USSF D-2 Minnesota United FC

Red Card Costs Stars Dearly in 1-0 Loss to Portland Timbers

Published on August 21, 2010 under U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 (USSF D-2)
Minnesota United FC News Release


BLAINE, Minn. (August 21, 2010) - For 68 minutes, the NSC Minnesota Stars looked in control of their USSF Division 2 Pro League match against the Portland Timbers. The defense had been suffocating, the midfield patient, and it seemed a goal could come any time.

It all fell apart in an instant.

Bright Dike stripped the ball from Scott Lorenz in the center circle and raced toward the Stars goal. As he rounded Stars goalkeeper Joe Warren, he went down, drawing a penalty kick and a straight red card for the Minnesota keeper. Ryan Pore stepped up and buried the spot kick for his 13th goal of the season, dropping the Stars to a second consecutive 1-0 defeat and leaving the home side's playoff hopes hanging in the balance.

The Stars now have two weeks off to regroup before a pivotal five-game stretch that will decide their playoff fate. Head coach Manny Lagos said the team will use the break to patch itself up mentally and get over the disappointment of two straight losses at home.

"We need to go back to the drawing board - and I know that's a cliché, but it's really what we're doing - and figure out what we want out of this season, figure out how we approach the last games to get the results we need to make a playoff push."

The game began well for the Stars with Lorenz and Melvin Tarley combining down the left side to create a shooting opportunity that earned the Stars a corner kick in the sixth minute. Tarley continued to look threatening moving forward, dragging two long-distance shots wide, and Simone Bracalello, making his second straight start, brought out a diving save from Portland goalkeeper Matt Pyzdrowski with a right-footed blast in the 24th minute. In the 36th minute, Bracalello tested Pyzdrowski again, this time from long-range, forcing the keeper to make a diving save at his near post.

The Stars looked solid at the back, as well, but Warren was alert right before halftime when called upon. Dike muscled his way through two defenders, but his low shot was too close to Warren, who kicked it away. Immediately afterward, Tarley beat the Portland offside trap to sting Pyzdrowski's palms with a left-footed drive.

The Stars looked threatening to start the second half, too, as Bracalello wasted a two-on-one opportunity and overlooked an unmarked Lorenz streaking toward the goal.

The hard work unraveled about midway through the second half. As the Stars pushed forward looking to capitalize on their momentum, Dike stripped Lorenz inside the center circle. With no one between him and the goal except Warren, the big forward had nearly 40 yards to run and think about what he was going to do. He took a touch around Warren, whose momentum carried him through the attacker's legs.

Midfielder Kentaro Takada gave way to backup goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel, whose first job was to pick the ball out of the back of the net as Pore sent him the wrong way with a well-struck penalty kick. Portland mostly dominated the last 20 minutes, forcing Van Oekel into a double save with about five minutes to play. The Stars were unlucky not to get a shot on goal in the closing stages, as Mamadou Danso blocked Daniel Wasson's shot from the top of the penalty box in the 75th minute and combined with Steve Purdy to block Warren Ukah's stoppage time shot.

The loss drops the Stars to 7-11-7 on the season. Portland improved its record to 9-7-7 and gave them some breathing room ahead of the Puerto Rico Islanders in the USL Conference standings. The Stars are in action again on Saturday, Sept. 4, in a road match against the Austin Aztex, who own the league's most high-powered offense and are in hot pursuit of the Rochester Rhinos for the league's best record.

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U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 Stories from August 21, 2010


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