Exciting Finish Leaves Stars And Columbus Crew Tied 2-2
Published on April 13, 2008 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Cleveland City Stars News Release
In the conclusion of the 2008 Season Launch Weekend, the Cleveland City Stars and the Columbus Crew played to a 2-2 tie as the blowing wind and snow gave way to shining sun. The match came down to extra time as the Crew tied the contest just before the final whistle on a Nico Hernandez corner kick that found the side of the net.
The Stars came out of the locker room looking to attack. The home team kept the ball in the Crew end of the field early, with Dana McGregor capitalizing on a great left footed cross by Anthony Stovall in the game's fifth minute. McGregor used all of his 150 pounds to gain position in order to heal the ball in from just inside the box.
McGregor struck again in the 35th minute as he set up Luke Williams with a perfect ball. Williams responded by pounding it over the outstretched hands of Crew GK Andy Greenbauer and into the top left corner of the net for a 2-0 City Stars lead. In an early candidate for goal of the year, Williams placed the beautiful laser of a shot in the perfect location.
The remainder of the half featured stout defense from the City Stars. Making his CCS debut, Eric Reed displayed his skills with an acrobatic punch save in the 45th minute.
Half time festivities included the championship match of the inaugural CCS junior cup U-10 tournament. Making it a clean sweep for the weekend-long Junior Cup, the Cleveland Internationals defeated Team Challenger 2-0. The U-12 version of the Internationals brought home the championship in Saturday's championship match.
With the City Stars playing back to protect its lead, the second half saw a reversal from the opening half as the Crew controlled the ball. Thanks to an active CCS defense, Guilherme So rushed his shot on the first real opportunity of the game for the Crew in the 52nd minute. Another chance came up for the Crew just a minute later as Reed made a diving save that resulted in a rebound but Jason Garey missed a tap-in as Reed scrambled back to his feet and the ball rolled harmlessly out of bounds.
The 76th minute saw the Crew finally break through as Steven Lenhart found the back of the net with a header off an assist from former City Star member Andrew Peterson.
The Crew continued to apply the pressure as Brad Evans fired over the top of the back line in the 80th minute. Reed responded by snatching the line drive out of the air. The ball momentarily bounced off Reed's hands, but the Goal Keeper out of UCLA was able to gain control before the emerging Jason Garey could take control.
The exciting conclusion to the City Stars vs. Crew match was a fitting ending to the 2008 Launch Weekend. The inaugural event was a huge success as fans of all ages were able to come out and experience the great game of soccer.
United Soccer League Championship Stories from April 13, 2008
- Exciting Finish Leaves Stars And Columbus Crew Tied 2-2 - Cleveland City Stars
- Launch Weekend Kicks Off Successfully - Cleveland City Stars
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