New Haven United FC Defeats American Soccer Club New York 3-2
By American Soccer Club New York
The American Soccer Club New York Fighting Tomcats’ late game rally just fell short as their quest to reach a National Premier Soccer League playoff berth ended on Saturday night.
The Fighting Tomcats, who needed a win to qualify for the postseason, dropped a 3-2 decision to New Haven United FC at Captains Field on the campus of Hofstra University.
They managed to rally and tie the North Atlantic Conference encounter behind goals by Brian Saramago and Thomas Wagner in the final 16 minutes of regulation before substitute Alex Brown found the net for New Haven three minutes into stoppage to put the game out of reach.
ASC NY (10 points) finished its maiden season with a 2-4-4 record while New Haven United FC (14 points) improved to 4-4-2. The teams played to a 3-3 draw last Saturday in New Haven, CT.
The Tomcats had the first two opportunities as team captain Brian Saramago had his third-minute shot saved by goalkeeper Justin Hess and fired an attempt over the crossbar five minutes later.
Against the run of play, the visitors grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute on a corner kick sequence that was originated by Preston Alessio. Solomon Aidoo possessed the ball to the left of the net near the goal line and passed it out to Agnaldo Germano, who beat keeper Kenneth Cordova.
Christopher Morandi decided to test Hess from distance on the left side in the 15th minute, but the goalkeeper snared his shot for his second save.
Needing two goals to take the lead, the Fighting Tomcats tried to push up but New Haven enjoyed possession for huge periods of time to take time off the clock early in the second half.
When they did get a chance, Hess denied the hosts. For example, in the 70th minute, the goalkeeper saved Thomas Wagner’s header from the top of the penalty area.
Seconds later, New Haven grabbed a two-goal advantage as substitute Enesio Capollari slotted a shot from the top of the right side of the box past a diving Cordova.
ASC NY would not go quietly into the night. Over the final 20 minutes and stoppage, the home side intercepted passes and won first and second balls to put pressure on New Haven.
The Tomcats’ persistence paid off in the 74th minute as Saramago pulled them within a goal at 2-1, hitting a 28-yard drive into the net.
Five minutes later, Jorge Nieto Zambrano fired a rocket from distance that Hess punched away for a corner kick.
The hosts knotted the match up in the 90th minute as Wagner headed home Leo Pinto’s free kick at the far-right post.
But Brown put away a pass from the left flank from close range past Cordova for the clinching goal.
