Two braces led to a resounding win, Loudoun’s 4th straight.
Loudoun United did not need any extra motivation for Saturday night’s game against the New York Red Bulls II. Winners of three straight while the Red Bulls were winless in 5, the team wanted to end their season on an upbeat note and did just that, with a resounding 7-2 victory in front of 3,014 at Segra Field.
Loudoun opened the scoring early as Kyle Murphy deflected a cross by Peabo Doue over to Alioune Ndour, and the forward (celebrating his 22nd birthday next week) put the ball past Evan Louro for a 1-0 lead in the 5th minute. They continued to weather the Red Bulls press when Ndour passed the ball in to D.C. United homegrown player Antonio Bustamante for the goal and a 2-0 Loudoun lead after 13 minutes. Red Bulls II found a quick response as Jared Stroud put home a Kyle Zajec attempt to halve the lead to 2-1 after 16 minutes.
The goal did not deter Loudoun as Kyle Murphy drew a penalty kick in the 32nd minute and the Captain took it himself, putting it past Louro for a 3-1 lead. Murphy found his brace minutes later, as Shane Wiedt sent a ball over the top to him, and he fended off Sean McSherry and fired it to Louro’s left for a 4-1 lead. Loudoun continued the pressure deep into the half, as a counter found Ndour in for a shot on Louro, and Gordon Wild put it home for the goal and a 5-1 lead that they took into halftime. Loudoun ensured the first half wasn’t a fluke 15 seconds into the second half as Elvis Amoh (on for Bustamante after an injury forced him off) dribbled in and beat Louro for his 4th of the year and the team’s sixth, a club high to end the year.
The Red Bulls returned with a goal in the 65th minute from Matias Jorgensen and found themselves in position to mount a comeback with a penalty kick moments later, but Vincent Bezecourt’s shot was saved by Calle Brown and cleared. Wild would find his brace in the 72nd minute, capitalizing on a ball meant for McSherry and sending a left footed volley past Louro for the seventh and an Omar Sowe goal in the 91st minute resulted in the final.
“I’m still at a loss for words right now after that performance,” Peabo Doue said after the game. “We talked about ending the season on a high note, especially after everything we’ve gone through, but it’s been a great season.”
“[A] great first year with Loudoun, I thought it was awesome,” Murphy said after the game. “A lot of fun, awesome to finish the season off with four straight wins and especially tonight at home. I can’t remember the last time I’ve scored seven goals in a game that I’ve been a part of.”
“I’m just proud of the progress of the group individually and collectively, and you saw when things are going right the last four games, it was a pretty good stretch and it’s capped it off with a cherry on top,” Coach Ryan Martin said afterwards. “Obviously to beat the Red Bulls is always a really good day and to put seven on is even better.”
