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NASL Minnesota United FC

United Drops Difficult Result at Home

August 6, 2016 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Minnesota United FC News Release


BLAINE, Minn.- The Loons took a forward facing approach to Saturday night's game, outshooting Miami 12 to six and holding the ball well in the attacking third, but ultimately conceding four goals on the counter to drop three points at NSC by a scoreline of 4-0. It has been a tough week for United with three matches played in seven days and a squad that is running thin due to injury. With a week's rest until the next match, United Head Coach Carl Craig will look to make changes on the training pitch to prepare his team for the rest of a match-heavy August.

"There's definitely work needs doing here, absolutely we need to do work here, but I think where we are as a group, we're running on low and we just had three games," said Craig. "We're trying to get by, and we're not doing great."

Midweek, the Loons were slow off the start. Saturday United was determined to begin the match differently, driving the ball quickly forward after the first touch. After one minute, United had two hopeful shots on net from within the penalty area. The first came from the boot of Christian Ramirez, who connected with an Ibson corner kick at the far bar, hitting a twirling half volley that was saved by the outstretched arms of Miami goalkeeper Mario Vega. Tiago Calvano owned the second effort shot, heading the deflection toward the far bar and nearly notching the first goal of the match.

The Loons kept the intensity up, especially in the attacking half. However, it was Miami who would strike first, with Jonny Steele scoring in his first trip back to NSC Stadium since playing for Minnesota United in 2015. Steele received the ball from Jonathan Borrajo out of the back and took the space he was given on the pitch to cut into his left boot. His shot took a deflection on the way toward net and caught United goalkeeper Steward Ceus off balance as it bounced once and ricocheted off Ceus into the back of the net.

United continued to push forward, nearly scoring an equalizer from a Jack Blake free kick just outside the 18-yard-box. Caught on the break, Miami scored their second shot of the match in the 21st minute when Dario Cvitanich connected with Ariel Martinez. Martinez took advantage of a gap between the United center backs and dribbled through the back line in on Ceus. He took a long touch to his left, then slotted it low beyond the United goalkeeper into the back of the net.

The Loons would concede once more before the halftime whistle blew. A somewhat wayward pass from Borrajo caught United back-peddling and met Kwadwo Poku perfectly in stride and in alone on net. There wasn't much Ceus could do as Poku dribbled around him and extended the Minnesota deficit to three goals.

"First half was a disgrace, you don't know what was said in there, they didn't follow the plan," said Craig. "[Blake Smith] had acres of space on that flank in the first half, we had a plan to stop them from playing like that.

"We know they have quality footballers in their squad, if we play to our plan then it doesn't go 3-0, but we didn't and that's what happens when you go against good teams and you don't play to your plan," said Craig. "Now, we might have played to our plan and we still might have lost but the three goals were terrible I thought."

A difficult half for United finished with the Loons splitting shots with Miami at six apiece and holding an edge on possession at 55 percent. Despite conceding three goals, Ceus came up big for United in the last ten minutes of the half by coming quickly off his line and stopping two well-struck shots from finding the back of the net.

Starting the second half determined to get a goal, United funneled pressure toward the Miami net springing everyone forward. Within the first five minutes, the Loons had two shots and had begun to truly test Vega. The first shot of the half came from the head of Ramirez following a Blake free kick. Ramirez attempted to chip Vega with a header at the far bar, but Vega got a hand on it to deflect it over the net. Just a minute later Ismaila Jome had a crack from a difficult angle, hitting a shot destined for the upper corner of the near bar. Vega was strong, getting behind the ball and directing it away from net.

That was the story of the second half, with United finding space in behind the Miami back four and hitting crosses into the box, but unable to beat Vega. The nail in the coffin for the Loons came in the 87th minute. With pressure mounting and more and more men being thrown forward by United, Aaron Dennis found the ball between the United midfielders and defenders and carried the ball forward to the penalty area. Taking a glance up, he found the bottom corner of the near bar and beat Ceus low. It was the fourth and final goal for Miami in a disappointing night of soccer for Minnesota.

"We're in a tough patch in terms of fitness, in terms of fit bodies together on the field," said Craig. "We have to be more diligent in terms of our system, we're not as free-flowing as we'd like to be. Ultimately against a quality side like that if we don't do our jobs we'll be punished and we did."

United is away next weekend with the next home match coming on August 17th against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Tickets are available now for that match atmnunitedfc.com/tickets. PH -25%20MNU%20vs.%20Club%20Leon/) OTOS -25%20MNU%20vs.%20Club%20Leon/) | STATS (http://www.mnunitedfc.com/match-center/1204/mnu-vs-mia)

*PHOTO CAPTION: Minnesota United midfielder Jack Blake dribbles under pressure from Miami FC's Ariel Martinez and Wilson Palacios Lineups

Minnesota United Starting XI: GK Steward Ceus; D Justin Davis, Brent Kallman, Tiago Calvano, Damion Lowe (J.C. Banks 57'); M Jeb Brovsky, Jack Blake, Stefano Pinho (Ismaila Jome 29'), Danny Cruz, Ibson (Juliano Vicentini 77'); F Christian Ramirez

MNU Unused Subs: GK Sammy Ndjock; M Aaron Pitchkolan, Jamie Watson, Lance Laing

Miami FC Starting XI: GK Daniel Vega; D Mason Trafford, Jonathan Borrajo, Rhett Bernstein; M Ariel Martinez, Wilson Palacios, Kwadwo Poku (Roberto Baggio Kcira 90'), Jonny Steele, Blake Smith, Gabriel Farfan; F Dario Cvitanich (Aaron Dennis 81')

MIA Unused Subs: GK Lionel Brown; D Adaî - lton; M Calvin Rezende; F Hugo Leroux, Pablo Campos

Match Events

Goals 9' - Steele (Borrajo) - MIA 21' - Martinez (Cvitanich) - MIA 26' - Poku (Borrajo) - MIA 87' - Dennis (Borrajo) - MIA

Discipline 19' - Blake (YC) - MNU 49' - Farfan (YC) - MIA 60' - Brovsky (YC) - MNU 62' - Steele (YC) - MIA 86' - Kallman (YC) -MNU

Attendance: 9,040

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