Reading United fall to rivals Ocean City, 0-3
Michael Rempel’s sending off in the first half dooms Reading in their 58th match against their arch-rivals
READING, PA (8 June 2024) – The 58th meeting between long time rivals Reading United and the Ocean City Nor’easters was decided in a span of four minutes in the first half. The Nor’easters struck first on a headed goal by Agustin Resch seconds after United midfielder Michael Rempel saw a yellow card in the 36th minute. Moments later, Rempel picked up his second yellow card and was ejected from the match in the 40th minute. The visitors punished United, sending the hosts to a 0-3 defeat on Saturday night at Alvernia University Stadium.
Through much of the first half, the Mid-Atlantic division rivals played to a stalemate punctuated by 10 fouls in the games first 23 minutes. One of the fouls would prove costly for Reading. Rempel cut down an Ocean City attacker near midfield and was shown a yellow card in the 36th minute.
Ocean City got on the board seconds later off the restart when the visitors recycled their own free kick, flicking the ball to their towering center back, Seton Hall product Agustin Resch. Resch used his height advantage to beat United defender Tim Timchenko in an aerial duel and looped a header past Reading goalkeeper Jason Smith to stake Ocean City to an 0-1 lead.
United picked up the tempo after conceding, but that same aggression would be their undoing in the 40th minute. With the Nor’easters on the attack, Rempel picked off an errant pass by the visitors and began a counterattack up the left sideline. A heavy touch saw the United midfielder collide with the Nor’easters Theo Da Silva.The match official immediately showed a second yellow card to Rempel and ejected him from the match.
The Nor’easters used their man advantage to double their lead in the game’s 59th minute. A quick passing sequence saw Da Silva find forward Andrew Kitch at the top of the Reading United 18 yard box. Kitch turned to face goal and ripped a low shot to the far post that beat Smith to make it 0-2 to the visitors.
Da Silva put Reading to the sword when he scored Ocean City’s third goal of the contest in the 67th minute. The Ocean City midfielder hit the back of the net from six yards out, taking a pass from the endline and flicking his shot past Smith to secure a 0-3 win for the Nor’easters. The win was the Nor’easters 24th consecutive road win.
Reading now sit in third place on nine points in the Mid-Atlantic Division after suffering only their second loss of the 2024 season. The Nor’easters sit a point behind division leaders West Chester United ahead of their midweek clash on Tuesday, June 11th.
Reading United will look to get back to their winning ways when they return home for their next match against West Chester United. The game is part of Reading’s annual Kicks Against Cancer Night where the club auctions off special game worn jerseys to raise money for the fight against the insidious disease that impacts so many lives. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00pm. Single game and season tickets for the 2024 campaign can be purchased online at 9h9.f8e.myftpupload.com/tickets.
