A-League Weekly Report

by A-League Press Release
July 11, 2000 - USL First Division (USL-1)

A-League Press Release

Tough Trip Out West For Rochester

Vancouver, Seattle hand Raging Rhinos 1-0 losses

TAMPA, Fla. (Monday, July 10, 2000) -- The Rochester Raging Rhinos trip to the Pacific Northwest over the weekend may have proven what many may suspect -- the Pacific Division is the toughest in the A-League. The Vancouver 86ers and Seattle Sounders nipped the Raging Rhinos, who came into the weekend as the league's second best team.

The 86ers had the run of play in the first half Friday at Swangard Stadium before 4,087 fans, forcing Rochester goalkeeper Scott Vallow to make a stretching save to stop a rising 12-yard shot from Jason Jordan in the 34th minute.

Vancouver took the lead on a controversial penalty kick in the 54th minute, but the Raging Rhinos nearly leveled the score twice around the 61st minute. Rochester's Jimmy Glenn took a shot on an empty net when Vancouver goalkeeper Didar Sandhu was caught out of position only to have it deflected wide by a defender. Moments later, Carlos Zavala blasted a 35-yard shot on goal that Sandhu pushed against the post on a diving save.

Rochester crossed the border to take on the Sounders Saturday evening at Seattle Memorial Stadium, only to fall by the same 1-0 score.

Sounders forward Darren Sawatzky took the ball 25 yards from goal and sent a pass from the edge of the penalty area to Greg Howes, who calmly settled the ball and knocked it into the upper right corner of the goal in the 26th minute.

The Sounders defense and goalkeeper Bill May held Rochester scoreless for the remainder of the match for the 1-0 win.

In other A-League action, the Minnesota Thunder were unable to pick up another win. The defending league champion Thunder were held to a 0-0 tie for the second time this season by the Raleigh Capital Express at the National Sports Center Sunday.

The Montreal Impact may be turning things around. Montreal opened the weekend with a 2-1 win over the Long Island Rough Riders at EAB Park Friday night, disappointing 6,022 fans. Recently signed Josue Mayard, a member of the Haitian National Team, scored the game-winner in the 65th minute. Long Island's Dahir Mohammed cut the lead to 2-1 with a tally in the 83rd minute, but the Impact escaped with their second win of the season. Montreal traveled from New York to Connecticut to take on the Wolves at Veteran's Memorial Stadium in New Britain, where they would take the lead in the 56th minute again on a Darko Kolic goal only to give away the victory in the 90th minute on a goal by the Wolves' Carlos Parra. The tie gave the 2-9-3 Impact a three-game unbeaten streak on the road.

KARN EARNS A-LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK -- Pittsburgh's Phil Karn netted all three goals in the Riverhounds' 3-1 win over Hershey Friday. Karn gave Pittsburgh the lead in the 39th minute when he took a throw-in from Gary DePalma and put the ball in the back of the net. DePalma set up Karn again in the 49th minute to give the Riverhounds a 2-0 lead. Karn's final strike of the game came in stoppage time at the end of the match. Pittsburgh's John Jones threw the ball in to Joenal Castma, who headed toward goal in a two-on-one breakaway with Karn, who received the pass and recorded the hat-trick.

TEAM OF THE WEEK

Pos. Player Team Highlights
G Bill May Seattle Sounders Four saves in 1-0 shutout of Rochester
D Gary Crompton Connecticut Wolves Lone goal in 1-1 tie against Montreal
D Tony Williams Richmond Kickers Goal in 2-0 win over Indiana
D Josue Mayard Montreal Impact Game-winner in 2-1 win over Long Island
M Jason Willan Milwaukee Rampage Two goals, assist in 4-2 win over Raleigh
M Kevin Knight Richmond Kickers Two goals in 5-2 win over Tennessee
M Brian Winters Minnesota Thunder Two goals in 2-1 win over U.S. Pro 40
M Paul Conway Charleston Battery Goal, two assists in 3-0 win over Indiana
F Greg Simmonds Hershey Wildcats Two goals in 2-0 win over Pittsburgh
F Juan Pablo Arango Toronto Lynx Two goals in 2-1 win over Boston
F Phil Karn Pittsburgh Riverhounds Hat-trick in 3-1 win over Hershey

THE WEEK AHEAD -- The Hampton Roads Mariners, Charleston Battery and Hershey Wildcats are tied for third in the Atlantic Conference with 34 points. The Mariners will cross the border to play Montreal Tuesday and the Battery head to Pittsburgh for a tilt with the Riverhounds, who are undefeated at home, Friday. The week will be capped off with a Charleston-Hershey matchup Sunday at Hersheypark Stadium.

The Long Island Rough Riders will play host to the New York/New Jersey MetroStars of Major League Soccer Tuesday night at EAB Park in the seventh of 14 A-League-MLS exhibitions this year. The Pittsburgh Riverhouds tied the Columbus Crew, 1-1, in the last exhibition on June 21.

Tuesday, July 11, 2000

Exh -- NY/NJ MetroStars @ Long Island 7:00

209 -- Hampton Roads @ Montreal 7:35

Wednesday, July 12, 2000

210 -- Toronto @ Connecticut 11:30a

211 -- US Pro-40 @ Bay Area 10:30

Friday July 14, 2000

213 -- San Diego @ Boston 1:00

212 -- Montreal @ Raleigh 7:00

214 -- Charleston @ Pittsburgh 7:35

215 -- Long Island @ Rochester 7:35

216 -- Cincinnati @ Milwaukee 8:30

217 -- Orange County @ Minnesota 8:35

218 -- El Paso @ Bay Area 10:30

219 -- US Pro-40 @ Vancouver 10:30

Saturday, July 15, 2000

220 -- Montreal @ Richmond 7:00

221 -- San Diego @ Connecticut 7:30

222 -- Raleigh @ Atlanta 7:30

223 -- Orange County @ Milwaukee 8:30

224 -- US Pro-40 @ Seattle 10:00

Sunday, July 16, 2000

225 -- Charleston @ Hershey 1:30

226 -- Pittsburgh @ Rochester 6:05

227 -- Tennessee @ Indiana 6:35

228 -- Cincinnati @ Minnesota 9:05

All times listed are Eastern

TRANSACTIONS -- The Minnesota Thunder traded defender Ubusuku Abukusumo to the Raleigh Capital Express for future considerations Thursday, three days before facing Raleigh... The Indiana Blast finally came to terms with their 2000 First Round draft pick Justin Pratt of the Univ. of Alabama-Birmingham... The Pittsburgh Riverhounds signed midfielder Justin Evans, who played for Pittsburgh in 1999, after being released by the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS recently. The Riverhounds also signed rookie Travis Kruse of the Univ. of Pittsburgh... The Seattle Sounders released forward Rashid Utush and midfielder Brian Wood... The Tennessee Rhythm signed Liberian striker Thomas Kojo.

TOURS OF DUTY -- Minnesota Thunder defender Dionysius Sebwe was called up by the Liberian National Team for a World Cup 2002 qualifier against Nigeria Sunday and a July 16 friendly against Cape Verde Islands.

AT THE GATE -- The Pittsburgh Riverhounds will be holding a mascot match at halftime Friday... Former U.S. National Team player Alexi Lalas will perform in a pre-game concert for the Minnesota Thunder Sunday as part of the opening ceremonies for the Schwan's USA Cup, an international soccer tournament with over 18,000 players being held at the National Sports Center... The Indiana Blast have teamed up with Nextel, the club's official Wireless Communications Provider, to offer a free youth soccer clinic Sunday July 23 at Kuntz Memorial Soccer Stadium... The Connecticut Wolves will be holding Camp Day Wednesday with their special 11:30 a.m. match against the Toronto Lynx... Three Tennessee Rhythm players will be featured in upcoming state-wide television commercials promoting healthy lifestyles for Rhythm sponsor MedPLUS.

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