Sports stats



NASL Minnesota United FC

United Bests Strikers 3-0 in Dominant Home Opener Win

April 16, 2016 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Minnesota United FC News Release


BLAINE, Minn. - For the second straight week, Minnesota United put on a dominant performance in the NASL, handily defeating the Fort Lauderdale Strikers 3-0 in. Goals from Damion Lowe, Christian Ramirez, and an own goal helped the Loons to three points in front of a home crowd of 9,050.

"We knew they were a good side," said United Head Coach Carl Craig. "The assertion of our defenders with Lowe and Kallman stepping up in the midfield to cut things out early. Also Davis and Venegas played very smart on the outside, picking their moments to go forward and attack, really opened up the game for us."

The opening minutes of the match were fairly even, with United putting up a few chances. The battle mainly was kept in the midfield, but the Strikers also showed promise, but were unable to pull the trigger.

There were a few hard tackles between the old rivals and tensions boiled over in the 22nd minute. United midfielder Jeb Brovsky bowled over Strikers forward, and former United player, Geison Moura. Moura took offense to the tackle, lashing out a Brovsky. The referee saw the offense and sent Moura off, leaving the Strikers with 10 men for the remainder of the match.

Minnesota began to take advantage of having the extra man, throwing men up the field to keep the ball in the Fort Lauderdale end. A series of corner kicks slowed down the match, but it was just what United needed. Ben Speas, who scored a brace last week, served up a ball near the penalty spot for defender Damion Lowe. Lowe rose above the crowd and struck the into the top of the net with a powerful header to take the lead.

"Lowe was outstanding," said Craig. "Earlier on in the year, he wasn't as calm but now he finishes like a seasoned pro. Our service from the corners was tremendous, and [Lowe] absolutely nailed his chance. All around he was tremendous."

As the halftime whistle loomed, United pummeled the Strikers defense with an aerial barrage of crosses. Fort Lauderdale looked as if it would hold on till half, but a bobbled catch by goalkeeper Bruno Cardoso fell to the feet of striker Christian Ramirez. With no one around him, Ramirez calmly passed the ball into the goal to double Minnesota's lead in first half stoppage time.

The physical play continued in the second half, with both teams getting chippy with yellow cards being shown both ways.

A string of attacking play gave Minnesota several excellent chances. The best opportunity fell to Ramirez off a corner, where the ball snuck through the crowd and landed at his feet. However, running in at full speed, he couldn't turn the short-range chance into a second goal.

Despite the miss, Ramirez still looked to get forward as United continued to press the attack. Midfielder Lance Laing drove a cross in to Ramirez who dove to head the ball. He made contact, but the ball deflected off a Strikers defender and into his own net, resulting in an own goal and a 3-0 lead for the Loons.

The match settled down as Minnesota, content with its 3-0 lead, worked to keep the ball in Fort Lauderdale's zone for a majority of the second half.

With the victory, United secures a crucial three points, and goalkeeper Sammy Ndjock earned his second-straight clean sheet. PHOTOS | STATS

Be there as Minnesota welcomes the New York Cosmos to NSC Stadium next Saturday. Two of the top clubs in the NASL square off, with a shot at first place on the line. Call 763-4SOCCER or visit MNUnitedFC.com/tickets today to join the action.

Check out the Minnesota United FC Statistics



North American Soccer League Stories from April 16, 2016


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