Unfortunately, the scoreline says it all. We came away from Philadelphia empty-handed and thoroughly dejected.
During a reasonable first ten minutes of the contest we played some decent football, without really looking like we'd score. By the same token, Penn didn't really look particularly threatening either. The thought process at this time was that it would be a tight game, but one that we could win if we executed the game plan and defended well. Perhaps set pieces would be the key to this one? However, all that was to change after 15 minutes when a momentary lapse in concentration caused the concession of a very soft and unnecessary penalty kick. As six or seven Bears players surrounded the referee to protest the call he produced a yellow card and brandished it at Darren Howerton.....strange, given the fact that he had plenty of people to choose from...... Grandstrand was helpless to stop a well-placed penalty and suddenly it was 1-0 Penn. If this goal was a shock to the system then what hapenned over the ensuing ten minutes was enough to put the dampers on anybody's day! A innocuous challenge by Howie on the left flank after 20 minutes of the contest got a reaction from the Penn midfielder that sounded something like this - perhaps a fitting sound for the fact that it was the day after halloween! The subsequent Louganis-esque pitch and roll was a thing of artistic beauty. The referee enthusiastically sprinted towards Howie, unable to get his cards out of his pocket fast enough, and we were down to ten men. As the Penn trainers rushed to the aid of the "stricken" midfielder we were convinced that the ambulance was on it's way. But, miraculously the little fella popped up onto his feet and was in full flow just seconds later.
Now, with 70 minutes left to play, there we were, a man down and a goal down. Surely things couldn't get any worse...... or could they? Well, they did - big style. As the team re-shaped and looked to re-group, Penn attempted a diagonal pass behind the Brown defence. Nicky stepped in to clear the danger, and proceeded to play the ball directly to the penalty-scorer at the edge of the box, who duly dispatched the ball past Grandstrand. 2-0 Penn. Wow. In a 15-minute spell, an evenly contested match had been turned into a surreal nightmare.
The half-time talk was positive and lively. Adjustments were made and hope sprung eternal. Despite all of the setbacks, there was belief that we could still get something from the match.
As the second-half got underway the ten-men of Brown pushed and pushed. Perhaps the best opportunity to pull a goal back came about through Jonny O' who jinked his way across the box before planting a low shot past the Penn keeper that seemed destined for the bottom-corner of the net. Unfortunately for us, the center-back had recovered (correctly) behind his 'keeper and made a vital clearance off the line.
Tactically the Bears were forced to push further and further forward. While they huffed and puffed, no further chances came their way. It was perhaps inevitable, as tiredness set in, that Penn would score again - with two counter-attack goals, that had more to do with tired defending than any great skill by the hosts.
With two games left in the league, and Harvard slipping up this weekend, there is all to play for as we approach Yale on Saturday. Many of you will know that Saturday is Senior Day and we encourage as many of you as possible to attend and honor an outstanding group of young men. Kick-off is 4:30pm at Stevenson field.
