Storms halt action early: Professional soccer is a 90-minute game, except when it’s not. Following persistent storms and a delay of more than two hours at the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium, Sporting Club Jacksonville’s USL Championship men’s soccer game was declared official in the 74th minute as a 2-2 draw against Brooklyn FC on May 31.
Sporting Jax comeback: Four days after blowing a three-goal lead to San Antonio FC, this time it was Sporting Jax’s turn for a multi-goal comeback. Tyshawn Rose’s 20-yard blast put Sporting Jax on the board before halftime, and in the 55th minute, Edgardo Rito stole the ball from a Brooklyn defender and passed wide left. Kieran Sadlier received the ball, dribbled around an opponent and crossed low for Rafferty Pedder’s tying finish.
Brooklyn starts fast: Last in the league, Sporting Jax looked set for another rocky day early. Brooklyn’s Peter Mangione scored eight minutes in off a rebound after 19-year-old midfielder CJ Olney had burned the right side of Jacksonville’s defense, and Olney then set up Stefan Stojanovic for a 23rd-minute scoring header on a counter.
Busy day for Olivares: Sporting Jax keeper and league save leader Christian Olivares repeatedly came up big on an 18-shot day for Brooklyn, particularly with a quick-reaction double save in the second half to deny Mangione and Juan Obregon. The USL credited Olivares with seven saves.
Quick free kicks: Referee Benjamin Meyer stopped the game in the second half as lightning approached, and after waiting for conditions to improve, league officials declared the result official around 6 p.m. The remaining 16 minutes will not be made up. … Sporting Jax (0-8-3) remains without a USL Championship victory following the draw with Brooklyn (2-7-2), which ranks next-to-last in the Eastern Conference.
Up next: Sporting Jax remains at home for another game in the in-season USL Cup tournament, taking on the Tampa Bay Rowdies at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 6.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: A 74-minute game? Unusual finish for Sporting Jax men’s soccer
Reporting by Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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