Erie Commodores FC claimed a 2-0 road victory over Cleveland SC in NPSL action on Wednesday, with the hosts ultimately beaten by two own goals — R. Takeuchi turning the ball into his own net in the 42nd minute and J. Tovar Jaime doing the same in the 64th.
Cleveland had managed the opening half hour without major incident, but their defensive composure unraveled before the break. Takeuchi's own goal in the 42nd minute handed Erie a lead they barely had to manufacture, and the Commodores went into halftime with a cushion they would never relinquish.
Erie picked up the game's only booking early in the second half when R. Bandeira was cautioned in the 62nd minute, but any hopes of a Cleveland response were snuffed out just two minutes later. Tovar Jaime's own goal doubled the visitors' advantage and left Cleveland chasing a two-goal deficit that never looked recoverable.
The night went from bad to worse for the hosts in the 89th minute when S. Giraldo Valencia received a straight red card, reducing Cleveland to ten men for the closing stages of an already lost contest. It was a fitting end to a miserable evening for Cleveland SC, who did more damage to themselves than Erie ever needed to.
The result gives Erie Commodores FC a valuable three points on the road and piles pressure on a Cleveland side that will need to regroup quickly if they hope to remain competitive in the NPSL standings this season.