Lansing Common FC’s home opener and first league match of the season against Tulip City United SC ended in a 1-1 draw, due to a late goal from the visitors.
Ramzi Shaheen scored his first goal as a Robin, cashing in on an assist from Ty Usiak at the front of the net. Shaheen’s tally would be the only goal of the night for Lansing Common.
Lansing goalkeeper Ethan Brandt was awarded man of the match after a stellar performance in net.
“Ethan’s a top goaltender,” said Head Coach Josh Oakley. “He may be the best goaltender this club has seen.”
Despite Brandt’s heroics, Tulip City found the equalizer in the 76th minute. Both sides had quality opportunities to take the lead in the waning minutes, but ultimately, impressive goalkeeping ensured a draw.
“We just didn’t finish on chances,” said Oakley. “When you do that, you leave the door open for a 1-1 share of the points, and we’re disappointed in that”.
Like last weekend, Lansing Common started a bit slow, with the opponent controlling possession and dictating play. The Robins picked up steam after the 20th minute, pushing play back into Tulip City’s half. Capitalizing on that change in momentum, Lansing Common broke the nil-nil tie at the 38th minute thanks to Shaheen’s goal.
The Robins took that momentum into the start of the second half, creating multiple goal-scoring opportunities and putting pressure on Tulip City. However, Lansing could not finish on those opportunities, and City’s goal in the 76th minute was the final tally for either side.
“We had a good couple of chances at the beginning of the second half that we could’ve put away,” said Brandt. “I’m a little bit disappointed with this one.”
Up next for the Robins
Lansing Common’s next match is on the road against West Michigan Bearings SC on Friday, June 3. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and the match will be live-streamed on Facebook
The Robins next home game is on Saturday, June 12 at 5 p.m. against Michigan Jaguars FC. Tickets are just $5, available online and at the gate. For those who can’t make it to gameday, the match will be streamed live on YouTube.
