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USSF D-2 Minnesota United FC

NSC Minnesota Stars Look to Avenge Loss to Puerto Rico Islanders

July 20, 2010 - U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 (USSF D-2)
Minnesota United FC News Release


BLAINE, Minn. (July 20, 2010) - The NSC Minnesota Stars will look to end a four-game homestand on a high note Wednesday at 7 p.m. as they face the Puerto Rico Islanders in a USSF Division-2 Pro League match. The Stars lost a road game 3-1 to Puerto Rico in April, but the team is confident that the squad that takes the field Wednesday night will be unfamiliar to the Islanders.

The most important element has been time, according to defender Kevin Friedland. The loss on April 21 was only the Stars' third match of the season and came only a month-and-a-half after the team's inaugural training camp opened. Friedland said it has taken time for players to understand each other's tendencies, particularly in transitional play. The Stars struggled early in the season, conceding 19 goals in their first 10 games before making what Friedland described as "a total team commitment to defending."

That commitment came with some lineup shuffling, too, which has seen players who started the year on the bench emerge as key contributors. Kyle Altman dropped back from central midfield into defense, allowing Geison Moura and Kentaro Takada to form an effective partnership in the center that has helped the Stars maintain possession and create more chances. Defender Scott Lorenz has also emerged as a more-than-capable left back, and the Stars will have a battle on their hands for that position when Chris Clements returns from a hamstring injury.

The results of the changes have been obvious. The Stars are 5-2-2 in the league since a May 29 victory over AC St. Louis and have allowed less than a goal per game during that span. Head coach Manny Lagos attributed the success to the increased attention to defending and the players' desire to work for each other, both things that take time to build in young teams.

"Looking back on that game [in Puerto Rico], we were just out of camp and still learning to play with one another," Lagos said. "But even then, there were things we were doing very well, and I don't think the way we played that night was reflected in the final score. We had our chances, we had our possession, and we played well, especially in such wet conditions and after a long trip."

With the table turned and Puerto Rico making the long trip, the Stars will look to get off to a fast start to alleviate the pressure that has built with missed opportunities in the past three games. The Stars have been dominating time of possession recently, but have struggled around the net. Last Wednesday against AC St. Louis, the team broke out of a rut in the last five minutes, putting two goals past St. Louis goalkeeper Alec Dufty in the final five minutes to rescue a 2-2 draw at home.

After the match, forward Brian Cvilikas, lamented the team's missed chances, which included a missed breakaway and a saved penalty kick in the first half. Cvilikas said he viewed the result as two points dropped rather than one gained, but he cited an old striker's adage as a reason for optimism: "One takes the pressure off, and that'll lead to more."

Advance tickets for Saturday night's match are available online at NSCMinnesota.org/tickets or by calling the box office at (763) 792-7355. This is the Star's last home game until Saturday, August 14.

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U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 Stories from July 20, 2010


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