Flames cruise to easy win over Stallions
June 21, 2004 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Westchester Flames News Release
Wayne, N.J.âWith members of his backline dropping like flies, Westchester Flames coach Gus Skoufis got exactly what he wanted from his team's 4-1 win over the New Jersey Stallions Saturday night â a nice, easy and, perhaps most importantly, injury-free victory at DePaul Catholic High School.
"That's exactly it, without injuries," Skoufis said. "Hopefully next week...we'll have a full squad again."
Costea Decu scored two goals, including an open header two minutes into the game, and Evaud Thompson added a goal and an assist to remain third overall on the Pro Soccer League's scoring list.
The third straight win for the Flames (5-2-2) over the Premier Development League side was even sweeter because no one limped off the field after defenders Julian Kapaj and Laurence Piturro joined the walking wounded and missed the game.
"It was important to let them know from the beginning they have no chance to win," Decu said. "We got lucky, we scored the first goal very fast and then played our usual game."
After Decu easily headed in Kwame Richardson's perfectly-placed crossed in the 2nd minute, Thompson made it 2-0 in the 22nd minute when he knifed through the Stallions defense and pushed the ball past goalkeeper Carlos DeBrito low to his right for his eighth goal of the year.
Stallions coach Luis Mendoza was forced to change his formation at the half and went with three defenders, opting to push numbers up in the attack. Marcelo Fracchia nearly brought the Stallions (3-5-1) to within one but his free kick from 30 yards out went off the side netting.
The Stallions played much better in the second half but were left vulnerable on the counterattack, which was the case in the 66th minute when Juan Gomez â who entered the game seconds earlier â crossed the ball to Decu in front. The Romanian's low shot was initially saved by DeBrito, but the ball continued to rill into the net.
Thompson then set up Alex Tobon-Villa to make it 4-0 in the 82nd minute and it appeared that keeper Guillermo Valencia would earn a well-deserved clean sheet.
But after a pair of remarkable saves in the 83rd minute, when he robbed Hurtado Dirceu and Ramon Tapia from point-blank range, Valencia was finally beat in the closing seconds of stoppage time by a world class strike by Dirceu.
The Stallions play in-state rival Jersey Falcons Sunday at 5 p.m. at New Jersey City University while the Flames return to action next Saturday at 5:30 p.m. when they host the Harrisburg City Islanders at City Park Stadium.
"Tomorrow is the hard game, tomorrow is the game that we have to win," Mendoza said. "I told the guys forget about this, keep it in the back of your head so you remember it after the game tomorrow. Right now the game tomorrow has to be in front of their heads."
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