Same rivals, new league.
When Vereinigung Erzgebirge and Colonial SC squared off at Oktoberfest Saturday afternoon, the oompa band played the same polka numbers, the fried pork schnitzel and pommes frittes still wafted in the air, and the Hofbrauhaus probably tasted the same (after the game), but the 1,000 plus fans packed around the clubhouse field experienced history.
They saw the end of the USLPA era and welcomed a fresh start in the American Premier Soccer League.
Former Penn State striker Danny Bloyou scored a first-half brace and set up Derek Antonini’s winner, and Steve Paul saved a late PK to lead VE to a 3-2 win over Colonial in the APSL’s opening weekend.
VE and Colonial, now members of the Delaware River Conference Groups B and A respectively will only play once this year as a cross-over tied to the new league format. The APSL has some of the stronger amateur clubs from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states as well as clubs from the Midwest and South. Two-time national champions West Chester United are in Group A along with another former USL member Westtown, and the multi-U.S. Open Cup winners Ukranian Nationals will play in Group B with VE.
VE got the game going in the opening minutes when VE’s Reed Sturza won a ball deep in the Colonial penalty area and Antonini stung keeper Nathan Slotnick’s hands from close range. Colonial followed up in the ensuing minutes with multiple free kicks from distance that VE handled under the direction of Paul.
Bloyou scored his first of the game at the 20-minute mark. VE defender Ramzi Qawasmy, who had a stellar career at Providence before spells with Louisville City and the Philadeplhia Union II, made a strong challenge deep in VE’s end then sent a long ball across the field to Bloyou on the left. Bloyou took his defender to the end line and snuck a shot to the near post past for the 1-0 lead.
After the restart, VE nearly doubled their lead when Justin Ruth had multiple looks at goal down the right. Colonial defender Adam Green blocked the first attempt, and his second hit the outside netting.
In the 26th minute, Colonial tied the game. After another free kick that Paul punched away, the visitors recycled the ball and created multiple chances until one finally hit. Andrew Bishop’s shot was blocked in front then Andrew Kotch took a shot that deflected off Nick Hazel and into the path of John Underwood, and the former Cabrini striker beat Paul to the ball and headed it in to pull his team level at 1-1.
Five minutes later, Bloyou added his second. Reed Struza struck an inswinger into the box, and Bloyou attacked the spot and sent a powerful header down and out of Slotnick’s reach to put the hosts up 2-1.
After conceding, Colonial created another chance off a recycled free kick with Bishop’s header at the back post off a Kotch cross going high.
Four minutes from the break, VE’s Aidan Watkins had a great chance with a direct kick just outside the box, and his curler cleared the wall but missed the top corner by a foot. Sturza had a free kick from a similar spot that hit the wall and also sailed high. Antoine Hoppenot’s attempted Olimpico hit the bar, and Bloyou volleyed Sturza’s pass across high to end the half.
The visitors wasted no time getting back in the game after scoring again one minute into the half. A nice combination out of the back from Green to Underwood reached Steven Hutchison. The Colonial playmaker rolled a pass to Richard Vincent, who dribbled around the center backs and fired a shot that Hazel blocked in front. But Vincent followed his rebound and smashed a volley past Paul into the far corner to tie the game at 2-2.
Seven minutes later, VE went up again. Antonini and Bloyou combine down the right, and Bloyou hit Antonini at the top of the six on a return pass, and the VE striker side-footed a first-time shot into the corner to regain the lead.
The game opened up midway through the half as Colonial pushed for another equalizer. They pounded the VE box with more free kicks, but Paul controlled his box well. At the other end, Bloyou got around the outside and pulled a shot wide, and Chris Baker forced Slotnick to make a strong save at close range to keep VE’s lead at one.
Late in the game, VE missed on several corners, and Qawasmy curled a free kick from out wide that was inches from a Marco Reus re-creation, but Colonial held on earned their chance with four minutes to play following a long throw in that bounced through traffic and struck a VE defender’s arm for a clear penalty. Hutchison stepped up and struck the ball waist-high to his power side, and Paul pushed it off the bar with his fingers to preserve the 3-2 lead and the win.
“It feels good,” Bloyou said after the game about scoring a brace in front of an Oktoberfest crowd. “I give credit to the team, all my teammates. We played together as a team, and everyone was excited for the first game.”
Bloyou, now in his second season with the club after an All-American career at Penn State, has been the focal point of the VE attack, sometimes playing as a striker while other times as a central midfielder. The YSC Academy graduate who was drafted by Atlanta United is looking forward to the new start in the APSL. “Rob has put together a good group, and the goal is always to win every time we step on the field.”
“VE started much sharper than we did, and it showed we haven’t played in three months,” Colonial head coach Christian Knittel said after the game. “Just couldn’t get that last one, even though we had the penalty at the end.”
Joining the APSL comes with a few adjustments for both teams, among them no re-entry in league games as well as a more compact schedule with 22 league games on top of EPSA cups and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifying, which Colonial and VE will begin next month. “Our team has a lot of people who are over 30 at this point,” Knittel said, “we’re trying to find that next generation right now.” Knittel added that he’s sees the no re-entry as a good way to prepare his players for the cup competitions anyway.
With relegation being a new wrinkle to what Colonial and VE are accustomed to from the USL, the APSL also has playoffs, which expands into a regional stage as well as a national final four, something Knittel and his team are aiming for. “I’m expecting us to push and at minimum make the playoffs.” The top two teams from each group will advance and play for the conference title. “Hopefully, we can go further than that.”
On the other side, VE begins the season with similar expectations of advancing into regional competitions. Last season, they lost in the Region 1 semifinals and reached the Third Round of Open Cup qualifying before losing to Oaklyn United, also a member of the conference’s Group A.
Coach Rob Oldfield said he knew it was going to be a tough game. “Oktoberfest is a big day, so everybody was up for it. We obviously made some mistakes that let them back into the game. We’ll take the three points, but I’d rather not get three points because we saved it with a late PK save.”
While Colonial’s time in the USLPA spanned multiple decades, VE’s connection to the league went back to the mid 1900s when VE played in the German League and the original USL against ethnic clubs up and down the east coast. The shift to the APSL presents some new challenges, but also an exciting opportunity to play against some new teams.
“It’s a much more expensive league, and we have to put up a little more of a show for each games,” Oldfield said. “Last year, we played 12 league games and 15 cup games, so if we go on deep runs again, you’re talking 35 games, which is a lot of soccer for amateurs.”
Squad rotation will be on the biggest changes Oldfield sees to this season from last, but he also sees the new league as an opportunity to showcase the club. “Most of them aren’t used to coming to clubs or clubs with clubhouses, so coming and hanging out afterwards and having a few beers is going to be a big surprise for some of them.”
Oldfield and his team have also seen the success of their main rival West Chester in the league and will be eager to compete with them for trophies. Last year, West Chester won the USLPA over VE and beat them in both the state amateur and open cup finals. But he said he’s also encouraging his team to be mindful of the motivation from other teams to knock them off.
“It could be the World Cup day every time you play VE” he said. “So we can’t have any letdowns. But we’re confident we can match up with anybody.”
VE and West Chester will their cross-over game on Wednesday, October 28th at Scotts Field in West Chester. The defending national champions defeated Jersey Shore Boca 7-4 in their opener. Last season’s APSL leading scorer Ridge Robinson scored a hat-trick. The Ukranian Nationals lost in their opener 4-1 to Persepolis United FC. Philadelphia Heritage defeated Westtown 5-4, Philadelphia Soccer Club beat Vidas 1-0, Lighthouse lost to Feelsgood FC 3-0, and Sewell Old Boys beat Medford Strikers 2-1 to round out the first week’s action among local teams.
