NASL Minnesota United FC

Minnesota Stars FC Head to Texas for First-Ever Meeting with Scorpions

Published on June 1, 2012 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
Minnesota United FC News Release


BLAINE, Minn. (June 1, 2012) - Minnesota Stars FC will put its unbeaten start to the season on the line Saturday night in its first match ever with San Antonio Scorpions FC, a match that will pit second place against third, highlighting a full weekend of North American Soccer League action. Kickoff from Heroes Stadium in San Antonio is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. CDT. The game will be broadcast via the internet on NASL.com, mnstarsfc.com and sanantonioscorpions.com.

The teams enter the match in similar form. The Stars are unbeaten in their first eight league games, winning four and tying four, and have added two victories to their season total in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, including a 3-1 road upset of Major League Soccer leaders Real Salt Lake on Tuesday night. Like the Stars, the Scorpions slew an MLS opponent on Tuesday in the Open Cup, earning a 1-0 victory at home against the Houston Dynamo, 2011 MLS Cup runners up. The Scorpions have also put together a six-game unbeaten run in league play after starting the year with a scoreless draw and a 4-0 defeat at home against the league-leading Puerto Rico Islanders, climbing into third place with a record of four wins, three ties and a loss.

"San Antonio has stepped up at all levels and fit right into our league, and they've really come together on the field and started clicking, " Stars head coach Manny Lagos said. "They have some players who are familiar to us, who have troubled us in the past, and who bring them great experience at this level. It's going to be a battle for us against a good team in front of a big crowd and a tough environment."

San Antonio leads the NASL in attendance with an average of more than 10,000 fans per game. After the 4-0 setback against Puerto Rico, the Scorpions have bounced back with a 2-2 draw against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers followed by 2-0 wins against the Tampa Bay Rowdies and FC Edmonton.

To put an end to San Antonio's hot streak, the Stars will rely on their offense, which is scoring at a much more prolific rate than the 2011 edition. Despite losing leading goalscorer Amani Walker to an ankle injury in the Open Cup victory against Real Salt Lake, the Stars lineup features 10 players with a goal to their names across all competitions this season. In 10 competitive matches this season (NASL and Open Cup combined), the Stars have scored 19 goals, 15 of which have come in the team's seven road games.

On the other side of the ball, both teams are among the league's stingiest. Both teams have allowed only nine goals in all competitions this season, and both the Stars and Scorpions have recorded four shutouts against NASL foes.

Saturday's match marks the homestretch of a tough run of road games for Minnesota. After the trip to San Antonio, the Stars face the San Jose Earthquakes in the fourth round of the US Open Cup at Stanford University's Laird Q. Cagan Stadium on Tuesday, June 5 and finish their roadtrip with a league match against the Carolina RailHawks on Saturday, June 9. The team returns to the comfort of NSC Stadium in Blaine, Minn., on June 16 to face the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Fan can purchase tickets to that game on mnstarsfc.com or by calling (763) 792-7355.

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North American Soccer League Stories from June 1, 2012


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