FCY New York settles for a point equalizing in the 90th minute

Game Recap: UPSL Match day 2, Sat 29 Apr 2023, 6 pm Kickoff – Coyer Field

Full Time: FCY New York 2 – 2 Chantilly Forever FC

On a cold and rainy night in Buffalo at Coyer Field Buffalo State, FCY New York faced off against Chantilly Forever FC from Canada. Chantilly came into this game with a 0-2 record, while FCY New York was sitting at 1-0. The stage was set for a competitive match between these two teams.

The opening minutes saw both teams vying for control, with Forever FC enjoying a slight edge in possession. In the 5th minute, Moe Saif finds Mo Channer on a long through ball, who broke free from the defense only to be clipped from behind by Forever’s #6 Ahmed Mohamed. Despite FCY New York’s appeals, no penalty kick was awarded.

FCY New York took the lead in the 7th minute as left-back Jabreel Almontaser swung in an inviting corner kick that met the head of Adam Saif, who nodded it home. In the 13th minute, Chantilly’s #11 Troy Bromfield, rounded a defender and crossed the ball to #13 Rugenerwa, who failed to convert the chance, narrowly keeping the score at 1-0.

A flurry of opportunities ensued, as FCY New York’s midfielder, Ali Shawish (#7), was thwarted by a spectacular save from Forever FC’s goalkeeper, Iwanisik, in the 16th minute. This followed a well-executed buildup that began with the defense, featuring a precise pass from FCY’s playmaker, Ali Mohammed (#9), to Witman Hernandez. After Hernandez took a shot, Shawish attempted to capitalize on the rebound, but the Forever FC goalie made an astounding save, denying him the chance to score.

In the 21st minute, Chantilly’s Bromfield capitalized on a mix-up between FCY’s two center-backs and goalkeeper, slotting the ball into the far post for a fantastic goal, leveling the score at 1-1.

Later in the 1^st half, Ali Shawish was taken down inside the 18-yard box, which by our view and review of the film should have resulted in a penalty kick. However, the referee deemed the incident to have occurred just outside the box and awarded a free kick instead, which FCY New York failed to convert.

Following some tactical changes by coach Jim Hesch, FCY New York started to apply increased pressure on their opponents. Despite generating multiple opportunities, such as Moe Saif’s effort in the 27th minute that went marginally wide and in the 32nd minute, Witman’s attempt then being tripped up in the box, that initially was called PK being awarded only for it to be bizarrely overturned by the assistant referee after a Chantilly defender’s appeal, FCY New York couldn’t find the equalizer. The defender did receive a yellow card for the foul. As the first half drew to a close, Chantilly then drew a contentious free kick from around 25 yards out, which they successfully executed to secure a 2-1 advantage heading into the halftime break.

The second half saw FCY New York turn up the intensity, maintaining a high defensive line with center backs Yousif Kowa and Adam Saif flanked on each side by Hussain Omar & Jabreel even higher up the pitch with the ball winner, Abdulgawi Albari in front playing the #6 role and putting Chantilly under constant pressure. Chantilly was able to slip through but Buffalo State 2019 Alum, FCY goalkeeper Andy Queen made a crucial diving punch save at the edge of the 18-yard box to keep Chantilly off the scoreboard. Despite the relentless pressure, FCY New York struggled to find an equalizer, with several shots saved by the outstanding Chantilly FC goalkeeper.

As the pressure continued, Ali Mohammed sent a beautiful over-the-top ball to Mo Channer, whose squared ball deflected off the defender and hit the goal post. Witman pounced on the rebound, but the Chantilly goalkeeper made another great save.

With 30 minutes left in the second half, a nice combination play ensued with Moe Saif finding Ali Shawish, who then played a neat ball to Witman, only to be denied once again by the Chantilly goalkeeper. Diego Rivera, who subbed in for Mo Channer with around 20 minutes left, flicked a really nice header to Witman, who was one-on-one with the goalkeeper but had his flick shot saved.

In a heart-stopping moment with only 7 minutes left on the clock, Pa Lu read the flow of the game, seizing a loose ball with determination. Spotting Witman Hernandez, Pa Lu delivered a quick pass as Witman expertly shook off a defender and skillfully slid the ball past the goalkeeper for a dramatic equalizer, leveling the score at 2-2. With adrenaline pumping, FCY New York valiantly pressed for a decisive goal in the dying embers of the match, but despite their unyielding efforts, the deadlock remained unbroken.

Despite the 2-2 draw, FCY New York was satisfied with their performance, as they managed to connect many passes, maintain a high possession rate, and create numerous chances with great offensive pressure. The team will take the positives from this game and look to build on them as they continue their season.

FCY New York’s starting lineup featured Andy Queen, Jabreel Almontaser, Yousif Kowa, Adam Saif, Hussain Omar, Abdulqawi Albari, Mohammed Saif, Ali Shawish, Ali Mohammed, Mo Channer, and Witman Hernandez. Substitutes included Diego Rivera, Pa Lu, Cory Nash, Roshanali Hamza, Bassam Harhara, Chris Inganji, and Patrick Longsdon.

Streaming Live Match and commentary by WNYathletics.com: