Chicago Riot Wraps up 1st Season at Missouri on Sunday
March 5, 2011 - Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL)
Chicago Riot News Release
CHICAGO (March 5, 2011) -- The Chicago Riot faces the Missouri Comets for their 2010-2011 Major Indoor Soccer League season finale at 3:10 p.m. Sunday, March 6, at the Independence Events Center in Independence, Mo. The match is available through a live webcast accessible through MISL.net, and Spanish-language radio at LaMaquinaDeportiva.com .
Chicago (5-14) is coming off an 11-9 overtime victory over the Baltimore Blast on Friday at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore. The Riot ended its four-game losing streak and became the only team this season to defeat first-place Baltimore twice. The Blast, which ended its eight-game winning streak, was also looking to clinch the regular-season crown for the right to host the 2010-2011 MISL Championship.
Ante Cop netted his second game-winning goal of the season with a tally at the 2:11 mark of overtime for Chicago's first extra-time victory. Riot goalkeeper Jeff Richey had a stellar night with a game-high 19 saves. Richey is now only 16 saves away from 900 for his career.
The Comets (7-11) are battling with Omaha (7-12) for the third and final playoff spot. Omaha was blanked by the Milwaukee Wave, 21-0, on Friday, so Missouri has a half-game lead on the Vipers in third place. The Comets have to finish the regular season with a better record than Omaha to clinch because the Vipers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker edge. Even though the series was tied, 3-3, Omaha gained the tiebreaker by outscoring Missouri, 73-68.
Missouri brought in former Riot target forward Anthony Maher for the playoff push. This past week, Maher was traded to Missouri for future cash considerations. Maher played for the Kansas City Comets for his second and third MISL seasons.
The Comets ended the Riot's mathematical postseason hopes a couple weeks back with a 23-7 win over Chicago on Feb. 26 at the Odeum Sports and Expo Center in Villa Park, Ill. Missouri has won three straight, with its last loss coming against Chicago, 16-12, on Feb. 6, at the Odeum. Missouri wraps up the regular season on March 13 at Baltimore.
Notes:
- Scoring leaders: Riot forward Bato Radoncic leads Chicago with 42 points and 17 goals. Fred Degand holds the team lead with nine assists. ... Comets forward Byron Alvarez leads Missouri with 29 goals and 71 points. Forwards Jamar Beasley and Leo Gibson are tied for the team lead with 12 assists apiece.
- Familiar faces, local ties: Riot head coach Jeff Kraft started his playing career with the Kansas City Comets in 1986-1987. ... Riot midfielders Miodrag Djerisilo and Sandre Naumoski played for the K.C. Comets. ... Comets forward Anthony Maher played for the Chicago Riot in 2010-11, briefly played for the Chicago Storm, and his second and third seasons in the MISL were with the K.C. Comets. ... Comets goalkeeper Danny Waltman has played for the Chicago Storm and Rockford Rampage. ... Comets forward Jamar Beasley has ties to the Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer) and Rockford Rampage, Byron Alvarez spent two seasons with the Chicago Storm, and Leo Gibson and Geison Moura previously played for Rockford.
- Kletzien increases blocks lead: Riot defender Will Kletzien had two blocks against the Blast on Friday and has an MISL-best 36 for the season -- three more than second-place Baltimore defender Mike Lookingland, who had one block Friday.
- Milestone watch: Riot goalkeeper Jeff Richey needs 16 saves for 900 in his career ... Riot midfielder Ptah Myers needs one goal for 75 in his career. ... Semir Mesanovic needs three points for 200 in his career.
- MISL Injury Report: Chicago Riot -- Andre (groin, out), Roberto Gallo (groin, out); Missouri Comets -- Casey Barton (hamstring, questionable),Jeff Davis (quad, out), Nate Houser (hamstring, out).
About the Riot's opponent, the Missouri Comets: In July of 2010, the Missouri Comets joined the Major Indoor Soccer League, bringing back the indoor game to the Greater Kansas City area. Former Kansas City Comets and Wichita Wings All-Star Kim Roentved is the Comets' head coach. The Copenhagen, Denmark, native joined the Comets in 1987 as a player and was part of the organization until it folded in the summer of 1991.
The Comets' first two signings were goalkeeper Danny Waltman and forward Worteh Sampson. Waltman, well known for his back-flips and energetic demeanor, previously played for the Detroit Ignition, Chicago Storm and Rockford Rampage. Waltman's standout campaign was in 2008-2009, when he led Detroit to the Xtreme Soccer League title and earned MVP honors.
The squad includes several former Rockford players from the 2009-2010 season, including forward Leo Gibson, midfielder Geison Moura and forward Jamar Beasley. Beasley started his indoor career with Kansas City during the 2003-2004 season. Before then, he had an outdoor career in Major League Soccer with the New England Revolution and then scored a career-high four goals in 18 games for the Chicago Fire.
The Comets play their home games at the Independence Events Center in Independence, Mo.
Major Indoor Soccer League Stories from March 5, 2011
- Chicago Riot Wraps up 1st Season at Missouri on Sunday - Chicago Riot
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