow issued to a Steel City attacker for what appeared to be a relatively minor foul, with the referee seeming to be displeased with what he deems repeated infringements.

HT: Steel City FC 1-0 Akron City FC. An early goal from the hosts is the difference on this sunny Saturday. Multiple chances go wanting from both sides, get the sense we’re not done here just yet.

46′ – Steel City wasting zero time with a shot on-target off the second half kickoff! The save parries out for a corner, but we’re right back where things left off at the whistle.

57′ – A Steel City counter leads to a one-on-one along the left wing, the shot is disrupted by a shove from the Akron defender and cries for a penalty are raised, but not heeded.

57′ – Each side makes several substitutions just before the hour mark, replacing tired legs in this summer heat.

59′ – A yellow card issued to Akron City for a cynical foul in the Steel City defense.

62′ – Huge chance for Akron as a mishit clearance falls to the penalty spot in the Steel City box, but the unopposed effort is hit wide of the left upright. Very fortunate to not concede there.

67′ – GOAL, Steel City FC! Eben McIntyre does what he’s done all year, getting into the box minutes after subbing on and finishing a massive header off the crossbar and in! 2-0 to the hosts.

75′ – Yellow card issued to an Akron midfielder for halting another Steel City counter.

FULLTIME – Steel City FC 2-0 Akron City FC! The hosts repeat as Great Lakes Conference champions!

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