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Steel City FC fall to Duluth in extra time thriller in NSPL Regional Final

FINAL: Steel City FC 2-3 Duluth FC

Duluth survives late equalizer, red card to secure advancement to National Semifinals

PITTSBURGH, P.A. – On a gorgeous night at UPMC Graham Field, the packed crowd in attendance was treated to an equally gorgeous match of soccer in the NPSL Midwest Regional final, seeing Duluth FC defeat Steel City FC in a tremendously exciting 120 minutes worthy of the stage.

Duluth FC controlled the early action with patient possession, with Steel City FC remaining in their low block and seeking to counter. The first chance of the night would fall to Duluth, as a cut-back to the top of the 18 yard box resulted in a curled shot to the bottom-right corner. But Garret Watson in goal made a tremendous save to parry the on-target effort out for a Duluth corner.

Duluth wouldn’t have to wait long for a breakthrough, however, as the ensuing corner proved fruitful for the visitors. Taken long and headed on by a Steel City defender, the ball wound up centered back into the box from the left wing. After pinging around a few pairs of feet, it fell to Liam Pritchard near the penalty spot, who’s shot took a deflection beyond the reach of Watson in net, finding the bottom-left corner and giving the visitors an early 1-0 advantage.

After being hit early, Steel City were forced to come a bit further out of their block and push forward more aggressively. With the balance of play shifting, the hosts nearly found an equalizer in the 17th minute. A near-side corner was taken by Anthony DiFalco, which sailed over the Duluth keeper’s reach and clanged off the crossbar directly, nearly going in for an Olimpico goal, before being cleared away.

The hosts would nearly level the score again in the 21st minute, as a secondary ball towards the back post following a corner found a Steel City head, which re-directed the ball towards the far post. It would’ve nestled into the corner if not for a tremendous diving effort from Duluth goalkeeper Jamie Colville to keep Steel City off the scoreboard.

But ultimately, the Steel City pressure would pay dividends. A rapid forward progression to the feet of Mikey Sullivan saw him running right at the Duluth defense. After staving off some physical bump-and-run defending, Sullivan would uncork a rocket of an effort beyond the reach of Colville and into the top-right corner to equalize for the hosts in the 32nd minute.

Despite the remainder of the half being far too open for either manager’s comfort, neither was able to take the lead heading into half.

The second half began substantially slower than the first half ended. With Duluth nursing tired legs in their third game in seven days, the visitors tried to slow the pace down and maintain longer spells of careful possession – including some early subs just prior to the hour mark to freshen things up.

One of those subs, Tyler Limmer, would generate the first chance of the second half for the visitors. A through ball from deep midfield freed Limmer into a one-on-one chance with Watson, charging from the Steel City goal. Limmer’s outside-foot effort managed to beat Watson, but also beat the near post and went just wide – a big missed chance for Duluth to re-take the lead.

The two sides would exchange a smattering of light chances, with each seeming to feel the fatigue as the match progressed into the latter parts of the second half. With each making a series of subs, things started to pick up in the final 15 minutes as each looked to end the match in regulation.

With just under ten left to play, Duluth would find a stunner to re-take the lead via one of those substitutes. A ball to the feet of Felipe Santos centrally, 20 yards from goal, saw the late addition to the match turn into open space. With no Steel City defenders stepping up to stop him, Santos ripped a curling right-footed effort beyond the reach of Watson and into the back of the net to hand the visitors a 2-1 advantage with very little time to try and equalize.

But to the delight of the hundreds in attendance at Graham Field, they’d find exactly that miracle of an equalizer. With all bodies forward, including the goalkeeper, a 93rd minute corner found a way to bounce around the box and some Steel City boot managed to slam it home into the back of the net, leveling us at 2-2 with nearly the final kick of the game.

With both sides scrambling following the stoppage time equalizer, Duluth pressed forward but lost possession in the attacking third. As DiMatteo approached to clear the ball for the Steel City defense, he was hacked down by a soaring, two-footed tackle from Duluth’s Rory Doyle. The referee wasted zero time in pulling out the red card, and Duluth was taken down to ten men just before the end of regulation, with half an hour of extra time to play.

Despite the man disadvantage, Duluth would generate the first chance of extra time. A late whistle on a fifty-fifty ball saw the visitors earn a dangerous free kick from the left side of goal. Pritchard, the opening goal-scorer, took a good effort on-target, but Watson was up to the challenge and held on in net.

Duluth would continue to play aggressively, and against all odds it would pay off for the visitors. Just before the 100-minute mark, Pritchard, who had been dangerous for the entire match, blazed down the right wing beyond every Steel City defender. His cut-back cross found Santos in the box, between three more Steel City defenders, and the forward fired it home to impossibly re-take the lead for Duluth, 3-2.

Steel City would respond with all bodies flying forward, desperately seeking another miracle equalizer. But despite several corners, several shots around goal, and every bit of effort, the Duluth defense remained rock solid and saw out their one-goal advantage, securing the 3-1 win.

As the final whistle blew, the exhausted Duluth players erupted in rapture. With an incredible display of tenacity after the late hammer-blow in regulation, the ten-men visitors battled back to seize the win and the NSPL Midwest Regional title.

“Words can’t really describe it to be honest,” said head coach Sean Morgan after the win. “A lot of these guys have been here for two years, three years, some for four or five. To see them get over the line in something they’ve worked so hard for in that period of time is fantastic. And we’ve done it the hard way.”

“We very much believed in ourselves and our ability,” Morgan said of the extra time break, after surrendering the tying goal and going down to ten men during stoppage time. “One of the things that has been big for us over the years is that belief to keep going. We’re very much a club that has nicked wins at the death, and we had a feeling over the last week that it was going to go our way. So it was just about believing in ourselves, our ability, and what we’ve done in training.”

Meanwhile, Steel City FC fell in their second-consecutive Regional Finals appearance. The talented home squad continues to represent well an organization on the rise, and one likely to stick around for years to come and continue to grow. Head Coach Dan Brower was effusive about his group and the effort they displayed in the defeat.

“You said the word ‘special’, and it’s spot on,” Brower said of his squad. “This is a special group. Every year is unique. This year, I just hope we’ve helped the guys develop, number one, and number two, I hope that they’ve enjoyed their football. Those are the two things I take out of the summers, these great moments with this special group of special players. Have we developed them? Have we helped them grow? And have we helped them enjoy their football. I think they have, I know I have, and I’m humbled to work with these special players and can continue in some capacity to help them develop and enjoy the beautiful game.”

“It’s tough right now,” he continued. “But they were excellent again this season. Just one defeat and it’s a tough one to take. But we’re hoping we see our guys back next year, and hopefully have a Cup run, so can hopefully extend our season more and work with them more.”

Duluth FC advances into the NSPL Semifinal and awaits their opponent in the next round, while Steel City FC conclude another remarkable campaign, with the match representing a stunning effort from both clubs.

Match Events

Steel City FC Lineup:

Duluth FC Lineup: 

Key moments: 

0′ – The players take to the field. Steel City in home blues, Duluth FC in road white and greens. A beautiful Saturday evening at UPMC Graham Field at Chatham University, and we’re off!

6′ – Quick counter down the right wing for Steel City that results in a ground-level cross, cleared away by the Duluth defense, but the first offensive third action for Steel City tonight.

7′ – Huge save in goal by Watson for Steel City! A blast from the top of the 18 curls towards the right side of goal, but parried out for a corner!

8′ – Goal, Duluth FC! The cross goes long but the follow-up ball back in from the left wing is deflected and finds the feet of Liam Pritchard, who’s shot is also deflected right past Watson. The green smoke flows from the Duluth faithful as they take a 1-0 lead.

15′ – Pretty even 50/50 play since the early Duluth FC goal, Steel City coming a bit further out of their low block and pressing forward more aggressively.

17′ – Corner here for Steel City from the near-side. Taken and OFF THE CROSSBAR! Anthony DiFalco nearly scores an Olimpico! The loose ball is cleared for another corner.

21′ – The Steel City pressure continues, a run down the right wing leads to yet another corner. Swung inwards and headed clear. But the second ball in is headed on-target and Duluth keeper Jamie Colvill makes a TREMENDOUS diving save!

29′ – MASSIVE challenge in the box for Steel City as Pritchard dribbles several defenders and had an open look on Steel City’s goal. The last ditch tackle stops what was likely a high-quality chance.

32′ – Goal, Steel City! WOW! What an incredible goal from Mikey Sullivan! The Steel City midfielder fends off a Duluth defender and absolutely blasts a rocket beyond Colville and into the top-right corner! We are level at 1-1, and the blue smoke flies now!

45′ – Vital tackle by Jack Emanuel in the Steel City box! A turnover in the defensive half by the hosts translates into a dangerous run at goal, but well done by the last possible man.

Halftime – Steel City FC 1-1 Duluth FC. After the early Duluth goal, this one has really opened up, but all the chances result in just one more equalizing goal for Steel City.

46′ – We are underway with the second half. Score is level at 1-1. Big thing to watch: This is Duluth FC’s third game in seven days, tons of travel between Dakota, Des Moines, and now here. How do the legs hold up post-60th minute?

56′ – A fortunate deflection off the Duluth midfield falls into the path of Mikey Sullivan, who rips an ambitious effort across goal, well wide.

62′ – A through ball to Tyler Limmer frees him one-on-one with Watson charging from goal. His outside-foot effort beats Watson, but beats the post as well. Missed chance for Duluth there.

66′ – A yellow card to Duluth’s Dylan Sumner for dissent after he commits a foul attempting to push through the Steel City defense.

83′ – Goal, Duluth FC! Felipe Santos receives the ball centrally 20 yards out, turns, and finds nobody stepping up. He rips a right-footed effort that beats Watson and gives Duluth the lead, 2-1. Earns a yellow card for the celly.

90+3′ – GOAL, STEEL CITY FC! Absolute insanity! The corner into the box bounces around, loose among the fray, and it gets slammed into the back of the net, scorer unknown! We are not finished here! It’s 2-2!

90+4′ – OH MY GOODNESS, AND NOW A RED CARD! Duluth FC falling apart here. A wild challenge, two-footed in the air, on DiMatteo, and they’ll see it through down a man!

End of Regulation – Steel City 2-2 Duluth FC. The visitors score late, concede in stoppage time, and commit a red card offense. We’re in for a doozy of an ending in Pittsburgh.

95′ – Duluth will have a dangerous free kick here just outside the box. Pritchard puts it on target, but easily saved by Watson.

99′ – GOAL, DULUTH FC! Despite being down to ten men, Pritchard makes an insane run down the right wing. His cut-back effort finds Santos between all the Steel City defenders and Santos fires it home! 3-2 Duluth!

110′ – Free kick in a dangerous spot for Steel City, just outside the box and just left of central. And the free-kick was taken well, but just over the crossbar from Mikey Sullivan. Ten left to play.

Fulltime – Steel City FC 2-3 Duluth FC. Duluth FC 

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