NASL Minnesota United FC

Stars Travel to Fort Lauderdale for Friday Night Showdown with Strikers

Published on April 14, 2011 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
Minnesota United FC News Release


After a season-opening win against the Atlanta Silverbacks, the NSC Minnesota Stars are back on the road Friday night for a showdown in Florida against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Despite snatching a late 2-1 win in Atlanta, the message from Stars head coach Manny Lagos all week has been simple: Play better.

The Silverbacks out shot the Stars 16-5 and held a decisive 11-3 advantage in the second half. On the plus side Minnesota, many of Atlanta's shots were long-range or contested, leading to eight shots off target and several easy saves for goalkeeper Joe Warren. While there's certainly a silver lining to the efficiency with which the Stars attacked - four of five shots were on goal - Lagos and the team spent the week training to create more chances.

To that end, the Stars will need to retain their shape better than in the opener. After Saturday's game, Lagos told IMSoccer News that he was largely dissatisfied with the team's ability to maintain possession. On several occasions Saturday night, the Stars struggled to hold the ball after winning it on defense, leading to a lack of counterattacking options and a need to have nine or ten players back behind the ball. The team believes avoiding getting sucked into the middle will allow them longer spells of possession, which in turn can help dictate the pace of the game.

A plus for the Stars heading into Friday is the budding partnership between Jack Stewart and Kyle Altman in central defense. The Stars are rebuilding a backline that lost two key players from 2010, and despite just a few exhibition matches to feel each other out, Altman and Stewart appear to be quickly picking up on each other's tendencies. The ability of the two center backs to lead the defense could be critical against the Strikers, as Lagos finds himself without outside defenders Kevin Friedland, out with a neck strain, and Chris Clements, who pulled out of the squad Thursday due to illness. That leaves John Gilkerson on the left wing and either Brian Kallman or Justin Davis on the right.

Kentaro Takada and Neil Hlavaty will likely start in central midfield again for the Stars. Lagos can choose between Ely Allen and Andy Lorei on the right and Andrei Gotsmanov and Lucas Rodriguez on the left. Up top, Lagos could continue to add height by pairing Devin Del Do and Jeff Cosgriff, who assisted on Takada's goal in Atlanta. The Stars coach could also turn to the Del Do and Simone Bracalello partnership that emerged at the end of last season; he could also hand a Stars debut to newcomer Tino Nunez.

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