Baltimore Blast v. Mississauga Metrostars Game Preview
February 14, 2019 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Baltimore Blast News Release
Baltimore Blast vs. Mississauga Metrostars
Friday, February 15th @ Paramount Fine Foods Centre 7:35 p.m EST
You can watch the game on MASLTV at: https://www.maslsoccer.com/masltv
Baltimore Blast: 8-5
Second place in the Eastern Division.
Mississauga Metrostars: 2-10
Fourth place in the Eastern Division.
All-time Series: Baltimore leads 3-0
Baltimore Players to Watch:
The Blast travel up to Canada to face the Metrostars, as they attempt to keep pace with current division leaders Utica City FC. Midfielder Jonatas Melo leads the Blast with 20 points on the season, ranking fourth in the Eastern Division. Melo's nine assists also place him tied for third in the division in assists. Vini Dantas leads the Blast in goals scored (12), which ties for fourth most in the division. Dantas' 1.9 points per game is the second most among all Eastern Division players. Midfielder Tony Donatelli continues to flourish in his seventh season with the Blast, totaling fourteen points so far. Donatelli has accumulated eight assists, which ranks second on the team. William Vanzela leads the Eastern division in goals allowed average (4.62) and save percentage (.711), which also ranks sixth in the league in both categories. The Blast defense, which includes players such as Adriano Dos Santos, Marco Nascimento, and Elton de Oliveira, currently ranks sixth in the league in goals allowed average (5.00).
Last time out versus the Metrostars, the Blast collected a 14-6 win to improve to 3-0 over their Eastern Division rivals. First year midfielder Daniel Oliveira collected player of the game honors as he totaled four points on two goals and two assists on the game. Tony Donatelli also compiled four points on one goal and a hat-trick of assists. Jon Orlando and Vini Dantas each scored three points in this game, with the latter recording a hat-trick. The Blast are currently 2-4 on the road this season while holding an 8-5 record.
The Blast will be without Lucas Roque and Daniel Peruzzi as they recover from their knee injuries. Blast defender Adriano Dos Santos and midfielder Mohamed N'diaye will miss this game due to suspensions. The Blast are coached by Head Coach Danny Kelly and Assistant Coach David Bascome.
The Competition - Mississauga Metrostars
Mississauga are still looking for their third home win of the season and their first victory against the defending champion Blast. Damion Graham leads the Metrostars in points this season with nineteen, which ranks fifth in the Eastern Division. Forward Molham Babouli ranks first on the team and fourth in the division in goals scored with twelve to his name this season. Forward Matthew Rios provides the most assists for the Metrostars with nine so far this season. Former MLS MVP Dwayne De Rosario is still performing at a high level at the age of 40, with 1.8 points per game this season, ranking third in the Eastern Division. Defender Josip Keran has seventeen blocked shots on the season, which is good for sixth most in the MASL. Goalkeeper Adrian Becic is the only goalkeeper in the MASL to record a shutout this season with a 10-0 victory over the Florida Tropics on December 8th.
In the 14-6 loss against the Blast, Marco Rodriguez led all scorers with five points in the game from two goals and three assists. Forwards Damion Graham and Molham Babouli each recorded two points, while midfielder Halburto Harris compiled one point in the loss. The Metrostars boast a 2-4 home record at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre and a 2-10 record overall.
The Mississauga Metrostars are coached by Head Coach Phil Ionadi and Assistant Coach Milodrag Akmadzic-Backo.
Upcoming Games:
February 22nd 7:30 p.m. EST Baltimore Blast vs. Milwaukee Wave
February 24th 3:00 p.m. EST Baltimore Blast vs. Utica City FC
March 3rd 3:05 p.m. EST Baltimore Blast at Mississauga Metrostars
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