Minnesota Untied Goalie Sammy Ndjock Scores Own Goal In 4-0 Friendly Loss To Bournemouth

Minnesota United FC lost a friendly to Premier League club Bournemouth at home Wednesday night, falling 4-0 to the English team.

Minnesota Untied Goalie Sammy Ndjock Scores Own Goal In 4-0 Friendly Loss To Bournemouth

Callum Wilson opened scoring for Bournemouth in the 24th minute. With momentum going United’s way, Bournemouth, nicknamed the Cherries, raced up the field and made a scoring attempt, but United’s solid four defenders blocked a hard shot that deflected out for a Cherries corner. Bournemouth played the ball short to Charlie Daniels with plenty of space to deliver a cross. Daniels then crossed the ball to the back post to a wide-open Wilson, who had time to settle and kick the shot past Minnesota’s goalkeeper, Sammy Ndjock, for a 1-0 lead.

Disaster hit Ndjock two minutes later. The Loons goalie came off his line and grabbed a ball that was nowhere near any forward, then motioned for his teammates to move up-field. Standing at the right of the net, Ndjock began throwing the ball, but he appeared to change his mind mid-throw. The result was a ball that slipped from Ndjock’s hand and bounced toward his own goal as his arm went backwards. The 26-year-old Cameroonian desperately ran after the ball to correct his mistake, but it found the back of the net to double Bournemouth’s lead.

“Bournemouth are an excellent team, before the match we knew that, going into it was going to be a tough task,” said United midfielder Jack Blake. “I think that we started well and we had our opportunities, you know it was just unfortunate after the first goal and once we lose a couple of goals we start to lose that momentum and it kind of hits us hard really. But I think it’s good that we can play against a Premier League standard.”

The Cherries added a third goal in the first half. In the 39th minute, Harry Arter took the ball at the top of the box and hit a hard shot past Ndjock. The ball deflected off the post and landed immediately at the feet of Wilson, who was unguarded and able to fire it into the top of the net for his second goal of the night to push the score to 3-0.

Minnesota had a few opportunities of their own, including a shot in the 15th minute.

United pressed high and forced a turnover in the Bournemouth half, with Daniel Mendes and Blake connecting and pushing the ball to the middle of the pitch to Ismaila Jome in his first ever start as a Loon. Jome took a glance up, saw no defenders stepping, and after taking a touch knocked a shot with his left foot bound for the upper-left corner of the net. Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur Boruc held his ground well and collected for the Cherries, denying United it’s first chance of the night.

Then, shortly before halftime, Tiago Calvano found Christian Ramirez in stride. Ramirez fired a hard shot just wide of the net.

“[United is] a well-organized team, you can see that they’ve been well coached, made it difficult for us, it was only until we scored the first couple of goals really that we got control of the game,” said Bournemouth Head Coach Eddie Howe. “So full credit to them I hope they do very well this year.”

Both clubs came out fresh for the second half, essentially fielding new teams, with only Aaron Pitchkolan and Calvano remaining on the pitch for United. Newly introduced to the match, Jamie Watson, Lance Laing and J.C. Banks made their presence felt early, dribbling into the center of the pitch and creating half-chances at the top of the box. Laing’s shot in the 53rd was the best of the three, with Laing finding time on his left boot and knocking a blistering shot toward the upper 90 that was saved by Bournemouth’s Australian goalkeeper Adam Federici. 

Bournemouth scored their fourth and final goal in the 86th minute off a turnover in the final third by Minnesota. Jeb Brovsky struggled to settle a pass that bounced over his outstretched foot straight to the feet of Lewis Grabban, who took one touch and tucked it away into the bottom corner of the net past Steward Ceus.

The Loons next play this Saturday, when they host the final match of a three-game home stretch against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers at NSC Stadium.