DRFC clashed with Amish Country United on match week 10, with a lot at stake. On our behalf, we needed a win or a draw to advance to the NOSL playoffs. As for Amish Country United, they needed all three points to hop into second place. From the start, everyone knew this would be a good game.
The guys kicked the ball off, and the game was underway. From the start, DRFC had the majority of possession and created attack after attack. Within the first few minutes, Rising midfielder Landon Kuhn received a ball from Evan Scott and had a shot on goal. Luckily for Amish Country United, the keeper got a hand on it and deflected it wide. This continues all half with DRFC attacking and them ACU kicking it long for a counter. Whenever ACU stopped the Rising, they would make one pass and then play a ball in the air for their striker to either run onto or hold up. It worked sometimes, but DRFC defense shut it down. Seth Barrett was winning every ball out of the air, while Nathan Chwalik and Ryland Owens used their blistering pace to track down the through balls. The first half stayed like this, and DRFC had the majority of possession but no goals to show for it. Both teams went into the half with the score being 0-0.
The second half started, and it was much like the first in terms of possession. DRFC was passing it around the back and looking for holes in the Amish defense to exploit. Eddie Konrad played multiple through balls, and one went to Evan Scott, who turned the defender on his back, and his shot smacked the crossbar. The game stayed at 0-0 until the 75th minute, where Amish attacker #21 hit DRFC on a counter, hit the ball, got a weird deflection, and put ACU up 1-0. Meaning they would be advancing to the playoffs to face City of Ohio. However, DRFC did not let up. Amish began to sit back and absorb our attack, but it wasn't enough because, in the 82nd minute, Landon Kuhn took on their defense. He got a ball played into him, stepped to it, and got fouled in the box.
Regarding DRFC with a penalty and a chance to go to the playoffs. Kuhn stepped up and slotted it bottom corner. Sending the keeper the wrong way, the game was now tied at one a piece. Roles became reversed as DRFC sat back and the Amish attacked. Ball after ball, DRFC cleared every one of them and booted it upfield. Cody Lumby and Max Deckop were not letting anything past. One ball got passed by Nathan Chwalik to Evan Scott, who took it to the corner only to be run right through—winning a foul and wasting precious seconds. The final whistle blew, and the score was still 1-1, meaning DRFC advanced to the playoffs!
