NASL Minnesota United FC

Minnesota United Falls to Fort Lauderdale in Penalty Shootout in Semifinal Match

Published on November 8, 2014 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
Minnesota United FC News Release


BLAINE, Minn. -- Minnesota United's season ended in a dramatic penalty shootout, falling to the Fort Lauderdale in the 6th round of penalties. Miguel Ibarra scored a highlight-reel goal in the first half to get United the lead, and Martin Núñez leveled the match in stoppage time with a controversial goal.

"The guys put it all out there tonight and fought with everything they had," said Minnesota Head Coach Manny Lagos. "There was certainly a lot of drama in the game, and they handled it well. They showed something special from a character standpoint and fought 'til the end. We feel down about the result and not finishing this year off after the amazing regular season we had, but it has been an amazing season."

Despite the cold, both teams came out hot after the opening whistle. Mark Anderson just about put the Strikers on top with a long range volley that clanged off the crossbar. Christian Ramirez answered back for United a few minutes later with volley in a box on an open net, but was denied by a diving Fort Lauderdale defender.

It took till the 39th minute for Minnesota to make a breakthrough in the match. Christian Ramirez lofted a long ball near the Fort Lauderdale box, and Strikers defender Stefan Antonijevic casually went to trap the ball. However, he didn't see United midfielder Miguel Ibarra rush in from behind, steal the ball, and chip it over Strikers keeper Kamil Contofalsky. The ball sailed high into the air and bounced into the net to give Minnesota the 1-0 lead before halftime.

Fort Lauderdale went into desperation mode in the second half, throwing every man forward as they attacked in waves for the remainder of the match. Several times the Strikers thought they had found the back of the net but were denied by the assistant referee's flag for offside. Fort Lauderdale head coach Günter Kronsteiner was not happy with these decisions, and let the referee know. His choice words got him ejected from the match, leaving his assistant in charge.

However, luck would change for the Strikers late in the match. A ball played into the United box saw striker Martin Núñez get caught offside again as he volleyed a shot past United keeper Matt VanOekel. The goal was initially waved off, but after consulting his assistant, the referee changed his decision and allowed the goal to tie the match in stoppage time. The goal was allowed because a United defender made contact with the ball while intentionally trying to clear the ball. According to the laws of the game, this would negate the offside call.

The teams then entered extra time, but soon after United was at a disadvantage. Jamie Watson went down with a severe injury early in the first half of extra time, and without any additional substitutions, United was forced to play a man down.

Minnesota could've finished the match with several scoring chances, but Contofalsky came up several clutch saves to keep the match alive. When the final whistle blew, the teams prepared for the penalty shootout.

The scales tipped in favor of the Strikers right away as Minnesota's Kevin Venegas was denied on the first shot for United. Fort Lauderdale had a chance to end the match with its fifth attempt, but United keeper VanOekel made a diving stop to give Pablo Campos the opportunity to make it 4-4 in penalties. Pecka then scored in the 6th round for the Strikers, putting the pressure on United captain Aaron Pitchkolan. Contofalsky read Pitchkolan's shot, made the save, and led his side to victory.

Fort Lauderdale will travel to face the winner of San Antonio vs New York on Saturday November 15th.

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North American Soccer League Stories from November 8, 2014


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