In the year’s final clashes, it was again disappointment for the Yanks of Westerlo as they traveled to the Venice of the North.
Club Brugge 4 – 3 Westerlo
It was a seven goal thriller the day after Christmas in the canal city of Brugge where both Americans, Bryan Reynolds and Griffin Yow went the distance against the Belgian champs and were unlucky to see a point disappear deep in stoppage time.
Playing against the nation’s best team is always going to be tough but Westerlo, who sit mid-table, put on a show and shocked their hosts early in the second half as they came back from a 2-0 deficit and then fought back again before the 94th minute Club winner.
The champs must have thought it was going to be an easy day at the office when they took a 2-0 lead with strikes from Andreas Skov Olsen after just five minutes and then another from Christos Tzolis a dozen minutes later. It was the Dane’s eighth of the season and the Greek’s sixth. But before the referee blew for half time, Yow, who worked hard the entire game, got his reward for persistency when he latched onto his Texas team mates pass and slotted it home with his weaker left foot.
In the 56th minute, 17-year-old Luka Vušković struck for the sixth time to get the Gamecocks back on level terms. Less than 10 minutes later however, Koen Van Langendonck was picking the ball out of the back of his net and Club was celebrating again, thanks to second half sub Hugo Siquet’s first goal of the season. When Westerlo struck again, through Alfie Vine’s equalizer in the 71st minute, VAR had to be called into action and over-turned the referee’s offside decision. Reynolds delivered the pass to his English team mate.
The final blow from Club however came in the 94th minute when they were awarded a penalty and Siquet struck for the second time on the night.
Westerlo will get back to action in the new year when they host Sint Truiden on January 11th.
Mechelen 0 – 0 Standard Liege
Standard’s lack of goals has been the problem as of late and it continued when they traveled to Mechelen on Thursday night with just one shot at goal up in Flanders. Marlon Fossey started again on the right side of les Rouches’ five man midfield and went the distance.
The Kakkers dominated the game in possession and chances but unlike them, they could not put the ball into the back of the net for only the third time this season. They were their own worst enemies on the night however, missing on a few occasions to get something from the game.
Ending the year in ninth place on 25 points, Standard will have a short break before hosting Kortrijk on the 10th of January in the new year.
Notes
Kahveh Zahiroleslam missed out on Sint Truiden’s clash with Cercle Brugge that finished with a goal for each team, and a point as well. Five points from safety, the Canaries will host Genk in the new year.