For the second successive significant time, the elements visited a Jersey Express game. And, again, the Gods were with the Newark club, this time anointing them with a 2-1 win over Carolina Dynamo, and a place in the Eastern Conference final.
The Express will now look to level the Long Island Rough Riders on their home turf – Cy Donnelly Stadium – after the latter grabbed a 3-1 win over New Hampshire Phantoms in the other semis of Friday’s (July 29th) double header in South Huntington, NY.
Like they did, scoring their winning goal in the rain at Reading United AC to get to the semis, Jersey used a brutal thunderstorm to their advantage to claw into today’s match-up.
After back-to-back strikes, Jersey’s two goal lead was reduced when Carolina hurried one back to stay within sight. All the goals came within a 10-minute period in the first half, after which the teams went into the intermission, then only to get a greater break 20 minutes into the second rift. Conditions were ruled unplayable when fourth official Ayodeji Obisesan observed lighting and signaled for safe shelter for the teams.
Almost 70 minutes were lost to the sustained thunder, lightning and rain before a resumption was possible, but the teams failed to trouble the scores further. Ironically, danger wasn’t only from the skies. The crimson color was evident on the field, or rather off of it, when red cards were shown to a Dynamo coaching staff and a Jersey substitute on the bench, both in the 90 minute.
Jersey, playing as the ‘home’ team got their first goal in the 27th minute via a half-volley by midfielder Joseph Louis Niouky. It all materialized from a thunder throw-in by teammate, the tiny Thor, Ansger Otto from the right. The ball was headed out by a Dynamo defender directly onto the boot of Niouky who made no mistake getting it through a cluster of bodies from 18 yards out.
Six minutes later, Otto’s maneuvers into the box were too much for a Dynamo defender whose only option was to hold him back with an evidently firm grasp. The ploy didn’t find favor with referee Yevgeniy Mednikov, and he pointed to the huge yellow dot in the box. Forward Abdoulaye Coulibaly took some time before putting the sphere to the left of goal, leaving the Dynamo keeper going right the wrong way.
Five minutes after that, Jersey’s indemnity wasn’t completely covered as their defense was pierced when a long overhead pass found Christopher Tweed-Kent a hair’s breath from being off-side in the box. The Carolina midfielder got the only one pass a resolute Ryan Meara who, otherwise, had an excellent game to make it two in a row as a victorious skipper. Meara and his opposite number worked on making half a dozen saves each to the 9 to 13 ratio of shots that came their way in the match.
Now, Meara will be the major marshalling his men to continue their bold battle in the PDL playoffs. The game kick-off at 5:00pm and the Mid-Atlantic Division rivals will be in grudge zone for the clash that will decide the Conference champions.
Jersey Express: Meara, Edwards, Foster, Konicoff, Ruesgen, Konopelsky, Niouky, Trott, Coulibaly, Dacres, Otto, Londono, Mayanga, Ovenseri, Rodrigues, Stamatis, Youhill (players); Vichniakov, Gil, Russo (coaches)
