Wolves 02 tie first National Match
It was a beautiful night at Overland Park in Kansas. the home of the 2019 National Championship for USYS. The Wolves from Michigan took on OBGC from Maryland. The Wolves appeared to be late for the open whistle struggling to find a rhythm and get on the ball through the first 10 minutes. But as the game settled in so did the Wolves. They began to take over territory and find themselves dictating play for the reminder of the first half.
The Wolves would strike first as a cross from Charlie Sharp would find Peregrine Neubert for a great finish and a 1-0 lead. 7 minutes later Charlie Sharp was in with a chance to put the Wolves in control and missed a great opportunity for the Wolves. Continued possession and a few chances would continue but the OBGC side did find a great chance in the closing minutes as a cross was knocked down to the penalty spot and an OBGC player shot over the goal. With the miss the halftime whistle blew with the Wolves leading 1-0.
The second half saw different challenges For both groups. A lower line and a compact midfield line for the Maryland side created many turnovers through the first 15 minutes of the half. In just the 50th minute OBGC Drew even on a corner kick as they headed the ball in from 6 yards out. A rattled Wolves team again was on their back foot losing the ball and fouling the home side creating more set pieces for OBGC. Fortunately, a few hard moments passed and about the midway point OBGC fitness took a toll on their group leading to several stoppages for cramps and fatigue.
The game began to flip again for the Wolves. A nice move by Justin Wojcik out wide and whipped in ball nearly was redirected in by Charlie Sharp. A few minutes later Peregrine unbalanced a defender and was hauled down on the edge of the box before a free kick turned up empty. In the end an organized OBGC group made it difficult for the away side to generate any great opportunities and eventually the final whistle blew and the game was deadlocked, 1-1.
With the other two teams in the bracket also receiving a draw at 3-3, today’s games become increasingly important.
