Shadow Fail To Catch Ot Break Spokane Soccer Team Loses At Home, 2-1, To Portland Firebirds In Second-To-Last Game Of Season

Spokane Shadow head coach Einar Thorarinsson called it “the one that got away.”

The Shadow dropped a 2-1 overtime game to the Portland Firebirds in a United States Interregional Soccer League game Saturday night at Spokane Falls Community College.

With 5:51 remaining in sudden-death overtime, Firebird forward Jim Leggett took a loose ball on the left side of the field, dribbled to the top, right corner of the penalty box and blasted the game winner past Spokane goalkepper R.J. Merritt.

“We could of had this one,” Thorarinsson said. “We just haven’t been able to finish off teams.”

With the win, Portland avenged a 1-0 shootout loss to Spokane earlier this year.

Leggett put Portland on the board first at the 25-minute mark of the first half, taking a pass from midfielder John Davis in the penalty box. Leggett blasted a hard shot that just cleared the left post.

The Shadow countered with 6:55 left in the game when Doug Birdtail, who had just entered the game, took a cross from Chad Crithfield. Birdtail controlled the ball and knocked it in from 5 yards away.

Spokane missed a golden opportunity to score with 9 minutes gone in the second half when Crithfield was tripped in the penalty box, earning a penalty kick. Chris Stiles took the shot, but Firebird goalkeeper Todd Stevenson came up big, diving left to make the save.

“They’re (penalty kicks) a 90 percent sure thing,” Thorarinsson said. “Unfortunately, we were in the 10 percent tonight.”

Stiles believed it was a combination of a great save and a bad shot.

“The best place to put penalty kicks is six to eight feet off the ground. Mine was only four feet.” Stiles said. “He made a nice dive and I placed it right into his hands.”

Spokane had another goal opportunity slip away with just over 3 minutes left in regulation. Crithfield took a loose ball 5 yards out and a hit a hard shot, but Stevenson came came flying across the goal, barely getting a piece of the ball with his left hand and knocking it away.

With the loss, the Shadow dropped to 4-7 with one game remaining against the Seattle Hammers Friday at SFCC.