The whistle blew, the fans cheered and Quincy Amarikwa collapsed to the ground.
A hundred and twenty grueling minutes had passed on Tuesday night, and it seemed like the Fire striker’s effort increased as the game wore on. In extra time, he was stricken with double calf cramps but refused to pull up, instead opting to hobble as fast as he could after loose balls.
Amarikwa had played a combined 44 minutes in the previous two matches, then nearly tripled that total in a 1-0 U.S. Open Cup victory over Louisville City FC. His activity and desire to contribute merited something to show for his efforts, and a 116th-minute reaction header into the top right corner gave him just that.
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The circumstances were reminiscent of Amarikwa's extra-time game-winner in the U.S. Open Cup Fifth Round one year ago, when he struck in the 108th minute to break a 2-2 deadlock against Columbus Crew SC.
"If you create enough chances and take enough shots on goal, eventually you’re going to score,” Amarikwa said. “That was kind of the mentality going into the game. I’ve been looking to try to break through for a little while now, and it’s nice to kind of get the monkey off your back.”
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When that goal came – Amarikwa’s first since a preseason tally vs. QPR in February – you could see what it meant to him. The cramps seemed to momentarily cease to exist, and he gave the corner flag a piece of his mind. Early-season frustrations had given way to brief euphoria.
But for much of this game, it didn’t look like that goal would happen. Amarikwa and Jason Johnson constantly pressed the Louisville back line to little reward. When a poor giveaway in the 31st minute gave Amarikwa a clear look at goal from about 15 yards out, he put it well wide.
Unhappy with the effort, Fire head coach Frank Yallop challenged his team at halftime. “I didn’t think our first half was up to standards of a team trying to win a cup,” he said. He told Amarikwa and the squad he wanted to see better effort, and the 27-year-old responded.
Amarikwa fought for position on crosses and frustrated defenders with his physicality. He chased after Louisville goalkeeper Scott Goodwin on every back pass and nearly deflected one by sliding in. He brought a level of intensity that few could maintain for 120 minutes. His finishing may not have indicated a goal was coming, but his perseverance said otherwise.
"No matter how much you run in training and how much you train, it’s not the same as match fitness,” Amarikwa said. “I did my best to run as much as I could to gain as much match fitness as I could today, and I’m hoping that translates into more minutes down the road.”
Yallop will take note. On that brisk Tuesday night, a member of the training staff was first to rush over to Amarikwa, whose tired legs needed stretching. But the head coach was there not long after to express his appreciation.
“I said to him when he was laying on the field getting worked on, ‘You kept going. You missed some chances, but you kept going, and you got the goal to win it for us,’” Yallop said. “I was proud of him. I thought he did great.”
