Stars Hand Miami FC First Win of Season
Miami FC 1-0 NSC Stars
The NSC Minnesota Stars collected their 6th loss of the season while allowing Miami FC their first win of the year. The game’s only goal came at the 71 minute mark as Christian Gomez served a through ball to Paulo Araujo Jr. The Brazilian forward shot from the goal box and placed the ball past Minnesota goalkeeper Joe Warren firing just inside the far post. The same two Miami players combined the previous weekend when the Blues came from behind late in the game to tie the score with Minnesota.
The Stars were never able to get much going offensively in this game and the final shots on goal were 16-4 in Miami’s favor.
Oddly, coach Manny Lagos chose to travel with 2 players: Scott Lorenz and Geison Moura, who were signed just this past week but had been playing with the team most of the preseason. While the Stars had mentioned Lorenz as a player who was working with the squad, Moura’s name hadn’t been mentioned. Moura started for the Stars and was replaced in the 64th minute by Leilei Gao and Lorenz subbed in for Kevin Friedland in the 70th minute. Simone Bracalello got his first start of the year.
With the loss, the Stars are now 2-6-1 on the season and have lost three consecutive road games.
The Stars will now host AC St. Louis on May 29 at NSC Stadium in Blaine in what the NSC website calls “a battle of struggling first-year franchises.”
NSC Minnesota Lineup (4-5-1): Joe Warren, Kevin Friedland (Scott Lorenz 70), Brian Kallman, Andres Arango, Chris Clements, Kyle Altman, Geison Moura (Leilei Gao 64), Simone Bracalello (Melvin Tarley 72), Daniel Wasson, Johnny Menyongar, Brian Cvilikas (Warren Ukah 72)
Miami FC Lineup (4-4-2): Caleb Patterson, Euzebio Neto, JP Rodrigues, Cristiano Dias, Chris Gbandi, Bryan Arguez, Martyn Lancaster, Paulo LePetit, Christian Gomez, Abe Thompson, Paulo Araujo Jr.
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When is Del Do going to be back? As the Super Rookie correctly observed this past weekend, their midfield just has not been the same since he injuired his knee in the second match.
Come on you Stars!!!
Anyone have a stat showing the number of goals NSC has given up after the 70th minute? Also, anyone think that maybe they should move towards a 5-man back line? It would appear the back 4 needs a little help. The forwards also don’t seem to be too productive, maybe they need to move to a 5-3-2, or a 4-1-3-2? Maybe getting a second consistent man up front will get the ball in the box more. I think having 5 midfielders like they had last night simply makes them confused.
Del Do is a forward.
xxLamps8xx- raises a good point bout how many goals we have allowed after 70min. How is our conditioning? Seems like we are always so dog gone tired in the final 20minutes. Argh.
The Miami game was very uninspiring.
Exactly Syper Rookie. I don’t have time to go back to every match and count the goals that are coming late, so I will go out on a limb and guess, as you are suggesting, that we’re talking about a conditioning issue. To me, that is a problem as we are nine (?) games in to the season, and issues like these should be fading.
I still think Manny is letting the team get a little too bogged down in the midfield. Either move more help back or more help forward. Either way, it’s needed in both areas.
The late goals are coming after line up changes on the defensive end. Replaced Friedland at 70 min and Miami scores. The defense is getting pulled into midfield to help control the ball. The midfield and forwards lose control and the week side gets a breaking forward in behind them. The defense will break down less if the offensive 1/3 and midfiled can control the ball more. Most, but not all of the last 7 goals against the Stars are being scored off of break away plays that develop in the Stars offensive end and midfield. How many goals have the forwards scored ? 1 or 2?
The Stars have some good defensive players, but they can’t cover the whole field for 90 mins without midfield and offensive support and control.
Check out the practice notes for today if possible. Interesting little issue of communication of the defenders came up. They weren’t able to mark their men correctly at all.
I’ve only seen bits and pieces of the games, anyone think this is a gametime issue as well?
AND, if you read all the post you will notice that the players who played on Saturday night were not part of that practice but were doing their own light workouts as a recovery. So I wouldn’t read too much into that. However, I will admit there is always some sort of breakdown on those goals which of course there is for any team that gives up a goal. Thats what offenses are trying to do, break down the defense. Point being, the starting defenders were not in the drill.
Maybe I’ve missed something along the way, but what’s up with Gao?
He needs to be playing both sides of the ball if he’s going to start.