With a qualifying spot in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on the line, both the visiting team, Lansdowne Yonkers FC and hosts, New York Renegades were ready to play a physical game with elevated intensity. The game would end in a penalty kick shootout but that scoreline does not tell the full story.
In the end, the Renegades qualified for the US Open Cup for the first time in club history with a 4-1 win in the shootout after a 1-1 draw.
Within the first two minutes of the match, the play would go from end to end with both sides trading early corner kicks. At first glance the teams showed themselves as evenly matched but it quickly became apparent that Lansdowne relied heavily on the play of defenders Musa Bala Danso and Jack Mulhare. The two were often forced to defend in one-v-one situations. When the New York attack could find overloads, goalkeeper Daniel DiMarco was up to the task.
The teams would settle in and the Renegades would prove to be the stronger side, constantly winning the midfield battles and creating chances. New York’s best chance to take control of the game came in the 29th minute. A ball over the top would leave Renegades striker, Rances Reneau Bardales, in a foot race with Danso. A foot race that Reneua Bardales would win leading to a one-v-one against the goalkeeper. What, at first look, appeared to be a clean save by DiMarco would result in a penalty kick call by head referee, Gurkan Dolugan. Oscar Rivas Romero would take the spot kick, but he was unable to put it past the diving netminder. The teams would end the first half knotted up 0-0 despite three big chances including the penalty kick that was wasted by the Renegades.
Renegades head coach Christian Turizon would make his first change at halftime displaying the obvious advantage of his team depth bringing in Matthews Carriel for Milton Campos. Lansdowne Yonkers FC head coach Matt Kane, would counter the move by replacing Liam Walsh with veteran player Daryl Kavanagh. Kavanagh, who played professionally for a number of years in his native Ireland, came into an advanced midfield role to both offer more attacking options but also to help control some of the possession for Lansdowne.
It would be Kavanagh that eventually broke the deadlock between the two sides in the 78th minute. A Lansdowne corner kick would find the head of its target Danso. Danso nodded the ball back across the goal area where Kavanagh was standing unmarked allowing him to beat goalkeeper Eric Edwards with a strong right-footed shot from close range.
Less than 15 minutes to play and it would seem like the visitors from Yonkers might add another Open Cup appearance. The Renegades would again use their bench and bring on Alex Palais in the 80th minute and he would have an immediate impact. A poor turnover by Lansdowne in the middle third of the field would allow New York to connect two passes to Palais wide on the right side with time and space. Palais found the head of attacker Jeison Solano for the equalizer in the 82nd minute.
The score was 1-1 at the end of regulation and the teams would have to decide the game in extra time each delivering chances to seal the victory but neither side could find the back of the net.
Tempers would flare in the 113th minute after Renegades goalscorer, Solano, was issued a violent conduct red card. The glory of his earlier shining moment was dulled by his lack of discipline late in the affair forcing his team to play a man down for the last seven minutes plus injury time in an attempt to get the game into penalty kicks. The strength and depth of the Renegades would prove to be enough to carry the game to the end of the extra time periods and the winner would come from the PK spot.
Just as the homeside showed their advantage in the regulation play they would also show it in the shootout. Each Renegades shooter calmly approached the area and scored their chances beating DiMarco despite the keeper diving the correct way in two of the four attempts. Lansdowne’s Kyle Galloway put his attempt over the bar and after Patrick Burns scored to quiet the enthusiastic home crowd, early hero, Daryl Kavanaugh, would have his shot saved by Eric Edwards giving the Renegades a chance to win on their next attempt.
“Our boys are hungry and they want to show the nation why we feel that we can be amongst the best amateur teams on the East Coast,” said New York Renegades head coach Christian Turizo. “The game showed our grit and ability to grind out these games.”