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USSF D-2 Minnesota United FC

NSC Minnesota Stars win third straight, 1-0 over Vancouver

September 18, 2010 - U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 (USSF D-2)
Minnesota United FC News Release


BLAINE, MN - The NSC Minnesota Stars made home-field advantage count Saturday night, beating the Major League Soccer bound Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0 in front of a boisterous crowd at NSC Stadium. Devin Del Do tallied the game's only goal, and the Stars defense held Vancouver to only two shots on goal as it earned a third consecutive shutout.

"We'd been looking for consistency at home all year and hadn't really gotten it," Stars head coach Manny Lagos said after the match, "but the guys really took these last two home games to heart and came out looking for wins."

Del Do scored the game-winning goal for the second time in three days, tapping a rebound into an empty net in the 49th minute after Simone Bracalello's shot off the post left Vancouver goalkeeper Jay Nolly helpless. It was Del Do's second goal of the season, and the fourth goal he and Bracalello have combined for in the past three games. Bracalello scored twice against AC St. Louis on Sept. 11 in a 3-0 win before Del Do's first half finish gave the Stars a 1-0 win at home against Carolina on Wednesday night.

"Even in camp, there was a good chemistry between me and Simone," Del Do said. "Unfortunately, I got hurt in the second game of the season, but when I got back we picked it up again, and Manny believed in us and gave us a chance."

Once again it paid off, but with Del Do an obvious man of the match candidate, the Stars also got outstanding play from their defense and goalkeeper Joe Warren, who made a critical point-blank save less than a minute after Del Do opened the scoring. With the Stars momentarily switched off after celebrating the deserved opener, Vancouver attacked the Stars left wing. Wes Knight's low cross found Cody Arnoux unmarked less than 10 yards from goal, but Warren threw himself in front of Arnoux's one-time shot, saving it with his foot.

It wasn't the only bullet the Stars dodged on the night. In stoppage time of a high-tempo first half, Vancouver crafted the best opportunity of the first 45 minutes against the run of play. A deflected cross made its way to the back post, where Alex Elliot was unmarked, but the winger sent the ball wide with an open goal staring back at him.

"It was a deflected cross that got through there, which was lucky for them, but we lucked out that with the bounce on the ball he couldn't catch it cleanly," Warren explained.

Having avoided the disappointment of a halftime deficit, the Stars came out firing in the second half. After opening the scoring, the Stars continued to push Vancouver's defense. The home side missed out on an odd-numbered break in the 65th minute, with Daniel Wasson and Del Do both running unchecked up the middle, but Bracalello was unable to get a cross in from the right wing to spring either of them. Bracalello finished a positive performance in the 88th minute, blasting a swerving free kick that stung Nolly's hands from about 35 yards away.

At the other end, the Stars stifled Vancouver's wing attack, as central defenders Kyle Altman and Andres Arango cut out cross after cross in the area. As a result, Warren faced only two shots on goal all night, and was quick to credit the play of his back line.

"The shape has been outstanding the past three games," he said. "We're also recovering well when we lose the ball, and the overlap between the midfield and defense has been strong."

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