Palace Come Away from Miami with 3-3 Draw

June 9, 2010 - U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 (USSF D-2)
Crystal Palace Baltimore News Release


June 9th 2010 - Baltimore, MD - Crystal Palace Baltimore gave up a 3-1 lead in the final seven minutes of the game to come away with a 3-3 draw at Miami FC tonight. Randi Patterson scored twice for Palace, the goals coming two minutes into the beginning of each half. Lucio extended Baltimore's lead to 3-1 midway through the second period, but headed goals from Ariel Germiniani and Christian Gomez supplemented Brian Shriver's first half strike to snatch a point, earning the Florida club a remarkable seventh draw in ten games for a 1-2-7 record, while Palace now stand at 3-5-2.

Palace could not have asked for a better start. With just two minutes on the clock, Randi Patterson latched onto a perfect diagonal pass from Brazilian playmaker Neto and slotted home past a helpless Caleb Patterson-Sewell in the Miami net. After 20 minutes of fairly even play, Brian Shriver rifled home from close range to tie the game after a poor clearance attempt by the Palace defense.

With seven minutes to go in the first half, a free kick from Baltimore's Brazilian holding midfielder Lucio was only just stopped by the Miami 'keeper. Tsuyoshi Yoshitake followed up with a bicycle kick shot but it sailed wide. The final minutes of the half saw Miami apply plenty of pressure in and around the Palace box, with Evan Bush getting down smartly to stop a well-placed Paulo Araujo Jr. header. The home side had a penalty claim denied during one chaotic sequence of pinball in the Baltimore area, but the score remained tied at 1-1 as the half-time whistle blew.

The second half began in similar fashion to the first. With only two minutes gone, Palace striker Patterson got on the end of an excellent through ball from Lucio, striking the ball sweetly from the edge of the box to the far post for his second of the night, his fourth of the season and the lead.

The home side worked hard to try and get back into the game and on 60 minutes, Abe Thompson sent a low header on target but Bush pulled off another great save. Five minutes later, centre back Andrew Marshall was in the action at the other end, getting two chances in a row from a well worked free kick by Lucio, but the Miami backline somehow managed to hold on.

Palace started to sit back as Miami pressed for another equalizer and Brian Shriver came very close to his second of the evening with a looping header that dropped just inches over the bar. But Palace were looking strong on the counter attack and on 78 minutes Mathew Mbuta intercepted the ball just inside the Miami half and stormed up the middle before drawing a foul on the edge of the box. Lucio stepped up and this time sent a perfect, low strike around the right side of the wall to extend the Baltimore lead to 3-1.

Former DC United star Christian Gomez almost pulled one back just a minute later with a brilliant flicked shot from close range, but Bush was perfectly positioned for the save. It was end-to-end action now and Patterson was perhaps a little too eager for his hat-trick with a snap shot that skipped a foot wide of the left post.

On 83 minutes, Miami's persistent aerial threat paid off as second half substitute Ariel Germiniani sent a deft, glancing header inside the far post to pull the game within reach again. For the next several minutes, Miami pushed forward while Palace were content to absorb the pressure and break on the counter.

But the Maryland side were undone by another header with just one minute of regulation time left on the clock. Shriver's floated cross from the byline to the far post had Bush scrambling off his line to try and reach the ball, but he collided with a Miami player leaving Gomez to head into an open net and tie the game at 3-3.

Palace took control of the first two of three minutes of added time, earning back-to-back corners. But Miami nearly pulled off an unlikely win on the break in the dying moments, with Shriver sending a 20-yard screamer inches wide of Bush's left post.

Palace Baltimore head directly to Rochester (4-3-3) where they'll face the Rhinos Saturday June 12th at 7:00pm, their second visit to Marina Auto Stadium in less than a month. The first clash saw the Baltimore club take all three points in a 1-0 victory courtesy of Randi Patterson's second half strike.



U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 Stories from June 9, 2010


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