Crystal Palace fall to local rivals Real Maryland for first time

Crystal Palace Baltimore were defeated by local rivals Real Maryland for the first time in their history tonight at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville.  Palace created countless chances in a dominating first half performance, but former Palace striker Gary Brooks opened the scoring early in the second half, shifting the game\'s momentum in favor of the home side who secured a 2-0 victory in the 85th minute through substitute Victor Ramirez.

The Baltimore side could easily have taken the lead just five minutes into the match when Kevin Gnatiko found room up the right wing and whipped a cross into the box, but an open Dan Lader sent his header just over the crossbar.  Real Maryland also squandered their first scoring chance a few minutes later when Gary Brooks\' effort was directed straight at Brian Rowland in the Palace net.

On 25 minutes, Shintaro Harada\'s free kick from just inside the Monarchs\' half was met by the head of Andrew Marshall but Real Maryland \'keeper Dave Kern reacted well and turned the ball past the post.  From the ensuing corner, the ball ended up at the feet of Val Teixeira on the edge of the box but his powerful shot was deflected out for another corner.  From that corner, it was the turn of Zack Flores to take a shot, but his 30-yard rocket flew six feet over the bar.

The visitors continued to pile on the pressure and in the 31st minute, Gnatiko again made a nuisance of himself down the right wing, shaking off three defenders before putting in a dangerous, in-swinging cross.  But the service was just too far in front of Pat Healey and Kern collected comfortably.  Three minutes later, the tricky Togolese rookie beat his marker again, this time scampering all the way to the byline before sending over a cross to the far post for a waiting Teixeira, but a Real defender got his head to the ball before the Palace captain, clearing it behind for another Palace corner.  Five more minutes passed and Palace earned another series of corners, ending with former Real Maryland center back Stephen Basso sending his strong header a foot over the woodwork.  Another minute later and Gnatiko shimmied his way up the right touch line, but his attempted cross into the six yard box was blocked out for Palace\'s eighth corner of the half as both Healey and Teixeira looked poised to make an easy finish on the six yard line.  In the final minute of the first half, Real Maryland conjured up only their second dangerous move of the half with a testing cross from the left, forcing Palace left back and former Monarch Mateus dos Anjos to head behind for the hosts\' first corner of the game.  Nothing came of that set piece and the teams went into the half-time break scoreless.

Just when Palace looked to be picking up where they left off, with Gnatiko starting the second half with another threatening run down the right, Real Maryland quickly countered and earned themselves a corner in the 47th minute.  Ryan Cordeiro\'s dipping delivery was met by the foot of  ex-Palace forward Gary Brooks eight yards out and the home team suddenly had the lead.  Despite the confidence boost for the Monarchs, the Baltimore side didn\'t sit back and on 51 minutes, Gnatiko beat four players along the right touch line, sending a good-looking cross towards Teixeira at the far post, but the Real defense beat the Portuguese veteran to the ball, sending it behind for yet another Palace corner.  Soon after, second half substitute Jordan Seabrook had his first chance on goal off a feed from Pat Healey, but his shot flew high over the bar.  On 54 minutes, Shintaro Harada had perhaps Palace\'s best chance of the half on a placed shot from Gnatiko\'s cut back after yet another great move from the wily winger to make space for himself.  But Harada\'s effort rolled inches wide of the right post with the \'keeper apparently beaten.

Real Maryland were coming more and more into the game and on 56 minutes, the home fans were leaping out of their seats as a free kick from the left was headed on to a Real player to head home calmly at the back post.  The assistant referee\'s flag had gone up for offside, however, and the score remained 1-0.  Former Palace players Sean Rush and Gary Brooks were now linking up well, earning several corners in the process.  Towering Monarchs\' midfielder James Stevens was also a danger, using his tremendous height to great effect, heading the ball on to the onrushing forwards with ever increasing frequency.  On 68 minutes, Victor Ramirez, who had just entered the game, got on the end of another neat build-up, firing a strong shot from the left edge of the box, but Rowland managed to tip the ball around the post.

With 15 minutes left on the clock, Real Maryland were now dominating the game and Gary Brooks nearly notched his second as he broke in on goal, launching a fierce effort that ricocheted off the post and out for a throw-in.  On 82 minutes, Palace forward Seabrook turned provider finding Marshall with a long throw as Baltimore threw men forward in search of an equalizer, but his overhead kick didn\'t find it\'s mark.  Three minutes later, Real Maryland sealed the win as Sean Rush swung a ball in from wide right.  Gary Brooks made a flamboyant effort at a bicycle kick six yards in front of goal, but failed to make contact.  The ball reached Victor Ramirez on the left edge of the box and he sent an unstoppable shot past Rowland.

In the second minute of injury time, Gnatiko beat the Monarchs\' defense one final time with a testing cross, but Seabrook was beaten to the ball resulting in a corner.  Nothing came of it, and Real roared up the field looking for a third, but this time Rowland pulled off a fantastic save to deny Ramirez.

Palace return to UMBC Stadium next weekend with another challenging schedule of back-to-back fixtures.  The Western Mass Pioneers visit Baltimore on Friday May 15 at 7:30pm, then it\'s Charlotte\'s turn the following evening at 7:00pm.