Despite Bertin Jacquesson’s brace, Hounds wrap Jägermeister Cup with loss in PK shootout at Portland

Photo courtesy Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

USL Jägermeister Cup Group Stage

FINAL: Portland Hearts of Pine 2, Riverhounds 2

Portland wins penalty kick shootout, 7-6

Match Statistics: USL Championship Match Center

Match Summary

Playing on the road in the final group stage match of the Jägermeister Cup, the Riverhounds battled Portland Hearts of Pine in a back-and-forth affair that ended in a 2-2 score after 90 minutes.

Following tournament rules, the contest was decided by a penalty kick shootout, as the home side, relegated to playing with 10 men for most of the match, earned the win and a bonus point in the competition, outlasting the Hounds, 7-6, in penalties.

“I think we got what we needed out of it,” Bob Lilley, Riverhounds Head Coach said. It would be nice when you have the extra man to get the win, but some guys got extra minutes, we got out of here without any apparent injuries, and some guys had good moments.”

All of the scoring in the match took place in the second half during a wild, 11-minute stretch.

Pittsburgh’s Bertin Jacquesson added to his goal scoring totals in the competition, by adding a brace, with a pair of equalizing goals.

Substitutes Ollie Wright and Titus Washington both scored to put Portland ahead, but each time the Hounds battled back.

“I thought we were much better in the the second half creating chances, but we also had some defensive mistakes that led to their goals,” Lilley added.

“Both teams rotated their squad, and neither team had their best squad in at the start of the game. I thought Portland had a hard-working group, and we knew they were explosive, especially on the counter. Look, they brought their starters in up top and got a goal right away. They looked extremely dangerous at times, and that’s how they got Hartford in the Open Cup and Detroit earlier in Jägermeister Cup.”

Both teams finish Jäger Cup group play with a 1-2-1 record, and neither team will advance from Group 4, which will be won by either Rhode Island FC or Hartford Athletic, who meet tomorrow.

First half

Goalkeeper Jacob Randolph came up huge in the 20th minute after a turnover in the Hounds’ defense.

Evan Southern won the ball for Portland and fired a driven shot from atop the box that had the left corner of the net picked out, but Randolph laid out to his right to get a glove on the ball and deny the chance.

Nine minutes later, a long ball out of the back by Randolph set up the match’s biggest flashpoint. The ball bounced past center back Shandon Wright, allowing Ahl to slip behind the defender and beat Oladapo to the first touch outside of the box. Oladapo bumped Ahl to the ground outside of the 18, and referee Edson Carvajal sent off the goalkeeper for a foul as the last defender.

Jacquesson nearly opened the scoring in stoppage time with his header from a corner kick, but Portland defender Nathan Messer denied the Hounds with a header clear from the goal line.

Second half

Play opened up in the second half during which the Hounds had 80 percent of possession and an expected goals (xG) mark of 2.04, according to Opta, but it was Portland that opened the scoring against the run of play.

Substitutes combined as Wright slipped a ball forward to Washington on the counter, and Washington allowed the ball to run across his body before smashing a shot into the roof of the net in the 64th minute.

Things got frantic in the coming moments, as Jacquesson equalized on a loose-ball scramble from a corner kick by cutting the ball sharply onto his left foot and driving home a 71st-minute finish.

Less than a minute later, Portland was back ahead 2-1 when Washington found Wright making a trailing run to the top of the box for a curling finish.

The Hounds came right back on the ensuing kickoff, and Junior Etou got around defender Mohamed Mohamed into the left side of the box, winning a penalty kick as Mohamed pulled him back from turning toward goal.

Jacquesson converted the penalty kick down the middle, leveling things at 2-2 with his third goal of the season.

The Hounds kept the pressure on through stoppage time, but shorthanded Portland bunkered down late to send the match to a shootout — unique to the Jägermeister Cup — after regulation time ended.

Portland goalkeeper Hunter Morse, who entered the match after the red card to Oladapo, made the only stop of the shootout to deny Jorge Garcia.

Patrick Langlois sealed it for the hosts by converting the last of a perfect 5-for-5 shootout by Portland.

Next up, the Hounds will have a quick turnaround, taking on The Miami FC, at home, on Tuesday.