If you're expecting a minute by minute match report of the Home opener against the City Islanders you're going to be sadly disappointed. Future reports will contain much more information than is available from the local media outlets and generally even from the Hounds front office itself.
I attended my first Hounds game in over a year with a very special lady in my life and three teenage girls. They were self described "soccer virgins", having never attended any sort of soccer game in their lives.
However they were all very excited to go and have been converted into fans, looking forward to attending the next home game. Thus in this match report I will comment mostly on my impressions of the game; forgive me if I get the names wrong or times incorrect. It was impossible for me to keep notes, yell at the opposing players and explain the game to them all at the same time.
Our seats were down on the field, near the half-way line and have the potential to be the hooligans dream seats. Although they are hard metal bleachers, the chance to scream at the opposing players was worth a little discomfort. I encouraged the girls I was with to hurl creative insults at the opposing players. And they did indeed hear us, judging from the nasty looks that were thrown our way by the Harrisburg players. And was that a finger after we "borrowed" a battle cry from Portland's Timber Army - "There is no pity in the Steel city!"
Did we do our job and get them off their game? Probably not, after all they did come back and score two goals in the second half. So if anything we may have inspired them to shut us up. It didn't work though. The girls continued to hurl insults throughout the game. I'm so proud of them.
I am using the term "Hooligan" to mean a hard core soccer fan, one that wishes to build an atmosphere worthy of a soccer game. Due to some small children sharing the bleachers with us, the fans I was sitting with kept the insults clean.
In fact, next game they were talking about bringing signs to hang on the metal grating that separates the fans from the field. And if I can make a suggestion to any Hound player reading this, running over to this section after a goal and celebrating in front of the fans is a great way to build the "Hooligan" factor. These could be the "must have" seats for future games.
I did not see the first goal scored in the fourth minute by Dan Hartung with an assist by David Flavius. But we did hear the roar of the crowd when the goal was scored and it did send chills down my spine.
The action after the goal was scored seemed to favor the Islanders however, they seemed to have the better of ball control but the Hounds also seemed up to the task. Waiting for a quick counter attack. That attack happened in the 39th minute of play.
All game long I was explaining to the girls I was with to watch number 13, David Flavius, turn on the jets when he had the chance. A ball played through by Greg Victor was the chance that he was waiting for. The jets were turned on and he easily beat his defender and scored a very nice goal.
After the celebration I yelled out to him something about him not losing a step, he turned and smiled and gave our little section the thumbs up.
In the second half the Hounds seemed interested in protecting their 2 - 0 lead, but when you do that sometimes mistakes happen. I am not sure who fouled the Islander forward in the box but from my perspective the foul was more of a tap and a dive than an actual foul. But the call was made and the Islanders pulled within one with Teafore Bennets penalty kick in the 53rd minute.
I did run into a referee assessor I know after the game and questioned him about it, he agreed that their was no foul. Although I don't know if he was working the game or not.
Jamel Mitchell tied the game up at two in the 76th minute of play on a good individual effort.
After that the Hounds seemed to be playing for the tie. Packing the backfield with eight or nine players at a time and seeming to not even try to pull ahead. I don't know if that was a coaching decision or something that just happened. But in the home opener in front of 3,111 fans I personally would have thrown everything including the kitchen sink at the Islanders goal in order to score a late goal.
At least this way the fireworks on the field could have matched the fireworks after the game.
