Carolina hosts Thunder in Opener

Published on April 9, 2009 under USL First Division (USL-1) News Release


TAMPA, FL - A pair of new USL-1 head coaches will take the field for the first time Saturday night at 7:00 pm ET in Cary, NC when the Minnesota Thunder visit the Carolina RailHawks in first of two games on Opening Night.

Minnesota's Don Gramenz may have a bit of a head start on Carolina's Martin Rennie having taken over in the middle of his first year as an assistant last year as the interim head coach and turning around a sour 4-8-5 campaign to finish 10-11-9 and claim a playoff berth. The third coach in the Thunder's 20-year history, 13 of which he was a player for, will look to continue his 6-3-4 form from last year, but will face tough opposition in Rennie, who has proven capable of quick starts himself.

While Rennie may be new to USL-1, he is certainly no stranger to USL as a head coach. In his debut as a professional head coach two years ago for the expansion Cleveland City Stars he led the side to a remarkable 10-1-9 season only to be ousted 1-0 in the first round of the playoffs. Although the form dipped slightly in his sophomore campaign to 10-3-7, the postseason performance was as good as it could be as they went on to win the league championship.

The first-ever meeting between the Carolina and Minnesota was a 1-1 draw two years ago, but since Minnesota's 5-0 drubbing of the rookie RailHawks later that year, the Thunder have yet to find another win.

Last season, the pair played to a scoreless draw in Carolina to open the season and shared points yet again in their second meeting in a 2-2 draw at Minnesota. Carolina notched their first win against the Thunder in the final showdown, earning a 2-1 win on the road.

New coaches, however, mean new looks for their respective teams. Preparing for their first seasons in USL's top flight, the Thunder spent most of their time on training and a mix of scrimmages with local collegiate and amateur sides with the exception of a 4-0 defeat to the Major League Soccer Kansas City Wizards shortly after opening camp.

Carolina, meanwhile, added to their collegiate scrimmages with three matches against a variety of professional clubs. They opened with a 1-0 win against the MLS New England Revolution and faced their stiffest test against Honduran champs and recent CONCACAF Champions League participant Olimpia, falling 2-1 in the next contest. Regular USL-2 contenders Richmond Kickers netted a 1-0 victory in the final friendly last weekend.

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USL First Division Stories from April 9, 2009


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