NSC Minnesota Stars Take on FC Tampa Bay During USA Cup Weekend
July 9, 2010 - U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 (USSF D-2)
Minnesota United FC News Release
BLAINE, Minn. (July 8, 2010) - Fans of the NSC Minnesota Stars will notice a definite bustle about the National Sports Center campus when they arrive for Saturday's 7 p.m. match with the FC Tampa Bay Rowdies. Saturday night's match is the third of four meetings this season between the Stars and the Rowdies.
The game comes in the thick of the Schwan's USA CUP Weekend tournament. Hundreds of teams from all over the world will descend on the NSC for the largest youth soccer tournament in the Western Hemisphere, which brings with it a carnival-like atmosphere of off-field activities. Stars head coach Manny Lagos said the crowd should make for an electric atmosphere for soccer, not only in the NSC Stadium, but across the NSC.
"We know a lot of elite young players will be here during the tournament, and we hope to see a lot of them in the stands Saturday to watch a high-level game," he said.
The Stars will be looking to get back on track after a frustrating 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace Baltimore on Independence Day to start a three-game homestand. Despite dominating possession and out-shooting Baltimore 10-4, the Stars let the match get away in the 86th minute when a counterattack provided the game's only goal. The loss got July off to a disappointing start after a solid June that propelled the Stars into the USSF Division 2 Pro League's playoff picture.
Despite the setback, the Stars are confident heading into home games with Tampa Bay and AC St. Louis, teams they've already defeated at home this season. The Stars beat the Rowdies 1-0 on April 24 in their inaugural home match. On May 29, a dramatic 3-2 win over AC St. Louis broke the Stars out of a six-match winless streak.
Now the Rowdies are mired in such a streak and will be hoping to break out of it. The Rowdies' last victory was May 27 against Minnesota. In the five matches since, Tampa Bay has posted a 0-4-1 record, managing only a tie against Miami FC to show for their efforts the past month-and-a-half.
"We know they're going to be hungry," Lagos said. "If you look at their results, they just haven't been scoring, but we know from experience that they have a lot of class up top and they can put the ball in the net."
Advance tickets for Saturday night's match are available online at NSCMinnesota.org/tickets or by calling the box office at (763) 792-7355. The National Sports Center is advising fans to allow extra time to get to the stadium due to the increased traffic during USA CUP and the closure of westbound US Highway 10 into Blaine.
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U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 Stories from July 9, 2010
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- NSC Minnesota Stars Take on FC Tampa Bay During USA Cup Weekend - Minnesota United FC
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