Project 51O made it four points from two away matches on Saturday, securing a 1-1 draw against the SF Glens at Skyline College on Saturday in a top of the table clash in USL League Two’s Western Conference.
51O started on the front foot, moving the ball sharply along the back line and comfortably breaking the Glen’s press with incisive line breaking passes from the center back pairing of Josh Redfield and Niklas Dossmann.
Project 51O got on the board in the 15th minute, when a dangerously whipped corner kick taken by Pablo Ramirez-Belmont was adjudged to have crossed the goal line, after a 50/50 challenge between Redfield and Glens goalkeeper Hugo Dutour, eliciting a cacophony of groans from the Glens faithful.
Despite the setback, the Glens came close to a quick response in the 21st minute, when UC Davis midfielder Andy Velasquez got on the end of a searching ball from the right wing, but his shot careened over his future Davis teammate Tim Syrel’s goal. As the first half wore on, the physically imposing Glens began to seize control of the match, winning the second balls in midfield, and forcing 51O back into their own half.
Syrel was called into action for the first time in the 26th minute, slapping away a shot from point blank range with a brilliant reflex save. Carlos Cruz came close to doubling 51O’s lead in the 34th minute, with a sharp turn and curled strike that barely missed the upper ninety. Cruz’s chance catalyzed a momentum shift, with 51O’s crisp play out of the back and deft midfield combinations leading to a chance for San Jose State product Suliman Khorami, but he could only trouble the hands of Dutour, who stretched down to his right to make a smart save.
51O’s Lorenzo Hernandez earned a booking when he took down the ever-dangerous Junior Mahi with a mistimed sliding challenge, a sign of things to come. Mahi came closest to equalizing for the Glens, cutting onto his left foot and unleashing a piledriver that clipped the crossbar, just before the halftime whistle.
The second half began in the same manner as the first, with 51O picking out forward passes with relative ease. As the wind picked up, Danny Estrada sent a looping cross towards Syrel’s back post, almost resulting in an untimely goal, but the ball floated harmlessly over the back post. Shortly after, a searching free kick from Gabriel Bracken-Serra just missed a sliding Redfield’s right foot with the goal gaping, and on the ensuing counter, Mahi slid a low shot towards Syrel’s goal that nicked the back post on its way out of bounds.
In the 68th minute, Velasquez received a clever reverse ball, sending a strike towards goal that deflected off Redfield and wrong footed Syrel, but the ball squeaked out harmlessly for a corner. After an avalanche of set pieces, the Glens managed to find an equalizer through a whipped Velasquez cross that found the head of Shayan Charalaghi at the back post.
The last 20 minutes saw both teams generate half-chances, but neither side could find a winner, settling for a hard-fought point.
“To take four points from two away games is always something to be proud of,” said defender Josh Redfield after the match. “However, we definitely feel we could have done more to protect our lead, even with the tough conditions and direct style of play that the Glens forced.”
51O will be back in action on June 26th, when they host Marin FC Legends at Ohlone College.
