Match Report | Ambassadors FC Ohio vs Cleveland SC

Cleveland SC season comes to an end after 2-0 semifinal loss to Ambassador FC Ohio

CANTON, OHIO- After two intense regular battles between Cleveland SC and Ambassadors FC Ohio, the soccer Gods decided there would be one more.

This third and final meeting between the two teams this season had a but more on the line, as the two sides faced off in the Great Lakes Conference semifinals at Malone University in Canton, Ohio, with Cleveland falling 2-0 to end its season. 

Cleveland had been the clear better team in the first two matchups as they outscored Ambassadors 5-0 on the season, winning the first game at home 3-0 and the second match on the road 2-0.

The two squads entered the match on much different paths however, with Ambassadors coming in hot off of beating the No. 1 seed Erie Commodores and Cleveland riding a three game losing streak to end the regular season. 

Despite the two different spots for both teams the game opened with Cleveland again looking like the more quality side as they created two strong chances in the first ten minutes. 

At the end of that first ten minutes Ambassadors finally broke through for their first goal against Cleveland all season in the tenth minute. A ball was played to the Ambassadors winger who made a run before making the Cleveland keeper dive early, giving attacker Amir Spratt a wide open net for the opening goal. 

Being down 1-0 to start the game familiar feeling for Cleveland recently, and the club has scored goals after conceding but they have not been able to secure a win. 

Cleveland had a great chance equalizing in the 24th minute when a ball that crossed back across the box was deflected just enough to miss the foot of Hakim Musabbah for a shot on target.

After that chance Ambassadors began to take control again, living in Cleveland’s half although the defense was stout and was able to keep them out of the back of the net.

Ty Bowden, the goalkeeper making his first start of the season, made a great play late in the first half to deny another goal, leaving his box and causing enough disruption to take away what looked like a surefire second goal for Ambassadors before the halftime whistle sounded.

Photo Credit: GViper Photography

It didn’t take long after the start of the second half for Cleveland to get its best look of the game, as in the 55th minute Noah Sandahl weaved his way around defenders around the box before Musabbah fired a pass to the back post where Ren Nishida was waiting, but his shot was wide of the net.

Gabe Gotting fired a long shot from about 20 yards out a few minutes later, but it was saved. 

The next big chance came for Ambassadors in the 73rd minute off a corner when the ball bounced and landed in front of Spratt, who had his shot saved by Bowden. 

A questionable call was made four minutes later when Musabbah was able to outmaneuver his defender down the baseline near the box and a made a move that sent two Ambassadors defenders flying into each other, but the whistle blew, and it was ruled a foul on Cleveland. 

It was clear that some desperation was starting to set in for Cleveland as they were still searching for their first goal in an attempt to equalize. Crosses into the box were not able to muster much and the emotions were starting to show in the 85th minute.

Gotting and the Cleveland bench received yellow cards following a call that they felt had been missed against Cleveland in a potential build up. 

Cleveland got off a great looking shot from about 20 yards out that took a great save from the Ambassador keeper to deny in stoppage time. 

That penalty was the last real chance the club had, as it was Ambassadors who found the net for the second time before Cleveland would score. 

Late in stoppage time, a penalty was given to Ambassadors after the ref ruled that Cleveland’s center back had held up an Ambassadors attacker when both players went to the ground. 

The goal made it 2-0 and was the nail in the coffin for Cleveland in the game and its season, as with the loss, the club was eliminated from the playoffs. 

The loss capped off a brutal stretch to end the season for Cleveland, as it was outscored 13-7 in the final four games, which were all losses. A stretch of bad form that seemed nearly impossible after the club started 7-1-1. 

Still, the season marked some real growth for the club, making the playoffs for the first time since 2023 and earning the No. 4 spot in the NPSL national rankings at one point in the season.

Photo Credit: GViper Photography

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