It is hard to win on the road. That is something Sounders FC 2 has learned so far in its inaugural season. Not only did the team go undefeated at home in its first three games, but the boys in Rave Green then dropped two games in Oklahoma before drawing Whitecaps FC 2 on Sunday afternoon.
S2 conceded first once again against the ‘Caps, but determined to get at least a point in its three-game road trip, the team battled back to draw level from a Nick Miele goal in the 24th minute.
“Anytime you can get on the board you feel good about it,” said Miele, who earned USL Team of the Week honors for his performance. “It was a great ball by [Aaron] Kovar and Andy [Craven] did well to get in front of his man to flick it on. I happened to be standing in the right place at the right time to finish it.”
The point was good enough to keep S2 in second place in the USL Western Conference standings, tied with Portland Timbers 2 with ten points each. However, S2 holds the advantage with a plus-five goal differential.
“We created other opportunities that I wish we would have been able to finish, but overall I think it was a solid performance,” added Miele. “Once we clean up the mistakes in the back, it’ll really come together.”
Miele and the S2 defense went up against 34-year-old Welshman Robert Earnshaw, who is signed to an MLS contract with Whitecaps FC. Earnshaw provided WFC 2’s lone goal in the 16th minute, but he was held to only three shots.
“[Earnshaw] has a lot of talent, but I think Damion Lowe and I did a great job of communicating with each other as far as covering him,” said Miele. “The back four as a whole, including Charlie [Lyon] did well to get in front of shots the entire game to keep us in the game.”
The ‘Caps fielded ten MLS-contracted players against S2’s five, but S2 Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson considered his team well-prepared for whatever came.
“We were aware of who we were playing before we came in, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter who is out there because you have to go out and play your game,” said Hendrickson. “That was a very good team we played, and whether or not they are loaded with MLS guys or not, we got a point from this match and that was our goal.”
S2 returns to Starfire this Friday, May 1 against the undefeated Orange County Blues FC to defend its three-game home-unbeaten streak. Tickets to see the action are available here.
