NASL Minnesota United FC

Three Unanswered Goals Carry Islanders Past Stars

Published on April 26, 2011 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
Minnesota United FC News Release


Despite scoring first for the third consecutive game, the NSC Minnesota Stars had no answer for the Puerto Rico Islanders' Jonathan Fana Tuesday night. Fana scored twice for the North American Soccer League leading Islanders as they erased an early deficit on the way to a 3-1 victory at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

The game started brightly for the Stars, as captain Kyle Altman converted from eight yards away in the 21st minute to give the Stars a 1-0 lead. Jeff Cosgriff knocked down Andrei Gotsmanov's free kick into the Islanders' penalty area, and Altman collected the loose ball, turned and smashed the ball into the side netting.

It would prove the highlight of the night, as the Fana and the Islanders' wing play would prove too much.

"We started well, but we didn't respond the way I thought we would to being a goal up," Stars head coach Manny Lagos said. "The energy wasn't there from us after the goal, and Puerto Rico is a good team that can take advantage of that."

Puerto Rico's comeback began in the 34th minute when Nick Addlery out-jumped Altman to get on the end of Richard Martinez's cross from the right wing. Stars goalkeeper Joe Warren had been up-to-task until that point, but Addlery's downward header eluded him and crept just inside the far post.

Five minutes later, the Islanders had completed the fightback, as Fana scored his first goal of the night off a through ball from Matt Bouraee. Although the pass was slightly behind him, Fana's first touch set the ball up nicely at the top of the penalty area, and his right footed shot-possibly deflected by a closing defender-ricocheted off the underside of the crossbar and in to give the Islanders a 2-1 halftime lead.

The Stars were more threatening in the second half, as the midfield held the ball longer and gave the attack time to spread the field. Devin Del Do came close to equalizing in the 57th minute, but his first-time chip from just inside the area couldn't quite clear Islanders goalkeeper Ray Burse.

As the Stars continued to press for an equalizer, they suddenly fell two behind in the 77th minute. A quick counter attack for the Islanders left David Foley in space on the right wing, and his low cross found Fana at the near post. Despite being closely marked, the Dominican striker showed to the ball first struck a low shot across his body and through Warren's legs for his second goal of the night and fourth in three games.

Lagos handed a Stars debut to Tino Nunez, who replaced Cosgriff shortly after the goal to give the Stars two out-and-out strikers, but the two-goal deficit proved too much of an obstacle, as the Stars fell 3-1 to drop their record to 1-1-1 on their season-opening road trip. The victory improved Puerto Rico to an unblemished 3-0-0 and leaves the Islanders top of the North American Soccer League table.

"We can take some positives from the way we played in the second half, even with the third goal," Lagos said. "We made adjustments at halftime that I felt good about, but we knew we'd be vulnerable on counterattacks, and that's how they hit us for the third. Devin had a great opportunity to make it 2-2, and overall I thought our level was higher in the second half, even if we were a little unlucky."

The Stars return to Minnesota to begin a four-game homestand this weekend. The Stars take on the Carolina RailHawks Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the NSC Stadium in Blaine, Minn. Tickets for the home opener are still available in all seating areas by calling (763) 792-7355 or visiting NSCMinnesota.com.

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North American Soccer League Stories from April 26, 2011


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