ST.PAUL, Minnesota - The Montreal Impact (2-3-0) lost 1-0 against the Minnesota Thunder (3-1-0), Saturday, under pouring rain at James Griffin Stadium, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Thunder forward Melvin Tarley scored the game-winning goal in stoppage time at the end of the game by heading a centering pass from former Impact player Frederico Moojen. Tarley beat Jordan to his left, just inside the post.
"It's really disappointing to lose this way," said Montreal Impact head coach Nick De Santis. "It's unfortunate to allow a goal like that with all the experience we have. We took some bad decisions late in the game which led to the goal. We were the better team on the field today but once again, we were unable to score on our chances."
Montreal continues to struggle against Minnesota and has yet to beat the Thunder in its last five match-ups (0-3-2).
In spite of difficult conditions, the Impact succeeded in creating good scoring opportunities throughout the game but was unable to capitalize.
In the 29th minute, forward Severino Jefferson cut off a clearing pass in Minnesota's zone which sent Charles Gbeke alone on the left wing. Gbeke's high shot from 20 yards was blocked by goalkeeper Nicolas Platter, diving to his right.
In the 58th minute, it was Jefferson's turn to rush in on the goalkeeper on a pass from Gbeke, but his low shot was partially blocked by the goalkeeper and then bounced just wide left of the net.
"It's unfortunate because we worked hard throughout the game," noted Impact midfielder Patrick Leduc, who played the whole 90 minutes for a fifth consecutive match. "It was a game that was very similar to the one in Puerto Rico last week, since we also played in difficult conditions. We did well and we didn't allow them any scoring chances, but we certainly regret some mistakes we made that led to the goal."
Impact rookie defender Cédric Joqueviel played his first career game with the Impact, coming into the game in the 71st minute for defender Gabriel Gervais, who left the field with a thigh injury.
Impact forward Roberto Brown was out of the lineup serving the first of a three-game suspension following a red card he received in Puerto Rico last Saturday.
The Impact will play a sixth consecutive game on the road, this Wednesday against the Battery in Charleston, before the home opener at Saputo Stadium, Monday, May 19, at 3 pm, against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
HIGHLIGHTS
4th minute - Posted in front of the Impact net, Thunder forward Aaron Paye deflected a short pass from midfielder Dayton O'Brien which grazed the post, to the right of Impact goalkeeper Matt Jordan.
16th minute - On an Impact corner kick taken by Pato Aguilera to the near post, midfielder Patrick Leduc headed the ball just right of the Minnesota Thunder net.
49th minute - On a free kick by Leonardo Di Lorenzo from 30 yards out, defender Gabriel Gervais redirected the ball with a header which landed square on top of the crossbar.
69th minute - Midfielder Ricardo Sanchez took a high shot from the right flank, but Matt Jordan blocked the ball, diving to his right.
78th minute - Former Impact player Alen Marcina took a point blank shot from inside the box but Jordan made the save, at his feet.
truebluefan
05-11-2008, 08:03 AM
ST PAUL, Minn. (May 10, 2008)- The Minnesota Thunder secured their third consecutive victory against the Montreal Impact Saturday night. A 91st minute goal by Melvin Tarley put the Thunder just up as the game ended. The Thunder are now 3-1-0 and have a secure second place spot in the USL First Division standings.
Throughout the game, both teams put up good fights, but it was the Thunder who earned their third consecutive shutout as well as win. Goalkeeper Nic Platter came out strong tonight, even after fighting an injury in the last minutes of the game. Platter made a few key saves that kept the Thunder in the game.
The Thunder put the pressure on early in the game, with Aaron Paye attempting his first shot in the 4th minute of the game. Midfielder Dayton O'Brien had a solid game, running the sidelines and attempting crosses to the strikers.
The first test the Thunder defense had came in the 29th minute. Charles Gbeke leaked through the defense and hit a dangerous shot to the low corner. Platter was there to stop it and gave the Thunder possession.
The weather wasn't on either team's side tonight. With a high of 45 and pouring rain, both teams struggled with consistent possession. Striker Alen Marcina was caught offside a few times, but the Thunder kept the pressure on.
Platter came out strong again in the 59th minute when Gbeke fed Severino Jefferson who shot low towards Platter who hit the ball over the goal, saving a very dangerous opportunity for the Impact.
New substitutions for both teams provided for strong competition in the second half. With both teams using four subs, they all had some fresh legs in the game to keep the momentum going and get a goal. It wasn't until the 91st minute that the Thunder came ahead.
Tarley scored the game winning goal for the Thunder in the 91st minute, securing the Thunder's third victory in four games. Stephen deRoux took a throw in, looking for Freddy Moojen. Moojen beat his player and crossed to Tarley who slipped the ball into the back of the net nicely for the Thunder. The Impact put the pressure on, earning two corner kicks, but the Thunder held them off, securing another win.
The Thunder go on a two game road trip to play the Atlanta Silverbacks and the Carolina Railhawks on May 16 and 18, respectively. The Thunder's next home game will be held at the National Sports Center in Blaine against Miami FC in a double header with the Minnesota Lightning. Season tickets are currently on sale by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 651.989.5151.
truebluefan
05-11-2008, 08:05 AM
SEATTLE, Wash. - The Portland Timbers earned a point on the road as they battled the Seattle Sounders to a 0-0 draw before 10,184 fans at Qwest Field on Saturday. Goalkeeper Ray Burse and the Timbers backline held Seattle to just four shots to collect their second consecutive shutout and fourth on the season.
Saturday's match between the Northwest rivals marked the final regular-season contest as members of the USL First Division in Seattle. The city of Seattle was awarded a 2009 Major League Soccer expansion franchise, Seattle Sounders FC, which will bring an end to the USL franchise upon the conclusion of the 2008 season.
With the draw, Portland (3-0-2, 11pts) remains unbeaten through the first five matches of the season, and earned its first point in Seattle since the 2006 season - a 0-0 draw on June 2, 2006 at Qwest Field.
Seattle (1-1-2, 5pts) held the Timbers scoreless for their second consecutive match after scoring a total of five goals in their first three matches.
Burse recorded four saves to earn his league-leading fourth shutout of the season, including a diving stop in the 88th minute on a shot by Seattle sub Jason Cascio.
Timber forward paced the team with a pair of shots on the night, including a long-range attempt by forward Takayuki Suzuki early in the second half. His low drive from 25 yards out skimmed off the ground and wide of the right post. Suzuki also had a header sail over the crossbar during second-half stoppage time.
Midfielder Tom Poltl had a chance to fire home the game-winner in the 76th minute with a shot from distance. The ball rattled around the edge of the box before midfielder Shaun Higgins laid the ball off for Poltl about 27 yards out from the goal. His shot hit off the back of a Sounders defender and arched over the crossbar.
The Timbers escaped two near scoring opportunities by Seattle in the first half. Early in the game, Seattle forward Andre Schmid sailed an open shot over the cross bar from the top left corner of the six-yard box. In the 20th minute, Burse deflected a 25 yard blast by Sounders midfielder Josh Gardner off the cross bar and out of play to keep Seattle off the board.
Late in the match, the Timbers couldn't clear the ball from the box which allowed Sounders forward Sebastien LeToux a shot near the goal line, but he chipped his attempt over the crossbar.
The Timbers continue their stretch of road matches next week as they face the Puerto Rico Islanders on May 16 and Miami FC Blues on May 18. A live broadcast of both away matches will be available on www.portlandtimbers.com, with a live video webcast through USL Live at www.usllive.com.
truebluefan
05-11-2008, 08:06 AM
On the night they very likely might have finished their five-year stay at Qwest Field, the Seattle Sounders weren't able to finish their goal-scoring opportunities.
The Sounders controlled the run of play through much of the match, and created half a dozen dangerous chances to put one into the net. None of them did go in, however, as Seattle settled for a 0-0 tie against the Portland Timbers in their United Soccer Leagues First Division home opener in front of 10,184 fans.
"It's early in the year and we have to get our timing down better. But we should have beaten that team," veteran midfielder Leighton O'Brien said. "We have to finish our chances."
The Sounders, who will play the rest of their 2008 home schedule at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila beginning with Wednesday's 7 p.m. contest against Rochester, picked up a point in the standings, moving their record to 1-1-2 (5 points).
Portland -- despite getting off just one official shot during the 90 minutes -- remained undefeated and atop the table at 3-0-2 with 11 points. It was the second straight scoreless tie for the Timbers, who went 0-0 against Rochester on Thursday night at Portland.
"We had an opportunity to jump on top and get an early goal, and that would have forced them to come out," Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said. "When we didn't they were able to make some minor adjustments, and we weren't able to get the ball behind their back four. They dropped deeper into their shell and kept people back there, and we weren't able to gain any sort of traction."
The Sounders came out and took the game to Portland through the first 30 minutes. They came within about a foot of getting a penalty kick in the sevent minute when Andre Schmid, taking a pass from LeToux on a breakaway, was tripped up just outside the box to the right of the restraining arc. The ensuing free kick by Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar bounced off the Portland wall.
Just two minutes later, Seattle came down on another breakaway. Alcaraz-Cuellar got the ball to LeToux flying down the right wing side. LeToux took it into the box, sent it across the goalmouth to Schmid, who had a wide-open on the front porch of Portland goalkeeper Ray Burse, but drilled it over the top.
Burse took the ball away from LeToux on a run into the box in the 16th minute. Then just before the end of the 20th, Josh Gardner took a shot from 25 yards straight in front that Burse leaped to tip over the crossbar.
Gardner had two more bang-bang tries in the 33rd minute. A corner kick from the right wing side came out to him at the top of the box, but his shot was blocked. The rebound came right back to Gardner, who wound up and fired again, only to have it saved by Burse.
The best try by Portland, which was kept in its own end of the field through most of the first 45 minutes, came right at the start of the 37th when Chris Brown caught up with a bouncing ball in the left side of the box. But Sounders goalkeeper Chris Eylander dove to grab it an instant before Brown could get a foot to it.
Seattle had two more near misses during the second half. A half-volley shot from the penalty spot by Sebastien LeToux midway through the 65th minute was pulled down by Burse.
Second-half substitute Jason Cascio ripped one from the top of the arc at the 87:32 mark, but Burse dove to his left to make the save.
"As long as they play that 4-5-1 (formation), it's hard to break them down," Schmetzer said.
The Sounders played without forward Roger Levesque, who was out with an ankle sprain. Schmetzer wasn't yet certain about his status for Wednesday's game against Rochester.
This was Portland's only regular-season visit to Seattle. The Timbers beat the Sounders at Portland on April 26 during Seattle's season-opening three-game road trip, 2-0.
truebluefan
05-11-2008, 08:06 AM
Vancouver Whitecaps registered their second win of the season after a well-deserved 1-0 home victory over Rochester Rhinos on Saturday evening.
Eduardo Sebrango's late strike gave the Whitecaps all three points in a game the home side thoroughly dominated, but struggled to convert their numerous chances into goals. Though frustrating as it was for the home fans, they would head home from Swangard Stadium in joyous mood, as Vancouver made it two wins from their first three games in the 2008 season.
Whitecaps head coach Teitur Thordarson made two changes to the side that fell to a 1-0 home defeat against Minnesota Thunder two weeks ago. Omar Jarun made his first start for the club, as he partnered Adrian Cann in centre of Vancouver's backline. Also making his first start in 2008 was Tony Donatelli, as he came into a four-man midfield.
Rhinos head coach, and former Whitecaps striker, Darren Tilley made two changes to the side that drew 0-0 at Portland Timbers on Thursday night. Former England international Steve Guppy joined Mexican defender Alfonso Loera in the Rochester starting XI. One player not to dress for the visitors on Saturday was former Whitecaps midfielder Ze Roberto.
On a cool, spring evening at Swangard, a crowd of 4,762 saw the Whitecaps dominate much of the play in the first half, but unable to turn their advantage of play into an opening goal.
That bright start was evident right from the kick-off, as the home side forced Rochester goalkeeper Scott Vallow into a fine save when Alfredo Valente connected well with a volley in the Rhinos box after just two minutes.
Three minutes later, Sebrango went even closer to scoring, as the Cuban hit-man got on the end of a long Martin Nash throw-in before rattling a shot off the underside of the Rhinos crossbar - much to the disbelief of the home crowd.
On 13 minutes, Vallow did extremely well to deny Donatelli's point-blank shot after the midfielder got on the end of a cutback pass from Valente, while at the other end, a mistake by Jarun nearly allowed Rochester striker Hamed Diallo in on the Whitecaps goal, but Cann was able to stop him with a somewhat robust challenge in the Vancouver box, as referee Geoff Gamble waved away any penalty appeals from the visitors.
There was a scary moment on 24 minutes, as Whitecaps striker Nicolas Addlery was booked after accidentally kicking Rhinos centre back Loera in the head, as the Jamaican forward tried to connect with a high ball in the Rochester box.
Vancouver's frustration at not finding the back of the net increased on 31 minutes, as Sebrango saw a header from Nash's corner cleared off the Rhinos goal-line by defender Nate Craft.
The half ended with a more even tempo of play from both sides, with Steve Kindel having the last opportunity of the half for the Whitecaps, as his header flew well off the mark from Nash's cross from the right.
After taking on a lot of pressure in the opening 45 minutes, the second half saw Rochester look a little more organized, as they created a half chance on 51 minutes. Midfielder Johnny Menyongar headed Guppy's cross wide of Srdjan Djekanovic's goal.
In defeat, Tilley was frankly honest about his assessment of the Rhinos' display in Vancouver. "Overall, it was a very disappointing performance by us, right from beginning and right to the end," the Englishman told whitecapsfc.com. "There were a lot of things that I wasn't pleased with. One of the biggest ones was our overall general effort. We didn't play the way that we know how and that was really disappointing. You expect your players to make an honest effort and, to a man, nobody did tonight."
The Whitecaps remained undeterred in their pursuit of an opening goal, and Valente caused Rochester a scare with a first-time strike that flashed wide of Vallow's goal after Donatelli played a fine cross-field ball for his fellow midfielder.
On 70 minutes, Addlery had his last chance of the game with a wayward strike that flew high and wide of the target before he was replaced by Jason Jordan. The Whitecaps substitute's impact was immediate, as he set up Valente with another chance, but Vallow again denied the midfielder on 71 minutes. Moments later, Sebrango came ever so close with a header from a Nash corner.
Then, the moment that Whitecaps fans had all been waiting for came on 76 minutes, as Sebrango scored his second goal of the season after knocking home a loose ball. Vallow did not properly deal with Takashi Hirano's forward pass, and after the loose ball struck the onrushing Valente, it fell nicely to the Cuban striker for the game winner. The goal also set a Whitecaps milestone for Valente, as his unlikely assist was his 100th-career point for the club.
Sebrango was delighted that their attacking efforts finally paid off. "It felt like one of those games where we played really well and we were creating chances, but the goal was not coming," he told reporters after the game. "The goal was not pretty, but it came off and it counted."
The goal brought some spark to the Whitecaps play, and Vallow was called on again to stop Sebrango from scoring a second goal with a fine save from the striker's low shot on 83 minutes, while substitute Justin Moose could have caused Rochester more problems at close range, but his chipped cross was easily parried by Rhinos goalkeeper.
Valente felt the one-goal win was the least that the Whitecaps deserved on the night. "We should have been up by three or four goals at halftime," he said to reporters. "We came out in the second half and stayed positive. We created a few more chances and got the goal that we needed. We'll enjoy ourselves against the Galaxy on Tuesday and then get ready for two tough games next weekend against Miami and Montreal."
Though the home side had to deal with a dangerous Rochester free kick in a long three minutes of injury time, the Whitecaps held on for the win and an excellent start to what will be a busy month of May for Thordarson's side.
90 FULL MINUTES
The Icelandic tactician was amazed that his side did not find the net more than once on Saturday. "I thought we played extremely well tonight," Thordarson said. "After the first half, I couldn't believe we hadn't scored a goal from all the chances we had. We told the players at halftime to keep going and be patient because we will get our chances in the second half. We were a little bit lucky on the goal that we scored, but it was well deserved. In all, it was a very good night for us."
The Whitecaps will now move on to Edmonton, Alberta, for Tuesday's international friendly against Major League Soccer side Los Angeles Galaxy at Commonwealth Stadium. Vancouver's next game at Swangard is Friday, May 23, when they host Pacific Northwest rivals Seattle Sounders. Rochester, meanwhile, will complete a three-game Pacific Northwest road swing when they visit Seattle on Wednesday night.
truebluefan
05-11-2008, 08:30 AM
The Portland Timbers make their final trip to Seattle to play the Sounders as USL First Division rivals on Saturday at Qwest Field at 7 p.m. The match in Seattle begins a slate of three road matches for the Timbers.
Portland (3-0-1, 10pts) faces Seattle in its first road match of the season on Saturday after beginning the year with four consecutive home matches at PGE Park. Saturday's match kicks off a three-game road stretch that takes the Timbers to Puerto Rico and Miami next week. Last season, the Timbers were 6-5-3 on the road.
The Cascadia Cup showdown is the second match between the Timbers and Sounders (1-1-1, 4pts) this season. In their first meeting, the Timbers recorded a 2-0 shutout win on April 26 at PGE Park on goals by forward Takayuki Suzuki and midfielder Miguel Guante. The Timbers are 11-15-4 against the Sounders since 2001, including a 4-9-2 record in Seattle.
A live broadcast of Saturday's match in Seattle is available online at www.portlandtimbers.com, with a live video webcast available through USL Live at www.usllive.com.
With a 0-0 draw against the Rochester Rhinos on Thursday at PGE Park, the Timbers currently occupy the top spot in the USL First Division with an unbeaten record through the season's first four matches. Led by the backline, Portland has posted three shutouts in its first four matches.
The Sounders open their 2008 home schedule against Portland with their only regular-season game of the 2008 season at Qwest Field. Seattle captured its first win and shutout of the season on May 2 with a 2-0 win over the Atlanta Silverbacks in a rematch of the 2007 USL First Division final. Aiding in the Sounders' victory was midfielder Leighton O'Brien and defender Taylor Graham, who each earned Team of the Week honors.
The Timbers and Sounders meet for the final time as USL opponents on Aug. 7 in Portland at PGE Park as the city of Seattle prepares for its Major League Soccer expansion franchise to being play in 2009.
Saturday's match also counts towards the Cascadia Cup standings. With a win on April 26, the Timbers currently hold the lead in the annual derby between the Timbers, Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps. The team with the best head-to-head record among the three Northwest rivals during the regular season wins the cup.
Portland returns home on May 24 to face the Whitecaps at PGE Park at 7 p.m. The first 1,000 fans on May 24 receive Timbers T-shirts courtesy of FSN. Tickets, starting at $11, are available through the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (503) 224-4400.
truebluefan
05-11-2008, 08:30 AM
Miami, May 9, 2008 - Miami FC's poor form continues as they lost 3-1 to the Charleston Battery at the Blackbaud Stadium. The Blues took the lead in the 11th minute with league leading scorer Alex Afonso. The Battery responded with Patterson 18 minutes later and in the second half with Alonso and Patterson, once again. Miami FC's trend of second half defensive collapses continued tonight and this loss makes it their third in succession.
With a lackluster start to the season and having drawn in last month's season opener, both Miami FC and Charleston Battery had everything to play for and produced an exciting first half with a goal each.
Right after the kickoff the Battery tested keeper Josh Saunders with a low strike from Rolko. After 10 minutes of scrappy play, Miami took the lead. Sean Cameron cut in from the left and played Sean Fraser for the give-and-go. Fraser tumbled but did well to keep the ball in play and opened wide for Alex Afonso who coolly finished making it 1-0 to take his tally to an impressive 4 goals in 6 games. Afonso's 15th minute header hit the post, but his effort was then ruled offside.
The Battery waited patiently to settle in the game. Rolko kept shooting from far but his effort never really poised any danger to Saunder's goal. Cauê Santos da Mata had a nice effort saved by Charleston keeper Dusty Huddock in the 24th minute.
An unfortunate ricochet off Cristiano Dias' feet allowed space for Patterson to bang in the equalizer from close range in the 37th minute.
The second half belonged to Charleston who simply outclassed Miami FC. Cuban Alonso scored a brilliant goal in the 51st minute that chipped over Saunders after King whipped the ball inside the penalty box.
In an attempt to inject some life into his side, Miami FC head coach Zinho brought in Juan Pablo Galavis and Nicolas Mosquera for Sean Cameron and Eric Vasquez respectively. Regardless of these 68th minute substitutions, Miami rarely threatened to score.
Poor man marking in the 86th minute allowed for Charleston's Patterson to score his brace with a brilliant header off a free kick. He nearly made 4-1 but Saunders did well to stop the one on one encounter. Saunders yet again pulled another fine save in injury time off an Alonso right-footed strike.
Miami FC pressured in the end but they could not penetrate a tightly organized Battery defense.
Miami FC hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps on Friday, May 16, 5:30 PM at Tropical Park Stadium (Miami-Dade County Public Schools Day). On Sunday, May 18th, Miami FC will face the Portland Timbers at 6pm, also at Tropical Park. Season tickets are currently on sale by visiting www.miamifc.com or by calling 305-728-2612. Single game tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-866-57-MIAMI. Watch all games live on USL Live!
witweew
05-12-2008, 08:39 PM
....yeah -:lmao- i agree, people are basically getting sick of the
same old rock/hip-hop/r&b bullsh*t.....
:nospam:
and there is just this big upsurge from a new style
coming out of Europe -- best place i've found it so
far is a compilation series called 'euro club hits' on itunes
-- or check this link:
:ban:
http://www.futurelectrohouse.com/tracks