XSL Weekly Update
January 14, 2009 - Xtreme Soccer League (XSL) News Release
Lucio goes off
Lucio Gonzaga has been playing professionally since age 14, on the developmental squad of a Brazilian outdoor team. He joined the Baltimore Blast midway through last season and turned heads, then signed with the New Jersey Ironmen in the off-season.
Last weekend, he cranked up a weekend that is rarely seen even in the high-scoring world of indoor soccer. An 11-point outing Friday against Chicago (2 3PG, 2 2PG, 1A) was followed Sunday with seven more against Milwaukee (2 3PG, 1 A).
Gonzaga leads the XSL with 23 points, eight more than teammate Rey Martinez.
How special is that?
With a rookie coach and so much talent departed from last year's team, Detroit looked to have an uphill climb in 2008-09. But the Ignition are right there with Milwaukee and New Jersey, 3-2 to open the season.
Matt Johnson's club can credit special teams for much of their success. The Ignition's set up an OT win against New Jersey with a late sixth-attacker score. In Milwaukee last weekend, they went 2-for-3 on the power play and tallied a pair of restart goals, including the OT winner. Finally, in topping Chicago 11-4 on Sunday, Detroit converted a PK and twice scored on Chicago's sixth attacker.
Time to regroup ... plenty of time
Steve Morris' Chicago squad faces an uphill climb in the standings, and won't get an opportunity to close that gap this month. The vagaries of schedule making have left the Storm without another game until a visit to Milwaukee on Feb. 1.
The break could have an upside for the Storm - it can be like an extra preseason, giving Morris the time to shape the special teams that didn't get full attention before the season opened.
Xtreme Soccer League Stories from January 14, 2009
- XSL Weekly Update - XSL
- Ryan Hall Featured on SportsJam with Doug Doyle - New Jersey Ironmen
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