Sports stats



USSF D-2 Minnesota United FC

Stars Face AV St. Louis in Second-Round Cup Action

June 21, 2010 - U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 (USSF D-2)
Minnesota United FC News Release


BLAINE, Minn. (June 21, 2010) - After defeating an amateur side to start their 2010 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup campaign, the NSC Minnesota Stars are ready for a more challenging opponent in the second round. The Stars will welcome fellow USSF Division 2 Pro League side AC St. Louis to the NSC Stadium Tuesday at 7 p.m.

On the line is a third-round match with one of Major League Soccer's premier franchises, the Los Angeles Galaxy. If the Stars win, they'll host the 2009 MLS Cup finalists on June 29, but head coach Manny Lagos said he won't allow his team to look ahead to the prospect of a high-profile opponent.

Off the field, AC St. Louis has been embroiled in financial turmoil for the last month, which has forced it to terminate the contracts of several players, including St. Louis native and first signing Steve Ralston, who returned to Major League Soccer's New England Revolution earlier this month. Lagos cautioned that the right mindset can keep off-field turmoil from affecting on-field performance.

"In a way, it's galvanizing for a team. You want to fight for your club," he said.

The Stars and AC St. Louis have met once in league play this season, a game in which the Stars twice came back from a goal down and won on a late goal by Neil Hlavaty. That win started a five-match unbeaten streak for the Stars in all competitions. That streak ended Saturday night at NSC Stadium in a 2-0 loss to the Portland Timbers that left Lagos hoping to move on quickly.

"It was disappointing to our team and disappointing for our fans," Lagos said after Saturday's match. "We have to look into each other's eyes, regroup and try to recover the momentum we had going."

To do that, Lagos will likely return the core of his squad to the lineup. Saturday's match was the Stars' third in five days, and several key players started the game on the bench. Captain Johnny Menyongar, defenders Kevin Friedland and Andres Arango, and forwards Brian Cvilikas and Melvin Tarley all rested Saturday, although Menyongar, Friedland and Cvilikas all featured as substitutes.

Tuesday's game will not be broadcast online. Tickets start at $8 for children and $13 for adults, and can be purchased by calling (763) 792-7355 or by visiting www.nscminnesota.org/tickets.

Check out the Minnesota United FC Statistics



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


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central