ACFC 11s take one on the chin

Angel City came up short Monday night during LA Municipal Soccer action against the Hotspurs, missing two penalty kicks and allowing a single goal late in the second half. The 1-0 loss, the team's second this season, still sees ACFC tied with the Spurs for first place as the third placed Hollywood United lost a close 1-0 decision to The Devils.

The first half saw the ACFC defence pushed back on their heels on the fast Griffith Park turf field, facing a strong passing game from the Hotspurs, though neither side produced any substantial goal opportunities over the 45 ... save for a PK awarded for a handball in the box at the five-minute mark, which the Spurs keeper saved. The team was unfortunately missing several key players on the night including midfielders Matt Onheiber, Michael Sharp and Brandon Cole.

The second half added striker Ben O'Meara into the mix, giving ACFC some speed in the offensive half and several chances on goal. While ACFC started to take control of the midfield, the Spurs still racked up numerous shots on keeper Peter Marlenga, who held his line.

The Spurs were awarded several free kicks outside the Angel City box as the second half wore down, and at the 81-minute mark a chip over the defensive wall allowed a sprinting Spurs striker to finally knock one past Marlenga.

To the squad's credit, ACFC battled back for the remainder of the game, pressure which afforded the team a second PK opportunity after defender Peter Wasek was taken down in the box on a corner kick. The incident saw the Spurs defender ejected with a straight red. But the second PK was also struck poorly, leaving ACFC to lick its wounds and prepare for next week's rematch against Armenia Deportivio.
(Griffith Park | Aug 24 | 8:45 PM)


GAME STATS

ACFC (0) vs Hotspurs (1)

Goals:
Hotspurs: (81:00)

Shots:
ACFC (4) vs Hotspurs (16)

Corner Kicks:
ACFC (5) vs Hotspurs (1)

Yellow Cards:
ACFC (1) vs Hotspurs (3)

Red Cards:
ACFC (0) vs Hotspurs (1)