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Goal Breakdown: Swope Park – 3/23

By Anthony Picardi, 03/25/19, 9:15AM EDT

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In a high-scoring second half, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (0-1-1) and the Swope Park Rangers (0-1-1) combined to post a total of four goals in the match’s final 20 minutes en route to a 2-2 draw on Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park.

Notching the tallies for the Hounds were Tobi Adewole and Anthony Velarde. Here is how the Black and Gold scored their first couple goals of the 2019 campaign.

71’ Tobi Adewole assisted by Kenardo Forbes

The Hounds were the first team to break onto the scoresheet.

Taking a free kick from about 20 yards out, Kenardo Forbes booted the ball into the penalty area.

Although tough to tell visually, Adewole (yellow arrow) is stationed in a pack of players just inside of the 18-yard box. As the ball swings across the edge of the six-yard box, the defender creates space while sprinting toward the goalmouth and deflects the sphere into the net to provide his team with a 1-0 lead at the time.

90’+1 Anthony Velarde (penalty)

The veteran gave a gift to the rookie.

As the game headed into second-half stoppage time, Christian Volesky drew a foul inside of the penalty box to provide the Hounds with a penalty kick and an opportunity to knot the score. With a point on the line, the team turned to Velarde.

As seen above, the rookie remains poised and puts the penalty into the net, choosing to place it left side. The tally brought the score to its final of 2-2.

Tale of the Tape

The Hounds won the total shots battle, 12-8, despite losing the possession battle (35 percent). Looking more closely, it was not how much the Hounds held the ball rather than where the action took place.

Over the course of the match, 35 percent of game time was played in Pittsburgh’s attacking third compared to just 16 percent played in its defensive third. This high pressure helped the Hounds to both of their tallies and earn a point on the road.