FC St. Pauli

The two sets of fans warmed up for the forthcoming 90 minutes at a joint tailgate party before the game. Once inside the ground, they saw a St. Pauli side featuring five changes from the one that started at New York Cosmos, with Svend Brodersen returning to his customary position between the posts. Among the fans in the stands was the aunt of Kevin Lankford, who had travelled up from Virginia to see the game.

On the artificial pitch with its unfamiliar American Football markings, it was the home side who created the opening two chances with five minutes gone. Both efforts missed the target, however. A few minutes later the Boys in Brown threatened the Buffalo goal for the first time and promptly took the lead, Sami Allagui heading home from a Richard Neudecker cross. It was his fifth goal for the club in the United States (three in 2018, two on the current tour) to make him the undisputed frontrunner in this category.

The pace of the game slowed somewhat after that. Jos Luhukay's side fashioned additional chances for Allagui and Neudecker, and Brodersen had to produce a decent stop to deny O’Keefe, but there was to be no further scoring before the break.

That feeling when your nephew Kevin Lankford makes it 2-0 and you were out fetching hot dogs.

Luhukay rang the changes at half-time, introducing all the outfield players at his disposal. The impact was immediate, as Lankford latched onto a neat through ball from substitute Luis Coordes to double the advantage on 48. Unfortunately for his aunt, she was out fetching hot dogs at the time and missed the goal.

Not much of note happened after that, prompting the St. Pauli coaching team into another unconventional measure. With all the outfield players on the bench already on the field, Korbinian Müller became the second goalkeeper to make his debut as a makeshift striker on this tour. Kevin Lankford was again the player to make way.

Yet apart from an inch-perfect cross to Lennart Kessner, not even Müller was able to produce a decisive moment and it ended in a deserved 2-0 victory for the Boys in Brown.

FC Buffalo

Tramuta – Warren, Kennedy, Toland, Walter, Stout, Elliot, Williamson, Read, O’Keefe, Ziegler

FC St. Pauli

Brodersen – Schütt, Koglin, Hoffmann, Buballa (Carstens 46'), Knoll (Becker 46'), Lee (Wieckhoff 46'), Neudecker, Lankford (Müller 82'), Kessner, Allagui (Coordes 46')

Goals: 0-1 Allagui (9'), 0-2 Lankford (48')

Attendance: 1,500

Photos: FC St. Pauli