Penalty Kick Gives Wave United 1-0 Victory over Minnesota
September 6, 2003 - A-League (A-League)
Milwaukee Wave United News Release
(Milwaukee, WI) â Greg Howes' penalty kick conversion in the 14th minute stood up as the only goal of the contest as Milwaukee Wave United defeated the arch-rival Minnesota Thunder 1-0 in Game One of the A-League Central Division Finals (playoff quarterfinals) Friday night (9/5) at Uihlein Soccer Park. The result gives Wave United a one goal advantage heading into Game Two of the total goal series which concludes Sunday (9/7) at 5:05 PM at the National Sports Center in Blaine, MN.
Howes scored on the penalty kick after teammate Nick Walls was taken down in the box by Minnesota goalkeeper Joe Warren. Walls had pushed the ball past defender Mark Schulte on the left side of the penalty area when Warren charged off his line and leveled the rookie midfielder. Howes converted from the penalty spot by placing his shot just beyond a diving Warren to the top right side of the goal.
Minnesota's best chance to even the score before halftime came in the 28th minute on Johnny Torres' blast from 16 yards out on the left side of the penalty area. Torres unloaded his shot to the top near corner of the goal but was stopped by Wave United goalkeeper Jim Larkin.
The Thunder had another opportunity in the 82nd minute when Melvin Tarley got behind the Wave United defense but had his bid to score circumvented by Wave United defender Joe Hammes, who slid out to knock the ball away before Tarley could shoot from 10 yards out.
Larkin registered two saves to record his eighth shutout of the season while Warren had five saves in the losing effort.
Sunday's game can be heard on 540 AM, WRRD ("The Word") with air time for the tape delayed broadcast at 8 PM. The winner of the series advances to play either Seattle or Vancouver in the Western Conference Finals next week.
Notes:
*Tonight's game was the sixth A-League playoff game between the two rivals spanning four different post-season match-ups (1998, 2000, 2002, 2003). Minnesota still leads the all-time playoff series 3-2-1 although Milwaukee has posted a 2-0-1 mark in the last three meetings.
*Milwaukee is now 16-7-3 all-time in A-League post-season play, including a 10-3-1 mark at home.
*Milwaukee has now won four of the seven games (4-3-0) played against Minnesota in 2003. Three of the seven games have been decided by 1-0 scores, while two others have been 2-0 decisions.
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A-League Stories from September 6, 2003
- Penalty Kick Gives Wave United 1-0 Victory over Minnesota - Milwaukee Wave United
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