None of it seemed likely.
Time was running out. The ball was cleared to midfield. And Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC was stoned by a goalkeeper who had made 11 saves to that point in the game. Eleven saves.
With the hourglass funneling the final grains of sand, defender Joe Greenspan took notice of the situation and booted a ball back into the 18-yard box. The sphere traveled about 40 yards in flight, being airborne for a full three seconds.
But in comes Mark Forrest. A rookie striker who had played less than 100 minutes over the course of the season. And he had only been on the pitch for two minutes before his time would be defined within three seconds.
Although he had not logged much playing time with Pittsburgh, Forrest did bring a knack for scoring with him to the club. He finished his career at Lehigh University with 41 goals, which ranks second all-time in program history. And 12 of these goals were of the game-winning variety.
So when the 6-foot-3-inch target leaped into the sky, he brought this aptitude with him. And while the Hounds fired many hard shots on frame from all over the attacking third, it was a softly placed header that fell into the net.
None of it seemed likely, but perhaps another look is needed. The Hounds recorded a season-high 24 total shots and 12 shots on target. Throughout the match, 34 percent of play occurred in Birmingham’s defensive third.
With these statistics in mind, the Hounds were bound to find their way onto the scoresheet. All it took was the touch of a rookie.
Riverhounds SC, the 2019 Eastern Conference regular season champions.
