Stars Battle to 0-0 Draw and Finish Third in USL-2
August 9, 2008 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Cleveland City Stars News Release
Wilmington, NC The Cleveland City Stars concluded their second season tonight in Wilmington, battling the Hammerheads to a nil-nil draw and finishing in third place in the standings. The Stars were one of the first club to qualify for the playoffs and as a result of Richmond's 5-0 trouncing of Crystal Palace and Pittsburgh's 0-0 draw with Real Maryland, it is all but confirmed that City will face Western Mass with home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs on Wednesday at Krenzler.
Eric Reed, the City Stars net-minder tonight had another tremendous game keeping the ball from crossing the line and earning a clean sheet. "Wilmington plays a direct game and had a lot of very similar, well-struck shots tonight. They were in a must-win match and as a result they gave us a real battle."
A win would catapult them ahead of Western Mass and into the final playoff spot. But the City Stars proved to be too much for the Hammerheads as they tried desperately to break down the Stars back four and find a way to sneak the ball past Reed. Once again solid defense lead by tonight's captain, Jeremy Tolleson, got the job done for Cleveland. Jason Hotchkin returned to Wilmington for the first time this season and enjoyed the role of spoiler to his former team. "It was good to be back and because I still have a lot of friends in the area I wanted to be able to contribute. I feel we showed a lot of character as a team tonight getting out of there with a draw and now we can focus on the post-season."
Western Mass have not played a match since July 26th when they lost to Wilmington 2-0, while the City Stars are coming off back to back matches on the road. Neither situation is ideal but City will undoubtedly be prepared as they host the Pioneers in their third confrontation this year. During the season, the City Stars tied Western Mass in their first meeting, then beat them 3-1 at home in the rematch.
"The playoffs are a different kind of challenge," declared Martin Rennie, City Stars head coach. "A draw is not an option so every score is critical. Of course we will need our defense to continue to be strong and even more so. But it is paramount that we find a way to get the ball in the net at the other end of the pitch."
The City Stars have a lot of work to do and not much time to do it. Everyone is looking forward to getting back to the finals this year and hopefully earning a different result. Third place in the division is still a great accomplishment for a second year franchise. But nothing beats the sweetness of bringing home a championship. Cleveland fans deserve one. They players have worked hard to earn the right to play for one. This year it is OUR TURN !
United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 9, 2008
- Stars Battle to 0-0 Draw and Finish Third in USL-2 - Cleveland City Stars
- Kickers storm palace 5-0 - Richmond Kickers
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