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NASL Minnesota United FC

NSC Minnesota Stars Fall 3-0 to Rochester Rhinos

April 28, 2010 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Minnesota United FC News Release


BLAINE, Minn. (April 28, 2010) - Two quick goals midway through the first half led the Rochester Rhinos past the NSC Minnesota Stars Wednesday night at NSC Stadium.

Tino Nunez helped create former Minnesota Thunder midfielder Rich Costanzo's opening goal before getting behind the Minnesota defense for two goals of his own as Rochester moved to 2-1-1 on the season. The Stars fell to 2-3 in the USSF D-2 Pro League this season.

"Tonight's just one of those nights where as a team we just didn't play at the level needed to win the game," Stars head coach Manny Lagos said after the match.

Costanzo should have put the Rhinos up in the 16th minute. Stars defender Andres Arango blocked a shot from Rochester's Alfonso Motogalvan, but the rebound rolled across the box to Costanzo, who had time to settle the ball before shooting over the bar.

After Warren Ukah went close for the Stars in the 25th minute, Costanzo made no mistake at the other end. Frank Sanfilippo and Nunez combined for a one-two pass along the Stars' right wing. Despite tight marking from Arango, Costanzo found a way to backheel Sanfilippo's low cross past Joe Warren's right foot.

Three minutes later it was 2-0 as Nunez found his way between Chris Clements and Kyle Altman, who was playing center back in place of the suspended Brian Kallman. Motogalvan found him with a ball over the top, and Nunez beat Warren to it near the top of the penalty box, took a touch around him and rolled the ball into the empty net just before Andrei Gotsmanov could slide in to clear the ball.

The second goal sparked more urgency in the Stars, who were unlucky not to get a goal back in the 40th minute. Leilei Gao's shot from a tight angle looked to be going wide before Johnny Menyongar threw himself at the ball at the back post, but the Stars' captain could only deflect the ball off the post and out of play.

Lagos made attack-minded changes at halftime, shifting his formation to a 3-5-2 and bringing Brian Cvilikas and Simone Bracalello into the game. Both looked threatening in the early stages of the second half, and Gotsmanov forced a spectacular diving save out of Rhinos goalkeeper Neil Kitson, but the Stars' momentum was to be shortlived.

Nathaniel Short hit the crossbar in the 50th minute after Aaron Pitchkolan had done well to win the ball off a corner kick. Three minutes later, Nunez snuck in behind the Stars' backline again, this time latching onto a Carlos Aguilar through pass and placing a ball just beyond Warren's right hand and into the net.

The Stars responded with a few promising moments and some offensive substitutions, but they still couldn't find a way past Kitson. Bracalello hit a long-rang shot that dipped and curved in a stiff breeze and bounced awkwardly in front of the Rochester goal, but Kitson dove again to parry it away.

"He made a couple of big plays that kept us in the driver's seat tonight," Rhinos head coach Bob Lilley said, noting that the score seemed one-sided in part because of Kitson's play.

The Stars' miserable night in front of goal reached a low point in second half stoppage time. After Kevin Friedland was fouled on the edge of the penalty area, the Stars were awarded a penalty kick after a short deliberation between the officials. Daniel Wasson stepped up to the spot looking for his second goal of the season, but his penalty kick sailed over Kitson's bar.

One positive note for the Stars was the debut of Two-Boys Gumede, who replaced Neil Hlavaty in the 59th minute. Gumede missed the Stars' first four matches after visa complications left him stuck in Vancouver for nearly two weeks after the Stars' season-opening road trip. Despite the bad result, Gumede was happy to finally get out on the field.

"You always like when the fans are calling your name," he said. "It's a dream come true."

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