Stars battle for draw with Wilmington
Published on June 20, 2008 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Cleveland City Stars News Release
The Cleveland City Stars returned home to a capacity crowd in Friday night's nil-nil draw with the Wilmington Hammerheads.
In This IssueCity Stars Return Home To Packed Krenzler Stadium In Nil-Nil Draw With Wilmington City Stars vs. Wilmington Hammerheads
Excited to finally be back in the friendly confines of Krenzler Stadium after a month long absence, the Cleveland City Stars were able to maintain their undefeated status at home after a nil-nil tie with the visiting Wilmington Hammerheads. The City Stars started the evening sitting alone in second place at the top of the table. Had they earned three points they would have been primed for a share of the lead assuming Charlotte was not able to best Crystal Palace tomorrow night. Regardless the Stars are right in the hunt for at least a playoff berth more than halfway through their second season.
Tonight's performance can only be described as lackluster. Throughout the match the Stars had difficulty moving the ball into the scoring third. Relying on the long ball they were able to get off 5 shots in the first half including a brilliant goal from Sallieu Bundu that the ref called a handball. From the stands it appeared that Bundu laid out to get a head on a beautiful slanting cross from Schulte but the goal was disallowed which seemed all the more poignant as the minutes ticked away in the second half.
Although the first 45 looked relatively even on the stat sheet, with each squad taking 5 shots and Wilmington committing just one more foul than the Stars, the second half was 45 minutes of futility for CCS. The stars recorded 13 shots in the second half while Wilmington was called for 11 fouls. Cleveland also earned 5 corner kicks but just were not able to get the final touch on the ball. Credit the Hammerheads' defenders for their aggressive play.
There are no excuses in sports, but if there were no doubt the City Stars would blame tonight's quiet performance on their challenging travel schedule. As a result of their lengthy road trip and their success in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup they have spent most of the past month away from home, including a trip to Bermuda and multiple bus trips which are always draining for a team.
The boys better get their rest now because next week has them traveling north for the second round of the U.S. Open Cup against the USL-1 Minnesota Thunder before returning home for next Saturday's match with their nemesis the Richmond Kickers. If their trip to Minnesota goes as planned, they will then head out to Chicago for the third round of the Open where the Stars hope to notch scratch one more goal off their list by beating an MLS team, the Chicago Fire.
Don't forget all home games are broadcast on STO. Check out the City Stars website for upcoming schedule of events including any roadtrips with the Green Army and webcast information for away games. Thanks for your support. The Stars count on the energy of their fans and look forward to finishing out the season as strongly as they started.
United Soccer League Championship Stories from June 20, 2008
- Stars battle for draw with Wilmington - Cleveland City Stars
- Eagles And Lady Eagles on the Road - USL
- Meet The Stars Today At The CSU Recreation Center - Cleveland City Stars
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