Thunder Climb to 8th Spot in Standings with Dominating Win Over Islanders

Thunder with impressive display of offense in 5-2 defeat of Islanders.

The Minnesota Thunder continued their climb out of the basement of the USL standings with an exciting 5-2 victory over the visiting Puerto Rico Islanders. With the win, Minnesota slipped past struggling Miami FC in the standings and moved into 8th place, just one spot below the Vancouver Whitecaps who currently hold the 7th and final playoff spot in USL-1.

Marco Terminesi scores on a diving header despite being held. - Photo by Jeremy Olson

The win brought Minnesota’s record to 7-12-9. Since the August 27th home game against the Cleveland City Stars, the Thunder are 3-1-1.

The Islanders, who sit in second place and hoped to inch closer to the 1st place Portland Timbers, were missing some of their regular starters when the game got underway on a beautiful September night in Minnesota.

The Thunder took the lead with a diving header from Marco Terminesi off a cross from Rod Dyachenko in the 4th minute. The goal was Terminesi’s 5th of the season on only 533 minutes played. The Canadian forward’s goal would set the pace and tone of the game with an all-out offense game from both sides.

In the 37th minute Kevin Friedland, who has finally been getting some minutes after a long layoff from rehab to a torn hamstring, got on the board for the first time this season. Unfortunately, Friedland injured his other hamstring and was substituted out in the second half.

The Islanders finally got on the board in the 43rd minute with Fabrice Noel releasing a wicked shot from close range as he was closed down by Jon Greenfield. Noel’s shot was actually blocked by Thunder goalkeeper Nic Platter, but the pace was so great that the ball deflected off of his hand and into the net.

In the 45th minute of action, Dyachenko scored his second goal of the season for the Thunder before both teams headed into the dressing rooms.

After the start of the second half, the referee assured both teams of one more goal apiece by calling two penalty kicks, one for each team. Puerto Rico was awarded first in the 52nd minute with Josh Hansen being called upon for the spot kick. Hansen went low left and so did Platter, but the ball squeezed in just below the Thunder keeper’s outstretched hand.

Just 4 minutes later the Thunder took their chances on a PK. Terminesi, who was active all night long and causing the Islander defense problems, was tripped as he turned the ball towards the goal.   Ricardo Sanchez was called upon to take the kick and slammed the ball in hard and low to the lower right.

Andreas Arango goes high to win a ball in front a Thirsty Thursday beer garden that was quite happy with 5 Thunder goals.

Sanchez celebrated by mimicking a celebration that he used against the Thunder in the US Open Cup back in 2007 when he was with the California Victory. Sanchez dropped to all fours and in dog-like fashion, pretended to mark his territory near the goal post.

Minnesota continued to press the rest of the game and it finally paid off in the 88th minute as substitute Brian Cvilikas blasted a shot into the upper corner of the Islander net.

Cvilikas, not to be outdone by Sanchez’s goal celebration, ran to the Thunder Lounge beer garden after the goal and acted as if he was drinking a beer. Thursday was the second Thirsty Thursday promotion at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota and $1.00 beers could be had for 15 minutes after each goal. The 5 goals scored for the Thunder made for a busy night in the beer garden.

When Jon Greenfield was asked about the late season surge of the Thunder he answered, “Your guess is as good as mine why we are the way we are up to this point in the season. Maybe because some of the pressure is off? We are playing free now, nothing to worry about now that we are out of the playoffs.”

“Then there are others who may realize their job security in on the line,” said the stalwart central defender. “Maybe they’re (Thunder players) putting in an extra effort.”

Greenfield admitted that there are 5 or 6 players whose contracts will be expiring at the end of the season, his included.

The South African defender had previously stated another reason for the team’s performance this season. “The team is young and lacks experience,” said Greenfield. “That can make a big difference in close games.”

The Minnesota Thunder have only two more matches in their 2009 campaign, one away and one at home.  This weekend, the Thunder will be in Montreal to face the Impact on Sunday, September 13 at 2:45 p.m.  The match can be viewed for free at www.usllive.com.  Minnesota will finish their season in Blaine when they host the Charleston Battery on Sunday, September 20 at 5:05 p.m.