In their two previous meetings this season, the Indiana Blast and Cincinnati Riverhawks combined for 12 goals.
Friday night, the A-League's I-74 rivals picked up where they left off two weeks earlier, as each team found the other's net twice in the second half, resulting in extra time.
Unfortunately for the Blast, a most unlikely overtime shot by the Riverhawks' Mario Longo proved fatal, as it gave Cincinnati a 3-2 win at Kuntz Stadium in Indianapolis.
Finding himself in the clear about 15 yards from the goal, Longo took a feed from Rick Roettker and launched a Pele-style bicycle kick into the left corner of the Blast goal.
"Unbelievable shot," Blast midfielder Casey Sweeney said. "Give that guy credit. Nine hundred and 99 times he's not going to get that shot."
That capped off a furious comeback by the Riverhawks, who trailed 2-0 more than midway into the second half but benefited from an ejection of Indiana's goalkeeper to knot the score and force extra time.
Blast keeper David Winner was sent off in the 73rd minute for arguing a foul he had committed in the penalty area, when he held Cincinnati's Godfrey Tenoff on a breakaway.
Marcel Matis - who himself would later be red-carded - converted the penalty kick against Winner's replacement, Josh Lynk.
The Riverhawks' man advantage would come handy again in the 80th minute, when reserve midfielder Simon Lowey fired a 10-yarder past Lynk.
Cincinnati had two major chances early in the overtime, but Lynk came up big with point-blank saves.
The Blast looked lifeless in the first half but broke through in the 54th minute, when Sweeney headed a loose ball in front of the net past Riverhawk goalkeeper Alfredo Estrada.
Indiana made it 2-0 just four minutes later, as Jeff Dresser won another scramble near the goal and put in a rebound shot off a Blast miss.
The momentum the Blast worked hard to develop evaporated when Winner lost his cool after fouling Tenoff in the penalty area.
"We dominated most of the game on possessions but were unable to finalize it and it's really upsetting for us," Blast forward Rodrigo Costa said.
The Blast outshot the Riverhawks 14-13.
"Point in case, every game that we get a man tossed we lose," Sweeney said. "It's tough to play a man down. And even when we were even (-handed) the psychological aspects were there."
Both teams are 3-5, with Cincinnati having won two of three from the Blast this season.
Friday's match was the first of two for the Blast this weekend (they are at Nashville Sunday), but for midfielder Jeremy Aldrich Saturday will be no day off. Aldrich will dress for the Chicago Fire of MLS against visiting New England, but will rejoin the Blast Sunday. He also has logged time this year with the big league's Columbus Crew.
LINEUPS
Cincinnati - 1-Estrada, 4-Descombes, 5-Roettker, 8-Roberts, 9-Matis, 11-Rockey, 15-Burlew, 16-Kaszuba (32-Mucino, 74th), 20-Vaughn, 27-Masturzo (7-Lowey, 75th), 31-Longo.
Indiana - 31-Winner (1-Lynk, 73rd), 2-Aldrich, 4-Dresser (12-Weiger, 70th), 5-Sweeney, 6-Ottesen (11-Prosser, 100th), 7-Demmin, 8-Tenoff (out, 74th), 9-Donaldson, 10-Costa, 14-Allen, 17-Baah.
Scoring: I - Sweeney (Ottesen), 53rd, I - Dresser (unassisted), 57th, C - Matis (penalty), 76th, C - Lowey (Mucino), 80th, C - Longo (Roettker), 103rd.
Cautions: C -- Matis, 39th, I -- Sweeney (51st), C - Descombes (57th), I - Winner (72nd), C-Matis (88th).
Ejections: I - Winner (73rd), C - Matis (88th).
Shots on goal: C 13, I 14.
Saves: C 4 (Estrada 4), I 4 (Winner 2, Lynk 2).
Fouls: C 23, I 23.
Offsides: C 4, I 8.
Corner kicks: C 7, I 3.
