FC St. Pauli Defeats FC Buffalo 2-0

May 28, 2019

605

By FC Buffalo

Iconic German side FC St. Pauli beat FC Buffalo 2-0 at Robert Rich Sr. All-High Stadium in Buffalo on Sunday, but as cliche as it sounds, this was about more than a game.

FCSP welcomed FC Buffalo to Germany earlier in May, forging a relationship that saw the NPSL side training at the 2.Bundesliga side’s grounds before playing a friendly against the FCSP U-23 side.

So when the German side and its hundreds of traveling supporters arrived in Western New York, FC Buffalo did everything it could to treat its guests with hospitality typical of its blue collar reputation.

Tunisian international Sami Allagui and U.S. U-19 winger Kevin Lankford scored goals in the game, while FCB misfired after producing a few clear-cut chances to get on the scoreboard.

Yet the game mattered mostly because of the events sandwiched around it. FC Buffalo welcomed FCSP’s staff and supporters to Misuta Chows on Friday night for drinks and Japanese food. FC Buffalo is also committed to the refugee community in WNY, and on Saturday before the match, FCSP visited Journey’s End Refugee Services to hear all about the issues faced by immigrants to the United States.

Then came the game, and if the quality of play didn’t tip off the neutral fan watching online around the world, the Bundesliga sign at midfield helped tell the tale.

The clubs made a positive impression on each other.

“They stand for so much more than just the soccer field, which is cool to see nowadays because you don’t see that at many clubs,” remarked FC Buffalo goalkeeper Bryce Tramuta. “It’s something we want to replicate here in Buffalo.”

Saturday night saw a post-match supporters’ celebration with players from both teams at The Town Ballroom which saw players and even FC St. Pauli chairman Oke Gottlich take the microphone for live band punk rock karaoke.