10-man Ocean City Nor’easters edge Philadelphia Lone Star FC in home-opener

Friday night saw an all-Philadelphia-area matchup on the third matchday of the young USL League Two season, as Ocean City hosted Philadelphia Lone Star. The reigning division champions, Ocean City, exited the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the second round, falling at
the hands of Maryland Bobcats in the 123rd Minute.

The Nor’easters began their home campaign Friday against a Lone Star side that sat first in the division on a goal-difference tiebreaker. Each side started their season with respective victories in the first two matchdays, and with the top spot in the Mid-Atlantic division up for grabs, this early-season fixture had growing stakes.

An impressive crowd watched at Carey Stadium as the hosts piled on pressure directly from the kick-off. The Nor’easters managed to connect a handful of passes and find their way through on goal early, but as would become a common theme throughout the evening, the goalkeeper produced an excellent save. The Storm’s dominant start to the match finally paid off in the eighth minute, as a poor giveaway from Andrew Duopu Jr. left the Ocean City striker, Andrew Kitch, through on goal to open the scoring. Kitch did well to beat Liam Smith, who managed a hand to get a hand to the shot but failed to deny Kitch his second goal of the season.

With an apparent second goal being called offside in the 15th minute, Ocean City failed to take control of the game, and despite having little to no possession, Lone Star remained within reach. It took Lone Star nearly half an hour to manage a decent chance, where a good spell of possession led to a header that hit the crossbar and miraculously did not cross the line. Philadelphia’s Alvin Dahn became the attack’s focal point in the match’s next portion, cutting inside and curling a tremendous effort just wide.

The remainder of the half was controversial as the center referee lost control of the game. A series of similar fouls on the near touchline with contradicting punishments confused the entire crowd. By the end of the half, four yellow cards had been issued, with the most controversial being to an assistant coach on the Lone Star bench.

Ocean City was lucky to escape the first half unharmed. Matthew Perrella’s side gave Lone Star a series of chances in first-half stoppage time, none of which bested Ocean City goalkeeper Stefano Camerlengo. As the sun disappeared and the second half began, the match got highly sloppy, with neither side able to maintain possession of any substance. It took nearly 20 minutes of action before a scramble in the box led to Ocean City hitting the woodwork but still failing to double their lead. Moments later, Liam Smith made another excellent save, denying the Nor’easters what looked to be a sure second goal.

After countless Ocean City attempts came and went, the tide suddenly shifted, and Lone Star took complete control of the match. Alvin Dahn continued to dazzle, beating his man with skill and nearly finding the frame from an absurd angle. I noted that Philadelphia was piling on the pressure and nearing a breakthrough when it appeared that just that had arrived. In the 73rd minute, Ocean City’s Josh Jones denied an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and was sent off. After nearly five minutes of chaos, Aboubacar Camara took the ensuing penalty. Stefan Camerlengo came up with the biggest save of the night, perfectly reading the effort and keeping Ocean City ahead. Philadelphia Lone Star pushed relentlessly for an equalizer in the final 15 minutes but came up short in the end, as Ocean City held onto their lone goal to take three points and go top of the division.

USL League Two is primarily focused on developing talent, and regardless of the scoreline, it was a treat to see these players shine. Both goalkeepers, Liam Smith, and Stefano Camerlengo, were excellent, making outrageous saves at both ends. Ocean City ultimately
dominated in the midfield, primarily due to Nick Pariano and Sander Roed, who were fantastic on the ball. Despite the low final score, the attacking talent was plentiful, as both Andrew Kitch and Alvin Dahn gave impressive performances in their own ways. Kitch played like a
well-rounded striker, with excellent hold-up play and the finishing to match. Dahn simply left me speechless a handful of times with incredible skill and nearly found the top corner from range on multiple attempts.

The two clubs meet again on June 21, as Lone Star will seek revenge in Philadelphia.