USL Rewind: Saint Louis FC changes head coach
- by Ridge Mahoney @ridgemax, Aug 16, 2016
Following a 4-3 home loss to Sacramento Republic FC, Saint Louis FC has dismissed head coach Dale Schilly and named former assistant Tim Leonard to
replace him on an interim basis.
“We’re expecting this move to energize the team and give us the push necessary to reach the playoffs,” said team GM Jeremy Alumbaugh in a statement released Monday. “We have high expectations for this team and the results over the recent string of games necessitated this change.”
Schilly, 55, started out with Saint Louis FC when it joined the USL prior to the 2015 season. The loss to Sacramento dropped the team’s record in the last eight games to 1-4-3 and in 10th place in the Western Conference. In all competitions his record was 16-21-16.
Sacramento stunned a sellout crowd of 5,453 at World Wide Technology Soccer Park by scoring three goals in the first 17 minutes. J.J. Koval tucked away a pass from former Quakes teammate Tommy Thompson to open the scoring, and Matt LaGrassa -- starting his first game for the Republic -- assisted on goals by Cameron Iwasa and Octavio Guzman.
“You can’t start a game that way, simple as that,” said SLFC midfielder Chad Bond. “Giving up three goals in the first 15 minutes is suicide. As well as we played in the second half we killed ourselves in the first half.”
Mike Ambersley scored for Saint Louis midway through the first half to give the home fans some hope, but Sacramento regained the three-goal lead when Iwasa got his second goal early in the second half. That goal turned out to be the winner after goals by Jordan Roberts and Bond closed the gap to 4-3.
“I feel really confident that I can come into the game and create chances and get past defenders,” said Roberts, who replaced an injured Schillo Tschuma late in the first half and along with loanee Alex Morrell, pushed Saint Louis back into the game. “Our second half was good but we can’t win games playing the way we did in the first half.”
CINCY MINDS THE GAP. Richmond Kickers could have pulled even with FC Cincinnati in the E Eastern Conference standings when the teams met Saturday at City Stadium, but Andrew Wiedeman’s equalizer in the 80th minute yielded a 1-1 tie that kept third-place Cincy three points to the good.
After setting up a good chance that Anthony Grant shot over the bar in the first half, Sunny Jane reached a parried cross in the 63rd minute to give Richmond the lead. After an excellent save by Cincinnati keeper Mitch Hildebrant kept the deficit at one, Weideman stepped up to a free kick and swerved it into the net.
The result kept FC Cincinnati (12-4-6, 42 points) five points behind co-leaders New York Red Bulls II and Louisville City FC. Richmond (11-6-6, 39 pts.) is fourth.
USL Leading Scorers:
G PLAYER, TEAM
15 Jack McBean, LA Galaxy II
14 Chandler Hoffman, Louisville City
11 Sean Okoli, FC Cincinnati
11 Irvin Herrera, St. Louis FC
10 Kyle Greig, Whitecaps FC 2
10 Sammy Ochoa, Tulsa
10 Brandon Allen, NY Red Bulls II
9 Yudai Imura, Richmond
9 Romario Williams, Charleston
9 Corey Hertzog, Pittsburgh
9 Michael Cox, Orlando City B
9 Cameron Iwasa, Sac Republic FC
USL:
Results | Standings | Schedule
“We’re expecting this move to energize the team and give us the push necessary to reach the playoffs,” said team GM Jeremy Alumbaugh in a statement released Monday. “We have high expectations for this team and the results over the recent string of games necessitated this change.”
Schilly, 55, started out with Saint Louis FC when it joined the USL prior to the 2015 season. The loss to Sacramento dropped the team’s record in the last eight games to 1-4-3 and in 10th place in the Western Conference. In all competitions his record was 16-21-16.
Sacramento stunned a sellout crowd of 5,453 at World Wide Technology Soccer Park by scoring three goals in the first 17 minutes. J.J. Koval tucked away a pass from former Quakes teammate Tommy Thompson to open the scoring, and Matt LaGrassa -- starting his first game for the Republic -- assisted on goals by Cameron Iwasa and Octavio Guzman.
“You can’t start a game that way, simple as that,” said SLFC midfielder Chad Bond. “Giving up three goals in the first 15 minutes is suicide. As well as we played in the second half we killed ourselves in the first half.”
Mike Ambersley scored for Saint Louis midway through the first half to give the home fans some hope, but Sacramento regained the three-goal lead when Iwasa got his second goal early in the second half. That goal turned out to be the winner after goals by Jordan Roberts and Bond closed the gap to 4-3.
“I feel really confident that I can come into the game and create chances and get past defenders,” said Roberts, who replaced an injured Schillo Tschuma late in the first half and along with loanee Alex Morrell, pushed Saint Louis back into the game. “Our second half was good but we can’t win games playing the way we did in the first half.”
CINCY MINDS THE GAP. Richmond Kickers could have pulled even with FC Cincinnati in the E Eastern Conference standings when the teams met Saturday at City Stadium, but Andrew Wiedeman’s equalizer in the 80th minute yielded a 1-1 tie that kept third-place Cincy three points to the good.
After setting up a good chance that Anthony Grant shot over the bar in the first half, Sunny Jane reached a parried cross in the 63rd minute to give Richmond the lead. After an excellent save by Cincinnati keeper Mitch Hildebrant kept the deficit at one, Weideman stepped up to a free kick and swerved it into the net.
The result kept FC Cincinnati (12-4-6, 42 points) five points behind co-leaders New York Red Bulls II and Louisville City FC. Richmond (11-6-6, 39 pts.) is fourth.
USL Leading Scorers:
G PLAYER, TEAM
15 Jack McBean, LA Galaxy II
14 Chandler Hoffman, Louisville City
11 Sean Okoli, FC Cincinnati
11 Irvin Herrera, St. Louis FC
10 Kyle Greig, Whitecaps FC 2
10 Sammy Ochoa, Tulsa
10 Brandon Allen, NY Red Bulls II
9 Yudai Imura, Richmond
9 Romario Williams, Charleston
9 Corey Hertzog, Pittsburgh
9 Michael Cox, Orlando City B
9 Cameron Iwasa, Sac Republic FC
USL:
Results | Standings | Schedule
