Harrison, N.J. – The Rough Riders fight a close one tying Ironbound SC 2-2 against Ironbound SC at Harrison High School field on Saturday night.
The Rough Riders were traveled to Harrison coming off a two-game winning streak and a home-opener win against Staten Island ASC. Ironbound was headed into this match on a winning streak of their own, as they won their first three games of the season.
Action in this match-up started early as a couple second after kick-off, Irounbound forward Mateusz Marciniak received a pass in the box, and was knocked down in the box by Long Island defender Anthony Grodzki. Grodski received a yellow card and Ironbound’s Diogo Rebelo took the penalty kick. Rebelo went left and keeper Ethan Wood went the same way and saved it, deflecting it out of bounds keeping the score at zero.
On the immediate corner opportunity, Ironbound’s Rebelo crossed it in, and Ironbound Simao Agostinho got his head to the ball near post and headed it over Wood and scored, making the game 1-0 in the 2nd minute.
In the 7th minute, the Rough Riders were pressing with possession and passed it into the box, an Ironbound defender kicked out the endline giving the Rough Riders a corner kick. Francesco Tolaba whipped in the cross and Nakai Antoine scored on a diving header, tying the game 1-1.
In the 25th minute, the Rough Riders were pressing an attack. Tolaba passed to forward Finlay Oliver in the box, who passed to fellow forward Carter Tavares who took a shot that hit Ironbound defender Marcus Jackson’s hand in the box, giving the Rough Riders a penalty shot. Tolaba took the penalty, slotting his shot down the middle past the diving keeper Gavin Atkinson, giving the Rough Riders the lead 2-1.
In the 30th minute, a long pass from Ironbound ended in their attacking box. Agostinho took posession, passed and received a give and go, and got a screen from a teammate knocking over a Rough Rider defender freeing him up to take a shot and buring it in the left corner, tying the game up again at 2-2.
Ironbound kept pressing their offense the rest of the first half. In the 35th minute, Irounbound was pressing again and it looked like Agostinho scored a go-ahead goal off a cross, but it was called back due to to off-sides. Long Island keeper Wood saved a hard shot from Ironbound’s Marciniak off a fast break, keeping the tie in the 38th minute, and took the tie into half.
After half, Ironbound was awarded a free kick after Rough Rider James York collided with an Ironbound player and received a yellow card in the 55th minute. Rebelo took the kick for Ironbound from about 30 yards out, and shot on goal but the ball was saved by Wood tipping the ball over the crossbar and out.
Just a few minutes after, Long Island’s Londell Wheeler found space down the right sideline, and took a shot on goal but it deflected off the left post. Wheeler found more space again down the right sideline in the 69th minute, crossing it to Oliver whose shot missed wide left.
Victor Castel, who subbed on for Long Island in the 85th minute, immediately created a chance, crossing the ball in from just outside the box on the left to Wheeler at the far post, but Wheeler’s shot was blocked by the Ironbound keeper.
Despite the chances, neither team could find a way through and the game ended tied 2-2 with each team earning a point in the standings. The Rough Riders stay nominally in third place in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 2-0-1 and seven points in three matches. Ironbound SC stays nominally in first position going 3-0-1 with ten points in four matches.
The Long Island Rough Rider’s men’s team will play on Wednesday at 7:30 PM at home, hosting the Hudson Valley Hammers. For tickets and more information on the Rough Riders, please visit www.LIRoughRiders.com.