USL2 Game Recap: Reading United AC 2 – 2 Philadelphia Lone Star FC

It was a beautiful, crisp summer evening as Reading United AC and Philadelphia Lone Star FC faced off at Alvernia University and battled to a hard-fought, dramatic 2-2 draw.

To start the match, RUAC trotted out their traditional 4-3-3 variant formation with Mathias Christensen in net and Michiharu Takanashi leading the line. The visitors, Philadelphia Lone Star, deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation, with midfielders Richard Quiah and Salif Dia in a double pivot.

Although both squads utilized different formations from the get-go, neither side started the game on the front foot, with a lot of contested 50/50 balls in the midfield and misplaced passes.

Nevertheless, in front of the home fans, RUAC understood the importance of finding that first goal to give the fans something to celebrate. In the seventh minute, RUAC had their first opportunity when a dashing Isaac Stanley was fouled by Dia. Stanley took the free kick, but his curled shot was always drifting wide left.

Throughout the next ten minutes, RUAC continued to press on the front foot. Captain Jake Thomas’s long ball found Stanley in space. Stanley picked his head up, but his low driven cross was cleared out for a corner. In the fourteenth minute, the best chance of the match thus far occurred for RUAC. Forward Adrian Kang Hagman drove forward and perfectly laid the ball off to Takanashi, who expertly opened his hips and curled a shot that was saved by Lone Star keeper Sebastian Witt.

In the twenty-first minute, Lone Star had their first big opportunity in front of RUAC’s net. A neat combination from the front four of Musa Abdelgadir, Chrisofeso Simmons, Jariel Arthur, and Mohamed Bility, but no shot was produced.

Minutes later, RUAC would break the deadlock after persistent attacks in Lone Star’s half. Stanley picked up the ball in a nice pocket of space and threaded a through ball to speedy winger Kingsley Kanu. Kanu drove down the line beating his defender and drilled a low cross across the heart of the goal. Kang Hagman was rooted on the spot to tap the ball into the net. He will not have an easier goal this season. 1-0 RUAC.

Oozing with confidence, RUAC continued to push forward. Midfielder Zeke Zambrano picked his head up and clipped a ball over the top to Kanu. Kanu spun his defender, Junior Blelamou, and thought he was fouled, but the referee said play on. Soon after, Kang Hagman pounced on a misplaced clearance from Lone Star’s Witt, but his shot trickled off the right post.

Right before the half, in the forty-second minute, Witt was called into action. A dangerous cross by RUAC’s Keane Hazeldine forced Witt to deny Kang Hagman twice from point blank. Additionally, Arthur was handed a yellow card in this minute for stopping a promising attack as Hazeldine drove forward. Nevertheless, the end of the first half was highlighted by two big saves from Witt to keep the score close heading into the break.

RUAC led Lone Star 1-0 at halftime. Christensen did not have to make a save in the first half.

Unlike the first half with RUAC, it was all Philadelphia Lone Star in the second half. A quick strike by Simmons sailed over Christensen, but it was enough to display the surging confidence of the Lone Star attack. Additionally, a couple of half-hearted passages of play for Lone Star were somewhat dangerous, but no real chance was created.

At this point in the match, the tempo began to slow down, allowing RUAC to regain a foothold. In the fiftieth minute, Stanley intercepted a pass and threaded a ball in between the Lone Star backline to Kang Hagman. The first touch from Kang Hagman was clean and out of his feet, and the second was in the top right corner. RUAC extended their lead to 2-0.

Lone Star pushed to find a goal to make the game interesting, and in the fifty-fifth minute Bility cut onto his left foot on the right flank and drilled a low shot that forced Christensen down low to make his first save of the night. This was a promising chance for Lone Star, but up to this point, Lone Star’s attacks had been one step off.

In the sixty-second minute, that would all change. Kanu was slow to react and Blelamou stepped in to steal possession and drive up the right flank. He crossed the ball into the box, but it deflected off the outstretched hand of RUAC fullback Nainoa Norton. The referee pointed to the spot and up stood Arthur for Lone Star. Arthur stuttered before confidently roofing the ball into the left side of the net. Game on in Reading.

The tempo was fast now, with both sides showing flashes of brilliance. In the sixty-fifth minute, fancy footwork from Kanu dazzled the fans as he stepped by his defender. Minutes later, a nice step over by Hazeldine found him with a shooting opportunity. Head down, Hazeldine rifled the ball toward goal but it was parried away by Witt.

In the next ten minutes, crunching tackles came left and right from both sides. Three points were at stake and both squads wanted to take all three.

In the eighty-ninth minute, the tension was palpable as a corner was swung in from Lone Star. There was a scramble in the RUAC box around Christensen and at the back post Arthur bundled the ball home. After a consultation with the assistant referee, the goal was given. 2-2 at the death.

Lone Star celebrated the goal and were almost handed the winner a minute later in second half stoppage time. Shaky play in the back from RUAC’s backline gifted Arthur a pass one on one through on goal. Arthur picked his head up but dragged his shot wide of the net. A huge chance missed to surely win the match.

RUAC pushed to win the match and were given a last second free kick when Blelamou completely wiped out the onrushing RUAC attacker and was handed a yellow card. Norton stepped up but sailed his shot over. That was the last action of the match, as the game ended 2-2. Tons of boos rang down from the fans as they felt their side had done enough to earn the three points. In the eyes of many RUAC supporters, tonight’s draw felt like a loss.

Reading United AC returns to action on Saturday, June 11th, when they host LVU Rush for the season finale. The match starts at 7:00 p.m. at Alvernia University.